Letters

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

Letters April 2008

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:49:39 +0000

Our Caring Council

I am writing to you regarding changes that are to take place, in order, to make a saving of some £6m in the Council Budget.

I do not believe that sufficient consultation has taken place and many residents like myself are aware of some changes but are not cognisant of exact details. There are also Service Users who have not been consulted directly and are unaware of changes to take place. I was alerted to this fact on 29th February when a distressed member, (Parkinson Society) had just heard that the Night Centre which his wife attends three nights weekly, is to close shortly. This lady does not attend the Night Centre; three times weekly to allow her husband to go out on the town but to allow him three nights undisturbed sleep. This gives him the energy to continue to care for his wife. Without this short respite, he is less likely to be able to continue in his role as full time Carer. This member is in fact not 100% fit himself and is awaiting an operation. He is absolute distraught as to how he will cope unless he continues to get the minimum of three nights sleep per week.

Furthermore an article in another local free newspaper this week, highlights the plight of a disabled woman, who is often left alone for many hours without food, drink or the ability to get herself to the bathroom. I regret to say that I am quite certain that she is one of many old and disabled folk who are suffering such neglect.

I have several years personal experience of a Care Package put in place for disabled people. My late husband became paralysed following a fall in December 2002. A Care Package was put in place ready for his discharge from hospital in May 2003. Carers came in pairs, three times daily, from then until December 2006 when my husband passed away.

We saw many different Carers from various Agencies. (Care Partners Trust contract a lot of work to other local agencies.)

We had a few Carers who were really excellent; they were gentle, considerate and highly efficient. Many Carers did a reasonable job, whilst others were often uncaring, inept, insensitive or simply refused to comply with the instructions in my husband’s Care Plan. After the latter had left, my husband would say “The treat me like a lump of meat on a slab.”

In particular we began to dread weekends when regular Carers were not available. Morning Carers (to get my husband up) could arrive any time between 6am and 2pm. Often the lunchtime Carers had to get my husband up as no one had arrived.

I have had to call the Out of Hours service many times at night because nobody had arrived to put my husband to bed. On one occasion just prior to my husbands death even the Out of Hours staff did not turn up and at midnight in desperation I dialled 999 and asked ambulance staff to help me as my husband was in great pain. I believe they made a complaint at the time. I have lost count of the number of Carers that I have taught how to use the hoist. I have made numerous complaints both verbal and written to Care Partners Trust.

The Training Officer for London of the Parkinson’s Disease Society wrote to the Chief Executive of Care Partners Trust recently. Training was available to Professional Carers to enable them to understand the very specific needs of people with Parkinson’s. Sadly this opportunity was not seized upon.

My husband was eventually granted Continuing Care because of the severity of his condition. We were reimbursed the money we had paid for Carers services. However to this day, no reimbursement has been made for his Respite Care fees.

Regarding Meals on Wheels I believe this can be a life saving service. Many of our members live alone and do not see anyone else for perhaps, days, weeks and even months except the person who brings their meals. They could fall, be severely injured and not be able to contact anyone.

I would like to point out the wonderful service my husband was given and the support I received from the District Nurses who visited twice weekly and also for the invaluable advice received from the Parkinson’s Disease Nurse Specialist Mrs S. Phillips.

I appeal on behalf of members of this Branch that the Consultation Document, with a full explanation of the cuts envisaged, should be sent to Service Users and publicised widely. The date of the end of the Consultation period needs to be extended to allow residents of Bexley to be fully informed which at present they are not.

Pam Childs - Bexleyheath

• My wife and I helped to nurse my mother through her last year when she died from Motor Neurone disease. Everything Pam says about carers we witnessed. To get respite during meal periods we engaged professional carers from an agency only to discover our wonderful Treasury made us pay VAT on their hourly fees because, wait for it, they were described as being servants! Also when our son Andrew died of cancer when he was thirteen no-one from the MacMillan Nurses or Marie Cure or anyone else for that matter offered us help or advice except for the wonderful Sister Kenton at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, God bless her. Ed

Good news for Bexley

It was good to read the Bexley Chronicle this week, but we were concerned to note that Ken Livingstone is continuing to claim that he has provided extra police for London (“Mayor’s Budget - good news for Bexley,” March 2008).

Ken Livingstone is once again taking credit for other people’s hard work. Funding for the thousand extra police in London has come largely from central government or the London Boroughs themselves: it is the people of Bexley rather than the Mayor’s largesse that are providing Bobbies on the beat.

If it were not for Government and borough funding, Ken’s budget would have resulted in the loss of 525 police officers. What is more, most of these police are being deployed on counter-terrorism operations rather than policing Bexley or Bromley.

The Mayor has himself admitted that the British Crime Survey (which his own office says is a reliable source of crime statistics) shows that crime levels in London remain unchanged since he came into office, yet four years ago he promised to halve crime in London or step down: another promise Ken has broken.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives yesterday announced plans for policing trains and busses that fall completely outside the powers of the Mayor and London Assembly. This is a blatant attempt by Boris Johnson to try to trick residents of Bexley who may not know the limits of the mayor’s authority. A far more telling statistic is that during the 18 years of the last Tory government the number of police in Britain fell while the crime rate soared.

The Liberal Democrats are now the only party offering real solutions to crime in London. Nick Clegg has promised to scrap Labour’s useless ID card scheme and spend the money on 10,000 more police instead: the equivalent of 3 more officers for every ward in Bexley and every other London borough. Meanwhile, former Deputy Assistant Commissioner Brian Paddick has promised that if elected Mayor he will reduce crime by 20 per cent in his first term in office or he will not stand again - a promise that he, unlike Ken, will keep.

It is a disgrace that Ken and Boris are attempting to trick their way into office at the expense of the people of Bexley.

Cllr. Tom Papworth/Duncan Borrowman

Liberal Democrat candidate Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, Bexley and Bromley GLA , Old Bexley and Sidcup

Tory manifesto

At the Local Election in 2007, I said to myself “If we had a change of party, Bexley would be a lot better off”, especially with the Tories manifesto. How wrong could I be. Leader of the Council Cllr. Ian Clement talks about his vision which is??? He listens to the voice of the Residents! If this is so, apart from the Government giving him 2% less money, why has the 63 Councillors given themselves backdated pay to May 2007 - Total of £5,736.15 plus additional expense allowances. Money should be used for the residents, thereby stopping all the proposed cuts in Services, and increases in Parking Charges, Leisure Centres etc. in fact anything that helps and gives a better quality of life to many residents regardless of sex or age.

These cut backs affect the poor, children, elderly, disabled and vunerable residents. This Council is a money grabbing Council. Would I pay extra Council Tax for better services - Certainly not - Why should one line the pockets of the Councillors at the expense of the poor and vulnerable people of Bexley . “Is this a touch of Derek Conway”?? What with these cuts and the cuts imposed by Bexley Care Trust. What has Bexley got - Nothing. Would I trust them - NO! As for the Chief Executive who made a speedy recovery to find another job, “Was he given a nice Golden Handshake” I wonder. I know who NOT TO VOTE for at the next Election. Not Labour, Tories or Liberal Democrats.

A very disappointed resident.

JJ Rouse - Sidcup.

We need our hospital

And will Queen Mary’s die?

There’s 50,000 Sidcopians will know the reason why.

With apologies,

Arthur C. Sheldon, - Sidcup

Churnalists!

Thank you for giving us news each month that we are not getting from other local papers. The Chronicle is a welcome change from news editors who rely on churnalism ie. Reporters have given up old fashioned journalism. Is news generally dumbed down by order of news corporations and their accountants?. Local papers in-boxes are filled by mass spin from local councils. Politicians and quangocratic PR “statements” get printed by the papers. This churnalism leaves gaps in our knowledge of what goes on under our noses. What do we make of simplistic, one dimensional facts and figures that keep us in the dark until it is too late to do anything?

Public services are being reduced in Bexley with the usual excuses eg. no statutory duty or too expensive to provide or maintain. Sidcup’s showpiece registry office on The Green is under threat by a council that suggests it cares little for history, culture or lasting improvements. Many of us find Bexley Council heads of service inflexible, unavailable to residents and councillors who might listen but remain unaccountable and hypocritical. Why else do councils help themselves to £1 in every £5 of council tax for their pensions?

R Grootendorst - Sidcup

Picture of Health

Is the “Picture of Health” being framed in the NHS? Can anyone in Bexley explain to me why a Conservative Council, whilst in one hand they are cutting back services to balance their books and yet in another they are opposed to Queen Mary’s Hospital advocating cutting their costs to also reduce debt, thousands in the case of the council, yet millions at Queen Mary’s. It just does’nt add up, and leaves me suspicious of the NHS being used as a political football to bolster a political image only in the name of protest.

I’ve studied ‘Picture of Health’ proposals and whilst there are some concerns still, basically I wholehearted agree to at least giving them, or it, a fair crack of the whip for change.

Having worked for over twenty five years in various specialities as a trained nurse in the NHS, I can say with hand on my heart, that I once didn’t agree or support big changes in the past of the NHS proposals for change. But then I was easily misled and somewhat ignorant of underlying reasons and purpose for those changes. Now, I’m convinced, the wisest way is to avoid, ‘who thinks they’re right? seeking more, ‘What could be right’? in the Picture of Health consultations. Hopefully a more healthy way ahead.

B Bedwell - Sidcup.

EU cash for Gateway

I refer to the article on page 18 of the March edition of the Chronicle. This carried the dramatic headline of “ EU cash floods Gateway” thus giving the impression that we have somehow been given money from the European Union to fund the Thames Gateway regeneration. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Our country has for some time been a net contributor and in 2007 our EU membership cost the equivalent of £100,000.00 every minute. So don’t be mislead, without this huge drain on our resources we could easily afford to undertake such regeneration projects; fund a world class NHS; pay our senior citizens a decent pension and plenty more besides.

And before anyone is tempted to rubbish the figures try asking the government to give you the exact cost of Britain’s EU membership. You won’t get an answer- they don’t know and have never tried to find out. Only the UK Independence Party is committed to telling the truth about the EU to the British people and have therefore undertaken a detailed study to establish the true costs.

Malcolm Clarke - UKIP Danson Park Ward

Grave Robbers!

Why do Orbit continue to take ‘Leaseholders for granted and treat them with utter contempt?

Some 18 months ago Orbit South, had planned works for Hurst Place Estate in Abbey Wood for some £16,000 over the next 5 years. It was felt that some of the proposed works were unnecessary. Since then we have been in continued discussion with Orbit South regarding their replacement roof programme on the estate which is now estimated to be circa £14,500 per each ‘Leaseholder. Remember we are talking about a roof in a block of flats, not a huge house on Hampstead Heath! The total planned works on this estate for the next five years have risen to nearer £25,000 we discover when Orbit South wrote to a solicitor of a potential buyer.

The problem we see are many fold, one is that this sum equates to virtually £400.00 per month per ‘Leaseholder, 60%, are pensioners on fixed incomes/pensions who will not be able to afford this kind of money; others are working ‘Leaseholders who too will have problem with finding an extra £400 per month. It seems Orbit South haven’t declared these disputes to the solicitor of potential buyers, essentially Orbit South have made a statement of costs that will inevitably have the effect of the buyer pulling out of the purchase leaving the incumbent ‘Leaseholder with a property they will be unable to sell. This will impact upon all ‘Leaseholders at Hurst Place for at least 5 years and from then (who knows?) the future will remain uncertain as Orbit South will want their money, regardless!

In discussions with Orbit South they have come up with an idea to ‘help’ ‘elderly ‘Leaseholders and that is to take a charge on the property and when the ‘Leaseholder dies then Orbit will have their money. Forgive me for sounding dramatic but this is nothing short of ‘Grave Robbing’ more akin to Burke and Hare than of a ‘responsible’ registered social landlord!

We have written to our local M.P.’s and councillors imploring they take action on our behalf to stop this avaricious housing association/landlord from wreaking financial havoc upon us.

Jim Parsons - Chair, OBHA-

Independent Leaseholder Group

Family Tree

I am trying to trace my family tree and can only get back to Richard Stephen Rooke ba1852 in Belvedere. He married Emma Fairbairns in Woolwich 1853. They had 10 children and lived in 23 Victoria St and then 66 Picardy St. Stephen and Emma are buried in Brook St Cemetery. I visited their grave in December and saw someone had recently left fresh flowers.

I wonder if any of your readers could help me find out any more about Stephen and Emma and their family.

Terry Rooke (email)

Council Tax issues

I am disgusted with our local Bexley Borough! We have an excessively high level of Council Tax and they care not whether we can afford it or not, or what hardship this puts us under! They have no heart, and the Councillors who are supposed to help with this and set the amounts each year, do nothing but bounce you around when you try to complain! (They're all in it together, I'll bet!).

No I don't think we should be asked to pay for the Olympics! A lot of us never asked for this farce any more than we asked for any of the injustices we see with our C/Tax bills each year! Just for the record, I notice that for a Band D in Bexley we are paying £218 MORE here than the national average, for this year alone! (Working out at some 16-17% over and above), what other Councils are paying! Why should this be allowed? I am protesting strongly regarding this injustice to Bexley's Residents! When will somebody in Government overhaul the expensive and unworkable Council Tax system?, and particularly tackle Bexley please?

Mrs. D. Winfield - email

Who reads small print?

Quotes from the front covers of BT phone books regarding Directory Enquiries.

2006/7 Directory: Call 118/500. Calls cost 24p per minute billed by the second, plus a connection charge of 49p per call.

2008/9 Directory: Call 118/500. Calls cost 49p per minute with a 29p connection charge.

Is it me?

Chas Owen - Sidcup

Letters March 2008

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 12:56:31 +0000

Life and Death...

I have read your article, "A matter of Life and Death" with utmost caution you have been extremely clever in raising serious concerns for the public whom reside in the borough of Bexley. Is it your intention to use scare tactics to the frail and vulnerable members of the community? It is this group of people who will read this article and become very worried.

As a member of the general community it is my understanding that Bexley PCT has provided Queen Mary's Hospital with an Urgent Care Centre in order to treat injuries and illnesses.

As for the longer journey to either Princess Royal or Queen Elizabeth Hospitals for treatment of a stroke does it not make perfect sense that people are seen by doctors in hospitals that specialise in complex illnesses in order to receive the most appropriate treatment, and not somewhere that is neither equipped or expert in dealing with these patients. Surely the life expectancy must be decreased if seen by the latter.i.e. Queen Mary's.

I and many others believe that the proposed changes will prevent loss of life and that Queen Mary's Hospital will no longer be providing a second class service to the people of Bexley.

A concerned reader!

• I listened with interest to what Prof.Alberti and his colleagues had to say. Their practical solutions might solve the medical problems let’s hope all the side issues of care in the community and extra services from surgeries will prove right. I remember when the NHS said nurses could do what midwives did and then said support nurses could do the jobs of trained nurses. Look where we are now! Ed

Debt doubled

I read with great interest how the B.C.T. has doubled the debt to £1.5m, in view of this, which other services if any, will be cut especially in the community. Who is responsible for this blunder? Why not sack them without severence pay? As for Queen Mary’s loss of missing files, for many months now it is not uncommon for patients files to go missing. Patients have had to re-arrange operations, others have had to wait two hours before a file is found, and now important files have disappeared. I do wonder if there is a sinister motive to this problem, or are people just not doing their jobs properly. As for the 700,000 copies of the consultation document asking for comments on the health proposals of the four hospitals involved. I have attended many meetings on this subject. They just keep repeating what Dr. Alberti and Co. say.

I have wondered how much money it is costing and how many people will fill it in and return? It is supposed to be a consultation document, I think they want people to agree with what Dr. Alberti and Co. say. They do not listen - how will the hospitals cope with extra patients? will there be more staff and facilities? what about parking and its high cost? distances from home to hospital?

What a pity Gorden Brown could not give some money to the N.H.S. instead of helping out Northern Rock.

J Rouse. Sidcup.

Fuel prices

The price of oil on the world market is going up and down like a yo-yo. Mostly up.

In January 2007 a barrel of oil cost $54 - by the end of December it was up to $100.

Not surprisingly the impact of this increase has been felt by all car drivers and by the UK transport industry, which delivers the goods which sustain all of us every day of the year.

UK road users pay the highest rates of fuel duty in Europe - 50p per litre in fuel duty and then VAT on top of the whole price. So for a pump price of £1.05 for petrol or diesel, the breakdown is 39p for the fuel, 50p for the duty and 16p for the VAT - the Chancellor gets 66p tax out of £1.05.

Clearly the Chancellor can have little influence on the world price of oil. But, equally clearly, he can do something about the tax take - a massive 63 per cent.

Sadly, he presently plans to increase his take by adding a further 2p per litre to the duty level on 1 April.

With the economy in some difficulty and inflation threatening, the prospect of higher fuel prices in the spring should worry us all. Given that everything needs to be delivered and that diesel fuels those deliveries, then a fuel duty rise is itself adding to the inflationary problem.

The Freight Transport Association says that the Chancellor should scrap his proposed 2p fuel duty increase. Perhaps you do too?

Gordon Telling

Freight Transport Association

Hermes House

St John’s Road

Tunbridge Wells,

Kent TN4 9UZ

Can we trust Bexley Council?

‘Can we trust Bexley Council’? - you ask appro. the Manor House in Sidcup. The answer is emphatically ‘NO’. With their almost fanatical policy of reducing the Council Tax at all costs, Tory Councillors lose their sense of proportion - and lose sight entirely of that part of their role as custodians of the quality of life and the environment of the community they represent.

The same shortsighted attitude was held in the seventies when the decision was taken to approve the erection of a prefabricated oblong box for the Civic Offices which has now reached the end of its life and needs to be replaced.

The Manor House and Wyncham House should be removed from the portfolio of buildings for sale that the Council wishes to dispose of to finance the erection of a new Civic Office block.

It was English Heritage that supplied the money for the restoration of the Manor House - a beautiful historic building that enhances our environment and is a joy to use. There is a smell of betrayal in the desire to raise money on it now.

Wyncham House was designed and built purposely for the Development and Planning Department of the Council. The Council owns it and therefore controls the maintenance and development of its use. The shortsighted proposal that it be sold off and then leased back to the Council means loss of control of future maintenance and development costs of the building - financial difficulties a future Council can well do without.

Our hopes that the short-sightedness of the 1970’s is not going to be repeated but we are not confident of that. Sufficient pressure for the retention of these two buildings needs to be voiced by all residents.

E Rhodes. - Sidcup.

Police Stations

The Metropolitan Police are looking currently at the need to keep police stations in London. They have published an Asset Management Plan for each borough in London. Bexley’s can be found on the following link: www.met.police.uk/bexley. This has arisen as, with the advent of Safer Neighbourhood policing, many local teams are now based in schools and other premises in their local wards.

Bexley’s police are now carrying out a similar exercise. As a result, a public meeting has been arranged for you to give your views on police stations in Bexley. This will be held at Bexleyheath School, Graham Road, Bexleyheath on Tuesday 5 February, starting at 7.30pm.

Do you want to keep Sidcup, Bexleyheath and Belvedere police stations open? Are they needed today for the elderly and the vulnerable, or should they be closed down and let the police be housed in local premises?

Come along and give your views on 5 February.

Graham Holland

Chairman - Bexley Police Consultative Engagement Group

Car Jacking!

Shame on you Bexley Chronicle! I have a lot of time for your paper as, unlike many other “local” papers, it actually includes Sidcup news. However, you let yourself down with the item on car jacking on page 15 of the February edition. This is a well-known long-running scam - see the following internet link http://www.sophos.com/security/hoaxes/rearwindow.html

I suggest a bit more effort in the future - it only took me 10 seconds to check this out using Google.

Geoff Taylor

E-Mail

Well good for you Geoff. I’d not heard of this scam and I doubt if many other readers would have done. Do you honestly expect them to randomly search the internet for vague websites! Ed

Dear Editor

I thought I must just take time to thank you for an informative and interesting paper as you will see from my address I now live in Bromley but resided in Sidcup for 40 years, and have many friends I visit, it was on one of these visits I picked up the Chronicle at Sidcup Station and enjoyed reading John Steward, he speaks from the heart with sentiments we all endorse. I thought it was my lucky day when visiting a friend (who I might say lives in a flat in Carlton Road) and had the Feb. Chronicle put through the letter box, I had already spoken about the many interesting points and the joy of John Steward’s writing. I wasn’t disappointed, we spent a happy hour in discussion with a few laughs and memories, well done John. Keep it up. I truly look forward to next month. Thank you.

PS. I shall certainly be on the protest march to save Queen Marys Hospital. Having my son in the hospital and being a cancer patient in 1995 receiving excellent treatment on both occasions.

Carol Smith. Bromley.