THE LEWISHAM CENTRAL ASSEMBLY
Thursday 1 December 2011
7-9pm
Lewisham Methodist Church
Albion Way, London, SE13 6DE
Minutes of the Meeting
Welcome, introduction & format for the evening
Cllr Stella Jeffrey (Chair) thanked everyone for attending on a very wet evening. Cllr Michael Harris gave his apologies as he out of the country. Cllr Damien Egan will arrive a bit later this evening due to other Council commitments.
Cllr Jeffrey hoped that everyone received the Lewisham Central newsletter prior to the meeting. This contained useful information on the achievements of the assembly over the past 12 months and we can look forward to another newsletter around this time next year. Due to budgetary restraints this will be an annual publication to all addresses in the Lewisham Central ward area.
The agenda for the evening was as follows:
· Community Safety Update
· Assembly fund feedback presentations
· Beak for tea and coffee with opportunity to meet the presenters
· Low carbon London smart meter trial
· Workshop on transport issues in the Lewisham Central ward
· Community Updates and AOB
· Formal close of assembly business and date of next meeting
Community Safety Update
Sgt David Laurie and PC Humphrey accepted an invitation to speak at the assembly and respond to enquiries from residents. Neither attended the meeting and officers, however officers from the Council’s community safety team were present and provided a brief report. Since the last assembly they have responded to a number of anti-social behaviour enquiries and highlighted the abuse against women as part of a local campaign. The team has been working very closely with Social Services aimed at finding useful things for young people to do. The client group has been youths who have previous criminal convictions and the activities are aimed at turning their lives around. The team hold regular surgeries at Lewisham Library and all Lewisham Central residents are invited to come along and speak to them about any community safety matters. No appointment is necessary
Assembly fund presentations
The following organisations received assembly funding at the 23 June meeting and provided a report on how things are going:
Mercator Estate summer programme
Andrew Brown and Tyro Brown reported on the summer programme which received £5,000 funding from the assembly. 51 young people aged from 6 to 13 years of age benefitted from the programme which was held during three weeks of the August holiday. The partners were London and Quadrant Housing Association and Lewisham Homes. At the end of the enjoyable three weeks a party was held for the children and certificates were given to everyone who completed the programme. It is hoped to repeat the project next year with the assistance of the local assembly.
Hither Green Community Association
Jo Honeybell reported on the work of the association which received £2,500 funding from the assembly. Hither Green week held during May 2011 was hugely successful with plenty of activities and entertainment for the community. The embankment project which was started in Autumn 2009 has reached its conclusion with positive benefits for those visiting Hither Green Station. An independent survey was recently carried out which showed that 94% of station users felt more confident of using the station as a result. For every £1 spent the social value to the community was £10.20. HGCA hold regular meetings throughout the year and are working on other community gardens and environmental projects, in addition to representing residents on a variety of issues. HGCA look forward to working with the assembly in 2012.
Youth Village
The Youth Village is part funded by the Lewisham Central assembly and accepts applications from across the Borough. Tyonne is one of 15 volunteers and provided the assembly with feedback. The project is going from strength to strength and has now attracted over 600 members. The average attendance per night is 150 young people who enjoy the excellent facilities the village provides. This includes badminton, pool and skating. Due to the support of the assembly the village will now continue for a further twelve months and further reports will be provided at future assembly meetings.
Hither Green Hall and Arts Society
Rachel Holdsworth thanked the assembly for the award of £2,000 and highlighted some of the achievements. The Literary festival took place during September 2011 featuring comedy from John Harding and comedy story telling which also appeared on Radio 4. There was a poetry competition for the under fourteens with vouchers given to the winners which could be spent in Foyles Bookshops.
The assembly then broke up for 15 minutes where residents were given an opportunity to meet with the presenters
Low carbon London smart meter trial
Vidia and Stephen from EDF Energy presented the Low carbon London smart meter. The primary purpose is to enable customers to see how much energy they are using and manage their bills more effectively. Another positive benefit of the device is that it will help to reduce carbon footprints and have long term environmental improvements. It is free to take part and open to EDF customers. The trial equipment was displayed throughout the meeting Stephen and Vidia agreed to stay until the close of the meeting to demonstrate how it works and answer any questions.
Workshop on transport issues in the Lewisham Central ward
Cllr Jeffrey invited the meeting to discuss transport issues which is a ward priority for Lewisham Central. The assembly was asked to look at a number of common themes that were raised at previous assemblies and consider whether these are still necessary. The main themes were:
· Courthill Road- lack of pedestrian crossing
· Lewisham Hospital-exits and access for the disabled
· Bus stops
· Speeding buses along Lewisham High Street
· Controlled Parking Zones
· Road surfaces, including pavements
· Hither Green Station-disabled access to platforms
· Cycle routes- safety issues
· Closure of ticket office at Ladywell Station
· Disabled/ wheelchair users of buses
· Repainting of zebra crossing on Lewisham Road
Jo Honeybone summed up the views of the Hither Green Community Association in her capacity as Chair. Courthill Road junction continues to be problematic for all road users and is a constant cause of concern from HGCA members. They would also like to see action taken at Springbank Road with preferably with a one way, pedestrian access which would improve the route to Hither Green station.
There was complaints concerning the bus service, particularly in and around the Town Centre. A 20 mph speed limit would be desirable and the appropriate behaviour of bus drivers needs to be addressed. Some people felt that the quality of driving was not satisfactory and there was also complaints about occasional rudeness. The layout of the Town Centre was not really very appealing to shoppers and it was difficult for vulnerable road users to navigate particularly during peak times,
The question of blue badges was also raised by some residents at the meeting. it was noted that some neighbouring authorities were undertaking enforcement action against those persons who were found to be abusing the system. It was suggested that Lewisham may wish to consider using the best practice examples from other Councils across London.
Some residents felt that there was a requirement for more parking bays. There was a new controlled parking zone (CPZ) on the other side of Hither Green and the needs of shoppers with cars has not been properly addressed. Cllr Jeffrey explained that the Council was required to undertake an extensive consultation exercise prior to the introduction of a new CPZ. However, historically the response rates were very low and complaints are then raised when the CPZ is introduced. The inconsistency of parking regulations was also raised. For example, in some places you are allowed to park for 20 minutes and in other places this is up to 1 hour. This can act as a deterrent for people who may wish to use local shops.
Cllr Damien Egan suggested that two or three specific issues are identified and taken forward with the Council’s transport officer following the meeting. These can be under one heading or grouped together. The following was suggested:
Disability issues
· blue badges
· problems with getting on and off public transport
· parking bays
· Lewisham High St
Courthill Road
· what is happening with proposals to improve the junction
· how can the assembly get involved in the local campaign
Creating a safe environment
· bus service and inconsiderate drivers
· Lewisham High St
· Springbank Road
Cllr Jeffrey concluded the discussion by thanking everyone for their participation. The results will be discussed by the coordination group when they meet early in the new year.
Community Updates and AOB
Cllr Egan informed residents that the Council had waived all parking charges on Saturday 10 December 2011 in all their car parks. This was an incentive for people to shop locally and encouraged people to do so.
Cllr Jeffrey reminded residents that the closing date for community gardens grants was Friday 13 January 2011. The grant will be payable up to the value of £750.00.
The Council is working in partnership with Saving Energy Ltd to provide loft insulation to all homes within the London Borough of Lewisham. This is open to everyone to apply and eligible persons will be entitled to get this service for free.
Finally, Cllr Jefffrey said that everyone was invited to take part in a bell ringing service at St Mary’s on Sunday 11 December 2011.
Formal close of assembly business and date of next meeting
Cllr Jeffrey concluded by thanking everyone for attending and gave details of the next meeting. This will be held on Thursday 23 February 2011 between the hours of 7pm and 9pm. The assembly coordinator will make arrangements to book the Lewisham Methodist Church hall which is the favoured location.
There being no other business the meeting was closed at 9:10pm.
No declarations of interest were made at the meeting
1