Category: News

Passionate about poppies……?

Once again this year, SPRA will be installing poppies on the lamp posts in Shirley (as it has done for a number of years) to commemorate Remembrance Day in November.  If you would like to help in this worthwhile commemoration and would like to lend a hand, SPRA definitely needs your help.  Just 2 hours of your time is required to instal the poppies and the same to take them down.  Can you spare the time to help a small team do this important job?

Maybe you could be a climber (don’t worry, only on a small step ladder!), poppy-carrier, or someone just to muck in – all help is gratefully received.

Saturday 17 October; 10am – installation

Saturday 21 November; 10am – taking down

Please contact Winsome on 07522 784844 or at starz1events@gmail.com who will provide full details.

A new SPRA Twitter account

Community Safety

Spring Park Residents Association have now created a twitter account to help promote community safety in Shirley by keeping residents informed of local crime reports, fraud/scam warnings and crime prevention advice. This together with the Croydon Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association cbnwa.com, as reported in the September edition of the SPAN magazine, Croydon Trading Standards and above all the dedicated work and commitment of the local Safer Neighbourhood Team it is hoped will help keep residents informed, updated and safe.

To receive the SPRA community Safety messages click on @SPRA_CS  and select ‘follow’.

Attempted burglary from Millers Pond

A resident has sent the following …

I thought it may be sensible to warn other house owners who back onto Millers Pond that there was an attempted burglary yesterday 21 Sept, between 10am & 2pm.  They tried to gain entry to their garden from the pond!

Forensics are visiting the house today to see if they can find anything.  Luckily the glass did not smash or maybe they were frightened off by something as I was in next door and I have a dog?
I put the message below on Facebook.

FAILED BURGLARY ATTEMPTED BETWEEN 10AM & 2PM TODAY (Monday) THE LEES

The 🤬 scumbags failed in their attempt to burgle my new neighbours house by trying to smash their back garden bi folding patio doors. Please be vigilant, my neighbours are very shaken but relieved that the 🤬 thieves didn’t get in.

School buses – new arrangement

We have been advised of the following from Transport for London …

Extra buses for school travel

Transport for London has announced that extra buses will run on many routes from 1st September (until the end of October) to cater for travel by school pupils, whilst still enabling social distancing on-board for other passengers using regular services.

Specially designated buses will be operated in the morning peak (07.30 til 09.30), and will have yellow “School Service” signs in the windscreen. Note that these buses might be in a different livery than usual or may use single-decker buses. Moreover these extra buses might not appear on departure information screens at bus stops and on travel apps.

On these special services it will permitted for all seats to be occupied, so other travellers should avoid using these buses and instead wait for a regular service, where the existing social distancing arrangements will still apply. Regular services will have red “Non-school service” signs in the windscreen. Equally, school pupils travelling without adults should use the special “School Service” buses rather than crowd onto regular services.

In the Shirley area additional “School Service” journeys will be operated on routes 194, 198 and 466 in the mornings. Meanwhile on routes 119, 130, 356, and 367 overall frequency of the morning service will be increased, but some journeys will be designated as a “School Service”. This means that other passengers may have longer to wait for a non-school bus.

Routes 130 and 367 will also have additional buses in the afternoon school peak (14.30 til 16.30). The existing 689 school bus service to Orchard Park High School (formerly Edenham) will have additional buses in both morning and afternoon.

Non-school passengers are asked to avoid travel at school times if possible; those who absolutely need to travel at those times are recommended to allow extra time for their journey. There is of course the possibility that some pupils who used to travel to school by bus will instead be taken by car, which would increase traffic and delay bus services. However it is hoped that as many pupils as possible will use the extra bus services being provided (at tax-payers expense) or walk or cycle to school, in order to minimise that problem.

SPRA has previously requested Transport for London to particularly monitor usage of route 198 in order to address any overcrowding issues whilst the current road works closure continues (preventing route 194 from also serving Bridle Road). Please report any such problems to SPRA as soon as possible.

All Saints, Spring Park – a consultation

You may have become aware that the Southwark (Anglican) Diocese have issued a Proposed Pastoral Scheme under the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011 covering the Benefice and parish of All Saints, Spring Park; and parishes of St George, Shirley; and Shirley (also known locally as St John, Shirley). The link below gives the details

Draft Scheme – 07092020 – Spring Park and Shirley

Members may also wish to visit the church’s own website
https://allsaintsspringpark.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/img-20200819-wa0003.jpg

Wickham Road closure – #2

We are grateful to Mr Richard Pywell for the following letter …

“Road works (replacing a gas main) will be taking place from this Monday 27th July for a period of approximately six weeks at the junction of Wickham Road, Bridle Road, and Monks Orchard Road. The northern part of Bridle Road will be closed with bus routes 194 and 198 diverted.

“Bus route 356 which uses Monks Orchard Road will also be affected, and queues on Wickham Road resulting from the road works may also cause delays on route 119, although that bus will remain on its normal route.

“Route 194 will run direct along Wickham Road between Shirley Library and Monks Orchard Road, missing out stops in Hartland Way, West Way, Shirley Way, and Bridle Road. It will instead serve all stops along Wickham Road.

“Route 198 will be diverted at Shirley Library to serve Hartland Way, West Way, and Shirley Way, serving all stops in those roads en route to its normal terminus at Shrublands.

“Five bus stops in the northern half of Bridle Road will be closed, with passengers directed to the nearest stops at Wickham Road (for bus 194) or Shirley Way (for bus 198). Bus stops in the southern part of Bridle Road will remain open but will only be served by route 198.

“Passengers from the Shrublands area or the south side of Spring Park wishing to travel to West Wickham, Beckenham etc. will need either to walk between the Shirley Way/Bridle Road junction and Wickham Road, or will have to travel to Shirley Library on the 198, then change buses there onto the 194 or 119 back to West Wickham. Changing buses will not cost extra thanks to the “Hopper Fare” facility on Oyster Cards which allows you to change buses as many times as you need up to one hour from tapping in your card on the first bus.

“Bus 356 will not be able to use its normal terminus at the green by Monks Orchard Road. Posters at the bus stops state that it will instead finish and start its route on Wickham Road at the stop in front of the Baptist Church, returning northbound (towards Eden Park, Elmers End etc) via West Wickham High Street then Station Road and Beckenham Road. It appears that southbound journeys towards Shirley will still travel via Monks Orchard Road, but the notices do not confirm that.

“The long northbound diversion may result in route 356 buses having to depart from Shirley earlier than normal so a temporary timetable may be published. If so it will be posted on this website.

“Users of Android phones may find the “Probus London” free app useful as it gives easy to use Countdown style real-time bus departure information about each bus stop, using information direct from Transport for London’s own website. It at least confirms that a bus is on its way to you, even if it can’t predict exactly how long the bus might be delayed in the road works! Apple users can use a similar app called ‘London Live Bus Countdown’.”

We are happy to add this clarification to our earlier website post


Wickham Road, Bridle Road, Monks Orchard Road – temporary closures

We have received the following from SGN (and see our subsequent post re buses)

Good morning,

I’m writing to you to make you aware of our upcoming project to upgrade our gas network in Wickham Road, Croydon. This project involves us replacing our existing gas mains and services in the area with new plastic pipe.

Our essential work will ensure your community receives a continued and reliable gas supply for many years to come. We’re working closely with UK Government and public health bodies to make sure we carry out our project in line with all current coronavirus safety guidance.

We’re looking to start work in Wickham Road on 27 July 2020. The project will be carried out by our contractor Essex Utilities on our behalf.

In close consultation with Croydon Council and TFL, we have agreed to complete the following work:

On 27 July 2020 for approximately 6 weeks, we will be working on Wickham Road from outside number 598 to the junction with Bridle Road. We’ll need to implement a lane closure westbound on Wickham Road between our works, with two-way temporary traffic lights in place on Wickham Road to enable two-way traffic to use the road during our works.

Pedestrians will be asked to use specific passing points along the road to ensure social distancing can be maintained.

For safety, we will need to implement road closures on Bridle Road and Monks Orchard Road at their respective junctions with Wickham Road. Signed diversions will be in place for those wanting to access Monks Orchard Road via: High Street, Station Road and South Eden Park Road. Signed diversions will be in place for those wanting to access Bridle Road via: Hartland Way, South Way and Shirley Way, or via Oak Avenue and Ash Road. Marshalls on site will ensure residents’ vehicle access will be maintained throughout. Please note, bus stops between our works will be suspended.

We have extra safety precautions in place to protect our colleagues and our communities from the virus. Our colleagues will be keeping to social distancing guidelines on our sites and we’d ask communities to keep their distance too. There’s more information about our coronavirus response on our website: sgn.co.uk/coronavirus

We’re writing to residents and other local stakeholders to make them aware of our project and explain the details of our work. Please feel free to also share this information with anyone you think may be impacted by our project.

Thank you in advance for your support.

Coronavirus – SPRA response

April SPAN will not be delivered due to the severe restrictions on us all arising from the coronavirus situation. We know that a number of our Road Stewards are deemed “at risk” through age, if nothing else – it would be irresponsible of us, in the current circumstances, to request that they deliver magazines to the homes in their “patch”.

In any event, much of the April magazine related to the SPRA AGM – which has been postponed; to church services over the Easter season – which have been cancelled; and to the “routine events, Library events and “yellow pages” events – all of which are suspended.

The short-term future for SPAN looks like a blank for several months at least; production will be resumed as soon as this is feasible. In the meantime, collection of the annual subscription is suspended for three months.

Please re-visit this site from time to time to stay up-to-date with what (if anything) is happening. 

In the meantime, SPRA will continue to watch out for issues impacting our members and will let you know what actions have been taken. 

Coronavirus testing – beware of this scam

The following may be with us soon – watch out, and if you come across it, tell your neighbours, especially older or otherwise vulnerable ones:-

Local police are warning people of suspicious activity after several reports of people knocking on doors claiming to be offering on-the-spot coronavirus tests.

Some local residents or elderly relatives in Greenwich, Lewisham and Bromley have reported people knocking on their doors claiming to be from “the health authorities.”

People were then told they were carrying our compulsory Covid-19 tests, or just offering on-the-spot tests.

Similar scams have been reported across the UK, in Harrow and in Wales.

Police believe they may be attempting to gain access to houses or tricking people into parting with their money.

Greenwich West and Shooters Hill Police both asked residents to be aware, and if in any doubt, not to open their doors and speak to callers through a window.

Annual General Meeting – postponement

Due to the unprecedented guidance given by the Government for people to avoid social contact wherever possible, the AGM is postponed from the May date to a date yet to be agreed. The closure of all suitable venues for the AGM including Harris Academy Benson would in any event have made continuing with the meeting frankly impossible.

As soon as meetings generally can resume, the Executive Committee will seek another date; members will be advised, through the magazine and the website, of the new arrangement at the earliest opportunity.

We trust that members will understand the need for such a move and be assured that this important element in the governance of the Association will be held whenever circumstances change for the better.