Swapping Brexit for bins, thousands of people turned out this year to have their say in an important matter of a local election.

Bromley voters reaffirmed the Conservatives' mandate in the borough, re-electing them to serve them for another four years.

Council leader Colin Smith takes charge for his first full term as leader, in what will be a tough four years for the authority as it deals with years of unprecedented austerity and tight budgets from central government.

In a year dominated by Westminster, here are the biggest headlines coming out of London’s biggest borough.

St Olave’s

A report published earlier this year delved into the shocking circumstances that saw A-Level students excluded from an Orpington grammar school if they were under-performing.

The damning independent report commissioned by Bromley Council found academic success came at the cost of student welfare at St Olave’s School, with pupils excluded during A-level studies if there were concerns they would under-achieve in their exams.

St Olave’s practice was illegal, with the report stating students were being treated as “collateral damage”.

The report was presented at a full council meeting earlier this year, where councillor Nicholas Bennett said: “Can’t see how such an outstanding school could have been run in such a peculiar way by a headteacher who was clearly out of control.

“It is right to pay tribute to those who did blow the whistle and were unfortunately ignored.”

Some families claim the report doesn’t go far enough to include the council’s role in what happened, but the council has asserted it would be taking on board the recommendations made to it.

Gangs and violence

A spate of murders and stabbings rocked communities in Penge and Anerley this year.

There has been a capital-wide surge in knife crime this year, and critics are concerned there will soon be less officers on the streets amid the wave of stabbings.

In Bromley, the council denied it was in denial over its gang problems following a government review into how they were being monitored.

The report, which the council asked for itself, concluded: “It was not clear to most of those we talked to who owns this agenda and roles of partners and agencies. This indicates an issue around communication and leadership that will need resolving in the form of clear recognition of the problem.”

Kate Lymer, the council’s executive member for public protection, said a lot of work was being carried out to combat the issue of violence in the borough.

“The review does not tell us anything we didn’t know, but it has cemented it,” she said.

“Work has already taken shape to address the issues in the report, in terms of governance and overarching strategy we now have a gangs protocol in place.

Bromley is however bucking the capital’s knife crime trend, with significantly less incidents than nearby Lewisham or Croydon.

Town Centre masterplan

Ambitious regeneration plans for Bromley town centre were met with mixed views when they were put out for consultation earlier this year.

The council asked for feedback on ideas for the heart of its masterplan site, which extends along the west side of the High Street from Bromley South station to the Churchill Theatre, and formerly referred to as ‘site G’.

According to consultation documents, there is scope for this redevelopment to bring 1,230 homes in towers up to 15 storeys tall, creating a new neighbourhood along with shops and community spaces.

Ward councillors Nicky Dykes, Will Harmer and Michael Rutherford said there is a limit on the amount of development the town centre could bear – dubbing proposals “unimaginative”.

The major redevelopment project could take up to 20 years to complete, and the council is now asking for residents’ opinions on their ambitions.

Bullers Wood

Parents sporting ‘Say Yes To Bullers’ T-shirts packed into Bromley Civic Centre for a week-long planning inquiry into a proposed school in November.

Proposals for Bullers Wood School for Boys at St Hughes’ playing field in Bickley Road, Chislehurst, were approved in 2017, before a controversial U-turn in January after traffic concerns were raised.

The decision was appealed, with the long running saga between Bromley Council and supporters of Bullers Wood expected to come to an end in January.

A relentless campaign has been led by parents desperate for the school to be built, backed by some councillors and MP Bob Neill.

Parents said after the inquiry they were hopeful that, one way or another, a school will be built.

Bromley Council has no objections to the use of the site, but suggested it was the safety issues – particularly in Chislehurst and Bickley Roads – that made current plans unacceptable. The school is currently open on a temporary site

Cray Wanderers

London’s oldest football club has been given the go-ahead to build their new stadium after 45 years without a home.

Cray Wanderers are celebrating after London Mayor Sadiq Khan backed their scheme to build a new ground at Flamingo Park, close to the Sidcup Bypass.

Bromley councillors voted 11-3 in favour of the project earlier this year, which includes the demolition of a nightclub and concreting over greenbelt land to create new 3G football pitches and homes.

The Mayor blocked plans in 2016 for a new ground, but finally gave the new stadium the green light at the end of November.

The new stadium will be able to house 1,300 fans, and there are also plans for three additional 11 a-side pitches, a seven-a-side pitch and two five a-side pitches which will be used by the club’s junior sides.