West Beckenham Residents’ Association

Beckenham Library to re-open 6 July

LB Bromley has announced that some libraries, including Beckenham’s, will re-open on 6 July. These libraries have been chosen because social distancing is more practical because of the size and layout of the building with good accessibility including nearby car parking. The library will be cashless.

It will be open from 10am to 2pm for  

 – access to public computers and printing (limited to 30 min slots and by appointment

– Library Take Away (pre-packaged bags of 5 books for both children and adults in a genre or category of the customers choice eg crime, romance, picture books)

– Reservations for open libraries using the on-line catalogue

– quick browsing – face on selections only of popular titles

-purchase of food waste liners.

Returned books will be stored separately for 72 hours and there will be new cleaning regimes and measures such as screens and signs.

RELOCATION OF BECKENHAM LIBRARY

The reasons given above for choosing Beckenham Library for early re-opening demonstrate clearly why the present location is superior to the proposed new location of Beckenham Halls, particularly in relation to space available for books and computers and also accessibility and availability of parking.

The consultants examining the feasibility of the proposed move are due to report this month (June). But we understand that the council is considering only urgent business at present and so may not consider the library proposals until autumn.

From Monday 15 June, changes to the ticketing system will mean Older Person’s Freedom Pass and 60+ cards are automatically set not to be valid during the morning peak period (0430 to 0900) Monday to Friday. Older Person’s Freedom Pass and 60+ card remain valid after 9.00am on weekdays and at all times at weekends and Bank Holidays

Disabled Freedom Pass holders are unaffected and will still able to travel at all times using their pass.

All passengers are reminded to only use public transport if absolutely essential and maintain two metres social distancing wherever possible.

All passengers using these cards are also being asked to avoid peak times now where possible ahead of the systems changes taking place on Monday 15 June. This is consistent with advice from the Government and Mayor that everyone should continue to work from home where possible, walk or cycle if they need to travel and avoid public transport. Anyone who needs to travel should do so outside of peak times if there is no option other than to use public transport.

Passengers are being advised, where possible, not to travel immediately after 0900 to help reduce potential crowding on buses and trains where effective capacity has been hugely reduced as a result of the requirement to observe two-metres social distancing wherever possible.

This text is from LB Bromley’s Trading Standards Division.

Beware of COVID-19 scams

We need your help to spread the message……that scammers are operating in Bromley and targeting members of our community.

Unscrupulous criminals are exploiting fears about COVID-19 to prey on members of the public, particularly older and vulnerable people who are isolated from family and friends. Trading Standards are warning people to remain vigilant following a rise in coronavirus-related scams that seek to benefit from the public’s concern and uncertainty over COVID-19.

 If you need help urgently for example, to report someone going door to door, contact the Rapid Response on 07903 852090

COVID-19 scams identified include:

Doorstep crime · Criminals targeting older people on their doorstep and offering to do their shopping. Thieves take the money and do not return. ·

Doorstep cleansing services that offer to clean drives and doorways to kill bacteria and help prevent the spread of the virus.

Online scams Email scams that trick people into opening malicious attachments, which put people at risk of identity theft with personal information, passwords, contacts and bank details at risk. Some of these emails have lured people to click on attachments by offering information about people in the local area who are affected by coronavirus.

Fake online resources – such as false Coronavirus Maps – that deliver malware such as AZORult Trojan, an information stealing program which can infiltrate a variety of sensitive data. A prominent example that has deployed malware is ‘corona-virus-map[dot]com’.

Refund scams Companies offering fake holiday refunds for individuals who have been forced to cancel their trips. People seeking refunds should also be wary of fake websites set up to claim holiday refunds.

Counterfeit goods Fake sanitisers, face masks and Covid19 swabbing kits sold online and door-to-door. These products can often be dangerous and unsafe. There are reports of some potentially harmful hand sanitiser containing glutaral (or glutaraldehyde), which was banned for human use in 2014.

Telephone scams As more people self-isolate at home there is an increasing risk that telephone scams will also rise, including criminals claiming to be your bank, mortgage lender or utility company.

Donation scams There have been reports of thieves extorting money from consumers by claiming they are collecting donations for a COVID-19 ‘vaccine’.

Loan sharks Illegal money lenders are expected to prey on people’s financial hardship, lending money before charging extortionate interest rates and fees through threats and violence

Read it. Share it. Prevent it.

Rob Vale

Head of Trading Standards & Community Safety Public Protection Division Civic Centre

Stockwell Close

Bromley BR1 3UH

rob.vale@bromley.gov.uk

LB Bromley are restarting the collection of garden waste and glass and plastic recycling from tomorrow Monday 6 April.

LB Bromley have issued the following notices

“I am very pleased to confirm that we are able to re-start our ever popular garden waste collection service with immediate effect (6th April). We are acutely aware that the gardening season is upon us and that many of us value this service, especially at this peak gardening period.

I am also pleased to confirm that we are planning to re-start our Green Box recycling collection on Monday too albeit that I anticipate we will not be in a position to complete all the scheduled work for that day. Residents are advised to place their green box out for collection in the usual way and if it is not collected at the end of the day, to put it back out at the next scheduled recycling collection.”

Paper collection will not restart yet, and neither will the small and bulk items collections.

See the full report here

They also warn against anti-social bonfires to get rid of waste that way, especially garden waste.

Firstly, can we remind residents that bonfires that are a statutory nuisance will face enforcement action and could land individuals with an unlimited fine. Whilst official air quality monitoring has not shown that there has been an impact on air quality, residents are being encouraged to consider their neighbours before starting a bonfire, which might particularly impact residents who might have breathing difficulties. Full details on bonfires and how residents can report nuisance bonfires is available on the Council’s website.

During the Coronavirus crisis, the Council are stopping collections of recycling – green boxes and paper. But they WILL still collect food recycling and black bags. WBRA hope we can all manage to store other recycling until they collect it again and have asked Cllr Dunn of Clock House ward to suggest that the council commits to have a one off collection in about 6 weeks, if it lasts that long.