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CLLR IAN CLEMENT WRITES
This summer, thousands of people across Bexley have filled in the crime survey giving us an indication of how safe they feel in their neighbourhoods. The statistics show that the Community Safety Partnership between the Police and Bexley Council is doing well with crime down 16%. But have the people who put up with anti-social behaviour seen this? No of course they haven’t. The job is never done. But who is to blame? Could the police do more? Could the Council do more? Without doubt - yes.
However it is time to be brave and say - so could the parents.
The majority of teenagers in this borough are bright, hardworking young people. Those few who are on the pathway to trouble often receive parental visits and they are horrified when we tell them what their kids have been doing. The children are dealt with at home and we rarely hear from them again.
But there are others, ever growing in number, who get parental visits and do not care less. We visit homes where the swearing and harsh attitude towards each family member is horrific and they wonder why their children turn out to be angry, rude young teenagers. We see parents who go to work in the morning leaving their child until 8 or 9pm in the evening. We visit families who spend their hard-earned money buying playstations and all kinds of gadgets for their children - but do they honestly know where their child is at all hours of the day and night?
Parents have to take responsibility for the next generation to ensure we turn out children who make Bexley a great place to live, not an intimidating one. Community safety for all residents is a top priority for this new administration in Bexley - but we can never do it all on our own.
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John Austin Writes
The arbitrary drawing of boundaries has led to wars, armed conflict and civil disturbance in many parts of the world. We don’t have problems on that scale here at home but there is a boundary in the area which I represent which is an irritation and does hamper the effective delivery of public services. I am referring to the borough boundary between Greenwich and Bexley as it runs through Thamesmead. Thamesmead is clearly one community but half is in Bexley and half in Greenwich.
This means there are two local councils who may for example have different policies in relation to planning, so what is permissible on one side of the boundary might not be allowed on the other. There are two education authorities – one has a system of comprehensive education, the other has selection and the old style 11+ exam with grammar schools (all far away in the leafier south of the borough) and what we used to call Secondary Modern schools for the majority. That is unlikely to change.
There are two health authorities. Services on one side of the boundary are provided by Greenwich Primary Care Trust and on the other by Bexley Care Trust.
But there are areas where I believe the various agencies can work together and there are some examples where this is happening. One such issue is community safety. The matter is complicated by having two police divisions – one comes under Bexleyheath and the other under Plumstead, but I am pleased that after much discussion the two police divisions now treat the area as one and the two councils are talking to one another. During the summer, I took the opportunity of doing a walk-about with one of the Borough Police Commanders to look at some of the problems on the ground and have had a subsequent meeting with local councillors from both sides of the boundary. I am also pleased that the two councils, Gallions Housing Association (which owns most of the rented housing) and Tilfen Land (who own most of the undeveloped land) are working together at an officer level and have agreed to set up a bi-annual meeting involving local councillors which they have invited me to chair.
It’s early days and we have yet to see results, but clearly working together, despite any political differences, is bound to be better for local residents.
Whilst on the subject of working together, it was good to see the community in Lesnes Abbey Ward coming together in common cause following a terrible tragedy, namely the murder of a young teenager, Julian “Busta” Knight. Friends, neighbours and relatives had joined together to organise a community event in memory of “Busta”. They were given permission by Bexley Council to hold the event on the disused playing field of the former Abbey Primary School. It was a great success and, despite the tragedy which was being acknowledged, it was an enjoyable community occasion. This has led to local demands for the field to become a permanent leisure and recreation area. I am supporting the residents in their campaign and hope that Bexley Council can ensure it happens. It would be a fine tribute to Busta’s memory.
I have spent most of the summer in the constituency, meeting residents, attending meetings and holding surgeries. But Parliament is now back in session – so I will share the Westminster gossip next month!
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