16 September - Another road closed. But is it legal?
One gets used to discovering another Bexley road closure every time one leaves home but this was something different.
I walked along Fendyke Road,
Belvedere, towards Abbey Wood station at ten to ten
yesterday morning and all was well, but returning less than an hour later I found
the road was blocked. Naturally curiosity got the better of me.
A large decorative conifer was lying in the road and a jobsworth was standing
next to it preventing free passage. I asked him why the tree had been felled -
it was dangerous - and could I please see his authority from Bexley Council to
close the road to vehicular and pedestrian traffic. He had none but claimed “I
am the Council”
despite having no ID on show. He aggressively prevented me from passing. I walked round the long way but saw
a jogger and a young woman ignore him.
By the time I got to the other side of the tree an older woman ignored the jobsworth’s protestations and walked by. He reduced her to tears.
Surely a Bexley Council operation would have given a warning to residents?
Around 50 parked cars were trapped for most of the day, some in drives and some legally
parked in the road. Those on single yellows had no way of moving them to avoid
the 11 a.m. restrictions.
Why was the road blocked so far - on both sides - from the tree? There was no
need to trap so many drivers. Is this another example of contractor’s not being
the brightest of people?
I have walked under that tree most days for the past 40 years. I doubt that it
was any more likely to fall yesterday as it was today and taking it down so
urgently without warning was unnecessary. If the situation was so dangerous why
was the jobsworth standing next to the tree without a hard hat?
Or has Bexley Council become so incompetent that it fails to authorise a road closure and issue due warnings and forget to inform BT that it
was going to bring down several telephone lines?
I hope not but anything is possible.
Tree down in Fendyke Road.
Unauthorised road closure?