Sheer beauty is spoilt by these sheer ugly barriers

I was in Greenwich again today and took a stroll in the sun around the wonderful Old Royal Naval College.

My enjoyment was, of course, spoilt by the sheer ugly brutality of the ghastly blue and white barriers (as opposed to the grubby and unsightly red and white barriers in the main roads) I found there.

Nothing TfL does should surprise me but I was shocked by this affront to the glorious urban form.

It could only be the work of a committed philistine. Ironically the barriers mean that many pedestrians, including a large number of people with buggies as well as students, now walk in the road.

Many of the barriers have, inevitably, been dismantled by frustrated pedestrians and, it goes without saying, there was no one (was it ever thus?) from TfL monitoring the results of their crass vandalism.

There are numerous signs to indicate the barriers are the work of the dreaded and anonymous Streetscape but why on earth didn’t anyone think to provide contact details so that people could comment on them? Wouldn’t TfL’s Consultation Specialist, and the equally anonymous Streetscape Engagement Team, welcome such a wonderful opportunity to get some priceless feedback?

It seems strange, and surely unacceptable, that both the Consultation Specialist, and Engagement Team, never wish to consult, engage with or meet the public!

Why can’t someone at the GLA and/or TfL recognise the folly of the undemocratic, secretive, unnecessary, costly, dangerous, ugly and hated LTNs (does ANYONE benefi!?) that have been imposed on London and do us all a favour by abandoning them?

Gordon Macniven by email