The following formal submission have been made public
Submitter: Jack KershawRaising of London Circuit
Dear NCA,
National Capital Authority Works Approval application (all a bit worrying with preparatory work apparently already underway?) for,
Raising of London Circuit and associated changed traffic arrangements on Commonwealth and Edinburgh Avenues, Vernon Circle, London Circuit, Parkes Way and Coranderrk Street in preparation for a future light rail system.
London Circuit and Vernon Circle are two iconic concentric Canberra carriageways, each meant to be level, but on different planes. To tilt one sector of London Circuit upwards, especially facing Capital Hill, creates a harsh, alien urban form (with all of its jaw-breaking traffic/transport accoutrements), in one of the most important precincts in the national capital milieu.
The proposed arrangement will involve outlandish retaining walls, which will blind prospects to and from key sites in the precinct.
The Heritage reports in the approval application papers, acknowledges the important heritage values of the existing clover leaf road arrangements etc, but invokes the formative 1950's layout in a sort of defence of removing them.
That ignores the later introduction of Parkes Way (a wonderful parkway), a critical east-west traffic element in the evolution of the city (difficult to imagine in Griffin's time), of which the City Hill clover leafs are natural and essential components. The parkway and the clover leafs enhance the vital open space character of the Central National Area, and co-exist superbly.
That arrangement must not be destroyed, and certainly not to facilitate (highly intrusive) property development - the obvious underlying raison dȇtre for the outlandish subject road re-arrangements etc, and the associated proposed tram line route (London Circuit - Commonwealth Avenue). The connections of Constitution and Edinburgh Avenues to Vernon Circle, with traffic lights, assist in ameliorating any traffic and pedestrian movement/access issues at City Hill, and are all that is needed on that front.
If light rail stage 2 is to proceed, then it clearly must not travel via Commonwealth Avenue (for a massive array of reasons - see writer's many submissions to all decision makers on that topic, with a suggested alternative route, which also addresses pedestrian access to the lake foreshores from Civic).
Jack Kershaw FRAIA RIBA (retired)
9 Nov. 2021
-
Dear WA Team, NCA,
Thanks for your attached email of 19 Nov. 2021. Are you starting again with the process? If so, I'm happy with my (attached) letter of 9 Nov. 21.
I would add the following, however:
I notice the new graphics - road works sans trams - don't give any indication of the property development planned for the existing cloverleaf lands, and shows them as pleasant green open spaces (if only!). I know the development is not in the application, but it's certainly what it's all about - and that and the raising of London Circuit etc, should not be allowed to happen.
Jack Kershaw
Details above
25 Nov. 2021
National Capital Authority Works Approval application (all a bit worrying with preparatory work apparently already underway?) for,
Raising of London Circuit and associated changed traffic arrangements on Commonwealth and Edinburgh Avenues, Vernon Circle, London Circuit, Parkes Way and Coranderrk Street in preparation for a future light rail system.
London Circuit and Vernon Circle are two iconic concentric Canberra carriageways, each meant to be level, but on different planes. To tilt one sector of London Circuit upwards, especially facing Capital Hill, creates a harsh, alien urban form (with all of its jaw-breaking traffic/transport accoutrements), in one of the most important precincts in the national capital milieu.
The proposed arrangement will involve outlandish retaining walls, which will blind prospects to and from key sites in the precinct.
The Heritage reports in the approval application papers, acknowledges the important heritage values of the existing clover leaf road arrangements etc, but invokes the formative 1950's layout in a sort of defence of removing them.
That ignores the later introduction of Parkes Way (a wonderful parkway), a critical east-west traffic element in the evolution of the city (difficult to imagine in Griffin's time), of which the City Hill clover leafs are natural and essential components. The parkway and the clover leafs enhance the vital open space character of the Central National Area, and co-exist superbly.
That arrangement must not be destroyed, and certainly not to facilitate (highly intrusive) property development - the obvious underlying raison dȇtre for the outlandish subject road re-arrangements etc, and the associated proposed tram line route (London Circuit - Commonwealth Avenue). The connections of Constitution and Edinburgh Avenues to Vernon Circle, with traffic lights, assist in ameliorating any traffic and pedestrian movement/access issues at City Hill, and are all that is needed on that front.
If light rail stage 2 is to proceed, then it clearly must not travel via Commonwealth Avenue (for a massive array of reasons - see writer's many submissions to all decision makers on that topic, with a suggested alternative route, which also addresses pedestrian access to the lake foreshores from Civic).
Jack Kershaw FRAIA RIBA (retired)
9 Nov. 2021
-
Dear WA Team, NCA,
Thanks for your attached email of 19 Nov. 2021. Are you starting again with the process? If so, I'm happy with my (attached) letter of 9 Nov. 21.
I would add the following, however:
I notice the new graphics - road works sans trams - don't give any indication of the property development planned for the existing cloverleaf lands, and shows them as pleasant green open spaces (if only!). I know the development is not in the application, but it's certainly what it's all about - and that and the raising of London Circuit etc, should not be allowed to happen.
Jack Kershaw
Details above
25 Nov. 2021