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Parking proposals: Lee Manor Society appeals to Deputy Mayor to meet residents.

Lee Manor Society has appealed to the Lewisham councillor responsible for Environment, Transport and Climate Action to ensure a representative attends its next meeting to explain the Council’s new parking proposals.

The Society told Cllr Louise Krupski, who is also Deputy Mayor, that it had invited the Sustainable Streets team to attend its next meeting on March 13th, but so far has had no reply.

The Sustainable Streets team was scheduled to attend the final Lee Green Assembly meeting in February but failed to turn up, to the fury of many Lee residents who attended.

Charles Batchelor of the Lee Manor Society told Cllr Krupski “This is a  matter of vital importance to the local community. Residents deserve a proper explanation of what is planned and why this particular format – full-day parking controls, extensive yellow-lining – has been chosen.”

Lewisham says it is currently analysing more than 4,000 responses to its consultation on its Sustainable Streets programme, and the Mayor and Cabinet will then produce proposals in May, when there will be a further consultation.

The Council says the programme is about reducing car journeys to help encouraging walking, cycling, and using other public transport, and to help reduce air pollution, decrease traffic and congestion.

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Lee Manor Society Challenges Sustainable Streets Team to Attend a Public Meeting

Lee Manor Society has challenged Lewisham Council’s Sustainable Streets team to meet residents and explain its plans for new parking restrictions and other measures.

The team was meant to speak at the final meeting of the Lee Green assembly earlier this month, but failed to turn up. At least 60 people had attended the meeting to find out more details about the proposals, which include possible all-day Controlled Parking Zones, Monday to Friday.

The Society has suggested the team could attend its next meeting on Thursday March 13th (7.30 pm at St Peter’s Church Hall). If that is not possible, the Society will arrange another date.

Since the end of the Assembly programme it falls to community groups like the Lee Manor Society to arrange face-to-face events where important local issues can be explained and debated.

Charles Batchelor’s letter says: “This is a matter of vital importance to the local community. Residents deserve a proper explanation of what is planned and why this particular format – full-day parking controls, extensive yellow-lining – has been chosen.

“Lewisham council does not have a good name when it comes to connecting with residents and the failure – at very short notice – of an officer to attend on February 6 has only strengthened that impression.

“I understand our local councillors, who it appears were as surprised as residents at the failure of sustainable streets to turn up on February 6, have contacted you to request a meeting.”

If you wish to encourage the Sustainable Streets team to attend, please leave a comment. You can also email Sustainable.Streets@lewisham.gov.uk or

martha.lauchlan@lewisham.gov.uk or timothy.andrew@lewisham.gov.uk

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Lewisham Received 4,000 Responses on Parking Restriction Proposals

Photo for illustrative purposes.

Lewisham Council has provided more information about its plans for new parking restrictions, including possible all-day Controlled Parking Zones Monday to Friday, in five wards including Lee Green.

The Council has told the Lee Manor Society it received more than 4,000 responses to the second stage of its consultation, covering Brockley, Lee Green, Hither Green, Catford South and Telegraph Hill. These were the wards where residents highlighted that they experience commuter parking pressures or issues with pavement parking.

The second stage of the consultation ended on February 3rd.  The Council said a report was now being prepared to go to the Mayor and Cabinet in May, setting out recommendations, including whether or not to proceed to implementation and where.

The Council told us: “Where Mayor and Cabinet decide to proceed to implementation, there will be a further statutory consultation in the summer. This would involve all residents and businesses in the area receiving leaflets with information about the proposals via post, in addition to promotion through the Council’s various communications channels. Residents/businesses can respond to the consultation online or on a paper form.”

The Council said it does not have any estimates of what the income of each scheme would be, as it is still processing the feedback from the recent consultation in order to make more concrete proposals.

Its statement stressed “Our Sustainable Streets programme aims to create better streets for residents, reduce the number of car journeys made in Lewisham and encourage more people to walk, cycle or use public transport.

“With unrestricted parking on 75% of our roads – the highest of any inner London borough – improving parking management and introducing more sustainable transport measures are both crucial for reducing the number of unnecessary car journeys and tackling traffic, congestion, and pollution.

“Income from parking permits is ring-fenced by legislation to fund transport and highways projects. In Lewisham, we are using the income to subsidise concessionary travel, such as the Freedom Pass, for older and disabled people (though it does not meet the full cost of these services).”

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Two Faces of Manor House Gardens

The herons are busy nest building on the lake in Manor House Gardens. This fine specimen was snapped sizing up a small branch on the edge of the water.

Sadly, not all the visitors to the Gardens are so well behaved. A recent Police Panel heard a number of complaints from residents about troublemakers, especially in the afternoons.

Paul Lowndes, the Chair of the Friends of Manor House Gardens, told the recent Assembly meeting that the problems ranged from quite serious assaults to anti-social behaviour. He said the police had stepped up patrols, and had had some success in making arrests. The schools were also co-operating .

Carolyn Bosworth-Davies, a Taunton Road resident, said they were frequently disturbed by people playing loud music. Her husband, Rowan, added that Glendale’s enforcement officers seemed never to be in evidence in the afternoon period when the anti-social behavior tended to occur.

A representative from Glendale explained that although they could speak to troublemakers and try to educated them, they did not have any more powers at the moment to deal with the problem. However, the Glendale staff would be undertaking enforcement training in the future so they can do more to prevent trouble-making.