Herne Hill traders today (12 June) launched a campaign to improve the area with a demonstration to highlight the fact that each year 6m cars drive through the major road junction where Norwood Road, Dulwich Road, Milkwood Road and Half Moon Lane meet.
The group of 47 businesses is worried that this volume of traffic has a negative effect on people trying to use the area as a shopping destination.
“We know that nearly 30% of shopping takes place online, the number of shopping trips is falling compared to pre-pandemic levels, as is retail footfall,” said Liam Plowman, from wine shop Wild + Lees.
“We believe our shops offer significantly more to our community than online shops, but we feel the volume of traffic residents have to navigate to visit us is extremely unhelpful. It makes a trip to the shops noisy, stressful and polluted.
“We know that millions of cars drive through Herne Hill each year, most of them without stopping or contributing to our local economy.
“We believe these millions of journeys, which use our high street as a thoroughfare, come at a cost to our businesses, our health, and our home.”
Sam Jessop from gift shop Forget Me Not & Green agreed: “We’re very proud of the vibrant, diverse and competitive offering of our independent shops,” he said.
“We work hard to ensure our customers can shop locally and conveniently. We employ local people, and believe our shops are an essential part of a community and add an important layer of social glue.
“But it can take several minutes to walk from one part of the high street to the other, crossing several roads. It is inconvenient, unsafe and unpleasant.”
Road danger is something the traders deal with each day. “At this window we can see where three roads converge and it is often terrifying,” said Brendan Plowman, manager of Wild + Lees.
“Vehicles mount the narrow pavements, or drive the wrong way along Milkwood Road, to bypass the traffic lights. And all the while thousands of shoppers and families are trying to go about their normal life.”
The traders say Transport for London road data shows 48 people have been injured in collisions around the junction in the past five years. Of those, 21 were seriously injured.
There are also concerns about air pollution.“We have five members of staff, and we feel responsible for their wellbeing,” said Adi Daly-Gourdialising, from Macatia & Coffee, a specialist coffee shop.
“We know that people who are exposed to air pollution for long periods of time are more likely to suffer from its ill effects. We think more needs to be done to reduce it in the junction.”
According to the World Health Organisation, air pollution is associated with heart disease, strokes, respiratory diseases and lung cancer, say the traders.
Noise is another consideration. “Horns blaring is a constant background noise, which is very stressful,” said Luke Smerdon, from Brothers Green, a plant and vintage shop.
“Cars turn right from Half Moon Lane into Milkwood Road, which is an illegal right turn, and when that happens – which is all the time – there is loads of hooting.”
Traders say research suggests that noise pollution can cause high blood pressure, tinnitus, hearing loss, anxiety and cognitive impairment.
Their group is calling on Lambeth council to implement safer crossings, wider pavements, better drainage and more air pollution monitoring of the junction area, which they believe is currently not sufficiently covered.
The junction is very close to the boundary between the boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark.
