3 August - The Waitrose effect
Whilst
residents in the vicinity of Abbey Wood station might have the
support of ‘Lesnes Abbey Labour’ now that Crossrail developments are about to
restrict parking outside their homes, the people of Sidcup have no defence
against the worst that Bexley council can do. Charge them £120 a year and fine
them if they or their visitors should forget to display a parking permit.
Council leader Teresa O’Neill’s vanity project of bringing Waitrose to Sidcup is
going to prove very costly to nearby residents and one of them thinks the
brief
report on the subject last month fails to do it justice. He sent me a copy
of the excuse sheet Bexley council poked through his letter box. You will note that it refers to Waitrose only
in the vaguest possible terms. The new parking restrictions are “connected to planning
consents”. Why are they always so secretive? What would be wrong about admitting the truth?
The complete document (click extract to read it) reveals that not only is a new Controlled Parking Zone
to be introduced which will operate from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m., single yellow lines will be
subject to the same time restrictions. Never does a week go by without Bexley
council announcing a further tightening of the parking thumbscrews.
Teresa got Waitrose. Bexley gets another stealth tax.