27 October (Part 1) - Feed back
When Councillor June Slaughter (Conservative, Sidcup) was complaining about the chaos caused
by Thames Water’s protracted works in The Green she also mentioned a similar
problem on Hatherley Road but not a word about Clarence Road. Maybe that is
because, according to residents’ feedback it is Bexley Council that has caused the
disruption to continue for longer than necessary.
The report is that Thames Water promised that the water main replacement
would take five weeks starting in the first week of August. True to form Thames
Water failed to put men on site every day but eventually packed up and went away
on 21st October. Everything was left clean and tidy.
But not for long.
Last Monday they returned to rip up all the lovely new paving. Enquiries have
revealed that Bexley Council objected to the colouring. They would prefer them
to have a pinkish hue rather than plain grey.
For the record, Thames Water told the Council that although repairs and
replacement has been taken back in house the same does not apply to restorative
work. That is still contracted out.
Nearer home there was further comment on
parking post-Crossrail.
Residents of a road that spans the CPZ boundary say that parking
beyond it is similarly getting out of hand and it being a bus route (14 an hour
in each direction) there is even more scope for road blocking.
I was informed that the “Incorrect parking” website reporting restrictions may be circumvented in a
way I will not reveal in case the loophole is blocked and a phone option is
also available. 020 3045 3000 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.
I share my informantְ’s view that the only way that single yellow lines are
likely to help significantly is if the restricted hours are extended from the
usual - in Abbey Wood - 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.