PHIL THOMAS’ (RRA Planning and Environmental Officer) REPORT FOR THE RIDDLESDOWN RECORDER
OCTOBER 2011

Planning Applications
As usual, all the planning applications and decisions in our area, are updated weekly on our website: www.riddlesdownresidents.org.uk

Mobile Phone Mast and Network Rail Equipment in Lower Barn Road
I have reported previously about the replacement O2 and Vodafone mobile phone mast, just to the east of the railway bridge in Lower Barn Road.
In November last, O2/Vodafone installed the new mast and the additional cabinet. However, we understand, due to technical reasons, the new mast has not been fully operational for 3G Vodafone and 2G for both the O2 and Vodafone networks. We have been in contact with them and they say they will advise the RRA when the mast is fully operational, which they hope will be soon. We have also asked them if they will paint all their equipment the same colour green, as the mast. You may have also noticed that Network Rail have installed a grey cabinet just inside the railway fence which has had a high voltage cable laid to it from the electric Sub Station on the west side of the bridge. Network Rail have told us that this equipment is for the railway communication system. However, we have told Network Rail that this part of the land does periodically flood and because of this, they have indicated it will be moved further up the embankment in due course.

Woodland Adjoining the Shops in Lower Barn Road
The RRA understand that the Purley Downs Golf Club are currently trying to sell the land that has planning permission for ten flats and a number of developers/surveyors have been seen viewing this site. It is the RRA’s and also many local residents’ view, that this is another blatant disregard of local public opinion by the Golf Club. However even if the new owners do build these flats, the Planning Inspector, when granting planning approval in 2009, did say that the flats cannot be occupied until the phone mast has been re-located. If O2/Vodafone have any sense they will not want to alienate the locals by moving it and we will certainly fight for it not to be moved. We are closely monitoring the planning applications to the Council, for any new application on its relocation. Of course, the planning application for the ten, two-bedroom flats was overturned by the Planning Inspector in February 2009 after the Council’s Planning Committee had refused permission. It is interesting to note Tory Croydon Council leader Mike Fisher has recently slammed the Planning Inspector(s) for over-ruling a planning decision, to allow a block of flats to be built in Station Road, South Norwood. He described the ruling as “an affront to the local decision making”. He also said, “there needs to be a re-balancing of the country’s planning system so these judgements can be made solely by local people. I am sick and tired of planning decisions that are entirely local in their impact, being made by some so-called national planning expert parachuted in from Bristol….. we want more decisions able to be taken locally without outside interference.” “Well said,” Councillor Fisher. The RRA and Sanderstead Ward Councillors said near enough the same thing in, February 2009, yet here we are, over two years later and we still have same planning issues, in particular relating to flats. In our view, if an Authority, like Croydon’s Planning Committee, which consists of eleven elected councillors, vote democratically to refuse an application, what right is there for one unelected official based in Bristol, to give a verdict against the wishes of local people and Council? Come on local and national politicians, get your act together and bring in legislation to sort this planning mess out!

Purley Oaks Recycling Centre
In January 2010, a planning application was submitted by the Council for the existing Purley Oaks Recycling Centre to be enlarged into the existing Highways Depot at the rear. However after about a year, the planning application was withdrawn and we understand this scheme will not be progressing. The RRA believes this is a shame, because at some times, especially weekends, in the spring and summer months, the traffic queues for the Recycling Centre can cause several minutes delays for residents‟ trying to ingress and egress Riddlesdown Road/Downs Court Rd and also for those trying to enter the Purley Oaks Recycling Centre. We took the matter up with Council Officers, the Purley & Sanderstead Ward Councillors, and also with Councillor Phil Thomas. We asked why the application had been withdrawn, whether the external road layout can be improved and if the container movement within the site could take place out of opening hours. We suggested to Mike Barton at Croydon Council’s Traffic & Engineering Section, that the Council might like to consider improving the traffic flows on this “roundabout”, to at least keep some exit and crossover points clear. He said they are looking into the matter, but believes it is only seasonal, which we respectfully disagreed with. He also did not accept our suggestion, about installing junction yellow box hatching to try to ease the congestion.
In response to closing the site to move the containers around within the Centre, we did suggest to the Council that this would cause less congestion if it was undertaken out of opening hours and that the site was not closed for up to 30 minutes at a time. However Simon Mander, the Recycling Manager at Croydon Council, responded: "As we all know the Purley Oaks site is very popular and this does lead to the containers becoming full quite quickly. When the containers are full, the Centre needs to be shut in order for the containers to be exchanged in a safe and controlled manner. The Centre is licensed by the Environment Agency and all vehicle movements related to waste and recycling need to take place during the opening hours. Therefore, it is not possible to move the containers outside of the publicised opening times. In addition it is not possible to advertise the times in advance of when the Centre will be shut as the containers will become full at different times on a weekly basis. We are actively working with the Contractor to see what other options can be put in place to minimise the disruption.”
Cllr Phil Thomas also reports to us, “our ultimate aim is to expand the Recycling Centre into the Depot behind so that we have a larger facility. I am not able to give a timescale on this until a number of issues with the Highways Dept/Depot have been sorted”. What does seem confusing to the RRA, is that the Council did reduce the amount of onsite parking when the Centre was redesigned about eight years ago. This, to me, does seem short-sighted, as my namesake Councillor at Croydon Council, is encouraging us all to recycle more and the cost per tonne to the Council, for waste disposal is rising all the time. Any means, therefore, to make recycling more attractive ought to be encouraged! Also a new and completely enlarged Recycling Centre has recently been opened by Surrey County Council in Redhill, with vehicle and container movement being kept separate. SCC have also extended the opening hours for a trial period, during the summer months, from 8am to 7.30pm, seven days a week! Come on Croydon Council, look at this scheme! It would probably reduce road congestion!

Former Grazing Field, Mitchley Hill
The RRA are becoming increasingly concerned about the condition of this land which was sold off into pegged plots a number of years ago by Ashgrove Land Ltd and/or Vantage Land, a Property speculating company based in St Albans. Thirty-one owners, mainly based in the UK, bought these plots, purely on speculative grounds that planning regulations would change on the Green Belt status. The RRA know, from public documents at the Land Registry, that three of the plots are owned by residents who live in the Riddlesdown area. This former horse grazing land is now becoming untidy and overgrown, with shrubs and saplings, rubbish and, more concerning, dilapidated fencing. The RRA have taken this up with the Council and Ward Councillors as to what powers the Council have to tidy this land up. If the three local owners have any sense of pride in their area, they would arrange, along with their four other fellow owners who live in Croydon, to make the land more presentable! However, we are not holding our breath!!

Environmental Issues, Salting and Accidents in Coombe Wood Hill
As you may recall, I reported last time about high number of accidents during the last two winters on Coombe Wood Hill, because this road is no longer being salted as a primary gritting route and gritters were salting Lower Barn Road instead. The RRA are of the view that both Coombe Wood Hill (as a steep gradient) and Lower Barn Road (approach to a Railway Station) ought to be salted. We have again asked the Council for further information as to whether both these roads will be salted but no response has been forthcoming from them. We would suggest that residents of Coombe Wood Hill and/or Hill Close contact one of the Sanderstead Ward Councillors if they experience further difficulties this winter, due to heavy snowfall and lack of salting.

Clearing Snow & Ice from Pavements
If we get further heavy snowfalls this winter, and if you've always been a bit wary of doing your neighbourly bit, of clearing snow and ice from the pavement outside your house, because of possible legal liabilities, then follow this guide/tip published by Direct Gov (the Government's public services website).  "There is no law stopping you from clearing snow and ice on the pavement outside your home or from public spaces. It is unlikely you will be sued or held legally responsible for any injuries on the path if you have cleared it carefully. Follow the snow code when clearing snow and ice safely." http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/DG_191868
However, if you do clear the pavement outside your house and/or the vehicular crossover to your drive, please do not deposit the snow in the middle of the pavement, as some householders in the area have done over the last few winters. It means that pedestrians have to clamber over these snow mounds and they are usually the last bits to thaw on the pavement. It is anti-social and selfish and could also leave you open to claims from any pedestrian who may slip and injure themselves. It is possible the Council could also take action against you, as you are blocking the highway!

Proposed No Cold Calling Zone (NCCZ)
Following the article in the last Recorder and the posting on website message board, we have received only two messages of support on this subject!! In view of the lack of support, (unless this article produces a deluge of responses), the RRA will not be progressing this matter any further for our area. The RRA are, however, of the opinion that the Council should cover the whole Borough with a NCCZ and not just in a few areas, like Shirley, Norbury and Selhurst, where residents and the Council have set up these zones. We will be talking further with our Ward Councillors about this.

Changes to private Sewers from 1st October 2011
All residents should have recently received a leaflet from Thames Water advising about “Important changes to the ownership of your sewers”. This is a notice of proposals, to adopt private sewers and lateral drains. Some residents may be wondering why Thames Water have written to us, when the whole of our area is covered by the Sutton & East Surrey Water (SESW). SESW supply the water but Thames Water Utilities (TWU) are responsible for the sewerage disposal and the drainage pipes. Briefly, what this change means for all those on a mains private sewer network is that from 1st October 2011, TWU will now be responsible for the maintenance, renewal and blockages on drains serving more than one property. This means that if you live in a detached house and the drain goes directly into the sewer in the road, you will only now be responsible for the pipe from your property to a point level with the boundary fence, whereas previously you would have been responsible for the drain right up to the sewer connection in the road. For semi-detached and terraced houses, the owner is responsible for that part of the drain that is solely serving their property. As soon as the pipe connects to an adjoining house, it becomes a public sewer/drain and is now the responsibility of TWU. Flats and houses in multiple occupation are similar to detached houses and the owners will now be responsible from a point level with the boundary fence. Previously, where the common situation occurs, where a drain runs across the back of a number of properties, it would have been the responsibility and cost of all those owners/occupiers connected to that drain. . However, from 1st October TWU will be responsible for this, at their cost. It is not known how much our bills will increase because of this change in legislation, but it is estimated to be between £3 and £14 a year. You will still be responsible for internal plumbing and waste pipes and the section of drain which solely serves your property. If you did not receive this leaflet, then a copy is available from TWU, by ringing 0845 0709150 or viewing their website: www.thameswater.co.uk

Dropped Kerb by Riddlesdown Station Entrance
The Council have recently installed in a couple of streets (Lower Barn Rd and Mitchley Hill), dropped kerbs to assist pedestrians to cross the road. It is standard practice to now install these dropped kerbs on all road junctions and where the pavement ends, to assist the disabled and parents with buggies to cross the road. These dropped kerbs, on both sides of the railway bridge have been installed where the pavement on the north side ends, because of the railway bridge. However, we understand the dropped kerb immediately outside the main path up to railway station (London-bound side) has resulted in a number of motorists receiving parking tickets, because they are parking across it. Parking in front of a dropped kerb has been an offence for many years and it is indeed covered in Rule 243 of the Highway Code - "do not stop or park where the kerb has been lowered to help wheelchair users and powered mobility vehicles" and also "in front of an entrance to a property." Local Authorities rather than the Police now undertake enforcement for this type of offence. This section by the station entrance is not covered by a yellow line and hence motorists believe they can park there. The Council could also ticket and then remove the offending vehicle, the cost of which to recover is now about £300 plus any additional daily storage fees. We have asked the Council why dropped kerbs weren’t installed for the two crossing points opposite the shops, which are probably used the most, and their response was that they cannot install them only on one side of the road, when it is not safe to put one on the opposite side. Unfortunately the parking bays outside the shops prevent this from happening. We have also asked the Council whether they will lay a new white line in front of the dropped kerb by the Station, to highlight it’s presence to motorists.

Refuse & Rubbish dates changing
Probably by the time you read this article in early October, the new changes for both refuse and recycling will have come into effect on 3 October. All households should have received information from the Council on the changes to general refuse (black landfill bins) which will now be every two weeks. There will also be the introduction of a weekly food waste service with the delivery of two new brown boxes. The current fortnightly collection of textiles, paper/card, cans, glass and plastic bottles in the blue and green boxes, will be replaced with two separate weekly collections of the alternate blue and green weekly recycling bin collections. In addition, during the summer months, there will still be the green garden waste collection. No doubt initially it will cause some confusion, especially the blue and green box collections but the Council maintain there will be substantial cost savings and it will put Croydon in the top five London Boroughs for recycling. The Council claim in the leaflet that “food waste accounts for over 25% of what most people put in their landfill bins. And if you are using both your recycling boxes – there will be plenty of space to store what is left for an extra week.” This claim is perhaps slightly exaggerated, as with the cost of food these days, food wastage, well certainly in this household, is minimal. The Purley Ward have for the last four years, had a trial of the food waste collection scheme, and food waste is minimal compared to the general rubbish black bin. If anything, it is the non recyclable food packaging that takes up more space in the black bins than food waste! No doubt we will be hearing more on this issue over the next few months! Especially as the coalition Government ministers said, during early June, that Local Authorities must re-instate weekly general rubbish collections! Why, therefore, are Croydon and other Authorities changing to fortnightly their black bin (landfill) collections?! If you are still unsure as to how it will work further details are available from Croydon Council’s website at http://www.croydon.gov.uk/environment/rrandw/bins-oct2011 or follow the link on the RRA website message board posting.

Website
As our Chairman has previously mentioned, Nick Bygrave is now standing down after serving the Riddlesdown community for many years. He has for the last 12 years, been very professional in his presentation, of both the Recorder and for the setting up and design and administration of our website. He is certainly going to be sorely missed, especially with his fine attention to detail, and he will be a very hard act to follow. I’m sure you will all want to join me in thanking Nick for all his hard work over the years on both the Recorder and Website. As no one came forward to manage the website, I agreed to take this task on and to call upon when needed, Dave Hunt, who will provide the IT expertise! However, it would be nice to receive news and or articles from you so we can post them on the website. Also if you’ve got something on your chest and want to vent some frustration, then why not post it on the message board, unfortunately because of all the spam postings we were getting, we had to make people register first before posting, although we will look at how to try and make to this easier. However this is a fairly simple process. Go on, give it a try! We do get a pretty high number of “hits”, so your posting will probably be seen by many people. The message board posting on the Waddon Leisure Centre has been seen by nearly 40,000 people! If you’ve got any articles or events then please send them to me by e-mail at our new e-mail address at riddlesdownresidents@gmail.com or telephone me. The contact details are on the inside page of the Recorder or via the Committee page on the website: www.riddlesdownresidents.org.uk   I look forward to hearing from you.

Phil Thomas