This is the archive of letters we have printed in the Chronicle and received via email

Letters March 2010

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:40:08 +0000

SuperSore

When the Council superstore was built in a Sidcup residential back road it was alleged that this would re-vitalise Sidcup High Street. Many of us said that this would not happen, and we were right.

Various planning conditions were imposed. The Council have refused to implement them. Instead the Council superstore has a “most favoured” Council treatment.

As an example, deliveries were supposed to take place in the delivery yard, with room for two delivery vehicles inside and a turning head. However both Safeway and Morrisons have always exceeded the number of delivery vehicles arriving at any one time. Consequently, these vehicles park on the double yellow lines and/or on the pavements in Jenner Close beside the superstore. Often they use the road to reverse as well. These problems were further exacerbated when the Morrisons successfully applied to turn one of the two delivery yard parking spaces into a refuse area. The Planning Committee was informed that numbers of delivery vehicles were parking for long periods of time outside the delivery yard on double yellow lines and the pavement. The Council parking department was also frequently advised that this practice is a daily occurrence and were asked to enforce parking measures. The Planning Committee granted permission to reduce the delivery space down to one space and the parking department refused to ticket illegally parked delivery vehicles in this part of Jenner Close. The parking department are quite strict about this at the high street end of Jenner Close and often issue parking tickets to delivery vehicles for the rear of high street shops there.

Quite apart from the Council permitting this “most favoured” status to their back street superstore I seriously question the supermarket’s attitude too. What is the point of paying delivery vehicle drivers to park for hours at a time outside the supermarket when it is known there is only room for one delivery vehicle at a time to unload.

Jean Gee (Mrs), - Sidcup

Council Tax

You asked for thoughts on your “fairer proposal” (My Month Feb.Chron.). I think your idea sounds very much like Thatchers unfair Poll Tax.

If I am right in my interpretation, you are proposing that someone living in a property worth £1,000,000 or more should pay the same as someone in a bed-sit. Once again this is not addressing ability to pay.

John Randall - Email

• Fair point John, but owning a high value property does not always equate to the owners ability to pay. Buildings can’t pay tax, only people. Quite a few families in bed-sits and rented accommodation are frequently a great deal better off than elderly couples living on a fixed pension. Ed

Hadlow Road

If Michael Barnbrook were truly concerned about the condition of Hadlow Road, I wonder why he did not take the matter up with one of the Sidcup councillors, of whom I am one?

Had he done so, I could have advised him that what he says is out of date. Concerned about the deteriorating condition of the road surface (despite areas of patching which were carried out before the very cold weather started) I had already raised the matter with Council officers. The fact is that subject to making the appropriate arrangements (because Hadlow Road is on a bus route) the top section of Hadlow Road should be resurfaced next month.

This has been possible because of the extra million pounds which the Council has put into highways during this year. Consequently, the Council has been able to complete its agreed programme and get on with works in the reserve programme of which this is one.

Councillor Mrs June Slaughter - Sidcup Ward

• It’s good news to hear you have managed to change Mr Bridgemans mind. Well done. The question Mr Barnbrook was asking was why did the council spend nearly a million pounds paying consultants about the state of our roads when the problem is there for all to see! Ed

Jemca site

My wife and I have just received a copy of the latest edition of the SIDCUP CHRONICLE, for which we thank you. We are always very keen to read all about the happenings in Sidcup and the surrounding area since our departure from it twenty five years ago !

Our attention was particularly drawn to the front page item concerning the proposed ‘JEMCA SITE DEVELOPMENT’ at the top end of Craybrooke Road. This is simply because before moving away to Dorset, we actually lived in Craybrooke Road for 17 years following our marriage but prior to that I lived there for at least 15 years, so all in all I personally lived in the road for a total of 32 years I therefore we have something of an affinity with the place to say the least. Our cars were usually purchased from what was then ‘Shepherds Garage’ situated on the proposed building site and I actually worked immediately opposite in what was the former Sidcup Employment Office (later the Jobcentre) and came to know a great number of Sidcup residents who came looking for work.

We still have many friends living in the town and no doubt they will keep us fully informed of this development when it begins to take shape.

JOHN RUSSELL B.A, M.Inst.BC - Lytchett Matravers, Dorset

Tough Times – Mayor’s choice

James Cleverly makes much of the Mayor’s decision to freeze the GLA precept for another year and makes a number of claims of how his choices have benefitted his constituents (Tough Times February 2010).

I am happy to praise the Mayor when he gets it right but on this occasion I fear James may be a little misguided. I would like to point out that his claims do not paint the full picture and they hide real cuts in services and massive hikes in the cost of fares for ordinary Londoners.

Freezing the precept will save the average household about £3.10 a year. The 20% increase in bus fares will cost the average household anywhere between £150 and £300 a year. Rather than making any savings, using the Oystercard has cost some people a massive 40% increase in their rail fares. Far from increasing police numbers by 500 his Metropolitan Police Service Budget shows a cut of 455 officers over the next three years.

James should really check his facts and do the maths before he starts heaping praise on the Mayor, particularly as it looks like the outer London Boroughs are picking up the costs of the tube and will probably see fewer police officers on the street.

Len Duvall AM - London Assembly Member Lewisham & Greenwich

• You could have added what Crossrail is costing businesses in the outer London Borough of Bexley who will see little added value in their balance sheets. Ed

Police issues...

Recently the people of Bexley may have missed an enormously significant moment when the Mayor of London froze City Hall’s share of the council tax for an unprecedented second consecutive year, an achievement that should not be underestimated. Instead there was much hullabaloo and gnashing of teeth from Boris’s enemies about the supposed “reduction” in police numbers over the next three years.

In fact, we are converting some administrative roles into civilian posts, which will result in more officers on the street at a lower cost - it’s called efficiency. What hasn’t been said is that many “police officers” are fulfilling administrative and clerical roles. Is this the best use of their skills and training? Wouldn’t we rather they were on the front line? Or should we maintain the almost 500 cops in the HR and computer departments? There are currently 36,000 people at the Met classified as a police officer. This is the highest number in the history of Scotland Yard. Our duty is to make sure as many of those officers as possible are out there, fighting crime on the front line. Don’t let politicians fool you with bogus arguments about numbers. Trust your own eyes and feelings. If you see more cops on the street and you feel safer, then we are getting it right.

Kit Malthouse - Deputy Mayor for Policing

Police can manage on £3,645,000,000

There is a lot of misinformation being spouted about the mayor’s budget. The truth is that the budget for 2010/11 will deliver more police to front line services than are currently there by re-directing police officers from back office duties to frontline policing. For example I should not have thought the public will think it right that 403 trained officers work in the Met’s Human Resources department? Or that a further 75 work in the Service’s IT facility.

Londoners want their police officers to police their city and so does the Mayor. That’s why 900 civilian staff are being recruited to cover these back office roles thereby allowing 550 officers to be redirected to the front. The Met are also recruiting over 2600 extra special constables who will be on duty by 2012. These are all facts. No ‘ifs’, no ‘buts’ and no increase in the Mayor’s Council Tax precept. Just facts.

James Cleverly - AM - London Assembly member for Bexley

• Let’s hope their cash investments in Iceland come good! Ed

Walking wounded

In September last year Queen Mary’s Hospital’s Accident & Emergency Unit closed between 8pm and 8am, apparently temporarily, with the Urgent Care Centre opening for 24 hours a day. Notifications were put in the local press, leaflets were circulated and posters appeared to this effect.

A couple of weeks ago my wife sustained a bad cut to her hand. Despite it being 9.30pm I took my chance with the Urgent Care Centre. The nurse had a quick look and announced that the cut was too deep for her to deal with so off we now have to go to Farnborough, or so I thought, thanking God that the cut wasn’t quite life-threatening. Then the nurse announced that we could walk next door to the A&E unit. When I reminded her that it had shut at 8pm she replied that that was only for ambulances; the man in the street can still use A&E, any evening of the week, up to 10pm!

Queen Mary’s website states that A&E is closed from 8pm as do the posters actually in the Urgent Care Centre and A&E. Why is this, when the information given is partially incorrect? Could it be that Queen Mary’s Trust wants no one in A&E so that it can say that as it’s not being used in the evening it’s no longer financially viable (despite it being full to bursting during the day)?

In the meantime, the moral of the story is...if local people need Queen Mary’s A&E between 8pm and 10pm - don’t call an ambulance, call a taxi.

We’re still collecting online signatures against the partial closure at www.faect.org.uk. Please sign if you can.

John Hemming-Clark - Chislehurst

Where is the pedestrian crossing?

The southbound Sidcup Station Road bus stop is to be relocated by the Council from its existing convenient location to pedestrian public transport users outside the small Tesco supermarket. The venue is to be turned over to shopping motorists for parking!

The replacement southbound bus stop new location will take it south over the busy Longlands Road junction and put it at the nearby junction with Alma Road – almost directly opposite the northbound bus stop. This latter stop serves ALL the frequent bus services travelling north along Station Road. It is a long established practice not to locate bus stops opposite each other. This is to allow traffic to pass buses stopping at bus stops. This new bus stop location is just south of the Longlands Road traffic light junction. The new bus stop location serves only half the bus routes travelling south. The other half of the bus routes (which have their own bus stop in Hatherley Crescent) turn south with difficulty over the Longlands Road traffic light junction from Hatherley Crescent. They will now have to try and pass between the two bus stops. They will not succeed and therefore cause traffic congestion over the Longlands Road traffic light junction and in Station Road.

Since the mid 1980s I, together with others, have been pressing the Council to provide a pedestrian facility at the Longlands Road traffic light junction. Sidcup Station is a very busy station and the bus services are also busy. It makes sense to have a pedestrian facility at these traffic lights. I recently queried the Council under the Freedom of Information Act as to alleged discussions with TfL relating to the pedestrianisation of the Longlands Road traffic light junction. The Council blamed everyone else for preventing this sensible measure. The Council can produce no correspondence with other parties to substantiate this.

However, the Council seem bent on changing other things too, incurring unnecessary expense and traffic problems. I can only assume that no Traffic Officers in nearby Wyncham House really knows how to use their feet, buses and trains – they only use cars. As such they have succumbed to the blackmail of constant unticketed illegal parking by motorists at this existing southbound bus stop because, of course, the motorist in their eyes is the important part – not the pedestrian public transport user.

Jean Gee (Mrs), - Sidcup

Sidcup councillors

Do the Sidcup Councillors hold Ward surgeries if you have a problem? I know some others do in the Borough as you see their posters in the Library, but what about in Sidcup? Surely that would be a way of engaging with residents and traders?

Could you investigate please, what do they actually do other then have photos taken and take money from us.

Peter Goodge - Email

• There are six councillors representing Sidcup residents. Three are in the Sidcup Ward and three are in the Longlands Ward. Any one of them is willing to meet with any resident who has a problem they feel they could help with. All you have to do is email your chosen councillor and they will respond. Ed

Under achievers!

At a time when the Government has expressed concerns over the under achievement by young white schoolchildren in London and in the same year that the Labour Government are proposing to introduce an Equalities Bill, a Freedom of Information Request has revealed the existence of an Ethnic Minorities Achievement Grant. The purpose of the grant is to support pupils from under achieving black and minority groups and pupils learning English as an additional language. In the financial year 2008/09 Bexley Council received a grant of £559,000 from Central Government to support the above mentioned groups. Should the Government not be concerned about all under achieving schoolchildren, irrespective of the colour of their skin or their ethnicity?

Michael Barnbrook - Prospective Parliamentary and Council Candidate - British National Party

Councils waste millions!

Who runs Bexley? Elected, accountable councillors or unelected unaccountable staff?

Councillors should be properly qualified in the subject to which their committee pertains.

In this case they should be knowledgeable and competent in planning legislation and terminologies so their decisions are technically and legally defensible. Certainly the borough solicitor should be present.

The common practice of pavement parking from 1994 breaks paving slabs and rise curb stones causes hazards, particularly for the partially sighted and elderly. Why are pavements not reinforced if this practice is to continue.

Road humps, speed tables don't calm traffic. Drivers slow down a few metres approaching them then accelerate.

Councils have wasted millions of public money on road measures which have had no impact on road safety at all and in most cases made it worse.

Frank Jarvis- Northumberland Heath

• Many people will agree with your views Frank. It is because of unqualified councillors and staff that the council have to spend millions on consultant fees. Ed

Resurfacing roads

Because of all the potholes etc. caused by excessive rain and snow, the cost of repair will be extremely high.

I would like to think that the work will not be bodged and the road finished as they were in the good old days.

The cambers were properly shaped so that the rain automatically flows to gutters and thence to drains. Now rain can lay on all parts of a road including gutters meaning pedestrians can often be soaked by passing vehicles.

Hopefully, this will again become a thing of the past.

Douglas Walters - Sidcup

Mayor hoarding taxpayers cash

Many people are struggling with their own personal budgets right now. So they will be surprised to discover that Johnson is sitting on £858 million of taxpayer's money in reserves, a steep increase of £148 million from last year.

Some reserves are vital for prudent financial management, but holding on to nearly a billion pounds of Londoners' money when they are enduring this grim recession is a scandal.

At City Hall I have urged the Mayor to use these reserves to invest in frontline services and restore the serious cut in police numbers he is now making. The Liberal Democrats believe he should also give some of this money back to hard up Londoners by reducing the council tax burden this year. Instead it looks like he’s building up reserves for a council tax cut when the next Mayoral elections come round in 2012.

His whole approach to budgeting is putting electioneering before good stewardship of Londoners' money. The full details of the Liberal Democrat budget proposals can be seen at http://www.glalibdems.org.uk/resources/index/

Mike Tuffrey - Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group

Letters February 2010

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:01:21 +0000

Soldiers dieing in Afghanistan

How moved we were by the tragic story of Rifleman Aidan Howell from Sidcup who died serving in Afghanistan.

Compare and contrast his life with that of Anjem Choudary, a British born cleric and trained solicitor from down the road at Welling. He is plotting a march through Wootton Bassett to protest at Britain’s “murdering” soldiers in Afghanistan.

Whatever one feels about the rights and wrongs of our presence in Afghanistan, it certainly has more legitimacy than our invasion of Iraq based on a dossier of lies. And our brave soldiers there are doing their best to route out terrorists who, with our porous borders will directly or indirectly threaten every citizen of UK.

The added grief which such disgusting protests would cause to the bereaved families, is nothing short of a disgrace.

Paul Laundy - Secretary,

Sidcup Community Group

Cyclist offended

On his January Chronicle page, John Steward tediously repeats the usual list of offences attributed indiscriminately to all cyclists. The problem is that all the offences are also committed regularly by drivers, often with much more serious results. The evidence can be viewed daily on TV ‘Road Wars’ type video recordings, but we’re not supposed to notice of course.

Naturally he omitted all the many offences applicable only to driving activities. Examples are driving uninsured and / or drunk, failing to use seat belts, parking the wrong way round, invalid Road Tax and MOT certificates, misuse of hand held mobile phones, horns and hazard warning lights, damaging tires by kerb riding, and of course speeding.

As he states, drivers are antagonised, and especially so if caught in the act when they break rules, hence the hatred of speed cameras and traffic wardens. Driving contributes most to carbon dioxide pollution and congestion, compared with virtually zero for cyclists, so Steward wants fewer cycles and inevitably more motor vehicles. Not very bright of him.

It’s interesting that despite claims by drivers that they are too busy to keep an eye on their speedometers, they can find time to observe cyclists on footpaths, often behind a solid line of parked cars. Something needs to be done about traffic offences, but it should apply to all road users and be proportionate to the harm caused, not just to appease drivers who want public roads to themselves.

John Norman - Bexleyheath

Family search

The Chronicle is seeking information about the whereabouts of one Joan Burles, she was formerly known as Mcarthur, nee Harding. She left Gravesend in 1949, and may have returned to her family in Erith. She is my mother and I have been searching for over 40 years, so any help would be appreciated.

Maggie Salmon

• Readers who have any information should call the Chronicle offices on 8 302 6150 who will forward the information to Maggie.

Tough Times....

In these tough economic times Boris Johnson is demonstrating that he is on the side of council tax payers, especially those on low or fixed incomes, by freezing the Greater London Authority precept for the second year running. By being tough on costs and driving up efficiency, each precept pound is going that much further.

My constituents want a mayor who can cut his coat according to the economic cloth and whilst providing an additional 550 police officers for frontline work; expanding Oyster cards on to the overland railways; modernising the fire brigade through consolidating major incident response centres on four sites; making children who mis-behave on public transport earn back the right to free transport; and cutting Transport for London’s staff by 1,000. All of which is Boris is rightly doing.

James Cleverly AM
London Assembly member for Bexley and Bromley

• Mr Cleverly could you ask your friend Boris if he is going to ask your residents for more money to pay for upgrading his underground railway which doesn’t serve them? And why he is penalising your residents for working in London by asking them to pay 20% more to travel? Is anyone on the GLA representing us marginal Londoners? Ed

Drama Club

The Fiasco Division are inviting members of the Bexley community to come down to the Howbury Centre in Slade Green, and get involved in the new FREE drama club that will be starting there this month, and running until the end of April 2010.

There will be two different clubs: one will be for over 60s, the other will be for 13 -16 year olds. However, the Drama Club will be open to anybody, of any age, who is enthusiastic about getting involved.

No previous experience is required and both clubs will be a chance for all participants to have a lot of fun meeting new people and trying out something new.

For those who are interested in getting involved, get in touch by:

1) Telephone number: 07708136240 (Ask for Stephanie)

2) Email: tfd@hotmail.co.uk

3) Coming along to our recruitment day at the Howbury Centre, Slade Green: 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, 16th January, 2010.

Further information about the project or The Fiasco Division can be found on the website: www.thefiascodivision.com. If preferred, please do not hesitate to email any queries to tfd@hotmail.co.uk or call Stephanie on 07708136240.

This project is supported by Bexley Council, the European Union’s Youth in Action Scheme, and Rose Bruford Drama School.

Lauren McCullum Of The Fiasco Division

07805735330

Drunks and the NHS

Do you not think it would be a good idea that from now on all drunks that are dealt with at any time, should be charged a fee of £150 having the NHS ambulances to attend to them for their stupidity. It’s their own fault they get into this state. Have a drink by all means but why get paraletic and spew all over place,there can be no enjoyment in that. Other people have to clean up behind them as well. This should be, of course, on top of any fine handed out by the courts if prosecuted by the police. They must be costing the NHS a fortune so why should they get away scot free? I have had good nights out on the booze in my time but enjoyed every moment because I didn’t get stoned out of my mind and I still had my wits about me. I’m now 82 and still have a good drink. We the general public have to foot the bill for their mindless drunkenness. For my part I would let them lay where they collapse and let them get on with it. They may then see the light in the morning waking up in their own spew, cold and miserable. Why should we worry about them? It would be easier for the councils to hose down in the morning so they could be charged for that too. What do you the rest of the public out there think. It would be interesting to hear their views on the subject.

Ross from Crayford

• Brilliant idea Ross and the sort of direct action I would support. Whether our nannie politicians would is another matter. I wonder when someone is going to wake up and realise we are such an easy touch for these people. Ed

Eric Easton

Further to your editorial about Eric Easton and Danson Crescent I was intrigued as to the information you had about Eric.

Living next door to the Eastons from 1935 (I was nine) and had Eric as one of my heros as he won the London Schoolboys 880 yards and came second in the All-England Schoolboys in the same year. He was also a magnificent swimmer and good footballer.

Harry Barnett also played football for the London schoolboys. Ben as we called Harold Bennett came back to see Mrs Easton at the end of the war.

Geoff Page, - Welling

• Such a tragedy that only one of the talented friends survived WW2. Ed

Mismanaged economy

“First, I would like to wish all Bexley Chronicle readers a Happy New Year.

Britain experienced real problems in 2009 with the recession, rising unemployment and business closures. The Government has mismanaged the economy and as a result, our country is massively in debt. We can’t go on like this.

I hope that 2010 will be a year of change. We need a new Government that will be positive, and invest in our health service, improve our schools, offer new opportunities for young people and create new jobs. We also need a Government that will deal with the problems of crime and illegal immigration.

Most importantly, by promoting the traditional British values of aspiration and responsibility, and supporting small businesses, we can rebuild our economy and encourage growth.

This can only be achieved with a change of Government when the General Election is called this year”.

David Evennett MP

Fallon stays

Well done Sevenoaks Council for getting top marks for efficient management and use of tax payers money.

It is a pity that the Sevenoaks representative in Parliament, Michael Fallon, did not fall into the category for efficient management of tax payers money when claiming his expenses. The Sevenoaks Conservative Association told me they had no problem with his exorbitant claims and have no intention of deselecting him. Shame on them.

Gordon Myatt - Swanley

Getting the hump!

Early in 2009 the Council, as part of the Sidcup traffic improvement scheme, constructed a large raised platform at the crossroad junction of Elm, Chislehurst Roads with The Green and The Park. As part of the A222 the Elm and Chislehurst Roads carry not only numerous numbers of vehicles but a wide variety of heavily loaded vehicles too. The actual ramps up on to the raised platform in Chislehurst and Elm Roads were exceptionally short but steep (like a curved step) and resulted in heavy and/or loosely loaded vehicles crashing on and off the raised platform with a very noisy explosive vibrating impact on the nearby homes. The reason for the raised platform was to stop vehicles travelling at speed over the junction. However, as part of the traffic improvement scheme a vehicle activated sign was also installed to monitor the speed of Chislehurst Road northbound vehicles a short distance south of the raised platform. The Council also installed a new pedestrian crossing over Chislehurst Road south of the raised platform with a central traffic island which reduced vehicle speeds in either direction anyway.

In November 2008 prior to the commencement of the traffic improvement works and the gas works in Station Road, the average traffic numbers per day was 16,915. In May 2009 when the raised platform was in place and with gas works in Station Road the daily average was reduced to 15,519.

The nearby residents complained about the excessive noise and vibration from the raised platform to the Highways Department. They were told that the raised platform was satisfactory to the Council Highways Department. They then complained to the Council Environment Department and received a response from them stating that on London Clay – yes we are – the legal distance criteria of 15 metres from the raised platform to the nearest home had been met. Nothing would or could be done. However, the neighbours closest to the platform measured the distance of their house walls to the raised platform. Their house wall was only 12.5 metres away from the raised platform. This information was provided to the Council.

On Monday evening 14 December 2009 the ramps were altered to make the rise on and off the raised platform flatter. We now still have a raised platform but there is now a long slope on and off instead of a curved step.

I obtained under the Freedom of Information Act (which the Council do not like citing costs) the following information:-

The cost of the Vehicle Activated Sign installed in Chislehurst Road was £2,313. The cost of a raised platform is approximately £20,000 – the Council was not specific. Therefore the Council has spent at least £20,000 installing this illegal raised traffic platform and even more money trying to rectify the noise and vibration problem it created for nearby residents. Properly it ought to be removed but that would cost even more.

Jean Gee (Mrs) - Sidcup

Hadlow Road

With reference to the above letter sent to Bexley Council by Margaret Vowles, relating to the condition of Hadlow Road, Sidcup and the response by Mr Ron Bridgeman that there was no money available to carry out repairs. In a response to a recent freedom of information request submitted by me, Bexley Council admitted that in the financial year 2008/09 they had spent approximately £990,000 on traffic consultants fees. Perhaps Mr Bridgeman or Mr Peter Craske, the Conservative Transport Minister for Bexley Council, would like to inform us how and why it was necessary to spend almost a million pounds of taxpayers money in this fashion, to whom it was paid and if it was necessary to seek outside advice, what are Mr Bridgeman and Mr Craske doing to warrant a salary and allowances?

Michael Barnbrook, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate,

British National Party

Roads in Sidcup

I recently read with interest Margaret Vowles article on Hadlow Road, Sidcup and the reply from Ron Bridgeman - Area Manager South Works Direct, Bexey Council which just about says it all. There are two roads in Sidcup i.e St John’s Road and Church Avenue that have the luxury of being private roads and if open St Johns Road in particular would at least ease the pressure on Hadlow Road and its wearing course which is clearly showing deterioration. Is it not time now that residents of Sidcup put pressure on Bexley Council to open up these two roads particularly in the light of their lack of road funding budget and allow the majority of people who pay their Council Tax value for money and not the minority of residents living in these two roads clearly a totally unfair luxury. Where is the fairness? Opening these two roads would also allow better flow of traffic. Trying to get out of Hadlow Road in the morning when unloading is taking place in the High Street is ridiculous. Please when is somebody on the Council going to see some sense?

Also, I realise the Library funding does not come out of the road funding budget but the money that has recently been spent on the outside of the library in Hadlow Road with its seating and colourful paving is absolutely daft when the road outside is full of pot holes and we are told there is no budget available at the moment to repair it. It’s like rubbing salt into the wound.

Sorry to be so disagreeable at the start of the New Year but to me there is an easy solution to the problem if only the Council were to address it.

Sandra Gratwick, - Sidcup

• We have six councillors living in Sidcup of which two are a part of the decision making Cabinet. Perhaps they should be invited to visit Hadlow Road. They will probably say they have greater things on their minds until May, when they will be knocking on our doors seeking our vote when they will promise you anything. Remember four years ago when the conservatives promised to address the problems of the town’s grid locked roads! The ‘private’ roads should include gated St John’s Road where residents have to put up with a constant flow of traffic going round in circles.

Perhaps our council have to get the permission of Morrisons head office before anything can change! Ed

Traffic mods!

The poorly publicised public consultation on traffic modifications in Station Road has been completed. Despite representations from the public, commuters young, old and infirm will have an uphill walk to relocated bus stops outside the solicitors at Alma Road junction so that car drivers can access Tesco! So much for discouraging shopping motorists.

Referring to a £3.4 million grant to Bexley Council by Transport for London, London’s Transport Commissioner said “Bexley has identified a range of small and large-scale projects which will…… improve the environment and promote greener forms of travel”.

Can someone from Bexley Council please explain this contradiction?

Paul Laundy, Secretary SCG, Sidcup

The Manor House

Those who have the interests of Sidcup at heart will be pleased to know that the threat to the Manor House has been lifted. The Council has approved a restoration and maintenance plan for the Manor House, and it will be kept as a Registry until at least 2014. It will not be sold off to finance future Council accommodation as was first put forward.

In order to finance the plan, later additions added to the historic house will be demolished, and it is hoped that new development on part of the site will be built that will not damage the integrity of the historic building. A separate review of the Registry is to be made.

This salvation is largely due to the Bexley Civic Society which organised a large petition and subsequently encouraged many letters of protest to be sent to the Council. If local residents do rally sufficiently to a good cause, the Council does take heed.

John Mercer - Chairman

Letters January 2010

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:29:18 +0000

Lord Mayors Parade

Thank you Chronicle for drawing our attention to this spectacle. As you suggested I took the two children to Cannon Street and through to the Mansion House. It was so easy.

The weather could have been better but it held off for the best part of the day.

Do keep us in touch with any other events like this. The children loved it - so did we.

John and Susan Theobald - Bexley

Ditched documents

Having your identity stolen can be a nightmare, costing victims an average of £500 plus a huge administrative headache. It tends to happen to people living in large cities like London but it can be so easily stopped. Dustbins and bin bags full of old bank statements, mobile phone invoices and appliance bills are a gold mine for the identity thief. Nearly half of all identity thefts last year were accounted for by stolen wallets and documents.

If you’re looking for a practical present this Christmas, why not think about buying a shredder. It may not be the most exciting gift, but could save heartache for a friend or loved one.

Syed Kamall

Conservative MEP for London

Hadlow Road, Sidcup

I live in Granville Road, Sidcup and to drive from this road to most places I have to use Hadlow road. I am appalled at the state of the surface of the road from Belton Road onwards. Huge pot holes and cracks in the surface. Its bad enough for motorist but cyclist take their life in their hands. Can something be done about this. SOON

Margaret Vowles - Sidcup

• Mrs Vowles sent this copy letter to the Chronicle for information. It is interesting to note that the Council’s response is typical. No money. Perhaps Mrs Vowles should ask Bridgeman if he could spare a little of the £3.5m TfL have just given him to spend as he likes in Bexleyheath and remind him that a lot of the wear and tear in Hadlow road is due to the continueing use by TfL buses and the fact that all traffic going south to north can only access the high street via Hadlow all the others are either blocked off or one way.

What was the councils response? Read on;

Dear Ms Vowles,

I write to confirm that the Area Technician has now inspected the carriageway in Hadlow Road. The wearing course is clearly showing deterioration but there were no defects found to be within the Council’s criteria for repair.

All borough roads are subject to an annual engineering survey which priorities those in most need of repair. The work carried out from that list is subject to the funding available. Hadlow Road has not been included in the programme for the next financial year but the carriageway will continue to receive a safety inspection every six months, in line with all other borough roads, and repairs carried out accordingly.

Should you require any further information or have any particular areas of concern, please do not hesitate to contact my Senior Highways Officer, Mr John Stevens, on his direct line 0208 309 4145.

I apologise that I cannot offer a more positive response at present.

Ron Bridgeman - Area Manager South,

Works Direct,Bexley Council

To all at the Chronicle

Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year and thanking you for our free paper all year through and its professional presentations and news.

Bob Bedwell - Sidcup

• Thanks Bob and other readers who sent us greetings. Ed

Say no more...

In the same week that Gordon Brown has shown how much he cares by announcing £1 million in flood aid to Cumbria, the Department for International Development gave out an incredible £293 million in foreign aid to Sri Lanka, Pakistan, the World Bank, Sierra Leone and Ethiopia. These facts can be verified on their own web site.

The Conservative Party, meanwhile, has promised to double foreign aid should it come to power.

At the same time they have promised domestic cutbacks to balance the budget.

Say no more...

Schools

New changes in school curricula announced by the Government will see history and geography dropped in favour of “blogging and climate change”.

According to Children’s Secretary, Ed Balls, some thirteen stand-alone subjects will be merged into six so-called “areas of learning”.

History and geography will be merged with “citizenship” and be put into “ historical, geographical and social understanding”.

The new plan will see teachers no longer covering certain periods of history such as the Tudors, which is part of a deliberate plan to strip away any sense of national consciousness.

Bexley schools will also be told to devote more time to so-called “themed lessons” on “social issues” such as global warming.

Teachers will be told to teach history and science together.

A new topic will be “blogging in English” and schools will also be forced to teach sex education to five year old children.

The curricula revisions will inevitably lead to a reduction in the standards of school leaving qualifications as it will be impossible to maintain even the current GCSE and ‘A’ level standards.

Michael Barnbrook, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, British National Party, Sidcup

Alchohol

Clearly freely available alcohol in the home is a growing problem. We wonder why those who decide these things cannot restrict the sale of the stuff from supermarkets and food stores and let pubs handle retail sales! . It can’t make that much difference to their profit and might help to rejuvenate pubs and off-licences!

Mr J.Mitchell - Sidcup

More service charge problems

After reading about Gateacre Court and their service charge problems perhaps Tom Bremner from L & Q Bexley Homes could investigate service charges at St. Paulinus Court in Crayford.

It costs residents £200 each time gardeners visit. They mow the grass area and perhaps the edging and weeding. This usually takes about two hours!

The promised repairs to the floor and communal staircase which was supposed to have been completed in March 2009 is still awaiting attention. And why is there no consultation about repairs and their cost?

R.Lucia, - Crayford

• The leaseholders in Gateacre Court, Sidcup thought the consideration given them regarding their service charges was very fair following a site visit. One area of greatly increased cost is erecting scaffolding before a stroke of work is done. All down to Health & Safety we are told. Ed

Letters December 2009

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:01:40 +0000

Please help find my Dad...

Please can anyone help me, I am looking for my natural father. My name is Linda, I was born at Russell Stoneham’s Hospital Crayford in 1956, my mothers name is Margaret, she lived at number 10 Whitehill Road, Crayford. She went on to marry my stepfather Bob Bradford, he came from Woolwich and they married at Woolwich Town Hall. My mum’s best friend was Pat Cruise who married Bob’s cousin Brian Bradford. Some of the places my mum worked at during the 50’s were cafés in Crayford, Dartford and Woolwich - namely, the Square Deal Cafe. She also worked at Westhill Hospital for a while and Crayford Stadium.

My mum originally came down from the north of England. Some of the family names I remember being mentioned are; Queenie, Will Moody and Ernie. My mothers maiden name was Pearson. Please if you know anything at all can you find it in your heart to contact the chronicle and they can pass on any information to me...

Thankyou so much... Linda

492 bus

Following the articles in your April and August 2009 editions which highlighted the Cray Meadows Conservative Councillors’ Campaign to improve the 492 bus service, we are writing to let your readers know how our efforts are producing results.

Previous attempts by residents over many years to get Transport for London (TfL) to address service issues by writing letters had not been successful. We knew we had to show both them and Arriva (the operator of the 492 route) how strongly people felt about the poor performance they had to put up with and how this had to change.

We organised meetings for TFL andArriva to hear at first hand about the problems experienced by residents and these were also attended and supported by representatives from residents associations and other local forums. We raised a petition so all those who live, work and play in North Cray and on the Bedensfield Estate could show their support for the campaign. But crucially we maintained contact with both organisations and made sure we had regular performance review meetings with them.

Our efforts resulted in temporary funding being committed by TfL & Arriva during 2009 making extra buses available on the route when there were service problems during the day. This was particularly important to alleviate delays resulting from the road works in Sidcup. Over that period TfL’s figures show some improvement in service performance on the route and the number of residents complaining to us councillors about problems on the route has declined.

However we know that it is in the long term that the residents who use the service want to see improvements. We have maintained our discussions with TfL & Arriva and as a result they have just agreed funding in excess of £100k to carry on providing these extra buses for the duration of the current contract to 2014.

We will continue to monitor how the service is running, in particular talking to the bus users in and around North Cray. We will make sure that the organisations that run and operate the 492 buses are always aware how important this service is to local people!

Cllr Cheryl Bacon, Cllr Ross Downing & Cllr Don Massey - Cray Meadows Ward

Dear Bexley Chronicle,

As the Publicity Officer of the Old Bexley Music Society may I say how much I enjoy your paper - not only because you put my publicity in but it is so varied and newsworthy. Please keep sending it to me.

Tricia Dyer - Bexleyheath

Bankrolled by CWU

Readers in Erith and Thamesmead should expect no sympathy from the Labour Party or for them to criticise the CWU (Communication Workers Union). While we are not receiving our post, the constituency Labour Party is being bankrolled by the CWU.

Not only has the Labour Party accepted cash from the CWU, their prospective parliamentary candidate has been endorsed by the CWU. She has also been bragging about how she won over their support by opposing the modernisation needed to save jobs and postal services.

Residents upset about not receiving their post should bear this in mind when they cast their vote at the next General Election.

Kerry Allon - Bexley

Funny ideas about traffic calming

I have seen many changes on the roads in the past sixty years but in the last fifteen we have had some funny ideas, speed humps that divert traffic to main roads, so there are fewer roads to drive on, are causing problems as traffic increases six to seven per cent every year.

Humps damage vehicles and are bad for the environment. January 2008 tests for the AA show a difference of forty seven per cent more fuel used going over humps because accelerating then slowing down, so increasing carbon dioxide emissions.

This policy for roads does not make much sense. I can’t see how road humps calm traffic and I would like to see stricter laws for all councils to work to in the UK.

Frank Jarvis - Northumberland Heath

• I guess Bexley council have a lot to answer for from their traffic calming and closed roads policy. I wonder how many tons of carbon they are responsible for polluting the atmosphere? Ed

Pick pockets at work in Sidcup

“An open letter to the piece of low-life who stole my purse in Sidcup High Street”

You probably thought you were incredibly smart to have carried out such a daring deed, and in a busy store too.

However, before you get carried away with your own cleverness, consider the following.

My hard-earned cash has already been used to finance whatever vile activities you indulge in, but I am able to replace the money and move on, whereas you on the other hand, can only face long years ahead filled with unremitting grief and misery, and that will be your punishment - not that I bear you any ill-will naturally.

Mrs E - Sidcup

Rich pickings

I read with interest the salary increase the councillors are getting. Why is there such a discrepancy from the Leader to the councillors? After all people say they do a good job. I have yet to agree. How can they be good councillors and do a full time job? Do they pay council tax, pay for parking or are these also perks that go with the job?

The way residents are treated what will they cut back on this time to give themselves this pay award and will they back date it like last time?

Mrs. J.J.Rouse - Sidcup

Letters November 2009

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:43:43 +0000

Planning coup!

By planting trees, shrubs and plants Greenwich Council transformed a piece of land between Hambledon Road, Norfolk Crescent and Arlington Close from what was a haven for the worst forms of anti social behaviour to a wildlife home and a pleasant view for local residents.

Without the knowledge of either Greenwich or local residents a bulldozer and workmen arrived flattening the land. Phone calls to the Greenwich MP’s and Councillors of both Boroughs brought a stop to the demolition. By now much wildlife had departed if not fled. Not one Council had any knowledge of what was happening or of future plans. More phone calls to Greenwich Town Hall revealed (eventually) plans drawn up for seven houses with seven car parking spaces.

All the transport would enter and leave via Arlington Close whose road is a Sidcup responsibility. I suspect this would be more economical than either a through road or by entrance and exit by Hambledon Road (Greenwich). I and others who enquired were told by Senior Employees of Greenwich that it would be designated social housing to re-house people from a problem estate down to be demolished. Each house would have 4 bedrooms hence a total projected number of residents of 42 people, conceivably this could be more or less. It then enlightened Councillors of both Boroughs. A senior employee invited me to “get together” some local residents and then one Friday 11th September he would come and speak to us! No such “meeting” has been arranged, the Councillors were astonished at the request. The change of designation will be for reaching on people, noise, traffic and local services – the wildlife has had no say.

Not one elected representative was aware of the turmoil caused namely beginning week commencing 7th September or of any housing plans. Not one resident was consulted of the decision to demolish ‘green’ land and thereby forever change local residents’ environment and well being are being bulldozed.

Restoration must take place.

John Johnson - Sidcup

• The planning office of the council told the Chronicle; “We have been notified by a local architectural practice that they are instructed to prepare and submit an application for the erection of seven houses on this site which is owned by the London Borough of Greenwich.

The sketch plan shows access from Arlington Close for seven parking spaces and a turning head to serve the seven houses with pedestrian access only from Hambledown Road. We understand that a planning application will be submitted shortly.

As the application straddles the Borough boundary, the application will have to be made to both Boroughs.

We are of course aware of the concern of local residents about the clearance of vegetation which has already taken place. As the land affected lies in Greenwich, Bexley officers were not able to take any action on this.

Once submitted the application will be the subject of our normal consultation procedures and we would expect that it will be reported to our Planning Committee in due course”.

Fares could rise by 11%

Last year Boris Johnson raised our tube and bus fares by an inflation busting 6%. Some travellers even faced a rise of 11%!

Now the Mayor is dithering. It has already been announced that regulated train fares will actually be cut next year. (Yet in London we have no idea what the Mayor is planning for bus, tube and tram fares).

Hard up Londoners need to know how much they will have to pay to travel next year so they can budget for this. It is time Boris Johnson came clean. Given the rate of inflation, he should freeze or reduce fares. If he chooses not to, Londoners will want and deserve an explanation.

Caroline Pidgeon - Transport Spokesperson,

Liberal Democrat London Assembly

City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA

New Life for Avery Hill Winter Gardens

I refer to your article in the Chronicle (October).

I worked in the Winter Garden from 1967 to 1969, under The Greater London Council. Concerning the date palm, the older palm was replaced in the1950’s by another palm of semi mature size. This was obtained from Kew Gardens.

During the late sixties a heavy piece of corroded metal fell from the dome one morning. Because of the concern for public safety, the Winter Garden was closed.

The building became dilapidated and flocks of birds used it as a roosting place.

Therefore in summary this is the third time since World War II that the Winter Garden has been renovated, and the date palm is much younger than stated by your correspondent.

R.Woonough - Dartford

Geoffrey Whitworth theatre

I am lucky to live in Crayford and even luckier to live near to the lovely Geoffrey Whitworth Theatre. It is great to be able to walk there and have a drink at the bar and watch a great play each month. Everyone is very friendly and, as a single person, I am not made to feel awkward going on my own, which is the case in some other places. The prices are so reasonable that I can afford to buy a season ticket and have a monthly treat to look forward to.

Susie Bagenal - Crayford

More road chaos

Thames Water have again caused total traffic chaos by digging up Bexley High Street just by the entrance to the car park about 50 yards from the railway bridge. They have put in three way traffic lights which in effect lets no one through. There has been a leak outside the pub for weeks so it is hardly an emergency! The traffic is backed up all the way down the North Cray Road, up Gravel Hill and is backing up the A2 and that’s at midday what’s it going to be like in the rush hour?

I rang Bexley the statutory Highway authority who have issued a licence for the works (Roger Bickerstaff) and Thames Water. Last time this happened they agreed they would put up warning signs at the start of North Cray Rd and the A2 and Gravel Hill to give adequate notice to allow alternate routes. There are now 100s of cars stuck both sides of these works. I run a business from the area and all my vans are stuck.

Last time the Bexley traffic engineers refused to answer calls and left it to their(very competent ) telephone staff to field the irate calls and they took a lot of abuse.

John Taylor - Old Bexley

VW Scirocco

We enjoyed reading your account of the new VW and agree the styling and technical performance are both excellent.

But why review a car that has no dealer in Bexley? The nearest one is apparently in Dartford, Kent which seems rather a long way to go for minor servicing etc.

Why not concentrate on new cars that have dealers in Bexley. We would rather support a local firm.

John Flanagan - Erith

Parking penalty bonanza

Hundreds of families descended upon Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School this evening to assess its suitability for their sons and daughters who have passed their 11 plus this year.

Parking is at a premium at the school so many had to find an alternative space on Hurst Road and the surrounding residential roads. In order to maintain a smooth flow of traffic on all the roads many chose to park with two or more wheels on the wide grass verge. In some circumstances this was essential to assist the passage of cars on some of the smaller residential roads.

What a prize therefore for two parking enforcement officers who together systematically walked along Hurst Road and all the adjoining residential roads issuing fines in abundance. They must have thought they had won the lottery!

There was absolutely no need for this level of enforcement of the regulations tonight. Most drivers provided sufficient space to allow for

passing traffic and did not obstruct any pavements. The action of these two individuals merely reinforces the preconception that parking enforcement in Bexley is all about revenue collection and that those enforcing the rules deserve the title “Jobsworth”.

The two enforcement officers concerned must have issued over 100 penalty notices between them in the space of 2 hours.

There was universal disgust from all the parents that I spoke to whilst walking back to my car - which yes had received a fine for two wheels on the verge. So I encourage all those who have been similarly blighted by this unnecessary fine to write to their local Councillor and MP as well as challenging the issuing of the penalty charge through the formal channels.

Paul Atkinson - Local Resident

• The Chronicle wonders who told the parking attendants? And can the local police chief explain why he gave permission for them to have a police escort whilst issuing penalty notices? Ed

Letters - October 2009

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:15:52 +0100

London’s crumbling

I was pleased to read of Bob Bedwell’s success in Sidcup getting the pavement repaired.

I have been complaining to Bexley Council for weeks about a part of Barnehurst Avenue from the junction of Fairford Avenue up to Colyers Lane about the road and pavement. Repairs are piecemeal. On the pavement side a section about seventeen inches square close to the fence repaired but a hole in the road some thirty inches square and about 20mm deep remains untouched!

I met with Mr Saunders from Bexley Council and we walked this part of Barnehurst Avenue. Apart from what I have noted above other small, and I mean small areas are repaired whilst much larger sections badly in need of repair remain untouched.

Mr Saunders was eager to point out the constraints from central government which

control the amount of repairs the council are able to carry out, and also they have to prioritise that considered urgent. He did make notes of some repairs he felt called for immediate attention. Mind you I was advised that as the hole in the road was only twenty mm attention would not be given until it was forty mm deep!

This whole section of Barnehurst Avenue, in my opinion, road and pavement are badly in need of repair. Inspections are supposedly carried out every six months though frankly, I have my doubts. Some parts have still only been partly repaired Cementing those, these can be left for weeks until the final surface is put on.

Back in 2003/4 the Government took £59 billion from the road user with about 10% being actually spent on the roads. Where did the other 90% go? And this is repeated every year with ever increasing petrol tax. I wonder what the figures will be for 2009/10?

Malcolm Kirkup - Barnehurst

• The Mayor of London sits in his towering office block surrounded by consultants and committees and Bexley Council twiddle their thumbs trying to balance their books while London’s roads and pavements crumble away. Selborne Road in Sidcup hasn’t been repaired since WW2! Ed

Manor House

With all the “suggestions” quietly attempting to move us into accepting that this establishment is on its way out, what clever(?) so-and-so decided to spend heavens knows how much tax payers money on a brand new sign for the Registrars Office - situated at the junction of the Green and Elm Road.

The mind boggles.

Charles Owen - Sidcup

• Like the whole Bexley First building project it’s a flawed decision at this moment of time with commercial property prices down by a massive 45% and not expected to return to their 2009 values until at least 2015. But why should the council care about spending your money on a new sign! It’s their only investment in this fine property for ages. Ed

Red House garden party

The Friends of Red House held their biannual garden party at William Morris’s Red House in Bexleyheath, on Sunday 6 September. Councillor Bernard Clewes, MBE, Mayor of Bexley, was in attendance. We were blessed with sunny weather as we enjoyed that music of Strictly Brass. Pimm’s No. 1 was served, and a delicious tea, as the guests enjoyed the garden, while a busy programme of tours of the house took place.

Olive Mercer - Sidcup

Skidcup!

Will Bexley Council cabinet sell Sidcup registry office to developers, and disappear Hadlow Road pop-in-parlour? What about the ancient Black Horse pub?

Anything it seems that has cultural or social value to adults living in Bexley is too much for the council to bear, ie. The (mad, bad or sad) cabinet has put the K into Skidcup, despite claims of “listening”. Does Bexley council pass the consumer test, ie. does it do its civic duty? Does it perform satisfactorily? Is it fit for its original purpose: direct provision of essential services or has it strayed into being a tax & revenue collection front?

Without this recession would barrack-style flats have appeared on Lamorbey swimming baths and Athena House sites. Meanwhile Bexley council has got its paws on £1.2 million for its ill-starred traffic scheme for Station Road. Certainly a few £thousand would be ample to improve traffic light phasing but that would not use up all that cash.

Tesco Metro shoppers get prime parking bays where our station-connecting bus stop used to be. Pavements will shrink, raised impediments will appear (death traps for cyclists?) and the Somerfield traffic lights will become an obstacle zig-zag course requiring push buttons in the middle of the road – socially unacceptable perhaps?

Rita Grootendorst - Sidcup

Changing Places

This month you included a letter in regards to the lack of Changing Places toilets in and around the Bexley area.

The lack of these facilities has a huge impact on the lives of people with a profound and multiple learning disability and their families and supporters. The impact leads to families having their lives greatly restricted in how they are able to both, live and take part in their communities.

Mark Grainger - Sittingbourne

A Star (Stage Two) is born

I’m responding to Jill Cowne, who wrote a letter last month in the Chronicle about Sidcup Town Centres Stage One, and now Two of the Star scheme at Longlands and Station Road areas.

Like her I thought Stage One was a success, and I hope for Stage Two will also be another.

However, I’ve taken the bull by the horns and have got support from nearly all at Tudor Court where I live, Hatherly Crescent, for the proposed zebra crossing, which they have campaigned for, for over twenty years, outside our block - as in the Star scheme proposal.

I then caught commuters from Sidcup station, who are falling over to sign up too and expressing their feelings and concern for a safer crossing for themselves returning from work.

I would mention the local post box near to Tesco Express has been closed - the driver can’t stop because of restrictions to park. So we need free parking bays, plus the small businesses both sides of Tesco need delivery goods space surely.

Drastic change needs drastic measures for it.

Bob Bedwell - Sidcup

Labour surrender £7 billion!

Recent news that the UK’s EU contribution will rise by 60 percent shows the importance of having a British government that will fight our corner in Brussels.
Unfortunately we are still paying the price for Labour’s decision in 2005 to surrender seven billion Pounds of the British rebate between 2007 and 2013.
Worse still, the Labour government is not surrendering the rebate evenly across the EU’s seven year budget. Instead they have ‘backloaded’ it so that a disproportionate amount is being lost in the second half of the EU budget cycle - meaning that next year every household will contribute £260 to the EU.
We can all agree on the need for a government that delivers better value for money across the public sector. Unfortunately, Labour has given away more of our money to the EU without anything in return.
In the European Parliament I will campaign for the EU’s budget to be more accountable and to focus on the priorities of the taxpayers. In the meantime, we need a government that will demand the EU reforms itself before handing over British taxpayers’ cash.

Syed Kamall
Conservative MEP for London
Office WIB 5M 73
European Parliament
Brussels

Socially irresponsible

“Naughty” Ian Clement has chosen a crown court prosecution, maximising the cost to taxpayers. Will a jury believe he is naughty but nice?

What about socially irresponsible cabinet? Would a mayor be any better? Or would the corruption of power continue selective scapegoating, eg. Kebab Ye owner George. He and the Planning Inspector were hauled to the High Court by Bexley Council, which lost the case. George opened Kebab Ye in good faith; searches showed A3 use, without disclosing it had lapsed. If the council got it wrong why then put the boot into the innocent party? Because Local government Acts have given undefined powers to councils who do whatever they please, especially if their chosen prey is easily intimidated. Size matters to Bexley planners. Safeway, Tesco and Café Nero got what they wanted, no matter what.

Since 1990s banks and financial services, like local government, got out of control, with negligible checks or balances. Structured derivatives were sold off for profit even though they damaged both borrower & buyers of toxic mortgage debt. Bexley Council wanted to exonerate Ian Clement. It defends its indefensible conduct towards Kebab Ye. It regrets it was unable to break George’s resolve, even when they gained an injunction knowing he was post-operative from brain surgery for a tumour.

Rita Grootendorst - Sidcup (Campaigner for affordable living)

Sidcup Symphony Orchestra

What good news - Sidcup Symphony Orchestra is coming back to Sidcup, with

concerts at St. John’s Church and Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School.

However, I am very disappointed that there will not be a Christmas concert this year or a July 2010 “Prom”!

Let’s hope “political correctness” is not the reason for cancelling these two most popular events.

A. Ring - Sidcup

Harping on about the NHS

I wish to bring to the attention of readers of the Chronicle who harp on about our NHS, playing the same old boring gramophone record of doom and gloom, that they are the ones who are holding back the progress of real change for the better in Picture of Health locally.

By resisting change they themselves cause the services to provide the the vital and modern care at a snails pace, and less professional. The NHS is still the envy of the world, warts an all!

Those of us who have worked in the NHS, have been patients, and all who have benefitted from NHS services and its caring staff must surely make our voices heard more for change. Those against change are not our enemies they just play tunes only they themselves listen to, often out of tune with the rest of society. I know it was once a fiddle I played, and harp on about it.

Bob Bedwell, SRN, RMN, NDN - Sidcup

Letters September 2009

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:19:51 +0100

Mayors Question Time is Important

Mayor’s Question Time (MQT) is important for Assembly Members and good for London, but it could be improved.

MQT is designed to keep the London Mayor focused on advancing the capital’s priorities, but Londoners would benefit from it being more accessible and better directed at residents’ everyday concerns.

I use it to put people’s views to Boris and ask for the improvements that the residents of Bexley and Bromley deserve: better public transport, extra policing and more investment in outer London.

It’s a chance to argue against the Government’s unwanted increase in travellers’ pitches in Bexley and Bromley.

Previously I’ve used it to support scrapping the proposed Thames Gateway Bridge that threatened to flood Bexley’s residential roads with traffic. Also to secure the suspension of a London-wide emissions tax that would have hurt small businesses.

MQT is important, it allows people’s views to be openly put to the Mayor, but it could, and should be improved.

Currently, it is too long; people don’t have time for over two hours of questions. A shorter, punchier version, held more regularly, would be more interesting and promote engagement with Londoners.

While oral questions to Boris are televised, most are unaware that written questions are also submitted beforehand, and answered later. Publishing every answer at the meeting, or just having oral questions in shorter meetings, would be sensible and easier to follow.

Assembly Members, who oppose the Mayor, should stop wasting time point-scoring. Questions to Boris like, "Why are you so scared of your constituents?” add nothing to sensible debate. Better to spend question time considering issues that matter to residents.

Question time remains crucial for debating London’s priorities. Yet, just as London’s priorities have evolved since the Mayoralty’s creation, so MQT and the London Assembly must evolve to meet the needs of Londoners in 2009.

James Cleverly - London Assembly Member for Bexley and Bromley

Councillors Allowances

Further to you excellent coverage last month regarding the allowances paid to our Councillors, it would be interesting to know how and where our representatives have spent their allowances (£877.000-00) and if by any chance they have patronised local businesses (hotels, restaurants, builders, electricians, decorators, flower shops, music stores, food outlets, etc..) in their hour of need, putting their money where their mouth is when they constantly brag about having the best interest of Bexley economy at heart.

Claude Moreira - Welling

Taxpayer funded ‘newspapers’

Big Brother government was a cub 20 years ago, now a ravening taxpayers cash-guzzling dictatorship.

Do Chronicle readers know that Lambeth Life & Greenwich Times are among several London pseudo-’newspapers’ that are squeezing commercial viability out of our free independent local newspapers?

Life was harder for traditional newspapers before town hall tyrants began to politicise “information” through the above mentioned media clones, that recycle public funds through internal spending on advertising and legal notices, that went into local publications before. Twenty years ago when council overspending was more modest, local newspapers provided most essential official details as part of their format. Andrew Gilligan of the Evening Standard & Telegraph was on BBC Radio 4 Media Show. He tackled Joshua Peck deputy leader of Tower Hamlets who bragged about having £1 billion to spend, ie. they can afford a council-run newspaper. There must be a better way to get selective news than trusting unreliable council controlled politically-driven selective media.

Rita Grootendorst - Sidcup

Helping our youth

How encouraging to see in the July edition another “There is nothing for our kids to do”. A special two-page article covering local youth organisations, which has been well received by all those, connected with voluntary youth work in the community.

The Chronicle (and Derek Hope) has done really well in highlighting the various uniformed youth movements that are available to our young folk. Confirming that there is plenty for children to do.

The latest feature covered The Boys’ and Girls’ Brigades, which have been around for a good number of years. In fact the BB have just finished celebrating their 125^th anniversary. All the leaders and members of the BB & GB at Eltham Park, were so pleased with your positive publicity and the excellent report about their work going on there.

For the many volunteers of ALL youth organisations, who give up so much of their spare time to give our future generation a sound start to their lives, this article makes them feel it’s all worthwhile. Why is it that most newspapers only report the bad news about our young people? Well done the Chronicle in promoting good news about our various organisations.

In fact it would seem the Chronicle is well ahead of supporting this valuable work. Some weeks after this article appeared the Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwell, held a special Youth Garden Party at Bucking Palace to officially launch a London youth partnership called YOU LONDON Youth Organisations –Uniform.

The aim of YOU LONDON is to enable youth organisation s to work together to recruit more adult volunteers. www.youlondon.org.uk

John A Bates - 14^th West Kent Bexleyheath Company. Hon Vice President West Kent Battalion. Secretary Stedfast Association London District.

Austin and affordable housing

It is disappointing to see that John Austin has decided to use the pages of the Chronicle to mislead residents on housing (Chronicle, August 2009, p.4, ‘Investment in affordable homes’’) by claiming that Labour are going to establish “the largest social-house-building programme for thirty years.”.

It is worth remembering that Mr Austin received over £130,000 in tax-payer’s money to pay for his second homes in Rotherhithe and Southwark whilst local people struggle to get housed - will they take Mr Austin’s comments seriously?

We’ve heard these promises before from Labour and not only have they failed to deliver, but they have the worst record on social housing of any modern Government. What Mr Austin does not want you to know is under Labour the number of households on the social housing waiting list has increased by 75% to almost 1.8 million. While more people are waiting to be housed, the amount of social housing being built is declining.

In 1997 the number of housing completions by local authorities was 1,543. After a decade of Labour Government, this had fallen to 380. Under the last Conservative Government, on average over 40,000 homes were being built each year compared to less than 18,000 under Labour.

Of course, Mr Austin would have more credibility on this issue if he had fulfilled the promise he made two years ago to hold a debate on housing in Thamesmead in the House of Commons. He has not done this and instead has made dozens of trips abroad while thousands of his constituents are stuck on housing lists.

David Leaf - Belvedere

Britain’s immigration policy / failed welfare, system

I wouldn’t disagree with the judge who slammed policies that allow hundreds of thousands of foreigners to stream into the country to sponge off benefits.

An Immediate Hiatus Ban should be placed on all forms of immigration until our present economic crisis is onvercome and jobs once again become plentiful!

However, it is not only immigrants who abuse the welfare system but sadly also too many cheats from this country.

It is well past the time that the government should stop benefit for those who refuse jobs.

These benefits are costing the country billions and billions of pounds each year which we really cannot afford!

Douglas Walters - Sidcup

Lark in the Park

I would just like to express my appreciation of the sacrificial services, the volunteers at “Lark in the Park”, in Sidcup Place, gave us all again this year, put on by Churches Together in Sidcup.

Sidcup friends I invited along to the Over 60s Freedom Zone tent, appeared to really enjoy, both the served refreshments of afternoon tea and cakes and on-stage entertainments. A total of fifteen joined me there.

They even had an adult “Has Sidcup got talent” competition, a new development from just the younger ones last year. And after hearing from those who volunteered to share their talents, I too felt not to ‘hide my light under a bush’ and was given the opportunity to share a poem ‘Eat your heart out, poet Laureate’.

So, all in all, a whacking great Congratulations to all the organisers, volunteers and of course those behind the scenes. Oh, and thank you God, not least.

Pavement matters

I would like to thank Bexley Council, Somerfield Store, Age Concern, Old Bexley and Sidcup CLP Labour Party (Sidcup Ward) and the Sidcup Chronicle for their support in getting a number of damaged pavements repaired which were a threat to the general public outside of the Somerfield store near the station.

Being privately owned the pavement forecourt was finally repaired by Mr Slater of Latate Ltd who responded promptly, giving the work to a local Sidcup builder.

Both of them emailed me to check if the job had been done to my satisfaction. I checked and it was. So a big thank you to them also. Bexley at its best I reckon and in partnership.

Bob Bedwell - Sidcup

Town Centre Renewal

Following the successful implementation of Stage 1 of the Sidcup Town Area Renewal Scheme it is very disappointing to see Phase 2 of the STAR Scheme, particularly in relation to the road safety aspects of the proposed changes and relocation of the bus stops away from the station and across the busy traffic light junction at Station Road and Longlands Road/ Hatherley Crescent. This will force thousands of daily commuters to cross the road at those traffic lights which will have a pedestrian phasing, however rush hour commuters will often risk life and limb to catch their train for work in the mornings and the additional time it will take the bus to reach its new stop will only serve to further frustrate and delay travellers so it would seem to me to be an unnecessary relocation merely to provide 5 or 6 convenient parking spaces for Tesco Express customers. —

There are a considerable number of buses travelling in both directions in Station Road and putting two compulsory bus stops immediately opposite each other is most unwise as it can create tail-backs when all the buses cannot simultaneously pull off the main road into the lay-byes. I am also concerned that the staggered puffin crossing outside Somerfield’s is heading in the wrong direction for most users who would be heading for the 51 bus stop or Old Farm Avenue rather than back towards the station.

People heading home from work will often take the shortest route in order to catch a bus, so it just does not make any sense to force them to walk away from their direction of travel. Many people will simply bypass the crossing and dash across the road nearer the bus stop causing a danger to themselves and to traffic.

Directly south of the proposed new southbound bus stop is the junction with Alma Road, a one way street, which will suffer reduced visibility by the new bus stop, for traffic turning out of this road. The Scheme proposes to build an extension to the pavement on the north west side reducing the road width to one carriageway and constructing a raised table at the junction with Station Road. It is already difficult to get out of this junction so I fail to see the point of narrowing the exit when it will only lead to long queues of traffic and needless delays.

A completely unnecessary and expensive speed table has been suggested in Jubilee Way only yards away from a right angled bend in the road. As this road is a relatively small cul-de-sac it would appear to be a total waste of money.

This entire scheme will have an enormous impact on rail users who will face delays and a long uphill walk to the new bus stop so I find it worrying that so little meaningful consultation has been directed at this important group of people. Comments on the new proposals have been invited by Gordon Kiley. Go to (gordon.kiley@bexley.gov.uk)

Jill Cowne - Sidcup

Send your child to the Boys Brigade and Girls Brigade

CONGRATULATIONS are in order for publishing that very splendid article about THE BOYS’ BRIGADE & THE GIRLS’ BRIGADE as a ‘Centre Spread’ in the latest edition of the ‘Sidcup & Bexley Chronicle’ which I have just received. I say this as a lifelong member of The Boys’ Brigade, who joined the llth SIDCUP COMPANY at Sidcup Methodist Church in Granville Road, way back in September 1943, and at the age of 79 1 am still a very active member of the Brigade.

In the last war, at the age of 13, I was forever getting into trouble and was often pursued by the local ‘Schoolboard Inspector’ for failing to attend school, so when I did go and then read a poster on the Noticeboard at Alma Road School, saying that a Company of the ‘BB’ was about to start up at the local Methodist Church, I saw this as a way in which to ‘disrupt’ their proceedings and promptly put in an appearance on the opening night (with my parents okay) only to find to my horror that the Founder and Captain of the Company was my old adversary, the Schoolboard Inspector !

But it was he and other members of the Company who very soon i straightened me out’ and 66 years later here I am as a Senior Member of the Methodist Church. The ‘Christian’ ethos of the ‘BB’ has always been at the forefront of my life and I therefore am forever in its debt and would say to parents with ‘Kids with nothing to do’ just send them along to your nearest Company of the ‘BB’ or ‘GB’ and hopefully they will soon find, as I did, that there is so much in life in which they can get involved without ‘getting into trouble’ as I once did as a young teenager all those many years ago and to those parents who are unable to find a local Company for Boys and Girls, why not take up the challenge and START ONE.

Full details can be easily obtained by telephoning 01442 231681

John Russell

A disgrace for disabled people in our area

As a supporter of the Changing Places campaign, I think it is a disgrace that Bexley Council doesn’t provide public toilets that meet the needs of local people with severe disabilities and their carers.

People with profound and multiple learning disabilities need Changing Places toilets - with a hoist, changing bench and plenty of space. Without them carers are often forced to change their disabled loved-ones on dirty toilet floors.

Bexley Council has yet to install a Changing Places toilet. People with profound and multiple learning disabilities should have the same opportunities as everyone else. And carers have enough to contend with – let’s not make their lives harder by denying them the right to basic public facilities.

I encourage readers to take action sign the online petition about this important issue at www.mencap.org.uk/changelives

Monica Rivers - Crayford

Future of Heron Court

I’m writing this letter in response to your article in the August Chronicle regarding the future of Heron Court.

It is perfectly true what Cllr. Slaughter stated that no-one will be forced out.

But what he is not saying is the way London & Quadrant are going about it, such as dropping hints to the people concerned how better off they would be in a new apartment they intend to build, also asking them if they would like to see the plans, but telling them in a nice way they want them out, so regardless what the councillors say the people are worried sick.

My colleague Elwyn Bryant and myself attended two meetings regarding this matter. We were invited by the residents as we are both members of the Bexley Pensioners Forum and the Forum has been involved with London & Quadrant before on a similar matter.

The impression we and some of the residents got was that the two councillors were representing London & Quadrant instead of the other way round, I wonder why?

Just one more item. If and when these new flats are built will they be for sheltered accommodation, NO WAY. They will be sold. More sheltered accommodation lost.

P. Gussman - Sidcup

Queen Mary’s and Maidstone hospital

In 2004 I had a colonoscopy performed at QM. I was supposed to have a follow up a couple of years later. Suddenly out of the blue I received a letter from Maidstone Hospital informing me that if I did not have the follow up done at Maidstone I would be taken off the list. I accordingly made an appointment with Maidstone Hospital. They assured me that they would provide transport there and back for me with my designated escort. This took place yesterday. Yes we had a taxi there and back.

I live 7 minutes walk away from QM!

I consulted our three ward councillors. June Slaughter took the matter up for me. I set out below the exchange of correspondence. Could you advise people in your next edition about this situation so that if they receive a similar letter from Maidstone they know they can insist that they attend QM or somewhere a little more local? The cost in taxi fares to Maidstone per patient must be huge.

Patient - Sidcup

NHS Response:

We are currently working in partnership with Maidstone to provide endoscopy services. This is to manage a backlog of surveillance patients. It is important to note that any patient who wants the procedure but doesn’t want to go to Maidstone can still come back here and be scoped at QMS. We’re sorry if that wasn’t made clear and we will ensure that the correspondence sent out is reviewed to improve the clarity.

Maidstone have sent what we call a validation letter. This is the same practice that we use here - if we can’t make contact with a patient we advise them that if we don’t hear from them they may be removed from the list.

Clearly we can ensure that the patient below is offered a date at QMS if she doesn’t want to travel.

Gary Scott - Interim Head of Contracts South London Healthcare NHS Trust Ranken House Queen Elizabeth Hospital 020 8836 5828

Letters August 2009

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 15:32:28 +0100

A disgrace for disabled people in our area

I encourage readers to take action sign the online petition about this important issue at www.mencap.org.uk/changelives

Monica Rivers, Crayford

Bomb Disposal

Your correspondent Chris Ransted seeks information on an incident that happened on Belvedere marshes in May 1941, when the Earl of Suffolk was killed while defusing a German bomb.

My father, Arthur Stanley Steward, a local businessman and volunteer ambulance driver, was deployed to collect the remains of the earl and his assistants who were also killed. I was eight years old at the time and remember quite vividly my father bringing home the ambulance to wash out, after depositing the unfortunate victims in the underground hospital at Erith.

A full account of this was published in the Civil Defence Association Journal - April 2003. Further information can be obtained from The Secretary, Civil Defence Association, 24 Paxton Close, Matlock, Derbyshire DE4 3TD.

Furthermore, I was recently speaking to our local historian Ken Chamberlain, who informed me that he was currently corresponding with a member of the present earl’s family. Ken can be contacted through Erith Library.

I trust this brief information will be of assistance in Mr. Ransted’s research.

John Steward, Bexleyheath

Letters - July 2009

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:34:43 +0100

^{Duty Free Scandal}

^{I have received a number of letters from travellers who have had duty-free goods bought outside the EU confiscated at European airports when in transit to London.}

^{I have raised this issue with the European Commission which says that it has laid down rules that liquids must be sealed in a tamper-evident bag, and display a satisfactory proof of purchase within the preceding 36 hours. Even though the legislation was passed two years ago, only Singapore and Croatia meet these standards. As a consequence, liquids bought elsewhere are confiscated at security points at airports in EU member states. The European Commission tells me that it is up to the British government to inform passengers about this rule, while they hope that airport shops outside the EU make “a reasonable effort to inform passengers.”}

^{Security must be a priority when it comes to airline travel, so why has our Government failed to warn passengers about this rule? As a result British travellers are not only wasting money, but they are being humiliated in front of other passengers when their duty free gifts are confiscated.}

^{Syed Kamall - Conservative MEP for London}

^{Glossy education brochure}

^{Following the readers letter on ‘Adult Education’ in your June issue, the Adult Education College Bexley would like to make the following response. The ’glossy’ format of our adult education ‘Courseworks’ brochure has not radically changed over the last 8 years, and, in common with many other learning providers, is the main means by which the College markets and publicises its provision. Alongside of this, both production and delivery costs are also kept as contained as possible. It is therefore particularly pleasing to read the brochure compares favourably with a ‘very expensive looking vogue style brochure’ – despite this far from being the case.}

^{The Adult Education College’s Family Learning provision is not funded from Council tax monies but by the Learning and Skills Council, as is the case in all other local authorities across the country, and yes it is FREE. The tremendous benefits of such intergenerational learning activities, for both the children and their parents or other family members, are very well-recognised nationally – and it is unfortunate that the short and longer term gains from such learning opportunities are not more widely appreciated or understood. Engaging in learning in whatever form, whether at cost or free, whether for pleasure or leisure, or for vocational reasons, is vitally important for all of us throughout our lives, for individual personal development, for family and community benefits, and for the wider social and economic improvements............and all this happens here in Bexley, on a caring and civilised, planet earth !}

^{Nina Wederell -}^{Adult Education College, Bexley}

^{Lumens NOT Watts!}

^{I have just spent four years in Brussels winning a long fight to allow shops and traders to continue selling goods in traditional measures such as pounds, ounces and pints where customers prefer these. Yet, at our moment of triumph, Brussels has opened up a new front in its war against British common sense.}

^{The EU will begin labelling lightbulbs in “lumens” since bureaucrats believe that Watts are confusing. While lumens measure brightness, no-one I have met understands these units. No wonder, given that it is technically impossible to provide a single figure for the brightness of energy saving lightbulbs, since brightness varies at different points of the bulb.}

^{We all support the idea of energy efficiency but the Eurocrats need to explain its latest bright idea to all of us - customers, shops and traders who will have to buy, sell and fit the new bulbs.}

^{Syed Kamall - Conservative MEP for London}

^{Sergeant Dennis Powell}

^{I am researching the history of the crew members of the famous R.A.F. 617 Squadron (Dam Busters).}

^{This e-mail is to enquire if your readers could assist me in locating any relatives or anyone that may have known or could obtain any relevant information concerning:}

^{Sergeant 644741 Dennis John Dean Powell, R.A.F.}

^{Born 1922 at Sidcup in Kent}

^{He was killed in action 16th September 1943.}

^{Please treat this enquiry as a serious request for assistance.}

^{Ian Arnold, Binningup}

^{Western Australia}

^{binningup2@bigpond.com}

^{Too many babies}

^{It appears that one of the cuts at Queen Mary’s Hospital is expected to be the closure of the Maternity Unit. Yet in this week’s papers (22nd May) I read that hospitals (especially London’s hospitals) cannot cope with the sudden baby boom. Last year 708,708 babies were delivered in the UK, includng one in four births being born to foreign born mothers.}

^{This is the highest numbers of births since 1972 and it is still rising. Where is the “joined-up” thinking? Why is the maternity unit being closed, when the birth-rate, especially the birth-rate of immigrants to the UK, is increasing?}

^{R Gee (Mr) - Sidcup}

^{Capital clean up!}

^{Sidcup Safer Neighbourhoods team (SNT) in partnership with the council submitted a successful application to hold a ‘Capital Clean Up’ event in Sidcup.}

^{Your Safer Neighbourhoods Team, members of Neighbourhood Services and MacDonald’s staff attended Sidcup BR Station. We removed litter, cut back overgrown vegetation and removed graffiti.}

^{The result is a cleaner more welcoming environment at the gateway to Sidcup.}

^{If you have any information on any crime issues or you just want to speak to me or my team please phone 0208 721 2576}

^{Sgt Richard Leamon}

^{Bomb Disposal}

^{I have recently been researching an incident in WW2 for a magazine article regarding a ‘bomb disposal’ incident at Erith Marshes in WW2.}

^{A bit of background - Charles Henry George Howard, the 20th Earl of Suffolk and 13th Earl of Berkshire, an eccentric described in wartime literature as a ‘colourful figure’was put in charge of an experimental unit that explored ways of getting round German boobytraps in the unexploded bombs they dropped. They came under the Ministry of Supply as a scientific research team. The Earl was supplied with a lorry, equipment and a team of people to help him.}

^{These included a civilian driver Fred Hards from the same company from which the lorry was on hire. He would help with the setting up and monitoring of equipment. The team also included Eileen Morden. She found herself working with the Earl and was involved with other work of his in France before assisting his bomb disposal research, taking notes and preparing reports. Other members of the unit were ‘borrowed’ Royal Engineers from No. 719 General Construction Company attached to No. 2 Bomb Disposal Company. They were Lieutenant Richard Godsmark, Corporal Francis Baxter, Driver Patrick Travers and Sappers George Routham, Reginald Dutson, Carlo Laposta, John Hardy, Bert Gillett and W. Fulwell.}

^{All the members of the team worked in close proximity to bombs and their lives were constantly at risk. The Earl’s unit experimented with various methods for rendering bombs safe, some of which involved burning out explosives; using plastic explosives or acid to open up bomb cases; bodily trepanning of complete fuze pockets, and firing at fuzes in order to disable them. Frequently the experimentation took place in the London ‘bomb cemeteries’ - open spaces such as Richmond Park and Erith marshes.}

^{On 12th May 1941 the team were working with a bomb on Erith marshes that suddenly exploded - Most of the team were killed including the Earl, Fred Hards, Eileen Morden and five of the Royal Engineers. Miss Morden actually died in the ambulance on the way to Erith hospital.}

^{The Earl got the George Cross and Miss Morden and Fred Hards a commendation from the King.}

^{I recently visited Erith cemetery to look for Eileen Morden’s grave. Her remains had been put in a communal grave with a headstone erected by the local authorities at the end of the war (three others are named on it). I was disappointed to find her name had been spelt wrong on the headstone - ‘Norden’ instead of Morden. I contacted Bexley Council Cemeteries section and was extremely impressed by their quick response – within a few days a stonemason was asked to correct the name and clean the graves and those alongside it and that should be happening soon. To find these graves (they look the same shape as Commonwealth War Graves but darker stone), go from the entrance at Erith Cemetery, Brook Street - beyond the chapel and they are on a bit of a slope facing down the hill. Grave is Section I, Grave 154.}

^{Basically I was wondering if any Chronicle readers might remember any of the bomb disposal activities at Erith Marshes. I believe the spot used was close to Norman Road (as a number of houses in that road filed a complaint to the authorities that their houses were being damaged by the blast of explosions from the BD teams detonations).}

^{There is a bit of interest in the Earl’s life and at present a woman in New Zealand is writing a book about him.}

^{Chris Ransted}

^{Manor House future}

^{The Council has issued its Consultation Draft for the Conservation and Management of the Manor House, on the Green in Sidcup. This document gives the history of the house and its description. Future management of the building and the site is given in a number of choices. These are listed below:}

^{Registry Office use}

^{Single office use}

^{Single residential use}

^{Conversion into flats}

^{Other possible uses.}

^{Under the terms of the Council’s Bexley First, the Council’s preferred option would be to move its offices from the Manor House to the proposed Civic Centre in Bexleyheath, and to seek another use for the site.}

^{The Bexley Civic Society is strongly opposed to this. The Registry is a historic building of great architectural significance. Its grounds are ideal for wedding parties to meet. Because it is close to Queen Mary’s Hospital, registration for births and deaths require no long journey. The house could not only be used as the Registry but its spare capacity could be made available for other civic or private offices. Moreover it should be a matter of civic pride to use this house with its gardens for civic purposes. The Society has no objection to the demolition of 20th century additions and for land thus made available to be developed appropriately. Such a development could pay for the required repairs and maintenance of the historic building. We do urge the readers of the Chronicle, which is devoted to local interest, to write to the Council and object to the preferred option. Copies of the document can be obtained from Sidcup Library or from Wyncham House, in Longlands Road. Letters or comments should be sent to Seb Salom, Wyncham House, Sidcup DA15 7JH by 28th August.}

^{John Mercer}

^{Chairman of the Planning and Conservation Committee,}

^{Bexley Civic Society}

^{Manor House Consultation}

^{I have read this so called consultation document. It is not clear cut and one has to read through pages detailing the history of each and every aspect of the components of the land and buildings that make up the site. Then the questions begin, such as “do you agree that in certain sections the document has correctly identified a certain aspect,” so you have to plough through the pages again to answer that question. I think it is so that ordinary folk like myself will give up and not bother. Much better to ask the direct question like “Do you want the building to remain a Register Office? or shall we pull down the Age Concern building on the site and erect flats? or what do you think we should do with the large garages and storage space in the car park? Simple, straightforward questions - that’s consultation!}

^{Derek Hope - Sidcup}

^{Shoppers Consultation}

^{I received information via the police! last week that the the Ward Councillors and Council Officers had arranged to hold a Sidcup Town Centre Consultation on Saturday 13th June in Nisbett Walk. Unfortunately yet again the Council Officers do not have an accurate street map of Sidcup – the second time in the week. The consultation was to try and improve Nisbett Walk and Sidcup Place. Sidcup Place no longer exists and has not done so for the past seven years. It is interred under Morrisons!}

^{I fully endorse the idea of improvements for Nisbett Walk. The public captured for this consultation however kept asking where Nisbett Walk was.}

^{The major problem Sidcup High Street has is that the pedestrian entry/exit into the public underground car park which is at the south end of Nisbett Walk consists of a real nasty narrow steep staircase covered with muck and does not lend itself to confident public use. Both Councillors and Council Officers completely ignored this.}

^{There is no Council funding that I am aware of to make any improvements.}

^{The Council is now claiming that the free parking concessions at Christmas and Easter was due to the goodness of their heart. However, the VAT rate dropped and rather than change the rates on all the parking machines it was considered cheaper to offer free parking within certain periods instead. I advocate that there should be free 2 hour parking in Council car parks throughout the Borough. This will be far more use to our failing high streets than any cosmetic cover up.}

^{Jean Gee (Mrs) - Sidcup}

^{The Sidcup Symphony Orchestra}

^{The next concert of the Sidcup Symphony Orchestra is on July 4th at Townley Grammar School. Apart from performing American music to celebrate Independence Day, we shall also be playing “The Wreckers” by our most celebrated local composer Dame Ethel Smyth (1858 - 1944), who became friends with Brahms and Clara Schumann.}

^{She was born in Sidcup House, on the corner of St. John’s Road, which was demolished around 1929 to make way for Market Parade shops. Dame Ethel was a strong feminist and became a suffragette. She had been sent to Holloway Prison after participating in a demonstration and as her supporters sang her composition “The March of the Women” outside her cell, she is said to have conducted them through the bars with her toothbrush!}

^{Would it not be a wonderful tribute to such a colourful character and composer of such rousing music, to erect a blue plaque as near as possible to her birthplace in Sidcup?}

^{Janet Newis - Sidcup}

^{Where are the Samaritans?}

^{Noticing some uneven pavements outside of the Somerfield store near Sidcup station I have contacted every possible person about this but the problem remains and someone will eventually have a nasty fall.}

^{The uneven pavements, I am told, belong to a land owner independent of the store. The council have told me they have contacted the owner and store so far with no response. Not even a cone to warn you about the uneven surface.}

^{Bob Bedwell - Sidcup}

Letters June 2009

Tue, 26 May 2009 11:08:31 +0100

492 Bus Service

Over the past few months I have written to both TFL and Arriva Buses regarding complaints from local residents concerning poor service on the 492 bus route. Complaints included: - non working wheel chair ramps, early running, sudden cancellations, erratic driving causing accidents to passengers and not enough buses per hour. Replies have been received to all my letters with some examples as detailed: - Arriva admit cancelling buses in mid route due to excessive lateness and re routing requirements?! TFL say No extra 492 buses per hour due to lack of demand? TFL admit that since January 2009 the service has not been satisfactory but that they are watching Arriva carefully. Arriva report that their “wheelchair ramps are all checked every morning”. So if your readers have had ramp or any other problems with the 492 please write to the Editor with details. I am a frequent traveller on the 492 and always keep notes of both good and bad service points. Cray Meadows Labour Party has been lobbying TFL for many years about improving the 492 service and we will continue to do so.

C.Judge - Chair Cray Meadows Labour Party.

C/o George Wallace House

31 Sidcup Hill, Sidcup.

Adult education

We have just received the latest, very expensive looking vogue style brochure offering their Autumn/Winter courses.

In the Family Learning Section there are forty five FREE programmes!

This might look nice in an expensive production but we object strongly that our council tax is being used in this way. Why are we subsidising threading beads, building k-nex models and catching tadpoles?

A visit to The Glades with Mum and Dad would be equally lovely AND FREE - and not taking resources away from more needy and deserving projects. What planet do these people come from?

Alexis Smith - Sidcup

Vote for UKIP!

Readers, do you, like me, distinctly remember Tony Blair announcing in the House of Commons that incandescent light bulbs were to be withdrawn, as though it was his own personal contributions to ideas about how to save the planet.

Despite objections from a number the special interest groups. The answer is that it wasn’t Tony’s idea at all. The legislation is being introduced as a result of a European Community Directive.

Do you object to being ordered by legislation over which you have no say whatsoever!

If so why not vote for the U.K.Independence Party in the forthcoming local elections.

P. Merrin - Welling, Kent

European Union Undermines Democracy

It suits the three main political parties that most people do not know how the EU operates. They may be forgiven for thinking the forthcoming election of MEPs is a demonstration of democracy within the EU. Not so. In theory the elected EU parliament can overrule the EU Commission but in practice it is only a talking shop that mostly rubber stamps decisions from the Commission where the real power lies. The EU Commission consists of unelected unaccountable bureaucrats who spend their time producing an endless stream of directives which now impinge on every aspect of our lives.

We in UKIP believe in rule from Westminster not Brussels. Only complete withdrawal from the EU can achieve our vision of a country that controls its own laws, borders, economy and currency.

Please use your vote on 4^th June carefully and consider what type of country you want to live in and your children to inherit. If you believe in freedom and democracy vote for the only fully inclusive party that wants an independent Britain – vote for UKIP

Malcolm Clarke

UKIP Bexley Branch

Marlborough School

It was brought to my notice that you recently ran an article regarding disused toilets and I believe you ran a photograph of those in Marlborough Park Avenue. I thought I would take the opportunity to inform you of the plans for that lovely building.

The disused conveniences are situated next to Willersley Park and opposite Marlborough Park. Also next to the toilets is Marlborough school which is for young people aged 11 - 19 years with severe, profound and complex learning difficulties. Last year I (the Head teacher) successfully negotiated with Bexley council to maintain these premises as a servery café that young people from the school will run as part of their work experience.

Frankham Architects have designed the café (complete with toilet) and we have been given planning permission. All that remains is to raise the remainder of the £80,000 required to make those changes. So far we have raised £13,000.

The café, as I have said above, will provide work experience which is local to the school. This in its turn raises the confidence and self esteem of our young people and gives them a realistic sense of the working world. They will have opportunities for practicing skills in food wholesale and retail, food & drink preparation, handling money and customer relations. We hope its profit might cover its running costs but at this point do not know that for a certainty.

When the school is closed we are working with adult services so that adults with learning disabilities can also have this valuable experience.

Audrey Chamberlain - Head teacher

Cloning Bexleyheath town centre

If by introducing a “café style culture” to Bexleyheath Broadway, as reported in last month Chronicle, local planners mean

allowing the so-called cafe style culture favoured by multinational chains to British town centres, then the Broadway will perpetuate its ugly stalag type of architecture that would not be out of place in East Germany or any other soviet type republic.

The latest shopping developments that have destroyed what was left of the village concept of shopping in Bexleyheath are unique in its unfriendly, dehumanising ugliness and I hope those who were responsible for such bestiality are not today in charge of developing our most important town centre under the guise of “a café style culture”, meaning a free for all for greedy developers and clone merchants to rearrange shopping outlets in order to extract from Bexleyheath shoppers the few pounds left in their pockets.

Claude Moreira - Welling

MPs Second Homes

It’s very simple. If MPs live inside the M25 corridor then they don’t need a second home. ORDINARY people commute longer distances daily. The idea that Harperson, McNulty etc. need a second home when their constituencies are in London is outrageous.

As for expenses - what happened to the tradition of having a second income.

The VERY LAST thing we need is a professional political class divorced from us, and the real world, but ruling us! The reason half of “New Labour” want this is because they’re completely unemployable elsewhere.

C. Price - Sidcup

Where’s my Chronicle?

Although we are now retired we enjoy our monthly jaunt to the popular B&Q store in Sidcup to pick up a copy of the Chronicle but when we visited there this month we couldn’t find your stand and paper.

The helpful people at the information desk told us the management had taken the stand away but couldn’t tell us why.

Can you? And tell us where we can pick up a copy of our favourite monthly community paper.

Ted Mitchell - Bexley Village

• When we turned up with the B&Q supply this month we were told the Area Manager, Nigel Hughes had instructed the staff to remove the stand without telling us. But never fear all you have to do is motor across to Homebase just along the road where copies are available from the stand just inside the entrance where something like 800 local people pick up their copy every month. Or you can simply ask your newsagent for a copy priced just 40p. Ed

Letters May 2009

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:08:04 +0100

The Eagle has landed

Regarding “The Eagle has landed” in your March edition of the Chronicle.

Strangely enough, a friend in Wales sent me a request from a gentleman now living in New South Wales (that was in This England magazine Winter 2008/9), asking the same thing about the German airmans grave! I went to the archives in Bexleyheath library and found that the body was exhumed on 30.10.62 for reinternment in the German War Cemetary in Cannock Chase.

Reading my Choice magazine today about this cemetary containing the graves of 5,000 German serviceman from the two world wars reminded me to write to you, so you can now tell your sons why the grave in St. Paulinus churchyard had disappeared, I too remember it.

The pilot was Wilhelm Wolf who died 13.09.40 aged 23 years.

Mrs A Giaccone - Bexleyheath.

Delightful youngsters

What a delight it was to see all those beautiful pictures of the pupils enjoying Mexican Day at Birkbeck Primary School.

This school is a real gem for besides having a cultural day which gets them all working as a team they do a lot of social work.

Each year all the residents of Tudor Court (a block of 64 flats for over 55s) are invited to their Xmas Show, in addition a choir actually comes to the flats to sing Xmas Carols!

Then, later in the paper you feature an excellent two page article on a visit to the ATC 1227 Squadron at Sidcup. It made stimulating reading to see how well all these young folk are enjoying themselves. It is great to know that each month the Chronicle will feature articles on similar groups.

The majority of young people are well behaved and it will be nice to read all the future articles. Sadly, we always hear of the troublemakers who are a small minority, but seldom of all the good deeds done by the majority of youngsters.

D Walters - Sidcup.

Doctors surgeries

Our health care organisation continues the thrust to remove patients plus their fees from Queen Mary’s Hospital to other PFI hospitals burdened with their enormous continuing escalating PFI debts.

We were told by doctors from two local surgeries (Barnard’s and Church Avenue) at a recent Sidcup Town Partnership meeting of a scheme to provide polyclinics at the emptying Queen Mary’s Hospital to augment and/or replace at least these local Sidcup surgeries.

The two doctors complained that their patient numbers are increasing to a point where the existing surgeries cannot cope. It does not occur to these doctors that the reason their patient list is increasing is due to the ever increasing number of new flats in and around Sidcup. I will give an example; Elm Road – a short road – has increased the number of households and therefore the minimum number of prospective new patients as follows:

• One empty site – 14 new homes + 14

• One house site increased to 4 new homes + 3

• One block of flats increased from 9 to 15 homes + 6

• One house dividing into 2 new homes + 1

This means an increase of a minimum of 24 patients looking for a doctor from one Sidcup road.

The doctors noted that there is little in the way of available parking for patients attending such Queen Mary based polyclinics and their patients will apparently share these proposed polyclinic facilities with others not on these surgeries’ patient lists.

Another neighbour tells me that she recently had to go into Queen Mary’s Hospital. A closed ward had to be re-opened to accommodate her and some 40 other patients. Due to the plumbing being removed they had to share one shower between them.

Multiply the increasing number of new flats all over Sidcup and the answer is plain – the Council and the health care trust should be increasing the infrastructure of health provision by providing new surgeries to accommodate a rapidly increasing number of patients from new households.

Jean Gee (Mrs) - Sidcup

Tories and the EU

With reference to the article by Syed Kamall, MEP, warning all recreational anglers that they are about to be regulated by the European Union.

If he is so critical of the EU why is he still a member of the Conservative Party?

Labour, Lib Dems and the Conservatives all want to remain in the European Union.

Remember, it was the Tories that took us into the EU in 1973

• signed the Single European Act in 1986

• entered the exchange rate mechanism in 1990

• signed the Maastricht Treaty in 1992

They are now demanding a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, but fail to pledge one should the Treaty be ratified by the EU.

On the 5th March, 2008, the Conservative Front Bench deliberately abstained on an amendment to protect the legal supremacy of OUR Parliament from the measures within the Lisbon Treaty(EU Constitution)?

Michael Barnbrook,

Prospective Parliamentary Candidate,

Old Bexley and Sidcup,

British National Party

Elm Road sub-standard

As a consequence of the Water Board attaching a new water connection in Elm Road, Sidcup, we have been able to see the very inadequate substructure to the road surface in Elm Road. It is all of 4 inches deep. No wonder the road surface keeps sinking and breaking up. This collapsing road surface is ably assisted by the underground water channels which run along Elm Road and Station Road down to the Station area. This underground water movement constantly erodes the the ground below these roads. The traffic along Elm Road can easily average some 1,000 vehicles per hour. This of course includes not only double decker buses but large delivery vehicles.

For the last six years - ever since the Council superstore was constructed - a particular area in the road outside our gate has continually collapsed downwards and been patched again and again - to no avail. It is not the only area - just the worse one in Elm Road. Most of the manhole covers are also sited on these collapsing ground subsurfaces and constantly have to be repaired also. The clanging noise is terrible.

A Council Highways Engineer says that the only real remedy is to construct a deep and adequate subsurface to these roads. However, it will cost millions of pounds and the roads will be unusable for several months therefore the Council will not do it.

Jean Gee (Mrs) - Sidcup

Chewing Gum

Further to your photo/article of the state of pavements in Sidcup, Station Road (Bexley Chronicle March 2009):

The graffitti van and man with high-pressure hose spent hours removing chewing gum residues from the pavements opposite Somerfield down as far as the ruins of Lamorbey Baths. The remnants of grime have solidified there at the edge of Station Road traffic lights.

The pavements outside of Hewish the estate agents are still caked with the stuff. Let’s hope the council will get to work on these soon. In the meantime well done Bexley Council for doing something about a nasty problem that affects us all.

Rita Grootendorst - Sidcup.

Chewing gum or not?

Dorothy Holman’s letter is certainly interesting in regard to the theory that the spots on pavements are caused by aircraft toilet rubbish deposited from the sky. The spots on her own driveway, like my own, are in fact lichen growths, which can be seen on other paving slabs etc. in various places.

The dobs of grey on the pedestrian areas of Bexleyheath, for instance, are quite definitely chewing gum spat out, as I have seen being done. Most do this very covertly, but some do so openly, The cleaners that have to scrape up this goo will certainly confirm this!

Fraser Norman - Bexleyheath

•Since the article on chewing gum was published the council have completely cleaned up the pavements in Sidcup. Ed

Fatties

Bexley Council must be taking the growing obesity problem very seriously. The two new Zebra crossings being constructed in Elm Road and Jenner Close are wide enough to accommodate the width of a superstore delivery vehicle.

Jean Gee (Mrs) - Sidcup

Empty Homes in Bexley

Throughout the Mayoral election Mr Johnson pledged to tackle the blight of empty homes in London. He believes that leaving homes empty when so many people are seeking housing is not only unacceptable, but too often they blight neighbourhoods, attract vandalism and create local eyesores.

Recently he announced an unprecedented £22m of funding to tackle this problem with Bexley - set to receive £3,011,884 to bring empty homes in the Borough back into use. Across London this vital investment will see over 1300 abandoned, derelict and blighted buildings brought back to residential use putting the Mayor on course to meet his manifesto pledge to invest a total of £60million new funding to bring over 3,400 empty homes in London back into use by 2011.

This funding will bring improvements to social rented and private sector homes, improve the quality of homes and lives on some of the capital’s most deprived housing estates, and raise the environmental efficiency of social and private housing.

Funding a range of practical measures to encourage owners to repair and bring their homes back into use costs a fraction of the price of building a new home, delivering real value for money for London taxpayers, as well as providing a further boost to the construction industry during these difficult economic times.

Richard Blakeway - Mayor of London’s Director of Housing

Let’s respect our youth

As I came around Sidcup Station approach I saw school boys throwing a bottle of water up in the air - thank God it wasn’t glass. The leading culprit kicked the bottle to leave it there as yet more rubbish in this area, which I have been concerned about for months now. There were about ten or more boys at the scene.

I called over to the leading culprit, “excuse me but would you stop leaving your rubbish around this area please and would you put that bottle in the bin”!

The others began laughing and making remarks as if to make fun of me, not all, but the boy I spoke to direct did pick the bottle up and “bin it”. Dead silence all round as the leading culprit became a hero - well at least a respondent to my request. I’m coming up to seventy by the way. He showed me respect.

If enough of us, whatever our age, began treating our youth more with respect as adults towards them, and not just talk about them, we could win our youth to “Boldly & Rightly” go, “Bexleys emblem” challenge to us all in the Borough.

Bob Bedwell - Sidcup.

• I did the same thing recently Bob in St Johns Road. A group of about six young lads and a couple of girls were sitting eating and one of them threw a can on the pavement. He caught my eye and I asked him to pick it up which, to my surprise he did. I also remember walking past a tattooed man with a chain around his neck. As I past by he threw a cigarette pack on the ground and I bent down picked it up and handed it to him saying “I think you dropped this”! He thanked me and put it in his pocket. Ed

Be gas safe

I was concerned to learn that, according to research carried out for Gas Safe Register, half of consumers would risk doing their own electrical and gas repairs. This is not least because saving money on an inadequate gas appliance repair can, sadly, end up costing the life of a loved one from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Currently, consumers who wish to avoid this gamble use a CORGI registered gas engineer. However, in response to public and industry calls for change, from 1 April, Gas Safe Register will be the only scheme gas engineers need to join, and the only brand consumers need to look for.

Consumers should continue to check the picture and licence number on the engineer’s identification card but look out for the new Register’s logo. Anyone who wishes to find out more can visit www.gassaferegister.co.uk

Stephen Williams - Divisional Director of HSE for London.

Bexley First

We, the residents of the Borough are being ‘consulted’ on the Council plans for a new Civic Centre/Offices during April/May this year.

Judgements made by the Conservative Council in the 1970s resulted in the embarrassing edifice that exists today.

The Executive Committee of the Bexley Federation of Residents’ Associations are unanimous in their view that history should not repeat itself. Through your columns, we ask all Resident Associations in the Borough to get in touch with us so that we might jointly monitor events and unite in obtaining a building that meets the needs of Council Service Departments and their staff AND be worthy of the Borough and its residents.

Please contact the Federation Chairman - Mr. R Watson, 156 Belvedere Road, Bexleyheath, Kent, DA7 4PC

Elizabeth Rhodes - Bexley London Borough Federation of Residents Association - Sidcup.

Letters April 2009

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:23:46 +0000

Gum fans

How right the Chronicle was to highlight the disgusting habit of dropping chewing gum onto the pavements,

It’s bad enough to see people with vacant expressions, chewing away without having to put up with the filth they spit out.

It’s the ratepayers who end up paying the price of clearing it up, and it contibutes to the general eyesore of cigarette packets, empty drink cans, and discarded food and containers from the multitude of takeaway establishments.

Fine them all, close down the takeaways, stop kids coming out of school at lunchtime,put in place litter enforcement officers to levy instant fines. Reclaim our town.

Barry Baker - Blackfen.

Sidcup gummed up!

I have read with interest your article about chewing gum on the pavements at Sidcup. Don’t know who the chap in the picture is or if he wrote the article but I think he should have a re-think. If it’s chewing gum, and I don’t think it is, how come it is all over my paved area in both gardens and the pavements outside.

My theory is that it comes from aeroplanes that use chemicals when they eject, possibly toilet rubbish, and comes down when it rains. Or, my other theory is that it is something in the pavement material that becomes exposed after time. Please assure me that he is now going to do his homework and I would be pleased to know the outcome. Maybe one could persuade the makers of cheming gum to do their own investigation.

Dorothy Holmans - Sidcup

New council houses

London has over 200,000 overcrowded homes and a further 55,000 householders without a permanent place to live. I hope each borough council will soon set out how they will ensure that local residents benefit from any new freedom for councils to borrow money for building. But I urge councils to go further, and pledge that new council housing in their area would be built to high environmental standards and that local people will benefit from the training and work opportunities that such a building programme ought to provide.

Cllr. Darren Johnson AM

London Assembly - City Hall.

• Bexley Council sold all of its housing stock for an average of £9,000 per home. It must have been a good deal for the housing association because they recently loaned up to £100,000,000 to Genesis to keep its two year plan on track. The head of one of the UK’s largest builders said he thought at least twenty two housing associations were in dire straights. Could the credit crunch be why ‘council’ affordable housing rents are spiralling upwards and well beyond inflation rates. Ed

Freedom Passes

I refer to your article in The Chronicle, March 2009, where you say extension of Freedom pass on most buses, trains and tubes 24 hours a day. I also found this information under Freedom passes on the internet (main heading - Boroughs agree 24 hour extension of Freedom Pass), apparently the extension was signed off as part of a five-year funding deal agreed with Tfl which was released on the 12 February.

I have been to Bexleyheath and Sidcup Rail Station and both say you can only travel after 09:30 hrs using the Freedom passes Monday to Friday.

I use my Freedom pass in the evening on the train from Charing Cross to Bexleyheath. Can you please confirm who is right.

Mrs Joyce Gough - Bexleyheath

• Freedom Passes can now be used before 09:30am on TfL services (London Buses, Trams, the Tube, the DLR, the London Overground) and certain National Rail services such as Upminster to Fenchurch Street where ticketing is inter-available with the Underground.

The Train Operating Companies have been invited to participate in offering the supplemental benefits but it has not been possible to reach an agreement to date. Therefore the additional hours will not apply to National Rail services in London, aside from the services specified above.

Transport for London will take this up again with the Train Operating Companies during 2009, once the initial scheme is in place and its impact on passenger numbers is established. Freedom Pass will continue to be accepted by the Train Operating Companies in Greater London after 09:30 hours. Ed.

Health & Safety issues

John Steward’s flippant reference to “over the top” health and safety considerations in last weeks column trivialises a serious issue. Our job, in its simplest terms, is to prevent death, injury and ill health to those at work and those affected by work. As such, our energies and expertise are concentrated on seeking to reduce real risks by taking proportionate measures.

In Kent alone last year there were five deaths and 3393 injuries occurring to employees in the workplace. We make no apologies for introducing measures to prevent these unnecessary injuries and deaths, and the human suffering that goes with them.

It is a vital role and one we are proud of.

Mike Walters

HM Principal Inspector of Health and Safety, HSE, Kent

How can the council justify a 3% increase?

With inflation and interest rates at zero, or near, why does Bexley council think a rise in council rates of 3% is justified?

First we should be asking what we get for our money, then asking them to justify the way they spend it - They should be CUTTING jobs.

For example take the new child protection procedures that Bexley Council is implementing. You would have thought they would need to send one person to deliver this. Three turned up - and were, no doubt, duly paid.

When told that communication of child protection notes would be largely by

email I asked what I thought was a pertinent question:

“To what level of encryption are your emails set”?

They hadn’t a clue. One of them promised to find out and get back to me. I gave her my card with my DIRECT line and personal email address...That was at the beginning of September 2008!

C.Price - Sidcup

Lib/Dems leaflet

I understand that Sevenoaks Liberal Democrats were out and about delivering leaflets in Hextable at the weekend.

Apparently they are concerned about the incursion of the BNP into the area. Oops! Some mistake surely. The by-election which won the BNP a seat on Sevenoaks District Council took place on February 19 in the Swanley St Mary Ward.

Didn’t the Lib Dems know that on March 1 they were out delivering in the wrong ward - ten days after the election. Don’t they know it’s all over?

Is this why they failed to field a candidate on February 19? Or was their belated effort just something a little cuckoo to greet the spring?

Eileen Sheridan - Crockham Hill

Nothings private

I was alarmed to read the comments of Sir David Omand, former security and intelligence coordinator in the Cabinet Office, that future intelligence gathering will have to be at the expense of our privacy. I believe that our travel records, financial information and other personal data should only be available to police and security agencies with the permission of a judge if individuals are suspected of planning terrorist acts.

We used to be told that increasing the surveillance powers of the state was for the protection of everyone’s freedom. It is now clear that everyone’s freedom is to be sacrificed in the name of the surveillance state.

What sort of lives will we lead, knowing that nothing we do is private from the scrutiny of public servants? Britain has the largest DNA database in the world, a police force that invades Parliamentary offices without a warrant, European laws that allow personal data to be shared with other countries and a government that encourages police to hack computers without a court order. It seems that the more personal data this government gets its hand on, the more it wants.

Syed Kamall

Conservative MEP for London

Polyclinic

The proposals to move Barnard Medical Practice and Sidcup Health Centre to a polyclinic (whatever that is) located at Queen Marys seems absurd. Both surgeries would be located at the very edges of their catchment areas and consequently disadvantage many of their registered patients. Access to the hospital is poor with limited public parking being available and satisfactory disabled access being questionable. It is not clear that Public transport would provide a good means of access. The formation of a polyclinic at the old Lamorbey baths site would certainly be much more central to the community that the respective GP practices serve.

The existing catchment areas have been agreed managed and maintained by the health authority, based upon long established centralised practice locations. With the suggested relocation approximately 50% of the patients will have the distance to their chosen GP doubled with an associated green impact/cost. Looking to the future will the catchment areas be adjusted? Just what are the benefits, yes the polyclinic will be co-located with a hospital but surely referrals will still be to out-patient clinics within the hospital or will they be buying in consultants time for selective specialised clinics, such methods did not seem to have worked in the past, what has changed to make them work now?

Personally I cannot see justification for the proposal, although despite being a registered patient at one of the practices I have not received any communication about this proposal. I’ve just seen it discussed in the local press.

J. Carr - Sidcup

Sidcup needs new shops!

The woes of Sidcup High St are plentiful, the answers are short but simple. People don’t shop there much because it hasn’t got what they want. To turn it around (If that is possible) new shops must be encouraged to open. This could be done by encouraging landlords to charge realistic rents. The proliferation of take-aways means that landlords can establish comparable rents at high rates when it comes to rent reviews, and higher rents mean less profits which makes Sidcup a less attractive area to open a business. Because rents are high, rates, which are arrived at by comparing rental values are correspondingly higher. The council should reduce business rates, perhaps even halving them in the first year for new businesses so that they have a head start. Existing businesses should make their shopfronts more attractive, perhaps get together and collectively paint up areas that need it with a common colour and work with landlords of unrented properties to do up the exterior of the empty shops, perhaps using them for displays, at least giving people something to look at. The confusing parking regulations should be changed and the silly barriers that only serve to create private enclaves in some areas should be removed so that traffic can flow more easily. Bexley council should resist any more planning applications for takeaways and appoint a member of council staff to go into the market to find businesses willing to invest in the area. Bexley council and ratepayers in general benefit from having more shops open by virtue of the rates that they pay. None of this is rocket science, just a reasoned approach to a problem that is faced by many town centres in the country, but with effort and forward planning much could be gained. Maybe then we could buy shoes, clothes, furniture, hardware, drapery, electrical goods, wet fish, greengrocery, haberdashery, sports equipment. All the things that shoppers go out of Sidcup Town centre to buy.

Derek Hope - Sidcup

• We heard that a multiple was looking at the Woolworths store but there is no definite news yet. Ed

Obituary

Sent to me, thought I might pass it on to Chronicle readers - Derek Hope:

We mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who

has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:

Knowing when to come in out of the rain; Why the early bird gets the worm; Life isn't always fair; and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an Aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers;

I Know My Rights

I Want It Now

Someone Else Is To Blame

I'm A Victim

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

Letters March 2009

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 11:11:09 +0000

Care staff cared...

I would like to publicly thank all of Bexley’s Home Care staff from many different agencies who in last weeks treacherous snowy conditions still endeavoured to reach the homes of Bexley’s vulnerable residents to ensure they had the support and care they needed.

Many staff made heroic journeys, often walking long distances to reach the homes of our customers.

Also the snowy conditions meant many residential night care staff were unable to get home and they stayed with residents until the day staff could reach them.

These carers are a credit to Bexley and its residents and I am very grateful for their commitment to their vital jobs.

Bexley’s gritting team were also on hand to support our local hospital, Queen Mary’s to ensure ambulances and patients were able to reach the hospital safely.

A team effort we can be rightly proud of.

Councillor Sharon Massey - Cabinet Member Health and Adult Social Care

New council houses

After years of restricting local authorities’ freedom to build new council housing, the Prime Minister has finally agreed to relax the rules. About time, too. The urgency of building good quality public sector housing is heightened by the recession, with private developers struggling to find the cash to provide enough homes. Councils must plug the gap that has opened up.
London has over 200,000 overcrowded homes and a further 55,000 households without a permanent place to live.
I hope each borough council will soon set out how they will ensure that local residents benefit from any new freedom for councils to borrow money for building. But I urge councils to go further, and pledge that new council housing in their area would be built to high environmental standards and that local people will benefit from the training and work opportunities that such a building programme ought to provide.

Cllr. Darren Johnson AM
London Assembly
City Hall.

Are Councils fit for purpose?

The answer to this is no! It’s great that “The voice of Bexleyheath” has exposed the scandal our councillors and full-time council staff , as the muppets they are. What is the point of shelling out our council tax on these people, who are supposed to be experts in their field only to have them subcontract work to higher paid experts to advise them? So sack the lot and save the large salaries / index-linked pensions they earn and employ persons capable of running our town in the most efficient way. It is becoming clear that those persons in charge have lost control of most of England. I can’t comment on Wales or Scotland as they have home rule but we know they are on a gravy train and the tax-payer pays for it.

It’s time for the people who pay to withdraw their support of “ The Money Wasters “!

E.S. - THE SILVER SURFER - Bexleyheath

• I guess it also brings in to question peoples’ judgement if Councils have to employ so many consultants!. Ed

Energy-saving light bulbs

I realise Ron Gee’s letter (February) is more of a wind-up than an serious contribution, but yes, he’s right, having “Edison” bulbs helps to heat the house, providing you want your heat at ceiling level, you want heat on summer evenings, and you can buy electricity for the same price as gas (My supplier charges nearly four times as much for electricity as for gas).

Smashed bulbs? We’ve never done that. Disposal costs? Some of ours have passed the 18-year mark now, so any charge would be trivial in comparison with the energy saved in that time.

Anyway, Ron, nip down to your incandescent bulb supplier if you want, the rest of us are going in the opposite direction, but I guess we’ll survive until you realise your mistake.

GL Cope - Sidcup

Oldest at Woolworths

With reference to the caption under my picture in the February edition of the Chronicle ref. closing of Woolworths. I would like to point out that I was definitely the oldest member of staff not the longest serving.

This goes to Molly with twenty two years and Dawn and Denny who would have celebrated twenty one years during 2009!

My time at Woollies was great and I would like to say a big thank you to the many customers I got to know over my seventeen years with the company and hope to see them when I visit Sidcup. Also for my many happy memories of all my friends in store.

Sally Brockies - Swanley

Sprats in Brussels!

I am writing with a warning to all recreational anglers. The European Commission wants to regulate you - as part of the Common Fisheries Policy!

Under plans unveiled to the European Parliament last week, sporting fishermen will be required to purchase licenses and to log every fish they catch. Now fisherman will have to pack their laptops or logbooks with their rods and suncreen. Europe wants to make a Sunday sitting on the canal feel like another day at the office.

Why? Where is the need for this cumbersome scheme? The Common Fisheries Policy has already wiped out what used to be Britain’s best renewable resource off our coasts. Now recreational anglers are to be penalised like the British fishing fleet.

It is so sad that European bureaucracy has come to this. You really couldn’t make it up.

Syed Kamall MEP

• Thanks Syed. Our only MEP who keeps the local press informed about what’s going on in the European Parliament. Ed

Tories blame Labour!

Why does Mrs. Massey always blame the Labour Party for the state of this borough. Has she forgotten that when she and her party came to power, I wrote and said “hopefully Bexley would be a better place to live in”. How wrong I was.

Personally I see no difference between the two. If they were so concerned about the cut-backs to residents front line services why did they give themselves and their staff a pay rise - back dated?

As the Chief Executive of Bexley Care Trust and Bexley Council state “It is our (residents) money they are spending “Are we getting value for money”? I think not. especially as £1,600,000 was spent calling in qualified people for professional help. Surely if the people the council employ, and our part-time councillors - are not qualified then they should be sacked without paying them a Golden Handshake and employ qualified people. It surely must be cheaper in the long run.

I agree there should be an independent person appointed to act of behalf of the Council Tax Payers. No wonder Bexley is the worse borough of all the thirty two London boroughs.

J.J.Rouse (Mrs) - Sidcup

Transport for London Incompetent

Transport for London fully accepts the Local Government Ombudsman’s findings in relation to our handling of three traffic enforcement cases (“Transport for London incompetent”, February 2009) and has apologised to the motorists affected for the inconvenience they have experienced and the distress caused.

We have changed our processes to improve the handling of such cases and also made some significant changes to the team at TfL managing this activity. As a result we believe we have made some significant strides recently in ensuring that our work in enforcing traffic regulations on London’s red routes is fair and proportionate.

Jeroen Weimar - Chief Operating Officer of Enforcement and Compliance, Transport for London

Fit for purpose

Further to your article in this month’s “Chron”, I have observed that several local authorities (Greenwich most prominently springs to mind having, apparently, sacked its force of teaching assistants) warning of dire consequences if they don’t receive a lavish increase in their grant.

However, in their responses I think I can detect a pattern. Take Greenwich Council. In one corner are the professional bureaucrats - function and purpose of dubious value, in the other those - nurses, teachers, teaching assistants who actually DO perform a useful function.

The question of where to cut budgets comes up. Here the Doers are at a disadvantage to the bureaucrats as they hold few levers of power.

To maintain their jobs the bureaucrats recommend that “front line services” be cut (when anyone with slightly more than two braincells knows it should be the bureaucrats’ jobs that should be cut) in the full knowledge that the public will protest.

Which they duly do!

This protest allows the bureaucrats graciously to accede to the public’s wishes without even having to bother to put their “thinking caps” on and deal with the real problems - overmanning and over-payment in public services (may I remind readers again that the private sector does not enjoy the lavish pensions and conditions that the public sector does).

Start asking what the bureaucrats do. If they need all these consultants to do their jobs then clearly we don’t need them! Employ the consultants to do the thinking and the jobs and sack the bureaucrats! Problem solved.

C.Price - Sidcup

Equality for your elders!

In June last year, the government took an important step forward- they finally acknowledged the injustices faced by older people every day in accessing basic goods and services. They promised to abolish the lost ‘ism’ permitted in our society, by banning age discrimination in the planned Equality Bill, this decision was long overdue, but now senior citizens face an even longer wait before they get any protection from discrimination. An 18 month government review of dealing with ageism in health & social care threatens to push the passing of any new law well past the next election- and at that point the chance for change could well be lost.

This is a huge disappointment I’ve written to my MP to ask them to sign Early Day Motion 458 to call for swift action to ban age discrimination. I urge Chronicle readers to do the same by supporting the Help the Aged Just Equal Treatment Campaign. They can take action by calling 0207 239 1982 or going to www.helptheacied.org.uk/.justequaltreatment.

Older people who are being denied vital health care or struggle to buy insurance, cannot afford to wait.

Mr T. Murphy - Bexleyheath

Our health, our wealth!

It is difficult to understand why your correspondent Mike Milford should complain that Boris Johnson has scrapped the plans for the bridge. Perhaps this is a new breed, an ‘IMBY’; ‘In My Back Yard’ as apposed to the more common NIMBY.

The history of the bridge started in Woolwich when, after the bridge had been agreed Ken Livingstone then said he wanted a motorway through Oxleas woods. Result no bridge in Woolwich.

Then he goes for Thamesmead and a ‘little local bridge’ so residents could get to the gas works across the river more easily. After protests, Hazel Blears appoints an independent inspector who reports that the bridge is not a practical proposition based on poor traffic modelling. Ms Blears response was to reject the independent inspector’s findings. Long live democracy. At least Boris was trying to do the right thing for the people and by the independent inspector.

But more to the point, in September 2007 the BBC website declared that about 1,000 Londoners were dying prematurely due to poor air quality. At the same time they reported that the government were being pursued by the International Court for breaches in air quality in Bexley Borough. They ignored the warnings and it is likely that a fine will ensue – our money, our health. The report said we suffered 108 bad air days a year when 35 was an acceptable number.

It seems that this New Labour Government is not only cavalier with our money but our health too. Reports of between 5,000 and 10,000 people per year are dying of illnesses acquired in hospital, MRSA, C.diff etc. Over 12 years of this Labour government that’s between 60,000 and 120,000 preventable deaths.

The procession of Health Secretaries have spent unlimited billions of pounds but have still failed to sort this out and it is with no pride that national newspapers have berated them with names like Patricia Halfwit for Patricia Hewitt’s efforts and present incumbent Alan Johnson, previously a postman, who, they say, at least knows how the postcode lottery works for treatment.

Before people start pushing for a new bridge and the extra millions of cars that will use it and pollute us, perhaps due consideration should be given to the very serious health implications, at least by the people who live around here.

But the way these New Labour numbtys are going on, and their friends, they will be able to hold their conference, after the next general election, in a telephone box because people are not willing to put up with their sort of nonsense any more.

Alex Moore - Belvedere

A&E working well!

Accident & Emergency is working well at Queen Marys. Is that why it is set to disappear? Like Don Anthony I remember when the NHS was responsive to patients. Now patients can get neglect and malnourishment with modern management systems.

A better option than closing A&E and installing a polyclinic staffed by Barnard and another Sidcup surgery at Queen Mary’s, would be to make the former Lamorbey baths site into a cottage hospital, physiotherapy centre and convalescent home. A small unit based on the Lamorbey site would be accessible for all with excellent transport links.

It appears to me that official thinking, from central DoH and Care Trusts, encourages medics to put their own gain and advancement before that of public health and patient welfare. Politicians’ actions speak louder than their hypocritical words. Health tourism is available for those that can afford to find it, others fall between into the pit of postcode lottery and savage cutbacks on care and attention to our health.

Doctors and dentists are trained and paid by us, why do we not get better care and conditions?

Rita Grootendorst - Sidcup

Athena House - Lift Provision

In its submission to the Appeals Committee, the applicants say in para 5.1 :If the density of development exceeds that of wider areas, the design of the buildings (should be) of exceptional quality so that the building responds in a positive way to the local context.

In one glaring particular, this is NOT the case in the drawings submitted in that for each “core” (4, 6 or 9 storeys) only ONE lift has been provided. In each case one would have expected at least two lifts (particularly in the nine storey block):

(a) to cut down on waiting times, and

(b) for health and safety reasons, for if that one lift goes out of action, residents and visitors would be expected to use the stairs (up to nine Flights), and those who are old and infirm, or not well or in wheel chairs would be “stuck” completely.

I urge that if the Committee is minded to authorise the development, then a condition be imposed requiring the applicants to re-appraise the lift provision and make the necessary alterations.

P. Scopes - Sidcup

• The Appeal is to be heard on the 5/6 March in Room 105 at the Civic offices in the Broadway, Bexleyheath starting at 10 am.

Letters February 2009

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 19:08:29 +0000

“I’m all right Jack”

“I’m all right Jack, blow you” is a saying which applies to Bexley Council.

In the year 2008/9 the councillors gave themselves a nice pay rise, backdated a year! Now I understand the staff are doing the same. I suspect they probably have perks (free parking perhaps) that go with their jobs. What do the ordinary workers who work just as hard get? Nothing. The council state they already have enough cash for a 2.5% rise. Where does all this extra money come from?

Is this why there are so many cuts to front line services being made in the borough? Money goes to money; The rich get richer; The poor get poorer; How true these quotations are!

What a pity pensioners cannot receive a nice pay rise, plus of course a years back pay.

Mrs J.J.Rouse - Sidcup

Not our fault!

Whilst Labour supporters may find it useful to try and distract your readers by blaming Bexley’s Conservative Council (Letters page November, Joy Rouse) for everything the financial chaos this country is in, is the result of eleven years of a Labour Government. And locally, four years of a Labour Council saw reserves raided and a 40% Council Tax rise on top!

The concerns Mrs Rouse raises about health services are actually are managed by the NHS and Bexley Care Trust not Bexley Council. Believe me, if I had control over Bexley Care Trust we would not be seeing the removal of Accident and Emergency at Queen Mary’s Hospital, which sadly is supported by both Labour and the Liberals.

This Labour Government is starving Bexley of cash, If your readers are concerned about the reduction in Government grants to Bexley, please encourage them to write to Gordon Brown. Grants that at least keep pace with inflation would be an improvement to where we are now.

Councillor Sharon Massey

Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care

London Borough of Bexley

• Meals on wheels, the withdrawal of adult education subsidies, carers etc. Our elderly vulnerable residents need better front line services and value for money. Why subsidise the young and healthy to the tune of £2m a year to swim in the PFI leisure centres now that the goverment is giving the free swimming to the over 60’s and under sixteens this subsidy could be spent on the elderlyor free parking! Ed

Picture of Health and Polyclinics!

Reference the Picture of Health controversy many months ago. I visited the Barnard surgery in Granville Road, Sidcup and placed on the tabled were notices saying “The Barnard Surgery will be Closing. The doctors will make sure all patients will be given a replacement GP”.

The next Scrutiny meeting I attended I raised this question and immediately Cllr. J. Slaughter asked me where I had I got the information from, so I explained. In no uncertain terms she said I had got it all wrong. “Will I get an apology? I doubt it.”

I attend many health meetings and my first question “Is there any public transport available”? Why should patients have to pay for taxis or parking fees if they use a car.

I have yet to hear of any senior citizen who is in favour of Polyclinics.

Sure, this money could be better used to improve G.P’s surgeries.

Incidentally I know of senior citizens who pay from £8 to £10 a time to see their GP. How much then would it cost to attend a Polyclinic?

Mrs J.J.Rouse - Sidcup

New Thames crossing

I was pleased to read on the front page of the December issue that you reminded us that when Boris was first elected Mayor, on addressing the question of crossing the river, he realised that there was an overwhelming need for another crossing somewhere between Blackwall Tunnel and Dartford. Plainly the north side should connect with the North Circular Road, but the south side was a big problem. However the answer is not to drop the whole thing. We deserve better from a Mayor.

Mike Milford - Erith

Polyclinics

Congratulations on your struggle to prevent the destruction of the NHS ! I have lived for more than 40 years just behind the Granville Road centre and remember it first as a Cottage Hospital. The ground was then “sold” for housing development ; this decision was reversed when it was discovered that the land had been willed to the community by a previous private donor - on condition that it be always used for “medical” purposes. I am wondering if this is still the case or whether those who own it now have “ insured against onerous clauses”.

I bet they have!!

Don Anthony - Sidcup

• Perhaps other readers can throw some light on this question? Write to me Bob Griffiths, The Chronicle, Andrew House, Granville Road, Sidcup, Kent DA14 4BN

Ironic...

It’s ironic to see Daniel Francis and others from the Labour group are putting it around that our recycling scheme has been a failure. Ironic because he has sent leaflets to Belvedere residents looking for something with which to hit the Conservative group. Even more so because he has chosen recycling which is something we can be justly proud of being the top London borough for recycling.

If he is looking for something real that he can do, he should get his own New Labour government at Westminster to reverse its decision with regard to the garbage burner that is to be built in Belvedere. The local New Labour MP John Austin was against it; then New Labour London Mayor Ken Livingstone was against it and the population of Belvedere and around were against it. End result, the waste burner is to be built. Some result for New Labour there then. You only have to read the other item in your paper about local pollution “Erith air is illegal” to know that after 10 years and more of New Labour we are being choked. Yet another New Labour ‘success’.

In recent times New Labour have been kicked out of even more town halls so that today they have even less representation there. The Sun newspaper said recently that the New Labour Haringey council, one of the few remaining New Labour authorities and at the centre of the Baby P scandal, was just more of the ‘Looney- left’. Tends to make you feel grateful that Bexley doesn’t suffer from the same’Loonies’.

It seems that everything they tamper with they wreck. When Cabinet ministers start admitting that their departments are ‘not fit for purpose’ like the Home Office and every other department is struggling in some way or another as they muddle from one disaster to another, it makes you wish that they really would bring on the General Election so that we can get rid of these numbskulls. And I used to be a Labour supporter!

Alex Moore - Belvedere

The Fallacy of the Energy-Saving Light Bulb

No doubt you will have noticed the extolling of the new electricity saving light bulbs. Indeed once warmed up, these do emit a given amount of light for a lot less electricity. However the extra electricity needed to create incandescence in the old-style bulbs is not wasted. The extra electricity is dissipated as heat. So if one bears in mind that at the times as one needs to switch a light, a house’s heating is also on, then the heat is not wasted. The excess heat from the old-style bulbs helps heat the house. If you change to new style bulbs, then you have to spend more on heating.

The extollers of the Energy-saving bulbs are silent on the emission of hazardous fumes including mercury vapour if one of the new bulbs is smashed. They are also silent on disposal of life-expired new style bulbs. Doubtless it will be prohibited to put one of these in the dustbin. Instead you will have to pay for such bulbs to be disposed off. In contrast the remains of the older, Edison-pioneered light-bulbs can be simply placed in a dustbin if smashed.

So nip down to a supplier and buy a stock of Edison bulbs before the EU Edict comes into force.

Ron Gee- Sidcup

Scouts and churches in hot water!

Our Scout Group has just one wish for the new year– to see plans to charge Scout Groups for the cost of draining water away from our properties axed. Previously our buildings had been exempt from these charges as charities but OFWAT, the Water Regulator, has ordered that all water companies will have to introduce these by 2010.

For many local community groups like us, these charges for our buildings could be anything up to £600 a year, or up to 25% of our total operational costs. The imposition of these new charges will reduce our capacity to provide the exciting, challenging and character building activities the young people in our community badly need. Nearly half a million young people benefit from Scouting in the UK but if we have to pay for these charges then it is them who will suffer, as we have to cut back on our activities to pay for these new charges.

And its not just Scout Huts that are affected- sports clubs and churches will also have to pay these charges too if OFWAT don’t change their decision. The Department of the Environment is investigating this issue right now. You can find out more and join our campaign by visiting www.scouts.org.uk/water

Alison Scrivener - Sidcup

Letters January 2009

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:55:21 +0000

Parking Appeal

When my wife arrived back at her parked car she was surprised to see a parking attendant completing a Penalty Notice.

She held a valid parking ticket which had flicked upside down on the dashboard presumably when the car door was closed.

“You’ll be OK just appeal”, said the warden.

She did so twice but her appeal failed twice. It’s now in the hands of an independent adjudicator.

John Johnson,

Sidcup

• If this case went before a judge and he saw for himself that the ticket was valid, which the warden could attest to as a witness he could only rule for your wife. Perhaps a JP might like to comment? Ed

Traffic Chaos

I wonder how many residents know Transport for London plans to build a double bus lane threw Broadwater Park next to Tom Cribb road causing noise and pollution for the residents and in the process removing the excising roundabout replacing it with traffic lights. This is going to cause traffic chaos to a already congested area. The planning application has gone into Greenwich Council and I would advise residents to contact the Greenwich Council Planning office as Transport for London has neglected to inform hardly any of the residents to let them know about the proposed scheme.

Mr N Archibald

Thamesmead

Queen Mary’s hospital

All credit to the thousands of local residents who, over the course of 2008, have protested one way or another against the planned closures at Queen Mary’s Hospital.

Their protests have not been in vain.

The Health Secretary, Alan Johnson, has written to me saying that he will pass any referral that he receives from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel, something he doesn’t have to do. This is excellent news as the future of Queen Mary’s will now be in the hands of experts who have no political remit and who are not personally involved in the proposed reconfiguration and loss of services.

Coupled with the fact that the Chief Executive of Queen Mary’s has announced her resignation to be replaced, possibly, by someone who puts the local residents first and not our discredited politicians, can we dare to hope that Queen Mary’s can be saved as a fully-admitting hospital?

John Hemming-Clark

Chislehurst

Dartford crossing

I notice that you twice used the headline ‘Labour betray motorists’ with comments from Conservative Party members in your December issue.

These stories repeated exaggerations about what is happening with the Dartford Crossing. If people living outside Dartford buy a dart-tag, the cost of the crossing is exactly the same as the previous cash price - you don’t need to make a ‘large number of crossings’ to save money as your article suggested. The Dartford MP Howard Stoate won a significant victory for Dartford residents who get 50 crossings for their £10 dart-tag - a pity the Tory MPs and candidates now complaining didn’t campaign as hard for their constituents before the decision was made!

Kevin Flack,

South Darenth

Dartford Crossing

The announcement that tolls to cross the Queen Elizabeth bridge will increase by 50% is a huge slap in the face for my constituents.

A hike in the price from £1.00 to £1.50 would be a total outrage at the best of times, let alone imposing it as the economy slides into recession and homes and businesses could very well do without additional costs.

But what sticks in the throat most is that there wasn’t meant to be a toll to cross the bridge at all once the costs of building it had been paid. Those costs have been paid. There should be no toll.

James Cleverly AM

London Assembly Member for

Bexley

• We published the cost of collecting the revenue from the crossing in the last issue of the Chronicle the actual revenue gained from users was in excess of £69,000,000! Ed.

Letters December 2008

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:52:25 +0000

Sidcup Town Centre Partnership

Some years ago the Government insisted that local Councils set up council consultative groups from local organisations. The Sidcup Town Centre Partnership was one of them. Such groups consisted of local traders, existing local residents’ organisations and various other organisations and include some of the local Ward Councillors. Over the years the local traders have withdrawn from the Sidcup Town Centre Partnership, citing various excuses. If local traders came to the Sidcup Partnership meetings they could outvote the local residents’ associations. It has come to the point where the active committee members primarily consist of representatives of local residents’ organisations and the Sidcup Community Group who all work in their own time - unpaid - not just on planning but licensing too. Nonetheless the Partnership has retained commencing its meetings at a start time suitable for local traders - but not for others. Having found the local council consultative groups can be very critical of the Council, earlier this year Bexley suddenly withdrew the funding provided for arranging the meetings, printing and postage, citing that consultations with local people would be arranged by the Council. The Council left it open to local forums and partnerships to continue by bidding for funds against other local charitable organisations from a limited general fund. At the same time the libraries were reduced to one late night opening per week to save Council money. The Council has continually failed to operate its own consultative operations efficiently. For example, the proposed traffic schemes for Sidcup High Street missed out all the residents living over the high street area and one complete residential cul-de-sac off Sidcup High Street itself!

Each year the local traders are asked by the Council to contribute towards the lights at Christmas. It is well known that it is very difficult to get any sums from many of the high street businesses. Therefore other local organisations are asked to give money as well. Indeed this year the Sidcup Town Centre Partnership was again asked by the Council to contribute the sum of £1690 out of its remaining funds.

Sidcup High Street area is narrow with a series of bends taking parts of the high street out of sight. The siting of lampposts is irregular. This means generally that at no time are approximately more than three irregularly placed lampposts visible at any one point. Sometimes there is only one. Unlike Blackpool, or Bexleyheath, or Welling, which are wide and generally straight, lending itself to a series of lamppost lights, Sidcup High Street area is not. I point out that a series of garland lights hung from each irregularly placed lamppost connecting to the next is impossible due to the road bends. Such garland lights would be hit by high vehicles like buses.

Over the past few years the Sidcup Town Centre Partnership has contributed towards the Council lamppost lights provided at Christmas. Last year I was again tasked by the Town Centres Manager to check the lights throuågh the high street area and report defective ones. This I did. I confirm to Chronicle Readers that at no time throughout the Christmas period was every light working - despite my reports.

This year the Sidcup Town Centre Partnership was asked again to pay all or part of the £1690 (23% contribution of the full costs) towards the lamppost lights. I strongly recommended that the Partnership should not. I was heeded. The reason for this recommendation is partly due to the fact that I consider that the Council lamppost lighting is completely unsuitable for the layout of Sidcup High Street area and is therefore money wasted.

Chronicle Readers must decide for themselves. I have worked out the full cost for each column/lamppost. It amounts to £131.00 for each light device plus another £131 for installing it, supplying electricity, removing and storing it (oh, and repairing too). A total of £262 per post! There are 26 lamppost lights at an actual overall cost this year of £6,826. This excludes the pretty blue pea lights (£540) on some of the small Elm Parade trees, which are there all year round. I say it is not value for money. I would rather that local high street businesses decorate their own premises for Christmas. You can buy some nice Christmas decorations from the high street itself cheaper - and bear in mind that it is Christmas - not some artificial non-denominational occasion. Look at the Council installed devices Readers and tell me that this celebrates the Christmas festival in a joyful manner!

Jean Gee (Mrs)

24 Elm Road, Sidcup DA14 6AD

Sidcup Town Centre Partnership Shame

The Sidcup Town Centre Partnership should hang it’s head in shame to deny residents the opportunity of festive lights in Sidcup high street. Many traders they criticise have attended their meetings in the past and found them to be a waste of time. Their needs are fairly simple. They want space for cars to be parked. They want the experimental one way roads that were closed to through traffic opened and more one hour free bays opened. Sorry Mrs Gee, the traders have been to your meetings and thought they were hitting their heads against a brick wall. Not all the traders are as mean as the Partnership as you will see from those who have donated listed elsewhere in this issue to make the town brighter this Christmas. The traders and friends of the high street have also contributed to make sure Father Christmas is there for the children and for residents to enjoy a genuine French market on December 11 when they will also enjoy seeing a spectacular exhibition of exotic dance and the Merton Court school choir and a superb Christmas concert in St. John’s church on December 13. Look out also for the Demelza Trust hospice team.We expect our councillors would agree Bexley Council isn’t perfect but they do the best they can with what they’ve got and we commend them for keeping the Christmas spirit alive in the town centres.

Bob Griffiths/Mike Lowe,

Sidcup Town Centre Promotions Group.

Crayfordians welcome new book

As a former resident of Crayford I have been enjoying reading the review copy of ‘Crayford, A History’ by EO Thomas. It is one of those books that you keep picking up and dipping into. My husband was born in Crayford in the 1940s and I lived there during the 1960s. Each time I show him something in the book I lose it for half an hour, and he keeps saying ‘I remember that’ and then off we go into what we remember and how things have changed.

I have now started to read from the beginning and am really surprised how important Crayford has been through the years. It’s lovely to see all the pictures but this book is a really good read as well.

I would love to share it with my mother who lived there in the 1930s but unfortunately her eyesight is not up to it. It would be wonderful if it could be issued as a talking book on DVD so that those with failing sight could enjoy it and the whole family could sit round the television and share comments on the pictures instead of fighting for the book.

Priced at just £9.50 it would make an excellent Christmas present for a friend.

Jenny Streatfield

Bendy Buses

In the last Chronicle, the Editor wrote that he had ridden “Bendy Buses” on an overseas holiday and could not complain about them. The situation is different here in the Metropolis, where real estate is expensive and traffic congestion is rife. If for example, the Editor was to travel to London Bridge station and change for a route 17 bus to St Pancras International, he might wonder why he would have to wait for this bus in the pouring rain, whereas other buses loaded under the station canopy. The answer is the 17 used to load under the canopy, but when bendy buses were introduced on some other routes, there was no longer any room under the canopy for all the routes starting here. Hence the 17 service was moved to make room for bendy buses to park whilst waiting their tour of duty. If, instead of the 17, the Editor was to catch a route 149 bendy-bus to Tottenham and then peruse the local papers, he would probably see letters from Tottenham residents complaining about bendy buses being parked in the streets, because the bus garages in this town have neither the space nor the manoeuvring room to accommodate bendy buses. If the Editor was then to catch a route 73 bendy-bus back to Islington, he would observe that the streets around the Angel are choked with traffic, and that the congestion is exacerbated by the bendy-buses taking up a lot of road space whilst they load at the stops. The highway at this location was and still is wide enough to accommodate three tram tracks plus separate lanes for other traffic, yet it is no longer able to accommodate bendy-buses, without causing congestion.

For various reasons, including the cost of real estate for turning circles for vehicles with trailers, Britain differed from the Continent by passing Parliamentary Acts to keep sufficient height under most bridges for high vehicles such as double-decker buses. Conversely tramway and other public transport operators on the Continent elected to use vehicles with trailers even though such vehicles needed real-estate purchase to turn or shunt such vehicles. Hence that is why double-deck buses are the norm in Britain and bendy buses or tramcars with trailers are norm on the Continent. Double decker buses, especially the Routemaster, offer the same capacity of passengers for half the road footprint and thus achieve efficient use of London’s highways, much of which dates back to Roman or Medieval times.

Ron Gee,

Sidcup

• The bendy buses we used daily were in Malaga, a Spanish city teeming with people and traffic complete with road works etc. Perhaps the mistake someone made when they introduced these buses in London was not paying attention to the infrastructure because the buses themselves transport more people, more efficiently from A to B. Ed

War veterans

The Mayor of London is right to have introduced free London transport for war veterans. Too often our veterans’ heroic sacrifices are taken for granted. Although there is certainly a lot more that the Government could and should be doing to help them, I am delighted that he has led the way by introducing a measure that is so clearly right.

James Cleverly

London Assembly member for

Bexley

Parking Appeal

If you park in Bexleyheath watch out! We parked in the Albion Car Park last January at around 19.30 to visit a local cinema.The car park was virtually empty and it was after charging hours. We returned at 21.45 to find a penalty notice on our car. Why? Our left hand rear wheel had transgressed the bay line. There was no other vehicle in sight. We went to appeal and now 10 months later we have been advised that our appeal had been rejected. As law abiding citizens we have paid up. We wonder whether paying a traffic warden to patrol an empty car park after hours can be justified as value for local rate payers. We also wonder whether the cost of pursuing a penalty notice of this kind is a justified expense on behalf of local rate payers.I estimate the cost to Bexley Council will have been between £500 to £1000.

Yours dismayed,

Herbert Edmonds

Bexleyheath

• It is antics like the one you describe that give the council a bad name. Why they have such an attitude toward car owners I don’t know. Had you gone ‘swimming’ in the car park they would probably have subsidised your visit! Ed

Dear residents

Can I take this opportunity to inform you of a service that is available to you if you are ever away from home for a weekend, short break, holiday etc.

You can inform the police by simply going into Sidcup Police Station and complete a Form 971. On this form you supply your details, the dates that you are away from home and, if applicable, the contact details of the person who has the keys to your house. If during this period there is any reason that access is required to your premises, this person can be contacted.

Alternatively, if it is difficult for you to get to the station, please just reply to this email with your details and the form will be completed for you.

Not all the residents on the Blackfen & Lamorbey Ward have access to the email system so please tell all your family, friends and neighbours about this service

Peter Burt

Blackfen & Lamorbey SNT - 07970 544523

Letters November 20008

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:25:55 +0000

Councils and Icelandic Banks

It should come as no surprise to anyone, not that Bromley Council has possibly lost a £5,000,000 deposit in a failed Icelandic bank, but that Bromley Council has multiples of this sum to put on deposit.

Since the inception of Council Tax, the yearly increases have outstripped inflation yet Bromley Council does not appear to be spending our money on local services, but squirreling it away.

Bromley Council should not be in a position to play the markets with our money. If they can’t get our money back then they and the councillors responsible for this situation should be considering their positions.

John Hemming-Clark

Party Leader

Independents to Save Queen Mary’s Hospital

Chislehurst

• Bexley Council told the Chronicle they have no investments in any Icelandic bank. Ed

Humiliated Hawk!

Noting the many welcome references to nature in the Chronicle I thought your readers would be interested in something that happened in my garden about three years ago and which still amuses me when I recall it.

It was early evening and the summer sun was still lighting up the overgrown comers. I was at the bottom of the garden enjoying an illicit cigar, looking out over some grazing horses prior to dropping off my daughter at a club. Loud squeaking and then squawking coming from over my right shoulder above my neighbour’s garden made me turn and as I did the noise grew louder. All at once I saw a dark, winged, pigeon-sized shape swoop into my garden pursued by a magpie, about three metres behind and two metres above. The shape hit the side of the garden shed, slid down and then immediately scrambled up to find shelter wedged in between a rusty oil drum and the rear panel of the shed. The magpie found a branch in an apple tree directly above the shed and continued squawking open-billed and focussed on the cowering and presumably dazed creature below.

Intrigued, warily I approached the shed one faltering step at a time, and leaning forward I got my first clear sight of the magpie’s quarry. There, squeezed into a slim vertical space, with not really enough room for proper shelter from the angry magpie, was a young sparrow hawk, correctly identified later in a field guide. Not quite fully fledged but already with its striking white eye-stripe, the youngster had come face to face with the harsh realities of nature early in its life.

The magpie danced and threatened in the tree overhead whilst I pondered about the situation. Firstly, get rid of the magpie... so I jumped up and down and shouted and waved my arms at the pied bird, whose beauty close up reveals shimmering blues and greens of all shades against a radiant white. Surprisingly, it flew off, seemingly content to let me deal with the juvenile killer of the hedgerows. Secondly, do something to rescue the hawk from its bolthole. I considered putting on a pair of gardening gloves and gently prising it out, but its terrified state made me fearful that it could die of fright if I attempted to handle it. Also, contemplating the damage a tearing beak and raking talons might do to my soft city-living body, I thought it would probably be better to leave it alone and keep watch on it from a distance.

Making certain that the magpie had truly left the garden I went into my house to get a drink and when I returned to check on the sparrow hawk found that it had gone. I scouted around the garden to see if it had I imped off, but could not find it, I assumed it had flown into a leaf-filled tree and was pressed up against the trunk keeping stone still whilst waiting for the fuss to die down!

The next morning I was looking out onto the garden watching wood pigeons and magpies pecking at some seeds I had thrown down. One of the wood pigeons fat, waddling and lets face it hardly heroic-looking, in spite of its fascinating, pastel-pink breast, sidled up to a piece of bread. Hopping towards the same piece of bread was one of the magpies, gung-ho and cocky. The pigeon reached the bread moments before the crow and solidly put itself in between the crust and the thief. The magpie began to attempt to bully the woodpigeon from the bread, but a head low, beak open, tank-like charge from the wood pigeon saw the magpie flutter up and settle on the ground a few metres away. Defeated, the magpie concentrated on something else in the grass and I thought of the eveing before when one of its family, maybe even this magpie had challenged and humiliated one of the princes of the skiies.

I’m not sorry this letter is so anthropomorphic. Many careers have been built on it and it’s the way most of us see nature. Why?

Terry West,

Sidcup

EU flag waving

Despite the defeat of the Constitution the European Parliament has voted to start using symbols of nationhood such as the EU Flag and Anthem. This is a clear attempt to undermine the democratic will of those people who voted against these measures when they formed part of the Constitution.

The European Parliament should be leading the way in recognising those things that are unpopular with the public. Playing the anthem and waving the flag do nothing to improve co-operation but do serve to needlessly offend a great many people.

Richard Ashworth MEP

Thank you Sidcup!

One hears so much these days in the media of negative things like the credit crunch, knife crime, terrorism, rising debts etc that I thought it would be nice to acknowledge there is an alternative side to life.

I have been a resident of Sidcup for 50 years and I sometimes rely on other people to help me. I would like to say a big `THANK YOU` to these people.

Staff in the shops in Sidcup are always willing to help whether it be the big multi nationals like Morrisons or small firms such as S and D Servicing Co. The taxi drivers from Abba-Dart, Sidcup Cars and Dial-a-ride I’m sure do more than they should to make the life of at least one of their customers a little easier. There are countless other people I should mention who all contribute to helping me out including staff in the United Services Club and the Horse and Groom Public House. I must also mention the doctors and nurses at the Barnard Clinic and various other clinics in Queen Marys Hospital, Holly Tree Pharmacy, my doctor, chiropodist, the hairdressers in Janels and staff of Radiance and of course a special thanks to all my friends and neighbours.

Once again a very heartfelt `thank you` to you all from someone who appreciates the extra effort you go to. I hope I haven’t left anyone out but if so it’s not intentional and please accept my apologies.

Name and address supplied

Two less on the Rich List

Bexley’s Chief executives reshuffle and plans to axe Dave Berry’s post and that of Roger Vandelde is definitely a move in the right direction although both clearly made a major contribution in their fields.

Meaningful cost benefits would be apparent if all directorates disappeared. Inflated budgets were passed by the audit commission while services continue to be cut. Essential maintenance of infrastructure, such as public toilets, and public buildings did not happen.

Children get free travel; Swimmers get £2m annual subsidies; Motorists ought to get free time-limited parking from the £1m profit the council make from them! As a campaigner for affordable living I want councils to cut down costs.

Rita Grootendorst- Sidcup

Austin doesn’t care!

I was horrified to read in the Chronicle that moves to extend the 99 bus route from Woolwich through to North Greenwich are supported..who from? John Austin says this would be of particular benefit to people in Upper Belvedere - what rubbish. They only have to walk or get the 401 through the village to the stop opposite Stream Way for the 422 direct to North Greenwich! This has been serving Belvedere for quite a few years! So to hell with the people in Erith who for years have already had to suffer 99s being turned short at Upper Belvedere, AFTER getting on them at Woolwich when they have ERITH on their destination boards! Neither the drivers nor the so-called route-controllers bother to find out if there are passengers on the bus who want to go the full journey, and on occasions whilst waiting at Upper Belvedere there arrives a second bus that has also been curtailed, and then mobs of people are trying to get on the third bus which is invariably full when it turns up. The route will be curtailed even more if it is extended as the buses will get late coming through Charlton and Woolwich and the drivers will be told to turn either at the Garage or Upper Belvedere, with no consideration whatsoever to the people who want to go through to Erith. We will have no buses running through to Erith if this idea goes through - a forty-minute wait is quite common now! Anyway, it’s no hassle changing buses from the 99 to either the 422 or 472 at Plumstead, or either of these or the 161 at Woolwich.

I wrote to John Austin when this idea was first mooted, but of course did not get a reply. He obviously cares nothing about the people of Erith, some of whom must have put him in power.

Mrs D Carson - Erith

Met-Track

I am writing to make you aware of the Met-Track scheme currently running in Bexley. For those of you not already aware, Met-Track is a sport inclusion program funded by the Metropolitan Police Service, offering young people an opportunity to take up sport as a part of a healthy lifestyle and to engage them in positive activities.

It aims to significantly enhance the contribution young people can make to the 2012 Olympics.

Met Track provides international level athletics coaching to young people aged 10-17 years of any sporting ability. Most importantly these coaching sessions are held weekly throughout the year and are FREE!

Details of sessions are shown below and further information can be found at www.trackspeed1.co.uk/mettrack.htm>

Met-Track in the London Borough of Bexley

Weekly squads: Erith Leisure Centre, Avenue Road, Erith, Kent.

4.30pm - 6.00pm

Every Tuesday throughout the year (inc school holidays)

Coaching by: Gus E - Ben, French International sprinter

Cost: Absolutely free!

What to do: Just turn up with a pair of trainers and sports clothing to suit the weather, and you’ll be given a warm Met-Track welcome!

If you know any young people in the borough who you think would benefit from this opportunity you can refer them directly - all they have to do is turn up - or pass their contact details to your Safer Neighborhood Police Team.

I have available copies of posters and leaflets to advertise the scheme and if you wish to distribute or display these please contact me directly or ask your Safer Neighborhood Team to supply you with them.

Alexandra Cutler PC112RY

Alexandra.hart@met.police.uk

Low flying aircraft

I have been keeping a calendar of good and bad days regarding aircraft noise - bad days can mean daylight or darkness. Take the 16th July, that was a bad day and so was the 23rd July with three flights finishing at about 11-15pm. On the 24th they started early at 7-30am and noise continued throughout the day until 11-15pm. It was also on this day the LBC radio reported low flying aircraft at Cricklewood and Primrose Hill. I know they are not in Bexley but from a flight point of view its only minutes away!

On the 25th JulyI recorded one hundred flights with the last one passing overhead at 11pm. The 24th September was a bad day with fligts starting at 6-45am ending at 11-30pm.

I went to see the labour councillors and Mr Everitt who is standing as the candidate for the Old Bexley and Sidcup Ward and told him I wanted something done. He didn’t seem aware of the growing problem but he took my name and address and promised to get back to me.

Mrs H - Sidcup

• The Chronicle is getting a growing postbag about aircraft. If you think it is an issue let us know. The official ruling in law regarding aircaft is as follows “In theory a landowner owns not only the land but the air above it and the soil beneath it.Thus an unreasonable intrusion into another persons airspace will be a trespass, although whether that person will be awarded damages will depend of their being able to show a resulting loss.

Noise from planes - There is little that can be done about noise from planes. The normal remedies of applying for a noise-abatement order or of bringing a nuisance action do not apply, since various statutes exempt aircraft from these controls.

William Cory land

Many concerned residents of Erith are worried about Bexley Councils plans to develop the existing Riverside Gardens and build hundreds of homes on and in the vicinity of the garden area. As you may know this land was once owned by William Cory and was bequeathed in trust for the people of Erith and handed to the then Erith Urban District Council now known as Bexley Council for safe keeping.

Can anyone assist us as we wish to prevent this happening. This small stretch of Thames Riverside Gardens in Erith is life and lungs of our small town and our only stretch of green space along the riverside for all the people of Erith and the wider borough to enjoy. For 17 years we have held a Riverside Festival in the gardens area.

We are hoping as the friends of Erith Riverside Gardens to conserve the gardens for the future generations of Erithians to use and enjoy. Our aims are to get the the Riverside Gardens area designated a Town Green.

Are you able to provide us with details concerning the last will and testament of William Cory in relation to his bequeathment of this land to the people of Erith and any restrictions or covenants upon the use of this land.

We do hope you can assist us in anyway to further our aims for the people of Erith

Joan McCarthy and Stephen West - Erith

Letters October 2008

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 09:20:30 +0100

‘The Elderly can starve, who cares’

I was most concerned to read your article in September's edition 'The elderly can starve, who cares!'

I care, as does every councillor and member of staff at Bexley.

I am always happy to meet with you and explain in detail our policies to aid accuracy in your reports.

It is very hard for us to correct untruths in articles about individual service users as we are bound by confidentiality. Sensationalised stories help no one and only serve to scare our most vulnerable. Our hard working Care Workers tell me how demoralised they feel reading negative untruthful stories in our local press and the frustration they feel in not being able to put the record straight.

The elderly in Bexley are increasing in age and number. Care packages are becoming more complex and costly. By 2026 for example it is expected there will be a 30% increase in those over the age of 90 years old living in Bexley, also a 47% increase in males over 65 years old with dementia.

The money pot from the Government is however getting smaller. Bexley Council is constantly in a battle with the Labour Government to get adequate funding for local services. Last year the Labour Government increased our funding by 2%, inflation costs were closer to 3.5%, next year the Government have told us we will only get 1.9% increase in funding, inflation is already over 4 %. The gap continues to grow between demand and funding.

Another example of poor funding is that the Government are underfunding our Supporting People budget by £3.75 million this year alone, but will only agree to correcting the funding over many years! We continue to fight for Bexley's money to be paid now.

To ensure our most vulnerable residents are protected we have focused our funding on those with substantial and critical needs.

If you are serious about wanting to help the elderly in Bexley then please encourage your readers to write to Gordon Brown MP to ask for fair funding to Bexley.

Cllr Sharon Massey,

Bexley Council

• The Chronicle asked Mrs Massey to tell us what untruths were included in our article and she replied that owing to confidentiality she couldn’t! Ed

St.Stephens Boys Secondary Modern schoool, Welling Class 1A 1958/9

Where are my old boys?

Fifty years ago, on September 8th. 1958 1 stood in front of my first class, 1A at St.Stephen’s Secondary Modern Boys’ School in Welling. From there I went to teach in Chelmsford, Northampton, and then went into Teacher Training, where I stayed for 20 years, becoming Deputy Head of the School of Education at De Montfort University in Leicester. So I have a great deal to thank that first class for. I have a photo of us all, and as I run my eye along the lines I remember something about each of the boys there. They are about 61 years old now, but if any of them remember me I would be delighted if they could get in touch with me, either through your newspaper, through the contact details above, or through philsnel@aol.com.

I suppose I ought to sign myself ‘Mr. Snelders’, because forenames for teachers were unheard of in those days.

Mr.Snelders

Fair play required

I was heartened to see in the Chronicle articles that at least give-rise to readers starting to question the ability and indeed willingness of Bexley Council to administer this borough with some notion of fair-play toward the Bexley electorate. Nice to see that one publication from the local press at least had the courage to ‘step on toes’.

The social services (like all council dept’s) are meant to serve US. They answer to elected councillors, who in turn are accountable to us (or should be).

In essence this is a personal matter, but if it can happen to me, it can happen to any Bexley resident.

What happens when one has a genuine and provable accusation against a council dep’t? What happens when one follows the complaints procedure as stated on Bexley Councils web-site exactly, but because one is in the right and can prove that one is in the right, one is totally ignored!.

The matter discussed in this letter is connected to a situation which has dragged on for years, but the precise situation I mention has only recently arisen.

It concerns Bexley’s ability to adhere to policy laid down with regard to Data Protection, and Bexley’s willingness to comply with that Act (in this case, with regard to Adoptees).

I have enclosed various documentation that I have submitted to a supposedly independent authority. I have also included an article which appeared in another publication, which tells of a similar confrontation with the same dep’t. Amazingly, Bexley have committed a similar wrong- doing again. The big difference this time is that no council officer will even reply to me, my elected councillor will not reply,nor will the Chief Executive. I

S.M Barthorpe

Welling

• I believe the councils current slogan is ‘Listening to you, working for you”. It doesn’t include ‘answering you’! Ed

Can anybody help?

I am trying to trace Mr Peter Gilbert Moore,or any of his descendents, he was living at No 7 Willersley Av Sidcup in 1945. He was a member of a Whitley bomber crew, from No 138 special duty sqdn (SOE), that crashed in France on the night of 26/27 September 1942, both of the pilots and the wireless operator, Frederick George Green were killed.

Mr Moore and the Navigator managed to bail out and became prisoners of war, the wireless operator, was my second cousin, and I am trying to find the cause of the crash.

Thank you in anticipation,

Peter Green

(Via Email - contact us and we’ll contact him - Ed)

Where’s my hat?

Hi, my daughter who is 18 months lost her favourite Winnie The Pooh beanie in Sidcup High Street on Sunday 21st Sept.

Someone from Freecycle told me they had seen someone pick it up yesterday and put it on the pedestrian crossing button outside Blockbusters.

Please if anyone is in the area , or has seen it or picked it up please send me a message as my daughter is heartbroken.

Thanks

Clare (from email - let us know and we’ll pass the message on)

Dear Editor,

Re Article in September 2008 Edition titled “Pests in Queen Mary’s!”

I am sure this article has caused unnecessary scaremongering especially as it ends with the inference that patients may be confronted with vermin, this is absolute twaddle.

For over three years I have been engaged as a patient representative by the hospital’s management including the current Director of Nursing and Infection Control. I joined QM’s Patient Forum when Charles Brooker, Peggy Wagstaff, Eddie Edwards, Margaret Bell and others were the active members and through them I was asked to engage with Queen Mary’s to oversee their own cleaning audits.

Pushing my luck I introduced a very powerful torch and about 18 months ago, a telescopic mirror, to carry out cleaning inspections. These are now used extensively in their audits to inspect; under beds, tables, lockers, armchairs, in bath and shower rooms, toilets, sluice rooms, outpatients department, dental, occupational therapy, maternity and other areas.

In all the time I have been inspecting with them, which also includes their Patient Environment Action Team’s annual audit, I have never seen any signs of vermin in any area of the hospital.

The patients of Queen Mary’s are very fortunate that the hospital permits rigorous independent criticism of their cleaning standards. The forum provides constructive criticism, and the hospital acts on it thereby achieving a good standard.

I am told that I have been referred to as the Rotweiler because I never let anything go and fortunately the management responds. Through using the mirror myself, I have encouraged both the Matrons Department and the cleaning contractor (OCS) to do so. The Nursing Department now has twenty-five mirrors and the cleaning contractor seven and they are using them with enthusiasm. I am sure that if all hospitals adopted Queen Mary’s approach they would be better for it.

My main reason for writing was to tell you that the London Assembly member James Cleverly was wrong to infer by his final statement “people go into hospital to get well, not to be confronted by vermin infestation”, that this is what happens at QM - it is certainly not the case in the patient areas.

Please note that in the last six months Patient Forums in England have been replaced by local Link workers combining voluntary organisations with an interest in NHS services. If you would like any further information in respect of the matters raised in my letter please contact the host organisation: Bexley Patients Forum, Shaw Trust, Bexley Centre, Milton House, 240A Broadway, Bexleyheath, Kent DA6 8AS.

Richard Neville

Voluntary Worker

Chislehurst

• It is still on record Richard, the hospital called in pest control companies! Ed

Bank Scam

The following potential scam has been brought to our attention and, as is our custom, we like to make readers aware of it at the earliest opportunity.

A householder was contacted on the telephone by a person who stated that if the resident thought that their bank charges were too high then some of the charges could be claimed back. The residents bank details were requested but, on this occasion, the resident realised that this was wrong.

Please be aware that your bank or other personal details should not be given over the telephone or by any callers knocking at your door.

Any residents who find themselves in this position are encouraged to contact the police on 020 8301 1212 for Bexleyheath Police Station or your Safer Neighbourhoods Team (SNT).

Peter Burt

Blackfen & Lamorbey SNT

07970 544523

Cricket

Girls cricket in Bexley has been in the doldrums over the past couple of seasons. Problems raising teams in the under 13s and under 15s groups is the main issue. During the winter months 2008/9 there are some initiatives being entered into at local schools to introduce girls to the game through a series of indoor kwik cricket matches and coaching sessions. Townley Grammar School for Girls already run an indoor cricket club with Blackfen Girls and Chislehurst and Sidcup just beginning to play matches. If any girls wish to be involved in cricket be they novices or with previous experience please fee free to contact me for information on what is going on around the borough. There is no adult female team in Bexley but Blackheath Cricket club in nearby Greenwich run a womens team who play in the National League and are always happy to hear from anyone who may be interested.

John Daniels

Bexley Girls Cricket Co-Ordinator

020 8304 7050

JDAN410293@aol.com

What price European Union Reciprocity?

My experience of Bexley’s parking policy has been that their wardens are very strict and relatively inflexible, but I have now learned different.

Last week, turning into St John’s Road I was obstructed by a large articulated vehicle facing up the road, completely blocking entry from the High Street. I had to reverse out into the High Street and drive round to Granville Road in order to get near the house in St John’s Road that I wanted to visit. Over ten minutes later I was walking up St John’s Road to the High Street and saw the same vehicle still blocking the road! At this time the Traffic Warden arrived so I felt pleased that there is after all some justice in this world.

However I hadn’t reckoned with the practical approach of the warden in that, because the lorry had a Belgian index plate, she didn’t consider it worthwhile taking its registration as the apparently English driver moved off because “they never pay”! I only wish we could be sure to find a similarly relaxed law enforcer when driving abroad in Europe and overstep the law. The Belgian police are renowned for being very unsympathetic to foreigners infringing their laws.

Roy Barlow - Sidcup

Anti Aircraft Noise - Action Group

I would like to form some kind of Action Group to try and tackle the problem of low flying aircraft and aircraft noise generally over Sidcup.If there are readers who feel the same way please contact me.

Ray Carter MA

Sidcup

• Contact Ray through the Chronicle.

Gateway proposals

The following letter pretty well summarises the concerns of a good number of residents in Erith about the proposals to develop what is know as TheErith Thames Western Gateway.

Dear Mr Austin MP

I was horrified today having spoken to Mr Sunny Ee dealing with the Erith Thames Western Gateway Proposals that will seriously affect the lives of all the residents on this estate both tenants and leaseholders alike, that part of the proposals may see the Orbit West Street offices relocated to the front of Bosworth House on the Riverside Estate overlooking Bexley road. This coming so soon after we campaigned to prevent the offices being built on the car park area at the back of the Running Horses, is nothing short of an outrage coming from what supposedly is a Registered Social Landlord which is supposed to take into account the wishes of it's residents whose interests it should take paramount and first to that of it's own short-sighted territorial ambitions.

Mr Ee was well aware of not only leaseholders on these estates concerns and fears but also that of many tenants who have lived here for many a long and happy year and intend to carry on doing so, all of which are horrified over these proposals. Mr Ee stated to me that it would bring jobs into the town, what utter nonsense as the jobs are already in the town and situated at present just 700 yards away along West Street hardly an economic boom or boon to the town more like a prestige’s showcase puff of smoke, with far more obvious disadvantages than advantages!

To be told that the land on which our estate sits, is crucial to revitalise our town and that the additional hundreds of extra homes is vital due to the shortage of homes in the region is a nonsense if instead of estate gardens and car parking spaces for new homes is being targeted, that now totally unnecessary offices blocking views and light and the privacy of existing homes, and adding to the growing car parking problems on this estate which will only get worse in the long run, not better will be built on premium town centre green land. We argued this very point two years ago, with Orbit Managers over their last half hearted daft plans to buy the plot of land at the back of the Running Horses and building a three storey building to house their 90 odd staff, where will they all park? We asked then as the majority of their staff has their own vehicles. We were told at that time that there was ample room on our estate to park their vehicles.

For your information Mr Austin this estate, has 78 car parking places serving 128 dwellings, the reason residents are not constantly fighting for parking places at present, is that thankfully not all have cars, myself included. These proposals will see neighbours fighting with one another in order to park their vehicles at night and during the day with Orbit Staff and other visitors to their offices, together with our own visitors and delivery vehicles and tradesmen struggling to find somewhere to park.

Not all these new homes and offices will be able to have subterranean parking spaces and like many of the new build properties in the West Street area may well have to have ground floor parking with flats and offices stilted above them. Even this policy of raised buildings to accommodate car parking beneath will not be sufficient to cope with the rising numbers of car park spaces needed as what we have been told already, is that this estate will lose many of its existing car parking spaces, swallowed up by new build homes.

Residents on this estate at present have to contend with non residents using our car park as a park and ride scheme whilst they commute by train to work in London, and to users of the Erith Playhouse and Running Horses, not to mention those shoppers parking up on our estate and going across to the nearby shops reluctant to pay to park on Bexley Road, and residents in the flats above Pier Road who have also been observed parking on our estate late at night, their own car park at the back of Pier Road being used as target practice by stone throwing yobs at night, making it an unsafe place to park their cars.

We will lose valuable estate grounds, where is it envisaged the children of this new enlarged metropolis will play? At present we have no play area on the estate, and if the majority of these plans are implemented it would seem that the Riverside Gardens area may well be reduced in its present size considerably.

Where are the additional school and nursery places coming from? Will our already overstretched medical surgery be able to take on hundreds of more patients with over 700 more dwellings being built in the immediate area? Already we have lost the only NHS dentist in the town.

Four years after the new shopping centre opened it is now only starting to come to life with at least 4/5 units still un-let, we doubt these additional homes, relocated offices and jobs will make any real difference to the town other than cramping in more residents and offices into a tighter knit area all fighting to park their vehicles.

The residents of this estate and also of the wider Erith Town Centre should be told the truth of the impact on this town that these additional homes and offices, will have upon their daily lives together with the health risks and effects of living on a building site on which for us on this estate, is already a large roundabout surrounded by traffic on all sides. A wider forum must be found and greater information relayed to the residents of this town so that a more comprehensive debate can be held other than the cramped confines of the Veterans Club in Avenue Road, or Morrison’s entrance way or a small outlet in the shopping centre. The largest public meeting place in Erith no doubt would be the Christ Church Hall, and the meeting open to all the public should be well publicised in advance.

The pictures we have seen to date may look pretty, but do we really all want our town to look like Croydon on Thames, with even more high density buildings creeping down to the waters edge, I very much doubt the majority of Erithian’s want that to happen to our town and none of us are NIMBY’S “Not In My Back Yarders” only realists that know you cannot fit a square peg into a round hole.

With the economic downturn and credit crunch, with jobless figures expected to rise in the near future and the prospects of obtaining more than 100% mortgages consigned to the history books forever, are the developers and Bexley Council certain that this amount of new build properties, homes and offices will take place and are absolutely necessary, as already developers are mothballing existing new build properties until there is an upturn in the economy not envisaged until 2010 at the earliest.

I look forward to reading your thoughts on these many as yet unanswered questions.

Yours Sincerely

Stephen West

Chairman,

Erith Riverside Residents Association

Letters September 2008

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 11:13:31 +0100

Sidcup Traffic

Like your correspondent E Dishart in the August Chronicle I too had heard nothing.

Seems news, like our traffic doesn’t travel well in Sidcup, despite Craske’s assertions!

Malcolm Greening - Sidcup

To: Councillor Bacon

Recent disruption to Sidcup Hill and more recently to Longlands Road prompts me to ask what happened to the promised Sidcup Traffic Plan.

Last year a consultation was produced, including the improbable one way system. Consultants were apparently engaged yet six months on nothing tangible has resulted

Many Sidcup residents would question the need for consultants, anyone living in the Borough would volunteer the following:

• Open Church Road one way towards Chislehurst;

• Re-time the lights Church Road. / High Street

• Try turning off the lights at the end of the Park / Chislehurst Road

• Try turning off the ‘Morrison’ lights

• Create a coast bound filter lane at the A20 roundabout to relieve the queues towards Chislehurst.

It seems daft that Church Road should be unused yet it would relieve the High St junctions by perhaps 25% at no cost!

The pedestrian crossing delay at Church Road / High St reduces the traffic flow by perhaps 10% and is unnecessary, I cross Tottenham Court Road which is wider and much busier yet has a delay of barely 10 secs.

Testing the effect of turning off the two controversial (and perhaps unnecessary lights) would establish their need or otherwise at vertually no cost.

The filter at the A20 would cost perhaps £20,00, but there is space, and no street lights would need repositioning.

These changes would result in an immediate improvement, minimal cost and yet don’t seem to have been given even consideration.

Please can you investigate why nothing has happened?

Malcolm Greening - Sidcup.

Dear Mr Greening,

I am replying to your email to Cllr Bacon asking why nothing has been done about the plans to improve traffic flow through Sidcup.

In fact, earlier in the year, the Cabinet approved the final package of measures worth over one million pounds, and I have put the link to that report here: www.bexley.gov.uk/about/decisions/archives.html

Then click on the 07/08 Library, select Cabinet Meeting Papers and choose the agenda for the 19th March 2008 and the full report considered by the Cabinet is there, item 7 on the agenda.

This was reported extensively in local newspapers and on local radio and on BBC London. Among other things, the scheme removes two sets of traffic lights, redesigns the Longlands/Station Road junction, and links up the remaining traffic lights.

The work is being implemented across this financial year and one element will be starting in a couple of weeks time and a second element is currently being finalised.

This all resulted from an 18 month project, starting with two public meetings I chaired, attended by over 400 people, and resulted in a further 200 hundred letters with suggestions.

A series of measures were designed after that process, with a consultation carried out last autumn, with over 6,000 leaflets being delivered to homes and businesses across Sidcup. Just under 1,000 replied and I read every single one, and this resulted in the final scheme that was approved at a public Cabinet meeting, and is now being implemented.

You refer to current disruption. The issue in Longlands Road is long-running and over-running gas works, while just over a week ago the road at 19 Hatherley Crescent collapsed because of a leaking Thames Water pipe and they are now carrying out the necessary repairs. I agree it is causing problems, but the work must be done and they must repair their pipe, and will be charging them for the work we have had to do to help get these repairs underway by excavating the road .

Cllr Peter Craske

Cabinet Member for Transport

• I’m tempted to say Mr Craske talk is cheap, action is what was promised in your manifesto. It’s action residents need. Why not just keep your promise to improve traffic flows and conditions in Sidcup? Ed

What a joke - the NHS

I worked as a nurse for 37 years in the NHS and regardless of my gender, I would have written the same thing.

Definition of ‘a joke’. Something that should happen, but does not for various reasons.

I have heard and seen many changes in my life for the N.H.S, but not all of them come to fruition, or have improved the NHS except to employ more executives therefore too many chiefs and not enough braves!

So, Bob Bedwell, you do not know where I am coming from, neither do I have a closed mind. In fact I have a very wide opened mind, and I attempt to see everyone’s point of view.

I take a very keen interest into today’s NHS attending many meetings in Social Care and the Picture of Health.

J.Rouse (Mrs), - Sidcup

Change with the times within the NHS

My heart really goes out for all those who are both concerned and campaign to keep Queen Mary’s hospital present services open to all, the exclusion of none, itv really does.

I worked at the Dreadnought Seaman’s hospital in Greenwich and know the heart rendering experience of it, both closing and being grafted in to the NHS from being a world-famous nurse/training and independent hospital. At least we salvaged the last two years to remain open and celebrate 100 years of nurse training for students from many nationalities.

But you know we have to ‘change with the times’, yes, and the needs of those living at a given time as such. For illness’s are never static to heal, so, nor should our NHS be so, if it is to remain instrumental in continuing to be a healing service overall.

Marking time or going back are not healthy options, or healing ones in my view. The Picture of Health is either in a framework for disaster of the NHS as we know it, or knew it, or a freshly painted canvas of quality care for its next sixty years.

Bob Bedwell,

Sidcup

Let’s keep our hospital

Your continued support for the campaign to keep essential services at Queen Mary’s is most welcome and I hope you will continue to reflect the views of the vast majority of your readers, and indeed spur them into action over this most crucial subject. Such an unwarranted and unwanted downgrading of the Borough of Bexley’s Health Service is just not acceptable.

It is also good to see local politicians voicing their support (front page, 1st August). However, I do get the feeling that some of them may be seeking to `fight a good battle’ in public while already conceding in private that the war is lost. To a more positive end, what they should be doing is organising public gatherings to muster and maintain real momentum behind this vital campaign. Point-scoring on suspect political standards (somewhat questionable from some quarters) and on whose fault it is will do us no favours in the fight to keep QMH going as our Borough’s only proper hospital.

So come on Bexley Council, Mr Johnson and Rt Hon Derek Conway, let’s see your campaign plans and Bexley Chronicle will ensure all its readers will be fully informed, charged and ready to follow your lead. Let’s march together again (and again) to demonstrate just how deep our feelings run on this key subject.

Richard Crook

Sidcup

Pests at all levels

• Following reports of pest infestation at local hospitals resident Rita Grootendorst has asked our new chief Will Tuckley if he would provide more information because reports are circulating that council officials are visiting houses where rats have been reported in gardens in Sidcup. Ed

Dear Sirs

Under the Freedom of Information Act please supply the following details:

1. What steps is the council taking to ensure Queen Mary’s hospital is now entirely free from rats, mice, maggots and insect infestations?

2. What steps is the council taking to ensure that the same pests are not established in/on or around any other establishments in the borough for which the council is responsible.

3. All documentation re figures/numbers of domestic properties in the borough notified to the council for rats.

4. All documentation of what if any remedial action the council has taken

5. Any records of steps taken across the borough to minimise the presence of rats in local neighbourhoods?

6. Any action plan or working policy adopted by the council to protect homes and householders from vermin or insect infestations in the borough.

7. Any public health precautions taken?

8. Disclosure of who is responsible for prevention of rats and the control of rat population in the borough.

Could you let me know if the council tracks or monitors the rat population or migration and distribution of rats in Sidcup and surrounding areas.

R Grootendorst

Lark in the park

It was my very first time at Lark in the park at Sidcup Place an event put on voluntarily by Sidcup’s Churches Together.

Having got a taster myself I invited some friends to visit. One man from my own church in Bexleyheath came in his wheelchair, accompanied by his wife enjoying two hours of entertainment. It took his mind off a forthcoming operation. Another friend enjoyed old time favourites, over free tea and home-made cakes served by young volunteers in the over 60’s tent. One singer in the Riverside group proudly revealed his age, wait for it, a young 91. A young magician visited each table performing magical tricks.

A doctor friend from Chad enjoyed meeting the South African dance group.

I even entered a talent competition, eat your heart out Bob Dylan. Sadly he didn’t have to because I never got short-listed and was put in to the stocks by two of the judges. What fun.

A great two weeks never to be forgotten.

Bob Bedwell, Sidcup

New Tesco store

I was surprised to read that David Evennett the MP and Cllr Windle were against building a new supermarket on the Woolwich Building Society site in Bexleyheath.

Yet I’ve not read about any objections by the public to the huge development planned across the road on the council office site.

It is my understanding that there are to be new houses/flats plus a huge supermarket with council offices above and that the development could include the land where the court now stands!

I’d like to hear from those hostile to Tesco why they haven’t objected to the councils plans.

J.Flanagan, Erith

Letters August 2008

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:29:21 +0100

Erith Western Gateway - preferred developer

Cllr John Waters, has announced the selection of Crest Nicholson/Orbit South to take forward the Erith Western Gateway regeneration scheme.

Crest Nicholson, he says, is recognised as a market leader in urban regeneration, with a proven track record for designing and managing large scale developments in an urban environment.

Orbit South is one of the largest housing associations in the south of England and will bring a wealth of experience in the affordable housing sector, with strong local connections.

• What do local residents say?Ed.

Dartford Crossing

The Conservative Candidate is wrong to suggest (Chronicle, July) that people from Dartford district who only use the Dartford Crossing a few times won’t win out on the Government’s new system. Yes, residents will have to pay £10 up front for a Dart-Tag (as they do at present), but as the new rate will be £1.50 cash each way, you only have to do four return trips to make a saving. I think 20p a crossing, which it will be for regular users, is pretty impressive and a credit to local MP Howard Stoate. I don’t know anywhere else in England where a toll has been cut!

Kevin Flack

South Darenth

The crossing should be free for everyone, as was promised, but it’s a cash cow and politicians won’t stop the tolls. It would be good if they could actually show proper audited accounts where they spend the cash each year - it can’t all be spent on maintenance and other road projects. Ed

Where’s my paper?

Until a few weks ago, my wife and I received regular copies of the Bexley Chronicle. For no apparent reason, delivery of the newspaper, which we enjoyed for its coverage of local news, has stopped

Is this a temporary blip caused by a shortage of people to carry out the delivery or, unfortunately, is it permanent due to other factors?

Yours sincerely,

Jon R. Godsall

Bexleyheath

• You can still pick up copies from the Aldi store in Bexleyheath or buy one from any newsagent for just 40p. Our house-to-house distribution of the Bexleyheath edition of the Chronicle is limited and we leave it to our distributors to select the roads and streets covered so we have the widest coverage. Something like 80,000 people regularly read the Chronicle throughout the borough.

Free Prescriptions

I am writing to support Macmillan Cancer Support’s campaign for free prescriptions in England. No one should be in a position where they can’t afford to pay for their prescriptions, yet for one in ten cancer patients aged 55 and under who have to pay for their prescriptions, this is exactly what happens.

The Government is due to publish a consultation to review prescription charges soon, but they have already said they are not prepared to spend one extra penny on prescriptions. This means that any reform will inevitably involve some patients losing out - in effect, robbing Peter to pay Paul. I am extremely concerned that this consultation will be nothing more than tinkering with an inherently unfair system and call on the Government to make prescriptions free in England.

Mrs Dianne Smith

Bexley

Knives and guns

With knife and gun crime on the increase, and prisons overflowing, would it not be an idea to sentence these ‘tough youngsters’ to a spell in the army? Three months up to a year for carrying a knife or gun.

I am sure the friendly sergeant major would make their stay one they would not forget! Maybe some may even like it and stay.

David Mason,

Sidcup.

“Picture of Health” is no joke for NHS!

Having worked in the NHS for over twenty five years and experiencing some major changes, I never thought of them as a joke, like J Rouse does in his or her letter - “What a joke - New NHS”?, referring to “a picture of health” major change, letter June 2008 in The Chronicle, of our still successful NHS.

Of course the change is an NHS initiative, and indeed, strategy for the further improvement of the service for the benefit of all and exclusion of none - free (although debateable nowadays) at the point of need, its early conception nearly sixty years ago. Celebrating its Diamond Jubilee Sunday 6th July 2008, major changes and all, past and present as such.

Whilst I can see where J Rouse is coming from, presumably out of concern personally, and not least representative of many others locally who he/she referred to in the letter, I’m not clear where the joke of Picture of Health is? apart from being on J Rouse him/herself, who seems to have a completely closed mind to change full stop!

Bob Bedwell,

Sidcup.

Blame it on the foxes’

Foxes are still rampant in Bexley and the following information given to gardeners could prove invaluable to local people.

Foxes are being blamed for the disappearance of house sparrows from Primrose Hill and Regents Park where friends have been told to let weeds grow and put up nest boxes in their gardens to encourage birds back to the neighbourhood. Park wildlife officer Tony Duckett also accused foxes of a total waste of wildfowl eggs.

One warm day recently, I went to London by train, which stopped at Falconwood. I noticed a fox sitting on its haunches on the down platform and I wondered whether he really was waiting for a train and where he would go? But I must admit to being completely foxed

Douglas Walters.

Sidcup

Sidcup Town Centre Traffic Review

I received a letter from Environmental and Regeneration Services dated 6th November 2006 regarding Sidcup Town Centre Traffic Review. It went on to say there would be two public meetings and "once we have analysed all the comments we have received, the Council will consult with residents and traders on them in Autumn 2007. We are now well into July 2008 and there is no sign of any movement towards the object of regeneration in the Sidcup area.

I suspect that the time and finances have been used to improve the Bexleyheath area. For example, the tarting up of the area at the roundabout at Albion Way with its fancy brickwork, which seems to have taken forever. I can’t remember there being any accidents in that area in its previous construction!

Once again Sidcup has been treated like the A**e end of the borough.

I suppose that the Council will quote the resurfacing of the lower half of Hadlow Road as the regeneration of the Sidcup area, - the top half is just as bad as the lower half, and the ‘ traffic calming ' measures on Sidcup Hill and other roads- also the ends of the roads ---- but no sign of the traffic congestion being cleared in Sidcup High Street and the approaches to the same.

I also suppose that the Council will tell us that the Sidcup area is top of its priorities for Regeneration - if so what year?

E.Dishart,

Sidcup

• They say a week is a long time in politics. You will remember the Tories made the subject of your letter an election promise and returned all three Sidcup Tory councillors. But then we all know what happens when politicians make promises don’t we. The proof is there for all to see. Ed

Belvedere village

If you walk through Belvedere village today, there is one thing that everyone is talking about -Bexley council’s plans for the regeneration of the village. In recent weeks, a group of traders and residents have organised two packed public meetings and are drawing up proposals showing the changes they wish to see made to the council’s plans.

I have made it clear that I support the majority of the proposals but there are two aspects of the scheme which are causing considerable concern.

Firstly, the council needs to drop its proposal to open up a walkway linking the council car park to Albany Road. Residents in Albany and Alfred Roads have suffered in recent years from antisocial behaviour and the introduction of a cut through will only add to the likelihood of such problems.

Secondly, the council need to ensure that there is no loss of parking spaces within Nuxley Road. Councillor Peter Craske denied that twelve spaces would be lost when I questioned him at the last Full Council meeting. The traders however are adamant that the current plans show the loss of a large number of spaces.

Belvedere village retains its sense of community – where people really do know each other and still stop to pass the time of day. I should know as I’ve lived here since I was a baby and am the only one of Bexley’s sixty three councillors that lives in Belvedere. Residents are therefore rightly concerned that the loss of parking may lead to the decline of the village and the strong sense of community which we share.

Councillors need to stop saying that false rumours are being spread and acknowledge that the current difficulties have been caused because the plans that have been agreed for Nuxley Road bear little resemblance to those which were consulted on last year.

As the scheme will be implemented over eighteen months, the council should concentrate the first stage of works to side roads such as Alfred Road and Bedwell Road. Is would allow them to delay any works to Nuxley Road until it is confirmed whether the council will receive additional funding of £900,000 for works in 2009/10. That will give them time to work constructively with traders to develop an acceptable set of parking arrangements and allow a scheme that has support to go ahead.

Daniel Francis,

Belvedere, Kent

Labour fabrication

I have read the article on the back page of the July addition of the Chronicle which is headed “Former Leader cost taxpayer £7,000 in travel costs” and in particular the 5th paragraph regarding Ursula Ayliffe’s comments on the cross-over for the Bexleyheath Conservative Club. I am not sure where she gets her information from, but the “Knock down price” which she mentions is a complete fabrication. The Conservative Club has not had the cross-over completed yet and as a matter of fact, quite to the contrary, I think the council is dragging its feet in giving us permission to have it done. Because of this delay we have not yet paid for it and as far as a knock down price is concerned, we will be paying the going rate and have not asked or been given any favours in this respect. Being the club treasurer I find her comments rather sour as well as being incorrect.

When propaganda is put out like this, people are now seeing the Labour Party for what it really is and there is no wonder that Ms Ayliffe came in a poor fourth after the National Front in the recent election.

Leslie R. Ayres, Club Treasurer,

Bexleyheath Conservative Club

Letters July 2008

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:14:18 +0100

Rail Matters

You may find that the facts in the enclosed extract dated June 2008 from Live Rail, a rail enthusiasts magazine, would be interest to your readers. Under the Thameslink 2015 programme, it is proposed to rebuild London Bridge and Blackfriars stations between 2009 and 2015. By rebuilding the programme will create two extra platforms at London Bridge and a new viaduct sweeping up to Blackfriars.

Once completed the new works will provide a much-needed boost to the capacity of rail services from Bexley Borough to Central London. Meanwhile it is inevitable that chaos will ensue. The proposed works programme will undoubtedly clash with the 2012 Olympics and make travel from South of the Borough to Stratford even more onerous than it is at present. Cross Thames road links are already saturated, and the congestion will be exacerbated by the Zil lanes planned for the benefit of Olympic big-wigs travelling from their London Council Tax funded Park Lane hotels to the Stratford stadium. There is of course the Woolwich Ferry, but these days it often ceases to run if fog or mist reduce visibility. So even if increases in taxes and the cost of living leave Bexley residents with some disposable income to buy tickets, they will not be able to easily reach the Stadium at Stratford.

Turning to another transport matter, you have doubtless noted the new anti-speed tables on Sidcup Hill. Bus users receive a painful jar to the spine every time a bus crosses one of these innovations. This is hardly likely to entice car drivers to use the bus. If they stick to the car, they can detour around the humps. Also the new tables will deter even more shoppers from patronising the few surviving shops in Sidcup High Street. One can still drive to Ruxley, avoid the humps and buy almost everything in Tescos.

Ron Gee

Sidcup.

Biggin Hill Airfair

Thank you to the Chronicle and Air Displays for the family ticket that we won in the Chronicle. We went on Sunday 8 June on a glorious day weatherwise and although my wife was unable to come (recovering from an operation) my

sister-in-law, her son, my two boys and myself went and we enjoyed our first (and hopefully) not last visit to this airshow.

Many thanks again.

Tim Sayell.

• Ten families won tickets to the show which was promoted by the Chronicle. It was so successful this year that the gates had to be closed to the public during the early afternoon on Sunday. Ed

Spanish Property

I have been contacted by a number of readers facing problems with property bought in Spain. They have told me about how land has been taken away from them and handed to developers or how some owners face unexpected and unfair bills from municipalities, lawyers or developers. I am working alongside MEPs in the European Parliament to put pressure on the Spanish authorities to clean up their act.

It shocks me to think that Londoners are investing their hard earned cash into property that can later be taken with little or no compensation. This is something we must stamp out before anyone else falls foul of it.

Readers who are having problems with a Spanish property can email me at syed.kamall@europarl.europa.eu or write to me at Syed Kamall MEP, Unit 11 Kingsmill Business Park, Chapel Mill Lane, Kingston, KT1 3GZ.

Syed Kamall MEP

Principles

Personally, I have no problem with politicians who have principles. My problem comes when those principles cause a self-imposed and possibly unnecessary bi-election which was estimated at £80,000 to the taxpayer. Would it not be the decent thing for a man of “principle” to put that principle to the ultimate test ie agree to fund the cost of the bi-election which that principle, be it high or low, good or bad, has caused?

Steve Smith

Sidcup

What A Joke - New NHS?

Many months ago, a Mr. Alberti and his compatriots decided what was the best way forward for four Boroughs and produced documents for the residents. Consultations would take place and residents listened to, but despite a march, many written letters, input by David Evennett MP, were we listened to - NO. It was just a glorified joke, because come hell or high water, Mr. Alberti and Co. had no intentions of changing his ideas. He did what he wanted to do. i.e. Polyclinic and Urgent Care Unit. First with regards to the Polyclinic, as a Bexley resident, I have queried several times “how are people expected to attend here, when there is “NO Public Transport”. One cannot wait around for Dial-A-Ride, so cost of a cab is the only answer. Again the elderly and vulnerable people are going to suffer. Secondly, the Urgent Care Unit, it has a very low level of activity, in a once extremely good care and nursing care A & E. Apparently it is not unusual for the Clinic Assessment to be closed. What excuse will the ‘powers to be’ say, “These are just teething problems”!

Personally I say it is the thin edge of the wedge, of either Queen Mary’s closing down or becoming a private hospital by Clinic Care, who many months ago said they would do elective surgery at Queen Mary’s Hospital. Therefore the whole episode is just one BIG SHAM and a Joke by Alberti - Government and N.H.S and enormous amount of money wasted, which could have been put to a better use.

J. Rouse,

Sidcup.

QMH care!

I read with great interest and sadness about the attacks on the staff at Queen Mary’s Hospital. Whilst I do not hold with violence, I can understand the frustration of visitors when they see the ways the patients are treated. I have been in Queen Mary’s three times and although I was unable to get out of bed, the nursing care was Non Existent. I reported a trained

male nurse for spitting in the ward and many other examples I could give. Just what is this borough coming to, the Commissioner for Social Care gave a very poor report on the care given by Bexley Care Trust, and now the survey of Queen Mary’s Hospital is a lot to be desired. But time will tell what will happen to Q.M.H.

J. Rouse,

Sidcup.

Youth Dispersal Zone!

Derek Conway had a house in Harland Avenue, Sidcup. I complained about him to David Cameron (when the latter became conservative leader) saying we needed an MP who was more active on behalf of his constituents, but Mr Cameron was not bothered at that time. What will history make of successive conflicted governments, eg. Beeching destroyed our small town rail networks and Thatcherites broke the remainder up to sell them off later. Or New Labour’s distorted intelligence reports to go to war in Iraq? What about local government across Britain that clamours for more money to pay themselves while cutting back on our health and safety? They want the Thames Gateway flood zone for sub-standard housing - why?

I live in a rat run road parallel to the railway line at Sidcup station. I shop at Somerfields next to the bar where Rob Knox was murdered; where shoppers must pass to reach the car park at the rear. I pass it daily on my way to get the Metro. Queen Mary’s Hospital is a mile away but Rob was taken to Queen Elizabeth hospital in Woolwich - why?

Bexley Council is to blame as much as the police for complacency. They claim to have imposed a youth dispersal zone but easy talk does not translate into preventive or remedial action. The bar was packed the night of the murder and security did not work in favour of the innocent bystanders. For the snakes in suits who rule Brittannia profit comes before public safety. An alcohol-free zone might work better than the youth dispersal zone did.

Rita Grootendorst

Sidcup

Danson Youth Centre

My friend and I recently visited the Danson Youth Centre where the local NHS organisation, Council and Bexley Voluntary Sector held their special Open Day.

I arrived at 2pm and left at 6pm. It was certainly a very interesting and knowledgeable day. All the different aspects of health care and the staff were extremely helpful.

It was good to put a face to a name. I personally have no faith in P.A.L. Again it was interesting to meet said lady and we were able to air our differences and concerns.

The free relaxation therapy, free health checks and information on services provided, I sincerely hope, with all this information given it will encourage people to apply for it. Like others I spoke to I would be pleased if this Open Day could be, hopefully, held twice a year and advertised more. Well done to the staff involved.

J.Rouse - Sidcup

P.S My friend, who is disabled thoroughly enjoyed herself and learnt a lot.

Adult education - concessions

A hurried note about the above heading; 1363 over 60’s will be denied from a total of 1890 participants. Reasons? The Age Discrimination Act 2006. Evidence. Three telephone calls to other London boroughs are continuing with over 60 age concessions. One at 80%!

Any concessions? Yes for twelve categories including 10% off for council employees and the Chief Executive Will Tuckley. Is there any council control? No, they have given the power of scrutiny to the Adult Education people.

N.I.A.C.E. are stating clearly that discrimination to give a sixty one year old a concession whilst denying a 59 year old. Is N.I.A.C.E correct? No it’s an interpretation say others.

Bird College offer concessions. Why not say bus freedom passes passes and any other education i.e. Thames river boat rides - true not education but could be age discrimination. Private Clubs?

Are they just revenue raising? I think so. What will be the effect of higher prices, a falloff of students and less tutors. In many classes ten is the minimum seen as viable. In my class we have eight and two are not joining again.

And what about swimming concessions - free for kids with a loss of £50,000! Strange policy.

Incidentally I have discovered that West Sussex Adult & Community Learning Service are still offering concessions to older students and have no plans to change their policy!

John Johnson - Sidcup

Letters June 2008

Fri, 23 May 2008 14:19:47 +0100

High Street Thieves

Reference your headline High Street Thieves in the May issue Sidcup & Bexley Chronicle.

On April 18th my full shopping bag was stolen from the back of my mobility scooter while I was in the charity shop on Sidcup High Street. I have always been careful with regards to my purse but never thought someone would steal my shopping.

Maybe they thought my purse was in there, hard luck it was in my pocket.

I remember the time when you could leave your door unlocked, or you could leave your key on a string through the letterbox, those days are long gone I’m sorry to say.

Margaret Davies - Sidcup

A promise is a promise Ken!

Can we hold Ken Livingstone to the new pledge he made in the London Elects booklet (p. 21) on the Mayor of London and London Assembly Elections to ‘provide bus free travel for under-18s’. This is a great turnaround from his ‘free bus travel’ line and one that most of us over-18s believe to be a much better idea. Bus free travel. Think of the benefits: It would encourage children to walk and therefore combat obesity; it will teach the youth of today that, contrary to what society or their parents might tell them, the world does not owe them a living (after all, we all paid in our time); it would mean that the elderly could travel on the bus without living in fear of aggressive teenagers; and it would save bus companies a fortune in the costs of eliminating graffiti and repairing the effects of vandalism. I, for one, applaud Ken’s change of heart and, as he’s put his signature to it, can we take him at his word?

Chantal Latchford - Sidcup

Adult Education

I was interested to read the letter from Richard Easterbrook in the May edition of the Chronicle regarding the fees for over-60’s at the Adult Education Centre in Sidcup.

Last September I, and others, enrolled for the Tuesday afternoon Watercolour painting class - a course I had participated in the year before and had highly enjoyed. I was delighted to find that - probably for the first time in my life - I was eligible for a discount on account of my having a disability (normally I’ve had to pay top whack for everything). About four weeks into the course we were informed that our schedule of classes was going to be shortened by FIVE weeks and there would be NO REFUND! The exact same class which was held on a Tuesday evening and was more heavily subscribed was running its normal 28 week length. The reasoning of the College representative was that this was entirely reasonable because we were all payers of concessionary fees!

Needless to say my fellow students and myself felt that we had been treated very poorly. Imagine going into Morrison’s or Tesco’s and buying half a dozen eggs and then half way to your car someone comes after you and removes a couple of eggs and says “No, sorry, you haven’t paid enough for them!”

I understand that funding issues may well be very complicated and difficult but on this occasion we felt that the College had broken its contract with us, the students. I do not seek concessionary fees solely because I may be over 60 nor because I am disabled. Tell me what the cost is and I will decide whether or not I can afford it; but, if you run a class and take my money for it, don’t move the goalposts half way through the game.

Gail Ford - Sidcup

Adult Education Fees

I am disgusted that there will no longer be any concessionary fees for older people attending Adult Education classes. Even the concessionary fee had been increasing each year and almost pricing itself out of my reach. Now I will definitely will not be able to afford to take part in a class that helped keep my brain alert and where I enjoyed meeting other people of a similar age.

Those with a good private pension can probably absorb the extra cost and those on benefits get help. I am one in the in-between group. I only get my State pension of £55-llp a week. As my husband gets a very small private pension we just miss qualifying for assistance.

Today’s elderly people grew up during WW2 where a lot of our education took place in air raid shelters or as evacuees separated from families. We were deprived of our fathers, who were fighting the enemy abroad/ We existed on very limited rations and two ounces of sweets was a luxury.

It’s time more was done for the elderly. What about abolishing fees altogether for Adult education. It makes sense to encourage the elderly to get out. As well as keeping minds active, meeting others, finding new interests it keeps people away from the doctors. Stuck at home they only have time to worry about everything.

Mrs Veronica Smith, - Sidcup

• As we suggested in our original article all the indications are that legislation was really aimed at aged people in employment. We think someone has mis-interpreted the meaning and read it to suit themselves! Ed

Reported Crime

Can anyone please tell me what is ‘Reported Crime’? Our estate, Rutland Gate, in Belvedere has yet again been hit by yobs destroying fence chains and fence posts and in another incident on the same night a neighbour’s car had its exhaust sawn off. This happened over the Bank holiday weekend and when I tried to report this to Bexley police call centre I was politely told that as I wasn’t the ‘direct’ victim then they couldn’t take my crime report! I thought criminal damage was a crime? But alas as I don’t own the estate I live on I can’t be considered a ‘victim’! I must report this to the housing association that owns the property. But I’m a leaseholder, I told the call centre, and I have to pay for any damage but this doesn’t constitute me being a victim! I mentioned that my neighbour would be reporting her car damage separately but again I was politely told that as I wasn’t the victim I couldn’t report this, I asked, but what about crimes committed on the same night within 20 yards or so of each other wouldn’t that presume an association? “No” I was told, the police call centre don’t have the capability to take two crimes of ‘proximity’ (his word not mine), as they must be a single crime reported by the ‘victim’.

I’m the ‘Chair of our resident’s association and I have had to call Bexleyheath police many times over the last five years to report ASB and low level crime on our estate but it seems everything has changed. What happened to neighbourhood watch, what happened to the messages we get to help the police? It’s all well and good Prime Minister Brown and Jacqui Smith the Home Secretary boasting that reported crime is down, now I can see why? They have changed the system of reporting crime; but for their understanding a crime is a crime, is a crime; whatever way you want to report it. Maybe the next change will be is to move the police call centre to India, then maybe they can report absolutely no crime at all!

Is it any wonder the Labour party took such a hammering at the local elections? Or perhaps this fact hasn’t been reported to ‘Alias’ Smith & Brown? They obviously live in such a rarefied world they haven’t a clue what’s happening at ground level. It’s about time they started to look at doing something positive about real crime instead of spending so much time manipulating the system for lower figures to make them look good. You can fool some of the people some of the time É but Mr Brown you have at last been sussed by the majority, something many of us already know, you’re simply not up to it!

Roll on the General Election!

Jim Parsons

Chair, Rutland Gate Resident’s Association

Belvedere

• Luckily the new Mayor of London is also the Chairman of the Police Authority and one expects this is the sort of information he needs. Ed

Bumpy car parks!

I think you may find that speed bumps are placed in car parks due to the fact that they are often used by youths at night as race tracks causing danger to the public and property. This is a problem Nation-wide. There were big problems in Crayford at the Sainsbury’s car park and also at the Crayord trading park and the same measures were used there.

W. Johnson - Bexley

Protecting Post Offices The future of London’s Post Offices is a matter of great concern to the new Mayor, Boris Johnson, who will be continuing with the judicial review challenge to the consultation on the Post Office closure programme. A preliminary decision on this challenge is expected from the High Court shortly.

As we all know, London has already experienced disproportionately high levels of post office closures in recent years compared with other areas of the country. The Post Office has not provided convincing evidence that further closures in London are necessary on economic grounds. Community-based enterprises like local Post Offices provide vital services for Londoners, especially older Londoners and families, and they should be protected. Post Offices are crucial in supporting local retail and where a Post Office closes, small businesses and the local community suffer.

The Mayor will also continue to welcome and support initiatives by local councils and others to help keep post offices running. I have written to the Managing Director of the Post Office to assure him that the GLA will be pleased to discuss further how we can input most effectively into the development of new and improved Post Office services, whilst not ignoring the fact that the consultation process on closures was too short and that the Mayor is making a legal challenge to this effect.

Ian Clement

Deputy Mayor - Government Relations

Overall planning

In the last year I have received a large number of notices concerning individual planning applications. Taken singly, many of these are acceptable, but when they are seen as part of an overall whole, there are many matters of concern.

Are we over-providing residential accommodation with serious consequences to:

* Traffic movement

* Parking

* Provision of services, eg: water and sewerage,

electricity and gas

* Waste disposal

* Health and care provision

Are there enough shops available in the High Street?

* Are basic costs for small traders too high?

* Is competition from the supermarkets and chain stores (often illegally flouting planning permission conditions) causing unnecessary distress to small traders?

Have the consequences to public safety been given sufficient attention?

Many of these overall considerations might be regarded as irrelevant in single cases involving no more than say six flats in a single building, but if they are ignored, then corporately we may be heading for disaster. The Council should debate these issues and consider modification to planning permission procedures to give greater consideration to concerns of the public about the overall picture.

P. Scopes, Sidcup.

Labour rob poor

Following the debacle that was the ending of the 10p tax rate, the Prime Minister announced that the losers would be compensated through, among other things, the Pension Credit system.

Is this the same Pension Credit system that the Government will cut by 75% in October 2008? At the moment all new Pension Credit awards are backdated for up to 12 months. From October all backdated awards will be restricted to just three months. As most claims are for £25 per week, this effectively means that some of the poorest pensioners in Britain will be robbed of around £975 in the first year of their claim.

Once again New Labour robs the poor to pay the rich.

Roy Hollister BA - Horton Kirby.

Letters May 2008

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:32:33 +0100

Discounts for Adult Students Aged Over 60

Your report of April 2008 is correct that the Adult Education College Bexley will no longer be able to offer discounts to adult students aged over 60 purely on the basis of their age. Your report correctly attributes this to the Age Discrimination Regulations of 2006.

However, the legal advice given to the College differs from the interpretation in your report. According to the National Institute of Adult and Continuing Education, and Bexley Council’s own legal services, if an institution offers training to adults then all its courses are covered by the regulations. The College Governing Body, which sets the fee levels for the College, agreed that it had no choice but to follow this advice and to withdraw the discounts as from September 2008. Governors do not wish to be in the position of contravening regulations agreed by Parliament.

Of course the Governors, and particularly the student Governors, are not happy with the situation which has now arisen. In the brochure for 2008/9, which will be issued in June, Governors will highlight the College’s special funds designed to help all students on low income, and the College will welcome applications to the funds from adults aged over 60. (in respect of students aged over 60 who have income-related benefits such as income support, nothing has changed - they will continue to have courses discounted at 50%, in common with students from the other age groups).

Finally, I must emphasise two points: first, that this development is not a Bexley decision but has a national context: it reflects the action of authorities across London and the UK. Secondly, classes are still heavily subsidised by government: without funding from the Learning and Skills Council fees would have to double.

Richard Easterbrook,

Principal,

Adult Education College Bexley

Speed Bumps

I park my car every day at Bexley train station car park and have noticed just recently that the number of 'Speed Bumps' (or sleeping policemen) has increased. Why is there a need for these things in a car park? Has the death toll increased? Were the local hospitals becoming so busy with people being run over in car parks that they took the decision to install these things. I can fully understand speed bumps being put outside schools - but a car park!

What is the world coming to?

David Macridge,

Bexley

Good point David. Sounds a bit jobsworth doesn’t it? Ed

Care in the community

I read the Chronicle every month for its in-depth community news. I also receive two other freebies every week which I glance through.

Having read your report about the recent CSCI meeting a report on the same meeting appeared in the News Shopper but theirs never mentioned the poor results you highlighted and it seemed very much in favour of the council whereas the Chronicle gave both sides of the story which I thought was fair. They also thought one of our parks was the best in London. Some of the central London parks are just drop-dead gorgeous.

Maybe you should change your reporting style and you might do better in your commercial relationships with the council!

John Flanagan - Erith

• Point taken John. We could have taken the other view that the council might do better in the future but the CSCI view was that the future is uncertain and they only report on what they find in the present. I don’t know what you mean about the Chronicle improving its relationship with the council. Ed

What was the question?

Are you willing to report what the question was that Mr Watson did not receive an answer to from Bexley Council? Was it that he wanted to know the names of those solicitors who were responsible for the decision to bring court action against Maison Maurice at huge public expense? If so, it seems to me that labeling him as vexatious is just a convenient way of trying to suppress concerns that the public have an interest in receiving answers to, after all it is our money being spent.

When there is a high level of public support for commencing legal action against all odds, eg in trying to bring a judicial review to stop the incinerator being built, then the cost involved is often acceptable. I also appreciate that losing a case and incurring costs does not necessarily mean that the case should not have been brought at all. However there are other questionable decisions that never seem to be accounted for.

I asked Bexley Council how much time was spent by solicitor Mr Guy Atkins on a specific prosecution in 2001and how much was spent on barristers fees. As Bexley had offered no evidence at the Crown court trial I felt I had the right to know how much public money was spent. My freedom of information request was initially refused on the grounds that it was “personal information”. Over a year after the request was made, and after an appeal to the Information Commissioner, I was told that Mr Atkins spent 98 hours of time on the case and barrister’s fees were £1,175

I made a similar FOI request asking Bexley how much time was spent on a civil action against Mrs Grootendorst and others in attempts to recover allotment plots for breach of tenancy conditions. They took on overgrown and neglected plots and had failed to cultivate them sufficiently. I believe plot rental was no more than £30 per annum for each plot and there were no other people waiting for plots at this site. Bexley spent 209 hours and 12 minutes on this case and £2,250 (excluding vat @17.5%) on a barrister. The value of the solicitors time was around £65 per hour. Legal services then spent a further 31 hours and 30 mins of time on negotiations to recover clearance costs of £2,270 After recovering the plots Bexley left many of them empty only to become overgrown and waist high in weeds again. Was this a good use of public funds?

In July 2007 a Trading Standards prosecution against British Bakeries was reported for underweight bread, 25 loaves were an average of 9.7g underweight from the 800g they were meant to be - that is less than a slice short each. The company pleaded guilty and were fined £12,400 which I presume goes to the crown. But how much time did Trading Standards officers and solicitors spend bringing this prosecution and what was the value of the time? And were any of the council taxpayers costs recovered? Would advice and information to the company to secure compliance have been more appropriate as per Bexley’s enforcement protocol? I daren’t ask lest I am labeled as “vexatious”.

When expensive court action is taken for seemingly little benefit but no enforcement action is taken against the likes of Cafe Nero for planning regulations breaches I think the taxpaying public have the right to an explanation, and to be told who is accountable for those actions or lack of action.

Anon. Bexleyheath

Boris for Mayor!

There is no debate on who should be Mayor on May 1st - it’s Boris. Why? Because I have got two teenage children and I want to keep them safe. We know the gun and knife statistics in this borough and Bromley. Teenage gangs have to be challenged and stopped. Boris’s approach makes sense. CCTV on the buses to combat real time crime.

But we will never deal with this problem unless we also understand why children seek out gangs. A lot of them do not have fathers. A gang provides a sense of security, opportunities to earn the esteem of their peers. The gang can be a kind of family; and that’s why we should be doing so much more to allow them to obtain these benefits - excitement, competition, achievement - but in other ways.

The Mayor could be doing so much more to encourage competitive sport of all kinds, with all its potential for developing emotional maturity and for allowing young males to let off steam. There is so much that could be done with the arts.

But above all, we should be using mayoral funds to encourage the thousands of volunteers who are working with the children - and their parents - and trying to nip the problem in the bud, trying to steer them away from criminality, because that is the best way to save the taxpayer millions.

Miss A. Batmaz - Sidcup

• Trillions of pounds is already spent on sport which benefits everyone who is inclined. The tiny percentage of children that cause grief should be targeted through their parents, educators and police. There is little a Mayor can do to control children bent on disruption and crime. I noticed that the majority of victims by stabbing are mostly black children. Why? Ed

Do you earn £22,500?

How can Cllr. Ian Clement state that the average annual income is £22,500. Has he forgotten again the number of Senior Citizens whose income is much smaller than this, but still have the same household expenses? He blames the Government for the short fall cash amount, therefore severe cuts must be made regardless of suffering of the disabled, vulnerable, young, elderly and poor people of this Borough. I for one, like many other people would not be prepared to pay higher Council Tax, bearing in mind the exorbitant back pay to May 2007, the Councillors awarded themselves plus all their expenses. There is no guarantee the money would be used to improve services or line their pockets.

No wonder Labour Councillors critized the Conservatives for running a selfish Council ‘Just which party should I support because they all feather their own nest?’

A very disappointed resident.

J.J. Rouse - Sidcup.

Pensions Pot

Over the past years, I regularly attended public meetings of the Bexley Pension Fund Committee.

The above quoted article which appears in the April Chronicle unfortunately omits to pay tribute to an invaluable contribution by councillors Ken MacAndrew, Michael Slaughter and Colin Tandy who have been responsible, in no small measure, for the successful management and investment of funds by Bexley Pension Fund on behalf of its pensioners and the council tax payer.

As you rightly say, legislation governing local governing Local Government Pension Schemes is in badly need of an overhaul. But that is a matter for central government initiatives.

E.Silvester - Bexleyheath

• I think you should also add Mike Ellsmores name to your list. Ed

Fat Cat(s) in Bexley

Following an investigation by Independents to Save Queen Mary’s Hospital, it has learnt that the late Chief Executive of Bexley Council, for the year 2006/7, received a remuneration of £203,000, making him one of only six local authority employees in the country to earn over £200,000 and the fifth best remunerated. Another seven people on Bexley Council earned over £100,000.

Despite the current government target for growth in pay of just 2%, the late Chief Executive’s remuneration increased by nearly 11% and the Director of Finance’s David Berry by over 12%.

Commenting on these revelations, John Hemming-Clark of Independents to Save Queen Mary’s Hospital said, “saving hospital services goes hand in glove with reducing the excessive burden of taxation. Despite Bexley Council’s bragging about its lower than inflation Council Tax settlement for 2007/8 the fact of the matter is that Council Tax has more than doubled over the past 10 years. Bexley Council is making cuts across the board including to grants, funds for meals on wheels, day care and home care which are badly hitting the poor, elderly and vulnerable. At the same time they are paying their Chief Executive a sum which is more than the Prime Minster receives. The increasing burden of taxation is not being used where it is desperately needed, instead it is going to support the excessive pay rises of our senior civic office bureaucrats.”

John Hemming-Clark, Chislehurst

Planning Matters

I would like to congratulate the Chronicle on exposing the apparent double standards applied by Bexley Council planning department. Any reader who thinks that flouting of planning regulations such as Morrisons opening early should try living near the store and try to enjoy a peaceful start to their Sunday. The folk who live near the store were given undertakings when planning permission was granted. So many empty promises apparently.

To the “Money Talks” list we can add Café Nero and Blockbusters. Another is on the horizon - yet another take-away in the form of KFC. This is backed by a group that operates over 30,000 establishments in 100 countries and over 700 in the UK so we can expect the planning regulations and Sidcup’s UDP to fly out the window quicker than chicken and chip baskets into residents’ front gardens. Be afraid residents, be very afraid!

In the same edition of your newspaper, in reference to the possible (probable) sale of Sidcup Police station you stated that any redevelopment “could run into planning problems” because of its location within the town boundary. With respect, the extent of those problems depends on how rich and/or influential is the developer.

Paul Laundy, Secretary

Sidcup Community Group,

Sidcup

Sidcup Literary & Scientific Society.

The Society held its last meeting of this session at the Emmanuel Church Hall in Hadlow Road on Tuesday 25th March.

William Cooban, from Bexley Library Service, gave an interesting talk on ‘Libraries Then and Now’. He contrasted the changes which had taken place over the last fifty years. From ‘silence’ to the increased facilities now available for all ages in this era of Information Technology.

It was agreed by all that ‘Books’ were still one of the main planks of recreation and education.

The evening ended with the Society’s AGM when Mrs Joyce Crust was confirmed as the new President for the session beginning on October 14th next.

For more information please contact 0208 300 3825.

Leslie Pike - President.

Crossword fans

My apologies for messing up the March Crossword. The clue and answer to seven down was ‘Drawntofight’ but we left out an important black box so our apologies for those of you that gave up.

Winner of the March crossword competition was B.N. French, of Swanley.

Well done. Ed

• Winner of the Sporting Quiz in March was wonder sports quiz woman Miss J. Anderson of Belvedere to whom we also pass on our compliments.

Marshland access denied

Bexley and Bromley Green Party is extremely concerned to learn that it has become difficult for residents to access Southmere Green, Woodland Way and Southmere Park due to the erection of fences and closure of gates and other entrances by Tilfen Land Ltd and Gallions Housing Association.

No open parkland should be fenced off in the Erith Marshes area denying residents their rights.

Southmere Green should be preserved as a public open space to be enjoyed and used by all members of the community including local travellers, and as a refuge for wildlife and horses.

The Thamesmead area is already heavily industrialised and parts of Southmere Green have already been eroded by Tilfen retail developments.

It is vital that Bexley Council takes greater responsibility for monitoring this land and seeing that it is preserved as an ecologically vibrant site with protected public access.

Ann Garrett,

Bexley and Bromley

GLA Green Party Candidate,

31 Plaistow Grove

Bromley BR1 3PB

Sidcup Traffic problems

Remember the same people that spent many thousands at the bottom of Penhill Road (and now two cars cannot enter the roundabout at the same time resulting in queues about a third longer) have been working on the Sidcup traffic scheme.

I certainly expect no improvement as common sense appears to be a rarity nowadays, but they can always move on to terminal 6 maybe ?.

Dave Blackman - Sidcup

• Common sense doesn’t appear to be a tick box on many cv’s. Ed

Them and us!

Mrs Winfield’s letter about paying council tax whether we can afford it or not hit home. She bet councillors, who do nothing to help those facing hardship (leaseholders/homeowners and private sector taxpayers) and who set annual council tax increases, are in it together with jobs-for-life officials. How many residents complaints get bounced back and forth or get letters that do nothing to address queries?

In my opinion Councils are no longer fit for purpose. Why do we not have power of veto on inflated salary package of £3519 per week and £11K that Nick Johnson took out of the kitty for being election officer. Why has his successor and colleagues not taken much smaller salary packages - their wealth makes them immune from the credit crisis inflicted on us. Why was Nick Johnson paid such an exorbitant salary package and why did the councillors “remuneration committee” agree?

How can £6m service cuts, loss of amenities and public facilities be anything but a slap in the face for taxpayers when this council spent £150K on its biscuit bill, spent £20K plus on hounding critics or community groups attempting to work in partnership.. At the same time it spends over £9 million per year on its own pensions. Is this financial exploitation and grossly insufficient management of public resources?

R Grootendorst - Sidcup

Traffic accidents

Yet another traffic accident has occurred at the bottom of Sidcup Hill.

I live in the area and know of several previously (including at least one fatality) .

I notice that Sidcup Hill is being narrowed at the top of the Hill, which looks to me as if it will cause further accidents. However, when motorists speed to and from the traffic lights at Foots Cray there is nothing being done to remind them to slow down.

Our residents Association have requested at the least a warning sign,we received a reply saying it was not necessary!

Meanwhile driving out of a side entrance or drive is a hazardous exercise. How many more poor souls will not make it safely?

B Neil

Flight Paths.

by D.W.Johnson,

Red, Green, White.

Flashing lights Moving across the near dark sky.

More and more big birds fly.

Some ahead, some behind,

Some above and some below.

One light there does not move at all,

Good Heavens it is a Star.

Not so often seen through polluted.

And a thousand lights from city streets.

That never ending traffic in the sky.

Day and night they fly.

Huge shining metal birds

One day though. There will be one.

Not flying proudly through the air.

Not high in the sky and far away.

But here. Just flaming wreckage everywhere.

Inevitable.

As nothing is perfect made by man.

Fate will always play its hand.

Beneath the fIight paths no one knows where or when.

The life of one big bird will suddenly end.

Then. that second, minute, hour and day.’

A terrible price again we pay

Sidcup, Kent