It's 12 days since we contacted RBK officers and TfL/London Buses about the desired adjustment to the site of the stop at the junction of Douglas and Thornhill Roads. This would involve moving the planned stop about 5 metres to the East to make the bus stop alongside the garden wall of no. 180 instead of alongside the lounge wall. There are 4 buses an hour in each direction.
We had a very positive response from London Buses,who were very willing to accommodate the change but say it was vetoed by the two Liberal Democrat Neighbourhood Co-Chairs. This surprised me at first as I thought they were well disposed.
I wrote 12 days ago setting out the position - not for the first time! I hoped for a response from the Borough to match that of London Buses. Sadly we have had no response at all from Kingston's officers or the Neighbourhood Co-Chairs to match the attitude of London Buses or from our Liberal Democrat MP, Edward Davey, who was also very supportive at first.
We have written again today and hope to report progress soon.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
A little bird tells me........
........that it was announced at a meeting of the Alpha Road Residents' Association last week that boarded up windows on the estate are to be replaced with glass.
No great shakes, you might think, except that we have been trying to get similar windows in School Lane replaced for the last two years and have been told there isn't money to do it. The Lib Dem councillor (elected last May, only Lib Dem gain in Kingston - VERY marginal - smallest majority 6) who give out this info was apparently very embarrassed at having blurted it out. 'I wasn't supposed to have said that was I?' was a fairly accurate quote. Why ever not, pray, if it's all open and above board and all estates are to be treated alike?
Which might lead a person of a suspicious cast of mind to speculate on whether it was a pure coincidence that the Neighbourhood Committee was not given any breakdown of how it was proposed to allocate the sums on repairs and maintenance for next year in the Report to the Neighbourhood Committee on Housing the day after the residents' meeting.
Spooky?............Perish the thought!
No great shakes, you might think, except that we have been trying to get similar windows in School Lane replaced for the last two years and have been told there isn't money to do it. The Lib Dem councillor (elected last May, only Lib Dem gain in Kingston - VERY marginal - smallest majority 6) who give out this info was apparently very embarrassed at having blurted it out. 'I wasn't supposed to have said that was I?' was a fairly accurate quote. Why ever not, pray, if it's all open and above board and all estates are to be treated alike?
Which might lead a person of a suspicious cast of mind to speculate on whether it was a pure coincidence that the Neighbourhood Committee was not given any breakdown of how it was proposed to allocate the sums on repairs and maintenance for next year in the Report to the Neighbourhood Committee on Housing the day after the residents' meeting.
Spooky?............Perish the thought!
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
ID card debate
See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6120220.stm.
Tony Blair has really gone to town on this issue in the last couple of days. Is this going to be the famous 'legacy' he wants to leave behind?
I'va always been opposed to ID cards myself but others may not share this view. Have a good read of the article and then feel free to comment.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
ANOTHER 3G MAST APPLICATION IN OUR AREA
Hutchinson 3G want to put in planning application for a 15m mast at the junction of Ewell Road and Kingsdowne Road, near the tree stump and the traffic lights.
The Informer, reporter Robert Cumber wishes to help high-light this issue to a wider audience. An Informer photographer is coming on 8th November at 9:15AM to the proposed Location.
• If you want to comment on the application, look on the Council website at www.kingston.gov.uk , find the Planning section and look in the Unitary Development Plan (UDP) and base your comments on what you find in there. The Council has to abide by what the UDP says
• Write to your Councillors to make your views known and reasons you have found in the UDP why they should reject the application.
• Contact the Surbiton Planner at RBK: Paul Bradbury 020 8547 5414. email: paul.bradbury@rbk.kingston.gov.uk
• Contact Hutchinson 3G: Gareth Coombes-Olney 01628 767803 or e-mail gareth.coombes-olney@three.co.uk
• Come to the meeting of the Neighbourhood Planning Committee when the application is being discussed.
The Informer, reporter Robert Cumber wishes to help high-light this issue to a wider audience. An Informer photographer is coming on 8th November at 9:15AM to the proposed Location.
• If you want to comment on the application, look on the Council website at www.kingston.gov.uk , find the Planning section and look in the Unitary Development Plan (UDP) and base your comments on what you find in there. The Council has to abide by what the UDP says
• Write to your Councillors to make your views known and reasons you have found in the UDP why they should reject the application.
• Contact the Surbiton Planner at RBK: Paul Bradbury 020 8547 5414. email: paul.bradbury@rbk.kingston.gov.uk
• Contact Hutchinson 3G: Gareth Coombes-Olney 01628 767803 or e-mail gareth.coombes-olney@three.co.uk
• Come to the meeting of the Neighbourhood Planning Committee when the application is being discussed.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Chip 'N Bin - the sequel
The Scrutiny Panel met on Tuesday and spent 3 hours of its 5 hour meeting scrutinising the proposed trial in Berrylands (see 'Chip 'N Bin - Tories intervene' below).
It emerged that the scheme had been in the planning stage since June and yet the Executive member says she knew nothing about it until 6th September. Conveniently this was the day after the Scrutiny Panel on the 5th. She continued to defend, with more doggedness than conviction, her contention that the trial had, even so, been discussed and approved on 5th September. None of us who was there can remember this.
Whatever - It is incredible that communication is so parlous between the Executive Member and her officers that they would not at least brief her on it at all stages of its development.
The Panel decided to refer the trial scheme to the next available meeting of the full Council, where all the elected members will be able to have their say.
It emerged that the scheme had been in the planning stage since June and yet the Executive member says she knew nothing about it until 6th September. Conveniently this was the day after the Scrutiny Panel on the 5th. She continued to defend, with more doggedness than conviction, her contention that the trial had, even so, been discussed and approved on 5th September. None of us who was there can remember this.
Whatever - It is incredible that communication is so parlous between the Executive Member and her officers that they would not at least brief her on it at all stages of its development.
The Panel decided to refer the trial scheme to the next available meeting of the full Council, where all the elected members will be able to have their say.
Too many cameras?
We even have a car advert now which draws attention to the fact that 'you're caught on someone's camera 200 times every day' and advises you to buy a Peugeot to 'give them something to look at.'
This news item from Sky (http://uk.news.yahoo.com/02112006/140/britons-most-spied-world.html) is worth a read. Speed cameras, CCTV everywhere - are they just a cheap substitute for policemen? Do they really deter criminals or merely provide the authorities with a cover for their growing failure to tackle crime and disorder while infringing the personal freedom and privacy of citizens who are merely going about 'their lawful occasions'?
This news item from Sky (http://uk.news.yahoo.com/02112006/140/britons-most-spied-world.html) is worth a read. Speed cameras, CCTV everywhere - are they just a cheap substitute for policemen? Do they really deter criminals or merely provide the authorities with a cover for their growing failure to tackle crime and disorder while infringing the personal freedom and privacy of citizens who are merely going about 'their lawful occasions'?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.0.jpg)
