22 February - Residents come last
Over the past couple of years I must have met more than half a dozen Peabody
people both at Council meetings, local liaison meetings and by simply bumping
into them while on my travels. Without exception they have been friendly and always
willing to explain what is going on in and around Thamesmead.
I have no complaints at all but locally it is hard to find anyone with a good
word to say for them. Maybe only the disgruntled speak their minds.
At the eastern end of Yarnton Way (Thamesmead) the residents of the Tilehurst and Blewbury
towers are up in arms about the latest move from Peabody. They have simply taken
their car park away. Three notices pinned to lamp posts and most of it is gone
and a surprise to most people. Who reads Planning Applications?
Bexley Council and its contractors operate in much the same way. A Press Release said that the overnight closures on Gravel Hill would end on 20th February. I went along yesterday, the 21st, to look at the finished job.
It
was not a good place to be, the southbound carriageway was closed and
northbound traffic was at a standstill while I watched.
Standing outside the Marriott Hotel in the dark I crossed the road unimpeded
only to find myself on the wrong side of a half inch wide plastic tape. Trying
to escape, I crossed the road towards the Civic Offices and walked straight into
another thin ‘invisible’ tape almost dragging it down. I had to duck under it
From there I asked a Conway man where the official crossing point was but he just shrugged.
He found his voice when I began to retrace my steps. He shouted something
unintelligible but I just carried on. I saw no signs that were of any use to a pedestrian
wishing to get from the Civic Centre back to the Marriott Hotel. Pedestrians don’t matter.