BEXLEY COUNCIL
THEY spend OUR money! WE pay THEIR wages! WE get NO SAY! Can THEY be trusted?
It is fair to say Bexley Council are not the only ones that behave the way they do. They are simply a typical example of an intrinsic problem that runs up and down our country, due to an unacceptable and outdated mindset and mentality. Something we would dearly like to see change!
Local area management is currently based on the assumption that the people who work for the local authorities (usually of very moderate intelligence and often with attitudes notably flawed), know better than the people paying their wages and whom they are supposed to be serving - the rest of society. Worse than this, it is currently based on the assumption that they have the absolute right to do exactly what they like, regardless of whether it is right or wrong, regardless of whether it is best or not, and regardless of whether the people paying the bill even agree with it, or not. Is this the best we can do in the twenty-first century, or is there a little room for improvement?
No Democracy! Many people do not believe in the validity of UK politics. Even though it's peddled as a democracy, it's very plain that it is not. Consequently, many people feel that voting is a waste of time and that whoever gets in, it is the same old story! THEY do what THEY like, regardless of what WE would like! Both at national and local level, we are seriously short-changed and do not get the consideration we pay for.
No Veto! Sometimes the people we pay to order our lives are not very clever. Sometimes they just lack empathy. Sometimes they are pig-headed and arrogant. Sometimes they are unfortunately corrupt. Sometimes they are simply not the best people for the job. However, perhaps even more crucially, there are no reigns, no watchdog, no veto, and no accountability. In a more modern world, this needs to change.
Without Asking! Even though managing our country is probably THE most important job, people in politics, at both national and local levels, can do exactly what they like with our money and our infrastructure, without asking, without considering, and without listening to us! You wouldn't mind if they always got it right, but they don't! And they waste inordinate amounts of public money on making a mess of things!
PMQ 2018: At Prime Minister's Question Time on 9th May 2018, David Evennett (Conservative, Bexleyheath and Crayford) said, "Will my right honourable friend welcome the re-election of Bexley’s Conservative council, congratulate it on its good record locally, and look forward to its continuing to implement efficient and effective Conservative policies?" In response, Theresa May (Prime Minister, leader of the Conservative Party) replied, "I am very, very pleased to welcome the re-election of Bexley’s Conservative council. I was pleased to speak to the leader of Bexley Council shortly before the elections last week, and I am very pleased that the residents of Bexley will enjoy yet more years with a good Conservative council, delivering great local services at lower cost."
However, not everybody's experience of Bexley Council is quite as Mrs May likes to think and many people feel they have been badly let down. People have not been adequately considered, not been adequately consulted, and not been adequately listened to. Disappointing, we feel!
Bexley Council's Track Record
A Far Cry! Having experienced our local authority for over forty years, I can certainly say they do not listen to us. They have failed dismally in just about every test we have put before them! I'm sure Mrs May hasn't got a clue as she relays the comments above. More a case of what she would like to believe, rather than the actual truth perhaps. However, for those that actually live here, her sentiments are far from the reality!
Council Mentality We know Bexley Council are no different to many other local authorities up and down the country. Many of them expressing the same infuriating air of arrogance and 'council mentality'. Perhaps due to the type of people they attract. Perhaps because of the out-dated mindset. Over the years they have wasted inordinate amounts of public money on making a mess of things. Nothing, it seems, stops them from doing just what they like! Even the disapproval of the people that pay their wages. They behave like rogue traders. Worse, in fact!
Not Working For Us: Over the years Bexley Council have given residents little or no consideration, depriving us of valuable community facilities and our secondary school. Cramming more housing into an already over-populated area, they have built on our playing fields and diminished what we have left of our green space. They have also compounded our problems with inept traffic schemes. When things are pointed out to Bexley Council, they respond with nonsense, showing that they have no real understanding of what they do, or simply don't care.
Honesty And Morality: Apart from to try and look good, Bexley Council do not consult or consider residents and, despite their motto, which they like us to believe, Bexley Council do not listen to us and are certainly not working for us! The Bexley Is Bonkers website has also made serious observations and damning reports over the years regarding honesty and morality where Bexley Council is concerned. Having seen the evidence unfold, much of it laid in stone, it is very apparent that things could be greatly improved with an adjustment of attitude and mindset!
Dubious Motivation: When things just don't add up, the rhetoric and the evidence, you have to wonder what the real motivation is. Bexley Council have been notably devious, dishonest and fixated on making money, and wasting it, at the expense of the people they are supposed to be serving, who pay twice! Once for the financial cost and once for having to live with the degradation that Bexley Council has left in the wake of its inconsideration and incompetence, making life more difficult and, in places, ruining our borough!
Simply Not The Best: Bexley Council have shown over the years that they are not interested in the best ideas or solutions. Not interested in what the public would like to see. Waste inordinate amounts of public money on making things worse. Institute schemes that are life degrading. Selfishly rob residents of vital last-remaining green and open space. Institute traffic schemes that are not the best solution on offer. Compound congestion and pollution. Fine people for trying to use their common sense and do the sensible thing in their own roads.
Do What We Likey! I have written many letters to Bexley Council over the years, trying to communicate on issues where we have had an 80% to 90% democratic agreement from the public (the people that pay Bexley Council's wages). Bexley Council have taken absolutely no notice on any issue (except one). But then why would they? They are selfish, greedy, inconsiderate and in a position of ultimate power. One way or another, they can do just what they like, and they know it. If they can't do it legitimately, without the risk of upsetting too many people at once, they do it deviously, bit by bit. This is what residents have to put up with from our current political system of management and the people it employs. It is blatantly corrupt! Not as bad as some countries, BUT, it could be significantly better! And so it should be in the UK!
Problems Residents Have To Contend With And Things That Need To Change
Con & Serve: Bexley Council have been the classic con as they 'serve' the people. They highlight much of what is wrong with today's social management system. Their motto, Listening To You, Working For You, sounds good in principle and is, as they undoubtedly know, what the public would like to hear and see from their local authority, however, these have just become cheap and meaningless words!
- People have no say in anything the Council does, even though they are spending public money and messing with our infrastructure
- Despite trying to address many issues over the years with Bexley Council, on behalf of public opinion and the majority democratic will, by sending numerous letters and attending so-called 'public-consultation' meetings, the Council has taken absolutely no notice of the people on any of the issues raised (except one). Even when our ideas have been notably better, we have met with the same ignorant and arrogant response! They have also prevented residents from doing the sensible thing in their own streets by fining them.
- The Council has consistently failed the local people in its implementations making things worse than they were before
- The Council has consistently done things that that have made things worse than they were before, are contrary to what the people would like to see and that go against the majority public will whilst wasting inordinate amounts of public money. They behave like rogue traders, paid by the people, but hardly ever doing what the people want or consider best!
- The Council expresses a know-it-all air of arrogance, even though they have consistently made a mess things.
- Despite the validity of the argument and the majority public support for the issues we have raised with the council, they consistently fail to take anything on board, expressing an unbecoming and unjustified air of arrogance, even though they're not that clever. Much of the evidence is now laid in stone and the people who paid for it now have to suffer the degradation in infrastructure and efficiency. Just one of many examples.
- Refused to listen to public concern
- When pointed out to Bexley Council that what they were proposing was not what people wanted, and not what people thought was best, they have responded with various made-up excuses, taken absolutely no notice, and done it anyway! Just one of many examples.
- The Council lack transparency and have a tendency to be devious and underhanded
- The Council operates to its own hidden agendas and operates a policy of lying to achieve its objectives. They have been patently underhanded and corrupt in achieving their ends, and have been caught out on numerous occasions.
- The Council lied about housing benefit and its reasons for refusing payment
- The Council lied about facts and ignored written evidence in its its own department
- Local councillors have been seen to be completely ineffective and a waste of time
- Having spoken to local councillors on several occasions regarding issues which concern residents, such as Plantation Road and Bridge Road roundabout, no positive action been forthcoming and the problems persist. Despite lip-service and apparent empathy, this has proved to be an ineffective waste of time!
- Over populating parts of the borough by cramming too much housing into areas
- As a money-making exercise, Bexley Council have crammed more and more people into an already over-populated area, diminishing and robbing people of greenspace and public facilities in the process.
- Mismanaged schools and school placement
- Bexley Council have deprived Slade Green of its local secondary school, which was taken over for adult education centre and community activities and then knocked down to build more houses. Children on Slade Green were being offered places at Sidcup and Falconwood, with nothing closer available. A double bus journey of over an hour. Some children on Slade Green have been forced to travel nearly ten miles by road to find a school place, forcing parents to have to ferry them and adding to traffic and congestion problems. When the borough is that short of school places, you'd think you would build a new school, or you keep the old one. Not knock it down and build more houses all over it.
- Built all over our playing fields that were vital for recreational activities
- Bexley Council selfishly and inconsiderately built houses all over our playing field. A highly-valued facility which residents used to use for recreational activities, such as playing football and walking the dog. Now all gone and replaced by hundreds more people instead!
- Implemented traffic schemes that have added to congestion, pollution and frustration for the motorist.
- Refusing to recognise the problems they cause, Bexley Council have spent absolute fortunes implementing retrogressive green-unfriendly traffic schemes, frustrating motorists and degrading traffic efficiency and our quality of life. Priority give-way schemes, unnecessary traffic lights and traffic lights on roundabouts that cause logjams and prevent the roundabouts from working properly. They have blocked access routes against the grain of common sense and implemented a number of schemes over the years that force people considerably out of their way. Much of this has been pointed out to Bexley Council, but, as usual, ignored! They always think they know best. It would be nice if they did!
- Introduced a 'without consideration' borough-wide pavement parking ban
- Without consulting people, Bexley Council decided to introduce a borough-wide blanket pavement parking ban, completely impractical in many places due to the extremely wide pavements and narrow roads. They then fined people for trying to do the sensible thing. It took a number of years for them to admit that this wasn't practical in many places and to condescend to come along and paint unsightly parking bays so people would know where and when they were 'allowed' to park on the pavement. In Plantation Road, we asked for blanket exemption. All the residents were well in favour of this simple but sensible idea, and yet it was selfishly overruled by Bexley Council. Unbelievable, considering it was the best and most cost-effective solution, overwhelmingly democratically supported, and THEY don't even live here. In the meantime, they corruptly made a lot of money! Sending traffic wardens around at all times of day and night. Disgraceful!
- Deliberately under provided on parking facilities to make money
- As well as the pavement parking ban, Bexley Council have painted more and more yellow lines in various places, reducing parking facilities and making life more difficult for people to go about their business. They then exploited people by fining them (see Plantation Road).
- Exploited the pavement parking ban and the under-provision of parking facilities to suck money out of people
- Operated a policy of parking piracy, sending out their army of traffic wardens, at all times of the day and night, yes, even late at night on Sundays, to catch people out, dish out tickets and exploit the parking problems they themselves had created. A devious and conniving plan to suck money out of people (see the creature).
- Gave us the hump, and ignored residents' feelings on traffic calming
- Spent ridiculous amounts of money, on implementing green unfriendly hazardous humps. This so-called traffic calming in Slade Green was implemented against the wishes of local residents. Public feeling was completely ignored in correspondence and at a so-called 'public consultation' meeting. Bexley Council made a complete mess of our two main access routes by covering them with ridiculous humps and bumps. It was suggested at the meeting that a strategically placed clearly marked speed camera or two would be better and more efficient, without impeding emergency vehicles and creating all the other negatives. Bexley Council's idiotic response: "We don't do speed cameras!"
- Implemented ridiculous green-unfriendly priorty giveway schemes against the wishes of residents on main access routes
- It was suggested to Bexley Council that instead of implementing these completely unhelpful, green unfriendly schemes, that cause more problems than they cure, they should use the money towards the roundabout we requested at the junction of Bridge Road and Northend Road. A roundabout we still don't have over twenty years on. Instead we have another Council cockup. Read on.
- Implemented traffic lights on two major roundabouts on Thames Road causing an array of problems
- We complained about the implementation of these lights, pointing out the problems they were causing. We were again overruled. We were told some residents had found it difficult to get out of side roads. Traffic lights, however, are not the best solution. They prevent roundabouts from working properly and cause logjams, compounding congestion and pollution. The log jamming also created problems for the buses which then led the bus drivers to complain, read on below.
- £950,000 was spent modifying two major junctions for the sake of the buses, but absolutely no thought was given to anyone else.
- The buses originally routed around the Thames Road jw Northend Road roundabout with no problem. Due to the additional congestion caused by the traffic lights, the bus drivers complained that they couldn't get around the roundabout properly. £950,000 was then spent modifying Bridge Road jw Northend Road and Colyers Lane jw Northend Road, to enable the buses to turn right out of Bridge Road and out of Colyers Lane and so avoid the roundabouts. On exiting Colyers Lane, the buses had a short hop to the Larner Road roundabout to loop back. This is the roundabout that residents and workers on Slade Green have to use to loop round to get access to Bridge Road, distance of one mile out of our way. This is why, in 2001, we asked for a roundabout at Bridge Road. When this £950,000 modification was undertaken for the buses, you would have thought someone would have had the decency and the consideration to give us a right turn into Bridge Road, at least, but no. You can now turn right out of Bridge Road, but you still can't turn right into it. To get into Bridge Road you still have to go exactly one mile out of your way to the next roundabout and back and we now have to contend with four additional sets of traffic lights along the way. The additional traffic lights at the top of Bridge Road now make it more difficult to get off Slade Green and have seriously compounded tailback congestion. Congestion that, funnily enough, was never there before. Another example of what we have had to put up with. Excessive amounts of public money spent on implementing schemes that are not the best solution on offer and that degrade our quality of life. Schemes that cause more congestion, more pollution, more frustration and waste people’s time. Not good enough!
- Badly coordinated and repeated roadworks on major routes in the area that have caused significant problems. These appear to undertaken with absolutely no air of urgency, despite the absolute chaos and inconvenience it causes.
- Major routes in and around this area serve the M25 and Dartford Crossing. On top of poor traffic schemes and route blockages, road works cause absolute mayhem. They should be undertaken with utmost expediency and urgency, even done overnight. Instead, often we are faced with all the associated problems and very little, or no action. This badly impacts on everyone that lives here as well as through traffic.
- Ignored the wishes of local residents in Plantation Road on three different issues.
- In Planation Road we have had three issues where Bexley Council have refused to listen to the majority democratic will of the people and refused to listen to common sense, consequently, because they have behaved in a pig-headed fashion they have made life more difficult. They don't live here, we do, so why aren't they listening to us? Why are they making life more and more difficult?
- Cut lines of communication making it very difficult to speak to anyone.
- Vital departments, such as the Council Tax Department were removed from direct telephone contact, making it extremely difficult and time consuming for residents to deal with any problems. (See Bexley Public Sent To Coventry Over Council Tax). Recently it seems the whole Council has 'gone into hiding' and seems to be 'keeping its head down', making it impossible to speak to anyone about anything on the phone. A recent attempt to contact somebody on various extensions resulted in a long line of mailboxes, many were full and obviously unattended. The service is absolutely appalling. Even the operator is now a virtual operator. Whatever happened to human beings?
- Bexley Council have been very poor over the years when it comes to waste collection and recycling.
- Absent service, bad policy, missed collections, all amount to the same thing. Rubbish sits on the streets and doesn't get collected when it should. For years Council staff on the front line have been asking the bosses at the Council to take the service back in house, like it used to be, because it would be a better service for the Bexley residents. The bosses have consistently refused to do this. Instead, residents have been consistently short-changed with a very poor and shoddy service for what they pay. Is this more blatant corruption from Bexley Council?
The above examples are just a few of the issues pertinent to Bexley Council and Slade Green in particular, as this is the base of this project. However, as soon as you start to go further afield, there are many more issues that could be listed, where residents in other parts of the borough have made exactly the same observations and have also been left feeling badly let down. A raw deal for Bexley Borough residents.
Summation
Making Matters Worse: When anyone is employed to do a job for YOU which YOU are paying for, YOU would usually expect to have some say in it, especially when it affects the place where YOU live and especially when someone is making a mess of it from afar. There should be a way of preventing the unnecessary waste of significant amounts of public money on things that are simply wrong, or serve no useful purpose. Especially when such things are life-degrading, make matters worse and create problems that weren't there before. It's not very clever!
Not Listening To You: When serious errors of judgement are pointed out, they need to be taken on board, and not arrogantly ignored and laid in stone, as has happened all over this borough. There has to be more consideration for the people paying the bill, more efficiency and more emphasis placed on schemes that are actual improvements and that do not degrade the quality of life or the efficiency of the borough.
Flawed Ideas: Bexley Council have shown persistent and significant failings in doing the job they are supposed to be doing. They have repeatedly shown that they are not interested in the public feeling, or the majority democratic public will, even when pointed out to them that they're making matters worse. They behave in a tyrannical fashion, imposing flawed ideas, schemes and systems.
Old-Hat System: They take absolutely no notice of the public and have no respect for the fact that the public are footing the bill or paying their wages. It is a disgrace to word democracy. The amount of public dissatisfaction is very clear and it is patently obvious that we need to revise this archaic and old-hat system of management and mindset and introduce something more considerate, democratic and tasteful to the public.
Public Veto: In order to correct this kind of rogue behaviour by the authorities in the future, it is suggested that a power of public veto be implemented. This would rightly prevent local authorities and governments from walking all over the people paying their wages by just doing anything they like against the majority public will. It would also prevent them from wasting inordinate amounts of public money on things that are retrogressive, unnecessary, life-degrading, or that people simply do not want!
We have the following advice for Bexley Council...
How To Avoid Being Irresponsible In Charge
- Start with the premise that you know nothing (instead of everything)
- Thoroughly vet other people's opinions (because otherwise you may miss crucial information)
- Examine your own motives. Make sure your reasoning is pure and just, and that you are not being selfish and inconsiderate
- Make sure you understand that you are there to serve others (not yourselves)
- Try not to let the position you are in go to your head
- Remember, other less-well-off people are paying your wages. Try and be responsible when spending THEIR money
- Be frank, honest and upfront with the people at all times. Try not to be devious and lie just to achieve your own ends
- Don't walk all over the feelings of those you are supposed to be serving
- Don't be frightened to admit someone has a better idea than you do. Even if they are a mere member of the public.
- Try not to be aloof, arrogant, or dismissive towards members of the public. Remember, they are paying your wages
- Try not to do, say, or impose things, that the people paying your wages find infuriating
- Try and give some thought towards keeping people happy and giving them what they want, instead of what they don't want
- Remember, know your place. You are ultimately a public servant and should be observing all of the above, all of the time
Following this simple advice could make a big difference!
Similar Observations: Although this project is based in Slade Green and the London Borough of Bexley, it is fair to say that Bexley Council are not the only ones that behave the way they do. Similar observations on just about all the issues covered on this website, have been made in adjacent areas managed by Dartford, Gravesend, Sevenoaks, Bromley and Greenwich Councils. I'm sure it's the same all over the country.
Time For Change: The problems and frustrations are indicative of an old-hat mentality and mindset that the public have become accustomed to having to put up with. We must now bring about some change. We need more efficiency. More accountability. More public input and more public say in where public money goes and what happens to our infrastructure! Less autocracy and more democracy. It shouldn't be too much to ask in the 21st century in one of the leading nations in this world!