Questions from the Public for Oral Response:
1) I am a resident of Tylney Road, and for years, cars have been driving too fast down the road. There have been several times where I’ve nearly been hit by speeding cars due to lack of visibility. Will the Council commit to reducing speed on Tylney Road, and how?
The Council has installed traffic calming measures on Tylney Road, including a raised table and school-time 20mph flashing signs. Parked cars in Tylney Road also help reduce the speed of traffic. Speeding motorists are a police responsibility.
Supplementary: What action has the Council taken to protect school children in the vicinity if Tylney Road. If no action has been taken, what action will be taken in the future?
I can only repeat what I have just said. We have put in a raised table, we have also put in 20mph flashing signs. I drive down Tylney Road all the time. The fact that there are parked cars on both sides and by the junction of the mini roundabout does actually mean that traffic slows down. If there are problems on occasion with speeding traffic, I suggest that you talk to your Ward Councillors who will be members of your local Safer Neighbourhood Team Committee and they will raise the matter directly with the police.
2) There are two blocked drains or gullies in the High Street outside number 172, the site of the old Harvest Moon Pub. These are continually blocked and cause severe flooding in the road and pavement after it rains. How often are these gullies and drains cleared and when was such cleaning last carried out?
All 35,000 roadside gullies in the borough are scheduled for cleaning at least every
other year. Some gullies including the ones on the High Street need traffic
management to carry out safely the work. The two gullies are on our work
programme planned for overnight on 23rd January 2023, when the problem will be
investigated.
Supplementary: The two drains opposite 172 High Street are often blocked. How often are drains cleared? When were they last cleared? I would like to thank Cllr Kim Botting for escalating the matter.
The drains have been cleared out. If there continues to be an issue with flooding then please report it again. This can be reported to your Ward Councillor or to myself.
3) Following the snow in mid-December, I found it difficult as a pedestrian to walk to school due to ice on the pavements, and slipped over once due to it. This was also dangerous for elderly people, who find it difficult to keep their balance. Why didn’t the Council grit pavements?
The Council are unable to treat all footways following snowfall. Priority treatments are based on the following criteria
– Transport interchanges e.g. railway stations, bus terminals and routes to them;
– Town centres
– Outside schools and safer routes to schools (walking bus routes)
We have a ‘Snow Friends’ programme, where residents are able to assist in snow clearing and spreading salt on local footways
Supplementary: I have been told that there are not enough volunteers for ‘snow friends’ and some of those who are volunteers did not receive their supplies on time. Why was this? When we have very cold weather, will the Council not commit to gritting pavements and shop fronts to ensure safety?
We can’t afford to grit every road in the borough. The priorities have been set over
many years and they are the right ones.
Questions from the Public for Written Response:
1) On the Council’s web page ‘Sustainability Reports’ you have used the Govt statement on climate change, but replaced the phrase “due to human activity” to “influenced by human activity”. Please confirm that the Council accepts that human activity is the dominant cause of climate change with more than 95% probability as per the IPCC 5th Assessment Report.
https://www.bromley.gov.uk/sustainability/sustainability-reports
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/climate-change-explained
https://www.democracynow.org/2013/9/27/headlines/ipcc_scientists_now_95_certain_climate_change_caused_by_humans
In our recent sustainability report we cited that ‘climate change is influenced by human activity’. This statement refers to the fact that a large amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are caused by human activity, thus human activity is a significant factor influencing climate change. The overwhelming scientific consensus, including the study cited by the IPCC, points to there being a high probability that human activity is the dominant driver of climate change.
Continue reading “Public questions – Bromley Council Environment Committee, 25 January 2023”