Footbridge over Beecroft Road

The Trust has been a bit surprised to find out that a pedestrian crossing footbridge over Beecroft Road is planned for early construction.  Apparently some locals received a "Have your Say" document, but clearly this was not distributed to all potential users of the footbridge.

The plan is that the bridge will be built just south of the Community Hall with lift access both sides.

This shows a plan view of the intended location

Here is an artists impression of the finished bridge.

If you wish to have a say on this, submissions are required by next Monday!  Comments received so far include:

 

"By having ramps originating as closely as possible to the Copeland Road intersections there will be much more likelihood that the bridge will be used by the general public." 

 

The Trust agrees, feeling that the only people likely to use the bridge in this location are those walking along Beecroft Road, who need to cross from one side to the other some time in their journey.  It is hard to imagine people walking from the Copeland Road to the Beecroft shops walking all the way down to the bridge, then over the bridge, and all the way back.  Even now many people cross the road there without waiting for the green pedestrian traffic light.  The location of the bridge seems to have been chosen for ease of construction rather than for usefulness.

 

"Ramps will eliminate the lifts which are otherwise necessary.  Lifts in public places seem to attract vandalism, so we could do without the inconvenience and expense."

 

The originator of this comment points out that, as Beecroft Road slopes down toward the intended footbridge, the ramps can exploit that slope.  Certainly there was much opposition to the removal of the ramp at the Epping footbridge.



79-87 Malton Rd DA 94/2013

This much debated DA refers to the large block of lovely trees just east of the entrance to Byles Creek walking path.
The DA is up for discussion at the Hornsby Shire Council meeting Wednesday 11 March starting at 5pm.  At present the DA is just to provide a driveway through all the lovely trees, but of course if that gets approved it will be hard later to refuse to let people build houses off the drive, and those houses will clear-fell the block.
Come to the meeting, find out more, and have your say.

Rail shut down 21 to 23 Feb

A rail shutdown has been scheduled from 2am Saturday 21 February to 2am Monday 23 February where Sydney Trains will undertake various wiring maintenance works between Epping and Thornleigh. The ETTT project will work during this time until 6am Monday 23 February to ensure the safety of workers and to minimise disruption to rail customers. All works are undertaken in accordance with Environmental Protection Licence #20287 and the project’s Conditions of Approval.

NorthConnex Protest Foiled

Apparently NorthConnex brought forward the 'sod turning' ceremony, and SCAPS, the campaign protesting the ventilation arrangements, suspect this was to avoid a planned protest at the originally scheduled ceremony.

NWRL Second Harbour Tunnel

LABOR leader Luke Foley has said he will dump the second harbour rail tunnel to connect the North West Rail line to the Bankstown line if he wins the March state election.

"I am not convinced another connection from the north is a priority for the city," Mr Foley said.

And that would leave the NWRL stuck terminating at Chatswood.

 

Meet the NSW Election Candidates 19 Feb

The Beecroft-Cheltenham Civic Trust is holding a Meet the Candidates night, from 8pm on Thursday week, 19 February at Beecroft Presbyterian Church Hall behind 6 Welham St Beecroft.  This is the usual custom for our Trust for all Council, NSW and Federal elections.

Kent Ross will chair the meeting, allowing each candidate a short sales pitch then requiring the candidates to address selected issues pertinent to Beecroft and Cheltenham.

Byles Creek Valley Under Threat

There is a development proposal before Hornsby Shire Council to subdivide one lot at the vacant land of 79-87 Malton Road into five residential lots.  Google shows this land to be covered in magnificent trees, and it must be assumed that most of these trees will go as a direct result of the development, and any that survive the development will be at risk of being taken out by the new landlords under the 10/50 rule, where landowners can cut down trees close to the finished properties.
 
Here is one magnificent tree being felled under that rule early February about a hundred yards from the entry to Byles Creek.

The nearby Byles Creek bushland is a breeding ground for the magnificent Powerful Owl, and home to the last known Sydney population of the Gang Gang Cockatoo.

For those not familiar with the delightful Byles Creek track walk, you enter from the playground park at the end of Malton Road just after the 79-87 Malton block.  The walk comes out near Ahimsa and Day Road.  Enjoy it now before the developers destroy it!

Clean Up Australia Day 1 March

Beecroft's Clean Up Australia Day is from 9:00 to 12:00 on Sunday 1 March, starting in the Village Green.  You must register at the desk there in order to be covered by insurance, and to receive your gloves and other equipment.