Category: News

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.

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 1^st 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.

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

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. 

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.

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.

AN OPPORTUNITY TO WIN A £100 GIFT VOUCHER!

This month’s SPAN magazine is an extra special edition as we are reaching out to all households in the Spring Park area of Shirley to give everyone the opportunity to take up membership of SPRA.  Every home in our area will receive a copy of our residents’ magazine regardless of whether they are already a member of SPRA or not.   Copies will also be available in pubs, restaurants, Churches, the library and other public places so encourage your friends, who aren’t as yet SPRA members, to make sure they get their hands on a copy so they can see what they are missing out on.   April is the start of a new year for membership subscriptions so it couldn’t be a better time to join SPRA and receive a whole year’s worth of SPAN absolutely free.  Membership for 2020 costs just £6, so put aside the right money now so you are ready when your road steward comes calling to collect the fee.

To celebrate this important issue of SPAN, we are running a competition open to all readers of March SPAN who live in the Spring Park area.  There’s a very good prize on offer – a multi-retailer gift voucher for £100 – so it’s worth having a go – what have you got to lose?   You’ll find the entry form in the March edition of SPAN.  All you have to do is to answer a simple question – and the answer can be found somewhere in this issue of SPAN.  The closing date for entries is 30 April 2020 and the winner will be announced at our AGM on 20 May which will be held at Harris Academy Benson School.   Like all good competitions, there are some terms and conditions – so here’s the small print:

• The competition is open to all residents of Spring Park aged over 18 (A map of the Spring Park area can be found on the SPRA website: www.springparkra.co.uk.  Proof of address will be required) except members of the SPRA Executive and the SPAN Editorial Committees, SPRA Trustees and auditors and their close families and anyone connected with running and/or judging the competition.
• The competition is open from the date of publication of March SPAN.  The closing date is midnight on 30 April 2020 and entries received after this time will not be considered.
• In the event of more than one correct answer being received, all correct entries will be placed into a draw and the winner will be selected at random. The winner will be announced at the SPRA AGM on 20 May.    The winner will be notified within seven days of the AGM if they are not present.
• By entering this competition, the winner agrees for their name and image to be used for publicity purposes.   No personal information regarding address or contact details will be published.
• The name of the winner will be announced in the July edition of SPAN.
• Entrants will be asked to indicate if they wish to join a SPRA mailing list.   Data of those entrants who do not wish to be included in any future communications will be destroyed no later than one month after the prize announcement.
• There is no entry fee and no purchase is necessary to enter this competition.
• The prize is a multi-retailer gift voucher for £100.   No cash prize will be given.
• Only one entry is permitted per person.   Multiple entries from the same person will mean that person is disqualified.
• The promoter takes no responsibility for entries that aren’t received by the deadline – whatever the reason.
• The promoter of this competition is Spring Park Residents’ Association and contact details can be found on the back pages of SPAN.
• The competition promoter’s decision is final.
• The promoter reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions at any time.
• By entering this competition, entrants are agreeing to abide by these terms and conditions.

SPRA /SPAN March 2020 Competition terms and Conditions

•  The competition is open to all residents of Spring Park aged over 18 (A map of the Spring Park area can be found on the SPRA website: www.springparkra.co.uk.  Proof of address will be required) except members of the SPRA Executive and the SPAN Editorial Committees, SPRA Trustees and auditors and their close families and anyone connected with running and/or judging the competition.
• The competition is open from the date of publication of March SPAN.  The closing date is midnight on 30 April 2020 and entries received after this time will not be considered.
• In the event of more than one correct answer being received, all correct entries will be placed into a draw and the winner will be selected at random. The winner will be announced at the SPRA AGM on 20 May.    The winner will be notified within seven days of the AGM if they are not present.
• By entering this competition, the winner agrees for their name and image to be used for publicity purposes.   No personal information regarding address or contact details will be published.
• The name of the winner will be announced in the July edition of SPAN.
• Entrants will be asked to indicate if they wish to join a SPRA mailing list.   Data of those entrants who do not wish to be included in any future communications will be destroyed no later than one month after the prize announcement.
• There is no entry fee and no purchase is necessary to enter this competition.
• The prize is a multi-retailer gift voucher for £100.   No cash prize will be given.
• Only one entry is permitted per person.   Multiple entries from the same person will mean that person is disqualified.
• The promoter takes no responsibility for entries that aren’t received by the deadline – whatever the reason.
• The promoter of this competition is Spring Park Residents’ Association and contact details can be found on the back pages of SPAN.
• The competition promoter’s decision is final.
• The promoter reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions at any time.
• By entering this competition, entrants are agreeing to abide by these terms and conditions.

Members are encouraged to tell the Council what they think, as below (closing date 31 January 2020)

The Big Conversation asks what we want Croydon to be like in 2030? We take a look at some of the challenges we face now; how Croydon is changing; and how we all have a part to play.

We’ve highlighted six topics to talk about and want to hear from everyone who lives, works and spends time in Croydon. Find out more on our website bigconversation.croydon.gov.uk