Consultation on possible changes to bus routes 61, 273 and 661

Consultation Report January 2014

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Consultation on possible changes to bus routes 61, 273 and 661 Consultation Report

Contents

1 Introduction ...... 2 2 The consultation ...... 2 3 Responses from members of the public ...... 4 4 Responses from statutory bodies and other stakeholders ...... 4

Appendices Appendix A – Copy of the consultation leaflet ...... 9 Appendix B – Leaflet distribution area ...... 10 Appendix C – List of stakeholders consulted ...... 13

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1 Introduction

We consulted stakeholders and the public about a proposal affecting routes 61, 273 and 661. The consultation was open from 2 October to 8 November 2013.

Route 61 runs between Bromley North Station and Chislehurst via Locksbottom and Orpington; Route 273 runs between Petts Wood and Lewisham via Chislehurst and Hither Green; Route 661 runs between Petts Wood and Eltham College via Chislehurst (one return journey schooldays only)

Prior to April 2009 all three routes ran from the Petts Wood area to Chislehurst via Chislehurst Road bridge. Due to repairs, the bridge was initially closed to buses and HGV’s, then to all traffic until December 2012. Whilst the bridge was closed; routes 61, 273 and 661 were diverted via Poverest Road, Cray Avenue and Leesons Hill, serving the St Mary Cray area. Given the length of time that the bridge was closed usage on the routes was carefully reviewed. When the bridge was re-opened in December 2012, route 61 was restored to run direct via Chislehurst Road bridge, while routes 273 and 661 continued to run via St Mary Cray.

As a result of a further review of bus services in the area undertaken during the spring and summer of 2013, it was proposed that route 61 should continue to serve Chislehurst Road bridge, while routes 273 and 661 should permanently remain on the routeing via Poverest Road, Cray Avenue and Leesons Hill.

We have considered the views of the public and stakeholders and this document summarises responses to the consultation.

2 The consultation

The consultation was designed to enable us to better understand the views of local residents, businesses and stakeholders with regards to the proposal.

The potential outcomes of the consultation are:

 We decide the consultation raises no issues that should prevent us from proceeding with the scheme as originally planned.  We modify the scheme in response to issues raised in consultation  We abandon the scheme as a result of issues raised in the consultation.

2.1 Consultation objectives The objectives of the consultation were:

 To give stakeholders and the public easily-understandable information about the proposals and allow them to respond  To understand the level of support or opposition for the change  To understand any issues that might affect the proposal of which we were not previously aware  To understand concerns and objections  To allow respondents to make suggestions.

2.2 Who we consulted The public consultation intended to seek the views of people who live near to the proposed route, current users of the service and other potential users. We also consulted stakeholders including the affected Councils, traffic police, London TravelWatch, Members of Parliament, Assembly Members and local interest groups. A list of the stakeholders we consulted is shown in Appendix C and a summary of their responses is given in Section 4.

2.3 Consultation material, distribution and publicity  A leaflet outlining the proposal was distributed to around 13,500 households and businesses.  Information was also posted at bus stops along routes 61, 273 and 661 within the distribution area with information about the proposal.  A poster was placed at 3 advertising sites along Orpington High Street with information for two drop-in sessions, how people could reply and a map of the routes.

A copy of the consultation material is shown in Appendix A and a map of the distribution area can be found in Appendix B.

We asked respondents to let us know their views on the proposal.

People were invited to respond to the consultation using a variety of methods. They could respond via a freepost address, by emailing [email protected], and by accessing the online consultation where they could let us know their views.

The consultation was advertised via a press release.

The same information was also accessible on the TfL website. Braille, audio and large font versions of the consultation material were available, as was a translation service to other languages if requested.

2.4 Meetings and site visits We held two drop-in sessions for the public to attend as follows:  Monday 7 October; 1700 until 2000; Leesons Primary School - around 20 people attended  Wednesday 9 October 2013; 1000 until 1300; Poverest Adult Education Centre - around 30 people attended.

There were representatives from TfL and London Borough of Bromley present at both sessions. People were encouraged to talk through their views and follow this up by letter or through the website.

3 Responses from members of the public

We received a total of 468 public responses. There were 336 responses via the website, 79 email responses and 53 responses received by letter.

Response type 350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0 Website Email Letter Total Number of replies 336 79 53 468

3.1 Public consultation results

Q1. Do you use route 61?

Do you use route 61?

300

250

200

150

100

50

0 Yes No Not answered Total Number of replies 295 84 89 468

Q2. Do you use route 273?

Do you use route 273?

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0 Yes No Not answered Total Number of replies 331 64 73 468

Q3. Do you use route 661?

Do you use route 661?

300

250

200

150

100

50

0 Yes No Not answered Total Number of replies 33 291 144 468

Q4. Do you have any comments regarding the proposals outlined for routes 61, 273 and 661?

The table below summarises the comments and suggestions made by people responding to the consultation.

Comments and Suggestions Number of times raised 61/273 - Support proposal 274 273 - Welcome new link to Nugent Shopping Centre 73 61 - Should stay on Chislehurst Road 65 273 - The new routing gives links to wider area 63 273 - Oppose proposal. Put back to Chislehurst Road 59 61 - Restore diversion route via St Mary Cray 56 Other - Need a direct link to Bromley from the Crays 35 R2/R3 - Need to be better timed (currently they arrive only a few minutes apart) 24 61 and 273 - Swap routeings 22 273 - Oppose as it loses links between Marlings Park and Petts Wood 21 61 and 273 - Keep both on diversion routeing via St Mary Cray 21 61 - Vehicles too large for Leesons Hill 14 273 - Can it serve St Mary Cray station? 11 661 - Restore routeing via Chislehurst Road Bridge 10 273 - Capacity issues 9 61 - Split route so half serves Chislehurst Road, half Poverest Road 8 61 - Vehicles too noisy for Poverest Road 8 R2 - Introduce a Sunday service 7 273 - Increase in frequency 5 661 - Can it serve St Mary Cray station 5 R2/R3 - Re-route either to serve Nugent Shopping Centre 4 273 - Re-route to serve Marlings Park Ave then Leesons Hill 3 273 - Reliability. (Late running in the mornings) 3 208 - Extend to St Mary Cray to give link to Bromley 2 661 - Support proposal 2 Other - Stop on Leesons Hill by Leesons School move back to old site 2 161 - Extend from Chislehurst War Memorial to Orpington 1 273 - Extend to Orpington 1 61 - Extend beyond Chislehurst 1 61 - Frequency increase 1 61 - Improve early morning journeys for connections with Orpington station 1 B14 - Make more direct from Orpington to Bexleyheath 1 Bus stop - Relocate n/b stop on Cray Avenue to better serve Nugent 1 Keep at least one bus route on Chislehurst Road 1 Other - Accessibility of bus stop opposite Marlings Park Avenue on Chislehurst Road 1 Other - Add right turn traffic filters for Leesons Hill and Cray Avenue 1

Comments and Suggestions Number of times raised Other - Consultation was not widely known 1 Other - Introduce a service to go via St Mary Cray High Street then up to Petts Wood 1 Other - Introduction by stealth 1 Other - Keep Leesons Hill/Cray Ave junction as is now 1 Other - More routes needed on Leesons Hill 1 Other - Put back junction of Cray Ave and Leesons Hill to do right turns 1 Other - Train time integration at Petts Wood 1 Petition received 1 R6 - Extend from St Mary Cray station to Chislehurst instead of 273 1 R7 - Extend from Orpington, via 61 to Poverest Roundabout, then via 273 to Chislehurst 1

3.2 Petitions There were 3 petitions received whilst the consultation was open.  Residents of Sutherland Avenue who stated that they would like route 273 to continue serving Poverest Road and Nugent Retail Park. There were 78 signatures.  Residents of Old St Pauls Cray Village. The petitioners were asking for both routes 61 and 273 to continue on the routeing via Poverest Road, Cray Avenue and Leesons Hill. There were 61 signatures.  On behalf of residents in and around the Poverest Road location. They were asking TfL to reconsider route 61 returning to serve Poverest Road. There were 369 signatures.

4 Responses from statutory bodies and other stakeholders

A total of 10 stakeholder responses were received.

London Borough of Bromley  The borough supports the consultation and looks forward to hearing the outcome.

Petts Wood & District Residents Association (3 replies received)  PWDRA supports the proposal in the consultation.  Welcomes the useful link between Petts Wood and the Nugent Retail Park that route 273 gives.  Suggests that route 273 be further re-routed to serve St Mary Cray station in both directions.

Orpington Conservative Association  Would prefer route 61 to be diverted to give a direct link from Nugent Retail Park to Bromley Town Centre.  Suggests that alternatively route 208 could be extended from Orpington, Perry Hall Road to Nugent Retail Park to give the link to Bromley.

New Eltham Residents Association  Supports route 273 continuing to operate via Leesons Hill, Cray Avenue and Poverest Road.  Requests that the bus stop moved in Leesons Hill, by Clarendon Way, have the markings on the road removed from the old site.  Requests that the bus lane on Cray Avenue be re-instated as Bus Priority money from TfL was used to implement this. It should be operational 24/7.

Cllr Bosshard – Chislehurst Ward  Would like route 273 to be returned to operate via Chislehurst bridge.

Longbury Residents Association (2 replies)  Support the proposals to keep both routes 273 and 661 on the diversion route permanently via Leesons Hill, Cray Avenue and Poverest Road. It gives vital links to Lewisham and access to the DLR newtwork.  Request that the southbound stop on Leesons Hill by Silverdale Road be returned to its old site (stop was re-sited when the route 273 was diverted) nearer to Chipperfield Road.  Request bus markings in the road for the northbound stop outside 147 Leesons Hill.

Bromley Care Services  Support route 61 remaining on Chislehurst Road to enable their residents (A supported living home for people with both learning and physical disabilities) to carry on taking part in activities.

Appendix A – Copy of the consultation leaflet

Copy of the consultation poster

Appendix B – Leaflet distribution area

Appendix C – List of stakeholders consulted

London TravelWatch

Elected Members AM Darren Johnson AM AM Jenny Jones AM Murad Qureshi AM AM AM Victoria Borwick AM AM Stephen Knight AM Fiona Twycross AM James Cleverly AM AM Bob Stewart MP Beckenham Jim Dowd MP Lewisham West & Penge Jo Johnson MP Orpington Bob Neill MP Bromley and Chislehurst Clive Efford MP Eltham Nick Raynsford MP Greenwich and Woolwich Heidi Alexander MP Lewisham East Joan Ruddock MP Lewisham Deptford Cllr Roxhannah Fawthrop Cray Valley East ward, LB Bromley Cllr Peter Fortune Cray Valley East ward, LB Bromley Cllr David McBride Cray Valley East ward, LB Bromley Cllr Judi Ellis Cray Valley West ward, LB Bromley Cllr John Ince Cray Valley West ward, LB Bromley Cllr Harry Stranger Cray Valley West ward, LB Bromley Cllr Eric Bosshard Chislehurst ward, LB Bromley Cllr Katy Boughey Chislehurst ward, LB Bromley Cllr Ian Payne Chislehurst ward, LB Bromley Cllr Douglas Auld Petts Wood & Knoll ward, LB Bromley Cllr Simon Fawthrop Petts Wood & Knoll ward, LB Bromley Cllr Tony Owen Petts Wood & Knoll ward, LB Bromley

Local Authorities London Borough of Bromley London Borough of Lewisham Royal Borough of Greenwich London Councils

Police & Health Authorities Metropolitan Police Bromley Safer Transport Team Greenwich Safer Transport Team Lewisham Safer Transport Team London Ambulance Service

Transport Groups AA London Cycling Campaign Association of British Drivers Motorcycle Action Group Association of Car Fleet Operators Motorcycle Industry Association British Motorcyclists Federation Road Haulage Association Green Flag Group

Local Interest Groups Eltham Public Transport Group LB of Bromley Residents Association Longbury Residents’ Association New Eltham Residents’ Association Orpington Conservation’ Association Orpington District Public Transport Users' Association Petts Wood & District Residents' Association

Other Stakeholders Age Concern London Age UK Asian Peoples Disabilities Alliance Bromley Care Services Bromley Council on Ageing BT Campaign for Better Transport Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Disability Alliance Disability Voice Bromley Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee EDF Energy Gallions Housing Association Greater London Forum for the Elderly Guide Dogs for the Blind Association Joint Committee on Mobility of Blind and Partially Sighted People (JCMBPS) Joint Mobility Unit Living Streets London Older People's Strategy Group MIND National Children's Bureau National Grid RADAR London Access Forum RNIB RNID Royal Mail Sense Sixty Plus Stroke Association Thames Water The British Dyslexia Association