Woodcock Hill's elderly residents wait 20 years for a bus

Cllr Reg Colwill (Conservative, Kenton) has backed a 20 year battle by North Brent Parks and Residents' Association (NBPRA) to persuade Transport for London (TfL) to modify the 223 bus route so that it serves elderly residents on Woodcock Hill. According to residents Cllr Colwill has been waiting for a response for 5 months.

 In a letter to Gavin Clark of TfL Consultation Team regarding their recent consultation, NBPRA state:

Please run the 223 up Woodcock Hill around the roundabout at Shaftesbury Avenue and back down to connect to its current route to the Kenton Road.  We are all writing to TFL to contact Cllr Colwill.  Where is the response Mr Clark? This is an indictment of how the Retired Residents of Kenton have been treated for 20 years.  It’s time for a change Mr Clark.

TFL stated that they are considering our proposal that has been repeatedly requested for over 20 years now.   Do we have to get a very large petition?   The over 60s retired and disabled residents, many of whom were either war veterans or had served in Local Government,  maybe they have all just been too polite not to get a large petition together and some being old and not on social media/internet have missed this ‘consultation’.  Again the over 60s Retired Residents know that they have not been heard.   

Please try and finally take into account the over 60s of the Woodcock Hill area – over 100 retired people in two blocks on Woodcock Hill and numerous others approx. 80 on the Woodcock Hill, Mount Stewart, Manning Gardens,  Woodcock Dell, Windermere Avenue,  Some prominent community workers now retired are all in need of this simple 223 bus route extension.  

Not much to ask when you have given your life for your Country is it?   

Three key points as to why this should work for Woodcock Hill:

• The feasibility of this extra section has already been established:  the metropolitan line tube is often closed during the weekends (busy shopping days),  and the rail-replacement route uses this exact journey.   
• During the bridge repairs to Preston Road – the rail replacement bus service ran along this route for over 4 months.   How much more workability studies do you need to know that this has worked.  
• We now have ‘DYL‘ double yellow lines along Woodcock Hill South side and parking additional restrictions on the North side,  thanks to Mr Kemp a former Police Officer and Crime Risk advisor, chairman of Residents’ Association, who worked in partnership with the local Council to make key changes that worked.  

We await the same cooperation from TFL even though it has taken over 20 years so far:  don’t make more elderly wait for the change they need to be mobile.   This needs your action TFL.

NB Taxi-Card and Dial - a - Ride.   Taxi - Cards (reduced Taxi fares for disabled.  This service has very restricted usage per year  (approx FOUR  rides per annum) !