A new Zebra Crossing has recently been installed on Manor Lane close to the junction of Fernbrook Road and Southbrook Road. Two crossings are planned in total with the second to be constructed later this year.
The crossings replace the previous ‘School Crossing Patrol’ (or Lollipop Lady/Man as we used to call them). No mention is had in the Lee Green Councillors Report (July 2025) as to the fate of the said Lollipop Lady but we must assume that her role has been retired.
Lee Green Councillors have said that the new crossing will provide a safe location for crossing on a 24/7 basis instead of for just a few hours each day during school term time.
Combined with existing School Streets, the Lewisham and Lee Green Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and the Sustainable Streets programme these new crossings are a part of Lewisham Council’s commitment to making sure that our streets are pedestrian friendly and support active travel throughout the borough.
Whilst traffic in general has seriously reduced along Manor Lane since the LTN was introduced around 4 years ago, this particular junction on Manor Lane remains busy and Lewisham’s Councillors are to be congratulated for finding the funding to implement such works for the safety of all local residents.
Lewisham’s mayor and cabinet have approved plans to extend their Sustainable Streets initiative – involving permit-only parking, street trees and electric vehicle charging points – to streets to the east of Burnt Ash Road. Only three streets are mentioned in the plans given the green light on July 9 although the original proposal unveiled in February covered all the streets on the Dorville Road side of Burnt Ash Road.
Streets referred to in the council plans are Burnt Ash Hill, Cambridge Drive and Upwood Road with no mention of Leyland Road, Dorville Road or Carston Close. In addition, council traffic planners seem to think Burnt Ash Hill, which runs from the south circular to the Lee station bridge, continues all the way to the Lee Green crossroads.
No mention is made of the length of time for which parking restrictions would apply but the changes will be made by extending the existing Lee Green controlled parking zone, covering much of the Lee Manor conservation area, the mayor and cabinet said. Permit parking in this controlled parking zone (CPZ) run from 10 am to 12 noon Monday to Friday suggesting these timings will apply to the east of Burnt Ash Road.
The original plans for the sustainable streets initiative east of Burnt Ash road suggested imposing parking controls from 9 am to 5 pm which apply in some other CPZs. The Society had objected to any such move on the grounds it would make life difficult for carers and tradesmen and the residents themselves.
Consultation of residents in the half-dozen separate CPZ zones that cover Lee showed a general resistance to any extension of the time period covered by parking controls. There was strong support for tree planting and safer crossings and junctions with moderate support for cycle storage and electric vehicle charging points.
Once sustainable measures are installed they will be subject to review after six to 12 months by council officers, not by councillors or the mayor and cabinet. Council officers failed to turn up to a planned meeting with residents in February and refused a Society offer to arrange an alternative meeting.
If the council has confused Burnt Ash Hill with Burnt Ash Road then controls would apply between the Lee station bridge and the Lee Green crossroads. What is not clear is if this would include the narrow parallel road between Leegate and Dorville Road. The Society called for controls on parking alongside the avenue of mature trees along this road to prevent damage and compaction of the soil. No reference is made in council’s paperwork to this issue though tree planting and presumably care is a cornerstone of the sustainable streets policy.
Sustainable streets aims to improve air quality and road safety, reduce noise and traffic congestion and make neighbourhoods greener and healthier by reducing car use. The council wants 80 per cent of all journeys to be by cycle, walking or public transport by 2041. Fifty-five per cent of Lewisham’s streets are covered by CPZs, one of the lowest levels of any London borough.
Residents in Leyland Road and Upwood Road, Lee, were perplexed when double yellow lines and a cycle-lane suddenly appeared on their doorsteps.
They initially feared that Lewisham Council had started to implement the Sustainable Streets proposals even though the final consultation stage hasn’t yet been held.
It turns out the Council was able to do it without a consultation and will now arrange what they call “a retrospective traffic order” – get permission after the work has been carried out.
Julian Hawkins, who lives in Leyland Road, told the Lee Manor Society he queried the new restrictions with Lewisham, saying ” The plans for the CPZ show a resident parking bay outside my house, and the subsequent notice about charging for the free parking bays did not mention any change except for levying the charges.”
He received this reply from the Senior Engineer: “The double yellows were installed as part of the cycle contraflow scheme and, as this is an advisory scheme, the installation of the scheme did not require statutory consultation.
“The double yellow lines were proposed there to allow a clear unobstructed area of the carriageway for cyclists to enter Leyland Road from Upwood Road. The no-waiting at any time (double yellow lines) restrictions will have a retrospective traffic order created for them.”
Julian said: “I have mixed feelings about the change. I am a cyclist and support reasonable schemes encourage responsible cycling, but am also concerned about dangerous cyclists. I just saw one on an electric bike doing well over 30 mph along Upwood Road earlier this evening, and I think this would be even more dangerous in Leyland Road.
“Also, it is part of a series of parking restrictions which seem likely to hit many ordinary people hard, starting with parents dropping off and collecting from Colfe’s Junior, and continuing with elderly and disabled people.”
44 objections have been submitted against a planning application for land adjoining Buckden Close in Lee. Last night (Wednesday 15th January) Lewisham Council held an online Q and A session between the developers and the objectors.
Amalaki Developments Ltd wants to put up a three storey building containing nine flats.
The plan also includes a proposal for four car parking spaces on a small area of green open land that sits within the Lee Manor Conservation Area, located behind numbers 113-133 Burnt Ash Road.
Initially the Council is only considering an outline application to establish if the site has suitable access.
At the Q and A session a Lewisham Planning Officer put the objectors’ questions to Amalaki, but the residents themselves weren’t allowed to speak. Lewisham has promised to publish the questions and answers in due course.
Lee Manor Society has objected to the use of green open land on the site that sits within the Lee Manor Conservation area for a proposed use as car parking. The Applicant has not yet shown how this loss of green open space can in anyway ‘conserve or enhance the Conservation area’.
The Application can be viewed by searching for ‘Buckden Close’ on Lewisham’s Planning website https://lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/planning/find-comment-planning-applications and finding the Application reference number DC/24/137866.
