Comments on: Andrew Gilligan: Progress Report http://www.greenwich.co.uk/andrew-gilligan/progress-report/ Greenwich news and information Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:00:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Tom http://www.greenwich.co.uk/andrew-gilligan/progress-report/comment-page-1/#comment-2479 Tom Thu, 09 Apr 2009 09:45:32 +0000 http://www.greenwich.co.uk/?p=1179#comment-2479 I was just reading a story on the Bexley Times website with the headline "New railway plan axed". Hilariously, they seem to think the GWT was a <a href="http://www.bexleytimes.co.uk/content/bexley/times/news/story.aspx?brand=BXYOnline&category=news&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=newsbxy&itemid=WeED09%20Apr%202009%2010%3A35%3A01%3A837" rel="nofollow">"new railway"</a> !!! I was just reading a story on the Bexley Times website with the headline “New railway plan axed”.

Hilariously, they seem to think the GWT was a “new railway” !!!

]]> By: Rachel Mawhood http://www.greenwich.co.uk/andrew-gilligan/progress-report/comment-page-1/#comment-2455 Rachel Mawhood Wed, 08 Apr 2009 21:14:18 +0000 http://www.greenwich.co.uk/?p=1179#comment-2455 Leg of lamb from Drings, roasted in a Remoska, mmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Wonderful smell while cooking, tender, flavoursome - unlike the tired old joints you get at the supermarkets. Leg of lamb from Drings, roasted in a Remoska, mmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Wonderful smell while cooking, tender, flavoursome – unlike the tired old joints you get at the supermarkets.

]]> By: Lauren Smith http://www.greenwich.co.uk/andrew-gilligan/progress-report/comment-page-1/#comment-2441 Lauren Smith Wed, 08 Apr 2009 12:35:14 +0000 http://www.greenwich.co.uk/?p=1179#comment-2441 Let's hope the people of Thamesmead get the transport links they really need without the need to sacrifice the quality of life in another community because TFL has not the imagination or bureacratic processes to adjust to changes in environment. GWT had several major flaws: The cost; the choice of route; and the benefits delivered. The benefits case had been watered down to improving the commuting times of passengers from Thamesmead - not providing a service they don't have today. The cost in £s was enormous and the cost in terms of impact on the environment at the Royal Arsenal was immense (loss of community space by taking over a pedestrianised road; degraded air quality inside bordering homes; and introduction of buses every 2 minutes down peaceful residential streets where currently there are none). The initiative was further being propped up by attatching it to the delivery of the Olympics when it actually delivered no Olympic benefit especially now the DLR is at Woolwich. Worse the attachment to the Olympics was blocking positive changes to the scheme which would have removed the routing objections above. No solution meant for the long term should be so short sighted as to deliver contorted paper based benefits (improved commuting times along roads you can not guarantee the traffic flow on) at the expense of the quality of people's lives. One community should not benefit while another pays the price. This is especially ridiculous when perfectly good alternatives exist. I hope next time they get it right! Let’s hope the people of Thamesmead get the transport links they really need without the need to sacrifice the quality of life in another community because TFL has not the imagination or bureacratic processes to adjust to changes in environment.

GWT had several major flaws: The cost; the choice of route; and the benefits delivered. The benefits case had been watered down to improving the commuting times of passengers from Thamesmead – not providing a service they don’t have today. The cost in £s was enormous and the cost in terms of impact on the environment at the Royal Arsenal was immense (loss of community space by taking over a pedestrianised road; degraded air quality inside bordering homes; and introduction of buses every 2 minutes down peaceful residential streets where currently there are none).

The initiative was further being propped up by attatching it to the delivery of the Olympics when it actually delivered no Olympic benefit especially now the DLR is at Woolwich. Worse the attachment to the Olympics was blocking positive changes to the scheme which would have removed the routing objections above.

No solution meant for the long term should be so short sighted as to deliver contorted paper based benefits (improved commuting times along roads you can not guarantee the traffic flow on) at the expense of the quality of people’s lives. One community should not benefit while another pays the price. This is especially ridiculous when perfectly good alternatives exist.

I hope next time they get it right!

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