Merry Christmas

We hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Christmas Lights in Portland Road

This cheers the spirit on a damp, cold night

Community Day - "Going for Gold" - 14th July 2012

Crimes reported in the Links Estate area from 2nd Sep to 27th Nov

There have been two burglaries reported in New Street Hill on 12th October 2011 and on 1st November 2011

For a full list of crimes reported in the surrounding areas see the Safer Neighbourhood Team Page at:-

Your Safer Neighbourhood Team Page

Trading Standards Institute warns of dangerous energy saving scam targeting elderly

Trading Standards Institute is urging consumers to be aware of rogue telephone cold callers offering energy saving devices after trading standards up and down the country reported hundreds of complaints.
Trading standards are currently dealing with more than 200 complaints about people claiming to be their energy supplier or working in partnership with them, offering a plug in device which they say can save them 40 per cent off their energy bills.  Trading standards have had a number of the items tested which not only failed to satisfy electrical safety standards but do not deliver any tangible energy saving


For more details of this scam see the Plaistow and Sundridge SNP Blog at :-

Plaistow and Sundridge SNP

Libraries Update

From the Agenda for the Renewal and Recreation Policy Development and Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday 13 December 2011 7.30 pm

Item 10 on the agenda recommends the following:

Members agreed that:

● the Executive be recommended to agree that there be no reduction in the hours of
operation of the Borough’s library service without further consultation with staff, their
representatives, ward Councillors and library users and the opportunities to generate
income also be investigated and a further report be submitted back to Members on the
outcome;

● it be noted that the options regarding closure of any library will be the subject of further
consultation with staff, their representatives, ward Councillors and library users and the
completion of an Equality Impact Assessment prior to a further report on this option being
submitted to Members;

● the Executive be recommended that the option as set out in the report to implement
charges for the People’s Network is not supported and should not proceed; and

● the responses received from staff and their representatives to date regarding entering into
a “shared services” arrangement with the London Borough of Bexley be noted and the
Executive be recommended to agree that the option of transferring a shared service into a
trust as set out in the report be investigated further recognising the urgency involved in
order to achieve savings on business rates.

This report updates Members on the ‘Trust Option’ for Libraries. In particular, the report
identifies that as a consequence of the Government determining the baseline for rateable values
earlier than predicted, that it would not be possible to establish a joint Libraries Trust with
Bromley and Bexley within the necessary timescales.

The full agenda for the meeting is available at

Agenda for meeting on 13th December

Road works on Burnt Ash Lane

The road works we were told were planned for the section of road outside the shops in Burnt Ash Lane on the 27th November did not happen.

We are now told that they are due to start on Monday morning (5th December?) and last for three days . We have also been informed that letters have been dropped to inform the residents about scope of these repair works. Watch this space.


Information from :-

Naeem Ahad

Project Engineer

Highway Network Management

020 8313 4237


Monday 11.30 am Two JCBs, many cones, one man cutting the road surface and creating lots of dust, 8 men in high vis jackets watching. They've started the road works!

Activities at Burnt Ash Library

  Thursday 8th December 
 Christmas Coffee Morning
            10.45 - 12.00 noon
with carols by Parish Primary School
       A warm welcome awaits


Burnt Ash Library Reading Group
           the next meeting will be on :-
     Thursday 5th January 2012
             at 2.15pm
This session is a Lucky Dip occasion
For more details visit the library or contact the librarians
 on 020 8460 3405 
or by email at burntash.library@bromley.gov.uk

Classic Film Club St Andrews Hall, Burnt Ash Lane

White Christmas 

Starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye 
and Rosemary Clooney

Monday 5th December 2011.

Time 7.00pm doors open 6.45pm

Cost £1 donation per person is suggested to include refreshments at the interval.

For more information ring:-
Brian at James Harper 020 8464 0080
Rev'd Angela King      020 8313 3434
Rev'd Liz Davis           020 6460 4672

All welcome

Bromley Community Engagement Forum

Our next public meeting will be on 

Wednesday 30 November, 7pm

at Bromley Football Club, Hayes Lane, BR2 9EF

• Update from the Police on the disorder arrests and a discussion about local policing issues.

• There will be a presentation by a Magistrate explaining the sentencing process and how

magistrates reach their decisions.

• Also an opportunity for questions relating to community safety in the Borough.

Refreshments from 6.30pm and information stands. Trading Standards will also be in attendance at this meeting from 6.30pm.

All welcome – for more info call 020 8658 7168 or visit our website: www.bcef.org.uk

Road works on Burnt Ash Lane Sunday 27th November

A2212, Burnt Ash Lane, Bromley from Southover to Kynaston Road features in the major works programme for carriageway resurfacing scheduled for 2012-13.

In the mean time some minor work is required to keep the carriageway intact and safe for road users. This work is being scheduled for Sunday 27^th November 2011.

Information provided by:-

Naeem Ahad

Highway Network Management

020 8313 4237

Classic Film Club St Andrews Hall, Burnt Ash Lane

Monday 21st November

True Grit starring John Wayne

Time 7.00pm doors open 6.45pm

Cost £1 donation per person is suggested to include refreshments at the interval.

For more information ring:-
Brian at James Harper 020 8464 0080
Rev'd Angela King      020 8313 3434
Rev'd Liz Davis           020 6460 4672

All welcome

Remembrance Day 13 November 2011

During the morning of Sunday 13 November, Remembrance Day services will be held throughout the borough. The council will be represented by Councillor Michael Turner at a service at St Andrew's Church at 10.00am.

Other services at which the council will be represented are listed on the Bromley website which can be viewed using the link below

List of locations for Remembrance day services

Doorstep Traders

On Tuesday 8th and Wednesday 9th November house in New Street Hill were offered steam cleaning of their driveways. The people did not look like professional workers. On Tuesday they were in a lorry with  a model heron in the cab (registration not recorded) but on Wednesday they were in a white van registration VE53KRK.

The Bromley Trading Standards and the Safer Neighbourhood Team have been informed.

If you are visited by suspicious traders you can get advice from the Trading Standards website at the link below

 Trading standards Doorstep selling advice

See our post for Thursday 2nd November for other services from Trading Standards

Christmas Market

St Andrews Hall, Burnt Ash Lane

Saturday 19th. November from 10 am to 2 pm

Have your Photo taken with Santa

Books ~ Plants~ Cakes~Bric a Brac ~ Tombola ~ raffle

Refreshments

Bromley public meetings about cuts

The first daytime public meeting is on Tuesday 8th November at the Civic Centre. See the full list in the post for 19th October or click on the link below for details on this meeting.

http://www.bromley.gov.uk/events/event/359/tough_choices-bromley_daytime_public_meeting

Free online advice for Bromley consumers and businesses

If you are a Bromley consumer or a Bromley business you can get help, advice and information about buying and selling all kinds of goods and services. The website at http://www.bromley.gov.uk/info/200098/trading_standards includes the following topics.

1. Consumer advice

Advice and information about how to avoid or resolve your consumer problems.

2. Business advice on trading standards laws

Advice and guidance to businesses on complying with Trading Standards laws.

3. Safer Bromley Trader Register

The Trader Register has been set up to help consumers, who are in need of home improvements, identify a suitable local trader.

4. Rogue traders and doorstep callers

Have you been plagued by doorstep sellers or tricked into having work done that you didn't need? Then contact Bromley Trading Standards.


Click on the link to see the headings http://www.bromley.gov.uk/info/200098/trading_standards

Information provided by
John Finch
Trading Standards Intelligence Officer
London Borough of Bromley Trading Standards

Burnt Ash Library Reading Group

Bromley libraries support a number of local reading groups and there is one at Burnt Ash Library. The book appreciation groups are for adults wanting to read something different, meet other readers or look more deeply into particular novels and factual books. 

Reading groups are open to anyone who loves reading and are free. At each meeting the library provides copies of a book that has been previously chosen, which is taken away and read by members of the group and then discussed the following month. Some groups are already over-subscribed and times are subject to change so please contact the library for confirmation.

The next meeting at Burnt Ash Library is on Thursday 24th November at 2.15 pm and everyone is welcome. The book to be discussed is Villette by Charlotte Bronte. For more details visit the library or contact the librarians on 020 8460 3405 or by email at burntash.library@bromley.gov.uk

Bonfire Night legal and safety advice from Bromley Council

If you are having a bonfire to celebrate Guy Fawkes night remember safety around fire is especially important when you are looking after young children. Laws about the use of fireworks have been made to help keep people safe.


You can get detailed advice on firework and bonfire safety from the home and community section of Directgov. Follow the simple tips at the Government link below to make sure you, and others, are safe and acting lawfully.


http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/InYourHome/Escapingandrecoveringfromafire/DG_180786

Stay safe at Halloween

Halloween and trick or treating advice from Bromley Council

Keeping children safe while trick or treating is very important:

• children going trick or treating should always be accompanied by a responsible adult
• don't let children enter strange houses while trick or treating
• stick to familiar, well-lit areas

Tricks

Take care that your children: 

• respect 'no trick or treating' signs 
• do not get carried away with tricks

Treats

Ensure that children:

• don't eat any treats offered until they're checked by a responsible adult
• throw away any suspicious, unwrapped or tampered-with treats

Costumes

Take care to ensure that Halloween costumes are fire resistant, have proper eye holes,
and are not so long that they could cause trips and falls. Ideally they should include
reflective tape or glow-in-the-dark jewellery for visibility. And naturally they should
not include any item that could be dangerous, such as a real knife or sword used as a
dressing-up prop.

For more information click on the link below.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/DG_181992

Find out more about your family history

Uncover more about your family history at a drop in session next week at Bromley Central Library.

Experts in family ancestry from the North West Kent Family History Society will be on hand on Saturday 29 October to answer questions about tracing your past.  Free access to computers and online resources will be available from 10am to 12pm and from 1pm to 4pm.  There's no need to book, just turn up and the advice is free. 

"This is a great opportunity to get help if you're stuck with your family history research and don't know where to look next. Our friendly experts will be on hand to show you the next steps and the online resources will open up new access to your ancestry" said Simon Finch, Local Studies and Archives Manager at Bromley Central Library. 

Saturday 29 October is also the start of the trial service of 'Find My Past', the popular family history database. The trial service will be accessible free, alongside our 'Ancestry' subscription in all Bromley Libraries, until Saturday 26 November. 

 For more information click on http://www.bromley.gov.uk/press/article/368/find_out_more_about_your_family_history

London Low Emission Zone

If you have a van, minibus or motor caravan with a diesel engine you may be affected by the tougher London Low Emission Regulations coming into force in January 2012. If your vehicle does not comply you would be fined £100 per day that the vehicle is used in the Low Emission Zone. An article in the Guardian for Saturday 22nd October gives more information. Transport for London also has a link for checking whether a vehicle is affected.

Click on the links below to see more details.

Article in the Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/oct/21/london-low-emissions-zone-vans

Transport for London page http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/lez/default.aspx

Bromley public meetings about cuts

Bromley is holding public meetings as shown below. Click on the blue text for more details.

Tough choices - we want your views

With over £30 million to save in the next three years due to cuts in government funding, we are making tough choices about our council and our borough.

Join us at one of our public meetings so we can hear your views as we make these tough decisions.

• Tough choices - Bromley daytime public meeting 8 November 2011
• Tough choices - Orpington public meeting 17 November 2011
• Tough choices - Bromley public meeting 23 November 2011
• Tough choices - Beckenham public meeting 28 November 2011

 If you cannot attend our public meetings you can give us your views by:

• Writing to us
• email to Leader@bromley.gov.uk
• use our online complaints, compliments or suggestions form 
• on our facebook page or at twitter@LBofBromley  
• contact your ward councillor
• attending council meetings

Pages in Tough choices - we want your views:

1. Council Leader's letter
2. Summary

Changes to Layout

The link to maps of Links Estate has now been moved to the main page from other pages


Posted by Clive

Saturday cold but sunny

This has been a sunny day although cold. With clear skies there should be another frost

Garden Competition

We are pleased to announce the winners of our Garden Competition to mark the 20th anniversary of LERA. We formed a judging panel comprising Lucia Parnell, Margaret Hearn and Peter Skipp. We devised a list of criteria against which to judge the entries and have since re-visited each of the winning gardens to present the prizes. The winner in each category received a gift token to the value of £50 for Coolings Nursery in Knockholt and the runners-up received a bottle of bubbly.

Best Front Garden -

Margaret and Bob Housie from Ridgway Drive.

Bob has a fabulous selection of potted plants in his front garden which he tends with love and care. He has an irrigation system which helps to keep all his Fuschias and Hydrangaes in tip top condition. Although Bob's garden is largely paved with attractive briquette paving, it is an example of how a paved garden can be tastefully adapted, yet not sacrificing the essential plant life that all our gardens need. The judges felt that this garden had real colour and kerb appeal. Bob is out there in all weathers dead heading, pruning, and re­potting and that's what keeps his garden looking so good and that is why the judges awarded it First Prize.