Question Q Time PUBLIC QUESTION NO 1. Priority 1 LONDON BOROUGH OF LEWISHAM COUNCIL MEETING 21 OCTOBER 2020 Question asked by: Matt Jenkins Member to reply: Councillor McGeevor Question Why do you (via Glendale) insist on cutting back the green borders of the transport network and green spaces (e.g. I noticed the border between the train line and Bridgehouse Meadows being completely cut back recently), when it provides a vital habitat for wildlife (often one of the last) and risks eroding biodiversity in the council area? What benefits does the cutting back of these green border actually provide, and have you assessed these benefits in detail vs. the loss in habitats and biodiversity? Reply Lewisham’s Parks and Open Spaces are managed to protect, develop and enhance nature conservation and biodiversity, where appropriate, and in balance with the varied priorities of parks users according to each site. The grounds at Bridgehouse Meadows have designated meadow areas, covering over 6,000 m2. and therefore, proportional to the overall acreage of the park, offers notable wildlife benefits. The areas bordering the rail line at Bridgehouse Meadows are officially designated as shrub beds with a section of meadow in between. Routine maintenance according to contract specification requires seasonal weeding and pruning of the shrub beds and a late season annual cut of meadow which is then subject to routine grass mowing until Spring. Such maintenance ensures healthy, new growth and ensures open spaces do not appear neglected which can encourage anti-social behaviour. The shrub beds provide definition and year round interest when the meadow areas have been cut back at the end of the season. If meadows are neglected and receive no annual maintenance they soon become dominated by competitive species and succeed into bramble scrub before evolving into woodland. It is critical that meadows are cut in late summer/spring in order to provide for the floristic diversity. It is, however, standard practice to leave a smaller proportion uncut for overwintering insects. This is termed a refuge area and refuge areas should be rotated so that the whole meadow achieves a cut every other year. Our Parks and Open Spaces Strategy 2020-2025 acknowledges the importance of working with Parks Friends groups to support appropriate projects to improve biodiversity and manage these valuable spaces sustainably; where suitable and with identifiable benefits other areas of meadow can be considered. Question Q Time PUBLIC QUESTION NO 2. Priority 1 LONDON BOROUGH OF LEWISHAM COUNCIL MEETING 21 OCTOBER 2020 Question asked by: Alice Tate-Harte Member to reply: Councillor McGeevor Question What was the criteria for deciding which roads in Lewisham were closed to traffic under the emergency Covid Transport scheme? Was the commonplace consultation taken into account? Some choices do not seem to have targeted the busiest roads, in particular, Bishopsthorpe road/Silverdale is not a busy road and seems to have pushed more traffic onto Mayow road which has a school and a park and no controlled crossings. Do any councillors live on the roads designated for closure? Will there be a future scheme to tackle the other problem areas most agreed on via the commonplace consultation? I just want to add that as a driver who has recently taken up cycling I support the scheme in general and believe it will eventually work-However I hear it has massively increased congestion on some of the main residential roads Eg Brownhill road which is unfair as poorer people live on the main roads, many of whom do not own a car. Is the idea to temporarily increase congestion so that drivers eventually switch transport modes? If so I think this needs to be explained to the residents on the main roads. How long is it predicted to take? Reply The locations for the temporary modal filters were identified drawing on a number of sources. They are located in areas where through-traffic has previously been identified as an issue, and where it was feared higher volumes of traffic were likely to re-emerge as lockdown restrictions were eased. This assessment was based on a number of factors, including traffic data, resident complaints, and/or officer observations. The footways in the vicinity of these locations are also less than three metres wide, making it more difficult for pedestrians to socially distance. Other strategic factors, such as the proposed cycle network identified in the 2018 Lewisham Cycling Strategy, were also taken into consideration. It should be noted that the initial tranche of ‘filters’ were not intended to stop every rat-run, but focus on some of the key routes. Bishopsthorpe Road was one of the areas where through-traffic was identified as an issue whilst Silverdale Road is part of the proposed Sydenham to Forest Hill cycleway. A reduction of traffic flows on these streets would improve cyclist safety and encourage more cyclists to use this route. More widely, the aim of the Council’s COVID19 transport schemes is not to shift traffic from residential roads to surrounding roads, but to reduce the overall number of vehicles on the road. By creating quieter streets, these measures encourage those people who can to switch to walking and cycling and discourage unnecessary car journeys. Although in the short-term, nearby main roads may become busier, in the medium to long-term the expectation is that habits and behaviours will change, resulting in a reduction in car trips and therefore a positive impact on congestion and air quality for everybody. However, we are aware that some of the schemes delivered as part of this programme are not working as expected and have created issues which need to be addressed, particularly the Lewisham and Lee Green Low Traffic Neighbourhood. In addition, during the pandemic, driver behaviours have been hard to predict. We have been listening to feedback and have been urgently exploring options for how we can address these issues. We have announced some short-term changes which have the potential to alleviate the immediate pressures. We are also continuing to work on longer-term proposals and will share these with residents as soon as possible. Question Q Time PUBLIC QUESTION NO 3. Priority LONDON BOROUGH OF LEWISHAM COUNCIL MEETING 21 OCTOBER 2020 Question asked by: Robert Clayton Member to reply: Councillor Bell Question A calculation of £269,513 CIL fund has been identified in the GL Hearn Independent Viability for SE9 Review For London Borough of Lewisham Dated February 2020 Furthermore, in July planning officers approved, under delegated authority, a development immediately next door to the non-designated heritage and community asset Grove Park Youth Club for which the local community has spent several years campaigning to reopen. Residents’ voluntary efforts, in partnership with the public and private sectors, has borne fruit bringing in over £200k of investment and the Grove Park Assembly has identified the reopening of this building as a number one priority. Can the Cabinet Member please inform us, regarding the application by Purelake (DC/19/114829 | The construction of a part 5/part 6 storey building at The Haven and Betuna, Grove Park Road SE9, comprising 4, one bedroom, 12 two bedroom and 4, three bedroom self-contained flats, together with the provision of cycle parking, waste/recycling storage, disabled/van car parking, landscaping and associated engineering works. | THE HAVEN AND BETUNA, GROVE PARK ROAD, LONDON, SE9 4NU) , how much money it will yield in CIL or existing Section 106 money originally identified for Grove Park that that will be allocated to Grove Park Youth Club in order to assist in finally reopening and landscaping this much needed facility and contributing to the wealth and well-being of the community it serves? Reply The Council welcomes efforts by the community to reopen the Grove Park Youth Club and is committed to working closely with them to realise this. Borough CIL payments for this development, which was granted planning permission on 23rd July 2020, are expected to be approximately £158,543 and Mayoral CIL requirements amount to £104,752, inclusive of indexation and any social housing relief. A portion of CIL can be set aside to be spent on neighbourhood priorities, known as NCIL. There are NCIL funds available for each ward, and Grove Park residents and groups can influence how NCIL it is spent through the Grove Park Assembly. There was no specific S106 contribution for community facilities sought for this scheme. A viability assessment of the development, which was independently reviewed, indicated that the scheme generated a deficit and could not viably deliver affordable housing. The scheme is subject to early and late stage viability review mechanisms secured by a S106 agreement. In the event a future viability review indicates the scheme would generate a surplus, Lewisham’s priority would be the delivery of genuinely affordable housing. Question Q Time PUBLIC QUESTION NO 4. Priority 1 LONDON BOROUGH OF LEWISHAM COUNCIL MEETING 21 OCTOBER 2020 Question asked by: Ann Marie Cahalane Member to reply: Councillor Bell Question The New Cross to Forest Hill railway Cutting is a Metropolitan Site of Importance for Nature Conservation. One of the most important sections is the Courtrai/Buckthorne Road ‘ Old Scout Hut’ site, a designated Asset of Community Value in Crofton Park Ward that is also in the process of receiving a designation as a Site of Scientific Interest. Why did Lewisham Borough Council and the Mayor’s