Bromley Local Plan: what is a Local Plan, and how can I respond to the Issues and Options consultation?

Concerned about new developments expanding into Green Belt areas in Bromley? Would you like public spaces and streets that are safer for walking and cycling? Or maybe you are worried about whether we are doing enough about air pollution or responding to the climate crisis? Have your say by responding to Bromley Council’s consultation on the borough’s Local Plan.

Continue reading “Bromley Local Plan: what is a Local Plan, and how can I respond to the Issues and Options consultation?”

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”

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?

Continue reading “Public questions – Bromley Council Environment Committee, 25 January 2023”

Public questions – Bromley Council Environment Committee, 6 September 2022

Questions from the Public for Written Response:

1) How is the Council going to stop those who have not accepted the will of the electorate and the democratic processes of the Council over such matters as School Streets policy from wasting Councillors and officers time in future? Meetings are being disrupted by those who wish to shout loudest.

Continue reading “Public questions – Bromley Council Environment Committee, 6 September 2022”

Public questions – Bromley Council Environment Committee Special Meeting, Call in: Review of School Streets, 15 July 2022

Questions from the Public for Written Response:

1) Can the committee explain its decision not to support School Streets given that the main issues seemed to be a small group of complaints and some associated costs which could potentially be met elsewhere? Bromley currently has 6 school streets identified (https://www.bromley.gov.uk/cycling-walking-school/school-streets) for 82 primary schools. Our neighbours in Croydon have 14 permanent and 21 under consideration across 72 primary schools.
Why is Bromley unable to support this if other boroughs can?
What other measure for our children does the council intend to take that focus on hub areas like schools rather than borough wide initiatives?

Continue reading “Public questions – Bromley Council Environment Committee Special Meeting, Call in: Review of School Streets, 15 July 2022”

Public questions – Bromley Council Environment Committee, 21 June 2022

Questions from the Public for Written Response:

1) FLOOD RISK ASSESSMENT OF 100 ACRE GREENBELT SITE (DERRY DOWNS, BR5) ADJOINING ST. MARY CRAY RECREATION GROUND.
This agricultural site, which slopes towards the River Cray, has a history of Surface Water Flooding. It flooded significantly in October’21, including internally in adjoining properties in Hodson Crescent, Hodsol Court, and the Rookery Estate, necessitating evacuation of vulnerable, including elderly, residents. Why has the Council, as LLFA, not investigated?

Continue reading “Public questions – Bromley Council Environment Committee, 21 June 2022”

School Streets Showdown in Bromley

A special meeting of Bromley Council’s Environment Committee will be held at 9am on Friday 15 July 2022. This meeting has one agenda item: the future of School Streets in London Borough of Bromley. If you’re a Bromley resident, do this now:

  1. Send an email to committee.services@bromley.gov.uk, including a 50 word question on School Streets (see below for more ideas about questions to ask), and explain your question is for the Environment Committee meeting on Friday 15 July. Questions must be received by 5pm on Monday 11 July.
  2. Write to your councillors (your elected representatives in local government) today to ask them why Bromley came 27th out of 33 London Boroughs in the 2022 Healthy Streets Scorecard (published on 5 July 2022), and what they intend to do about it. If one of your councillors is Cllr Thomas Turrell (councillor for Hayes and Coney Hall), you might want to ask him why he didn’t voice his support for Hayes Primary School Street at the Environment Committee meeting on 21 June, given that this School Street is in his ward, and he was present at the meeting.
  3. If you’re free 9am til 10am on Friday 15 July, fill out this form to register to attend the Environment Committee meeting on School Streets. We’ll see you there.

Why now?

At the Environment meeting on 21 June, a fractious debate took place over the council’s review of School Streets. On 24 June, Cllr Nicholas Bennett (Portfolio Holder for Transport) decided Bromley Council will not actively roll out School Streets in the borough. The following Friday (1 July), Bromley Labour and Bromley Liberal Democrats both independently “called in” this decision. This means the decision goes back to the Environment Committee to reconsider. This is happening on Friday 15 July, and that’s why we hope as many Bromley residents as possible will submit questions to this meeting or attend it in person.

What happens at a call in?

A “call in” meeting revisits a decision made by Bromley Council. Historically, call in meetings in Bromley provide a valuable opportunity to show the strength of feeling on an issue. For example, the call in meeting on the decision to relocate Beckenham Library took place during working hours on a weekday, but the public gallery was packed.

It is worth noting that it is not only opposition parties who call in decisions. For example, Bromley Conservative councillors previously called in a decision on the Crofton Road cycle way.

What is a School Street?

You can find out more by clicking one of these links:

Bromley Living Streets’ briefing on school streets

Mums for lungs

Living Streets

http://schoolstreets.org.uk/

Questions that can be submitted by residents to the call in meeting

  1. ANPR camera enforcement is used for all School Streets in Islington (where 49% of schools have School Streets), Hackney (45%), and Bromley’s neighbour Lewisham. Bromley hasn’t trialled ANPR for School Streets, on grounds of cost, but elsewhere ANPR cameras generate revenue. Will Bromley Council now trial ANPR for School Streets?
  2. Bromley has the highest % of trips made by car in the whole of London at 53%, and a target within the Mayor’s Transport Strategy to reduce this to 40%. Given the School Streets decision, can the Portfolio Holder now provide an indication of how this target will be reached?