Lee Green Assembly Local Plan: Adopted June 2014

Lee Green Assembly Local Plan: adopted June 2014

Mission Statement

“We will help make Lee Green a healthy, stimulating and safe environment in which all residents can live, work, learn and enjoy their leisure”.

Way Forward

To this end, Lee Green Assembly will develop a Local Plan to provide a framework for looking at how best to improve people’s lives – our health, housing, education and community services and facilities, as well as our parks, roads, shops and workplaces.

We hope to involve people from all parts of the ward while working to help people of all ages and backgrounds to achieve their aspirations and overcome any disadvantage.

We hope the Plan will provide us with a more strategic approach in addressing our priorities, at same time building on our achievements. We recognise that some issues will need to be addressed through influencing the relevant agencies – council, health service, police, transport; others can be advanced by direct financial support for voluntary groups seeking to meet identified needs.

In working together, we hope to develop a new – or enhance an existing – sense of a vibrant and supportive community in Lee Green.

Annual Review 2015: Overview The Draft Plan was adopted unanimously by Lee Green Assembly on 17th June 2014 at a well-attended full Assembly meeting on behalf of all Assembly members. The Assembly programme is supported by the London Borough of Lewisham. The Local Plan has no party affiliation, and represents all Assembly members, i.e. those who live, work, or learn in Lee Green Ward.

1 After adopting the overarching Plan, Assembly members discussed which priorities in the Local Plan 2014 they wanted to focus on in the coming year. Assembly members chose some priorities which could be quick wins, as well as complex matters of great importance for the area. The Local Plan Priorities chosen for 2014 to 2015 were: improved communication; cycling; road safety; the environment, including pavement maintenance, fly tipping, and tree planting. Leegate continued to be a major concern, and we decided to address this through the Working Group. The issue of parking was in hand, with a consultation on CPZ changes imminent.

The Local Plan Working Group which was set up to develop the Local Plan continued, to meet regularly to take the Plan forward. It explored the suggestion stated in the addendum to the Local Plan of developing a Neighbourhood Forum and a Neighbourhood Plan. It was agreed to focus on the Local Plan for the time being and to review the possibility of converting the Local Plan to a Neighbourhood Plan in due course. A Better Lee Green has now stated its intention to establish a Neighbourhood Forum and to develop a Neighbourhood Plan, and has begun the process by working with a consultant, and holding information and discussion sessions with local groups and residents.

Local Plan progress reports have been provided regularly over the past year at full Assembly meetings. Local community groups and volunteers have also provided updates and information about their specific activities. Assembly Members said that they would like to know more about these local community groups, and about what was going on in Lee Green. Cheryl Armitage has therefore created a Lee Green Assembly website to communicate Assembly and local information and you will find news and updates on the main local issues here.

Work on the Lee Green Assembly Local Plan over the last year has been wide ranging. Some examples are summarised here.  Throughout the year Assembly Working Groups have met to tackle specific issues e.g. Leegate.

2  Assembly representatives have worked with Officers from Lewisham Council to discuss and take forward aspects of the Local Plan e.g. improving the appearance of streets, and improving road safety.  Assembly members have decided on the allocation of grant funding for local groups and initiatives.  The Community Centre has flourished, with an ever expanding range of activities, and has successfully bid for funding for Lee Green Lives.  Residents have been consulted on changes to Controlled Parking Zones, and the introduction of a new CPZ as a result of action by Assembly members and the Assembly.  The Lee Green Assembly has worked collaboratively with the Lee Manor Society, taking a ward wide approach to tree planting.  Assembly members have worked to make our parks and streets pleasanter, greener, and cleaner.  Our local Safer Neighbourhood Team has continued to report to the Assembly on local crime and other matters  Our website was launched with a photography competition and exhibition.  The Assembly has liaised with a wide range of local community groups and societies, whose good work it is acknowledges.  Local people and voluntary community groups have organised a truly impressive array of festivals, markets, fairs, talks and other events for us all to enjoy.

Specific, more detailed reviews relating to our Local Plan’s Task Areas are provided below, in the relevant sections of the Local Plan. You will see that there is a degree of overlap between the Task Areas, as most are by nature interconnected, or have an impact on other tasks. Local community groups also produce their own illuminating reports and reviews.

Thank you We would like to thank all who have supported the Assembly, and all those individuals and community groups who have helped us to get the Local Plan

3 up and running for the progress achieved. We are fortunate to live in a ward with considerable community engagement, energetic volunteers and many community groups, some recent and some of very long standing. Their commitment helps to make Lee Green ward a better, pleasanter place in which to live or work. The Local Plan refers to, and attempts to capture some of the work of these individuals and groups, as they are also Assembly members, and they make a significant contribution to the objectives of the Local Plan. Altogether, we are making a visible difference to Lee Green Ward, in keeping with our mission statement.

Background: Lee Green Ward Lee Green Ward has a population profile which differs in a small but noticeable degree from the borough average. There is a slightly older age profile, slightly more economic activity among residents and a markedly higher level of educational attainment. So there should be plenty of people available to produce a local plan that could work to improve community links and the lives of residents and visitors. At the same time, there are lower levels of crime in all categories and a high degree of owner-occupation, higher income levels and a greater proportion of residents than the Lewisham average are British-born. At the same time, it should be noted that 6.6% of Lee Green residents have a disability that affects daily living. (Source: ONS Census 2011).

Task area 1: Achievement of Safe Healthy Living for all

Local Issues (as recorded by Assembly) 1. Promote healthy lifestyles 2. Support the elderly 3. Raise awareness of deprivation locally 4. Use outdoor spaces well 5. Maintain and promote use of green spaces/parks 6. Promote activities aimed at improving general well-being 7. Encourage preventative medicine

4 8. Improve hospital provision and services and local GP provision (inc. keep Lewisham Hospital Services) 9. Reduce vehicle crime

Achievements by local people and organisations to date (June 2014) Promote healthy lifestyles:  Knowledge being gathered of active local groups (Lee Green Lives, Lee Fair Share), surgeries, eg Healthy Eating, smoking cessation groups.  Work with young people at Lee Green Youth Club  GP practices – any patient forums? 1. Support the Elderly:  Groups running at Lee Green Community Centre (exercises for elderly), Lee Fair Share (coffee and chat) 2. Raise awareness of deprivation locally:  Deprivation can be economic, educational, cultural 3. People with disabilities and their carers  Sessions for people with learning difficulties (Lee Green Lives) (Note use of a large number of electric trikes by those with disabilities in the area). 4. Use outdoor spaces well:  Consideration is being given to all kinds of outdoor space, not just parks but streets and shop-front areas,  Outdoor seating is in use at cafes, pubs, consideration given to avoidance of pollution from traffic fumes and noise, traffic danger.  Local involvement in redesign and redevelopment of the Leegate Centre.

5. Maintain and promote use of parks and green spaces:  Existing user groups and use of parks has made a difference.

5  Manor House Gardens: earlier success by existing user group with Lottery funding in renovating park, continues to thrive through work of Friends of Manor House Gardens – annual festival, other activities  Manor Park: Assembly funding for bridge and renovation of buildings, outdoor classroom,  Established community garden (Micheldever Road).  Great improvements made along with Decent Homes Programme to the Leybridge Court Estate landscape. 6. Promote activities aimed at improving general well-being,  Exercise for elderly, and other classes at eg Lee Green Community Centre,  Parent and toddler activity groups in area (more info needed),

7. Encourage preventative medicine:

 Eg Existing local diabetes support group

8. Improve hospital provision and services and local GP provision (inc. keep Lewisham Hospital Services):

 Lewisham Hospital Campaign successes,

 Availability of GP appointments, domiciliary services?

 Health Commissioning: public invited to become involved but how is democratic involvement managed? Transparency in provision of services

9. Reduce vehicle and other crime:  Safer Neighbourhood Team has regular liaison with Assembly Actions

6  Invite all existing groups (however small) and service providers in the area to participate in drawing up Local Plan, offer speakers at meetings to outline reasoning behind Plan.  Survey and list all existing services in, or supplying, the area in health terms

Eg: all local GP services and all clinics offering varied services, chiropody, physiotherapy, mental health etc.  Sustain and promote activities improving well-being (Lee Green Lives, Lee Fair Share, etc)  Create exercise areas in parks for all age groups/improve E. Nesbit Gardens (form Friends’ Group?) Research practicality of outdoor gym in Manor Park  Need for similar support for more neglected E. Nesbit Gardens which is very close to Leybridge Court Estate with many children and elderly people. Possibility for formation of ‘Friends of E. Nesbit Gardens’

 Public Health: division of services between Local Authority and Health Service providers, how is it working?  Set up & publicise existing cycle routes /Link parks with green chain cycle tracks  Continue to support local campaigns to save NHS services, publicise information on how services relating to health and public health are now supplied  Offer more opportunities to liaise with local police about measures to reduce crime and fear of crime (which limits lifestyle), by closer liaison with local policing team (Safer Neighbourhood Team), greater sharing of information  Monitor pollution levels caused by vehicle emissions particularly at locations where people gather  Monitor development of plans for Leegate with regard to public health

Annual Review June 2015

7 Health provision Activities and classes at various centres, most notably at the community centre in Leegate, continue to thrive and expand, including exercises for the older people, activities for people with a wide range of disabilities, and people with mental health issues. In addition, Lewisham Community Connections has begun referring people experiencing loneliness or isolation to local groups. This process is expected to expand this year.

Parks and Green Spaces Friends of Manor House Gardens have continued to look after the Gardens and the interests of all who use them. They have held discussions with Lewisham Council and Glendale about how to manage the reduction in Park Keeper support for the Gardens (which has been necessitated by cuts to Local Authority funding). They are co-ordinating Lewisham Parks Forum. They have galvanised local volunteers to assist with planting flower beds, and established a Community Garden at the lower entrance to Manor House Gardens. Their now annual Manor House Gardens Festival had one of its most successful years yet – despite threatening weather – with an estimated 1500-2000 flocking to the event on 20 June. The Friends are waiting to hear if they have won a Green Flag award for the 15th year in a row.

Manor Park Supporters of Manor Park have procured hundreds of saplings from the Woodland Trust, and organised their planting.

Cycling We explored the possibility of holding a cycling event in the Ward. The aim was to try to promote cycling as a healthy activity and to promote cycling safety. We made contact with the police, who expressed interest in an event of this type, and with Glendale over the possibility of holding the event in a park such as Manor House Gardens. At this time, the logistics such as risk assessments, insurance and wardens proved rather complex, and it was clear

8 that more volunteers would be needed for planning, so we have set the idea to one side for now. We will establish whether there is support for this idea.

Pollution ABLG have measured pollution levels at Lee Green and published the results on their website. Information can also be seen on Lee Green Assembly:s website. Representatives from Lee Green Assembly have liaised with members of Lewisham Council over the heavy polluting traffic in the Ward, and discussed tree planting and street improvements, on which consultations are now being held. We have taken areas with heavy traffic pollution into account in our ward wide approach to tree planting.

Hither Green bluebell planting FUSS (Friends and users of Staplehurst Street Shops) continue to keep the environment in the area pleasant for all by maintaining planters and tubs, and by transforming the formerly weed infested and rubbish strewn railway embankment into a green space. Earlier this year FUSS organised bluebell planting on the embankment, for a spring display in years to come.

Liaison with Local Police The Safer Neighbourhood Team, aka PC Ben Smith, has provided regular reports to Assemblies on police matters and crime in the neighbourhood. PC Smith and Sergeant Andy Littlewood also met an Assembly representative to discuss matters of interest and concern to Assembly members, focusing on road safety and traffic speed. The SNT have made house calls to inform residents of burglaries in their immediate vicinity. They organised a bicycle marking and registration programme, as cycle theft from garden sheds and stores has been a particular concern. We wish PC Smith well in his new post, and thank him for his work with the Assembly. We welcome and look forward to working with PC Jamie Layton.

Task area 2: Safe Roads and Streets

9 Roads Local Issues 1. Rat-running, heavy traffic, use of residential roads by HGVs, speeding traffic, 2. Unsafe crossings, school children, pedestrians and cyclists at risk, 3. Parked cars obstructing and obscuring drivers’ view, blocking drives, 4. Potholes 5. Speed restrictions and signage ineffective, 6. Need for effective lighting, 7. Pollution, noise (and property damaging vibration), 8. Bus routes: buses cannot pass because of parked cars

Objectives  Improve overall road safety through effective traffic-calming measures (eg speed limits), pedestrian crossings and regular road maintenance  Make cycling safe  Restrict residential road use by HGVs  Keep informed of LBL and TFL etc plans for roads to enable strategic ward-wide approach  Improve road markings and signage in Manor Lane following last year’s residents’ petition

Actions  Liaise with key outside organisations, campaign in and with schools  Traffic movement surveys, e.g., of roads used by HGVs  Identify dangers/ hotspots, provide evidence to Police, TfL, Council and encourage responsible bodies to act on evidence already provided  Secure safe crossing points on busy roads so that residents and others can move around their community safely  Consider traffic light-phasing at Lee Green (in light of recent TFL plans)  Make 20mph speed limit signage clearer

10  Organise our own signage: residents can arrange to have white lines painted across drives, so investigate if can we do similar, e.g., signs on roads  Install solar-powered signs  Explore setting up cycle routes (e.g green chains) and sign existing routes  Review impact of new street lighting

Annual Review June 2015 Traffic and Road Safety This has continued to be an area of major concern for residents, as through traffic, speeding traffic, heavy goods traffic, and inconsiderate or dangerous car parking continues to cause problems. Action begun in earlier years by local residents and by the Council to address these matters has continued. We have outlined a summary of this action, with outcomes, where known, below.

• Manor Lane: in response to last year’s residents’ petition £350k allocated by LBL to reduce traffic speed and improve crossings 2014/15: proposals developed. 2015/16: design and implementation

 Manor Lane and Burnt Ash Hill Streetscape improvements: A feasibility study began for work on both Burnt Ash Hill and Manor Lane Streetscapes. Surveyors measured the topography. A preliminary meeting took place between the Project Manager and the lead Council officer and Assembly representatives. Consultation with other groups and with local businesses is ongoing. The aim of the project is to improve streetscapes for all users. Both Transport and Public Realm designers will be involved. The aims of the designs will be to calm traffic, improve pedestrian areas and create a sense of identity for the area. The designs include tree planting. Transport for London and the Greater London Authority are contributing to the funding for these schemes. Funding for the final projects is in competition with other schemes.

11 • Local Traffic Corridors / Rat Runs A general rat run study was agreed by LBL and funding allocated, and although the general study has not yet begun, the traffic team expect to finish it this financial year. The study will include traffic speed, traffic counts, and consultation.

Traffic monitoring (vehicle count and speed) has already taken place in Ennersdale Road, Burnt Ash Hill and Southbrook Road. A traffic survey of Ennersdale Road took place last autumn, and the Ennersdale Road Traffic Survey was published in Sept/Oct 2014. As a result of this survey, a number of options were considered to slow speeds at the junction of Ennersdale Road and Nightingale Grove. However the site presents many constraints, such as the closeness of the railway, but improvements are planned. These include improving footway and carriageway materials, improving visibility of the raised table, and highlighting pedestrian crossing points.

We are waiting for the results of the traffic monitoring in Burnt Ash Hill and Southbrook Road. A council Officer from the Transport Team has advised that speed counts are being undertaken on all roads in Lewisham and that where speeds are in excess of 24mph in 20mph zones, the Council will need to look at possible additional measures to reduce vehicle speeds.

• Traffic speed Monitoring was carried out by the SNT in Manor Lane and Southbrook Road. Roughly half the traffic was shown to be exceeding 20mph in Southbrook Road. Divers were stopped and spoken to. PC Ben Smith informed an Assembly representative that one shift a month had been agreed for more traffic monitoring in our ward by the SNT. The Assembly representative and the SNT discussed the possibility of involving residents/volunteers in traffic monitoring, but Health and Safety considerations prevented us taking this further. The recommended route for residents who witness speeding or dangerous driving is therefore to report to Roadsafe: http://Content.met.police.uk/siteroadsafelondon. This provides a log of evidence which provides our SNT with backing for further monitoring.

12  Traffic calming measures Assembly representatives surveyed signage and traffic calming measures in the Ward. Residents were urged to report signage needing replacing to LBL. The 20mph road markings at the junction of Burnt Ash Road and Southbrook Road were reinstated as a result of resident reporting. Handen Road residents got their speed humps, which had been poorly laid following road works, replaced.

Other residents and Assembly representatives have continued to raise concerns at the Assembly and to the Council about the effectiveness and impact of traffic calming measures. The council officers responded that the Mayor plans to introduce a borough wide 20mph speed limit and the traffic team are working to achieve this. The council officers also advised that the design of traffic calming measures is affected by considerations such as whether the road is a bus route, or a designated route for emergency traffic. We are aware that in the past a range of different traffic calming measures of varying degrees of effectiveness have been instated, and plan to work with council officers to achieve a more strategic and effective approach in future.

Parking

Local Issues (as recorded at Assembly)  Difficult or impossible for residents in some streets to park, ditto delivery vans, trades people, contractors  Duration of parking restrictions (currently 9am-7pm)  Bus routes, but buses cannot pass because of parked cars, therefore blocking roads

Objectives  Manage street parking so that it is safe and residents able to park near their homes  Make charging reasonable/fair

13  Take into account the needs of the vulnerable and elderly  Support small businesses

Achievements by local people and organisations to date (June 2014) Parking Review – roll-out of new consultation for half ward in 2014

Actions  Continue review  Identify hotspots  Consider Hither Green Station pay for parking effect  Consult with schools over their needs and residents’ needs  Avoid one-size-fits-all solutions  Look into cost of business parking charges

Parking A Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) consultation has taken place. A new CPZ will be instated in Lee Green West, with parking restrictions of 2 hours. Parking restrictions in some other CPZs in the Ward have been reduced to 2 hours. Traffic orders have now been advertised. The CPZ changes are now scheduled to be put into operation during July. Full details of Zones and parking restrictions can be found on the Council website.

Street environment

Local Issues: as recorded at Assembly 1. Littering, fly-tipping, lack of street-sweeping, few litter bins, dog and fox fouling 2. Dangerous/unmaintained pavements 3. Blocked drains 4. Tree-planting, preservation and maintenance 5. Removal of bulky garden rubbish

14 6. Few planters or benches 7. Street-lighting 8. Pollution

Objectives  Keep streets and pavements rubbish- and dirt-free  Keep pavements safe to walk on  Improve the appearance of the local environment  Reduce pollution

Achievements by local people and organisations to date (June 2014)  Road resurfacing has improved blocked drains/state of gutters in some roads  FUSS’s improvements at Hither Green  Some shop owners have put planters outside shops in Manor Lane  LBL cleaned Manor Lane, Burnt Ash Road gutters  Street lights replaced  Great voluntary work by local residents on Burnt Ash Road to turn a littered verge into a planted garden next to the car wash

Actions  Measure pollution levels  Tree planting (especially where pollution-heavy), maintenance programme  Encourage residents to look after pavements outside their house e.g. sweeping autumn leaves and notify LBL of issues  Preserve plane trees  Provide/replace waste bins on pavements (Lee high Road, Burnt Ash Road)  Report fly-tipping to Council immediately – monitor response time  Guerrilla gardening  Assistance with bulky garden rubbish collection, e.g., for those without a car, re-establish system of local collection points

15  Litter campaign in schools  Find out when streets are scheduled for sweeping  Do something about dog mess e.g. Bins, fines, proper use of parks  Ask LBL for pavement repairs starting with the most dangerous  Provide planters and encourage local shops to do this  Install benches  Where street lighting causes difficulty make sure residents know how to ask for “skirt” for lights  Look after patch of land outside local railway stations where possible or safe

Environment: Trees We have taken a ward- wide approach to keeping Lee green and leafy, reviewing where trees are needed and pooling budgets/funding to provide them.

The Local Assembly and Lee Manor Society together identified sites for 13 new trees (8 funded by Lee Green Assembly, 5 by Lee Manor Society). Residents have also agreed to pay for some new trees, not necessarily outside their own homes. In addition, Lewisham Council is funding trees through Green Scene, and the proposals for improvements to Burnt Ash Hill and Manor Lane include tree planting. Agreement has been given for some Section 106 Community Gain funding from Biscuit Factory Development to be used for trees in the immediate area, and an Assembly representative has acquired saplings from the Woodland Trust for Manor Park.

Expect to see a wide variety of new trees in Brightfield, Lampmead, Woodyates, Effingham, Longhurst and Southbrook Roads, Manor Lane and Burnt Ash Hill. Residents have volunteered to water them in dry weather.

16 Streets Lewisham Council is consulting us on improvements to the public realm in Burnt Ash Hill, and Manor Lane. The improvements are part funded by Transport for London and the Greater London Authority.

Local people and groups continue to improve our streets and shopping centres with tubs, planters and flowers e.g. FUSS’s planters and bluebells at Hither Green, Burnt Ash Road residents’ flower bed near the car wash. In addition, tribute should be paid again to FUSS for their annual Christmas Fair, which brings together local traders and residents in Hither Green, contributing to the area’s sense of pride and community solidarity.

Fly tipping The problem of fly tipping has increased significantly over the last year. Large items of household rubbish and furniture are regularly dumped, especially in the Conservation Area, and on Burnt Ash Road, wherever there are grass verges and blank walls or gable ends. Local Plan working group members have continued to report, photograph, and find solutions to this increasing problem. We have monitored hotspots and informed our local councillors. Please report fly tipping on lovelewisham.org

Lewisham Homes responded to requests to resolve the particularly bad problem of fly-tipping at the corner of Wantage and Taunton Roads. The grassed area is an agreed lumber disposal point for the residents of the estate. However, for many years it has been a magnet for fly-tippers who know that eventually the rubbish will be taken away. After lobbying Heidi Alexander MP and Lewisham Homes, it was agreed that a sickly tree would be removed and screens erected to create an enclosure for legitimately deposited rubbish. Lewisham Homes also agreed to spruce up the area, put up signs and explore the possibility of CCTV. The screened-off area has a padlocked door and the caretaker regularly collects rubbish and puts into the

17 enclosure. The screens were stained dark brown and planting around it is planned.

Inevitably, the fly-tipping continues but it is at least removed from view. The enclosure has met mixed reviews with some residents complaining about the look – but not offering an alternative solution. Lewisham Council workers, who have to empty the enclosure, complain that it is difficult to access and that fly-tippers throw rubbish over the top. However, there is general agreement that it is an improvement, though it is by no means a solution to fly-tipping in the area.

Task area 3: Leisure and Amenities

Local Issues 1. Maintaining and extending volunteer involvement in existing local community groups to ensure sustainability 2. Maintaining and making optimal use of all local green spaces and parks at a time of reduced council funding 3. Communicating information about and increasing access to the diverse range of local leisure, sport and community facilities and events 4. Creating leisure facilities to cater for all age groups especially young children and the elderly 5. Decline in local shopping facilities and deterioration of the public realm caused by the stalling of the Leegate redevelopment (and 20 years of neglect) 6. Lack of range/balance in local shopping facilities and domination by supermarkets

Achievements by local people and organisations to date (June 2014)  Well established, thriving local community groups and volunteer run organisations e.g. FUSS, Manor House Gardens Users’ Group, Lee Manor Society, Manor House Library Users’ Group

18  Locally available facilities well used e.g. Manor House and Gardens and Library, Lochaber Hall, Good Shepherd Church Hall, Leegate Community Centre, and many groups and activities already organised  Established and growing calendar of local events organised by volunteer organisations e.g. Manor House Gardens Festival, FUSS Christmas and Spring Fairs, Leegate Community Centre Feaster event, weekly market at Leegate, Lee Manor Society plant markets etc and Lee Fairshare sessions, walks, information.  Well used local parks with active volunteer involvement e.g Manor Park, Manor House Gardens community garden and action days, biodiversity programmes,  Effective use of funding to maintain and refurbish parks e.g. Manor House Gardens playground  Local businesses e.g. local pubs and restaurants support community events  Well attended Local Assembly  Liaison taking place between Assembly, local groups and LBL and St Modwen over Leegate redevelopment

Objectives  Increase engagement in community and volunteer organisations  Increase awareness of and participation in community events, clubs, groups and facilities  Create leisure facilities, clubs or groups for all age groups  Support and increase use of all existing facilities e.g. Leegate Community Centre, Resident Centres on Newstead and Cordwell Estates, Manor House, Leybridge Court Estate hub  Optimise use of all parks and green spaces  Expedite appropriate action for Leegate: development to include a good range of shops and pleasant public space, provide local jobs paying the London Living Wage, include affordable housing, take into account impact on local traffic and parking, take into account the impact on the rest of the local economy and adjacent “villages” and centres

19  Prevent further blight and decline of Leegate pending redevelopment

Actions  Create “register” of people willing to become involved in volunteering or local organisations  Liaise with and facilitate links between local community volunteer run organisations to disseminate information most effectively, assist in promoting a coherent, strong approach to key local issues and provide information about sources of funding  Create calendar of all major local events  Create communication strategy for above  Liaise with community, school, church, scout, guide etc groups to find out about clubs offered  Map existing leisure activities and clubs by age group  Provide activities for very young children, and primary age children  Promote use of meeting spaces and provide meeting opportunities for elderly people  Promote Manor Park Community Centre  Consider approaches to park maintenance at a time of reduced council funding  Explore opening up access to River Quaggy for park users (FOMHG and QWAG)  Publicise the Community Centre and explore all sources of funding e.g. Lottery  Continue events organised from Community Centre, e.g., organised walks  Set up pop-up shops at Leegate, continue weekly market and maintain the environment pending the redevelopment of the centre  Work to expedite a decision on the redevelopment of Leegate  Liaise with Lewisham Council, St Modwen and relevant bodies about the redevelopment of Leegate taking into account the objectives above  Make sure any redevelopment includes community resource under Section 106 or Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and involve local groups in planning for the promised new Centre

20  Help to publicise all local arts events, Open Studios, choirs, craft workshops etc

Website Lee Green Assembly now has a regularly updated website, facebook page and Twitter feed. Assembly members said that they wanted to know about all the local community groups, their work and local news. The website provides an excellent platform for this and more. We held a photography competition and exhibition to launch the website. The prize-giving was kindly hosted by Archibald’s in Manor Lane. Heidi Alexander MP presented the prizes which were generously donated by St Modwen and Sainsbury’s. The photographs are now on permanent display at the Lee Green Community Centre.

Among news about the community, we have published an interview with Killian Morris Senior Development Manager of St Modwen which questioned him on the rationale for the Leegate plans. Heidi Alexander MP has agreed to do an interview about her hopes for Lee Green over the next five years. Interviews with local residents are also planned and we are actively looking for budding writers who may want to hone their skills on www.leegreen.london.

Leegate Leegate Development Working Group The working group has continued to meet regularly and to liaise with St Modwen, Affinity Sutton, community groups and all stakeholders regarding the proposals for the development of Leegate. We have notified Assembly members of consultation events and public meetings on the Lee Green Assembly website, and the Assembly Working Group made a formal response to St Modwen’s planning application on behalf of members. In this, the working group was considerably assisted by the expertise of Lee Manor Society and the research done by A Better Lee Green. We have conducted

21 and published an interview with Killian Morris, St Modwen’s project leader, on our website.

Lee Green Lives Lee Green Lives has gone from strength to strength, and has been awarded a grant by Lewisham Council to fund its work. This includes supporting a wide range of activities and work with other local groups, housing providers and schools to better meet the needs of local people. Lee Green Lives already provides activities for disabled people, young people, and the elderly. It offers classes in sewing, knitting, IT, English as an Additioinal Language - and more. The grant will enable Lee Green Lives to build on existing strengths. By working with others to find out what local people need, it will be able to identify gaps in its provision, and develop new activities.

Local Events Local people and community groups continue to organise an impressive variety of local events, from the large to the smaller scale. These include the tremendously successful annual Manor House Garden Festival, enjoyed this year by up to 2000 people; FUSS’s Spring and Christmas Fairs, again very successful and well attended; talks on the history of the area organised by FUSS; Plant Marts, talks, and visits to the Ice House organised by the Lee Manor Society; information and discussion sessions on Neighbourhood Planning organised by A Better Lee Green.

These events take many hundreds of man/woman hours to organise and deliver, and tribute is owed to those individuals and organisations who give their time to provide enjoyment and information for the rest of us.

Volunteer Register We have many active volunteers, but we would be pleased to welcome more. We asked Assembly members willing to volunteer on a one off or ongoing basis if they would be kind enough to give us their contact details. We collected some information, and will always be glad of further offers.

22 Task area 4: Services

Local Issues 1. Access to and uptake of services – especially young people, older people, people with disabilities, ethnic minority groups 2. Loneliness, isolation among older people and others experiencing disadvantage 3. Access to jobs, pay levels, combat poverty 4. Advice for local people about citizens rights, welfare and other benefits 5. Sufficient primary school places for local families 6. State and amount of council and other social housing 7. Conditions of people living in private, rented accommodation 8. School links with local community 9. Lack of representation among people living in social housing

Objectives  Improving services for young people, especially the under-13 age group  Improving services for the elderly, reaching more diverse groups  More integrated services and facilities  Local jobs, Living Wage, Food Bank  Advice provision on jobs, benefits, citizens, private rent, education, etc  Continue to create primary school places  Better standard of housing in social sector, especially Lewisham Homes  Monitor and advise on dealing with local private landlords  More community engagement – links between residential areas and estates  Community cohesion – neighbourliness, support, library and school links  Cemetery provision

Achievements by local people and organisations to date (June 2014)  Youth clubs at community centre  Activities, classes in community centre

23  Regular advice to people seeking jobs, benefit or housing advice at the community centre  Extra classrooms at Brindishe Lee and Trinity (Ennersdale)  Decent Homes’ standards refurbishment programme on Affinity Sutton estates and Peabody

Actions  Continue Community Centre offer, liaise with library to make facilities more accessible (affordable)  Identify gaps in Community Centre offer, e.g., for particular age groups  Map existing services locally for young people and publicise, promote links with scouts, guides, etc  Liaise with LBL Play and Youth Services  Map local services for elderly/vulnerable groups  Develop links between Connexions and Lee Green Lives, Lee Fair Share  Campaign for local jobs, Living Wage (where possible), Food Bank  Liaise with Council and agencies about possible advice sessions – citizens’ rights, benefits, private landlords  Liaise with local schools about out- of-hours activities  School places – audit of current provision and needs, lobby Council as appropriate  Lobby Lewisham Homes about Decent Homes programme  Develop tenant involvement through links with Lewisham Homes and Affinity Sutton and Peabody

Annual Review 2015

Lee Green Lives has provided a wide range of activities for people of different ages and needs (also see last section for detail). It has also provided advice to people seeking jobs, benefit or housing advice at the community centre.

24 Discussions have been held with Affinity Sutton and with Peabody Housing Associations to improve links. Local Affinity Sutton and Peabody homes have been refurbished in line with the Decent Homes Programme

Addendum June 2014 With a Mission Statement dedicated “to help make Lee Green an area in which all residents can live, work, learn and enjoy their leisure in a healthy, stimulating and safe environment”, there are major implications for housing, jobs and schools, and how the Assembly might promote improvements. Already, we have sought to raise the profile of some of these issues in our response to the plans to redevelop Leegate. This, in turn, raises the further issue of making sure residents have a bigger say in planning issues, perhaps through the creation of a Neighbourhood Forum.

Annual Review 2015 Local Plan Working Group members researched Neighbourhood Planning and we discussed some of the pros and cons of a Neighbourhood Plan, versus a Local Plan at our first meeting. Neighbourhood Plans have statutory force, and a planning focus, and have to be established according to the provisions of the Localism Act 2011. We undertook to gather further information, but decided that as the process of working towards a Neighbourhood Plan was lengthy, we would get started on our Local Plan straight away, and review the possibility of Neighbourhood Planning in due course. We made this decision:  firstly, in order to capture the extensive community action and achievements already happening in Lee Green Ward;  secondly, to record the views and priorities expressed by Assembly members at two full Assembly meetings Local Plan meetings held in spring 2014;  thirdly, to keep the wide remit of our plan, in accordance with views expressed by Assembly members;

25  fourthly, so that we could immediately start to record the progress made on our Local Plan over the coming year

As A Better Lee Green have embarked on the process of defining a Neighbourhood Area, and are applying to set up a Neighbourhood Forum, and subsequently produce a Neighbourhood Plan, we will not now be considering “converting” the Local Plan to a Neighbourhood Plan. It is proposed that the suggested Neighbourhood Forum, and Neighbourhood Plan would cover a much wider area than Lee Green Ward, and according to the Localism Act, it has a different, planning focused remit. Whatever the outcome of that initiative, our Local Plan will continue to look at the broader concerns of Lee Green Ward – many of which impact on planning issues – and serve the interests of ward residents through the Assembly. The Local Plan will cover the range of Strategic considerations and Activities that flow from that work, and strive to achieve its aim, as stated in its mission statement of helping to “make Lee Green a healthy, stimulating and safe environment in which all residents can live, work, learn and enjoy their leisure”.