Plastic.

The photo above shows the recycling centre in James Watt Way Erith, just behind the large Morrison's supermarket. The centre is well used and popular with many local people. You may notice a large gap between the green and blue recycling containers in the photo above - click on it for a larger view. This gap used to contain two additional recycling hoppers - one for empty drinks cartons, and one for plastic items such as packaging. On the 14th November the two containers disappeared;  the two hoppers had not been emptied for a very long time, and were extremely over - full. Initially I thought that the two missing hoppers would be returned, but nothing happened. As a result of this, I contacted Calum Boyd, who is the Waste Management Officer (Reuse and Recycling Centres and Bring Banks) for Bexley Council - to give him his full title. Calum responded with:- "Thank you for contacting use regarding the household plastic packaging and beverage cartons recycling banks at Morrisons Erith. Please accept our apologies regarding the difficulties you have experienced using this facility.  Due to the relatively high cost to service these banks and ongoing issues we have been experiencing with severe contamination at a number of the mini recycling sites we had to make the difficult decision to remove these banks borough wide. This commenced on Tuesday 14th November after emptying on Monday 13th November. Prior to the removal of the banks collections were suspended which led to issues at a number of sites with full banks. Household plastic packaging and beverage cartons can continue to be recycled through the kerbside recycling collection in the maroon box for houses or silver bins for flats". I am strongly of the opinion that this is a really bad move; it will increase the already high level of fly tipping in the borough, and it also sends precisely the wrong message to the residents of The London Borough of Bexley in respect to the commitment to recycling which the borough has previously and very publicly made.  The timing of this short - sighted decision also coincides with the increase in awareness of the very long term polluting effects of plastic on nature - highlighted by the recent episode of the BBC's Blue Planet 2. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

For some unknown reason, the activities of the illegal moped and quad bike riders seems to have curtailed over the last couple of weeks. Whether this is due to the actions of the Police, or whether it is due to the wintry cold and wet weather conditions, I do not know. The good news is that they have been keeping a low profile, which is very much to be welcomed. I suspect it may just be that they are staying in their bedrooms in front of their PlayStations waiting for the winter to pass so that they can step up their criminal activities once again. I do know that the local Police have had a number of successes in intercepting and detaining members of local bike gangs recently. How effective this will prove to be in the long term, nobody knows.

The graphic above was sent to me by fellow local Blogger Malcolm Knight of the excellent "Bexley is Bonkers" Blog. It shows the other local bus services that have proposed re - routings to cater for the Crossrail service at Abbey Wood, and the forthcoming Erith Quarry development. I mentioned the new private bus service, quite inaccurately named the Nuxley Navigator last week, but I neglected to also write about the existing bus services that have plans to re - route to take into account commuters from the new up - market housing estate that will need to travel to Abbey Wood Station to travel on to destinations including the City and Canary Wharf. Travel links are one of the key factors in attracting people from outside of the area to move locally. Historically the London Borough of Bexley has fared poorly in relation to public transport; it is one of the few London boroughs with no tube stations and there is little chance of the DLR being expanded into Bexley in the next few years. We are however getting Crossrail (which will only be renamed the Elizabeth Line when it actually opens) and the bus extensions, both public and private are a move to capitalise on this new connectivity. This however will not help with one major problem with transport links locally, and that is the real elephant in the corner; the situation regarding road traffic. As many will be aware, even dual carriageways such as Bronze Age Way tend to become blocked with stationary traffic for extended periods; the reason for this is that the road is a feeder towards the M25 and the Dartford River Crossing. It was stated that back when the toll booths were removed and ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras were installed, that the major benefit would be a quicker transit time for users of the crossing. In reality the opposite has happened. In the last weeks, it has taken in some cases up to ninety minutes for travellers to get across the River Thames. This has been exacerbated by the very unreliable Woolwich Ferry service, which on occasions has been completely unavailable, or running on one ferry only. Larger lorries are unable to go through the Blackwall Tunnel (which was originally designed and constructed for horse and cart traffic) - so when the Woolwich Ferry is out of service, vehicles have to go all of the way to Dartford in order to cross the River Thames, worsening an already very congested situation. The situation has now become so bad that on Monday the 27th November, the radio presenter Steve Allen, who hosts the afternoon music and chat show on the excellent, Romford based Time 107.5 FM ended up presenting the first hour of his show live from his car, stuck in a traffic jam at the Dartford Crossing. Whilst this actually made for very entertaining listening, it was indicative of just how serious the congestion has now got. What experiences have you had regarding trying to cross the River Thames? Do let me know.

Early last week, I received the following Email from a resident who lives in Erith Town Centre, who wishes to remain anonymous. The person wrote:- "Living in the town centre, with a view of the White Hart, I've been following the work on the building closely and, like many locals, have been looking forward to finding out what's going into the old pub on the ground floor. So, I'm sure you'll understand the disappointment I felt about the project when I was awoken at 4:30 am on Monday morning (November 27th) to the sound of very loud music emanating from the pub (my husband later told me he'd first heard the noise around 4 am). Looking out our window, we could see that the lights were on in the pub, the doors were shut and there was red paper over the windows. A few people were outside and there were some cars parked at the side and out front too. I phoned 101 around 4:45 to report the noise disturbance and the woman I spoke with commented that mine was the second complaint the police had received. A unit had gone out around 3 am to deal with the disturbance but, whatever the outcome of that was, the noisemakers were back at it an hour later. The police arrived shortly after 5 am, and the noise stopped. Hopefully for good! While the previous owners of Potion were certainly problematic, out-of-hours noise was not an issue that I remember ever having to put up with. Considering the building is still a construction site, I worry about what's going to happen once it is open!" I have passed the local resident's comments onto the Police, and am currently awaiting their response. If you know anything about the party, or indeed anything else to do with the building, then please let me know.

We hear so much about pubs closing to be converted into flats, and other bad news issues, that it is nice to report that a local pub is thriving - proving to be a centre of the community, cooking great food and really being a great place to visit. The Royal Standard in Belvedere Village has recently had an extensive refurbishment - which incidentally looks absolutely magnificent. I went there for lunch with my Mother on Monday, and I was really impressed at what they have done with some substantial investment in the business. The decor has been completely redone, making the place feel lighter and more spacious; the furniture has all been renewed at some considerable expense, and the food menu completely redesigned from scratch, using very high quality ingredients - the meat now comes from Picketts, the up - market independent butcher in Bexleyheath. Even on a Monday lunchtime the place was buzzing. I was really impressed with the pub, and can highly recommend it. 

The photo above was sent to me by a very long - term reader. He found the individual photos online, and digitally stitched them together to produce the panorama image that you can see above - click on the photo in order to see a larger version. It shows Erith High Street at some point during World War 2; going from left to right, you can see the old Erith Police Station - which is still in existence, but it is now converted into apartments. Next there is a hut on stilts over the river - I cannot determine what it was used for - if any reader knows, please drop me a line with the details. The next structure would appear to be an air raid shelter. The next area would appear to be a piece of land probably cleared for growing vegetables in the "Dig for Victory!" campaign. The road with the two women with the baby carriage crossing it is now known as Saltford Close - I am unsure of what it was called back then. The Running Horses pub can be seen on the right of the compound photograph; it was opened in 1938, but seriously damaged in an air raid in 1940. A contemporary account of the incident from  a local resident called Graham Jansen reads:- "My Grandfather, Thomas Arthur House (b. 12/11/1896, Westminster) was killed at The Running Horses at 1930 hrs on 29/11/1940 during a bombing raid. He was an ARP Ambulance Driver, aged 44 yrs. He was killed with a Henry George Frederick Parry, aged 19 yrs, an ARP Stretcher Bearer and an Albert Sydney Humphreys, aged 50 yrs, a Fireman, AFS. They are commemorated in perpetuity by The Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The licensee of the pub, William Zachariah Coles, aged 49 yrs, was also killed in the blast. I have been told that The Crown public House, which stood on the opposite corner to The Running Horses, was so severely damaged it was never used again and was later demolished. The landlord's wife, Mary Louisa Witherdon, aged 73 yrs was also killed along with a Joseph Lancelot Addison, aged 76 yrs. A local researcher remembers his father telling him "the Crown had got it" when he returned home from fire watching. Mr. Coles had been standing at the front door of the newly completed Running Horses and was killed instantly. Apart from the deaths of my Grandfather and his colleagues there were no less than twenty people injured. One of the wardens, a Henry Sims was slightly injured and reported that the victims in the pub were still seated at the table and had no visible injuries, they were typical blast victims. The landlord's wife, Annie Elizabeth Coles is understood to have continued to serve drinks out of the back of the pub after her husband was killed. My Grandfather's widow, Flora McAlister Campbell House (McGregor) went on to marry Leslie James Holloway (16/05/1916 Erith d. Jul 1989 Dartford) Dec 1942. He became the landlord of the Kings Head public house in Erith and lived there for 42 years having moved there at the age of two. The pub used to belong to his uncle, Arthur Hewett, who lived next door. He had a club foot and used a crutch to get around the bar. Because of his uncle's disability, the pub was run by his parents, James William Holloway (b. Dec 1885 Dartford) and Emma Matilda Holloway (Hewett). Les remembered beer being 4d a pint and tobacco fourpence ha'penny a packet. He was a popular figure in Erith having run the Kings Head for over 10 yrs. He was once described as Erith's answer to Fanny Waldren - the famous Tottenham Hotspurs winger of the 1920's".

Now for the weekly safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association; firstly from Barnehurst ward, where a Neighbourhood Watch member has made the following comment:- "I am being bombarded by incoming phone calls from callers who claim to be BT Openreach. They are telling me that my internet connection is slow due to errors being created by my computer. I kept him on the line by pretending to be ignorant of what he was asking and saying my computer was off. He asked for me to turn it on but again I kept delaying. I asked where he was based. He said BT HQ, 81 Newgate Street London. He said he had worked there for three years. So I asked him for the post code of 81 Newgate street. He didn’t know and hung up. I managed to keep him online for about 5 mins wasting his time. I had the same call yesterday and also twice today. So please circulate this information. It is NOT BT ringing. BT don’t usually base engineering staff at their HQ 81 Newgate Street. Please be aware of these scammers but by all means keep them on the line as long as possible but don’t give them any information and definitely DO NOT follow any of their instructions with your computer. They hate you wasting their time". The Barnehurst report continues:- "Barnehurst has suffered one burglary in the last week. This happened in Holmesdale Grove which is in near proximity to other recent burglaries on the ward. On 22/11/17 between 02.00am and 0630am in Holmesdale Grove victim got up to find the front door open and the Audi taken from the driveway. A number of other items were taken from within the property. The house alarm had not been set and the door had not been double locked. A vehicle was broken into in Hall Place car park on 23/11/17 between 07.30pm and 10.20pm, personal items were taken from the vehicle. Concentrated patrols are being carried out to the Martens Avenue following complaints from residents relating to anti-social behaviour in this area. The areas of concern are the alley ways and the garaged area to Braeside Crescent. The last incident of property’s being hit by golf balls in Taunton Close was on 10/11/17 at 10.20pm. We will continue to pay attention to this area to prevent further incidents happening. Barnehurst Golf Club have also put in measures to prevent further damage to properties. If you wish to discuss any matters please join us for coffee with cops at 1.00pm at Barnehurst Golf Club on Tuesday 05/12/2017. Please follow us on Twitter @MPSBarnehurst or email us at Barnehurst.snt@met.police.uk. or phone us on 020 8721 2577". Now a report from Belvedere ward:- "PC Green and PC Holmes have been working with officers from neighbouring wards to combat burglary in the lead up to the Christmas period. This work involves targeting known offenders throughout the North of the borough and regular patrols of possible vulnerable locations. In response to a recent robbery in Upper Belvedere, the team have also been completing patrols of Erith Road and the roads nearby leading onto Brook Street over the last two days – this has led to a male being stopped and searched by officers in an alleyway in this area. Our next surgery date is the 4th of December 2017 at Asda in Lower Belvedere". Brampton ward:- "Overall it has been a good week for the ward 1 x shoplift at Pickford Lane 1 x criminal damage to a wall in Belvedere road , bricks taken from the wall found in a nearby road 1 x criminal damage of tyres slashed in Normanhurst Avenue , the victim was awoken by a screaming sound when they looked out their bedroom window it was found that foxes were outside near the vehicle , in the morning the victim found puncture marks and slashing marks on 2 tyres, no suspects seen. 1 x residential Burglary in Long Lane , the address is unsecured and in the process of renovation. As the property has no windows this is the access of the suspects who stole tools and copper piping. Investigation ongoing . This is the first Burglary on Brampton ward since 13th November and is not believed to be linked to family gold Burglaries. Brampton attended a Family Gold meeting along with DS Yilmaz, NHW Dana Wiffen and Bobby Van Kate Frail on the 25th and met with over 30 residents from across the Borough. This is the first of many meetings arranged and will expand over time. The meeting was successful for all parties. Please keep sending in your email addresses for the ward so that I can let you know direct of any crimes happening on your road and follow us on Twitter @MPSBrampton". Colyers ward:- "During the evening of 23rd/early hours of 24th November there was an attempted theft from a BT van in Appledore Avenue. Fortunately, nothing was taken". From Police SNT Team - PC Mike Cuell:-"Hello, I am PC Mike Cuell and I am the newest member of the Colyers Ward Team. The good news this week is that we have had no thefts in relation to motor vehicles of any kind. The only thing we have to report is a Burglary in Twigg Close, on the 26th November, in which the door was kicked open and a quantity of clothes were stolen. We have a surgery today at 6pm in the Blackberry Patch in Badlow Close. Next week’s Surgery will be on Monday 4th December at 1pm in Cupacakes on Colyers Lane. With the festive season upon us, please be extra vigilant in keeping your houses locked and secure, with so many goodies on offer under the Christmas Tree". Crayford ward:- "Number plates were stolen from a vehicle parked in Green Walk overnight between 21.00 on 25/11/2017 and 08.00 on 26/11/2017. On Friday 24/11/2017 at 22.00 close to the Doctor’s surgery in Crayford Road an 18 year old Male was robbed by a Male claiming to be homeless, his wallet was snatched, money taken and the wallet discarded. On that same evening at 22.14 a local business in Crayford Road had their window smashed and males entered. They stole items of high value and a safe. The safe was later recovered intact and one person was detained and arrested. A burglary occurred between 18/11/2017 and 23/11/2017 in Manor Road whilst the owners were on holiday, jewellery was stolen after an untidy search of the upstairs of the property. A vehicle was stolen from Mill Place without keys on 20/11/2017 between 14.00-17.19. It was later recovered by Kent Police locally. In the lead up to Christmas be aware that the town centre will be much busier with people out and about doing Christmas shopping. Remember to keep your possessions safe, put purses/wallets away and secure bags before leaving the tills and keep everything out of sight in locked vehicles, please don’t give thieves a chance". Erith ward:- "Weekly update from Erith SNT - PC Gill visited Trinity School to speak about Stop and Search. Extra patrols around the Battle Rd area. Due to concerns raised from local residents, we had a meeting with residents of Compton Place of which Erith councillors and Orbit attended. PCs Gill and Tom joined the Dog team in searching for drugs in Compton Place. Some of the crimes from the week: One attempted Burglary which was a brake in to a garage nothing was taken just be aware and make sure they are looked and secure. A few drive offs from Morrison’s – CCTV being viewed. We are still having theft of and from motor vehicles, please make sure you leave nothing on show in your vehicles". Lesnes Abbey ward:- " Burglary : On Wednesday 22/11/17 between the hours of 00:01 pm and 05 :30 am Thursday 23/11/17 a garage burglary occurred in Lesness Avenue. Motor Vehicle Crimes: Between the dates of 13/11/17 and 23/11/17 Criminal Damage to a vehicle in Lenham Road; Theft of Vehicle on Thursday 23/11/17 from Sydney Road. Following a tracker activated on the motor cycle from the above incident, police officers attended a garage in Kale Road and recovered four motorcycles. The owner of the above vehicle was notified. Good work resulting in an positive outcome. When out shopping, beware of pickpockets. Stay alert and keep your bags close to you. At home, empty boxes outside your home advertises what has been purchased for Christmas. Note frame numbers of bicycles and serial numbers of electrical goods. When going out, use an automatic timer for lights. Close your blinds or curtains at night. Take extra care and make sure you have locked windows and doors. If you are going away, ask a neighbour to keep an eye on your house".

The photo above shows PCSO Mark "Val" Pigott dressed as Father Christmas at the Slade Green Big Local Christmas party and fete last Saturday. The lady accompanying him is Chloe Philips the Slade Green Big Local coordinator. Click on the photo for a larger version. North End ward:- "We had a burglary last week in Rainbow Road, entry was gained through the front door and Christmas presents along with cash taken. Please remember to lift the handle and turn the key on your UPVC doors. 6 vehicle crimes have been reported in the ward, Criminal damage to vehicle in Appold Street and Barnett Close, 2 thefts from vehicle in Frobisher Road, 1 theft from vehicle in Slade Green Road and 1 in Reddy Road. All of these crimes took place overnight with valuables still being left in cars making them easy targets. We had an attempted burglary of a garage in Festival Close but fortunately entry wasn’t gained. We also had an attempted robbery in Manor Road in the early hours of Sunday morning, luckily the victim managed to get away unharmed but was very scared, please keep all valuables out of sight especially being aware of your surroundings when walking along using a mobile phone at any time of day or night". Northumberland Heath ward:- "Unfortunately we have had two burglaries on the ward this week. The first was in Camrose Avenue on Thursday 23rd November and took place between 6.30pm and 9.30pm. The resident returned from an evening out to find his sensor light had been ripped off and entry to the property was gained via a small bathroom window being forced open. £170 in cash was stolen. The second burglary took place in Swanton Road on Friday 24th November between 6pm and 10.30pm and again entry was forced via a rear window leading to the dining room. Unfortunately a large amount of cash and jewellery was stolen. There has been a robbery in Horsa Road on Thursday 23rd November at approximately 10.50pm where a lady was pushed from behind and had her handbag stolen. The lady was fortunately unhurt but very shaken. I have spoken to her and she has remained very positive and determined to put the incident behind her. The suspect was believed to be approximately eighteen years old wearing a grey hooded top. There have been two reports of criminal damage in Bedonwell Road over last weekend where two neighbours had their front walls kicked down in the early hours of the morning. Apparently the suspect was dressed in dark clothing and was singing! On Friday 24th November an elderly lady in Penshurst Road reported a bogus caller. The male stated her guttering needed repairing and took £150 in cash from the victim stating he needed to get some tools and would return in a few minutes. The male did not return. The male was reported as White, 30 – 40 years of age, stocky build with auburn hair and a moustache wearing a navy tee shirt. As the Christmas season is fast approaching please be vigilant of any suspicious callers and do not hesitate to call Police. If it doesn’t feel right it usually isn’t! The team will be holding future drop in surgeries which will be advertised in due course". Thamesmead East ward:- " Unfortunately we have had two burglaries during the last week. The first occurred on Saturday 25th November at around 7pm, Harrow Manor Way. The victim was at home when the suspect entered the house. No items taken, suspect disturbed. The second happened between 1700 and 2300 hours on Tuesday 28th November, Surlingham Close. The victim returned home to find their rear window smashed, and a computer/cash stolen. A black Vauxhall Astra was stolen from Alsike Road on Thursday 23rd November between 0700 and 1800 hours. Between Sunday 26th and Monday 27th November a motor bike was taken from an address in Templar Drive. An off road motor vehicle was stolen from Parkway, on Tuesday 28th November, between 0600 and 1700 hours. Good news - On Thursday 23rd November, Officers discovered a garage in Kale Road, which contained four stolen motor bikes. Owners have been updated, and the bikes were taken to Charlton car pound for possible forensic opportunities. On Tuesday 28th November, Officers stopped a vehicle in Maran Way. During the search a substantial amount of money and jewellery were found. Three males were arrested for Proceeds of Crime offences, enquiries are ongoing. We are always interested in recruiting new Neighbourhood watch co-ordinators for the ward. Please ask your family and friends if they would like to set up a Neighbourhood watch in their road. Please spread the word to any family and friends in the Borough - they can contact us on 020 8721 2049 or Thamesmead.SNT@met.police.uk  for more information".

I don't normally make a habit of repeating local information that has been published by other bloggers, but I am making an exception this week. Malcolm Knight of "Bexley is Bonkers" featured the video below recently; whilst I know many people read both blogs, there are plenty of those who do not. The video shows how Bexley Council and their contractors have completely ruined Bexleyheath Town Centre for pedestrians and vehicle users alike. Give it a watch, and please feel free to leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

The Nuxley Navigator.

Last week a concerned reader who wishes to remain anonymous contacted me. They had worries about the proposed redevelopment of the Arthur Street Estate on North End Road, opposite the Erith Park Development. The person had some specific concerns around the redevelopment that they outlined thus:- "The drawings for the new site state it is in Erith, which it is not. It is in Slade Green, with originally a pub called the Boundary on the edge, and Boundary Street is one of the road names, showing a clear separation from Erith. It does not come under the Erith ward or MP;  but is part of the original Crayford ‘urban district council’ area in North End Ward. The public locally are in favour of removing the Arthur Street area’s concrete tower blocks, as has been done opposite, in the former Larner Road estate. There have been concern about lack of parking at the new Erith Park site. (It is said that 1 of those residents actually parks in The Nursery, a road cross the carriageway.) The only local NHS dentist is based in a property to be re developed. It was suggested to the dentist that he could ‘shut down for 8 months’ or use a portacabin at an unspecified site. This does not take into account the needs of the people of Slade Green as there are very few alternative NHS dentists in the borough. The major site display shows 2 housing drawings side by side.  This is very confusing.  One plan shows the current level of homes proposed and the other a much more intense development with higher blocks. This is said to be the GLA plan.  I feel that the GLA have not made a special visit to dictate what is on the site. What is the purpose behind this 2nd plan? During construction it is said that The Nursery will become a closed end (no through) road while construction takes place and possibly permanently. This will mean that those who live in or off Pearswood Road will not be able to access the Tesco store / roundabout into Erith. These residents will then need turn left out of Pearswood  onto North End Road and take a much longer route around the dual carriageway.  The A206 is often very slow and congested. (Cars could turn on to Newberry road as a slightly shorter route around the carriageway but this is a small congested road, which can become gridlocked)". After consulting with the concerned resident, I contacted Caroline Field, the Orbit Housing Association Project Manager to find out what was happening. I got the following extremely detailed and informative response:- "We had a really positive consultation event and our plans were well received. It would be great if you could let your readers know that the consultation material is on line at Facebook Arthur Street Future. We're always happy to answer any questions people have about the plans. For those who don't do Facebook, email is arthurstreet@orbit.org.uk. To respond to your correspondent 's queries... 1. Parking is currently being planned at one space per household. This is more than Erith Park phase 1 and the same as Phase 2.  We expect pressure from GLA planners to reduce car parking. 2. There are 10 leaseholders on the site and all will be covered by a compulsory purchase order. They are entitled to compensation in line with the legislation. We are talking to the dentist, who is keen to keep his practice in the area, about his options. 3. Our scheme currently has 310 homes against 263 at present. Why have we illustrated a 600+ unit scheme?  No the GLA haven't reviewed this project yet ( we expect to have a meeting Dec/Jan and can keep you informed) We do know both from planning guidance and from planning decisions on similar schemes what their response is likely to be. Here's more detail. It's pretty complicated but you/your readers may be interested as there are wider implications... We know there will be pressure from the GLA planners to increase density - the Mayor's housing strategy, currently out for consultation, talks about driving up residential densities in the outer Boroughs. Special Planning Guidance being introduced in London says that, in a regeneration scheme , you have to replace the affordable rented housing you demolish on the site.  Previously you had to replace 'affordable housing' This meant you could replace rented housing with shared ownership and other rented products aimed at working households. We achieved this at Erith Park and our current scheme achieves it for Arthur Street. The kind of affordable rent the Mayor wants to see is what a lot of people still think of as 'council housing'. These days these are usually housing association homes but they are accessed by an allocations process managed by the local authority. We all know there's a huge shortage of this housing. The challenge locally is to balance this with our aspiration to build more mixed sustainable communities. Our preferred solution, and one the guidelines allow for, is to take a 'programme approach'.  We've looked at all our smaller sites in the area and have converted most of those we were going to build as shared ownership to rent. This means, across Bexley, by 2021 we replace the rented homes we demolish at Arthur Street.  The Council have approved this approach but we still have a risk that the GLA will not accept it for this site. If they don't we have a major problem in how we deliver replacement on site. Theoretically, there are two ways we could do this. Firstly we could build a 100 percent rented scheme. (It would be 100 percent because no one would sell 50 homes alongside 250 affordable rented). I don't think anyone now thinks it's a good idea to build large concentrations of rented homes. It contradicts other planning guidance supporting mixed communities. Secondly, we could increase the size of the scheme. Erith Park is 36 percent affordable rented and everyone seems very comfortable with that. We really want to keep the figure at 40 percent or below. Above that, it would prejudice sales of the other properties.  So if you work that up, maintaining a 40 percent means you need around 630 homes on the new site. We've drawn what 630 homes would look like just to illustrate this point. I understand if this confuses your correspondent ( as you can see it's a complex issue). This scheme is not something we'd ever build and it would contravene all sorts of other planning requirements (e.g. Open space). That was very clear at our exhibition and on our Facebook page. 4. Vehicle access through the site:  we will be applying to close the road through the site during demolition and construction. It is a constrained site and the health and safety of the public is a primary consideration.  Longer term we would prefer to close the road to through vehicles at the north end of The Nursery. This up for consultation and the views of neighbours are welcome. So far it is 60/40 in favour of closure.  Although we we think closing the road is the best solution, our scheme will work if it's left open.  Yes some routes out would be longer but we think this would outweighed by the advantages:- a quieter and less car-dominated environment in both the new development (and The Nursery) through the removal of the current rat run - creation of safer cycling/walking route connecting to Peareswood School - tackle resident concerns about parking overspill from new development into streets to the South. We've agreed a programme of traffic surveys to model the potential impact on nearby streets and junctions.  Any permanent closure would be subject to formal consultation by the Council". That certainly seems to clarify things. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Another regular reader, who also chooses to remain anonymous Emailed me their comments on the article I published last week regarding the naming of Nuxley Road, Upper Belvedere. The person in question also went out and took some photos of some road signs in the area, to support their view - which you can see above - click for a larger version. They write:- "In response to your last blog dated 19th November about Belvedere and the people calling it Nuxley. I have been on a mission to tell people that Nuxley does not exist, and that there are signs by All Saints Church and by Stream Way saying Welcome to Belvedere Village. The Photo shown in the News Shopper is only about 10 feet away from the sign by All Saints Church, I am thinking that people can not read or do not know to where they are, this include estate agents to which the co-op opposite to where they are based says Upper Belvedere Co-OP. I have also find out that some shops do not know where they are". This is sadly very true; many locals are falsely convinced that the mythical place of "Nuxley Village" exists, when it does not, and never has done. the photo above shows the sign outside of All Saint's Church, Nuxley Road, Upper Belvedere, welcoming travellers to Belvedere Village; there is another identical sign at the other end of the village, welcoming people coming from Bexleyheath and Welling.

Vehicle manufacturer Ford, in conjunction with transport company Chariot Transit UK Ltd are sponsoring a proposed new private bus service, which, bearing in mind my earlier observations, is due to have the rather unfortunate name of The Nuxley Navigator. The bus service will operate on weekdays only, and will run between Harrow Manorway outside of Abbey Wood Station, and Carlton Road in Northumberland Heath. It is planned that the service will begin on the 29th January 2018. The roads that the new private bus service will cover are as follows:- Towards Abbey Wood Station (mornings only) - Carlton Road, Brook Street, Parsonage Manorway, Swaylands Road, Matfield Road, Stream Way, Bedonwell Road, Orchard Avenue, Bedonwell Road, Glenview, West Heath Road, Brampton Road, Knee Hill, Harrow Manorway. Towards Erith (afternoons only) - Harrow Manorway, Knee Hill, Brampton Road, West Heath Road, Glenview, Bedonwell Road, Orchard Avenue, Bedonwell Road, Stream Way Matfield Road, Swaylands Road, Parsonage Manorway, Brook Street, and Carlton Road. Initially I was surprised when I found out about this new bus service, thanks to a tip - off from Darryl Chamberlain of the 853 Blog, but upon consideration it makes a lot of sense. The Crossrail service will be opening at Abbey Wood Station next year, and many of the roads covered by The Nuxley Navigator are currently not covered by any existing bus service. The real reason for the service is to connect the Erith Quarry housing development with Abbey Wood Station. The developers of Erith Quarry are aiming the new development primarily at second or third time buyers who want larger, family sized houses - for people who intend to "put down roots" in the area. In order to attract middle class professional people into the local area, they need so show that there are good commuting connections into London - something that The London Borough of Bexley has lacked up until now. The fact that we have no DLR or Tube services in the Borough has been a factor that has discouraged some people from moving into the area. Providing a purpose built mini bus link between the Erith Quarry site and Abbey Wood Station will do much to convince people that they should move into the area, as housing is significantly cheaper than in other parts of London, and the commuting issue will be at least partially answered by The Nuxley Navigator - even if the name of the new bus service is as inaccurate as I have previously described. I also understand that the current 180 bus route will be changed to call at Abbey Wood Station, certainly improving the quality of communications in this corner of the borough. More on Erith Quarry later.

Local arts commissioning group The Exchange are organising a festive food fair to take place alongside the annual Christ Church Erith Christmas Tree Festival on the weekend of the 15th to the 17th December, a week earlier than it is traditionally held. Visitors will be able to sample a variety of festive foods on the Saturday of the festival only, curated by Street Food Markets amidst the lights of the Erith Christmas Tree Festival at Christ Church. This year James Glancy Design are adding to the illuminations with an outdoor display. Inside the church there will be over 80 decorated trees, entertainment and craft activities. Do come along - I will be there on the Friday and the Saturday, in my role as a Friends of Christ Church Erith committee member.

Now for the weekly safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly from Barnehurst ward:- "Barnehurst Ward have suffered another burglary in Northall Road, this is the third burglary here within the last two weeks. This recent burglary occurred between 12/11/2017 and 19/11/2017. Entry to the property was gained by smashing a rear window. It is not known how the suspect/suspects gained access to the rear garden however its believed access was gained by climbing over the attached garage flat roof. In Holmesdale Grove between 20/11/2017 at 03.00pm to the 21/11/2017 at 0730am a rear garage was broken into. Extensive damage was caused to the door and items were moved. At the rear of this property is a rear alley, this was likely the route made to enter the rear garden. Please join us for coffee with cops on Thursday 30th November at 11.00 at Barnehurst Golf Club where we can offer crime prevention advice and discuss any other burning issues you may have." From Police SNT Team - PCSO Cathy Nolan:- "We are aware that bogus callers and distraction burglars are in operation on the Borough. Barnehurst Ward has not been targeted with distraction burglaries however residential burglaries are on the rise with the lead up to Christmas. They appear to be targeting the elderly and vulnerable. They are using excuses such as water leaks in the property above, underground leaks. They have stolen jewellery and cash where they have gained entry, at other times they have asked for money. Descriptions of them vary, accents are described as local, Irish and "put on" posh. A bogus caller may be smartly dressed and claim to be from the council, the police, health organisations or water, gas or electricity companies. They can be convincing and persuasive. They may men, women or even children. They may say they need help urgently. They often use "props" like an identity card or wear overalls bearing a company logo. Please use door chains, check all ID very carefully. If there is any doubt about the caller, keep them out. A genuine caller will not mind being asked to wait while their details are verified. Entry to residential properties on Barnehurst Ward are mainly via the rear by means of smashing windows but bear in mind it only takes a couple of seconds to pop open a UPVC door if it’s not double locked. You must lift the handle and turn the key for your front door to be left secure. Please share this information with family, neighbours and friends. This is a matter that should be reported to police as soon as possible".  Belvedere ward:- "PC Green arrested a male on 16/11/2017 for Actual Bodily Harm.  The offence happened in Greenwich but the suspect lives on our ward. The team have also been out on pulse patrols around the ward. The pulse patrol strategy is to target vulnerable areas to burglary and patrol hotspot locations on our wards. The aim is also to gather intelligence and disrupt known burglars that live on the borough. On Friday 17th the team were abstracted to a crime scene in Lesness Abbey whereby several people were injured after a fight. For further information please check the Lesness Abbey Twitter page @MPSLesnesabbey. We also attended the Belvedere Park Residents Association meeting on Thursday 16th. There was a very good turnout for this and we are grateful to the members for the invite". Brampton ward:- "Very Good week for Brampton , hope I am not tempting fate. Theft of a pedal cycle in Pickford Lane , cycle left unattended whilst victim went into a shop; Shoplifting in Pickford Lane, suspect entered and stole meat. And that is it. The team have been completing CCTV enquiries on behalf of other officers. We have also been involved in organising a meeting with the Asian community regarding family gold Burglaries. We will be working with other officers from other departments and outside agencies including Neighbourhood Watch - We helped out with the turning on the Christmas lights over the Broadway on Saturday. We have been liaising with Neighbourhood Watch Coordinators regarding recent criminal damage to vehicles in a street on the Ward and are in the process of setting a plan and attempting to get CCTV cameras erected. Please visit www.met.police.uk for further security advice. Follow us on Twitter ; @MPSBrampton". Colyers ward:- "This week we have had a spike in thefts from motor vehicles. There was one in Valence Road overnight Wednesday 15th November, two in Larner Road overnight Saturday 18th November between 0300-1200 hours and a forth in Beechfield Road again overnight on Monday 20th November between 0130-0830. In all cases the side windows were shattered and wallets purses and bags taken and all overnight. Please remember to take everything with you when you leave your car and leave the glove box open and empty to show there is nothing in your car. There was also a car stolen from Swallow Close on Sunday 19th November, unfortunately the vehicle had left the keys in the car with the car running. On the upside we had no residential burglaries since our last report. We had an incident of a cat being shot with an air rifle in Fairford Avenue on Thursday 16th November. Colyers DWO along with DWOs from adjoining wards have now started the new pulse patrols covering all wards. Included in these patrols are Windermere Road, Merewood Road and Grasmere Roads for drug dealing. Our next set of Police Surgeries are this Friday 24th November at 1pm in Cupacakes Bakery, Colyers Lane and Wednesday 29th at 6pm in the Community Centre, Blackbery Patch, Badlow Close". Crayford ward:- "A white Nissan Juke was stolen off the driveway of a home in Station Road overnight between 20/11/2017 at 20.00 and 21/11/2017 at 10.00. The car was stolen without keys. There was a burglary at Iron Mill Lane on Monday 20/11/2017 between 14.50 and 17.00. The rear patio door had been shattered with an unknown object near the handle to create a small hole, the keys were in the lock on the inside. Entry was made however the family dog has scared the suspect away back out of the patio door. On Friday 17/11/2017 between 07.00 and 14.20 a suspect has entered a property in Hillside Road via the side gate and back door, breaking glass in the door and using keys in the inside lock to gain entry. Nothing was stolen, a dog in the address may have scared them off, the suspect left via the front door. For each victim the moral of the story was not to leave the keys in the lock and each said they will never do that again. We held a One Stop Cop Shop event at Darlton Hall on Monday 20/11/2017 and spoke with several residents there and hope to have a new Neighbourhood Watch there in that area. On Tuesday 21/11/2017 we met with the Brownies at St Mary of the Crays Hall in Old Road to assist them with their crime prevention badges, they were really involved, a joy to meet!" Erith ward:- "Weekly Crime in Erith, not a bad week but we have had one Burglary, this has been the first one in Erith for a while - please see the links for crime advice regarding this sort of crime. Burg Res 16/11/2017 12:05:00 Riverdale Road; Theft of Motor Vehicle. 22/09/2014 Victory Lodge, Chichester Wharf; Theft from MV 19/11/2017 Diana Court, Avenue Road; Theft from Motor Vehicle 19/11/2017 Riverdale Road; Criminal Damage 20/11/2017 09:00:00 James Watt Way. For burglary crime prevention info, see https://www.met.police.uk/crime-prevention/residential-burglary/. In 2016 we had over 17,000 presents donated by the public to the Met Christmas Appeal - helping to provide presents to children who may otherwise not have received one last Christmas. This year with your help we want to see if we can do even better. Please see https://www.met.police.uk/applyregister/met-christmas-appeal/ for details. We have a Surgery at Erith Pier Road Base on 25th Nov at 11am which will include free bike marking. This is only on till 12 due to attending a charity event."  Lesnes Abbey ward:- "Burglary: On Tuesday 14/11/17 between the hours of 05:30 pm and 06 :30 pm a burglary occurred in Glenview. On Tuesday 14/11/17 between the hours of 07:00 am and 06:30 pm a burglary occurred in Canberra Road". North End ward:- "In the last week, we have had a Theft from Motor vehicle outside Grange House, Criminal Damage to Motor vehicle in Boundary Street and a Theft of Motor vehicle in Lincoln Road. All of these crimes happened over night. Please remind your neighbours to NOT keep any valuable items inside their cars etc. If you would like any vehicle crime prevention advice to give to your street, please let us know. Sadly, a decapitated cat was found in the field behind Applegarth House yesterday, this seems to be linked into the so called Croydon Cat Killer and the relevant investigations are taking place. PC Brookes-Smith has been out on pulse patrols in the North of the borough with other ward officers targeting ASB hotspot areas as well as burglary patrols and visits to some of our more well known nominals. This is now becoming a daily patrol across the borough using different officers on various days. PC James Telfer re joins our team from Monday 27/11/2017 after a few months away meaning there are now 2 PC Dedicated Ward Officers (DWO) and 1 PCSO DWO for North End. We have a surgery this Monday (27/11) from 2pm at Forest Road Café, please come and say hello if you are around". Northumberland Heath ward:- "We are pleased to say that it has been another fairly quiet week regarding reported crimes. On Sunday November 19th between the hours of 11am – 9pm there was an attempted burglary in Dalmeny Road which took place between 1100 am and 9pm. The victim left the property locked and secure and upon returning discovered that the rear patio door from the garden in to the kitchen had a bent frame and tool marks to the external lock. Thankfully entry to the property was not gained. As we are approaching the Christmas season and the dark nights are upon us, please think about purchasing timer switches for lamps or radios etc or simply leave a light on in the evenings when you go out. Further crime prevention advice can be found on the Metropolitan Police Website. We have had reports of anti-social behaviour taking place outside the Belmont Baptist Church on Thursday evenings where the Slimming World members meet. Several youths have tried to climb on the church roof and have been swearing and shouting at members of the group as they leave the premises. The team are working hard to try to identify the offenders and once identified home visits to parents will be conducted. The team will be holding more drop in Police surgeries throughout the ward and these will be advertised in due course". Thamesmead East ward:- "A burglary occurred at Portmeadow Walk, between the 13th and 18th November 2017. A gas metre was stolen after the front door was forced open, high visibility patrols have taken place since, to prevent further offences. Number plates being stolen seem to have been an issue at Fleming Way during the past seven days. Between the 18TH and 20th November, two motor vehicles had their plates taken. Patrols ongoing. Attempts were made to steal a moped overnight, Bledlow Close, 18th-19th November, thankfully the bike wasn’t taken. On the 16th November, a male ran from Police in Courtland Grove. Detained shortly afterwards, and arrested on suspicion of possession of Cocaine and Cannabis. (Good arrest, enquiries continue). We are always interested in recruiting new Neighbourhood watch co-ordinators for the ward. Please ask your family and friends if they would like to set up a Neighbourhood watch in their road. Please spread the word to any family and friends in the Borough - they can contact us on 020 8721 2049 or Thamesmead.SNT@met.police.uk for more information. For latest news from Bexley Police, visit our twitter pages - @MPSBexley and @MPSThamesmeadE".

The photo above, which was sent to me courtesy of the Erith Quarry PR team, shows a cake version of The Quarry’s new state-of-the-art school, which is currently being built. The baked creation, which also incorporates edible trees and plants, was presented to the future head teacher of Limewood Free School, Claire Ingrams as well as children at the Woodland Trust. Local resident Rav Bansal, who created the unique cake can be seen below. He was apparently a recent contestant in the Great British Bake - Off. You can see a short video of Rav - click on the image below. Do give it a watch and please feel free to leave a comment, or to Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.