Thank you to everyone who attended the AGM last Tuesday. We had a lively session with updates from our Councillors, Police, Committee, and Friends of Coney Hall Park. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the things that were covered. (We’ll post an update from Friends of Coney Hall Park in a separate article soon.)
The 138 bus schedule
The Councillors confirmed the buses were cut from the schedule without consultation or notice. They encouraged anyone concerned or unhappy about the changes to sign the petition which will be presented to the Mayor of London on 18 May.
Double yellow lines and traffic
- Layhams Road – double yellow lines have been requested near the bottom of the road, to make the blind bend safer. These are agreed but there is no firm date for their installation yet.
- Farm Close – residents have reported that drivers parking on the corner of the road or very close to the junction are causing a hazard. There will be a consultation, and if the majority of residents agree, the council will go ahead and install double yellow lines.
- Gates Green Road – is on the list to get a new light which will flash a warning when cars are speeding.
Crime and policing
Although the Met Police have received extra money from central government and from the Mayor of London, the Met Commissioner is now making cuts to the force. On 10 December 2024 the Commissioner said the financial pressures “are a cumulative impact of a decade or more”.
While we will no doubt feel the impact of these cuts, the Police did tell us that they are still struggling to recruit, even with the money they have available now. Find out more about the roles available on the Met Police website.
The subject of stolen cars was raised – the Police believe this is the work of organised crime and they are doing the best they can to tackle it. Again they encouraged everyone to make their cars difficult to steal:
They also encouraged more people to report crime when they see it – if they don’t know about it, they can’t help to fix it. Even if you think the crime you’ve seen is only ‘small’, reporting it to the Police as quickly as possible is often useful to help provide evidence or insight for bigger cases.
- Call 999 to report an emergency
- Call 101 to report a minor crime or incident, such as property damage, anti-social behaviour, if you suspect drug use or dealing in your neighbourhood, to share information about possible criminal activity in your area
- Contact Crime Stoppers to report crime anonymously
If you see fly-tipping, graffiti or a problem on Bromley’s streets or parks, report the problem on fix.bromley.gov.uk
To find out more about our local police team, follow them on Twitter: @MPS_wwhch
Building and planning
In light of the government’s new building targets and the potential effect on Bromley’s green belt (and grey belt) land, Councillor Alex Micheal talked us through the 5 purposes of the green belt. The National Planning Policy Framework lists the five purposes as follows:
- To assist in urban regeneration by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land
- To check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas
- To prevent neighbouring towns from merging into one another
- To assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment
- To preserve the setting and special character of historic towns
Alexa explained that:
- More than half of the Green Belt within London is found in just three outer London boroughs – Bromley, Havering and Hillingdon.
- More than half of the total area of Bromley and Havering is designated Green Belt.
As yet, the Mayor has not set a target for the number of homes that must be built in Bromley, or given direction as to which land may be used for building. Although the Green Belt is a national policy, it falls on each local planning authority (LPA) to enforce, which means that it is often open to interpretation. As soon as we hear more about this, we’ll let you know.
CHVRA and the committee
Thanks to the hard work of Jonathan Moore, Rodney Bennett and Alan Coxon, the CHVRA newsletter is now self-sustaining. This means that our road stewards no longer need to collect a £2 fee once a year. Thanks was given to the road stewards who deliver the issues – and once again, if you’d like to help with deliveries, do get in touch and let us know.
The link with Wickham Common Residents’ Association is still being discussed. When we have further news, we’ll post it here.
And finally, this was the last AGM for Dennis Moor, our President and Chair. After many years of service he has decided to step down. We will miss him! Stella Etheridge, another long-standing member of the committee, shared some highlights and memories of his time with us, thanked him for his service and wished him an enjoyable, well-earned rest.
Coney Hall Village Residents' Association (CHVRA) 