21 May - Last minute desperation
For
four years no one was interested in the dilapidated state of Abbey Wood but in
the days before an election even the collapse of a fence is important. Where was councillor Kerry Allon when
the problem first arose? Ah, yes; he was campaigning
against the area having its only supermarket.
Obviously a man of the people.
If Bexley council had looked more favourably on
plans to build flats
behind the Harrow Inn the problem would not have arisen. One suspects that no one at the council was
very interested in the area, their ignorance was such that the Harrow Inn was given
listed building status more than a year after it was demolished.
Photographs
taken at frequent intervals suggest that vandalism (as stated by councillor Allon) was not the principal factor
in the demise of the fence, if at all. It’s been falling from the moment it was erected. But
one panel is fixed, which is good, even if taken as a whole it remains a big mess.
While in limbo waiting for the election to come and go I scoured this morning’s News
Shopper for inspiration. You can tell an election is coming by the hot air
escaping from Teresa O’Neill. In today’s copy she thinks Crossrail should take a branch into Bexley - and then
she complains when people says she favours the south of the borough.
If Crossrail had naturally terminated in Bexley would she have campaigned for a branch
to Abbey Wood? Her idea is pure pie in the sky. The route to Ebbsfleet is already
reserved and mapped out. New flats and houses have just been built alongside the
existing line in Bexley.
The Shopper’s letters page reveals that residents don’t seem too keen on
parks being left unsecured at night but for me the most interesting contribution is
from J. Colegate. A ‘plant’ if ever there was one. The name appears whenever
Bexley Conservatives need to boost Teresa O’Neill. This time
the leader “keeps council tax down (†) and puts residents first”. Labour are
“capitalists”. Last time the poor deluded woman
was complaining that those who put questions to council are “time wasters”. Teresa thinks so too, hence
her plan to stop councillors from asking too many questions
and more than halving the opportunity for scrutiny.
Speaking of boosting Teresa O’Neill, the Conservatives put on a three line whip
on Monday to get as many of their councillors as possible out in
Teresa’s Brampton ward
delivering a special leaflet. I’ve not seen a copy but
a special leaflet went out in Blackfen and Lamorbey ward too. Perhaps the
Tories are running scared of Independents as well as UKIP down there.
In the Blackfen leaflet councillor Peter Craske has the cheek to say he protected
school crossing patrols from the cuts. The truth is that immediately after
he was elected in 2010, councillor Craske proposed getting rid of all the school
crossing patrols. It didn’t happen because of the public backlash but now he
claims to be their protector. Tories in Bexley cannot be trusted,
especially councillor Peter Craske, the one with
an internet connection with a mind of its own.
Labour have new leaflets too.
† The Conservatives have not kept council tax down at all, they have kept it
at the highest level,
compared to other boroughs, that it has ever been. 24th worst out of 32.