University lecturer Sandy Peters was left with multiple broken bones and blood pouring from her face after a child smashed into her on a Forest bike in Sutton last October, while she was walking on a pavement.
She is reported on BBC News today as saying “She has post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and her teeth still need fixing, which could cost about £10,000. …. Both my cheeks are broken, the whole of my upper jaw is broken. It’s out of alignment with my lower jaw. And the key concern now is that there was a lot of damage to the teeth.
The e-bike rider, who was under 16-years-old, had struck her right side, causing Sandy to smash face first into a brick wall. She now suffers from PTSD and may have to pay around £10,000 for dental work, a sum she is unable to afford as there is little chance of getting any financial redress from the e-bike rider. And nor from Forest apparently.
E-bike hire companies such as Forest are legally required to provide public liability insurance under UK law. But it only covers incidents arising from mechanical faults or failures of its bikes – for example if a pedestrian or rider is injured due to faulty breaks. Such companies are not legally required to hold rider liability insurance, which would cover incidents where a third party is injured due to the fault of the rider.
The simple solutions? Well they are obvious are they not?
First the authorities have to be stricter about enforcing existing legislation. The bucks (£££) are currently bring passed between e-bike providers, local authorities who are making money from them, and the police. And meanwhile individuals like Sandy are suffering.
Secondly do not contract with these companies unless there are guarantees that they will be fully insured against injuries caused by their bikes. The excuses given below are simply not good enough.
At a time when Richmond Council are negotiating the fine print of their contract with Forest we should should be told what the plans are for dealing with these issues.
Continue readingPlanning at Clifford Avenue
EastSheenMatters rarely comments on planning applications. Clifford House at the corner of Clifford Avenue and the Upper Richmond Road warrants a mention, because of its major impact on the local environment and the manner in which the development has proceeded.
The original proposal, approved in 2025, was for a building with eight residential units. Construction started. On 18 March 2026 the Richmond Planning Committee delegated to officers the approval of a new application for the erection of a part two, part three and part four storey building comprising of twelve residential units, nine x 1-bedroom units and three x 2-bedroom units, including cycle parking, refuse storage, hard and soft landscaping, amendments to site access and other associated works.
This is subject to the completion of a Section 106 Legal Agreement and sundry other matters.
The Richmond Council Planning website refers to the application as still live with a consultation expiry date of 25 March 2026.
EastSheenMatters reported on Wednesday about the road works at the junction of Sheen Lane and the Upper Richmond Road. Today the hole is much bigger and deeper. It was noted that the signage around the works did not state an end date. It still does not. There are no warnings about the work on the Transport for London website nor on the Richmond Council website.
BUT there were workers from Ferns on the site who were helpful in responding to questions.
So wait for it, they think the work will take another three weeks. They are relaying pipes on the pavement.
Why? The workers say they are instructed to move the pavement back about a metre, to enable an increased turning circle (outside James Anderson), so that a bus can turn right from Sheen Lane.
A new bus route turning on that junction? Has ESM missed something?
A community screening of the People’s Emergency Briefing at Christ Church at 730pm on 22 April 2026
This film provides accessible information about the climate and biodiversity crises that we now face.
It features Chris Packham who says it “creates exactly the kind of honest local conversation we now urgently need, both about what these changes mean where we live, and about what we can do together
to address them.”
Free tickets available on Eventbrite – People’s Emergency Briefing Christ Church and if you can help with the event please contact Judith – email: russenbergerjudith@gmail.com
An aide memoir for those planning ahead, school terms and holiday times are as follows.
These dates are for community schools in the boroughs. Academy, voluntary aided and foundation schools may have slightly different school term and holiday dates.
Summer term 2026
Autumn term 2026
At junction of Sheen Lane and Upper Richmond Road
Arrived 7 April. Workmen arrived early 8 April. Left by lunchtime.
As usual no obvious coordination between digiing a hole, doing the work and repairing the pavement.
James Anderson asked what they they were doing and got no answer.
Openreach suggests it is telephony.
No end date on signage,
It has been suggested to ESM that raising this locally is not helpful, because it is a TfL issue.
True TfL is responsible but is it not just possible that the Richmond Council Transport and Air Quality Committee is better placed to influence TfL than an individual moaner!
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