CR-Apr2009

However, the Inspector has imposed a condition: ‘No part of the development hereby permitted shall be occupied until the telecommunications mast sited on the footway of Lower Barn Road adjacent to the site has been removed or moved to another part of the site.’ This will not only require the agreement of 02 but also planning permission.

It must be done within three years of the appeal decision – by 18 February 2012. We wait to see whether 02 will move the mast, as we understand that part of the reason for its current position is to provide a mobile phone service for commuters on the railway when trains are in the Riddlesdown tunnel. By moving it further back from the tunnel entrance, it will not provide this service.

All the other objections raised – the effect on the adjoining green belt, ecological interest, proposed amenity areas, flooding, additional on-street parking – were rejected by the Inspector.

What happened earlier

Last year Taylor Wimpey submitted a planning application to build twelve

2-bedroom flats on the small area of woodland adjacent to the parade.The Association made a formal objection and the application was refused.

Wimpey lodged an appeal with the Secretary of State, to be decided at a public planning inquiry at the Town Hall in September. However a legal dispute between Wimpey and Purley Downs Golf Club, who had managed the land for 50 years, meant the inquiry was postponed. The ownership dispute was eventually settled in favour of the golf club.

The Association was disappointed with the actions of the club following this decision. Up until the time it assumed ownership of the small plot of land on a point of law it was, with the Association, against the development.

We understand that, at the golf club’s EGM in early October, members voted and agreed to actively encourage Taylor Wimpey to continue with the planning appeal – which is why it hadn’t been withdrawn. The club intends to sell the land to a developer/builder.

It is interesting how views can change when financial considerations arise. We have made our views clear: the golf club sought our help in opposing the application, and then submitted their own application after assurances that this would not happen.

At the January Inquiry both Brian Longman and local Croydon councillor Lynne Hale argued that the development was not in the interest of the local community. They were told that a survey on street parking, recently commissioned by the applicant, found that car parking in Lower Barn Road near the shops was not a problem and, apparently, that there were plenty of places to park. (Interestingly, the survey was completed before the double yellow lines were painted under

the bridge.)

The survey findings did not consider the large 15-metre high 3G-telephone mast, only 12 feet away from some of the flats, to be a problem. Nor that it was an issue that part of the area is within the green belt and is also a designated Site of Nature Conservation. Nor that visitors to the flats, a gated community, might park on the designated shop parking bays. Nor

that the large new building and car park on the slope up to the golf course would increase water run-off and increase the risk of flooding under the bridge.

The Inspector seems to have agreed with all but one of these survey points even though a late-afternoon site visit after the hearing ought to have

dispelled the argument that parking would not be a problem and access to the flats on the bend would not be an issue. You can read the full decision on our web site.

COMMUTER PARKING

Brian Longman and Phil Thomas

The last report raised the issue of commuter parking in the relatively narrow roads close to the station. To ensure we had an understanding of what, if anything, you wanted the Association to do, we distributed a simple tick box questionnaire with the last issue of the Recorder. Roads included in the survey were Lower Barn Road, Rydal Close, Barn Crescent, Dalton Close, Coombe Wood Hill, Hill Close, Riddlesdown Avenue and Brancaster Lane.

Parking schemes can be very contentious and this is not an area in which the Association can lead unless it has an overwhelming mandate from the residents involved. While the Association now has a better understanding of some of the issues involved, with only 36 of the 244 questionnaires returned we do not have an overwhelming mandate to proceed and therefore will not be taking this issue forward.

Before leaving this subject it might be worth mentioning just one of the comments received. This was that some local residents drive only a relatively short distance to the station and leave their car there all-day and in some cases several days. Without getting into the rights and wrongs of this debate it might be useful to tell you about a recent discussion with a resident in Lower Barn Road.

On returning after a big shop at a local supermarket the lady found the nearest she could park to her house was over 100 yards away. It then took her four long trips to the car to carry the heavy bags of shopping in. Most of us can understand her frustration at this situation.

Postscript: We did have some very interesting suggestions in the questionnaire responses! For example, building a multi-storey car park on the woodland beside the shops and widening Lower Barn Road by removing all the grass verges! Some residents felt that some house owners weren’t using their own driveways and garages enough and were exacerbating the parking problems on the road. A number of comments were received that many commuters who live in the Riddlesdown area couldn’t be bothered to walk the short distances from their homes to the station and thereby clog up the streets around the station. Local residents who do this, please take note!

Parking in Lower Barn Road

Phil Thomas writes: While on the subject of parking, I would like to make it perfectly clear, despite some suggestions to the contrary, that the RRA did not request the Council to place double yellow lines in Dalton Close and Lower Barn Road near to the station.

Apparently the Council received a complaint from a resident in Dalton Close that lorries and the dustcart, emergency vehicles etc. could not enter or deliver to four houses at the back of Dalton Close because of parking, mainly by commuters.

The RRA did raise objections with the Council in March 2008, during the consultation period, about the double yellow lines returning into Lower Barn Road, at the junction with Dalton Close, as we believed parking would occur on the north side of Lower Barn Road and pinch parking could be a problem when such vehicles as lorries, ambulances, fire engines and dustcarts would not be able to pass through. However the Council ignored our concerns and laid the double yellow lines at the Dalton Close/Lower Barn Road junction, in June 2008. Within a few weeks, as we predicted, pinch parking became an issue through thoughtless commuters parking opposite one another in this narrower section of Lower Barn Road. On many an occasion, HGVs hooted their horns in frustration, because they could not get through the small gaps left by motorists.

We took up with the Council the problem they had created and Ward Councillor Lynne Hale and my namesake, Councillor Phil Thomas (Chairman of Traffic Management), became involved. As far as the Council were concerned, it was a Police matter, because obstructions were occurring and only the Police can ticket and remove vehicles due to obstruction. The Council then decided that further double yellows lines would have to be laid on part of the north side of Lower Barn Road and on the south side near the four-way junction, and also under the railway bridge going towards the shops. Following a consultation period in November, these additional double yellow lines were laid in December 2008. However, by now allowing some parking on the north side of Lower Barn Road, near to the four-way junction, sight lines for traffic turning left into Lower Barn Road from Brancaster Lane are now partly obscured by parked vehicles and this could cause accidents. This situation may need to be monitored.

As I have said above, only the Police can issue tickets and remove vehicles causing an obstruction. There have been instances recently, where vehicles have been parked either immediately opposite or diagonally opposite, one another in other narrow roads like Buttermere Gardens, Dalegarth Gardens, Riddlesdown Avenue and Coombe Wood Hill. These at times have caused obstructions to large vehicles trying to pass through the

gaps left.

Sometimes it is not very easy for a large vehicle to turn around if the road is blocked and this type of parking can lead to some nasty aggressive confrontations. The moral of the story is: beware, if you park in a narrow road in Riddlesdown, that you or someone else don’t cause an obstruction. It may cost you a lot of money to get your vehicle back if it is towed away (at least £250 plus any daily storage charges). If you require any Police assistance in this respect then, depending on which Ward you live in, contact the Safer Neighbourhood Police Teams. For the Sanderstead Ward, the telephone number is 020 8721 2470 and for the Purley Ward, the number is 020 8721 2467. Any rapid enforcement action that comes within Croydon Council’s remit, such as a vehicle causing an obstruction on a yellow line(s), or if a vehicle is blocking the dropped kerb to your driveway or property, then contact the Council on 020 8760 1966.

MITCHLEY WOODS

Brian Longman

Last April I reported that, despite our best efforts, Mitchley Wood had been sold to two separate individuals for a price in excess of our offer. The Association contacted both new landowners and informed them of our wish to buy the woodland. One owner indicated that he might be prepared to sell but at a price that, in our opinion, was unrealistic and well above its true valuation. We believe this was in excess of £1 million pounds. In October 2008 I mentioned that the slow-down in the housing market and a commitment from both national and local government to defend the green belt, meant that we remained confident of the opportunity to bid for the land when it eventually came back on the market. Recently a four-acre plot of woodland has come back on the market and while still overpriced, it is beginning to approach a more sensible valuation. We are currently investigating the situation and will keep you informed of any developments.

POLICING MATTERS

Our Neighbourhood Police Panel was introduced in 2006 and continues to meet up to four times each year. With both Riddlesdown and Sanderstead Residents’ Associations as members, the panel aims to represent the views of local residents on local community policing issues. This includes identifying concerns, setting priorities and reviewing outcomes.

Priorities for last year included antisocial behaviour both in the area and on the buses, motor vehicle crime, burglary awareness, and road safety. At the last panel meeting in January it was decided the main priority for the local police team would be burglary awareness and prevention. For the Association to represent your views we need to hear from you, so please use our website or email.

Police meeting

After two attempted burglaries at the Post Office in Lower Barn and a violent robbery at the newsagents in Mitchley Avenue that left shop owner Peter Saban with 11 stitches in the back of his head, the Association received a number of calls to hold a public meeting. Following discussions with the local Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) a special public police surgery meeting was held on Saturday 18 October at St. Edmund’s Church.

The meeting, chaired by the Association, saw around 60 residents attend to discuss crime with our local SNT. I felt the meeting was extremely positive and produced a broad range of constructive suggestions from residents. Several residents felt that areas like Riddlesdown, with their relatively low crime rate, were a low priority for the centrally-based emergency car teams.

Others felt the geographical size of the patch covered by the local SNT was too big and, with only one car between several teams, was a disadvantage. It needs to be said at this point that the role of the SNT is all about local policing issues and not to be confused with the emergency 999 response teams. The Association is in constant dialogue with our local team who have been extremely responsive to issues raised.

An example of this was late last year when, following concerns of anti-social behaviour in the evenings, the team introduced a new late shift pattern running into the early hours on Fridays and Saturdays to address the problem.

The Association via the police panel will continue to follow up on the thoughts and ideas expressed by the residents at the open meeting and inform you of any developments. However I think most of us would agree that the our local SNT team, consisting of one sergeant, two constables and three police community support officers (PCSOs) have made a real difference to the area

THE RRA CITY OF LONDON FUNDAY

Last year around 900 people enjoyed a picnic on the Downs and relaxed to the sounds of an excellent jazz band. At the risk of repeating myself it just gets bigger and better every year.

If you missed out last year’s, this year’s date is Sunday, 21 June starting at noon. I have checked the calendar and there are no clashes with Wimbledon, the British Grand Prix or any other major sporting events. The day has fun for all the family: donkey rides, Punch and Judy, swing boats, tractor rides, children’s races and so much more.

It is a really great day out, and remember the day is for everyone young and old and it is completely free. See you there!