Their communications have been somewhat chaotic but Bexley’s refuse services
masterminded by Cabinet Member Peter Craske have done a sterling job in the face
of much ill tempered criticism. My brown bin was emptied this morning which
means that only one collection was missed and my usually almost empty green bin,
now full of neighbours’ stuff, awaits a collection. It’s been waiting a month but
these are exceptional times.
I
can imagine that Cabinet Member Brad Smith (Care Homes etc.) is quietly working
his backside off and maybe Philip Read (Children in Care etc.) has a major job on his
hands too. But someone is badly letting the side down.
My care responsibilities in East Ham took me there last Wednesday morning.
Recently I have been driving over late in the evening so that I am in contact with
absolutely no one. Even by day cocooned in a car the risks are minimal, less
than usual maybe because Newham Council has done the decent thing and stopped
enforcing residents’ parking bay regulations.
As far as I can tell so have most London boroughs but not of course Bexley.
No one is asking - well some are! - for all the Traffic Wardens to be taken off
the road, only that Bexley Council shows some compassion but instead it prefers
to live up to its old Bonkers’ tag line, ‘Dishonest, Vindictive, Criminal’.
Click image for source news report,
The problem is residents’ bays; there are not only people forced to work at home
who have had no need to buy a permit but there is also the question of those
like myself who are having to make additional visits by car who are unable to
get their hands on a Visitors’ Permit.
I have many times heard the responsible Cabinet Member say in Council that he
believes that motorists are too often given a hard time but while yet more revenue
raising traffic enforcement cameras are installed I have wondered about just how
sincere he is with those comments.
The past week or two have given us the definitive answer. It was total BS and
all that matters is money.
Inevitably Bexley Council has had to lie about it and
claim that every Council in London
is doing the same.