Agenda and minutes

Cllr Pauline Morrison, welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced Crofton Park Ward Councillors Chris Barnham, and Roy Kennedy

Cllr Chris Barnham explained the context for the Lewisham Big Budget Challenge. He stated that

-          Lewisham Council needs to find savings worth £85m over the next three years to balance its budget in the face of Government cuts to its funding.

-          Lewisham’s Mayor and councillors will be making decision over the coming months and are keen to know where communities would continue spending money and where money could possibly be saved.

Adrian Wardle, Head of the Council’s Communications Unit delivered a presentation and Q&A session entitled ‘The Big Budget Challenge’ which addresses

-          how the Council currently spends its money, where the money comes from, what services the Council provides for the community, and  the Council’s income is being cut,

-          how and when decisions will be made and how to get involved in helping the Mayor and councillors make the necessary, tough decisions.

The Lewisham Big Budget Challenge is your chance to have a go at balancing the Council’s books and to choose your own way to trim the

Budget using the online budget simulator. For more information visit

www.lewisham.gov.uk/bigbudgetchallenge

The online Budget simulation is one of a range of consultation methods available to local people to have their say on the Big Budget challenge. The results of all of the consultation methods will be collated by the council and used to help reach an informed decision around future budget allocations.

Questions were invited from the floor.

Q) What would happen if the councils stopped providing services to children and Young People?

A) National legislation governs a number of services delivered by local authorities. There is a statutory requirement to provide safeguarding services to a certain standard for Children & Young People, Older residents and the vulnerable. Big Budget proposals would seek to providing services at better value or to reconfigure selected services provided in addition to legislative requirements

Q)  What proportion of the budget is for statutory services?

A)  Most services delivered by the Council have a statutory element to them.

Q) Would income generated through the Big Budget Challenge affect the level of Revenue Support Grant received from central government? 

A) No. The Revenue Support Grant is a central government fund distributed to local councils with levels set according to a national formula.

Q) Would the level of revenue support grant from central government change if the local population increases?

A) Yes. One of the factors used to calculate revenue support grant levels is population level and needs of the population.

There were discussions about maximising the use of assets to assist in the delivery of the Big Budget requirements. Adrian informed the meeting of some of the approaches already being considered including generating income from short and or long term lettings rather than sales, and maximising the use of less used pockets of land.

Cllr. Pauline Morrison informed the meeting that a steering group is in place and support has been given to further develop the forum and Neighbourhood Plan.  As part of the forum development process the constitution has been amended to enable wider membership. The meeting were informed of the  new Forum membership application process. Existing members were requested to re-apply using the updated form. Consultation on the Crofton Park Neighbourhood Plan is ongoing and will include information drawn from residents, local Assembly consultations, and wider consultations such as the Crofton Brockley Corridor Plans to feed into the plans development.  The Neighbourhood Plan will be launched at Crofton Park Library on 5 November 2014 at 7pm. Neighbourhood Forum representatives will deliver outreach presentations at local meetings to encourage wider participation from community groups. Cllr Pauline Morrison encouraged those in attendance to get involved in the development of the Plan by contributing their views over the coming months.

LBL Officer Winston Castello gave an update on the Crofton Park Assembly Fund which is now open for applications for funding  of up to £500 for projects which  addressing one of more of the following Crofton Park Ward priorities.

1. Community Cohesion 

2. Younger People

3. Older People
4. Environment

There is currently a consultation on the Crofton Park Ward Assembly priorities for funding for 2014/15 which will close on 6 November 2014. Current ward priorities will be updated in line with the outcomes of the consultation. Contributions can be made via the online survey available on the Crofton Park Ward Assembly pages on the Lewisham Council web site, via forms distributed at the Ward Assembly meeting or by informing Crofton Park ward Councillors.

The deadline for submissions of application to the fund is 12 noon on Monday 17 November 2014.  Application forms can be downloaded from the Crofton Park Ward Assembly pages of the Lewisham Council Web site at http://www.lewisham.gov The Crofton Park Ward Assembly Coordinating group will meet on 19 November to ensure submissions meet the fund criteria. Voting on projects will take place at the Crofton Park Ward Assembly meeting on 13 December 2014 at Crofton Park Library from 11am – 1pm.  For further information about the fund and for application forms please contact Margaret Agana at Lewisham Council. Margaret.agana@lewisham.gov.uk

• Walk-in Space
• Dalmian Girls Football

Crofton Park Library – Is now a  community owned  managed resource.
150 registrations were received for  the summer reading project.  The library run a number of sessions including arts and crafts and reading and generate additional income from the sales of donated books  The library is currently seeking volunteers. For details contact Alison- Crofton Park Library, Brockley Road Tel: 020 8694 9373

Dalmain School Girls Football Team –  Held 6 team tournaments. Medals were awarded and 68 girls took part. The team secured 5 new members who are now actively involved weekly. The Club were invited to London Football Association award ceremony at Emirates Stadium and were awarded ‘Female Charter Standard of the year’  for London.  The club thanked the Assembly for the funding which has helping to increase their recognition, membership, and numbers of girls attracted to the club.

The club are also working in partnership with London FA and National FA to start up the only 60+ Walking Football club in the UK. Walking football is a low impact healthy outdoor activity, combining football and walking.

Further details are available at  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dalmain-Athletic-GFC/240166582755485

Walk-in Space - The youth club is held on Friday nights for children age 8 +. Activities include table tennis, cooking performing arts and sports. Around 60 children from Perry Vaile and Crofton Park wards attended the last club night

Live Hill Fields - Nicholas Taylor thanked the Assembly for the support for Live Hill Fields Festival over the years. 

Crofton Park Safer Neighbourhoods Team-  Active Police  Sergent Richard Cheeseman gave an update on ward safety highlighting a reduction in number of local burglaries attributed to a combination of increased policing and community reporting.  Three new Neighbourhood watches have  recently been set up in the area which have been very successful - contact the Safer Neighbourhoods Team if you would like to set one up in your area.  Free security surveys are available for residents on request from your local Safer Neighbourhoods Teams.  There was a resident suggestion to develop an online system  for the location and retrieval of Lost Property handed in to local Police Stations.

ACTION:  Richard Cheeseman APS  to forward on suggestion to update Lost Property retrieval systems and report back to the Assembly meeting on 13 December 2014

Cllr Morrison thanked those in attendance

1pm – meeting closed.

D.O.N.M    
Saturday 13 December 2014 at Crofton Park Library11am – 1pm