23 March (Part 2) - ‘Putting Bexley First’ and putting Lesnes last
The Lesnes Action Team poses with Boris in front of their ‘Putting Bexley First’ slogan at their
manifesto launching party. ‘First’ when measured against what has not been made clear. Not first in
the
low tax tables because Bexley Conservatives have failed to rescue the
borough from the 24th position achieved eight years ago by the Labour
administration. Where does all that extra tax go, not to mention the £7 million
a year additional stealth taxes? Management inefficiency is very obvious when
the Public Realm is involved but how much more goes on behind the scenes? Why do
so many people have to be paid in excess of £100,000 a year when so much
incompetence is on public display?
In my corner of the borough I really cannot think of any improvements for which one
can thank the present council. I’ve heard council leader O’Neill claim to have
brought Crossrail to town and nearly everyone thinks it will prove to be a good
thing, but it is ridiculous that Teresa claims any credit. Strictly speaking the
only part of it in Bexley will be the pedestrian access from Harrow Manorway
and a single track extending towards Belvedere to provide a link to the existing North Kent line.
I can think of two things that have come to Lesnes ward during the Conservatives’ time in office.
A £74,995 railing
around Lesnes Abbey park
supposedly to stop motorcyclists
getting in but at only nine inches high in places it was effective mainly against wheelchairs.
Installed in 2009 cabinet member Gareth Bacon blamed it on Labour who left office more than
three years earlier. And there was
the narrowing of Abbey Road
and the installation of a cycle track on the pavement, something which the current cabinet member for Public Realm says is
a
bad idea. In 2009 councillor John Davey blamed TfL. So if left to the Conservatives there
would be no change in Lesnes ward, for better or worse, at all!
This is what John Davey said on 10th May 2009…
Due to the inherent slowness in the way that local government works, it is indeed
the case that appalling traffic schemes that are costly and useless and were designed
a couple of years ago by TfL have just come to be installed.
Some people might
say exactly the same about the Bexleyheath Broadway and Sidcup changes.
Maybe Lesnes has been blessed with too many complacent councillors. John Davey
must know he has not served Lesnes well because he has done ‘the
chicken run’ to Crayford and his intended replacement, Kerry Allon, seems to be cast in the same mould.
Of course he doesn’t live anywhere near Lesnes ward which is probably why he was against an ASDA
store in Belvedere which I find to be so crowded at times that I’ve had to queue both for the self service
tills and to get out of the car park. Maybe that explains why he describes the fence you see here as
“a big improvement”. It may be an improvement but it’s nothing to be proud of is it? Maybe it really is
time for someone different to look after our interests. Eight years have provided Lesnes ward with nothing
but a silly fence and more parking restrictions.