The Council have advised us that an independent company, Survey Solutions Ltd, will be carrying out a door-to-door survey in the CPZ consultation areas (both the Hither Green East extension area and the Old Road/Bankwell Road extension area) from this Monday 1st December until 14th December.

The idea is to get some feedback on residents’ views of CPZs and the consultation process itself.  If residents opt for the CPZ to be extended to their street, the survey will be repeated once the CPZ has been implemented to see if views have changed.

I think there are two important points to make:

• The staff from Survey Solutions will carry ID.  If you want to check their credentials, give Bill Tarplett at the Council a call on 8314 2570.   If you’re in any doubt, don’t let anyone into your house – call the Council and check first.
• The door-to-door survey is only going to a random sample of people.   To make sure your views count, you still need to return the paper questionnaire that came through your door within the three week deadline.

The Council is currently asking people for their views on dog control orders.  I seem to be receiving an increasing number of complaints about dog fouling and also incidents of dog fighting – though I know this is due to the actions of a small minority of dog-owners.  

There’s more info and a chance to give your views on the Council website.  The consultation closes on Tuesday 9th December.

I had a busy evening tonight.   Straight home from work and then out sticking up posters for the assembly social event on the 17th.   It’s fiddly work attaching posters to railings around Manor Park and Manor House Gardens with cable ties in the dark(!)     I’ve still got a few posters left, and am planning to ask a few of the local shops if they’ll take one for their window – but if anyone has any suggestions for additional locations do let me know.   We also dropped leaflets off to members of the assembly coordinating group who’ve agreed to distribute some around their homes.  Thanks to them – and to my long-suffering partner for chauffering me round in the rain to do it!

Then it was off to the police station for the first meeting of our new Police Safer Neighbourhood Panel, which I’m a a member of.   The meeting went well and it was good to see some new and old faces around the table.   The Safer Neighbourhood Team will be attending the assembly social on the 17th, so you can catch up with them then, or contact them direct.   Their latest newsletter can be downloaded here.  

Fortunately, in a rare bit of good timing,  a 273 turned up outside the police station just as we left, so it was a quick journey home rather than a walk in the rain!

The old warehouse at 87 Old Road (behind the Council depot) has been an on-going issue for some time.  I first became involved back in January 2007 when local residents approached me, concerned that windows had been installed in the building in breech of planning regulations.   Eventually we got the Council to issue an enforcement notice.  Then in November last year, we managed to get an application to turn the building into flats turned down.   After that, the owners appealed against the enforcement notice regarding the windows.   

The appeal against the enforcement notice was turned down in July.   However, Council officers tell me they’re obliged to give the owners another 6 months grace to remove the windows before they can take further action.

So I’d stuck February 09 in my diary as the date to start chasing this and assumed it’d be quiet until then.   So I was astonished to read this article on the NewsShopper website.    It turns out an estimated £2million worth of cannabis was discovered at 87 Old Road in a police raid on Thursday.

If anyone has any information, they should call the Lee Green Safer Neighbourhood Team on 020 8721 2482 or talk to Crimestoppers

Just a quick reminder that there’s a Lee Green Neighbourhood Watch meeting tomorrow night from 7pm at the Church of the Good Shepherd on Handen Road.

If you’d like more information, contact Neighbourhood Watch coordinator Linda Cohen on 8463 0798 or email raylyns1 {at} ntlworld(.)com

See you there!

Tonight I went to a street briefing organised by our local Safer Neighbourhood Team.  I was there with two hats on – as a local Councilor and as a resident in the street concerned – in this case, Leahurst Road.

The street briefing had been called following some concern at two street robberies in the area.    Lee Green’s generally a comparatively safe place to live, so these two street robberies had worried people.

The good news is that the meeting has sparked interest in formng a neighbourhood watch scheme along Leahurst Road.  The local neighbourhood watch coordinator, Linda Cohen, came along to  explain how such a scheme would work, and there was a good deal of interest (I signed up myself too!).

If you’d be interested in getting involved in a neighbourhood watch either on Leahurst Road, or anywhere else in the ward, let Linda know on 8463 0798 or email raylyns1 {at} ntlworld(.)com or contact the SNT on 8721 2482 or email leegreen.snt {at} met.police(.)uk

On a related note, Linda (who’s doing a great job!) has organised a ward-wide Neighbourhood Watch meeting next Wednesday (16th April) at 7pm at the Church of the Good Shepherd on Handen Road.  I’ll hopefully see you there!