Category: Council

Beckenham Town Centre Working Group Update – August 9 2012 Meeting

The Beckenham Town Working Group (set up by the Council to identify potential improvements for the town) on which the Copers Cope Area Residents’ Association sits met on Thursday 9 August the following points were raised:

Street lighting – The Working Group had previously expressed a preference for the heritage style lamps with hanging baskets. However such lamps may not cast enough light downwards so extra lamps may be needed which will increase street clutter. Other options may include; lights set on buildings (this required the owners’ permission), lights at different levels for the carriageway and the pavement, or catenary lights (on wires) where additional lighting is needed.

Carriageway & Pavements – TfL requires a minimum carriageway width in A roads of 7.3m, this means the pavement can be widened along the High Street. Bus stops and loading bays can potentially be moved to get the best pedestrian and traffic outcome. The designers are proposing a nearly level carriageway/parking area/footway, with the different areas separated in the surface by different materials rather than painted lines, our association expressed concern about not having a clear/structural delineation between parking bays and the pavement.

Markets – There were various potential sites for a market, including Beckenham Green and Kelsey Square and the area near the toilets in Kelsey Park Road. In some locations the footway could be widened, but for safety reasons there needed to be a clear separation between pedestrians and cars.

Conservation Areas – A single conservation area for the town centre would help to protect and enhance the character of the town and control shopfronts in particular. This is being pursued.

The bid for TfL funds – Is due to be submitted by 7th September.

Christmas lights – The Town Centre Manager is looking into fixed Christmas Lights, funded by the Council,it will not be possible to get them in time for this Christmas so temporary lights will need to be installed.

Improving the junction of the High Street/Rectory Road/Southend Road/Albemarle Road – Unless a new bridge was built over the railway at a cost of several million pounds it would not be possible to alleviate congestion, however there is part solution that will assist large vehicles making turns from Rectory Road into Southend Road and provide increased footway width in the High Street and enhanced facilities for pedestrians crossing Rectory Road at a viable cost (in the region of £150-£175k.) The Working Group supported pursuing this option.

Beckenham Town Centre Working Group Update – July 2012

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.

Beckenham Town Centre Manager Job Vacancy – applications close 17 June 2012

As some residents and many businesses will know Beckenham is currently without a Town Centre Manager (TCM).  The position is currently being advertised by Bromley Council.   The TCM role is very important for businesses and residents as it is key in promoting Beckenham, securing funding for our town centre, organising events to keep our High Street vibrant and maintaining standards in the street scene by keeping it clean, tidy and safe.

Ever walked down the High Street and thought “why don’t the Council just fix this up” or “let’s have some more events in the town, get everyone out” this could be the job for you.

It would be wonderful if the vacancy was filled by a local person passionate about Beckenham.  Although the majority of the position will focus on Beckenham, we understand the position will also cover other town centres including Penge.

For more information please follow the link below.

Town Centre Manager Job Vacancy

Government Minister criticises Bromley’s record on helping homeless people

pengeandcatorcouncillors's avatarPenge and Cator Councillors

We are grateful to the Copers Cope Residents Association for drawing our attention to this article from the May edition of “Inside Housing”.   As well as raising important issues, it also provides further background to the plans to convert Cranbrook House in Thesiger Road to temporary accommodation for the homeless.

Grant Shapps is the Conservative Government’s Housing Minister.

Shapps issues B&B warning to councils

The housing minister has warned 20 councils to improve the way they deal with homeless people.

Grant Shapps wrote to the local authorities in England on 23 April after becoming worried about the amount of time they were leaving families languishing in bed and breakfast accommodation. The minister is concerned councils are breaching rules barring them from placing families in B&Bs for more than six weeks.

Hammersmith & Fulham, Bromley, Westminster, Brent and Wandsworth councils in London, as well as Cornwall Council are among those singled out.

Mr Shapps wrote: ‘While this government has removed targets… this…

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Beckenham Town Centre Working Group Meeting 12 April 2012

The Beckenham Town Working Group (set up by the Council to identify potential improvements for the town) on which the Copers Cope Area Residents’ Association met on Thursday 12th April, the following points were raised: 
  • The improvements in the condition of the Odeon car park were acknowledged.
  • Rear of the Miso Bar and the Slug and Lettuce was still very littered. This is being followed up.
  • Shops should not use solid shutters in conservation area. A design guide for shutters to be looked into. 
  • Shop front vinyls for empty shops cost £800 and cannot not be re-used. Landlords cannot be forced to install them.  Generally, take up of vinyls had been very disappointing, even with a 50% subsidy from the Council. It was suggested that efforts should be targeted at property agents, offering them advertising opportunities.
  • Estate Agents’ boards  and A-boards  are only allowed to remain in place for three weeks without planning permission. A tougher enforcement policy could reduce the number of boards.
  • Any proposal to join the two existing conservation areas in the town centre would require a business case and a six week consultation period before a final decision by the Development Control Committee.  Noted that traders would be wary of any proposal that might impose more burdens on business, and suggested that potential tenants might be put off by conservation area status.  
  • Appointment of design consultants in May to prepare a scheme and design guide for visual improvement of the High Street.
  • Town sign and car park signage to be scoped in the design project.
  • Installation of community noticeboards with local map.
  • Decluttering project (£15K), to remove unwanted street furniture, unnecessary poles/posts and barriers from the High Street.
  • Use of heritage style lamps and lighting to enhance attractive upper storeys of buildings and provide additional lighting for pedestrians.
  • Controlling access to alleyways, probably by gating, and improving security lighting and cleaning up the ‘back’ areas.
  • Improved street cleanliness and siting of bins. Heritage style bins throughout Beckenham to be scoped in design project.
  • Purchasing heritage Christmas lights, could this be looked at by the design consultants?
  • Looking into making whole High Street a free wi fi area.
  • Reinstating Beckenham Junction as a heritage station.
  • Repairing the High Street clocks.
  • Use of vacant properties as ‘pop up’ shops to be explored.
  • Working Group to visit Blackhealth Village.  Lordship Lane, Dulwich was suggested as an area the Working Group could look at. 
NEXT MEETINGS 
The next meetings would be on Thursday 24th May and Thursday 5th July, both 7.30pm at Beckenham Library and are open to the public. 

Upcoming Mayor of London Vote – Make sure you are registered to vote.

Bromley residents have until Wednesday 18 April 2012 to ensure they are registered to vote. If you are new to the area or have recently turned 18 and not registered yet you should contact Bromley Councils Electoral Services asap.

http://www.bromley.gov.uk/info/364/elections-electoral_register/223/registering_to_vote

Beckenham Town Centre Working Group Meeting 15 March 2012

The Beckenham Town Working Group (set up by the Council to identify potential improvements for the town) on which the Copers Cope Area Residents’ Association sits  met on Thursday 15th March, the following points were raised:
  • The Council advised that £50,000 could be allocated to bring in design consultants to assess and propose regeneration ideas for the High Street. 
  • Funds have also been allocated to look at what can be done to improve the road network in the town centre.
  • Considerations include increasing the width of pedestrian crossings, raising the height of the curbs,  creating a level surface for pedestrians crossing and a hump for vehicles to calm traffic in the high street.
  • The possibility of the Council renting empty Beckenham High Street properties to, for example, have computers available for public use was discussed.
  • A request for parking bays in the side roads off the High Street, to be marked out to prevent a single vehicle taking the space for two was tabled.
  • Sainsbury’s are to be approached to discuss the standard  and payment alternatives for the Village Way car park .
  • A preference for peak parking restrictions to be changed so that they end at the same time was proposed.
  • Bromley Council could install vinyl shop fronts on vacant shop premises, however the landlord’s permission is needed.
  • After a brief discussion regarding re-branding Beckenham from a Town as a Village, it was agreed there was a need to find local opinion. Have your vote on our poll.
  •  CCARA to hold a poll through its media.
  • Recommendation approved at the meeting for strong control of approval of solid shutters on High Street premises.
  • Heritage & Conservation: It was suggested that as well as linking the two heritage areas from St George’s to the Old Police Station and round to Kelsey Square and The Three Tuns (Zizzi’s), this should be extended to the War Memorial and the Odeon. Also, the heritage lighting and bin style in use around St George’s Green should be extended throughout the whole High Street area.
  • A report is to be made on The Beckenham Heritage Trail booklet being updated and brought back into print. A permanent Heritage Trail delineated by plaques was proposed. Also the idea of a site for a heritage museum is to be explored.
  • Heritage Lottery bids are to be considered for funding heritage/conservation upgrading.
  • Stables Green  – if the Village Green application is accepted before 4th April it would override London Quadrant’s permission for development on R/O 86-94 High Street (a local residents’ group put an application to turn the land into a village green and stop development on the land).

epetition to get the provision of public toilets made compulsory

The ‘we need the loo!’ national campaign has launched an epetition to get the provision of public toilets made compulsory.

Currently Local Authorities do not have to provide public toilets and many Councils are closing the few facilities that
do exist to save money. ‘we need the loo! want Parliament to pass a law making the provision of public toilets compulsory.

As you may know the public toilets in Beckenham were earmarked for closure by Bromley Council. Thanks to much campainging by local groups (including the CCARA) and residents the closure plans have been shelved… for now.

We urge residents to support this campaign. The epetition can be found at the link below.

Why do we need public toilets?
  • Good public toilet provision enables everyone to participate fully in civic life.
  • Public toilets are needed if we want people to increase their use of public transport and walk and cycle more.
  • Better facilities will help to attract visitors and boost local economies.
  • Lack of public toilets causes many elderly and
  • Disabled people to stay at home because they cannot rely on access to a loo when out and about.
  • Lack of public toilets leads to street urination and fouling which spreads disease.
  • Delays in answering “nature’s call” can increase infections and other health problems.
  • Community toilets are not always suitable; some people find going into pubs etc unacceptable.
Find out more about the campaign

Beckenham Town Centre Working Group

Report from meeting held on 09 Feb 2012

The Copers Cope Area Residents’ Association attended the working group on Thursday evening. The meeting was also attended by our local councillors, Bromley Council portfolio holders from Traffic, Renewal & Recreation, Beckenham Town Centre Manager, the Beckenham Civic Society, Central Beckenham Residents’ Association and West Beckenham Residents’ Association.

Bromley Council decided to reconvene the Beckenham Town Centre Working Group after the Town Centre bid to secure funds from the Mayor of London’s Outer London Fund was unsuccessful.

A further bid for funds may be put up by the Council later this year. The group highlighted the following improvements to Beckenham Town Centre to included in a further bid.

  • Improvement of pedestrian experience at ‘natural’ crossing points (e.g. opposite Sainsbury’s, and at corner with Village Way).
  • Review the positioning and pavement width at bus stop points.
  • Could Town Centre have street markets, possibly in front of Public Toilets?
  • Prioritise Beckenham heritage. Repair our town clocks. Creation of a heritage trail.
  • Removal of unnecessary street furniture, minimising/upgrading signage, cleaning up of forecourts & car parks.
  • Reduction of HGV usage of High Street.
  • Review and propose solutions for traffic flow problems (e.g. Beckenham Junction/Albermarle Road).
  • Enhancement of War Memorial area and approach to High Street.
The Copers Cope Residents’ Association is interested in your views, please comment on this blog or email us at chairman@coperscope.org.uk