Rye Lane is closed to traffic and pedestrians at 114-116 while a scaffold props up the old cinema. Eleven bus routes are on diversion and residents are in hotels.

Rye Lane is closed to vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists near 114-116 Rye Lane while emergency work is carried out on an unsafe structure at the former cinema site. Southwark Council expects the closure to last around seven to ten days from its latest update, issued at 8.30am on Sunday 6 September.

Contractors are installing a supporting scaffold. The council says that once the scaffold is finished it will “look to reduce the exclusion zone where it is safe to do so and restore access as soon as possible”, but has not put a date on reopening, saying only that it depends on site conditions, safety checks and technical sign-off.

Some residents have had to leave their homes and cannot return while the exclusion zone stands.

When Transport for London logged the closure on its road status feed on 3 September, it gave the extent as the A2215 Rye Lane between Blenheim Grove and Holly Grove, in both directions, “closed due to an unsafe structure”.

Which buses are diverted

Transport for London’s live bus disruption feed lists two separate diversions covering eleven routes.

Routes 12, 37, 63, 78, 197, 343, 363, P12, N63 and N343 are diverted in both directions via Heaton Road, Consort Road and Clayton Road. These stops are not served:

  • Heaton Road (X)
  • Peckham Rye Station (U and V)
  • The Aylesham Centre (M, N and P)

Route P13 is diverted in both directions via Lyndhurst Way and Peckham Road, and misses:

  • Peckham Bus Station (E and H)
  • Clayton Road (K)
  • The Aylesham Centre (M and P)
  • Peckham Rye Station (U)
  • Blenheim Grove (Y)
  • Blenheim Grove, Chadwick Road

Both entries give the same reason: “RYE LANE SE15: Road closed due to an unsafe building.”

Walking through Peckham

The council says pedestrian access around the closure runs via Blenheim Grove and Choumert Grove heading south, and Choumert Grove and Blenheim Grove heading north. Follow the signed routes rather than the map on your phone, which will not know about the exclusion zone.

The existing Rye Lane vehicle restriction is unchanged and still camera enforced outside the permitted 7am to 10am servicing window, so the closure has not suspended the usual rules for drivers.

What it means for you

  • If you are catching a bus, the two Peckham Rye Station stops and all three Aylesham Centre stops are out of use. Check the live position on the Transport for London website before you leave.
  • If you live inside the exclusion zone and need help, the council asks you to speak to officers on site or call 020 7525 5000, which passes your details to its Emergency Response Support Team. Temporary hotel accommodation and welfare support have been arranged for residents who need it, and the council says it will step in where a landlord or insurer has not arranged somewhere suitable.
  • Do not go in for your belongings on your own. Access for essential items has to be arranged and can only happen when it is safe for contractors to pause work.
  • If you run a business on the affected stretch, council officers are calling round to establish what is needed on servicing, deliveries and signage.
  • Do not move barriers or fencing, and do not try to pass through them.

Traffic marshals are helping service and delivery vehicles through, and the council says emergency services and London multi-agency partners have been notified of the arrangements.

What the council leader said

Councillor James McAsh, leader of Southwark Council, said the closure was “deeply disruptive for residents, businesses, visitors and everyone in Peckham and beyond”, and that the immediate priority was public safety.

“We are working at pace with structural engineers, Building Control, Highways, TfL and contractors to stabilise the site. An emergency supporting scaffold solution has been installed and contractors are working throughout the weekend to continue the work,” he said.

On the residents who have been moved out, he said the council would “continue to work with them, landlords and insurers so that people are not left without help while it remains unsafe to return”.

He described the situation as fast moving, and the council is updating its statement page as work progresses rather than issuing separate notices.

Sources

More local travel information is on our Dulwich roadworks and travel page, and parking rules across the area are explained in parking in Dulwich.