BROMLEY Council has done a U-turn on its decision to stop work on traffic calming measures in Orpington.

Schemes to introduced speed ramps in St Mary Cray High Street and Chelsfield Lane were set to be scrapped after a review of council spending revealed a cash crisis.

But alternative funding has been secured, meaning the building work should be carried out by April next year.

The money for the schemes will come out of a £316,000 budget secured from Transport for London last March to reduce road accidents.

Council leader Michael Tickner had cast doubt on the future of the projects by announcing all funding would be frozen as part of a raft of measures to keep council tax increases as low as possible.

But at a meeting of the council's environmental services operations sub-committee last week, the Conservatives revealed plans to re-instate the schemes.

Conservative committee chairman Councillor George Taylor said: "We are currently in a grave financial crisis.

"There is no money in our budget to spend on traffic calming.

"But we have been very successful at securing money from outside organisations and these schemes can now go ahead.

"Our objective is to reduce accidents within the borough and are moving towards meeting the next Government target to reduce accidents."

Liberal Democrat leader Councillor Chris Maines said: "I have been trying to get these schemes in place since I was elected in 1986 and many residents have been trying for a lot longer than that, especially in Chelsfield Lane.

"Despite comments by the Tory leader that no new schemes would not be going ahead pressure by residents and Liberal Democrats has meant these two schemes will now be happening.

"These schemes were obviously needed as was proven by the accident figures in the area.

"I am glad the Tories have backed down on this."

November 5, 2001 10:08

Matt Bamsey