Brian Chinnery's blog

URGENT INFORMATION – FOOTPATH 207:  Andy Barker of FLDRA writes

Following the issue of letters to many objectors to the proposal for a Stopping-Up Order for the footpath, I wrote to Rob Leak, Enfield Council Chief Executive for urgent clarification of the issue.

Below you will see copies of my correspondence and answers I have received:

Jeff Rodin writes:

I am now really concerned about what local residents are being asked to do apparently by "Improving Our Place".

Yesterday I received through the door yesterday a flyer urging local residents to object to the "stopping up order".In the flyer there was no mention of who the flyer is published by, nor any contact name for a concerned resident to get in touch with. But of much greater concern is that there was no mention of the financial issue that could be involved for someone who continues to pursue their objection if that is ultimately considered to be an unreasonable objection. If their objection is held to be unreasonable they can become liable not only for their own costs but also those of the developer.

Note from Brian Chinnery relating to the note below:  I already pointed out to Jeff that not everything in my blog is written by me - on this occasion I had failed to credit the original authorship of the blog he refers to - this has now been corrected.

Several years ago Palmers Green Railway Station Car Park would host each Sunday what was then the largest Farmers Market in London. A popular spot for locals and visitors to see a wide range of stall holders who often came large distances to offer their produce.  Times changed and use of the market slipped and as total spend dropped so did the income of the stall holders. Journeys from the likes of Gloucestershire and Milton Keynes became less of an attractive proposition and with less stalls there was less reason to visit. Fewer people meant less income for stall holders, so less stall holders turned up. A deteriorating cycle had set in.

In its manifesto improving our place identified the success of the Farmers Market as being of real benefit for Palmers Green.

Seen on the Lakes Estate near Broomfield Park my first electric hire car.  And a natty little number it was: bright orange, clean as a new pin, no health-damaging emissions and whisper quiet.  It was love at first sight, and make no mistake this was an important moment.  Electric power is very likely to be the ‘fuel’ of the future, and because private ownership of cars is becoming increasingly problematic as traffic clogs our streets and squabbles over scarce parking mount, more car-sharing is inevitable.   This car is a harbinger of the future.

Traditional oil is an amazingly flexible source of power but it’s running out – not tomorrow, even the day after tomorrow – but consumption has exceeded new finds since the 1970s and the peak may already have passed. It’s dirty too, from the cancer-causing particles called PM10s to Nox gases with their ozone and eutrophication effects, to the carbon emissions it’s bad news at the scale of its current use - at the point of use electricity is a better bet.

Modern cars are amazing.  Smooth, quiet, reliable, fast, safe, comfortable, warm and conveying very little feeling of speed to their drivers unless the road surface is rough or hemmed in by nearby buildings.  If the road layout permits driving at above 30mph, staying within the speed limit in such a vehicle takes commitment and concentration, and when traffic is light journeys can feel excessively tedious – modern cars have all the characteristics necessary to encourage drivers to speed whilst at the same time isolating them from appreciating how their vehicle affects pedestrians.

Klick on the following link to read article:

Hundreds of speed cameras to enforce 20mph zones

And here is their depressingly predictable editorial:

We don't need these new speed cameras