Sunday, October 21, 2018

The decision.


On Wednesday I attended the Bexley Council Licensing Sub-Committee in the civic offices in Bexleyheath; the reason for the visit was to witness their deliberations in the case of the application for The White Hart African restaurant and bar in Erith High Street to open from 10am until 5am the next morning. What I encountered turned out to be the longest licensing sub committee session in the history of Bexley Council. The meeting started at 10am, and the decision was finally announced at a little after 3pm. It cannot be said that the committee did not take into account every consideration before coming to their conclusion. I have not attended a meeting at the civic offices before, and I was surprised at the number of local residents who attended the public part of the meeting - I was told that normally very few if any people turn up to watch the Licensing Sub Committee - but the level of concern and indeed anger in respect of the outrageous licence variation application by the operator of the White Hart led to a record turn - out. I have to say that Councillor Nicola Taylor did an excellent job of representing Erith residents and their serious concerns in respect of noise, disturbance, increased crime and associated issues to the sub committee. In her representation to the sub committee, Councillor Taylor said:- "Erith does welcome this restaurant to the area and the opening is much anticipated. We have followed the restoration of the historic building closely. However, this establishment is close to residential homes. Behind it there are two retirement developments, and there are family properties close. All of these residents would be impacted. All of the residents have expressed concerns over the increase of public nuisance. The town centre is quiet in the evening. Residents have a fear the area will become an area known for excessive drinking, possibly worse. It seems mad to have an establishment open for these hours. We have got to consider the community as a whole". Unfortunately the Police officers who attended to submit evidence on behalf of the Met were not the officers who had previously been involved with the case, and they were poorly briefed - and to be honest did not do a particularly impressive job. Nevertheless, other council staff including Mrs Eley and Bike Aideh, community safety co-ordinator presented compelling evidence to counter the claims made by the licensing consultant hired by Mr Ojuanu Sodunke, the licensee of The White Hart. Petitions had been submitted prior to the meeting by residents of Waters Edge Court retirement apartments and the Stone Court sheltered housing scheme, both of which are situated in very close proximity to The White Hart. Residents from both locations unanimously opposed the increase in opening hours. What was very noticeable was that apart from Ojuanu Sodunke and his legal advisor, nobody had anything at all positive to say about the application for increased opening hours. Indeed, during the consultation session it emerged that the use of the former beer cellar in the White Hart, which has been converted into a lounge / bar area could not be permitted, as it only has one staircase in and out of it, which contravenes fire regulations. Once all of the representations had been made, the Licensing Sub Committee then met to consider their decision - and the public were then asked to leave the room. I had arranged to meet up with News Shopper reporter Tom Bull prior to the event, and I sat and chatted with him in the atrium outside of the committee rooms whilst we waited for a decision to be reached. Tom is a extremely nice bloke, and very interesting to chat to. My respect for the work of local news reporters has increased substantially since talking to him - I just play at local journalism - it is his profession - and he writes fluently in shorthand - a skill I had thought long gone. Many of the local residents who attended the consultation session did not stay for the decision - something of a wise choice, as I discovered in retrospect. We waited, and waited until 3pm before the remaining attendees were finally re-admitted to the committee room, a full three hours had passed whilst the committee debated their decision. The committee chair read out a prepared statement which in essence said that they could not approve the requested extension in licensing hours and that the request was therefore not granted. I don't think that either the licensee Mr. Ojuanu Sodunke or his legal advisor were in any way surprised by the decision made by the sub committee; the fact remains that the White Hart already has what is termed as a "Luxury" licence, which enables it to open until 1am on Friday and Saturday - more than enough time to operate as a restaurant and bar. Quite why Mr. Sodunke wanted to open until 5am still seems unclear. He offered to block any entrance to the venue after 11pm, and to employ door staff, but even so, it does not take six hours to have a few drinks, a chat and to eat dinner. The feeling amongst many attendees was that despite his insistence that The White Hart was to be a restaurant and bar only, it was actually trying to become a night club - "by the back door". You can read Tom Bull's take on the story on the News Shopper website here. The council decision has set a precedent for the borough, and it has shown that Bexley will not grant very late night drinks and entertainment licences in residential areas - a decision that I and many other people can only applaud. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

An announcement from The Association of Bexley Charities '78:- "We are holding our Autumn Fair at the United Reformed Church, Geddes Place, Bexleyheath DA6 7DJ (near the Broadway Shopping Centre) on Saturday 27th October 2018 from 9.45 am  - 1.00 pm. There will be a variety of charity stalls selling Christmas gifts and cards, CDs and DVDs, collectables, jewellery, chutneys, jams, cakes, books, children’s toys and games and model railways. Refreshments will be available and the entrance fee is 50p (accompanied children FREE)". 


After the recent revelations that the Crossrail project opening was going to be delayed by a year, or possibly significantly longer, further developments have taken place recently. Discussions about the potential extension of the services from its current terminus in Abbey Wood, and extending it down to Ebbsfleet have been going on and off for years. Crossrail’s original route went to Ebbsfleet but was cut to Abbey Wood to save cash. London City Airport has offered to fund a station as part of its £480 million expansion. Crossrail, renamed the Elizabeth line when it eventually opens, passes within 170m of its runway. The opening of Crossrail’s central section has overrun by £590 million and been delayed at least until to next autumn amid a failure to get the new British Rail class 345 trains to work with signalling systems. Now senior politicians, business leaders and other persons of influence are calling for the service to be extended as was originally planned. Local MP Sir David Evennett said in a recent interview with the London Evening Standard :- "This is a crucial opportunity for the Government to create a boom of jobs, opportunities and homes in an area that needs investment to unlock its potential. It will join up our transport network, bring Kent and south-east London properly into the fold". The potential extension would add an extra ten miles of line, which would see trains call at eight additional local stations: Belvedere, Erith, Slade Green, Dartford, Stone Crossing, Greenhithe, Swanscombe and Ebbsfleet, linking with HS1 and Eurostar. Back in May, Jo Johnson agreed that there had been considerable change in South East London and North Kent since the decision to not extend beyond Abbey Wood had been finalised in The 2008 Crossrail Act, and in light of this said Government would take a fresh look at the case for extending to Ebbsfleet. Now that the giant theme park that was due to be constructed near Swanscombe - formerly called the London Paramount theme park, has been delayed yet again, and the development is now looking to be very doubtful. Bearing in mind one of the contributing factors into the Crossrail to Ebbsfleet extension was to provide increased public transport access to the massive theme park - the fact that the park is now looking increasingly unlikely does not seem to be influencing the calls to extend Crossrail. There are many other very good reasons the line should be extended - in fact many are questioning why the line did not run all the way to Ebbsfleet in the first place, as the cost savings in terminating it at Abbey Wood were actually not that large in the greater scheme of things. What do you think? Leave a comment below, or alternatively Email me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

This week marks the 31st anniversary of the Great Storm of 1987. I doubt that many locals will be happy to commemorate the event, as the storm hit the London Borough of Bexley particularly hard. Something approaching twenty percent of the mature trees in the borough were uprooted or seriously damaged by the exceptionally high winds. I recall walking along the Woolwich Road in Upper Belvedere the morning after, and seeing a number of the large trees in the recreation park down across the road – the fire brigade were cutting them up with chainsaws requisitioned from the plant hire shop in Nuxley Road. One of the very impressive Georgian houses opposite the Eardley Arms was seriously damaged – the whole third floor and roof were crushed by a mature sycamore tree that had fallen directly onto it. I recall reading in the local paper that the insurance claim to rebuild the historic house was greater than if they had demolished it and built afresh. Just as well the listed building was lovingly rebuilt, as it is one of the nicest residential properties in the whole of Upper Belvedere. My most vivid memory of the Great Storm was looking out of my bedroom window at the fury of the weather outside; some workmen had been laying a new paved pathway directly outside of my parents house. A pile of large concrete paving slabs had been made ready for the workers to continue laying them the next morning – these I saw flying through the air as if they were pieces of paper. Very worrying, as my parents house was right at the highest point in the area, leaving an unrestricted avenue for the hurricane to attack. The garden shed ended up in a neighbours’ back garden – very much like one of the opening scenes from “The Wizard of Oz”.


There are widespread rumours circulating locally that the Nuxley Navigator private bus service is struggling to find passengers. The inaccurately titled Nuxley Navigator bus service operates on weekdays only, and runs between Harrow Manorway outside of Abbey Wood Station, and Carlton Road in Northumberland Heath. The roads that the new private bus service covers 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. The Crossrail service was due to open at Abbey Wood Station at the end of this year - although as we now know, this has now been significantly delayed, and many of the roads covered by The Nuxley Navigator are currently not covered by any existing bus service. The Nuxley Navigator features a reserved seat and, in London, standard rides are £2.40. A standard bus fare is £1.50. Chariot works by being pre-bookable but with predetermined stops, similar to a bus route. 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 live in the area permanently. 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 was designed to convince people that they should move into the area, as housing is significantly cheaper than in other parts of London. The problem has been that 1) Crossrail has been significantly delayed, 2) Erith Quarry has not yet opened, and 3) there is very little local awareness of the private bus service. On top of this, it is a bookable service, not a "hop on, hop off" service as per a normal bus ride. Lastly the service can only be booked via a mobile phone app, and one cannot use Oyster cards. The lack of passengers on the Nuxley Navigator is, I am led to believe, causing the operator, Chariot, and their sponsor, Ford to consider closing the service. If you have any information on this issue, please Email me in confidence - you can contact me privately at hugh.neal@gmail.com.

Now for the weekly local safety and security updates from Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association. Firstly from Barnehurst ward:- "Unfortunately, Barnehurst ward has suffered two burglaries in the past week. The first occurred on Sunday 14th October 2018 between 05.00pm and 0740pm in Selkirk Drive at a residential care home. Staff found damage to a window lock and an empty large red handbag was taken from an unattended room. On Tuesday 16th October 2018 a burglary took place in Hampton House Erith Road. Suspects entered the property after forcing open the front door, taking a large flat screen TV and cash from the property. Two suspects were seen walking down the rear of Hampton House by railway heading towards Barnehurst Road struggling to carry the TV. If anyone has any Information with regards these burglaries please let us know. We cannot stress enough with the lead up to Christmas burglaries tend to increase. You can prevent and deter burglars away from your property's by taking appropriate security measures. We as your local Policing team will be happy to advise on crime prevention so feel free to join us at our next community contact session at Barnehurst Golf Club on Tuesday 23rd October 2018 at 11.00am". Belvedere ward:- "We have been conducting burglary and ASB patrols into the early hours of the morning this week. Two officers have been patrolling in plain clothes looking for offenders. We have stopped several groups of people to disrupt and dissuade anti – social behaviour. One male was searched by PC Green and was found to be in possession of cannabis bear Belvedere train station. Another male was searched by PC Holmes and found to be in possession of cannabis in the Nuxley Road car park. We have also been making enquiries into outstanding wanted offenders. Through these plain clothed patrols we have been able to gather various intelligence about a range of issues on the ward. To make you aware, there has been an attempted burglary in Gideon Close and also a residential burglary in Bedwell Road this week. The team's next Community Contact session is set to take place on Friday 26th October 2018 from 12pm at the Belvedere Community Centre". Bexleyheath ward:- "Sunday 14/10/2018 - We had a report of a theft that was reported on a bus, bag was left on bus along the Broadway; Monday 15th & Tuesday 16th October 2018 – There was a criminal damage to motor vehicle that was reported along Braemar Avenue Bexleyheath; Tuesday 16/10/2018 – A theft of motor vehicle was reported along Martens Avenue Bexleyheath. Also, just to make yourselves aware, a NHW member had received a voicemail allegedly from the HM Revenue. It had stated that they were tax evading and if they do not call the number provided that there would be a warrant for their arrest. If anyone does get anything similar to this, could they please not respond and report it. In relation to Martens Grove – BMX Bike Park Proposal was attended by members from the SNT to see how this would impact on the local community and how the bike track would work in the area. Our next contact session shall take place on Wednesday 24th October between 10am and 11am at the Central Library Bexleyheath. Feel free to pop in and have a chat and spread the word. The team are in the process of trying to resolve issues that are being raised by residents within the ASDA car park area. Patrols are also still continuing around Martens Grove and Grove Road including the garages to reduce anti-social behaviour. As Halloween is approaching the team shall be conducting patrols around this period around the ward. We shall be visiting the shops to advise not to sell eggs to youngsters for obvious reasons. We do have posters that people can put up in windows for No Trick or Treating. We have enclosed an attachment which you may find useful. If you do wish to pass on information to Police then please contact Crime Stoppers on 0800 555111. 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:- "Thankfully, another week with not too many crimes of note. On 9th October at 00.15 there was a theft from motor vehicle in Green Walk. Two portable DVD Players and a Sat Nav were stolen. There was no damage caused to the vehicle. The incident was captured on CCTV locally and the Male was seen to tamper with another vehicle, he was wearing a silver puffa jacket. On 9th October three parcels awaiting collection by courier were taken from a front garden in Crayford Way, the parcels contained a locket and 2 vintage cameras and other photographic equipment was taken. There was a theft from motor vehicle at Medway Road on 10th October at 22.20, three white Males stole power tools, this was captured on CCTV. It has been reported that a mobile phone and bank card were stolen by distraction from a business at Midfield Parade on 9th October at approx. 15.00. A Ford Transit, number plate PY56 GOP was stolen from Iron Mill Lane on 10th October. A window on the vehicle had been smashed a few days before. An elderly gentleman reported that his wallet was taken from his pocket whilst he was shopping in Sainsbury's on 12th October between 14.00-15.00. It was later found that his contactless card had been used locally. Please consider using a chain to attach wallets and purses to bags or clothing making it much more difficult to take, also consider keeping purses /wallets and other valuables inside a zipped bag or an inside coat pocket. In the lead up to Halloween, not everyone likes to take part in trick or treat, we have leaflets that we can deliver or email to residents, alternatively we have delivered some to Crayford Library for you to collect at your convenience. It wasn't possible to get to the Ellenor Shop as advertised on Wednesday 17th October, instead we will be at Crayford Library on Wednesday 24th October between 2-3pm. Due to the types of crimes being reported in the last week, please ensure expensive items are not left in vehicles and double check they are locked and secured when you leave them".


Erith ward:- "We hope you are all having a good week so far. This week we are having our Ward Panel meeting, I will send an update on this next week. The team have been actively stopping people in and around Erith for cannabis. 3 people were stopped in Bosworth house and searched. Thanks to the information that you provided to us. Again, theft from motor vehicles is on the rise, Please make sure nothing is on show when you leave your car / van. Crimes of note from the last week: Criminal damage Tuesday 09/10/2018 Riverdale Road - By unknown person damaging the victim's front door by hitting it with a stone. Their intentions were unknown; Possession Cannabis Saturday 13/10/2018 Bosworth House youth stopped in stairway. Theft Person Thursday 11/10/2018 Bexley Road - victim having had his mobile phone stolen out of his jacket pocket; Other theft Saturday 13/10/2018 - Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc, James Watt way; Criminal Damage Under £500 13/10/2018 South Road – Lock on door damaged; Burglary Residential Monday 08/10/2018 West Street - Damage caused after break in via window Theft from MV Sunday 14/10/2018 St Fidelis Road - theft of front number plate. Theft from motor vehicle Friday 12/10/2018 Carrack House, Saltford Road - theft of front and rear car number plates". Northumberland Heath ward:- "Unfortunately over the past week we have had several burglaries reported to us. On Thursday October 11th between 1.45pm – 2300 hours entry was gained to a property in Belmont Road. The victim arrived home to see the external security panel flashing, the internal panel making a beeping noise and flashing repeatedly. The victim then went upstairs to find the bathroom damaged and a plant pot from the window ledge had fallen in to the bath leaving footprints behind. The victim left the property and reported the incident to Police. It is believed the address may have been targeted for theft of Asian gold, however it is not clear at this stage if anything has been taken. The second burglary took place in Hurst Road on Sunday October 14th between 7.30pm – 8.55pm. The suspect entered the property via a second floor window by climbing up the conservatory and forcing the window. It is unclear exactly what if anything was taken but an untidy search upstairs took place. One commercial business burglary this week in Bexley Road also on Sunday October 14th overnight into Monday October 15th. A rear door to the premises was forced open and it is believed a camera has been stolen. Several cars and a bus were damaged on Sunday evening October 14th near Elm Road by a group of youths throwing stones. One theft from a motor vehicle parked in Frinsted Road overnight between Monday October 15th and Tuesday 16th. The owner of the vehicle is an Uber driver and discovered a number of usb cables, an iPhone and his Uber licence missing from the vehicle. Our Ward Panel meeting took place Thursday last week. It was an opportunity for local residents to put forward their concerns to the team and the local Councillor who kindly attended. We will be continuing to focus on anti-social behaviour in Bexley Road and the surrounding area as well as increasing our presence in the Walsingham Walk and Streamway area following ongoing reports of drug dealing and taking in the area. Plain clothes patrols were conducted over last weekend on our late shift to try to identify and deter those responsible in these areas". Slade Green and Northend ward:- "Unfortunately, we have had a few crimes of note this week on the ward. On Thursday 11/10/2018 number plates were stolen from a car on Hazel Road. This is sadly becoming quite common across the borough. We do have a number of ‘anti-theft' screws at the office so please send us an email if you are interested and I will make sure you get some. This offer only extends to residents of our ward! Also in the early hours of Sunday 14/10/2018 a taxi driver was the victim of a nasty robbery on Sun Court (off Lincoln Road) where he was assaulted and had money and his mobile phone stolen. Enquiries are ongoing with a view to identifying suspects. In more positive news we have continued to make progress in identifying a group of juveniles causing anti-social behaviour primarily on Rainbow Road and Forest Road. A number of the group have received visits at home this week. Their parents have been informed of their behaviour and in all cases, parents were supportive of the local police. We have referred some of the group over to our dedicated anti-social behaviour team and consideration is being given to drawing up voluntary behaviour contracts. We still have further work to do in the run up to Halloween but we are making positive progress. We have had number of stop and searches across the ward this week with PC Mark-Brookes Smith seizing a small quantity of herbal cannabis on Appold Street earlier on today (Tuesday 16/10/18) and issuing the male in question with a £90 fine". Thamesmead East ward:- "Motor Vehicle Crimes - During the day of Thursday 11/10/18 a motorcycle parked and locked was stolen from outside the Lakeside Medical Centre ,Yarnton Way. A set of number plates were stolen from a vehicle parked in Seacourt Road between 12:00pm on the Saturday 13/10/18 and 07:00pm on the Monday 15/10/18. The next Community Contact Session is Wednesday 24th October between the hours of 2:00pm and 3:00pm at The Link, Bazalgette Way. It is an opportunity for members of the community who prefer face- to – face contact to speak with a Dedicated Ward Officer".

The end video this week is a driver's eye view of the route used by driving test examiners at the Belvedere Driving Test Centre. As is quite well known, the failure rate of students at the Belvedere centre is the highest in the UK - and it is regarded as the hardest place in the country at which to pass your driving test. The video below shows the very demanding examination course - and it makes for quite absorbing viewing. Let me know what you think. 

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