Nathan Way.

I recently featured the old, former Police station in Nuxley Road, Upper Belvedere. The building has been empty and unused for a considerable period of time. Initially it was thought that the current owners were trying to find a tenant to lease the existing structure, but it has now become clear that demolition and redevelopment is the actual intent. The developers, Greencourt Property Group are going to be holding a public consultation event on Monday the 3rd of September in All Saint's Church hall, very close to the former Police station, between 3pm and 7pm. Visitors will have an opportunity to look at details of the development proposals and to meet members of the Greencourt team and to ask questions. I will be along there with my camera for some of the event, so do come over and say hello if you see me. This weeks' Maggot Sandwich update has quite an emphasis on local building and redevelopment proposals / activities; not something that has been planned, but more of a coincidence, in a similar way to when you wait ages for a bus, then two turn up.  There are a lot of changes happening locally, most of them seem to me to be positive. 

One of the oldest continuously broadcast shortwave radio stations in the World is in imminent danger of closure. The US National Institute of Standards and Technology radio station WWV and sister transmitting stations are among the oldest radio stations anywhere, having been in continuous operation since May 1920. WWV has transmitted the official US Time Signal to the World for nearly 100 years. The US government has been planning to close the NIST Radio Stations WWV, WWVB, and WWVH in 2019. An online petition has been set up to change that, though at the time of writing the only about 7 percent of the necessary signatures had been gathered to oblige a response from the White House. You can sign the petition to save the long established radio station by clicking here.

Work on the refurbishment and repurposing of the former Carnegie Library in Walnut Tree Road continues. The completion of the first phase of the reconstruction has been slightly delayed due to unforeseen circumstances with the builders. The original public opening date of late October has now been pushed back to January. The lower ground floor will be the first phase to be opened to the public, and a series of events to celebrate this are currently being planned. The new roof is nearing completion at the time of writing, and the exterior scaffolding will be coming down in stages. The first phase of the refurbished building will have a public space for community meetings, a cafe which will be run by a professional chef, and a craft area where a number of different arts and crafts can be undertaken. It also houses one of the highlights of the historic Edwardian building - the magnificent green and white tiled toilets, which have hardly been changed since they were originally installed, and require only minimal restoration - they were massively over - engineered when they were designed, as is often the case with Victorian and Edwardian public buildings. The Carnegie Library building will become a centre for all sorts of social and community activities going forward. If you would like to get involved with the project as a volunteer, you can find out more information by clicking here. 

Recently I have featured a series of articles on the pros and cons of electrically powered vehicles, and the recommendations that Bexley Council should heed when planning the vehicle charging infrastructure in the borough. The articles' author, Miles wrote a number of pieces which certainly raised a lot of attention to the future of private land transportation, and he has also provoked one very prominent fellow local blogger and campaigner to contribute his own thoughts on the subject. Here is a very thought provoking and well reasoned piece - "I read your correspondent Miles’ views on battery powered electric vehicles (BEVs) back in July with considerable interest as I had planned to change my car early in 2019 and since the end of 2017 have been looking into whether the time was right to go electric. My research at first suggested that battery powered cars were too much like ‘jam tomorrow’ except for the very well heeled. I do a 140 mile journey quite often and it already takes quite long enough thank you very much and stopping to recharge just short of my destination is not an attractive proposition. As always, car manufacturers exaggerate their vehicles’ performance. My present car claims more than 70 miles per gallon but even driven slowly and steadily it struggles to average much more than 50 and the service agent tells me he has never heard of anyone doing any better. Battery powered cars appear to be rated more honestly and get nearer to the predictions when driven carefully. Some owners report exceeding the manufacturer’s claims but only when all the variables come together perfectly. Several currently available vehicles at the cheaper end of the market (if approaching £30,000 can ever be described as cheap) claim a little over a 140 mile range but only when driven at around 40 m.p.h. on a warm day. To reliably get longer range it has been necessary to spend an awful lot of money. Either a £70,000 Tesla (you would almost certainly want a better one) or the just becoming available Jaguar i-pace which is no cheaper once a couple of near essential ‘options’ are added in. Unfortunately early reports are that even the Jaguar struggles to go the claimed distance except at very unJaguar-like speeds. Speaking as someone who has never spent more than £10,000 on a car I struggle to understand how spending so much money to simply to save the planet can be justified but there may be other good reasons to retain an interest in BEVs. If you have to drive for a living and are regularly spending £400 a month on fuel an electric car may make a lot of sense but only if you venture not too far from your home charger which is perhaps a contradiction in terms for someone required to spend that much on fossil fuels. As Miles said, remote rapid charging can be troublesome and even if you find a conveniently placed rapid charger it will take at least half an hour to put a useful amount of ‘juice’ into the ‘tank’. BEVs may not be for everyone just yet but the smooth performance, their silence and the lack of a gearbox should make for a relaxing drive. Electric vehicles are not automatics as petrol heads would understand the term; there is simply no gear change facility at all. Most electric cars will give a ‘hot hatch’ a run for its money up to any legal speed and if money is no object you can buy 0-62 m.p.h. in three seconds. Lower price models, announced but maybe not readily available until next year, will get there in around seven seconds. That’s quicker than a 2 litre BMW 3 Series if I have interpreted their spec. sheet correctly. Unlike an internal combustion engine (ICE) which typically develops peak power above  4,000 r.p.m. and peak torque at a little less if you are lucky, an electric motor can put its power to the road from the off. Cue burning rubber! Over the next couple of years a lot more BEV models will come on the scene but mainly from the expensive German marques. Ford, Vauxhall, Fiat and Toyota (outside the Chinese market) appear to be intent on letting the South Koreans put them to shame. Toyota UK, first to market with the battery assisted hybrid Prius, has said they have no interest in a pure electric drive train. Volkswagen, Vauxhall and BMW have dipped their toe into the market to meet their Green obligations but only the BMW remains available in the UK. The tiny i3 which will cost you more than £40,000. However even the South Koreans (Hyundai and their sister company KIA) appear to be half hearted about electrics with a world-wide production of around 30,000 units a year each. Two boats showed up at Tilbury during August loaded with Hyundais but the word is that each one delivered only about 100 electric cars for the whole of the UK and no more shipments are scheduled until the end of the year. The British built Nissan Leaf is in short supply too with a six to eight month waiting list despite the current model having charging issues which manifest themselves on long journeys, typically more than 300 miles in a day so most people will not notice. The 2019 model will fix the problem and go further on one charge. So it is a bit of a minefield out there and there will be even more jam tomorrow but if one chooses carefully at the tail end of 2018 and your driving habits are compatible, the market is probably at the stage when it is safe to make the jump to a BEV; if you can afford the price premium over an equivalent ICE model. The maintenance and running costs are much lower and if you have solar panels on your roof and the right sort of charger it is theoretically possible to drive wherever you want to for nothing. I must confess I am sold on the idea of doing my 140 mile trip and getting back again all on one ‘tankful’ of free solar electricity – if the sun has been shining for a few days that is!"

Whittam Cox Architects have been commissioned by WM Morrison Supermarkets PLC to extend the existing retail offer at Morrisons James Watt Way, Erith. Their brief was to provide a new vehicle windscreen repair pod, to be located within the existing car park, and next to the relatively newly installed car valeting facility. The architect's planning submission to Bexley Council is as follows, thanks to a local source who prefers to remain anonymous:- "The site is bounded to the north by Wharfside Close which residences face the River Thames, to the east by industrial units, the south to James Watt Way and the residential streets beyond and Erith Riverside Shopping Centre lies to the west. WM Morrison’s car park is accessed via James Watt Way with pedestrian links provided across Colebrook Street towards Erith Riverside Shopping Centre. There is bus stop located on nearby Colebrook Street and Manor Road further providing accessibility to the site. The site is located within the existing WM Morrisons car park and as such is comprised of a maintained tarmac surface and some landscaping. The proposed pod has good access from the existing car park area and is located to the south of the store entrance. The existing site lies adjacent to flood zone level 3 of the River Thames but in an area befitting from flood defences. Careful consideration has been placed in the positioning of the pod to ensure that there is no disruption to vehicular and pedestrian circulation and that site will continue to operate as existing. The pod is positioned on existing park bays which will reduce the total parking numbers by 12 standard car parking bays. Existing white lines will be burnt off and the new area will be de-marked to provide safe access into the new pod. The windscreen repair pod is prefabricated single storey unit comprised of two pods namely the windscreen store and the fitting bay. The pod itself is a total of 6 parking bays with a single parking space allowing access to the screen store doors and to allow for manoeuvrability for annual handling. A further 5 spaces are required for manoeuvrability onto the access ramp, therefore the pod requires a total of 12 bays in which to be positioned and to operate. The elevations are formed from composite panels finished in a gloss ColourCoat polyester coating. The pod is secured outside of business hours by an internally mounted electric roller shutter over the main vehicle entrance which is houses within the fabric of the pod. The windscreen repair pod will display vinyl signage. The scheme seeks to revitalise the existing WM Morrisons car park by offering more choice to customers and generating new employment opportunities through the provision of a windscreen repair pod. WM Morrisons hope that the advantages of this proposal as well as the overall benefits to the local community will be supported". What do you think? Do you want to see an Autoglass windscreen repair facility next to Morrisons? Leave a comment below, or Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

And now a question for you; dear reader. Earlier this week Neil Andrews, a radio presenter on the excellent Romford based Time 107.5 FM radio station played a couple of tracks from 80's melodic rock band Cutting Crew. After the tracks he commented that the band were formed in Erith. I had never heard this before, and the research I have carried out online has thus far not backed this statement up. Does anyone know if Cutting Crew were a local band, or has Neil Andrews been misinformed? Please drop me a line if you have any information about this. 

Another, widely welcomed redevelopment is that of the old Arthur Street Estate, off North End Road in Erith. Orbit Housing Association which owns and manages around 4,600 homes across the borough, is holding the drop-in session with its development partner Wates Residential between 12noon – 3pm in the new Erith Park community room on Dell View Road, formerly known as Larner Road, opposite the Arthur Street estate. The drop in session will be held on Saturday the first of September. In an interview in the Bexley Times, the Orbit Director of Development, Maggie McCann said:- "Since we last consulted with the local community on our proposals in July 2017, we have been working closely with colleagues at London Borough of Bexley, the Greater London Authority and Wates Residential to ensure our plans meet all planning requirements and that we can deliver the best possible scheme. The regeneration of Arthur Street is part of our wider investment plans for the borough of Bexley. As one of the largest housing providers and landlords in the borough we are investing in Bexley for the long-term, creating sustainable communities where people will be proud to live.” You can read more about the proposed Arthur Street Estate redevelopment by clicking here.

I know that quite a few residents in Belvedere and Abbey Wood prefer to take their domestic and garden waste to the recycling centre in Nathan Way, Thamesmead - the reasons for using this rather than the London Borough of Bexley run centre in Thames Road, Crayford is due to the fact that the Nathan Way site is far better organised and operated, the queues are often as long as at Crayford, but they tend to move more quickly - primarily due to the aforementioned better organisation. The fact that the Nathan Way site is actually in the London Borough of Greenwich has not been a major issue until now. Bexley Council have just issued an announcement that that from Saturday the 1st of September, the Greenwich Reuse and Recycling Centre at Nathan Way, Thamesmead, will start charging non-Greenwich residents £10 to use its facilities. I know that some Bexley residents have got utility bills from friends that live in Greenwich as a form of "proof" of residence, in order to use the facility for free. Whether this will now be stopped, I really do not know. If you have any insight into this, then please let me know. 

Now for the weekly safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly a report from Barnehurst ward:- "Barnehurst Officers are pleased to report no burglaries in the past week. There has just been the one report of a theft from motor vehicle. This occurred overnight on Thursday 16th August 2018 in Beechcroft Avenue. Hub caps and trim from a wing mirror were removed from the vehicle by persons unknown. Barnehurst Officers are carrying out regular patrols to Beechcroft Avenue and surrounding roads due to the recent spate of vehicle crime in this area. On a good note, residents of Cheviot Close held a yearly community event where neighbours in the street meet up to enjoy an afternoon together. The Barnehurst Team went along and were very impressed with this event, it was a brilliant way of bringing neighbours together and well done to the ladies who cooked and baked, it was all delicious. Another event held was at the Barnehurst Allotments where awards were given out for best plot/veg/fruit. The team have made regular patrols to the Allotments over the last couple of years due to a number of arson attacks back in 2016 and the patrols have paid off with no other Incidents of any kind since. Our next community contact session is on Wednesday 29th August 2018 at 11.00am. Please come and join us for a chat". Belvedere ward:- "For Belvedere Ward, we have had two burglaries in the last seven days. One of those took place on Woolwich Road at around 3pm on the 16th August. The rear patio glass was broken and a wallet was taken. The other took place on the 18th August, on Heron Hill at around 7pm. On this occasion, entry was gained via a kitchen window. An untidy search was carried out and some jewellery taken. These thieves are out there, so please remember to be vigilant, and make your houses as secure as they can possibly be. As for vehicle crime, unfortunately the figures are a little higher, with three reports in the last seven days. Two of these are reports where items have been stolen from vehicles. One was on Thursday 16th in Wilton Road, while the other was on the 19th in Gilbert Road. The other was a car stolen in Cheshunt Road on Tuesday 21st. This is related to the owner having a separate vehicle stolen in Kent. Please, before you get out of the vehicle, make sure that you take anything valuable with you. Never leave anything out visible, because if it is on display, someone will have it away. In general, it has been a decent week for the ward, and long may that continue. There are some ideas in the pipeline, and we will share the details as and when anything can be confirmed. Stay safe, and if the rumoured heatwave returns, remember your Factor 50!" Bexleyheath ward:- "On the 19/08/2018 we have had a theft from person which had happened in Burger King along the Broadway. Also had a report of a theft from motor vehicle along Ethronvi Road Bexleyheath between the 20/08/2018 and 21/08/2018. No damage was caused to the vehicle but there was an untidy search carried out and property was stolen from inside. The team are targeting patrols around Martens Grove and Grove Road especially around the garages to reduce any further reports of anti-social behaviour. If you do wish to pass on information to Police then please contact Crime stoppers on 0800 555111. We shall be holding our next contact session on Wednesday 29th August between 1pm and 2pm at Café Nero along the Broadway Bexleyheath, please come along and have a chat if you wish. Please do not hesitate to contact us via Twitter, Facebook, email and the ward phone. If you are after crime prevention advice, please look at the Met Police website which has lots of information that you may find useful. Remember in an emergency please dial 999 and 101 for non-urgent reporting". Crayford ward:- "On Tuesday 14th August between 08.00-08.30 a handbag containing an iPhone and purse were stolen from a BMW parked in Crayford Road whilst the owner was dropping their child off to day care. On the 19th August between 09.30-10.45 a purse containing bank cards and a driving licence were stolen from a blue VW Polo in Thames Road, the passenger window had been smashed. These are believed to be opportunist crimes, please do not leave valuables in your vehicle, if this cannot be avoided be sure that they are out of sight and the vehicle is securely locked. On Saturday 18th August between 06.15-07.30 someone tried to remove a lock from the door of a blue Ford Transit parked at Hall Place, causing damage to the lock and body work surrounding it. The damaged lock was an upgraded lock and not a standard Ford one and the vehicle was fitted with dead locks, believed to be the reason the suspect did not gain entry. On the 22nd of August between 02.25 - 02.30 two Males were seen acting suspiciously and carrying a rucksack near Bourne Road Industrial Estate. They were stopped and detained and the rucksack was found nearby. They were arrested for going equipped to steal due to the items found within the rucksack. On Tuesday 21 August at 15.30 officers stopped a vehicle in Crayford Way due to a strong smell of cannabis, the person was dealt with by way of a community resolution. Crayford officers stopped two people at Biggs Hill Wood on Tuesday 21st August for drug offences, this involved a foot chase and the cannabis and grinder being seized. We have been out and about patrolling our ward and speaking with lots of our residents. On Wednesday 29th August we will be at Crayford Library between 14.00-15.00. You are most welcome to come and say hello, or to discuss any concerns you may have". Erith ward:- "Crimes of note for the week - Theft from motor vehicle 14/08/2018 Bexley Road - suspect has removed number plate and bull-bars from vehicle; Burg Res 12/08/2018 12:00:00, Pembroke Road - by suspect entering victims bedroom without permission and taking coat; Making off 16/08/2018 Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc, James Watt Way; Burg Res 19/08/2018, Pembroke Road - The victim and family were away from the venue and on returning home found an untidy search had been made of their belongings and entry gained through the rear kitchen window – Money was taken; Shoplift <£200 Wickes Building Supplies Ltd, Fraser Road - By suspects stealing goods from location; Theft of cycle 20/08/2018 McDonalds, Avenue Road - Theft of unlocked pushbike from front entrance of McDonalds Erith. Crime prevention - Please make sure if you go out for the day that you double check you have closed all windows in your house. Some dates of note when you can see us for a chat: Wednesday 29/08/18 – Costa in Erith we will be there at around 1430; Tuesday 04/09/18 – Costa Erith from 1100. You may be aware of the following, but here is a quick overview. Shortly before 10.30am on Monday morning a 17 year old male climbed on to the roof of 188 West Street and started committing criminal damage by way of throwing tiles from the roof down to the street damaging a number of police cars. Luckily no one was hurt and after around 7 hours the male came down and was arrested". Northumberland Heath ward:- "It has been a fairly quite week this week with no burglaries or motor vehicle crimes reported to us. No new reports of anti- social behaviour over the last week but the team have had several meetings with the council to discuss several youths who have been coming to police attention. Two youths were identified by the team who had recently committed anti-social behaviour in The Library in Mill Road. Parental letters were hand delivered to their parents to make them aware of what their children had been up to. On Thursday last week PCSO Reid and two other PCSO's were given Fire Picket Training by the London Fire Brigade. A great time was had by all and we even got to put out a small fire for a training exercise! On Friday August 17th PC Dan Young and PC Tom Smith were approached by a female in Erith stating that her mobile phone had been stolen in Matalan. The officers reported it, conducted enquiries and were able to recover the phone back to the owner. On Monday August 20th PCSO Dee Reid assisted the response team with a critical incident in West Street which resulted with a male being arrested". Slade Green and North End ward:- "Police were called at 1841 hrs on Sunday 19th August following reports of a stabbing outside Slade Green Br Station. Officers attended with the London Ambulance Service. A teenage male was found suffering from stab wounds. Suspects unknown have thrown a metal pipe through a window of St Pauls Primary School, Slade Green Road, sometime between the 17th – 19th August 2018; Suspects unknown have stolen items from victim's vehicle, Ford Transit, whilst on Reddy Road on the 18th August at approximately 1500 hrs; On 19th August 2000 hrs – 2230 hrs suspects have forced entry into trading estate in Ness Road and tampered with a number of vehicles stealing large quantity of fuel. Did you see or hear anything, can you help with our enquiries, if so, please call us or call Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. We have continued to work hard on our ward promises this week, patrolling the parks and open spaces on the ward. We've completed stops across the ward building up our intelligence picture around ASB and we also searched a large group of males in Erith and, as a result, a quantity of cannabis was found and seized. This has now been taken of the streets and has been destroyed.  Our next Community Contact Session is on Thursday 30th August 2018 at the Café in Forest road from 11am-12noon. Please come along and have a chat with your local team. During this session you can pass on information, report crime or simply join us for coffee". Thamesmead East ward:- "Good News Stories - PCs Pruden and Quarshie-Awuah seized two motor bikes and intensive viewing of a number hours of CCTV enquiries to identify the suspects. On Saturday 18/08/18 PC Quarshie-Awuah and PCSO Buckley attended a charity event organised by Ferndale Foods, Yarnton Way. Money raised to date £1700 which will be going to five charities. Check out the pictures on Twitter: @MPSThamesmeadE. PCSOs Buckley and Hobbs were the Lakeside medical Centre for our Community Contact Session. A very honest gentleman who worked for the Peabody Housing Association handed in some money found at the bus stop outside of the centre. Within the space of 10 minutes the finder returned with another male who was also an Peabody employee and a young girl who was the loser of the money which totalled £20.00. All's well that ends well. Burglaries - No burglaries to report. Keep vigilant at all times! Crime Prevention - Remember to close windows, lift and lock doors when leaving the property even for a short time. Motor Vehicle Crimes - A motor vehicle parked in Portmeadow Walk had the windscreen smashed, entry not gained. The damage was reported to police on Monday 20th August but could have happened anytime from June this year. On Sunday 19/08/18 between the hours of 4;00pm and 4:08 pm a vehicle parked in aran Way had a number of parcels taken. Value unknown. Pedal Cycle Theft - Thursday 16/08/18 between the hours of 4:30 pm and 4: 55 a pedal cycle that had been chained to a garden bench was stolen from the rear garden of a property in Whernside Close. Police Surgery- The next is on Thursday 30/08/18 between the hours of 3:00 pm and 4:00pm at the Thamesmead Library, Bazalgette Way. All are welcome. Don't make yourself a target for thieves on bikes - Criminals are using mopeds and cycles to snatch phones and valuables. They often ride up behind the victim and even mount the pavement to grab them. Don't text while walking as you'll be distracted .Go hands free or stand away from the roadside, near a wall ,so no one can come up behind you. Make sure the security features on your phone are activated. Don't openly display high value watches and jewellery. Keep handbags fastened and close to you". West Heath ward:- "During this week the ward has suffered a burglary in Shakespeare Road on 16th August between 11 – 5pm. An untidy search was carried out by the suspect/s and at present the victim is unsure of what has been taken. Please ensure that you secure your property and do not leave any windows open. The team have been carrying out intelligence led high viz patrols around Hadlow Road, Chessington Avenue, Bideford Road, New Road and West Heath Road where two males and their vehicle were stopped and searched for drugs. We have been busy delivering our August Newsletter and have recruited seven Neighbourhood Watch Coordinators, 2 in West Heath Road, 1 in Romney Gardens, 3 in Ashbourne Avenue and 1 in Woolwich Road. We security-marked eight bikes whilst at The Pantiles and Stevens Park. A burglary took place on Woolwich Road, Belvedere Ward which was very close to West Heath. The suspects gained entry via a rear window between 3pm – 5pm on Thursday 16th August. Please be aware of males knocking and offering building works to properties. An elderly couple in Oakhampton Crescent narrowly missed being a victim of one of these scams. ---- Upcoming Community Contact Session - 30th August, 11am-12noon at First Avenue. We will be visiting residents". There is also an additional report from a Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator in Madison Crescent:- "I don't know if anyone else has received random phone calls from Asian sounding callers, but my brother had a call from a number and the man claimed my brother had an outstanding debt (which he doesn't). My brother said he had cleared all his credit card and loan debts ages ago. The caller asked who the debts were with and for how much? - My brother reckoned if there was a debt, he would've and should've had that information in front of him. My brother hung up, but I fear someone else might think this call is genuine and agree to pay over the phone by credit card but its definitely a scam according to Who called me website. Another Asian sounding caller rang yesterday about mobile phones, asking what network we're on and if it was contract or pay as you go? - Again they rang us, so should know this info if they're genuine. The caller tried to say they can cut our bill and tried to sell us a universal sim card but obviously we declined. There seems to be more random spam calls coming from India, so can everyone be aware and let others know because they come across convincing but its all a scam to get you to give your credit card and bank details".

The ending video this week is an exclusive - it has not been shown anywhere before now; it was sent to me by a regular reader and occasional contributor who wishes to remain anonymous. The footage was shot at night, over Morrison's supermarket in Erith. It is fairly short, but has some utterly stunning night time views. Please feel free to leave a comment below, or alternatively to Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.