Bus Consultation - 404 and 434
08/02/2019 14:23:00.......Posted by Ian Parker

The three Councillors covering Coulsdon Town ward have commented on the bus proposals affecting our residents. 

There are a number of positives about the proposals which we welcome, particularly the introduction of a new service to Cane Hill.  The proposed increase in bus frequency and links to Coulsdon are also welcome as is integration with trains at Coulsdon South and Town stations. 

As much as the new service to the ever-growing Cane Hill estate is appreciated, this should not be at the expense of passengers from the Rickman Hill area who will be penalised with the proposed service alterations.  This negative impact will affect particularly school children attending Woodcote High School and passengers to Purley from the Rickman Hill area.  Purley provides health and leisure facilities not available in Coulsdon. 

These views have been submitted as part of the consulation process.  

The closing date for submissions to the consultation is 11th February.  You can view the consultation document here https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/buses/routes-404-434/

Please do e-mail your thoughts to: consultations@tfl.gov.uk

Development at 76 Reddown Road
31/01/2019 23:11:00.......Posted by Luke Clancy

Tonight at Planning Committee I supported 110 objectors in opposing a development at 76 Reddown Road in Coulsdon Town Ward.

Here is what I said:

While local residents and councillors understand the need to increase housing across the borough we feel this is too much in this location. The massing of this large 4 storey development looms larger over its neighbours. The roofline proposed is about 2 metres higher than the surrounding properties and its footprint is approx. twice the scale of its neighbours. It will introduce a harsh blank solid brick wall to the outlook of the residents of number 78. The proposal would increase the mass and bulk compare to the existing building just a little too much in my view.

The design is also out of keeping - particularly the fenestration and balconies. The exterior building materials and appearance are not consistent with neighbouring dwellings in the location, the grey slate roof being one example. And contrary to assertions in the report, residents claim their road does have a character of its own - white render, reddish-brown brick, wood panels – and that is not reflected in the design of this proposal.

This proposal is also marked out by a lot of unattractive tarmacked parking at the front in contrast to the generally verdant nature of Reddown Road. It is important to note that even that parking provision still doesn’t guarantee all residents their own car parking space on site. So there will be parking in the street. It is a likely misassumption that six parking bays will suffice for 9 flats with 19 bedrooms.

The lack of parking is a particular concern in a road that has a PTAL rating of 1b and residents dispute that parking is not already more stressed than the report assumes. The timing of the parking surveys seems to have been undertaken at times designed to suit the developer’s case. Most were timed to coincide with the period 11am to noon when a lot of residents have driven off to work and any illegal parking is actively enforced against by a warden in accordance with restrictions in the road.

The survey results were also ignored when it was convenient for the developer’s case. On Thursday 8 November at 4am, for example, the parking survey shows stress was shown to be actually 100%.

I think not restricting future residents applying for parking permits could lead to aggravation in the road and I would advise the committee to consider such a restriction on future residents in the interests of maintaining the status quo in the competition for parking spaces.

A better solution would be for the onsite parking provision to be mirror the number of occupants, and perhaps this could be reduced by reducing the number of flats in the building to six or seven, which is what I think had been proposed in a previous application.

The refuse arrangements are also questionable.  Does the proposal of just 3 large bins adequately provide for the needs of the proposed development, when all the existing housing along the road have 3 and in many cases 4 bins already along with food waste caddy?

All in, this indicates this is an overdevelopment and that too much is being crammed onto this site.

Unfortunately the proposal was approved by a 5-4 vote with one member abstaining.

Memorial Service
28/01/2019 10:13:00.......Posted by Ian Parker

I was pleased to attend a Memorial Service at Croydon Minster in remembrance of those Croydon Scouts who gave their lives for King and Country in the Great War and since. 

Movingly, 75 youth representatives from Croydon Scouting each laid a single wooden poppy cross with the name of one of the 75 former Scout members who gave their lives in the Great War. 

A moving service indeed and many congratulations to the organisers.

Transport for London proposing changes to bus routes 404 and 434
17/01/2019 11:22:00.......Posted by Ian Parker

Following the development of Cane Hill, TfL have worked with Croydon Council to provide a bus service to the area, parts of which are currently more than five minutes walk from a bus route. TfL have also said they want to improve services in both the western and eastern sides of Old Coulsdon.

Under the changes, route 404 would serve the Tollers Lane estate and Shirley Avenue in Old Coulsdon. It would also be extended along the current route of the 434 between Coulsdon and the Rickman Hill estate.  TfL propose to introduce a Sunday service and to increase the frequency to every 30 minutes on all days.

Route 434 would be extended from Coulsdon to serve Cane Hill. It would no longer serve Rickman Hill. The frequency would be increased to every 20 minutes Monday to Saturday and remain every 30 minutes on Sundays.

Details of the proposals can be found online at: https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/buses/routes-404-434/.
Please do let TfL know what you think about their proposals using any of the methods shown in the link. The deadline for comments is Monday 11 February 2019.

Councillors' Street Stalls
17/01/2019 11:15:00.......Posted by Ian Parker

Our popular street stalls outside Aldi in Coulsdon continue.  Residents come and discuss issues of local concern with us.  The dates and times for the first half of the year are:

16th February     2pm
16th March         2pm
13th April            11am
25th May             11am and
15th June            11am

As always, if residents prefer to meet by appointment, perhaps more confidentially, this can be arranged.

Damaged parking pole
27/12/2018 13:26:00.......Posted by Mario Creatura

I've reported to the Council a damaged parking pole about 50 tards east of the Woodplace Lane Rail Bridge. It looked like it was hit by a vehicle.

The highways inspector has said they'll investigate and get it sorted as soon as possible.

If you see anything like this, then please use the Council app or contact information to report it.

Speed limit sign knocked down
24/12/2018 11:42:00.......Posted by Mario Creatura

A speed limit sign has been knocked down at the Croydon/Surrey border on Woodplace Lane, opposite the stables. 

I've reported this to the Council who tell me they'll investigate and get it sorted as soon as possible.

If you see anything like this, then please use the Council app or contact information to report it.

Dust and mud on Cane Hill
19/12/2018 13:48:00.......Posted by Mario Creatura

The builders on Cane Hill are doing an excellent job, and the community is thriving. But there have been some issues with their dust mitigation measures and I've been working with the Council to get these up to scratch.

There have been clear issues with mud being tracked from the construction areas to surrounding roads and the Council has noted the lack of wheel washing facilities on the spine road which has resulted in construction dirt and debris from vehicles which is being tracked onto the main vehicle and pedestrian thorough-fares. In addition the road sweeper was not clearing the road areas effectively.

The Planning Enforcement team have contacted the site requiring the following measures to be employed:

1. that wheel washing facilities will be reinstated immediately(if not present) to clean vehicles before leaving the construction phases of the development.
2. That the road sweeper will be immediately deployed across the site where necessary to effectively clean the footways/highways.
3. That the drainage system which serves the highway is adequately maintained to ensure it can cope with the run-off from the seasonal weather and any washings coming from construction traffic which use this main route in and out of the site.

A further site visit will be carried out to ensure these measures have been employed.

If there are continued issues regarding this matter residents should please contact the pollution team direct using the contact details below:

Tel: 020 8760 5483 9-5

Out of hours emergency 020 8726 6000 and press option 4

Email: pollution@croydon.gov.uk

Lights on Coulsdon Town footbridge repaired
18/12/2018 07:40:00.......Posted by Mario Creatura

After a lot of pushing by residents, Residents' Associations and councillors, I'm really pleased that the bridge has finally been repaired so that all the lights are now working.

With the dark mornings and evenints it's important that we all feel safe when walking around the neighbourhood, with most of the lights out of action for so many weeks that wasn't the case.

Thank you to everyone who helped to lobby to make this happen.

Would Labour apologise to the vulnerable residents it's been letting down?
03/12/2018 23:43:00.......Posted by Mario Creatura

Tonight the Conservatives put forward a motion for debate at the Council meeting:

This Council needs to do more to protect its most vulnerable residents – and apologises to all those it has let down to date.

A simple question, and you would think they'd be able to answer. Throughout the evening many of my councillor colleagues had raised serious cases of vulnerable people being let down by the Council:

• Cllr Perry referenced a much-loved South Norwood business, closed because of a Council planning application. They were promised help by the Council, but none came.
• Cllr Hale described a single mother, forced to sleep with her children in a car, refused Council housing appointments for weeks at a time. Since 2015 the Council hasn't completed one single affordable or Council house.
• Cllr Streeter referenced the difficulties 98-year-old Shirley resident was having sorting out her neglected waste collections, only able to be helped thanks to the persistence of her neighbours.
• Cllr Brew referenced a block of flats on the Brighton Road where vulnerable elderly people are living - where their food waste has not been collected since the summer.
• Cllr Stranack spoke of a widow in his ward, seeking help through the Council system and unable to speak to a real person for weeks at a time.

There were numerous other worrying examples shared, and to their credit many of the Labour Cabinet members offered public apologies for the failure in service.

It's this that made what followed so disappointing. Here was my speech, opening the debate this evening:

Tonight we have heard dozens of examples of this Labour Council failing our most vulnerable residents. 

We’ve heard about small businesses closing saying it’s due to a lack of support from the Council, hurting our district centres and destroying the livelihoods of many of our residents. 

We’ve heard that since 2015 Labour have not finished one, single affordable or Council house – with many hundreds left stranded on the housing waiting list. 

We’ve heard about elderly, vulnerable residents, living among their refuse, left to rot for months on end and when they ask for help with their assisted collection they are ignored for weeks at a time. 

We’ve heard that immunisation of our young people is among the worst in London. We know that health visitors have such huge caseloads that they aren’t able to support the many vulnerable families who need their support. Out of 6000 babies born in Croydon every year, 858 will experience physical abuse, 720 will have parents with mental health problems and 1320 will experience parental separation. 

We all know about Ofsted’s damning children’s services report which revealed in its update just last month that this Council is still suffering from ‘drift and delay’ - leaving vulnerable children in worrying circumstances for far too long. 

Madam Mayor, it’s not just children. We know that when vulnerable adults try to access the contact centre for support, they are often left unaided and unacknowledged. 

Earlier this year Council had to pay out thousands of pounds to ‘a young man with complex needs’ for ‘failure to provide suitable respite care’ which caused him and his carer ‘extreme distress.’ 

Throughout the complaint, the Social Care Ombudsman was ‘concerned by the Council’s lack of engagement’. It took a total of 12 weeks for the Council to respond to his enquires. Then when the Ombudsman drafted a report, the Council failed to respond to that! He said: ‘this was particularly concerning given the significant failings identified by the investigation and the resultant injustice to a young man with complex disabilities and his carer.’

This is not an isolated case. There were 226 other complaints made this year alone.

Now, this motion asks Labour to accept what they have already accepted via the Ombudsman – that they must to more to protect our most vulnerable residents – and it asks that they apologise to those they have let down to date. 

I hope – I sincerely hope – that the Labour speakers following me are going to be humble, that given the mountain of evidence presented this evening, that they will accept that an apology isn’t an unreasonable request, and that it’s the least our residents deserve. 

Madam Mayor, I sadly support this necessary motion and hope Labour does too.

Cllr Newman, the Labour Leader of the Council, was next up to speak - at least in theory. What followed was a shouted and intensely negative set of ad hominem attacks. An angry, rambling rant the likes of which I've never experienced in my over four years of being on the Council. He was incoherent, he was illogical, he was frankly embarrassing. Despite Labour Cllrs Collins, Butler and Avis apologising to varying degrees during the meeting, despite all the factual evidence listed throughout the evening by my colleagues and by me (including the legal pay-outs demanded by the Ombudsman), Cllr Newman and his Labour councillors seemed incapable of accepting themselves culpable for the shocking service they are offering our residents.

Labour voted against our polite, considered and factually accurate motion. A tremendous shame.

I'll post the link to the footage as soon as it's up so you can see for yourself and make your own judgement about how the debate progressed.

With a temper tantrum like the one we saw tonight, and the denial that seems to be gripping our Labour Council, I fear that our most vulnerable residents are far from getting the support and the services that they deserve.