Data matching catches Chislehurst resident fiddling benefits

A national fraud data matching initiative led to a Chislehurst woman admitting to fraudulently claiming benefits.

Karen Younger 50, of Willow Grove, Chislehurst, pleaded guilty to defrauding Bromley Council out of £12,310 in housing benefits for the period October 2010 to February 2013. Information received through the National Fraud Initiative data matching exercise, led to an investigation that showed Ms Younger was a student in receipt of student loans and grants that she had not declared. Younger was sentenced on the 31 July at Croydon Crown Court to a 4 week prison sentence suspended for 12 months, a 12 month community order requiring 120 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £60. As well as having a criminal record she will be required to pay back the overpayment.

Councillor Neil Reddin Chairman of Bromley’s Audit Committee said: “Data matching is another tool we use to identify and successfully prosecute claimants who fiddle the system. Protecting our public funds and ensuring that they are only used for those in genuine need is a priority for us.”

This case brings the total of Bromley benefit claimants prosecuted to 335 since Bromley and Greenwich Councils started working in partnership to track, trace and prosecute benefit fraudsters.

Anyone with information about a suspected benefit fraud should contact (in strict confidence) the Fraud Hotline on 0800 169 6975 or email audit@bromley.gov.uk
www.chislehurstvillagenews.co.uk 

Dr Sean Creighton - a man with time on his hands

He's not a GP doctor that's for sure, but one with an unbelievably large amount of time on his hands given that he also has a young daughter.

Here at Chislehurst Village News we have never been on the receiving end of a Freedom of Information request, and hopefully never will be. The making of such requests seem to be the daily diet of retired men with far too much time on their hands, not young fathers with children shortly about to start school.

A reader tips us off about the most extraordinary efforts Dr Creighton has been going to earlier this year to extract some information from Chislehurst C of E Primary School as to the number of applications, places offered and places taken up per year, broken down by the faith of the parents.

There then follows a year's worth of correspondence which is, in our view, a textbook example of why the Freedom of Information Act should be repealed!

It would be interesting to know just how much time is taken up by public bodies having to respond to such vexatious requests.

In the meantime, there must be someone who knows Dr Sean Creighton and / or which school his child got into. Did he get to the closet [sic] school to where he lives? (Given that he has written to at least 10 faith schools in the Borough he must move around an awful lot!) Has he worked out yet that Roman Catholicism and Church of England are denominations, not faiths? (Christianity is faith, but that was not what he was asking.)


You can read Dr Creighton's rants here whilst thanking God that you don't have to deal with this man! Sit down with a cup of tea and 20 minutes to spare.

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/school_applications_broken_by_fa

www.chislehurstvillagenews.co.uk

The Bickley back on The Historic Pub Tour of Chislehurst route

Since the Chislehurst Village News staff decided on an annual Historic Pub Tour of Chislehurst (8 pubs in 3 hours; plenty of History) for charity a few years ago, The Bickley had been off route due to its not selling draught beer, just bottled. However, we're pleased to report that following owner, Terry Pullen's, decision to sell The Bickley, draught beer is back!

Having recently married long-standing girlfriend, Amy, Terry is believed to be moving back to central London to concentrate on The Bloomsbury Ballroom, a huge conference / dinner / event venue a few minutes' walk from the West End.


Chislehurst Village News understands that The Bickley has been bought by Redcomb Pubs Ltd which owns a number of pubs in the south east having set up just 3 years ago.

The Bickley is open 7 days a week from midday...and will shortly be back on the Historic Pub Tour route.

Andy (this year's Pub Tour quiz winner) will, no doubt, be mightily relieved!
www.thebickley.co.uk
www.chislehurstvillagenews.co.uk

Chislehurst Chiiiiillers!

‘CHISLEHURST CHILLERS’ WIN LOCAL HISTORY GRANT

The Chislehurst Society’s Local History Group has received a £400 grant from the Kent Archaeological Society towards the cost of running its ‘Chislehurst Chillers’, a voluntary group which tells ghost and ghoulish stories to 10-year-old children and inspires their interest in local history by engaging them in drawing and writing activities.

Said group leader Joanne Friel: ‘The grant will help us make a CD and resources pack, and research stories of spies, murders, ghosts and executions in Chislehurst Caves.

‘Our events are humorous – inspired by Horrible Histories. The children are encouraged to attend in costume.

‘Parents can attend and there is appropriate adult supervision, with plenty of time for colouring activities – we don’t want the children to have nightmares!’

Contact Joanne on 020 8467 9000 or email joanna.friel@yahoo.co.uk

The KAS grants are made annually from the society’s Allen Grove Local History Fund, a legacy of one of Kent’s most eminent historians. Mr Grove was Curator of Maidstone Museum from 1948 to 1975, Hon. Curator of the KAS for 26 years (and its President in 1987/88) and Chairman of the Kent History Federation for eight years.

When he died in 1990 he left £26,000 from the proceeds of the sale of his house to the KAS, with instructions that the society should invest the legacy and distribute the interest in ways that would promote the enjoyment of Kent’s local history.

Grants of up to £500 (or more for ‘exceptional projects’) are awarded to individuals and groups who are working on important aspects of Kent’s history. The latest date by which new applications must be submitted is 31st March 2014.

More than £30,000 has been distributed since the fund was established in 1994, mainly to help cover the cost of publishing books and booklets; setting up exhibitions and displays in heritage centres; completing oral history projects, and establishing archives and research centres.

For an application form visit www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/grants or apply to KAS General Secretary, Peter Stutchbury: email secretary@kentarchaeology.org.uk , tel 01303 266966

The Disappearing Coppers at St Nicholas Church Hall

NOW YOU SEE IT...

NOW YOU DON'T. (AND WHO'S NICKED THE SAPLING?!)

Not long ago two copper beech trees graced the skyline looking north from Walnut Tree Close in Chislehurst.

But no more.

The first one to go was a few years ago when Bromley Council's Tree Officer agreed with a Walnut Tree Close resident that with a large number of branches falling from the tree into their back garden, this could be symptomatic of a dying tree - although, at first sight, it looked quite healthy. The resident was concerned that the tree was so tall that should it fall into their garden, their bungalow would be demolished. The Tree Officer inspected the base of the tree and found some fungus. A few days later the chain saws were out and a small crowd gathered to squirrel away the wood for the large number of wood burning stoves that there are in the vicinity. The other copper beech was looked at and it was pronounced in "good health". 

However, last week it breathed its last and over it went. Without warning this huge tree crashed into the garden of another Walnut Tree Close resident, reaching the guttering of their property but fortuitously no further.

Beech are very susceptible to wind and drought (as well as fungal attack), and we've certainly had both over the last few years. Given that very little root has come up out of the ground suggests that all three susceptibilities have had their part to play.

The skyline in this part of Chislehurst has now changed considerably and for anyone looking for logs for next winter, here at Chislehurst Village News we certainly know where to go!
www.chislehurstvillagenews.co.uk

Dunkin' Donuts to appear in Chislehurst?

We have a few shops empty after all.

Dunkin' Donuts is coming back to Britain after it pulled out 20 years ago.

This American chain will shortly be launching 50 restaurants [sic] in London over the next five years, with the possibility of a further 100 branches across the UK.


Here at Chislehurst Village News we are intrigued by a restaurant meal of "donut". In the meantime, what's wrong with Krispy Kremes that have more recently appeared in Bromley, in "The Glades"? More to the point, why can't the Americans spell anything correctly?

"Donut" wars here we come!

Anagram Time
Dunkin' Donut = Unkind Donut
www.chislehurstvillagenews.co.uk

Chislehurst Recreation Ground: The Council responds

In its press release of 17th June 2013, in respect to the works being carried out at Chislehurst Recreation Ground, Bromley Council stated the "...improvement works mean that during the next few months the main grass area at the recreation ground will be inaccessible whilst works are carried out and the re-seeded grass establishes."

Following our report last month we approached the Council to ask when we could expect the pitches to be back in use.

We have today received a response. A Council "spokesperson" said, “There are no delays - it was always envisaged that the pitch would be out of action for the best part of a year which is why FC Elmstead are not playing their matches at the Rec at the moment.  Leaving the issue of the glass aside for the moment, the grass was dug up so that new drainage could be laid and this uncovered the glass but it could have simply uncovered stones as we expected, because of the depth of the excavation works.  The next routine step was to sward clean the area and there were various processes to remove the glass and stone, part of which used a stone burier but we would still expect to do this process again after seeding and when the grass had established properly as we would expect further materials to come to the surface, particularly while the root mass had not formed a barrier in the soil.

Stone and glass will be removed before further re-seeding will take place, with sand then being used to create a top quality playing surface.  Interested residents should be assured that all the glass will be removed before the pitch is finally open for use and I would ask residents too to spread the word, that the area is fenced off for good reasons, to help the grass establish but there are also safety considerations too and we would ask everyone to respect the fact that this area is off limits.”  

Whilst we here at Chislehurst Village News would echo the Council spokesperson's comments with regard to keeping off the fenced-off area it is not the glass that is present at the moment that is the issue. It's little Johnny sliding on his knees to celebrate the first goal of 2014 and instead of getting mud down his legs gets a nasty gash from a 19th century shard of glass. Anyway, you read it here first; "all the glass will be removed before the pitch is finally open".

In the meatime, what started with a "few months" is now "the best part of a year". So the next football games to be played on the Rec will probably be - cricket!
www.chislehurstvillagenews.co.uk 

No official Open Houses in Bromley this year...

www.openhouselondon.org.uk

This year the following local authorities in London are supporting OpenHouseLondon: Barking and Dagenham, Bexley, Brent, Camden, City of London, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, City of Westminster.

And who’s in the four that aren’t supporting? Bromley!

Refusal by Bromley Council to part-sponsor the annual OpenHouseLondon event means the public will be denied the chance for free entry to many unique buildings this September.  But two regular participants in the Bromley borough have decided to open despite not appearing in the official programme.

St George’s RAF Chapel of Remembrance and a wartime dispersal area at Biggin Hill airport will be open for tours through the efforts of Chapel staff and South London Air Scouts.

In 2007 The Sunday Times listed the tours of ‘front line’ buildings at Biggin Hill Airport as one of 20 ‘hidden gems’ amongst the sites open during the London Open House event.

Scouts’ Air Adviser Ian Piper said, “Sadly Bromley were not able to find money to allow properties in the Borough to appear in the programme this time.  But from previous years we know that hundreds of Bromley residents enjoy these tours and attend whatever the weather.  So despite lack of official sponsorship, we are determined to give the public what they want. 

On Sunday 22nd September the tours will help bring wartime ‘Biggin on the Bump’ back to life, when visitors can see the remaining ‘front line’ wartime structures at the Airport.  We are delighted that the ‘RAF at War’ living history group will be on hand in authentic uniforms and vehicles, and it is hoped that 1940s vintage aircraft will also be on show".   

St George’s RAF Chapel in the old RAF headquarters site on the Main Road, Biggin Hill will be open on both Saturday 21st September (10.00am-3.30pm) and on Sunday 22nd

September (11.00am-4.00pm). Sadly, many of the other fascinating buildings in and around Chislehurst, Petts Wood and Bickley won't be.

For more information contact Ian Piper at Ianp@pbmail.co.uk

www.londonopenhouse.org

www.chislehurstvillagenews.co.uk 

Foraging for...pheasant?

PLUMS ON THE LEFT,

Now that Chislehurst Village News staff have had their fill of blackberry jam, blackberry pie, blackberry vodka and blackberry blackberry after last month's foraging, it's time to let you know where the best place is for damsons and plums. Unfortunately, when we arrived at the spot a few days ago, every single damson had been picked from what we consider to be our personal Scadbury orchard.

Undeterred, we set about picking the cream of the plum crop, although, more accurately, we set about shaking the tree trunks for the cream of the crop.

UP IN THE TREES,

It's a messy business. The ground beneath the trees is never attended to, fortunately, and so is a jungle of moss, bindweed and other bits of undergrowth combined with a mosquito colony.

If you can brave this, the rewards are spectacular. Dozens of fresh, plump plums are yours, together with a scent to ensure a large number of wasps will accompany you home, indoors, up the stairs and into the shower.

To get to our personal Scadbury orchard start on the same route as last month's "Foraging" for the blackberries. Again, keep tight left to the house in front of you and once you have gone through the gate don't turn off the path, go straight on, down the field and up the other side. Cross the track that leads to the cottages and go into the woods. Once the path starts going down look out for the right turn. Take this turn and after a few yards all the plum (and one damson) trees will be on your left. You can keep to the path, almost doubling back on yourself at an overgrown left turn, or you can venture amongst the trees to get to the best yields.

THEN IN BASKET; PHEASANT TO FOLLOW.

When the Chislehurst Village News team were down there last week we spotted a pheasant. Sadly it's not open season until next month otherwise we might have tried to put him in our basket as well.

Maybe we'll creep up there on the 2nd November whilst the fireworks are on.

www.chislehurstvillagenews.co.uk

Rotary Fireworks on the move

Given that Chislehurst Recreation Ground in its present state is a Health and Safety officer's dream, it is no wonder that the Chislehurst Rotary boys and girls have decided to move their fireworks display this year. The residents of Red Hill, Empress Drive and thereabouts will no longer have a free display from their back gardens but their loss is the Chislehurst Village News staff's gain - amongst others - in the Perry Street / Ashfield Lane vicinity. We reckon the best non-paying view will be from the upstairs windows at Farringtons School. This is because this year the Rotary Fireworks will be held at The Old Elthamians Sports Ground off Perry Street. 

This sports ground is huge and Rotary have reliably informed us that the fireworks will be bigger and better than ever - so let's hope for loads of "category 4" fireworks this year. There’ll be all the usual sideshows, the funfair and a hog roast.

Rotary say that parking will be easier too as "Perry Street and the surrounding areas offer lots of places to park".

We reckon some of the enterprising boarders at Farringtons could make a mint selling car park spaces on their playing fields. After all, how many children play outside in the winter these days?

In the meantime, after events earlier in the year, we hope someone warns Darul Uloom about this 2nd November event.

Expect to see: Lots of rugger types

Don't expect to see: Any Farringtons' pupils.

NB: Gates Open for Funfair & Stalls 6pm with Fireworks 7.30pm

Family ticket is for 4 people.

www.chislehurstrotaryclub.org.uk

www.chislehurstvillagenews.co.uk