8 The Crescent Jemca Site Jubilee Way 15 Market Parade

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From strength to strength! We are heading for 10,000 visits before the end of the year! It’s nice to know we are wanted. Please use one of the many options to let us know your views, opinions and any problems.

In celebration of Sidcup's youth  A timely reminder from one of our younger readers that not all teenagers are up to no good. Indeed they are not and many are up to very good activities including raising money for charity. We report such examples in Good News. Tell us of your examples.

Parking in St. John's Road Details Here

Rectory Lane/Craybrooke Road  As many will now know and as the Group suspected, Hatch homes has appealed against the decision to reject their plans for the Jemca Toyota site at the top of Craybrooke Road and Rectory Lane.  Click Here 

The proposed development breaches UDP Policies T17, G7, G15 and H3 as well as Policies 4B1 and 4B2 of the London plan.

St. John's House (Carpetright) in Sidcup High Street Plans to increase the height of St. John's House and build 8 flats wiith totally inadeqate amenity space have been withdrawn. A hotel development is on the cards so watch this space.

Whilst The Sidcup Chronicle and High Street Promotion Group are celebrating the fact that Sidcup is "on the up and up" and “Coming Alive”, established residents will have to live in the shadow of these developments. Sidcup is being converted from a suburban to an urban area around us. It is unfair of The Chronicle to paint residents who have objected to some of the grotesque plans for Sidcup as Luddites. We wish to see the end of derelict sites and have been campaigning for a vibrant retail High Street for years. That does not mean that we welcome ANY development including those with insufficient amenity space which tower four storeys above adjacent residential homes and contravene planning policies and guidelines.

We note from letters to the editor of the Sidcup Chronicle that residents' associations in Sidcup as well as the Bexley Civic Society agree.

Untidy Gardens  Bexley Council has announced enforcement action against home owners with untidy front gardens. Good. Many front gardens are a disgrace and impact on the environment and value of adjacent homes. But what about those who use someone's garden as a rubbish bin or even a lavatory. How is it that there are resources for this initiative and not the tide of anti-social behaviour that blights the lives of many residents?

Graffiti criminals return to Jubilee Way. This amounts to victimisation and residents who pay for policing want to see action.

8 The Crescent Take a look at this development (above). If you want to live in a concrete block with a tin roof and few windows, come to Sidcup! Do you think the architect responsible sleeps at night? We think Bexley's planning department were asleep when they approved this.

Good News! Click Here for examples of why Sidcup is still a good place to live!

Thuggery continues in Foots Cray  Details

A shining example  Whatever the implications of the development on local residents, the building of the new Kingdom Hall is providing a wonderful example of the rewards of excellent organisation and the strengths of volunteer effort. The rapid progress of the building of the hall is testament to this.

Bogus Charities  Bogus companies mostly of Eastern European origin continue to pose as charities and distribute sacks for the collection of clothing and household gifts in the area.

15 Market Parade  Work has begun on the demolition of the former Driving Test Centre. Residents will have mixed feelings, saying farewell to a site which has blighted the area and greeting a new building which will have a modern, futuristic design but is of course higher than the existing structure. We hope the wall behind the telephone box will soon cease to serve as a public urinal!

Nature's wonder! See Here

Neighbourhood police team really should get out more! See here.

Residents' parking fees to double following removal of "subsidy" Details

Queen Mary's Hospital  An update was given by Sidcup's MP to patients of the Barnard Health Centre at a special meeting arranged by the Participation Group on 23rd July.

The meeting also discussed Polyclinics. This was effectively killed off by the abscence of local support and money. Brockenshire promised to work closely with local clinics in order to resolve the pressures they were under resulting from a rising population. Details.

Mayor tackles Chewing Gum ahead of 2012 but ignores railside graffiti  *NEW* Click Here

Serious Assault Following a serious physical and sexual assault on a 23 year old woman, we urge all our members to exercise care if using the A20 pedestrian underpasses. The assault took place at 5 am. Nobody has been arrested.

Just what the High Street needs - another cafe!  An application for change of use of No. 44 for use as a Cafe was turned down by Bexley planning department but overturned on appeal. That's another retail unit lost and another nail in the coffin for the High Street. How well do you know your High Street? What do The Green Bean and Café Mocca (both now closed), Big Daddies, Café Nero and Costa Coffee have in common. Answer here

Council Tax discounts are being checked by Bexley Council. Of 21,000 households checked, 1,199 were no longer qualified for discounts. £500,000 has so far been saved, relieving pressure on honest residents. If you have queeries or know of fraud, ring 0345 302 2317.

Bexley Council boasts one of the highest paid Chief Executives in the country! Details

Support the volunteers at Sidcup Police Station and have fun! Click Here  Congratulations to Lyn Barnes for raising over £400 at the quiz night attended by a remarkable 133 Friends of Sidcup Police Station.Funds will contribute towards maintaining Sidcup Police Station.

Car Crime Car crime is a current concern of the local police team with St. John's, Granville and Station Roads being hot-spots. This is a borough priority. Property being stolen from the vehicles is: Number plates, Cat Converters, Tax Discs and Sat Navs. Please place your car and house keys out of sight in your homes. Click Here to report Car Crime in Sidcup. More details here.

Red Lion, Foots Cray This community hall has applied for a license to open until 2:30 am. Foots Cray has recently been subjected to aggressive anti-social behaviour which has blighted the lives of some of our members. Details Here

Harland Avenue  was to be subject to massive redevelopment with developers aiming to demolish three large bungalows and a further four with a large multiple homes development The company has now reduced the scale of its proposals and the Council is considering the application.

Shop-a-Yob We fully support the campaign by Newsshopper to reduce bus crime in this area. Click Here.

143 Station Road  We have objected to an application for a food outlet at these premises. The application was totally inadequate with hand drawn plans excluding measurements. Occupation appears to have taken place since March with planning permission "assumed as granted". This shows arrogance and high handedness as in the case of at least two coffee shops in the High Street and we call upon the council to put a stop to this practice.

Name and Shame. We detail local criminals and crimes for the protection of residents. Details here

Nuisance Dogs? Nuisance Bonfires? Click Here  Nuisance Foxes? Click Here

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