Chamberlayne Road bus lay-by stopped!

We've received this response (below) from Tim Jackson which confirms that following the overwhelming public opposition to the proposed Chamberlayne Road bus lay-by the scheme will not be going ahead.
Thank you to all those that signed the petition at Minkies, and especially to Ruth Dar of the Aylestone Park Residents' And Tenants' Association who has done so much to raise the issue with residents.

Dear Mr Holloway
No decision to build a bus lay by has been made. The extensive local and press interest relates to local consultation into a proposal to introduce a new bus stop and lay-by on Chamberlayne Road at Kensal Rise.

The scheme has 3 basic objectives:
(i) To improve bus reliability and journey times by allowing a number of northbound routes to run directly along Chamberlayne Road without travelling through, and stopping on, Station Terrace.

(ii) Reducing “bus dominance” along Station Terrace with the issues that brings (pedestrian congestion on the footway, fumes etc)

(iii) Marginally improving interchange between buses and the station.
The scheme is part of the Boroughs 09/10 Bus Priority Programme funded by TfL. The TfL/LIP works programme would have been approved by the Highways Committee prior at the beginning of the financial year although precise details of proposals are not part of the approval.
The consultation into the scheme finishes today (5th February). Consultation has been undertaken in accordance with normal arrangements – which is to directly consult (via questionnaire) those residents and businesses directly affected by the scheme whilst taking account of any responses received from outside the direct consultation area.
I will ensure that Mr Holloway’s concerns are considered before a final decision is made.
Once the all responses to the consultation are analysed I will make a decision, under delegated powers, whether or not to implement the proposal.
There has been an overwhelming response to the consultation of sufficient scale to enable an informed decision to be made.
Based on the responses received so far, I will not be approving implementation of the scheme.
Tim Jackson
Head of Transportation
Transportation Services Unit
Brent Council

Milverton Road sign broken

How long has this been here for?
I'm not sure how Brent Council expects people to take pride in their area when their own road signs lay damaged for days on end. It has been reported to Streetcare and we're chasing up with them to get it fixed.

Minkies and the Chamberlayne Road bus stop consultation

Brent Council intends to reorganise the bus stops on Chamberlayne Road, adding a new lay-by just outside the Minkis deli and directing buses up to their rather than having them stop outside Tescos on Station Terrace.
The consultation ends on Friday 5 February. Tomorrow in fact.

Raised as a soapbox item by Ruth Dar of the Aylestone Park Residents' And Tenants' Association at the last Area Consultation Forum, the consultation itself is incomplete.

• There is no detail on which buses will initially be using the new lay-by. 

• There is little indication of the likely effect on traffic flow on Chamberlayne Road itself. 

• Two very old trees will be cut down and replaced

• The consultation document mentions better access for the disabled, however it neglects to mention how this will be achieved (it being rather difficult to increase accessibility by moving a bus stop from a lower level stop to a slope on top of a humped bridge). 

• Minkies Deli, which will be right outside the new bus-stop will benefit from increased footfall no-doubt, however its fledgling Saturday farmer's market and outdoor area will probably suffer from the decreased pavement space and increased noise from the stopping buses. As a well loved local business and a key part of the continuing improvement of the Chamberlayne Road shops area it deserves to be better treated than this.

• Only Chamberlayne Road businesses and residents in the immediate area were consulted on the plans, which will significantly alter one of the few hubs of retail space in the Brondesbury Park area. 

There is a petition opposing the plans being gathered at Minkies Deli. I urge you to sign it. This plan needs more attention and a longer and wider consultation process.

Staverton Road Graffiti - FIXED

We've been successful in getting the graffiti removed from number 2 Staverton Road. It's taken a while, and it's only one area of hundreds that need clearing up. It does get done though. You just need to report it to us and we'll get it cleaned up.

Conservatives to Freeze Council Tax

Brent Conservatives have pledged to freeze Council Tax for all residents for the next four years thanks to a transformation programme that will deliver £50m worth of savings over four years. Conservatives on the Council have promised to help hard-working residents across the borough.

Conservative Candidate Richard Grossman said, “This is excellent news for Brondesbury residents. In these financially difficult times this will mean that every resident will have more of their hard-earned money in their pocket.”


Your Conservative campaigners Richard Grossman, Faezeh Faiz and Richard Holloway will continue to fight to ensure that all of Brondesbury Park’s residents get value for money from Brent Council.
 
Council Tax in Brent has risen by 149 per cent in the last decade, the eighth highest rise in the country. It’s too high and your local Conservatives have pledged to freeze it to help families across Brent. It’s the poor who are least able to afford these high rises.

The weather in Brondesbury Park

During this severe weather the roads and pavements of Brondesbury Park are like ice rinks. The major routes around the Ward (Kilburn High Road and Chamberlyne Road) are kept clear. As are bus routes. Take care in the quieter residential roads. They're very slippery. Below is the information from the Brent Website on the actions that are being taken to help residents.

• View the latest school closures 

Waste collections update 8 January 2010
The icy conditions mean that rubbish and recycling collections remain suspended. Crews will be available to assist with the clearance of snow and ice from footpaths today (Friday 8 January).

Residents are asked to leave their bins and recycling boxes out for collections as normal.

We will attempt to make catch-up collections tomorrow (Saturday) and hope to be in a position to resume normal scheduled collections on Monday.

Road and pavement gritting update 8 January 2010
Priority routes were gritted last night (Thursday 7 January). The focus will be on clearing ice and snow from footpaths today (Friday 8 January).

• More information about gritting in Brent

The advice to road users during icy weather is:

• do not travel in severe weather unless the journey is essential
• check local and national weather forecasts before setting out and take warm clothes, food, water, boots, a torch and spade
• drive with care even after roads are salt treated and keep your distance because it takes 10 times longer to stop in icy conditions.

For more advice about winter in Brent visit www.brent.gov.uk/winter

Burst water pipes
The cold weather can lead to water pipes bursting. Anyone who spots a leak or burst pipe on a street or pavement should contact the 24-hour leakline on freephone 0800 714 614. This will help the water company fix pipes as soon as possible and grit potentially dangerous ice patches.


Other useful sites

• Met office for weather forecasts
• Transport for London for transport advice

Merry Christmas

Just to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. Enjoy spending it with your friends and family.