My colleague Cllr Chris Maines is collecting examples so he can put together the full picture.  If you’re a parent who is dissatisfied with your offer from the Council, please do drop Chris a line at cllr_chris.maines {at} lewisham.gov(.)uk – do copy me in, too.

• The application to vary the render shades and add louvres is going to planning committee B on Thursday 4th February.  Officers have recommended to the committee that the application is approved.  You can read the report here. The meeting is held in public at 7.30pm at the Civic Suite, Catford, so you’re welcome to attend if you wish.
• The application to alter the window to reflect the more appropriate design agreed with the community (see my 12th Jan post) has now been received.  The application and drawings can be viewed online, at the Planning Office at Laurence House, Catford, or at Manor House Library during normal library opening hours.   Deadline for comments is 9th February.  These can be emailed to planning {at} lewisham.gov(.)uk – please quote ref DC/10/73303, and feel free to copy me  in.

I’m pleased to say that following a meeting with residents and the Lee Manor Society held just before the Christmas break, the designers have come back with a revised window which addresses many of the concerns local people had – the image to the right illustrates how this will look (we’re waiting for a better visual from the designers).

The change to the window will have to go through the planning process in due course, and I was told at the meeting that residents will be consulted on the window this time. 

In the meantime, the planning department are consulting on some alterations to the render colour/louvres application.  This has now been changed again to tone down the yellows, oranges and reds.  You can see examples here.  Residents have until Friday to get their comments to planning {at} lewisham.gov(.)uk (quote DC/09/72596, and please feel free to copy me in).

For reference, the main page for the render/louvres application is here.   Incidently, the notes of the public meeting I chaired on 24th November are now online here.

The frustrating thing is that we could have got here a lot more quickly if the Council had chosen to consult locally in the first place…

You might remember that last year I gave a plug to the appeal for ex-St. Winifred’s staff and pupils to come forward with their memories, stories and photos of the school for a ‘Memories of St. Winifred’s’ publication.

The work’s now complete and the book is at the printers and expected to be ready later this month.  The editorial team are delighted that so many people contributed to the project.  If you’d like a copy of the book, please email Rose Gibbs, Co-Ordinator of the Editorial Team at roseanngibbs {at} onetel(.)com with your postal address.

The Council has now been approached by English Heritage, who have told them that they are processing an application to make the school a listed building.

Once Northbrook move back to Taunton Road, the Council’s plan is to move the Brent Knoll School to the Leahurst Road site, though as Brent Knoll is a special school, the building will require internal adaptations. If the building were to be listed, this wouldn’t be impossible, but it might impose some constraints.

The Council has until May 30th to let English Heritage have their views – in the meantime, I’d be interested in yours!

You may notice there’s been a rash of listings locally – in addition to the listing of pre-fab bungalows in Whitefoot Ward, Lewisham Bridge School has been listed too.   I understand the school listings are because English Heritage have been doing aLondon-widestudy of London School Board buildings. They’re also considering listing Holbeach Primary school in Catford.

On Wednesday, I attended a meeting of Mayor and Cabinet. I don’t make a habit of going to these, but there were three things I was interested in on the agenda.

Firstly, the Mayor was (finally!) agreeing the rent increase for 2009/10. This was delayed as the Government announced – very late in the day – some extra money for rents. This has caused chaos as Lewisham had already announced the rent rise, and so has had to freeze rents til July while they work out what to do. The Government has also managed to exclude thousands of tenants across the borough, who won’t benefit from this cash at all. Not their finest hour. Anyway, the final increase is 3.84% and should come in from July 6th.

Secondly, the Mayor agreed the waste strategy, which (amongst other things) will see a garden waste drop-off point set up during weekends, probably in the Blackheath Station Car Park. A bit nearer than the Landmann Way site for people in Lee Green, but still no good if you haven’t got a car (can’t see many people pushing a wheelbarrow that far!).

Thirdly, the Mayor rubber-stamped the £5,000 the local assembly allocated for community consultation and activities at the Leegate Centre. Excellent news.

After work on Thursday, I met with the Executive Director for Customer Services to discuss various housing issues. The good news is, the Lee stock transfer is still on-track for approval in June/July – can’t come a moment too soon for me or the residents on the stock transfer estates.

Then I was off to housing committee, which was considering the draft homelessness prevention strategy. I was pleased to get the document amended so that councillors will get regular reports on how the strategy’s progressing. It’s one thing having a good strategy (which I think we now have) but it’s another thing making sure it’s implemented.

Once housing committee concluded, I was straight into the Sustainable Development Committee, where they were already half way through taking evidence from Sutton, Islington and Greenwich Councils on home insulation. Always good to hear what some Lib Dem-run councils are up to – and Islington and Sutton do seem to be setting the pace. After that we discussed the new parks management contract (currently held by Glendale). This gave me a chance to put in another plea for a park keeper for Manor Park. I was also pleased to learn that some of the investment cash for this contract will be targeted at smaller parks – so there’s a chance we could get some improvements to the little-known Edith Nesbitt Gardens, Lee Green’s third park.

Thankfully the weekend’s a bit more Lee Green focussed – I’ve got my monthly advice surgery at Leybridge Court, and am planning to drop into the Lee Manor Society Plant Mart and the St. Margaret’s Victorian Fair. Late on, I’m attending a meeting with residents regarding 87 Old Road, and then I’m sitting back to watch Eurovision.

Then on Saturday, it’s the annual Lee Manor Society plant mart from 2pm until 4pm at 2-6 Micheldever Road.  Raffles – Cream Teas – Tombola – Bric-à-Brac – Children’s Games – Cakes, Jams and Preserves are promised.

Also Saturday from 2-4pm is the St Margaret Lee CofE School’s Victorian May Fayre at the school on Lee Church Street.  Entry is 50p and there is a punch and judy, coconut shy, raffle and other attractions.

My flyer was on the doormat when I got home tonight, and I’d encourage you to have a read of yours when it comes through – it gives a good summary of what we’ve been up to since the assembly began last June.

Up for discussion this time are:

• Proposal to spend £20,000 on developing a youth club in Lee Green
• An update on the Leegate priority
• An update on the environment prority and a suggestion that we spend £20,000 on further improvements in Manor Park
• An update on the parking ‘motion’ we passed at the last Assembly
• An update on the re-opening of Manor House Library from the Library service.

So a lot to discuss – do come along if you can make it, and if you can’t, feel free to let me have your views in advance of the meeting.

So I’m really pleased that as part of the local assembly process, we’ve launched a survey aimed at young people in Lee Green ward.   We’ve recognised that we’re not going to get young people flocking to attend 2 hour long local assembly meetings (though they’re very welcome if they want to come!) so we’ve launched an online survey.

We’d like to spread this survey as widely as possible, and we’ll be talking to local schools and youth groups about how best to make that happen.   But if you’re young and live, work, or study in Lee Green, then please do fill it in – and if you’re not, please do pass the link on to someone who is!