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News and Comment March 2015

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17 March - One serious error is careless, two is incompetence

Senseless in Sidcup
Bacon RichardsonCan you believe that in the almost ten months it took to improve the look of Sidcup, absolutely none of Bexley council’s highly paid managers and engineering staff noticed that the new footpaths buried all the water stop cocks leading to the shops? Probably you can if you have lived in the borough long enough.

As a result of Bexley council’s negligence, Thames Water is digging up the new paving and burrowing into the mud. The job is scheduled to take all week and Sidcup High Street has reverted to one way working.

Original cost of scheme : £1·8 million.

The council officer whose job it was to report progress on the Sidcup regeneration at council meetings was Mrs. Jane Richardson (Director of Strategic Planning and Regeneration, £86,940 per annum plus usual perks) and the cabinet member in charge was councillor Cheryl Bacon who famously closed the public meeting which announced it because she imagined that I and others were running riot in the council chamber that night. A lie for which there is still a good chance that the police will feel her collar before long - unless they succumb to political interference as has become the norm when a Bexley councillor breaks the law.

Sidcup High Street Sidcup High Street Sidcup High Street Sidcup High Street

Blockheads in Bexleyheath
Bryce-Smith CrosssingIn Bexleyheath the year and a bit old blocked junctions in Arnsberg are being ripped up and replaced with asphalt. When the £3·2 million award winning scheme was under construction, the man often to be seen overseeing the work and who spoke about it a meetings was David Bryce-Smith (£90,393 plus perks). Deputy Director of Development at the time.

It is now said that the basic design was wrong, which probably means that Bexley council has belatedly realised what many people have seen elsewhere. viz. blocks and buses don’t mix.

Work is expected to last eight weeks.

Arnsberg Arnsberg Arnsberg Arnsberg

Numpties in North Heath
ReadNorthumberland Heath may be the perfect example of how £100,000 goes nowhere these days. There was an exhibition in the library (while there still is one in North Heath) and there was a consultations with the local forums who were less than enthusiastic about the idea and who may be less so now.

All there is to show for the money is a couple of fancy railings either side of Mill Road, a couple of impractical granite benches, a flower bed and some flags flying from lamp posts.

Within yards of the new features the old remain to provide a contrast. The bollard is especially impressive and parking spaces are still at a considerable premium.

Cabinet member Philip Read was especially proud of this scheme but within months it is likely to be forgotten.

North Heath North Heath North Heath North Heath
Claim
All the street photographs were taken today.

 

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