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