Penge and Cator Councillors

Here's an interesting on-line report of a success for our Penge & Cator Safer Neighbourhood Team.   (PCSO Pinkney is now training to be a fully fledged PC.   We wish him all the best)

Steadman Hill, 34, unemployed of Harewood Road, South Croydon was sentenced to two years imprisonment at Croydon Crown Court on 29 January 2010 after pleading guilty to burglary.

On 18 November 2009, officers from Bromley were on patrol in the Penge and Beckenham areas of the borough in support of Operation Bumblebee, the MPS burglary initiative.

At approximately 12.40hrs officers received reports of a man acting suspiciously at the rear of a house in Clevedon Road, Beckenham. A man matching the description of the suspect was spotted a short while later in Beckenham High Street, by a PCSO from the Penge and Cator Safer Neighbourhood team who was making his way to the nearest transport hub.

The suspect was pursued by the PCSO attempting to escape via the Beckenham Road Tram Stop, before running into Thayers Farm Road where he was seen to discard a bag. The suspect was apprehended and the discarded bag was retrieved and was found to contain two laptop computers, which were subsequently established to have come from the burgled property.

Hill was charged with burglary on 18 November 2009 and appeared at Bromley Magistrates’ court the following day. The case was committed to Croydon Crown Court, where Steadman pled guilty on 25 January 2010.

Sergeant Rob Goodwin, head of the Penge and Cator Safer Neighbourhood team, said: "The prompt actions of all of the officers involved led to the successful detention of this burglar. PCSO Pinkney "thought like a burglar" - as the Operation Bumblebee advertisements have been urging people to do - and went to the nearest transport hub, where he located the suspect trying to flee the scene. This has resulted in a burglar being removed from our streets and the victim having his property returned to him".

Labour victory for 101 Club closure

 Local councillors John Getgood and Peter Fookes were celebrating with residents this week after they persuaded a Bromley Planning Committee to refuse an application to build 20 flats on the site of the former 101 Club in Parish Lane.   Bromley council want to sell the land, which was once a youth club and community centre, to raise money.  But Peter and John told the committee that Penge needed more, not less, community facilities and that in any case, 20 flats were too many for this site and would put an intolerable burden on existing residents.

The developers now have to decide whether to come back with a less intensive application, appeal directly to a Planning Inspector or give up.   Round 1 to us, though.   Thanks to  everyone for their support.  

Cllrs Peter Fookes and John Getgood, along with case worker Kathy Bance, will be on the High Street for their regular monthly street stall this Saturday morning  (6th February) between 10.45 and 12.15, outside the Post Office on the High Street.  Do come and see us.

The Bromley Council Tax is likely to rise by just under 1% from April 1^st 2010.   The final figures will be agreed at a meeting of the Full Council on Monday week, 15^th February.   

The figures were put to the Council Executive last night, Wednesday.   There may be some minor changes between now and then.   The Bromley element of the council tax will rise by approx 1.4% but this is reduced by the zero% increase in GLA precept.   As always, there is a careful balance to be struck between keeping increases down and providing services.   The GLA zero % increase needs to be judged in the light of large increases in bus and tube fares and plans to reduce the number of police in London.  

In Bromley, the below inflation increase has largely been achieved through reductions is staffing and other savings.  However, there is no guarantee that a reduced number of staff can deliver the high quality, prompt response residents want.   We remain concerned that Bromley Council may not be able to deliver the appropriate level of service for areas of greatest need.   That would apply, for instance, to street cleaning in the more densely populated parts of the borough, services for the elderly  and to the schools dealing with children from the most disadvantaged areas.  

The Executive also agreed to spend more money on recruiting and retaining children’s social workers.   There is a shortage of children’s social workers across London.  Since recent high profile cases of child abuse, there has also been a large increase in case loads.   Hopefully the extra funds will allow Bromley to attract more social workers and keep those we  have.  The council also needs to reduce reliance on expensive agency staff.  Some of the money to pay for this however was previously earmarked for other areas of spending on children’s welfare.   We shall be looking closely at the budget to see whether this important area could have been saved. 

Some details on the current traffic works along Penge High Street.

These are the works to replace the gas main that were due to start in October last year.   Don’t know yet why they were delayed.    The overall duration of the works Is expected to be 18 weeks, ending sometime towards the end of May.    We were told last year that :

The works for High Street, Penge involve a new 355mm main starting from the junction with Crampton Road down to the junction with St Johns Road and then a 250mm main from St Johns Road down to the junction with Green Lane.

The 355mm main will need to be installed via excavation of a trench for the whole length of the main carried out in sections along High Street, it is envisaged that most of this work will be carried out near to the northeast kerb line and whilst maintaining two way traffic past the works thereby minimising disruption. Near the junction with St Johns Road the use of temporary traffic signals for a period will be required.

Fortunately the section of main (250mm) between St Johns Road and Green Lane is apparently suitable for installation by the insertion method, this is likely to result in excavations near the junction of Penge Lane, another outside 127 High Street, opposite Arpley Square and then a final excavation at Green Lane, rather than excavation of the full length. The work at the junction of High Street with Green Lane is likely to cause the most disruption utilising four way temporary traffic signals.

We have already had to complain that there has been no allowance made for pedestrians to cross at the temporary lights.  This is being looked in to.  However, at least we are not having to suffer quite the disruption that Beckenham had, with the whole length of the High Street being dug up.

On Wednesday 10 February 2010, Bromley Council, in partnership with other agencies - including Job Centre Plus, Next Step and Business Focus - is holding Fresh Start – an event to provide help and advice for people looking for work, training or new career directions or thinking about starting in business.  The event will also include an element of general advice on personal finance.

In the cureetn financial circumstances, more people are expressing an interest in ways to get back into work, to change career direction or become self-employed.  There is a wide range of publicly funded support currently on offer to help people in these areas – especially for those who are unemployed or facing redundancy.  The event will bring together a range of support agencies to deliver an exhibition, training and one-to-one advice – and will for many be a starting point onto other support programmes.  The event takes place at Anerley Town Hall – from 10.30am to 4pm – and is free to attend.

For more information and booking please visit the Council website: www.bromley.gov.uk/employmentsupport.  Bookings can also be made by calling 020 8313 4825 or emailing business@bromley.gov.uk

The next meeting of Penge Forum will be held on Wednesday 10^th February in the memorial Gall adjacent to Penge Congregational Church, opposite the Kentwood Centre on the High Street.   It starts at 8 pm.  

A range of topics will be discussed including:

Expanding Neighbourhood Watch across Penge

and I will be presenting the first designs for a Town sign for Penge, which we hope to erect in the High Street area later this year. 

Penge Forum is a non-political, non-sectarian umbrella organisation for groups and individuals living in, working in and interested in Penge and Anerley. New Members are welcome.

Penge Forum

“a voice for Penge and Anerley”

www.communigate.co.uk/london/pengeforum/

Telephone (020) 8778 9422 for further details.

We’ve received a number of calls recently about cars blocking pavement cross-overs.  I asked the council to clarify the position.   It turns out that the council does have the power to take action if a cross over is blocked and the police can take action if your own vehicle is blocked in. 

“If a vehicle is parked over a driveway, then the power has now been passed to local authorities to carry out enforcement.  Therefore, if vehicles are parked over drives, then a PCN (parking ticket) can be issued.  As a first point of contact the resident would need to contact the Parking Services team at the Council, who can instruct Civil Enforcement Officers to attend the site/area and issue tickets.   (The telephone number is 020 8461 7702)

However, if a vehicle is creating a direct obstruction then this would be a matter for the Police.  Whilst we can issue parking tickets, we can not physically move the vehicle.  So if it is creating a direct obstruction, then the Police would need to be informed.”

Kathy Bance has sent us this comment:

At a recent road safety meeting the following statics were issued:

Roads with the most casualties 2007-2009

Penge High Street was 5th on the list of Roads with most casualties with 36 casualties

7 serious, 29 slightly 2007--13, 2008--11, 2009—12.

There is obviously something that needs to be done to reduce the number of accidents.

This is a busy crossing with a busy bus stop very close to it.  Cars that do not want to get stuck behind the buses whiz around them adding to the congestion and complication at the traffic lights and this puts people in danger.  The statics prove this.

There is another problem in this area which we have been trying to resolve for almost a year now.  There is a bus stand in Croydon Road, close to the bus stop near these traffic lights.  Moving the bus stop from close to the traffic lights to the bus stand is would alleviate the problem.

The bus stand could also be moved to Anerley where there are facilities for the drivers.   At present, although the drivers, work through the night, they have no toilet facilities.  As a result, drivers have been seen to urinate in Croydon Road or leave water bottles of urine for others to clear. 

TfL will not consider moving the stand because they say; “this would increase the distance buses on this route would need to travel and therefore likely to increase operating costs”. 

They have also investigated other options for providing toilet facilities for their drivers but without success.   They say: “We are unable to identify anything suitable.  We are now instead looking at what facilities can be provided at the other end of the N176 route in Tottenham Court Road.  We consider that a toilet at least at one end of the terminus of a bus route is sufficient”.

The basis for doing nothing is cost.  Who measures the cost on terms of safety and employee welfare.

Thnaks to the News Shopper for letting us know that Cator Park Girls School in Penge & Cator ward has been recognised as one of the most improved schools in the country by the Government. Head teacher Meryl Davies was congratulated by the Prime Minister at a reception for successful schools at 10 Downing Street on Monday, January 11.

The school in Lennard Road has been improving year on year since 2003, with significant improvements at GCSE and Post 16 in the last four years. It is a Specialist College for Technology and Performing Arts and recently won first prize and the Drama Shield at the Beckenham Festival.

Cator Park was the first school in the borough to gain the British Council International School Award. It is one of 15 schools nationally remaining in the final of BBC Schools Question Time Challenge 2010 and will represent all schools in the South East of England. It was also the inaugural winner of the Bromley Schools' Debating Competition.

Head teacher Meryl Davies said: “It is a great honour to be recognised as one of the most improved schools in the country and to be invited by the Prime Minister to celebrate this achievement. Cator Park’s success is down to the hard work of all members of staff and students who have helped to make our school popular and oversubscribed. I am looking forward to continuing our good work.”