Tag: Lee Green

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Lee Manor Society responds to Lewisham Council’s proposal for Lee Green crossroads

The Lee Manor Society has criticised Lewisham Council for several parts of its proposal to designate Lee Green crossroads an “Area of Special Local Character”. Although the Society welcomes the broad initiative, it has identified several failings in the document, which the Council published last year.

In its formal response to the Council,. the Society asks why the document doesn’t refer to the coming development at Leegate which it says will “dramatically affect the setting of the proposed ASLC.”

The Council’s proposal also says “sites in the immediate setting of the ASLC, including the Leegate Centre, Sainsbury’s and Stephen James car yard) should seek to enhance it by responding sensitively to the scale and grain of the historic context”’.

The Society told the Council “This is exactly what the currently approved Leegate Centre proposals have failed to do and it is a great shame that this document does not pick up on this fact and criticise Lewisham Council itself for its clear and obvious failing in this regard to the obvious detriment of this ASLC.” Sainsbury’s and the car yard could both be developed in the future, as is envisaged in the Lewisham Local Plan .

The Society’s detailed response also includes an improved map of the area (shown above) which sets it in the context of street names and landmarks. Many residents were baffled by the Council’s version.

Although the document talks about the impact of the railway on Lee, it makes no mention of the introduction of electric trams in the early 1900s. A new line was laid from Lewisham to Lee Green in 1907 which meant more people could afford to live in Lee and travel to work. Trams were eventually replaced by motor buses in 1952 and nothing remains of this history.

The photographs below show tram lines being installed at Lee Green in 1907 and one of the last journeys of the tram which passed through Lee, in 1952.

The Society also points out that the document’s reference to trees on Eltham Road and Burnt Ash Road, as being ‘of great importance’ to the setting of the proposed ASLC, neglects to mention that several mature trees will be lost to the Leegate development.

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Prolific local shoplifter hit with Criminal Behaviour Order

 A prolific shoplifter who targets shops in Lee Green and Blackheath has been given a Criminal Behaviour Order lasting 10 years.  A CBO is the replacement for the old ASBO (anti-social behaviour order) and if breached the offender can be fined or jailed.

Met Engage, the new police imitative, has told members in the area the suspect was known to be verbally abusive, intimidating towards store staff and in some instances known to produced sharp objects when challenged.  The CBO was imposed because of the seriousness and repeat nature of the offences, reflecting the strength of the evidence and collaborative work between all officers involved in the investigation.
Met Engage adds “Shoplifting is a crime that can have a substantial negative impact on local businesses across London. If you notice anything suspicious or witness anyone shoplifting, please report it as soon as possible. These reports are invaluable in letting us build a picture of when and where shop lifters operate, meaning we can be in the right place at the right time to arrest those responsible.” 

Met Engage has issued advice on how to spot a shoplifter which you can read here.

You can sign up to Met Engage for regular updates here.

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New Zebra Crossings for Manor Lane, Lee

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.

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Plans to extend controlled parking across Lee approved

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.