Agenda and minutes

Cllr Muldoon welcomed everyone and mentioned the councillors’ surgeries which are on 1^st, 3^rd and 4^th Saturday of the month, 11 am – 12 noon at Catford Library (excluding August).  Residents are welcome to attend any surgery to raise issues of concern to them.

Full details of how to contact councillors outside of surgery times are on the council website.

Martin Wilkinson, Chief Officer of Lewisham Clinical Commissioning Group, spoke about the plans being developed for health services in the six south east London boroughs of Lewisham, Greenwich, Bexley, Bromley, Southwark and Lambeth.

A PowerPoint presentation was shown, and can be seen here:

http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/getinvolved/localassemblies/rushey-green/Pages/default.aspx (Scroll down to see the link under Documents).

Martin introduced the presentation by explaining that Lewisham CCG exists to buy NHS services for local residents.  Lewisham CCG spend a lot of money on care, therefore we need to work with you to give you a say in the services we buy in, and ensure you have as much control over your own health as possible.  In Lewisham and in south east London, patients have told us that the quality can be very good but is variable.  We are trying to bring the quality of all services up to that of the best, and to join up care better.  We also know that outcomes are much better where conditions are detected and treated early.

Local people will be glad to know that we are keeping A&E at Lewisham Hospital.  We are also improving primary care by developing Neighbourhood Care Networks (NCNs) – Rushey Green will be part of Central Lewisham NCN.

Another important part of our plan is to develop central elective orthopaedic centres – to become centres of expertise in carrying out planned operations such as hip replacements.  This will reduce costs at the same time as improving the treatment and outcomes.

Questions and Answers:

Q: Can health services have enough capacity for all the new housing that is being built in the Catford area?

A: Yes, we have built in projected growth figures to our plans.  We intend to deliver the equivalent of a new hospital in terms of community based care in the area.

Q: I have a lot of difficulty in getting to see my GP at present.  How will you improve the A&E pathway when people experience barriers to seeing a GP?

A: We are working with GPs on this.  Ideas include developing more walk-in services, and better processes to speed up access e.g. online booking, telephone appointments, and involving other health care providers such as pharmacists.

Q: Sometimes you have to start queuing at 7.30 am to see a GP that day.  We are only allowed to talk about one issue per appointment.  This does not work for older people with long term conditions and often multiple conditions.

A: As a CCG we are working with GPs to address these problems.  Sola Afuape, Lewisham CCG Engagement Lead mentioned that she would like to have more conversations with people in Rushey Green to learn more about what needs to happen.

Q: For GPs to work together, the law needs to change so they can share information.

A: That’s a really great point.  We all agree that where patients consent, the health professionals working with them should be able to share information about their health  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

·        Rushey Green Time Bank: Philippe Granger

·        Lewisham Pensioners Forum: Bridgit Sam-Bailey

·        Lewisham Irish: Emma Jane Boyd

Rushey Green Timebank (RGTB) – Philippe Granger

In 2015 RGTB ran the Rushey Green Festival for the second consecutive year.  Philippe showed some photos of the stalls and entertainment at the event.  Although the weather on the day was wet, it was attended by over 800 people.  It was again held in the Ladywell Arena which is a safe space where families can relax.  There were a number of stalls and activities, including crafts, circus skills, music (among others, members of Bob Geldoffs band!), did robotics with young children, and a fancy dress competition on the theme of “Astro cats”.

The day was relaxed and peaceful due to the “no alcohol” policy, and we received valuable support from the police cadets.  Philippe thanked Rushey Green LA for funding RGTB to run this event.  More information on previous Rushey Green Festivals from RGTB - LewishamTimeBanks@rgtb.org.uk or call 020 7138 1772.rg.uk

RGTB have also introduced the Lewisham Local card with support from LB Lewisham, an initiative to reward people for giving up their time to help their community, and to also encourage and support local independent retailers and businesses.  Volunteers holding the Lewisham Local card receive substantial discounts from participating shops and services.  For example a local children’s nursery is offering 10% off fees.   If you regularly volunteer, ask your organisation or community group to register with Lewisham Local by contacting Joan Roach at joan@rgtb.org.uk or 07486 684810, and visit http://www.lewishamlocal.org.uk/ for more information.

Lewisham Pensioners Forum (LPF) – Bridgit Sam-Bailey, Chair

LPF was established in 1986 to provide a voice for older people in the borough.  We are run by volunteers aged 55 and over.

We invite speakers on a range of subjects of interest to our members, including:

·        Intergenerational work such as Older People talking to students from Tokyo

·        Black history month – talk from Windrush Association

·        “Techy tea” sessions where people can learn about IT in a fun environment

·        SCAM information sessions with police, CAB etc.

·        Pamper sessions with beauty therapy students

And much more.  Coming up are sessions on “Personhood” and the Care Act.

Lewisham Irish – Emma Jane Boyd

We received funding from RG Assembly in 2014/15 to support our playgroup.  We used this for:

·        Art and craft materials that specifically helped us create celebrations for diverse festivals such as Eid, Diwali, Christmas and Chinese New Year

·        A singing Signer – to work with children with special needs

·        Music sessions

We achieved a 25% increase in take-up, amongst whom many were new

arrivals into the area, thereby contributing to greater community cohesion

as we signposted these families to other local resources.

Hard Hat, the contractors who are working with Lewisham on this development, sent apologies to the meeting.  With regard to the proposal to build a tower block at Catford Green, there remain opportunities for residents to make individual submissions.  Notes from the recent public meeting will be attached to the Planning Officer Report when it is submitted to Strategic Planning Committee.  At the time of the Assembly this was understood to be scheduled to take place after the Mayoral elections.  It is now provisionally scheduled for 22^nd March (this has been communicated with the relevant group). The Planning Officer Report will be published on the LB Lewisham website with the agenda 5 working days before the meeting.

Q: Can the council support those who are campaigning to stop the building of the tower block?

A: This is not possible as it would imply the council had pre-judged a planning decision – this would not be legal.  However, anyone who makes a submission to the council will be notified of the date and time of the planning committee where the decision will be taken.  Objectors are free to carry out legal activities of their choice such as leafleting the railway stations, using local press to voice their objections.  Contact details for Hard Hat can be obtained from Laura Luckhurst at laura.luckhurst@lewisham.gov.uk or call 020 8314 3830.

Gavin Plaskitt is working on options for redeveloping the centre of Catford i.e. Rushey Green and Catford Broadway.  The aims include improving traffic flow, improving the experience for pedestrians and cyclists, and making Catford a “go-to” place which is a pleasure to use, with a mix of retail, entertainment and housing provision.

Gavin showed a PowerPoint presentation which can be viewed here:

http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/getinvolved/localassemblies/rushey-green/Pages/default.aspx (Scroll down to see link under Documents).

He outlined a range of options under consideration.  Discussions are taking place with Transport for London, and LB Lewisham have submitted a bid to the Greater London Authority (GLA) for £40 million for housing development in the area.  Local consultation is scheduled for summer 2016.  This is a long term project and much work has to be completed before any actual building work can start – this is likely to be 2019 at the earliest.

Q: Will the redevelopment include providing a cinema?

A: It’s too early to give a definite answer but increasing the entertainment offer is part of the overall aims.

Q: Catford currently has no community centre with space to hire.

A: The Irish Centre provides hall hire

Q: Will any public toilets be provided?

A: There is a possibility of some provision as part of new council offices.

Constable Corley outlined the key issues for the ward in recent months:

Future plans/developments: in future response officers may carry through the investigation to conclusion, which should lead to faster clear-up.  This is being trialled in neighbouring wards.   The Mayor of London has an initiative – Safer London.  Sharing information between retailers, licensed premises etc. directly, to combat repeat offences of shoplifting, problem drinking etc.

• Bridgit Sam-Bailey made a statement requesting the council not to move Lewisham Pensioners Forum from the Savill Centre.
• Tamara Froud introduced Catford Arts, developed to recognise, celebrate and provide a platform for arts in Catford.  The Catford Arts Trail will take place in September 2016.  More details at SpaceHive.com
• A request was made for Davenport Road Controlled Parking Zone to be altered to run to 1700 hours not 1900 hours.  Cllr Walsh stated that the council is reviewing parking zones and considering different options for making them more workable for local people.  He advised residents in Davenport Road to start by speaking with their neighbours to ascertain local views.
• Fly tipping problems – residents are urged to report incidents of fly tipping as soon as possible using the app at Fixmystreet.com.  This can be downloaded to your phone, enabling you to alert the council immediately you become aware of a problem.  The council are keen to remove fly-tipped items as soon as possible in order to discourage further fly tipping.  Further information about using FixMyStreet at Appendix A.
• Dog fouling: Council are constantly looking at better ways of deterring dog owners from allowing dogs to foul pavements.  You can also report dog fouling via Fixmystreet as above.
• Supermarket trolleys abandoned in streets: if report to council environment service, they can take up with local supermarkets. http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/environment/Pages/default.aspx
• Lighting contractors SKANSKA, unhappiness with the consistency of lighting levels: SKANSKA are carrying out pilots locally with higher and lower levels of lighting to determine best levels for different types of environment.  Broken street lighting can be report to Fixmystreet.com
• The next Safer Neighbourhood Panel for Rushey Green is May 3^rd – please save the date

The meeting closed at 9.15 pm, people were asked to complete their feedback forms before leaving.

Using FixMyStreet

How do I make a report?

1.  Start at the homepage and type in your postcode or a place name. Not sure where you are? Pick 'locate me automatically'.

2.  Put the pin in the map to show exactly where the problem is, and type in a description of the issue. Then send.

3.  Check your email inbox for our confirmation mail, click on the link, and job done.

What can I report?

FixMyStreet is primarily for reporting things which are broken or dirty or damaged or dumped, and need fixing, cleaning or clearing, like graffiti, dog fouling, potholes or street lights that don't work.

There’s an app for Fixmystreet which works with IOS and Android on your phone.  If you want to know more, please visit the website www.fixmystreet.com Fly tipping reported this way is usually cleared within a few days. Or report on the council’s website at: http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/doitonline/report-it/Pages/report-it.aspx where there is a simple online form.