West End Lane - just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water...

I was asked on Twitter this week when the “Billy Fury traffic lights” (nice name, I guessed it meant the pelican crossing by the West Hampstead Overground station near Billy Fury Way) would be switched on again now that the combined works by Thames Water and the National Grid on West End Lane had finished.

I’ve been checking it out with the Camden officers who are valiantly trying to coordinate all the work and the news isn’t great for those of us looking forward to normal service being resumed in West End Lane.

First of all, Thames Water are going to be carrying out works in West End Lane to lay on new supplies to the Post Office next week (week commencing 27 September) – work that should take one week.

But following that, Camden will be closing Iverson Road as from 4 October for six weeks as part of the “streetscape” project there to tie in with the new Thameslink station being built on Iverson Road and the associated work being done by Network Rail.

That’s not great news for people who want to drive in and out of Iverson Road, but it does mean that the notoriously dangerous West End Lane/Iverson Road junction will be easier to cross for the duration, and we can look forward to permanent improvements when Iverson Road reopens.

But the temporary Iverson Road closure also means that the traffic lights in that part of West End Lane will have to be “thrown dead” as the techies say, and temporary traffic lights installed once again.

We’ll all benefit from this work in the end but the continuing disruption is hard to live with. So it’s a relief to hear that Camden have listened to our pleas to take pity on the long-suffering users of West End Lane and have decided to delay the West End Lane part of the “streetscape” project until after Christmas to give us a break from constant roadworks.

Refuse Collections - still two a week for awhile

The reports in the local papers this week that refuse collections in Camden are already being cut from twice to once a week are premature. Although the change has been approved in response to increased recycling levels and cost savings, it has been confirmed by Council officers that much planning has to be done before such a change can take place and is not likely to happen before June 2011 at the earliest. And in any case, the change won't be applied to large blocks of flats and other dwellings where twice weekly collections will still be necessary. We'll keep you posted on developments.

Trouble at Secrets Night Club

A constituent has been in touch who witnessed an act of violence on the corner of Rosemont Road and Finchley Road on the evening and the following early morning of 29th August.

An incident first occurred at Secrets night club. The police have recently told me about two separate crime reports.

First there is an allegation of criminal damage by customers at the club made by club staff, and an allegation of an assault by a customer. The damage took place in and around the club.

The second crime report relates to an assault in Finchley Road near the junction of Rosemont Road. Following the initial investigation at the scene three arrests were made, all door staff from Secrets. These suspects are currently on bail, whilst statements are being taken from various witnesses.

At my request our local Police Sergeant Dave Timms has confirmed that he is making the Police's Licensing Unit aware of these incidents. The Police can decide to ask for a Review of the club licence by the Council. If anyone locally can add anything as a witness to these incidents please let our local Police know.