Minutes:
It was noted that the work being undertaken in Kelsey Square would be finished the following week. A request was made for restrictive parking lines to be painted in as soon as possible. The Chairman favoured a Residents’ Parking Scheme. It was recommended that the Burnhill Road Car Parking Zone be extended to Kelsey Square.
Cycle racks would be installed the following week, especially in areas where there had been unauthorised parking. Janice Pilgrim stated that in order to assist blind and partially sighted persons, the racks should be sited off centre, there should be a colour contrast on the racks, and the bikes should not stick out.
The Working Group was informed that in the New Year, new street furniture and granite planters would be sited. It had been reported that there had been problems at Coopers Mews with motorists driving over the pavement. This would stop when new planters went in.
The Working Group heard that the lighting for Regal Alley had been completed. Issues around tree lighting would be discussed in the future.
Mr Goy reported problems he considered outstanding with the scheme nearing completion:
4.1 ‘Shared-use’ parking bays with rough-surface grey bricks – Mr Goy conveyed a complaint from his elderly, registered-disabled mother about the rough and irregularly-surfaced bricks chosen for the parking bays / shared use paving. This was that the rough bricks were unnerving and dangerous for someone with difficulty walking, using a stick, or a wheeled walking frame.
4.2 Zebra crossing near the Odeon Cinema / Chicken Takeaway – The black and white stripes of the crossing had been painted at a peculiar angle to the footway and widened central refuge. Mr Goy had noticed this on a High St visit prior to the meeting, but there could be others around the War Memorial roundabout, which was in the final stage of the works.
4.3 Feature white mortar brick pointing at High St Junction with Burnhill Rd (outside Prezzo / Hak’s Barbers) – The pattern of red and dark grey bricks, near historic Kelsey Square, had been pointed with a white mortar. However, the quality of pointing was such that the light pointing mortar was messy around and on top of the bricks and so looked scruffy. Mr Oliver replied that the Project Team had noticed this and been told that the overspill cement called ‘snot’ would wash away in the rain. Mr Goy was sceptical as it had been there some months already; he suggested removal by hand or mechanical means.
4.4 Missing Village Way Street Name Plates – Mr Munnelly said installation was pending agreement that night on the black on white ‘Traffic’ font name plates with the Beckenham crest. There had been a query on the three-tree detail from two different designers.
Mr Goy re-stated that he considered the ‘new’ design simply a return to the dated 1970’s plates, some of which were still around. He much preferred the white Roman typeface lettering on a green background now in use in the borough.
4.5 Bike stands – Mr Oliver reported that the remaining stands were being installed. The Chairman referred to Mr Goy’s request at the design stage to have these in small clusters near the shops for convenience of use. Mr Goy said the original design saw one large rack of about 15 stands near the closed-down toilets and not spread throughout the High St. He also referred to bike stands effectively being used as ‘bollards’ by Highway Engineers-- bracketing parking and loading bays, where they might incur expensive cycle damage, e.g. from reversing delivery lorries.
Also, existing stands such as outside Lloyds Bank and Marks and Spencer’s (near the Church Ave junction) were placed unnecessarily and inconveniently close together. Properly-spaced stands (of a separation of at least a metre) could accommodate two bikes each. Good separation eased access for loading with shopping, secure locking, removal and replacement of lights etc.
Mr Oliver replied that the remaining stands would be more widely spaced. He confirmed that the stands had stick-tapping rails, visibility strips and rounded edges.
4.6 Replacement phone kiosk by Marks and Spencer bus stop – The former kiosk had been modest and mostly glass. The replacement was a larger black plinth with a large advertising screen facing oncoming traffic. It was really an LED advertising hoarding with a phone attached.
The siting and size was now such that the view, for waiting passengers at the shelter, of approaching buses was obscured by a large black rectangular obelisk.
This made it difficult for waiting passengers to see a bus approaching, determine if it was their route and destination, stand up from a shelter seat in good time and indicate to request it to stop. Passengers had just a second or two to see a bus and its destination board appearing from behind the enlarged opaque phone kiosk, and sometimes a second bus behind was still hidden.
Chloe Jane Ross commented on the danger of a new pedestrian crossing where there was no central refuge in the area where cars turned right into Village Way. Assurances were provided that this had passed a safety audit.
It was reported that there were problems with the crossing and the associated raised kerb outside of Citygate Church. This was being investigated by FM Conway.
It was asked when the old disused telephone box outside of Kelsey House could be replaced. The Chairman requested that this matter be chased and he asked to be informed of the date that the current planning permission for the box expired.
The Group noted the document that had been submitted by Marsha Berg (Improvements Check-28th November 2018). A comment was made concerning the uplighting at the Nat West Bank. There were issues with light shining into people’s eyes. Mr Oliver responded that this would be investigated and the uplighting adjusted if required. Local businesses seemed to be happy with it. A query was raised as to whether or not LBB maintained the Victorian Lampstand on the embankment. Mr Oliver said that he would investigate this.
Marsha Berg asked if residents would get the complete declutter that had been promised. It was agreed that Ms Berg and Mr Oliver would do a walkabout to assess what was required.
Mention was made of the ‘Manchester’ bollards that had been removed in the vicinity of Kelsey Square whilst re-surfacing work was being undertaken. They had not been replaced and now people were parking on the pavement because the bollards had been removed. This was occurring despite the fact that yellow lines were in place. Mr Oliver promised to investigate and report back.
It was mentioned that the town sign on Beckenham Green had been damaged, and it was asked if this could be repaired. Officers confirmed that the sign had now been repaired.
Mr Goy commented on the raised grey bricks that had been used for shared street parking. He stated that the design of the bricks meant that street cleaners could not remove the cigarette ends that were stuck in the gaps in the bricks.
RESOLVED that:
1) The Burnhill Road Car Parking Zone be extended to Kelsey Square.
2) The matter of when the disused telephone box outside of Kelsey House could be removed is investigated and that the date when the current planning permission for the box expired should be reported back.
3) Mr Oliver would check the uplighting at the Nat West Bank, and would investigate who owned the Victorian Lampstand.
4) Ms Berg and Mr Oliver would do a walkabout to assess what was required with respect to any outstanding de-cluttering.
5) Mr Oliver would report back concerning alleged parking contraventions that were taking place due to the removal of the ‘Manchester Bollards’.