9 May (Part 3) - Broadway, Welling and Sidcup. Northumberland Heath is next for disruption
Over the past year or so Bexleyheath, Welling and Sidcup have all been given
the ‘regeneration’ treatment. In each case it has taken far too long and caused
traffic chaos and business disruption. The end results have been controversial. Nuxley Road
shopping area in Belvedere would have got the same treatment but the locals
rebelled. Now it is Northumberland Heath’s turn.
New paving, new seating, railings and banners hanging from lamp posts are all
proposed; the latter obscuring the CCTV cameras.
Plans were available for inspection
in the library last month but no one knows how many people looked. Local councillor
Phil Read asked at the last council meeting.
Some people must have done so because one told me that Northumberland Park was shown as a two-way
road when it is one-way. Where does Bexley council
find these incompetents?
The
new benches are of the same sort as is causing a lot of
wet behinds in
Welling; did Bexley buy a job lot? The present seating is perfectly serviceable
and equipped with a back rest. You give an elderly person a place to rest but
it’s wet and uncomfortable. Stylish though, that is what seems to count in Bexley.
Replacement of selected parts of the existing pavement is unlikely to improve the
overall appearance especially as the existing slabs are not old and in good condition.
Taking away the existing greenery and replacing it with stand alone trees and
the risk of damage while they get established seems to be a peculiar use of
money when there is a £40 million black hole to plug.
The plan does not include upgrading the car park upon which many shops rely.
It’s full of potholes at the moment. Bexley council might do better to spend our
money where it is needed rather than give work to some planner who knows the
area so well he gets his one-way streets muddled up.
