please empty your brain below
DG, there are plans afoot - the Bow Church Masterplan. Rumour has it that the closed loos on the pedestrian island at the church will become an art gallery and the pedestrian precinct will revert to a road. The girl in the chippy also reckons that that block of buildings will be either knocked down completely or totally refurbished (the raised 'flowerbeds' have gone already) and they've been offered money to move out. The Rose and Crown is Grade II listed, apparently. When it will all happen, I don't know, but perhaps the traffic layout change on the flyover is a sign of things to come...... In the meantime, I think I prefer the old version.

SueR | 19.09.07 - 10:09 a.m. | #

The traffic change on the flyover is to do with preparations fo 2012, believe it or not.

The drongos in Newham in one fell swoop have made what was a fairly safe cycle route into a lethal one when, with a little thought they could have made it as safe, or even safer. Instead of reducing to one lane on the nearside (squeezing lorries and cycles together), which is then chicaned to the offside, reduce to one lane on the offside, cycles could then travel on the nearside. And yes, I have told them.

Ham | Homepage | 19.09.07 - 10:47 a.m. | #

Really? It's all there in the Church masterplan, which I thought had been going prior to winning 2012.

The whole area is a nightmare for cyclists - I never use the flyover although I've seen other cyclists do so. Most of my time is spent trying not to be squashed by traffic flying through the pedestrian lights heading towards Stratford.

I wonder what the local youth make of the recent outbreak of "Vilnius" tags as well.

SueR | 19.09.07 - 11:19 a.m. | #

Yes - the Stroudly Walk flats/shops are due for demolition

Bowroaduk | 19.09.07 - 12:22 p.m. | #

Bowroad - do you know what the planned replacement is? Are we about to acquire coffee bars and other items of upmarketry??

SueR | 19.09.07 - 1:20 p.m. | #

The vicar at St Mary's told me on Sunday that implementation of the Bow Church Masterplan may still be some time off, if it happens at all.

Apparently, if they turn the old subterranean loos by the Gladstone statue into a mini art gallery, they'd then be forced to add a lift "to ensure disabled access". The lift would be an eyesore above ground, and would probably take up a significant proportion of the gallery space below ground. So the art gallery idea may never materialise. Sometimes, it seems, equality legislation just stops plans dead rather than equalising them.

Ah, local blogging for local people, I love it.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 19.09.07 - 1:22 p.m. | #

Can they not turn Gladstone himself into the lift by some miracle of high techness? Or build it in the church grounds and tunnel?

SueR | 19.09.07 - 2:44 p.m. | #

There's a theory that statues with an arm raised used to be a discreet indication of the nearest public toilets.

trad or anon | 19.09.07 - 11:38 p.m. | #

No idea what will replace Stroudley Walk's measley shopping 'parade' - probably a street of estate agents rather than organic delis or wine-bars I bet.

Bowroaduk | 21.09.07 - 4:30 p.m. | #











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