1 April - Another blast from the past
A message from Reform UK says that they have chosen their candidates to fight
for control of Bexley Council. The nominations have gone in. Obviously I know the name of a Belvedere
candidate because i proposed him and I think I know who might take on Peter Craske in Blackfen and Lamorbey
because I encouraged its acceptance when the first choice may have been
elsewhere. There was strong competition for some wards.
I’m not sure why people still vote for Peter Craske in Blackfen, his track record for
attacking residents is among the worst.
Here is what was published on Bonkers on 23rd September 2011. It is
one of the
hard to find Editorial pages from the beginning of Bonkers.
Peter Craske, Cabinet Member for Public Realm and Bexley councillor for Blackfen & Lamorbey draws an allowance of £22,615 a year. Councillor Craske has an obsession with motoring, he gets free parking when he attends council meetings but imposes ever increasing fees and restrictions on residents. From time to time it is necessary to remind readers who is responsible for Bexley having more expensive parking and residents’ parking permits than any neighbouring borough with the single exception of a car park catering for tourists in the historic centre of Greenwich; but even there, a parking permit is cheaper than in Bexley.
• Peter Craske introduced 24 hour a day parking charges, seven days a week.
• Peter Craske has doubled parking charges since taking office.
• Peter Craske dishonestly claimed that Bexley enjoys the cheapest parking in South East London.
• Peter Craske recommended and implemented the price hike for residents’ parking permits. £35 last year, £100 now.
• Peter Craske levied £2·3 million in parking fines and defies the parking adjudicator by continuing with ineffective or illegal restriction signs.
• Peter Craske plans to enforce moving traffic violations with 24/7 CCTV coverage.
• Peter Craske got rid of town centre parking meters and compelled motorists to pay via mobile phones with a fixed extra fee. No alternative.
• Peter Craske authorised £4m for traffic consultants while retaining his internal department with total salaries in the region of £600,000.
• Peter Craske assured us that a new parking services contractor would provide better value for money. The council’s Budget Book shows increased costs of £55,000.
If you hate the Yellow Money Boxes that foul up traffic flow everywhere - I saw someone trapped by the Cray bridge in Bexley Village on Monday evening -
please remember that the cameras were
the idea of Councillor Peter Craske 15 years ago.
His report said fines would maximise income but that would be illegal so for
public consumption he called it obtaining value for money from the investment in
CCTV. Total dishonesty.