Villagers force council to scrap Belvedere plans

11:31am Wednesday 15th October 2008

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BEXLEY Council has conceded defeat in its efforts to persuade a village to accept a 1.3m “improvement” scheme.

Belvedere residents and traders were branded by one councillor as “ungrateful” for turning down the Transport for London (TfL) cash, which villagers described as “a poisoned chalice”.

Traders, shoppers and residents mounted a campaign against the scheme drawn up by Bexley and forced the council to make a series of changes to the proposals.

But the modifications were not enough to change their minds.

Cabinet member for transport Councillor Peter Craske said: “The people of the area have spoken, and I hope they will welcome my decision.”

Mike Sales, a village trader and member of the campaign committee, said: “It was always about the bus.”

The plans had proposed narrowing Nuxley Road to assist passage of the 401 bus through the village.

This was the most contentious part of the scheme and something which villagers were unable to accept.

Villagers claimed this would have decimated the on-street parking at night and affected pubs, clubs and restaurants.

Cllr Craske also claimed only two parking spaces would have been lost to daytime drivers but villagers dispute his figures.

A second consultation by the council, following extensive remodelling of the scheme, showed 106 people against and 95 in favour.

But Mr Sales said many people, including those living above the shops in Nuxley Road, had not received the questionnaire.

Campaigners photocopied it and another 544 people voted against the scheme.

The council was reluctant to accept the extra votes and in the end classified them as a petition.

Mr Sales said the village had offered alternative proposals to try to meet TfL’s criteria for the cash.

These included improving pedestrian access to the village by paving and lighting Standard and Stapley roads and a new bus layby for the 401.

He said the scheme had many things which the village would have liked, such as new paving, lighting and CCTV cameras.

After making his decision, Cllr Craske warned: “Having scrapped the plans for improvement, the council does not plan to make any further proposals for the village.”

Mr Sales is philosophical about this.

He said: “We know Belvedere will be well down the list to get any Smarties out of the council’s tube.

“But the people of Belvedere were never the principal concern.

“It was about the council getting its greedy hands on a crock of gold which did not belong to it.”

Mr Sales added: “Belvedere is not a one-off. Other people have walked away from TfL money. It is a poisoned chalice.”

However, Mr Sales says the issue has made the village a much stronger community.

He said: “The traders were overwhelmed by how much the public drove this campaign.

“There were good things in the scheme which we would have liked, but no-one’s life is going to be devastated by not getting them.”

Money raised during the campaign will be used for a series of village events at Christmas.