Safe crossing to be introduced at Whalebone Lane junction!

Last June, after a spate of racially motivated aggression and attacks on others, at the East Road, Somerville Road and Whalebone Lane subway at junctions to the A12, your Chadwell Action Team, organised a private meeting between TFL and the local community. In attendance were:

• Redbridge ASBO Team
• Chadwell SNT
• Barking and Dagenham ASBO Team
• Chadwell Heath SNT
• Head Teacher from Warren School
• Head Teacher from Oaks Park School
• 3 Managers from TFL

The meeting was chaired by Wilson Chowdhry and had input from 3 Neighbourhood Watch Coordinators present on the day.

During the meeting we pushed for a safe crossing to be implemented at the East Road subway. The subway is so notorious it was used in the film "Harry Carter" starring Michael Caine released on DVD last month - depicting gang violence.

TFL argued that logistics and costs, prohibited a project at the East Road subway and argued for a crossing at Whalebone Lane junction. We conceded, as it was the only option being made available to us and it was agreed they would look into a proposal, that they would inform us of at the end of that Financial year, which ended this month.

We have continuously chased for an update and received the following email yesterday, via a lead officer from TFL (sic):

"Further to our telephone conversation today, I can confirm that the Whalebone Lane junction is on this years programme to do the study with funding committed to complete it. As yet I do not have an accurate start date but I have been informed that I should be able to provide this in the next month or so."

We hope residents of Chadwell are pleased with this result....?