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Report prompts Skanska to promise to shift Purley lamp post

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So where would you position a lampost?

So where would you position a lamp post?

Where Croydon Council, and its councillors, fail to get results, it seems Inside Croydon helps to deliver required outcomes for residents.

The latest example is with the lamp post on Brancaster Lane in Purley, which contractors Skanska managed to plonk right in the middle of the pavement, making the foot path impassable for wheelchair users or those with baby buggies. And which defied all commonsense.

Skanska workmen said the lamp post’s positioning “met regulations”.

It is part of the  long-term street lighting replacement programme, under a £151 million 25-year contract handed to Skanska, and which has become a regular bug-bear with Croydon residents across the whole of the borough.

Inside Croydon‘s loyal reader raised the matter with Croydon Council. Nothing happened. Their (Tory) Purley councillors were informed. Again, nothing happened. In the absence of any resolution, they then raised the matter with us.

Armed with our published report, they then wrote to the CEO of Skanska, also highlighting the very helpful reader comments attached.

Within a couple of days, they had a site visit arranged by Marc Zahra, Skanska’s “customer liaison manager”, and this promising written response:

“As discussed at our meeting we have arranged for column 015 to be relocated to the back of the footway which will be conducted shortly. Thank you for meeting me onsite today so that we could discuss your concerns in person. I hope that this addressed all of your concerns and that you are now satisfied with the street lighting replacement in Brancaster Lane, however should you require anything further, please do not hesitate to contact me.”

Simple, really.

Makes you wonder why Croydon Council couldn’t achieve such an end-result so readily. Or why Skanska’s workmen ever thought that putting a lamppost in the middle of a pavement was a good idea at all.

Meanwhile, the cracks in the road surface along our loyal reader’s street continue to grow into dangerously large pot holes.

Despite at least half a dozen emails to the leader of Croydon Council our loyal reader has yet to receive even the courtesy of a reply from Tony Newman (who receives £54,000 per year in “council allowances”), nor any repairs by the council to the road. In the absence of any action by the council or its contractors, a campaign of guerilla graffiti is being planned.

Watch this space, Councillor Newman…


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