Temporary road works that were initially set to last six months are still in full progress three years later in Joydens Wood, causing continual delays and disruption to the locals. Joydens Wood, situated just on the outskirts of Dartford, has been interrupted by the temporary roads works for the last three years due to a number of technical faults which has left the residents very frustrated.
Once this problem had been amended, the attention of the Government then turned to the underground pipe lines that were situated some 200 yards from where the original site was, this job was set to take another eight months, taking the total disruption time up to 15 months of ‘temporary’ traffic lights.
Natalie Reynolds lives in Joydens Wood and has described the situation as ‘a nightmare’.
“It’s a complete joke, if I have to be somewhere, I will now leave at least ten minutes early just because you have no idea how long you are going to be stuck in traffic for. The other day, I missed my train because the lights weren’t working, no one knew what to do, it took me 25 minutes to travel all of 100m.”
“To be honest, at first I didn’t even notice them, but once they move on to the main road the inconvenience was unreal. As you can see the road works are quite literally, on my front door, and it’s such a pain.
“To make matters worse, they start work ridiculously early so I’m wide awake, every morning first thing even though I sometimes work late.
“If you want to get anywhere round here around rush hour, you best think again, it’s just a stand still.”
The red dots on the map (above) indicate the areas which have been distrubed by temporary road works since 2008.
Click on the video below to look at the congestion caused by the temporary road works in Joydens wood.
Pubs in Bexley continue to struggle
Since the Labour government won power in 1997 a total of 3,500 pubs have been closed across the country with 210 coming from the Kent area. And according to figures from the Valuation Office Agency, there are now only 1,870 pubs in Kent compared with 2,080 in 1997.
The Old Wick, which is situated on the outskirts of Bexley Village, closed earlier this year after months of struggling to stay afloat. The traditional public house was situated in an area that is heavily populated with pubs and felt the brunt of the competitive nature of the industry.
Pam and Jim Jennings, owners of The Dukes Head pub in Crayford, empathise with The Old Wick as they understand the pressures of running a pub in an area which is severely inhabited with other pubs.
Jim Jennings “It’s really tough out there at the moment. The competition has always been high but at the moment, with so many pubs around this area and the price of alcohol continually rising, it really is becoming a survival of the fittest sort of thing.”Partner, Pam Jennings, added “There’s always been competition though, you just need to adapt to the environment.
“Everyone is suffering in the recent economic situation and we’re no different, we’re always worrying about competition and our financial status, but at the moment we’re doing alright.”
The Coalition government has placed the blame on Labour for the decrease in pubs across the county, Local government minister Grant Shapps explained to the KM newspaper in 2010 how Labour are to blame.
He said: “Labour hiked taxes on pubs and did nothing to stop unfair loss-leading by supermarkets.”
“Labour must apologise for the harm they did to community pubs across the country.”
The bar De Ja Vu, situated in St Mary’s, is currently undergoing a redevelopment process to turn the derelict area in to a travel lodge and harvester. The bar, which had a history of trouble with the police, was eventually shut down in 2009 with work beginning on the new hotel and restaurant estate at the end of 2010 which has pleased local residents.
Mother of one, Kim Hinks, is pleased that the troubled bar was torn down and is being replaced with a successful chain restaurant and hotel.
“I used to dread weekends, constantly worrying about what was going on outside, if I’m honest, it was just a disgrace.
“Every night there were police cars outside and young people getting in to fights, hopefully with the opening of a successful restaurant it will make the area a safer place.”
However, not all locals are pleased with the news of new hotel and restaurant being constructed in the area; The Birchwood (pictured above) which is located just over the road from the new harvester, is yet another pub in the area that has felt the full effect of the economic climate with the stiff competition. The Birchwood closed in 2010 and has been left derelict ever since with no plans of a redevelopment .
