RE: ANYTIME WAITING RESTRICTIONS
Dear Resident,
It is clear from our poll that the greater majority of residents, by far, are not in favour of the proposed anytime waiting restrictions, i.e. double yellow lines, at the junction of Plantation Road and Slade Green Road, due to the problems it will create. Nevertheless, Bexley Council, in a wholly undemocratic fashion, have decided to proceed with the scheme, regardless of majority public feeling on the matter. They have taken absolutely no notice of the democratic voice of the people that live here and, as observed by most of the residents that actually do live here, this scheme will, without doubt, compound the parking difficulties we face at times for residents and visitors alike, making life very difficult for some. Bexley Council will no doubt see fit to capitalize on these difficulties, in the same way that they have seen fit to unjustly exploit the problems we have faced over the years due to the anomalous size of our pavements. They have completely disregarded and ignored our positive suggestion and preference for a convex mirror, which most feel would suffice to assist with occasional obscurity problems, without causing additional parking problems, and be cheaper.
In going ahead with this scheme, the additional problems we will face as a result, Bexley Council will have deliberately engineered with an offensive act. They have exhibited a blatant disregard for the democratic process and the majority voice of the people that live here. In knowing our preferences they have blatantly ignored a more popular, superior, and cheaper, constructive solution and chosen to spend ill affordable public money on the worst possible outcome for us. Correspondence regarding this matter, including Bexley Council's limp excuses, and lame justification for completely ignoring us, as well as the very valid points we have raised in defence of our position, have all been put on the website, if you should wish to view them. Our local ward councillor, Stef Borella, who according to Vinny Rey in the Traffic Services Department at Bexley Council, started this ball rolling, wrote to me explaining that unfortunately the scheme was to go ahead due to the fact that there were no objections. What on earth gave him that impression I wonder? If that is what he truly believes, he has obviously been completely excluded from the loop, or has simply not bothered to find out.
Amongst other things, the Crosstalk project is about just this kind of thing, and this is just another example of what is wrong with our current political system. Our governments and our local authorities simply do what they like, regardless. They take no notice of the people that pay their wages and they are more inclined to serve themselves than they are the people. This is the third such issue in Plantation Road alone. Apologies that our efforts have not been sufficient to avert the problems that will arise from this injustice and blatant disregard for those of us that actually live here. Many of us believe that Bexley Council were, right from the beginning, not interested in our views and were determined to implement this scheme regardless. Indeed, that now appears to be the case. True to their form, they continue to waste our money on things we don't want, take away things that we do, and walk all over people in the process. It does appear that our very own local authority is corrupt and certainly does not live up to its motto of Listening To You, Working For You. Wholly wrong, I think, on both counts!
Best regards,
Taz