Headlines - May 2007
Staff and students at St Luke's Sixth Form College have welcomed their recent OfSTED inspection that has removed the college's notice to improve and highlighted many positive developments at the college.
A 25ft high sculpture of fish on a roundabout in Erith has come second in one of the country's most prestigious art awards.
A double bill of cycling fun is in store at Danson Park on Saturday 16 June, thanks to local youth cycling club, Go-Ride Bexley.
Whether walking for health or recreation, stepping out on the Green Chain is fun when there is so much nature to see and you can watch the seasons unfold!
There is still time to have your say on Erith's Future - at the Erith Riverside Festival on Sunday 3 June. The festival usually attracts about 4,000 visitors and many different organisations will have stalls and attractions at this colourful, fun-packed annual event.
A centre for providing advice and information to adults on the
autistic spectrum or their carers was given a major cash injection with a £500
donation from Crayford Rotary Club - that should help secure its future for at
least another two years.
The beautiful parkland of Danson Park in Bexleyheath will once
again come to spectacular life on 30 June and 1 July, with one of the south-east's
largest outdoor events - the Danson Festival.
Bexley's licence holders turned out in force this week (21 Monday) for a seminar on how to tackle the problems caused by underage drinking and the impact of the new smokefree legislation.
Every street in Bexley's largest ward, Cray Meadows, is to be targeted by the local Safer Neighbourhoods Policing Team as they put into practice their new and highly successful Home Briefing policy.
Discover Europe and enjoy its diversity through the variety of its products
as the Continental Village Market comes to Sidcup from Thursday 31 May to Sunday
3 June.
Dog owners are being warned to keep their dogs on leads and out of the water when they are walking on Foots Cray Meadows. The recent arrival of cygnets has caused the resident male swan to display extremely aggressive behaviour.
Councillor Nigel Betts, a truly local man who represents the Falconwood and Welling Ward, has become Bexley's 44th Mayor at the Council's annual meeting on Wednesday 16 May. His wife and the new Mayoress is Mrs Hilary Betts.
A new recycling service for food waste operated by Bexley Council
for the area's Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), is celebrating early
success with 28 businesses already signed up to the scheme.
Bexley Council is again asking the public to remain vigilant
and report any suspicious behaviour on the borough's highways, after a fourth
spate of drain-cover thefts.
Bexley Council has agreed its new road safety plan for 2007/08,
with measures designed to cut the number of people injured in crashes on the
borough's roads.
Bexley Council has said a big 'thank you' to businesses for
donating activity vouchers for local families in need of help.
Local residents who oppose the recent decision by Transport
for London to end the rush hour tidal flow system at the Blackwall Tunnel are
being offered the chance to sign an online petition calling for the decision
to be reversed.
About 120 children from Bexley's primary schools are to take
part in a Tri-Golf festival at Barnehurst Golf Course, Mayplace Road East,
Bexleyheath, on Monday, 21 May.
Two new 'dispersal zones' have been authorised by the police
and Bexley Council to tackle ongoing problems of youth disorder in Northumberland
Heath and on the Frobisher Road Estate, Slade Green.
Bexley's residents are being urged to take the Mayor of London
up on an offer of cut price home insulation. Mayor Ken Livingstone is also
throwing in £100 cashback.
£50-worth of vouchers awaits the winner of a competition
to choose a name for a shop in Hadlow Road, Welling -- and there is another £30
for the runner up.
Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School triumphed at Bexley's Annual Public Speaking competition earlier this month (1 May), seeing off stiff competition from top teams from four other schools.
There is an urgent need to find foster carers for Bexley young people from black and ethnic communities, according to the Children's Placements Service.
Two unannounced visits to the Darent Industrial Estate last week by a multi-agency enforcement team found evidence of a range of illegal activities and led to a number of arrests and further investigations.
In a two-month operation, keeping watch on a Bexleyheath car park, police officers seized six disabled car-parking 'blue badges' being used illegally by unauthorised and able-bodied drivers.
Police and trading standards officers visited every bank and building society in the borough during April as part of a campaign to stop rogue traders and people running scam competitions aimed at defrauding Bexley residents. They were giving guidance to staff on what to look out for when elderly or vulnerable people attempt to withdraw large amounts of money by cash or cheques.
Abbott's Walk, Bexleyheath has been designated the first No Cold Calling area in Bexley.
World famous illustrator and children's book author Quentin Blake CBE held a group of children from Birkbeck School spellbound when he answered questions on his life and work during a special visit to Sidcup Library last week (3 May).
Bexley Council is continuing its softly-softly approach to boost its recycling rate. The Council is in its third year of an effective door knocking campaign that has helped to drive the borough's recycling rate to nearly 40% using encouragement and gentle persuasion.
Sunday 8 July will see 200 elite cyclists come streaming through Bexley racing towards Canterbury on Stage One of the world's most famous cycle race, the Tour de France.
Inspectors have found St Joseph's Primary School in Crayford to be 'outstanding' for the way it teaches religious education during a recent Section 48 Inspection.
The exciting prospect of further regeneration in Erith, which will bring new homes and new jobs to the area, has taken a significant step forward with the launch of a search for private sector development partners for Erith Western Gateway.
Drink related crime and anti-social behaviour in three areas of Bexley borough, where the cumulative impact of so many licensed premises has led to alcohol-related disorder, will be tackled by a new 'saturation policy' adopted by Bexley Council at its meeting on 25 April.
Thames Water Utilities and Southern Gas Networks have started work on an extensive programme of mains replacement works across the borough.
An advisory group of councillors is being set up to help Bexley Cabinet members respond to proposals to change local NHS services. The new committee is to meet for the first time on Wednesday, 9 May.
Belvedere Splash Park, which merited a special mention in last
year's Civic Trust Awards, reopened on Saturday, 5 May, for the 2007 season.
