CAMPAIGNS…. Don’t Walk On By

I use my media experience and spirit of belief that change is possible. I am driven by inspiring people to join together to turn negatives into positives. Community. Collaboration. Commitment.

Stop whingeing. Step up. Speak out. DON’T WALK ON BY.

Here is the beginning of the citation on my petition which I launched to galvanise support to stop the building of a 35-storey tower on the south side of Battersea Bridge in London:

This is a call to action to help STOP a vast and vulgar property development proposed to emerge right by Battersea Bridge.

The project – entitled One Battersea Bridge – will destroy a precious, historical riverside vista – to line the pockets of a super rich company, its architects Farrells and their builders. They have NO regard for the repercussions of this design on the area.

One Battersea Bridge (OBB) is the brainchild of PROMONTORIA BATTERSEA, a determined and experienced developer with a network of other businesses.

This project features a 34 storey tower rising to 119 metres, plus a huge chunk of other buildings. All this will be built right next to Battersea Bridge on its south side and beside the waterfront. Its scale and density for such a location is ridiculous on so many levels, not least the chaos it will cause during and AFTER its construction.

Make no mistake – this absurdly disproportionate development CAN happen unless urgent action is taken by YOU – the community, the council and beyond….

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This campaign was launched after I witnessed the horrific aftermath of fatal road accident on 13th January 2021.

This was the night that a jogger was hit by a black Range Rover as he crossed Battersea Bridge. I was out for a walk that evening and witnessed a paramedic giving the victim urgent CPR on the road. It was a deeply shocking moment. The drama unfolded no more than 20 feet from me and I saw the urgency and desperation to revive the man. I saw the moment the paramedic decided to stop his efforts, pack up his kit, and leave the man alone on the cold tarmac. It was tragic sequence that I will never forget.

I have lived near the bridge since 1995 and I had long been aware that this junction is a safety nightmare for pedestrians. I walked my son to primary school along that route every day for six years. Along with others, I had complained about it to the council and other authorities.

When I got home after seeing that man die, I decided that I should try and do something. After writing the typical letters of complaint the next day, I knew I had to do something different. I had the idea to start a petition on Change.org and write some stories for the press.

It was only later that I began to understand the story of the man who was killed that night. His name was Jack Ryan.

Thanks to my efforts through the media, the campaign drew a lot of attention and people rallied behind it. Within a week, I had the ear of Andy Byford, the then Commissioner of Transport for London, who was truly amazing. He got on his bike and came to meet me at the bridge and listened as I explained what was wrong with the junction. “I don’t like what I see,” he said simply, and vowed to do what he could to bring change.

Within a few weeks, the petition had risen rapidly. It would finally reach 26,509, but long before then the wheels were in motion. On the back of the campaign, I was able to unite all the local forces that matter: TFL and a legion of its officers, RBKC council, all local residents associations, MP Greg Hands, the GLA. Within nine months, a brand new Green Man pedestrian crossing was installed at the junction of the bridge with Cheyne Walk.

Enthusiasts can read the blow-by-blow timeline of how the campaign unfolded in my up-date posts on the Change website here.

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