11 March (Part 2) - Play spot the difference in Northumberland Heath
One hundred thousand pounds of Bexley
taxpayers’ money has been spent in Northumberland Heath.
The job was recently finished only a little bit behind schedule.
I confess that when I
first read about this scheme I assumed the planned improvements would extend beyond
the Mill Hill junction but unless you stare skywards you would probably assume they haven’t.
For the stargazers, lamp posts have been draped with banners portraying North Heath through the ages.
The new waste bins have been pictured before as has
the resurfaced Mill Road junction
which is basically the same as before but newer and, for the time being, blacker. However it is now distinguishable because of
new and decorative railings which are absolutely guaranteed to bring shoppers flocking into town.
Northumberland Heath has also acquired a couple of granite benches much the same as
those to be found in Welling and Sidcup
but this time the gimmick is not
an offset backrest but an engraved seating surface guaranteed to provide a little puddle to sit in.
As
if to emphasise how little money was spent, only a few yards away some tatty
cycle racks remain and at the next junction along so do the old style street barriers.
Perhaps it would have been better to do nothing until the financial situation
improves and save a library or something.