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Open Letter to Bromley Council on Road Safety, 11 July 2023

Graph showing the number of traffic-free school streets in London boroughs, 2023

To Bromley Council leader Cllr Colin Smith and Portfolio Holder for Transport Cllr Nicholas Bennett,

Today sees the launch of the 2023 Healthy Streets Scorecard, the fifth annual release by the London Healthy Streets Coalition – a group of health, environment and transport campaigners. The media release associated with the scorecard mentions Bromley as one of the boroughs where further action is needed (1). London Borough of Bromley:

  • Is one of three London boroughs with less than 10% of appropriate streets covered by a 20mph speed limit
  • Is bottom of the table for parking controls, controlling parking on fewer than 10% of streets
  • Is named in the media release as having little or no priority for buses, in contrast to many boroughs with 40 to 50% of routes prioritised for buses (with bus lanes or similar)

The Bromley results conclude with the statement that “without serious ambition from the council, Bromley will continue to languish at the bottom end of the Scorecard” (2).

The Healthy Streets Scorecard shows to what extent London Boroughs are putting in place six key measures which will dramatically improve air quality and road safety, boost active lifestyles and reduce carbon emissions (3). Bromley Council’s Portfolio Holder for Transport, Councillor Nicholas Bennett, has recently stated publicly that “Bromley does not recognise the value of most measures included in the Healthy Streets Scorecard” (4).

We are publishing this open letter to encourage a large, broad and diverse range of Bromley stakeholders to come together to collectively ask Cllrs Smith and Bennett two questions:

  1. If Bromley residents establish an independent road safety forum as a broad, diverse, inclusive body to replace the Council’s Road Safety Panel which Cllr Bennett disbanded (5), will you engage with this body?
  2. Why does Bromley Council not see value in many of the measures included in the Healthy Streets Scorecard?

To Bromley Council leader Cllr Colin Smith and Portfolio Holder for Transport Cllr Nicholas Bennett,

Today sees the launch of the 2023 Healthy Streets Scorecard, the fifth annual release by the London Healthy Streets Coalition – a group of health, environment and transport campaigners. The media release associated with the scorecard mentions Bromley as one of the boroughs where further action is needed (1). London Borough of Bromley

  • is one of three London boroughs with less than 10% of appropriate streets covered by a 20mph speed limit
  • is bottom of the table for parking controls, controlling parking on fewer than 10% of streets
  • is named in the media release as having little or no priority for buses, in contrast to many boroughs with 40 to 50% of routes prioritised for buses (with bus lanes or similar)

The Bromley results conclude with the statement that “without serious ambition from the council, Bromley will continue to languish at the bottom end of the Scorecard” (2).

The Healthy Streets Scorecard shows to what extent London Boroughs are putting in place six key measures which will dramatically improve air quality and road safety, boost active lifestyles and reduce carbon emissions (3). Bromley Council’s Portfolio Holder for Transport, Councillor Nicholas Bennett, has recently stated publicly that “Bromley does not recognise the value of most measures included in the Healthy Streets Scorecard” (4).

We are publishing this open letter to encourage a large, broad and diverse range of Bromley stakeholders to come together to collectively ask Cllrs Smith and Bennett two questions:

  1. If Bromley residents establish an independent road safety forum as a broad, diverse, inclusive body to replace the Council’s Road Safety Panel which Cllr Bennett disbanded (5), will you engage with this body?
  2. Why does Bromley Council not see value in many of the measures included in the Healthy Streets Scorecard?

We would be grateful if Cllrs Smith and Bennett could please indicate their response to these questions in a public statement, circulated on social media channels.

We are asking these questions because we would like to work collaboratively with Bromley Council to improve Bromley’s streets for all road users. We see something collaborative like this forum as a space where new solutions could be discussed and support for planned improvements could be strengthened.

References:
1. 2023 Healthy Streets Scorecard media release
2. 2023 Healthy Streets Scorecard results for London Borough of Bromley
3. Healthy Streets Scorecard indicators explained 
4. Bennett’s responses to public written questions at last Environment Committee 
5. Copy of letter announcing closure of Bromley Council’s Road Safety Panel in 2022

Signed,

  1. Bromley Living Streets
  2. Bromley Cyclists

Details of how to sign this letter:

If you lead a community organisation, business, school, church or faith-based group and would like to add your organisation’s name to the letter, please email us at bromleygroup AT livingstreets.org.uk

If you would like to add your name to the letter as an individual, please click the link below to sign the letter via openletter.earth. We are using an external platform for individual signatures to ensure that GDPR privacy regulations are adhered to:

https://openletter.earth/open-letter-to-bromley-council-on-road-safety-1dec9a0a

Please note – the platform will send you a confirmation email to validate your email address, check your spam folder if this doesn’t appear in your Inbox.

Please consider sharing this letter on social media to spread the word to other residents, businesses and community organisations.

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Public questions – Bromley Council Environment Committee, 29 June 2023

Oral Questions from the Public

1) Can you provide the number of Potholes in the Borough with repairs outstanding by age profile. Over 10 days, 35 days, 50 days, 100 days and 150 days old?

‘Potholes’ are not recorded as such but the figures for minor carriageway repairs are.
Over 10 days – 148
10 to 35 days – 215
36 to 50 days – 174
51 to 100 days – 374
101 to 150 days – 97
Over 150 days – 13
For fuller detail please see my update.

Supplementary Question: How many O’Rourke crews are there?

It varies between one and three. I have asked if this number could be increased to 5.

Continue reading “Public questions – Bromley Council Environment Committee, 29 June 2023” →
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RideLondon Bromley feeder ride

It looks to be a spectacular Bank Holiday Weekend, weatherwise. Here are 3 reasons you should consider spending tomorrow (Sunday) doing RideLondon 2023.

In our opinion, the number one reason to do the ride is so you know a safe, quiet route from Bromley into London. The Bromley feeder ride starts at Bromley South train station at 8.30am. The Bromley feeder ride includes cyclists of all abilities.

The second reason to do it is because it’s an opportunity to see your city and cycling in a completely different way. Experiencing our streets as they could be if they weren’t dominated by cars, and seeing that cyclists really do come in all shapes and sizes and are ordinary people. This last point is important given the media stereotypes of cyclists as MAMILs (middle aged men in lycra). People who cycle are normal people getting from A to B. That’s what the RideLondon FreeCycle is all about.

We’re a campaign group so our third reason is focused on our goals, which you can read about at https://bromleyls.org.uk. Last week Bromley came at the bottom of London Cycling Campaign’s Climate Safe Streets report. Bromley Council is simply not delivering schemes to decarbonise streets. Read the report and then join us and other Bromley residents in trying to turn things around. Getting in the saddle tomorrow could be your first step in making our borough a better place to live for now and for the future.

One last thing. The Bromley feeder ride organisers would love to hear from you if you could consider volunteering as a marshall for their ride. Get in touch with us at bromleygroup AT livingstreets.org.uk if you’re interested. Do it for the kids.

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Public questions – Bromley Council Environment Committee, 16 March 2023

Questions from the Public for Oral Response:

1) Agenda Item 13b – BECKENHAM: SOUTHEND ROAD, PARK ROAD, FOXGROVE ROAD SAFETY SCHEME (Report No: ES20241)
The UK design manual for roundabouts states a 4-arm mini-roundabout should not be used where the peak traffic flows at the junction exceed 500 vehicles an hour. The Southend/Foxgrove/Park Road junction has more than three times this flow.
How can the Council bring forward a scheme that breaches this guidance?

Continue reading “Public questions – Bromley Council Environment Committee, 16 March 2023” →
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16 Bromley schools are doing the Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel 2023! Is yours?

Alexis O’Toole from Who The Hell Knows Anymore, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Do you have one or more children at school? If the answer is yes, ask your child/ren’s teachers to register their school now for Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel, the UK’s biggest inter-school walking, wheeling, scooting and cycling to school competition.

Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel inspires pupils to make active journeys to school, to improve air quality in their neighbourhood and discover how these changes benefit their world. What’s not to like?

So far, 16 Bromley schools have signed up to participate in the Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel 2023. There are more than 100 schools in the Borough. Help us increase the number of schools participating today!

Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel 2023 runs from 20 til 31 March.

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Kidical Mass Bromley

Kamyar Adl, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Join us on the next Kidical Mass bike ride in Bromley on 26 March! Meet 11am at Bromley South Station!

Part of the global Kidical Mass movement, Kidical Mass Bromley is a group of local residents who run family-friendly cycle rides and call for safe streets for everyone. Bromley Living Streets is one of the local organisations supporting Kidical Mass Bromley. We hope these ride will highlight the urgent need for safer, cleaner, and healthier streets for everyone.

Johanna Johansson, founding member of Kidical Mass Bromley and one of the organisers of the first ride (on 30 October 2022) said: “Bicycles are the main means of transport for our family of three. We rarely see other families on cycles locally. I hope this ride will bring cycling families together and encourage more to cycle.”

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Public questions – Bromley Council Environment Committee, 25 January 2023

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” →
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Public questions – Bromley Council Environment Committee, 22 November 2022

Questions from the Public for Oral Response:

1) Kelsey Park Bridge. Can the Council clarify why there have been so many delays and periods with no action being taken since the first bridge closed in February 2021?

When the bridges were first closed in 2021, initial investigations by the Council’s contractor idverde did identify certain options for replacement bridges, however on further investigation it became apparent that the process for replacing the bridges would be significantly more complex than was originally anticipated. Resources were approved to take this work forward, and subsequent stages have been completed as quickly as possible in compliance with the council’s processes for robust governance. This has included:

Continue reading “Public questions – Bromley Council Environment Committee, 22 November 2022” →
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Air monitoring at schools

Source: domdomegg, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

As a follow‐up to our 2021 report on air pollution around Bromley schools, Bromley Living Streets have managed to get 12 air pollution monitors to be used at schools, as part of a big project funded by the charity Asthma and Lung UK (https://www.asthma.org.uk/). The monitors need to be set up as soon as possible, so we are reaching out to schools across Bromley Borough and offering the monitors on a ‘first come first served’ basis. If you think your school’s headteacher might agree to putting up the monitors please read on! Here’s what you (and the headteacher) need to know:

What do we need? We need permission from the school to attach three small plastic tubes (called ‘diffusion tubes’) to fences, walls or gates out of reach (we recommend 2 metres off the ground). There needs to be free circulation of air round the tube and they need to be located as near to the road as possible. Each tube will remain in place for 3 to 4 weeks and will then be sent to a lab for analysis. We will get the results back 6 weeks later. (Further details available on request.)

Why is this worth doing? London car pollution is at its highest level since the start of the pandemic, and according to a report published in February 57 Bromley schools exceed the interim WHO guideline for PM2.5, and all Bromley schools exceed the WHO guideline for Nitrogen Dioxide (in particular, see the table on pages 49 to 52 of the report). Air pollution can cause new lung conditions like lung cancer and worsen existing ones like asthma. Children are particularly vulnerable as their lungs are still growing. Results from your school’s diffusion tubes will give an indicative idea of how bad the problem is. The data can be used to raise awareness and demand change. The charity Asthma and Lung UK offers support and ideas for how to take action, including through its ‘Clean Air Champions‘ scheme for primary schools.

What next? Get permission from the school, ideally this week. We are very happy to talk to someone in the school administration if you think this would be helpful, and we are happy to try to help answer any questions you might have. Thanks for taking the time to engage with this!

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UK Parklets Day

Imagine if not all parking spaces were for cars? https://twitter.com/Parklets_UK/status/1573986583149219840

Today is UK Parklets Day, and so we want to invite you to take 5 minutes to contribute a potential parklet location to Possible (a UK climate charity), write to your councillor to show your support for parklets, and then design a parklet to put there. At the moment, Possible’s map has very few locations marked in London Borough of Bromley. Let’s change that now. You can do it here: https://interactive.wearepossible.org/parkletplotter/ 

What is a parklet? In a nutshell: a parklet is a car parking space that could be transformed into something for people to enjoy, to improve access to green space and give streets back to people and nature. Ned Boulting (a British sports journalist and television presenter best known for his coverage of football, cycling and darts) tweeted about parklets on Friday, noting that if you want to park a car on a street in London you pay on average just over £3 a week, but if you want to repurpose a parking space to serve the community in another way you will pay a hundred times that much (on average) to your local council. Ned notes that this tells you something about our priorities as a society. Parklets are a campaign tool and action gaining increasing currency as a way to challenge those priorities. 

According to the UK Parklets Campaign, the parklet was born in 2005, the brainchild of Park(ing) Day, a public participatory art project in San Francisco. In London, Brenda Puech has been leading the parklet movement for several years. Now London Living Streets wants to establish a protocol allowing residents to apply for a ‘parklet permit’.

Go on, drop a pin on the map and email your councillor, and tell your friends to do the same. It will take 5 minutes. Let us know when you’ve done it.