August
| Published: 2nd September 2008 15:09 |
LAZY DUSTMEN
Belinda Lewin, Towncourt Crescent
I am at my wits end with the lazy refuse collectors we have in Petts Wood. I have spoken to the local Council, sent e-mails and resorted to putting messages on my rubbish bin - all to no avail I'm afraid.
My problem is that every Monday night I put my bin or bins out, three or one depending if it is a recycling week or not. Then every Tuesday evening I come home and almost 100% of the time my bin has the lid open. This means passers by throw their rubbish in and, in addition to this, if it is raining it catches the rain water and then if not washed out the water gets dirty and smelly. Trust me, tipping these wheelie bins up and cleaning them out is no mean feat.
The refuse collectors also leave my bin on the pavement which clearly lets every not-so-nice human being know that my home is empty. It must also be incredibly dangerous for any blind people, and for wheelchair pedestrians or mothers with prams and pushchairs as they would have to navigate around it.
Having lived in Petts Wood for almost three years after moving from Sidcup, I really struggle with Bromley's lack of care and enthusiasm. Sidcup is covered by Bexley Council and they were an absolute joy; they were clean, proactive and responsible. Is it too much to ask that they close my bin lid and replace it on my drive as they found it? I adhere to their orders of ensuring the bin(s) are at my property boundary so they are not asked to walk a few extra paces.
We forwarded Belinda's letter to our local Councillors, who took the matter up on her behalf. Here is the response from Nigel Davies, Acting Director of Environment: "This is an issue that we have been making some progress on and we will continue to ensure that the contractor emphasises how important this aspect of waste collection is. It tends to be an issue with specific crews and I will ensure that we follow this up."
Do you experience similar problems? If so, please contact our Environment Representative, Phil Webb (details on the back cover), so that he can build a picture of which rounds have issues for presentation to the Council. Ed.
RE: 20MPH SPEED LIMITS
Ian Webb, Addison Close
With reference to the article in July's Gazette regarding a suggestion for a 20mph speed limit on non-priority roads, what is the point of lowering speed limits when the current limits are not being policed at this present time? If the lowering to 20mph speed limit takes place and assuming that most drivers comply, the next complaint will be that of air pollution.
As a retired traffic police constable having served in excess of thirty years with the Metropolitan Police and had experience as an accident investigator, I am not in favour of 20mph speed limits. My experience has shown me that whatever the speed limit is, it is only the law abiding who generally drive at or near to the actual limit. No matter what the speed limit is, you will always get the driver who puts two fingers up to society.
During my police service I dealt with many fatal and serious personal injury accidents, a few of which were as a result of excess speed, but most (some at surprisingly slow speeds) at or under the speed limit. These accidents were often the result of the drivers' inattentiveness, lack of experience (new drivers) or failing to appreciate a potential hazard building up in front of him/her.
My main concern locally for road safety is not the imposition of a 20mph limit, but for those very few selfish and careless drivers on the school run. Although at these times a driver can only crawl along due to the very slow moving traffic, often caused by obstruction of these thoughtless drivers, the potential for an accident is very high.
If one feels that his or her road is being used as a race track, then ask the local police superintendent to have traffic patrols set up a speed check on that road, so that these miscreants can be dealt with and be seen to be dealt with. Surely as a society we must try and have matters of excess speed dealt with by present laws, not attempt to have things changed and still be in the same position in the future as we are now.
SPEEDING IN PETTS WOOD ROAD
D C Hudson, Petts Wood Road
The following letter was sent to our Police Representative, Derek Marrable, and the author asked if we could also publish it in the Gazette...
Please find enclosed a copy of a traffic calming petition from 2002/3, which is signed by virtually all the residents of Petts Wood Road.
Bromley Council's reply was that they refuse to take any until a significant amount of deaths and serious injuries are recorded in the road. The police will not press the matter because they use Petts Wood Road as a rat run - most days they can be seen travelling of speeds of 60 to 70 mph. Laws do apply to the police as well! Our MP, John Horam, provided strong support, but this had no affect on either the Council or the Police.
Where do we go from here?
Here is Derek's reply... Ed.
The Association has sympathy with your concerns over the speed of traffic in Petts Wood Road. However, I am aware that the Police have in the past, and will continue to, enforce the speed limit from time to time in this and other roads with similar problems. Unfortunately, they are unable to do regular enforcement as this takes resources away from other matters that are also of concern to the local community. Your comment about nothing being done until someone is killed is, unfortunately, very near the mark, but it is a nationwide problem.
As for Police themselves speeding there are, of course, many and varied reasons for that. Petts Wood Road is not in any way a ‘rat run' but it is the most direct route from the Petts Wood area of South Bromley to the Cray's area. So we can hardly blame the Police for travelling that way when answering an urgent call. Sadly our Police are now a ‘Fire Brigade' force, with little patrolling being done between answering urgent 999 calls. This is reflected in an increase in Police vehicles travelling at fast speeds along our roads.
RE: BUSINESS ASSOCIATION UPDATE
Barbara Boon, Manor Way
I was extremely interested in Jamie Wright's article in the June Gazette.
What worries me as an older and long-standing resident is the lack of fresh food shops - the greengrocer is fighting for his life - and the feeling that Petts Wood is turning into a giant canteen, in addition to FOUR bookies. Also is it true that Morrisons' lease will not be renewed next year? I am rather puzzled by the fact that the flower shop attached to Morrisons has not been let.
I contacted Morrisons concerning rumours that they would not be renewing their lease. Here is their reply...
"We have absolutely no plans to close our Petts Wood store. The store is trading well, and we've recently invested in a full internal refresh to update the look of the store. Morrisons Market Street area has been given a brighter and fresher look, with fresh food counters enabling customers to see Morrisons' specialists at work in these busy areas. This claim is purely speculation."
That seems to be pretty definitive!
I also contacted Iceland as I had heard rumours that they might not be renewing the lease on their Station Square store. Interestingly, they did not reply to my e-mail. Read into that what you will!
I also forwarded Mrs Boon's letter to Jamie Wright; here is his reply... Ed.
"Thank you for your interest, Mrs Boon; the editor has answered your question regarding Morrisons. The type of shops in the centre of Petts Wood is largely down to the shopping habits and preferences of local people. If you think that Petts Wood needs more greengrocers / butchers and that is an opinion that is shared by many local shoppers then that is something that is definitely of interest to the Petts Wood Business Association. However, those businesses would need to be supported if they were to survive. As I mention on page 13, it would be great if you, the residents of Petts Wood, could provide feedback about what you want to see and help get the shopping area that you deserve."
THANK YOU!
Katherine Ince, Hollingworth Road
I would like to say a big thank you to the staff and manager at Alan De Maid residential lettings on the Queensway side of Petts Wood.
I often cycle to the station and on this particular day I returned from work to be greeted by a couple of members of staff who told me that a youth had tried to steal my bike. The staff had seen the youth acting suspiciously and alerted their manager, who went outside to the bike racks to see the youth with a pair of bolt cutters at work on my padlock. He challenged the youth who said that he'd forgotten the combination number to his lock, but the manager told him he didn't believe him so he walked off. When I checked the padlock he had managed to get almost through the chain; a few minutes more and he would have been able to get away with it!
Again, a big thank you to the staff and management. This is a great example of the people who live and work in Petts Wood looking out for each other.
RE: PARKING
Neil Harrison, Beaumont Road
Since reading the Gazette (volume 58, issue No. 10) I felt I had to write in and give my opinion on this debate. There is no one solution that will please everyone, which was clearly highlighted by the three letters on this subject.
Parking restriction is not a solution for everyone. I, for one, have to park on the road as I do not have a driveway, it is shared with my neighbour and it is too narrow for modern cars. I agree with the point about our nice green neighbourhood and would hate to see all the gardens turned into driveways, but unless common sense prevails I can't see an alternative.
Let's face it, how much of an issue is it really, how much inconvenience does it really cause? Yes it is annoying; having lived on Towncourt Lane, we had people using our parking area for the school and the off-licence. We live in a society where people rely on cars; there is nothing we can do about that (although if petrol prices keep rising the government will have managed that one for us). I can see Bromley will use this as an excuse to further tax car owners with resident parking permits (which have been used in Bromley for a while now). This is a very sore point for some people, but if you step back from it, how much of an issue is it, did it really warrant £40,000 on a consultation? I am sure some schools could do with that money.
If we have managed to get along as it is now, can we not make do with something that essentially works?
RE: PARKING IN PETTS WOOD
Paul Wylie, Petts Wood Road (soon to be Auckland, New Zealand)
I read with interest the letters in the recent Gazette edition concerning the parking suggestions, the Council circular and the demise of the greengrocer in the Square. As this will probably be the last Gazette I will see as we are off to New Zealand after 15 years in Petts Wood, I thought I would add my two-penn'th before I depart.
The comments struck me as rather endemic of the British nanny state at the moment and the interference of authority and others to make life as difficult and miserable for others as possible. I returned my letter to the Council and indicated my preference to leave well alone. If parking restrictions are increased, then ultimately Petts Wood as a small handy shopping centre and busy well serviced station may very well cease.
Petts Wood is a commuter suburb. It grew up around the station. Do you not think if suddenly we stop people from the surrounding areas parking and utilising the station facilities that some bureaucrat at Network Rail will decide to cut services as the headcount at the station would fall. Couldn't happen? I believe something similar happened at Paddock Wood for the same reasons.
In reality, what difference does it make if a car is outside in the otherwise empty bit of road outside your house? So long as they are parked sensibly allowing access to drives and far enough away from corners, what's the problem? They may even slow down the motorbikes who seem to use the straight roads around Petts Wood as a race track without any interference from the Police. These car parkers are only trying to go to work, to earn a living and feed their families, in these troubled economic times. Do you really need to pile more grief and hassle on them? If the station car park was empty and the roads full maybe the parkers would have an option, but from what I have seen the station car park is usually at full capacity.
Concerning the greengrocers demise, which seems to be blamed on rent increase, I dare say this proved a factor, but also probably the lack of decent and available convenient parking also played its part which in turn brought about a lack of custom. This, combined with the Council's rate demands, which having had a business in the borough, I can testify as being prohibitive. Never has there been such a greedy charge for so little service, or "never has so little been done by so many, for so much".
Just remember the free parking at Sainsburys or Bluewater are very enticing when faced with the Bromley traffic Gestapo who pounce at every opportunity. And this is before the opening of the Tescos in Orpington which will certainly have an impact. Please think before any stupid suggestions are given to the Council, especially any with a revenue angle, they just couldn't help themselves from squeezing more out of already fleeced Council Tax payers.
I do hope that if I ever re-visit Petts Wood that it continues to thrive. Or will I be shocked and find tumbleweed and used kebab wrappers blowing about on the deserted Station Square and trains hustling through the station, like St Johns near Lewisham where they seldom stop.
Sad to leave Petts Wood? In a way, yes. Sad to leave England and a whole level of people just out to make others' lives difficult? No, not at all!
What do you think?
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