Since we last blogged the working group has met three times. The following improvements have been agreed by the Working Group and endorsed by the Council.
- Appoint urban design consultant to prepare a scheme and design guide for visual improvement of the High Street to be coordinated with other improvements i.e. relating to signage, shop fronts, lighting, traffic management, etc.
- Installation of a Beckenham Town Sign of similar design as Beckenham Green example at the War Memorial entrance to the High Street.
- Improve signage to off street car parks.
- Install 2 high quality community notice boards (possibly incorporating maps).
- Installation of extra lighting for pedestrians over footways.
- Control access to private alleyways and parking areas (including gating – however our Association does not support gating as this may increase the perception of crime and may change the feel of the High Street, we prefer alleys to be well lit and cleaned.)
- Coordinated installation of upgraded heritage street lamps and furniture.
- Decluttering exercise to achieve removal of unnecessary signs, poles & equipment – including unmaintained telephone boxes; reduction of the number of posts on the footways.
- Floodlight heritage buildings and signs with up-lighters to enhance night time atmosphere.
- Improve siting and external cleanliness of litter bins.
- Christmas Lights.
The Council appointed design consultants in May to prepare a scheme and design guide for visual improvement of the High Street. The scheme will form the basis of a bid for secure funding for Town Centre Regeneration from Transport for London that is due to go up in September.
In June the design consultants organised an evening walk around the High Street for members of the Working Group, including our Association, to give their views on what areas of the High Street they would like improved and what features of the High Street they would like to be enhanced.
This week the group met again to review the proposed improvements and discuss the outcomes from the evening walk. We are expecting to see a first draft of the design in August and will report back.
Copers Cope Area Residents' Association (CCARA) & West Beckenham Residents' Association (WBRA) 
This is good progress on the High Streetin theory but the reality on the ground is a continuing proliferation of metal columns and poles being installed by Bromley Council notably near the Post Office, Beckenham Beacon, between Fairfield Road and the loos and so on. The Council jutify this by saying it is to stop cars going on the pavement-yet they have an army of wardens, cctv, camera cars for enforcement action-costs to the ratepayer are unacceptabel. CCARA should lobby to clear this clutter away
Rod Reed