Lee Manor Society has learned that no final decision has been made about the Sustainable Streets proposal for all-day Controlled Parking Zones in parts of Lee.
A recent meeting of the Mayor and Cabinet agreed “for the Executive Director of Place to use their delegated powers to consider any objections received during statutory consultation on the permanent traffic order and make any applicable decision as a result.”
This led to fears that a decision had already been made to implement the proposed parking measures in several roads east of Burnt Ash Road.
Now, however, a source has told the Lee Manor Society that responses to the consultation earlier this year are still being considered and no decisions have been finalised.
This may result in the original plan for 0900 to 1700 Monday to Friday Controlled Parking Zones being replaced with less draconian measures.
The Lee Manor Society believes that while measures are needed to prevent commuters leaving their cars all day in streets near Lee station, full-fat CPZs operating from 9 am to 5 am are unnecessary. The Society argues that two hour bans from 1000 to noon in other parts of the ward have worked very well.
Lee Manor Society is lodging a formal objection to London Square’s planning application which would pave the way for a Leegate tower even higher than the 15 storeys already approved.
Crucially, the Society argues the application to remove the 15-storey description of the tower, is not ‘non-material’. This is a technical, but vitally important aspect of the planning application.
The Society says that by removing the description it would lead to changes to the height of the proposed tower block, which would indeed be material because “it has the potential to adversely affect the amenity of neighbouring properties, including increased traffic due to an increase in residential units and of overshadowing.”
The objection points out that in their application, London Square’s agents say they have been ‘encouraged’ to test the height of the tower, known as Ai in the planning application.
Their Public Consultation document states: ‘“Following meetings with Lewisham Council and the Design Review Panel, the team have been encouraged to test additional height at building A1. The current proposals would increase the height of A1 from 15 to 18 storeys‘”
That suggests Lewisham Council is at least partly complicit in the approach, despite the fact that its own ‘Local Plan’ (although not yet formally adopted) sets a normal upper limit for tall buildings of 12 storeys.
The Society also notes that London Square says it needs to raise the height of the tower above 15 storeys ‘to ensure the scheme remains deliverable.’
“So, the only objective reason provided by London Square appears to be that the current approved scheme is not viable,” says the objection.
It continues “It would be an incredibly incompetent developer who would spend serious amounts of money on purchasing a site with an extant Planning Approval that they knew full well to be unviable in meeting their own requirements.
“From this we can only surmise that London Square are simply ‘testing’ the limits of the current approved Application ref DC/22/126997 to garner more profit because they would not have purchased the rights to a development that was incapable of being achieved.”
The Society reminds Lewisham Council that when Galliard first proposed a 15- storey tower block there were numerous local objections. It argues that Lewisham Council should not denigrate the concern of a material change of height to being a non-material change by the removal of the words up to ‘15-storeys (including basement level) …’ from the Decision Notice because without those words there is no detailed description of the development proposals.
“What is clear to any reasonable person is that the height of the main tower Block A of the proposed Leegate development was a very material concern raised by numerous objections… the height of the Block A tower building was a matter of great concern to local residents throughout the previous (Galliard) planning application and is of no lesser concern now.
“To consider removing the text that relates in general to its overall height would simply be wrong and a dereliction of LBL’s responsibilities to its borough’s residents as this is clearly a material consideration of the proposed development.”
Lewisham Council has taken a small but significant step towards implementing new parking measures in parts of Lee under the Sustainable Streets programme.
At a meeting on May 21st the Mayor and Cabinet agreed “for the Executive Director of Place to use their delegated powers to consider any objections received during statutory consultation on the permanent traffic order and make any applicable decision as a result.”
Hayley Whitchurch, the Sustainable Streets Project Officer told the Lee Manor Society: “The Mayor and Cabinet approval in May gives the Executive Director of Place the ability to approve and sign off reports regarding objections received following a statutory consultation. It also gives the Executive Director the powers to sign off or consider any changes following a review of installed measures in areas or CPZ.
“It means that we will not need to return to seek Mayor and Cabinet approval for any changes following a 6-12month review for any existing or new CPZ implemented.”
Residents on the East side of the Lee Green ward were consulted on the proposed measures. earlier this year. Lewisham Council has told The Lee Manor Society the proposals will be discussed by the Mayor and Cabinet in July.
Ms Whitchurch explained “We will not require Mayor and Cabinet approval for any areas that we review as part of the Sustainable Streets Programme.
“We have not implemented any measures in Lee Green or Phase 2 areas and therefore need to present the findings to Mayor and Cabinet which will be in July. If we implement any Sustainable Street measures in new areas (such as Lee), we will carry out a review 6-12 months after by seeking further feedback from residents and businesses via consultation. If we then propose any changes following the review, these can be considered and approved by the Executive Director of Place.”
“This sounds suspiciously as though it has all been decided but councillors and officers don’t want to own up,” said Charles Batchelor. “Officers were too frightened to come to the last (and final) assembly meeting to explain matters. .It appears that councillors, who depend on residents’ votes, are handing increasing powers over to officers who do not consider it their role to interact directly with those residents.
“Item 1.3 of the mayor and cabinet’s sustainable streets document of May 21 also refers to ‘a review of existing CPZs which the council undertook public consultation on amendments to align them towards the sustainable streets programme’. This raises the issue of the 10am-noon controls west of Burnt Ash Road being extended to all-day.”
Glendale is to trial afternoon patrols in Manor House Gardens in a bid to combat the wave of anti-social behaviour there.
The company, which is contracted to manage the Gardens, will mount patrols between 4 pm and 6 pm for the next two weeks, and will monitor activity near the Taunton Road entrance where the worst trouble has occurred recently.
The Chair of the Friends of Manor House Gardens welcomed the move and added “If successful, we would expect this to be extended over the school holidays with additional patrol officers recruited as required.”
In the last week vandals have torn down the netting in the football/basketball court, and wrecked the lock on the tennis courts. Both are now closed to the public.
Vandalised nettingDamaged tennis court lock
The Friends have invited Glendale and Lewisham Council to commit to a zero-tolerance policy of anti-social behaviour in the Gardens and provide the resources to stamp it out. The Friends, and Pistachios café, have both offered to help fund additional measures, if necessary.
The Friends have told Glendale and the Council “We are disappointed about the slow progress of CCTV installation which has now stalled over the last 12 weeks. We understand the challenges but require both of you to commit to get this back on track in the next 2 weeks with a clear delivery timeline.”.
He is also due to meet the Police soon, when he will push for a more proactive approach to criminal behaviour in the park.
The Friends say “Although the council considers Manor House Gardens to be in an affluent area of Lewisham most of the our visitors are not. It is the poorest in our community who are impacted the most from not being able to use the park safely.”
