6 Lynton Avenue
Finchley
London N12 9JH
16th March 1999
Environmental Services
Barnet House
High Road
Whetstone
London N20 0EJ
Dear Sir,
I am writing to you about the alterations which you are making to the paving of Lynton Avenue N12.
These alterations consist of removal of the standard traditional type of paving slabs, and the substituting of a new type, at a higher level, together with an infilling of asphalt.
I strongly object to, the alterations which the council has been making for the last 2 weeks and is continuing to make.
My grounds for objection are as follows:
(a) The large black areas of asphalt filling are extremely unsightly, especially in such a small road as Lynton Avenue
(b) The new slabs are nominally 600 mm square and are fitted adjacent to the boundaries of the properties. The 550 mm wide gap between the slabs and the kerbstones has been filled with a thin sloping layer of asphalt. Anyone walking on the footpath requires at minimum a clearance of 200mm from the boundary of each property. Consequently, this leaves a width of only 400 mm of flat, level, and uniform surface for a pedestrian to walk on. Walking is now awkward, especially for the elderly. Someone pushing a babies chair has no choice but to have one pair of wheels on the slabs, and one pair on the sloping surface of the asphalt.
(c) The new style of slabs do not have the antislip surfaces of the traditional type. They are therefore inherently more dangerous than the normal type in icy conditions, or in wet conditions where there are leaves on the ground.
(d) Cars which park on the edge of the pavement will depress and crack the surface of the asphalt, especially in the summer, which will cause the surface to become even more unsightly, so that even more unsightly repairs will have to be made. This will increase the importance of the objections mentioned in point (a) and point (b).
A further matter of concern is the front garden path at 4, Lynton Avenue. Without the permission of the owner, or of the residents, an area of concrete has been applied to the path inside the boundary of the property, to act as a ramp, because of the incorrect height of the surface of the new paving slabs. The path is flush to the surface of the original footpath.
I request the council to remove the new type of slabs and the asphalt and to refit the original materials, at the original height, with the replacement of broken ones where necessary.
In addition I would like to ask the council the following questions:
(a) Why was there no consultation made with the residents before these major changes were made?
(b) Why was this unnecessary, lengthy, and very expensive task undertaken at all, when the small amount of repairs required could have been done by one man in one or two days at very low cost.
The materials which the council has removed have served perfectly well for 70 years. Of course, where the base of the footpath is insufficiently strong, slabs will break. The residents of this street have not found this to be a major problem during this time. The traditional slabs are easily and quickly replaced.
I resent the fact that public money is being wasted on ugly, expensive, and unnecessary alterations. We pay council tax in order to have a sufficiently wide and level, uniformly flat, and reasonably attractive footpath. We now have a footpath without any of these features..
Instead we have something which can only be regarded as a unsightly bodge.
Although Lynton Avenue has no special claim to beauty, it is the home of the residents. The Council has managed to spoil the appearance and enjoyment of this space by its lack of consideration. I look forward to the recognition of the council’s error and the early replacement of the original paving materials together with an apology for the totally unnecessary trouble and distress which it has inflicted and is continuing to inflict on the residents of this small street.
Yours Faithfully
Philip Bowman
Copies to :
Local Councilors:
(a) Mr. B.Coleman,
(b) Mr. Kevin Edson,
(c) Mr. Victor Lyon
Residents of Lynton Avenue