Agenda and draft minutes

1.1       Cllr Liam Curran Chair of the Sydenham Assembly welcomed everyone to the meeting, introduced Cllr Chris Best and explained Cllr Rachel Onikosi would be joining the meeting later as she was addressing Downham Assembly. He outlined that there would be a re-ordering of the agenda as Kate Fletcher had a warrant early the next morning.

3.1    Selina Eldridge outlined the 2015-16 offer from Adult Learning Lewisham which includes English and Maths up to GCSE level, various arts, design and crafts courses, languages, ICT and dance.

3.2    There is a course overview booklet and the full prospectus is available on the website at

http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/education/adult/find-a-course

3.3    Course are delivered from three centres across the borough (Brockley Rise, Grove Park & Granville Park). To enrol you can visit one of these centres or phone 020 8314 3300 to speak to a member of the team.

3.4    There are concessionary fees for older people and those on JSA and ESA benefits, these vary but are typically 50% reduction.

Q.   Do you have a print copy of the full prospectus?

A.   Lewisham has not produced a printed version for the last couple of years, however for those who do not have access to the internet, staff at the three centres are happy to go through the online prospectus with you or you can phone the number and someone will help you to find the right course.

Q.   I took a French course a few year ago but it was not the right level. Is there a way to have a taster session so that you do not pay for something that is not right?

A.   We do not offer this option, however, the numbers for the curriculum leaders are on the website, or if you phone the number someone will be able to put you through to the right person.

3.5       There are some special projects that we are running at the moment. One is the SPEC project. We are seeking volunteers to run English conversation groups for speaker of other languages in community venues. We offer training in how to run these effectively. Please contact Sarah if you would like more information on this.

6.1    Cllr Onikosi played the animated film which outlines the reasons why we are consulting together with an overview of the various cost saving options that are being considered. She then invited questions.

Please note these are not verbatim minutes so questions and answers are summarised.

Q:  What size would the foods waste bins be?

A:  Most authorities use 22 litre bins, which is quite small.

Q:  I have somewhere for extra bins but what happens if people do not have the space?

A:  There would be special arrangements for people who do not have room for extra one.

Q:  How will it work to have the food bins in flats?

A:  The current consultation is regarding street properties only, we will need to consult separately for flat for flats.

Q: I live in a house and my neighbour often uses my bin as his fills up before the end of the week, so I am concerned about fortnightly collections.

A:  There is a hierarchy of waste management and encouraging people to reduce their consumption is at the top of this. It may need us to engage some residents in education on waste reduction.

Q:  This could be quite confusing, would we get a list of what is being collected when?

A:  If we decide to change to fortnightly collections, we would produce information for residents affected by the change.

Q: Are you looking to other borough to see what is working well there?

A:  Yes we have look at what is working across other boroughs such as Bromley, Croydon, Hackney and others. The current consultation is based on effective practice that we identified.

Q:  When are the fortnightly collection likely to start and can we request extra bins if we currently share with our neighbours?

A:  This is a consultation so we will not make any decisions until we have seen what people say. Any change would then be rolled out across the borough and we would provide extra bin for people who share if they need them.

Q:  I am concerned about capacity as I share my recycle bin and it is already full most weeks. Do you not then run the risk of people using their black bin for recyclable materials which then mean you do not see an increase in the % recycled?

A:  You are not the first person to have said this and we can decide to keep a weekly collection for recycling if that is what people tell us is needed.

Q:  Why are you prosing a subscription for garden waste which you might not use for several months of the year, the bags are good because you buy the roll and use them when you need them.

A: There are some issues with the current system, people have said that the process of acquiring bags is not easy and the contractor has often run out of bags resulting in delays in delivery.

A fact sheet is attached for further information.

The Council  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

2.1    Kate Fletcher introduced herself to the Assembly as she has recently joined the team in Sydenham. She is currently acting Sergeant.

2.2    Crime figures across the ward are generally low at the current time and there has been a decrease in robbery with the public responding to crime prevention advice.

2.3    Drug crime figures are up but this is due to the current focus that the team have; dealers are being targeted and this is resulting in more warrants. Currently the team are working on four addresses which are linked. These have been identified from intelligence gather through Crime Stoppers so please do report anything that you see or hear.

2.4    Zanzibar’s licence is still on a continuous review and will be monitored.

Q.   Cllr Best asked if there was news regarding the potential loss of PSCO’s as this was causing concern in the community.

A.   They are in the consultation period at the moment to determine if all PCSO role will be deleted or half will retain their roles. The consultation period finishes towards the end of the month.

Q.   What is the local policing strategy regarding young people and knife crime after the recent stabbing?

A.   There is a team of six and we have a high visibility strategy with staff patrolling regularly on the streets. These officers try to engage with young people. This is also the approach around drugs which is a gang related issue. Officers are encouraged to build relationships so that they are not seen as just people who stop and search young people

Q.   Why are there not always police on the streets?

A.   The officers work on a shift pattern and, whilst they spend as much time as possible patrolling, there are other duties that need to be covered such as investigating crime, dealing with warrants and ensuring records are kept.

Q.   At the borough Safer Neighbourhoods Boards meeting a senior officer said that Lewisham doesn’t have a gang problem. How can you police when there is not a consensus around this?

A.   I think that we do have gangs in Lewisham, do you think there is a gang problem?

Yes.

In terms of tackling this there are many ways that we can do this including engagement, prevention and offering alternative and opportunities.

4.1    Cllr Curran outlined that there was money available for improvements in Sydenham under Section 106, where developers set aside funding to be spent on capital project i.e. improvements to community facilities.

4.2    There are three bids which you have copies of (see appendix 1), and a representative from each organisation will give a brief outline.

4.3    Zoe from Sydenham Arts outlined that their bid was for provision of lights, audio-visual equipment and a hearing loop to make the space more accessible for all and to broaden the use of the space. Cllr Curran added that this would also increase the scope for creating income through hiring the space out.

4.4    Ilse from Sydenham Library explained that the library is used by a variety of groups and that there are two main issues; the boiler needs replacing and the domed windows insulating as it is very cold in the winter and there are roof repairs that are undermining the structure of the building.

4.5    Barry from The Sydenham Society presented their proposals to improve the Sydenham Centre. There are two areas that need addressing with the building in order to improve it and allow it to become a community hub. The first is to engage a surveyor to draw up a plan to reconfigure the space so that is it flexible and multifunctional for all users. The second is to replace the current security system on the doors which is inappropriate for the changing use of the building.

Q.   I am unclear as to whether the Sydenham Arts & Sydenham Society bids are interdependent or are they competing regarding the use of the space.

A.   Zoe confirmed that they are very much working together on the development of the centre and all the proposals are about improving the use and access for the whole community. Barry added that you could do one without the other.

Q.   Is the Sydenham Centre where the film club will move now that they are refurbishing The Golden Lion?

A.   The Golden Lion will still have space for the film club, but it is not an ideal space as it takes a considerable amount of work to set it up and take it down again. The improvements to Sydenham Centre would make it a good alternative venue and we could expand the screening in terms of type and frequency.

4.6    Sarah Lang explained that the Co-ordinating Group met to review the bids and felt that all three proposal added value. Sarah explained the voting procedure and added that we would work with the community to fund all the proposed improvements to both buildings. Attendees were asked to select one of the three proposals outlined ( A, B or C). Proposals and votes are detailed below.

5.1    Cllr Best explained that she is The Chair of SEE3, which is supported by funding from the Mayor of London under the Portas Pilot for the 3 areas of Forest Hill, Kirkdale & Sydenham.

5.2    Last Saturday (13^th September) was Sydenham Market which happens on the second Saturday of each month from 11.00-5.00 in Venner Square and Queensthorpe. We work with Sydenham Arts to put on performances and events on these days called High Street Happenings. This time we had the one-man-band performing up and down the High Street, which was very entertaining.

5.3    There are more trader in Queensthorpe and we are also working with the indoor market at Here for Good so there is quite a buzz developing.

5.4    The next event is Forest Hill Fashion Week from 24-27^th September. There will be lots of different activities such as face painting, cup cake decorating and balloon modelling for young children and for young people there is a youth forum event, also a Mad Hatters Tea Party and two Catwalk Shows.

5.5    This year we will be producing the Christmas calendars again. Please do let us know of any events whether it is for trader, community groups or schools etc. We are also looking for groups to be involved in carol singing as our next meeting will be on Saturday afternoon at Sydenham Library, followed by the switching on of the lights.

5.6    Lastly please do join us again for Halloween on Saturday 31^st of October on Sydenham High Street. We are looking for volunteers to be stewards as we have a great deal of children and families visiting that day and we need to keep them safe.

7.1    Cllr Curran directed attendees to the pack of written updates that was provided.

7.2    Transport issues

Bakerloo Line Extension
 
TfL gave an update on Sept 7 2015 - To see the details of this update please go to the TfL website at:
 

https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/tube/bakerloo-extension?cid=bakerloo-extension

Update - 7 September 2015
We have today published the Responses to Issues Raised document. Details of the consultation can be found below.

Between 30 September and 7 December 2014, a consultation was held on extending the Bakerloo line from Elephant & Castle station through Southwark towards Lewisham, Bromley and Hayes. Thank you to all those who took part in this consultation.

More than 15,000 responses were received from members of the public and stakeholders offering their views on the extension’s proposals. Overall, there was a very high level of support for the principle of an extension to the Bakerloo line. More than ninety five percent or responses expressed support for the principle of extending the Bakerloo line.   

What Happens Next

The consultation responses included suggestions regarding a number of alternative routes. We are now reviewing these options further. Once the options have been fully explored a further public consultation is anticipated in 2016.  This consultation will be able to present the extension proposals in more detail.

We are also working on responding the key issues raised within the consultation, with an aim to publish this report later in 2015.

If a decision is made to progress the scheme, and the necessary funding secured, it is anticipated that construction could commence in around 2023 and be completed in approximately 2030.

 
Terminating at Lewisham

We are also considering options for where the extension may end. An extended Bakerloo line terminating at Lewisham would cost less and focus on supporting inner London’s growth and regeneration. It would also support growth and regeneration in the northern parts of the Borough of Lewisham.
 
Extending the line beyond Lewisham (to Beckenham Junction and Hayes)
If the proposed Bakerloo line extension runs as far as Hayes, it would replace the existing National Rail line between Lewisham and Hayes. It would also utilise the current link to Beckenham Junction. A Tube stop at Beckenham Junction would be in addition to the National Rail station at this location.
Currently, six trains per hour use the Hayes line to London Bridge. An extended Bakerloo line to Hayes could mean up to 15 trains per hour could serve this route. It also means that up to 50 per cent more people may be able to use the line to access central London and the Docklands - via DLR at Lewisham.

This substantial capacity increase would support growth around stations in locations such as Catford. In addition to capacity increases, an extension beyond Lewisham would relieve crowding on the South Eastern Rail network. This is because trains paths that currently go to London Bridge from Hayes could be reallocated to other routes between central London and the southeast.

A proposed extension to Hayes means that people  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

Safer Neighbourhood Panel

8.1    Angela Hall explained that the Safer Neighbourhood Panel is currently made up of representatives from various groups and TRAs and membership is open should people wish to join. The meetings are quarterly and usually take place at the Grove Centre.

8.2    The Borough Commander set the priorities and  role of the panel is to set the ward policies. One example is the recent clamp down on speeding in the ward. This will continue at different locations across the ward in the coming months.

8.3    The next meeting is on 15^th October.

London & Quadrant Housing

8.4    Vicky Price is an L & Q resident who has lived in her property since it was built in the early 1970’s. The terrace comprises of 40 properties and residents were contacted by L&Q  to say that there was damp in the properties and they would be looking into this and would decide if the would take remedial action or propose a rebuild.

8.5    Resident were then contacted to say that the results of the survey suggested rebuilding although not all the properties were visited and the damp is not in may of the houses. Residents have asked several times for more information on the survey and copies of the feasibility study, which have not been forthcoming.

8.6    Vicky thanked the Councillors for listening to their problems with the landlord and asked the Assembly to for help. She is also keen to here from any other L&Q residents who may be experiencing similar issues.

Parks Usage Consultation

8.7    Barry expressed concern over the current consultation on parks which includes proposals for generating income from events.

8.8    There have been 2 recent events in Mayow Park which have been very noisy; a party and a religious service. These went on for several hours and residents need to be assured that these events are adequately policed and do not impact on local residents lives.

8.9    Cllr Onikosi will take these issues back, she was unaware of these event and will check if they were officially booked.

Proposed Funding Bid for TNG

8.10Saffron and Tilly came to speak to the Assembly on behalf of the young people at the TNG. This year, due to the cuts, to youth club was not able to take young people to on the usual seaside trip. This is a valued activity and

service users missed the opportunity to go to coast.

8.11The TNG users would like to bid for a residential trip to take 14 young people away to take part in activities designed to build confidence and resilience as well as developing their life skills.

8.12Saffron and Tilly also made the Assembly that there are weekly film screenings for over 25s on a Friday at the TNG. Flyers were made available.

Questions and answers were included with Community Updates.

9.1    Cllr Curran then thanked everyone for coming along to the assembly meeting.

He then told the meeting that that the next assembly will be on Saturday 5^th December from 2.00pm at the Sydenham library followed by entertainment and the switching on of the Christmas lights in the Literary Piazza.

Q:  Are Christmas Lights a good use of funds in the current financial climate?

A:  Cllr Best explained that the provision of Christmas is part of the contract that was negotiated with Skanska and therefore does not incur extra cost. This is a ten year contract.

There being no further questions and no expressions of interest, the meeting closed at 9.25pm