Agenda item

1

Welcome and Introduction to the meeting

Councillor Chris Maines welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced the agenda.

2

New Parking System

Lesley Brookes and Ralph Wilkinson from Lewisham Council spoke to the assembly.  www.lewisham.gov.uk/parking

Changes this year

It was said that 37 recommended changes in the parking system were agreed by Lewisham’s Mayor and Cabinet meeting in April this year and are in the process of being set up.   These include some flexible control parking zones and 2 hour parking zones, weekly permit reduction from £28 to £20, discount for cars with low emissions and free carer permits.  There are also free visitor permits for older people on benefits.  There is a review of the CPZ areas being carried out at the moment and a move away from the pay and display system.

It was commented that Lewisham council has to make £85 million of cuts and that is why the parking shop closed and cashless parking was introduced. 

Phone contact

It was commented that the 0845 was a local rate number but as if it is phoned from a mobile it is an expensive call the number is being changed to a 0208 number 020 8787 5397. 

Visitors Permit from Lewisham Library

I was confirmed that as some people can not use the phone or website to get visitors permits, they can now be bought from Lewisham Library by cash.

Charges

It was commented that Barnet councils charges were reversed because they were set illegally.  As Lewisham set the charges legally they are not going to be reversed.

How money is used

It was commented that the Mayor and Cabinet are going to publish what the parking charge money is spent on in the borough and this will be on the Lewisham Council Website.

Blackheath Zones

It was said that there was a review in 2006 of Blackheath’s zones but the results were inconclusive, not enough people wanted to have an hours a day no parking without a permit.

Heathside and Lethbridge 

It was commented that as Heathside and Lethbridge is a new development all the land around it now is rented by Family Mosaic and there are no public highways on the new estate with parking bays and limited parking spaces, 560 for 1192 homes.

Questions and Answer Session 

Heathside and Lethbridge 

Raj Vekaria the Chair of the Parkside Residents Association on Heathside and Lethbridge spoke to the assembly.  It was said that there are 5 visitors spaces in the whole development but there are visitors spaces nearby that residents are not allowed to apply for.  It was said that residents can’t have family members to visit and this is isolating some people.  Also there is a problem with domestic help for older people and people that have come to provide childcare.

Lesley commented that the demand for parking spaces would be so high just outside the area, that they are protecting the areas around the development.

It was commented that there should be a temporary solution allowing residents of the new blocks (Parkside) to access part of Lewisham Road for visitors permits.

Dacres Park

It was commented that there is a car park in Dacres Park that has large containers in it taking up parking spaces. 

Lesley commented that is it a Lewisham Homes car park and not a Lewisham Council Car park.

Online Parking   

It was commented that visitors cannot arrive unless the resident is actually at home at the same time or know exactly the time the person will be arriving.

Lesley commented that is was raised as an issue and that scratch cards would now be available via the post or from Lewisham Library.

RINGO

It was commented that the RINGO number is 0905 and £1.53 per minute.

Dangerous opportunist  Parking  - Banks

It was said that the loading bay outside Barclays on Tranquil Vale is very dangerous and that the yellow lines by Lloyds bank create dangerous parking and that it would be improved if people were allowed to pull in for 10 minutes to use the ATM’s.  The loading bay opposite the station has been removed and should be reinstated to allow use of ATM’s.

Disabled Bays

It was commented that there were 8 disabled bays in the village and 2 have been removed which has made a big difference.

It was answered that loading bays and parking bays are changed when a review is undertaken.

Blue Badge Holders

It was answered that there are 17,200 blue badge holders in Lewisham.

Belmont Hill

It was advised by a resident that 2 parking bays on Belmont Hill on the north side cause traffic jams.  They are around St Stephens Grove and Lockmead Road and stop emergency vehicles.

It was answered that this would be passed on to the traffic team.

Paid Private Carers

A resident explained that she has a disabled daughter and spends £2,000 on residents permits for the carers.  As they are private carers and not contracted by Lewisham the permit is not free.   It was explained that she would not be able to live on her own and therefore qualify for a carers permit for a disabled person that lives alone.  It was also added that 20% of people are getting direct payments and that the council is encouraging people to manage their own personal caring budgets and this is a penalty for something that Lewisham is encouraging.

It was answered that this would be explored further.

John Ball School Baizdon Road

It was commented that there are no school signs at the top of the road and people use Baizdon Road as a cut through to avoid Hare and Billet and speed past the school.  A lot of commercial vehicles do this regularly and there should be road signs or speed bumps.

It was answered that this would be an issue for Traffic and Road Safety Officers.

Number plate Data

It was advised that when parking officers record the number plates of cars they wipe that information at the end of the day unless there is a parking violation. 

Dropped curbs without planning permissions

It was advised that if someone has dropped a curb without planning permissions and taken away parking spaces that complaints should be made to Lewisham Highways Department. 

Cashless parking

It was advised that both methods; cash and cashless will be available in Blackheath.

3

Feedback from Blackheath consultation

Nancy Stridgen the assembly coordinator explained that at the last assembly on 3 July 2013 people had discussions and wrote down what they would like the assembly to work on and spend the assembly fund on.  Nancy has also visited local community groups outside of the meeting and put together a booklet with the results of the consultation which was given out at the assembly.  It was asked that people look at the booklet and also the voting form and rank their top 10 projects that they would like the assembly to work on and spend this years assembly fund on.

It was explained that the response back from residents had changed the priorities slightly and the assembly were being asked to also vote on whether they are happy with the updated priorities.  These are (in no particular order):

·      Environment and Community

·      Provision for Older People Young People and Children

·      Parking, Streets and Waste

·      Crime and Anti-social behaviour

4

Table Discussions and vote

64 people attended the assembly and 51 people voted.  These are the results of the vote ranked in order of preference.  If the project was marked as someone’s favourite it would receive 10 points. 

Update Assembly Priorities

The assembly voted to update the priorities with a result of; 30 Yes

12 No and 9 no votes.

5

Playspace Working Group Update

Tony Aldous local residents spoke to the assembly.

He explained that the playspace working group met at St Matthew Academy on 17 September, to further consider people’s views on provision of play space in Blackheath Ward. Blackheath Local assembly has previously voted in favour of using funds available to it to meet this need.

This was not a meeting of Blackheath Local Assembly but of an informal working party convened under the Assembly’s auspices by Cllr de Ryk. It followed an even more informal gathering held near the disused Talbot Place changing rooms on Tuesday 16 July.

Several of those present queried the status of the meeting and the extent of local assemblies’ powers. The answers given were (a) the meeting was informal and exploratory, and (b) Lewisham’s local assemblies are not legally constituted bodies and have no powers. They can make proposals to Lewisham’s elected Mayor who has the power to implement them if he sees fit.

Cllr de Ryk agreed that to date public consultation on the idea of a play space and in particular the Eliot Pits proposal, (now abandoned) had left much to be desired. Much wider and more transparent consultation would be required before any play space scheme could go forward.

Some of those present complained that there had been inadequate notice of the meeting. The Lewisham website’s Local Assemblies page was criticised as not user-friendly. Cllr de Ryk said all households in the ward had been leafleted. It was, however, clear that some people had not received leaflets. Where people have email, this appears to be a more reliable means of communication.

Lack of clarity about what is proposed has led to confusion and suspicion. There is now broad agreement on the kind of facility being sought: a small, unobtrusive, well-designed collection of play equipment; in wood rather than steel; unfenced and with no concrete foundations; and aimed at pre-school and primary school age children and not teenagers.

There are currently no public play spaces in Blackheath Ward. Several housing developments have small play spaces, but these are private. While in a sense the Heath is one huge play space, there remains a need for more local provision for small children and their buggy pushing parents with equipment which encourages creative play and helps to keep young children healthy.

The gathering at Talbot Place may have raised expectations that a play space could be provided on the site of the disused changing rooms there. Martin Hyde, council officer responsible for green spaces, indicated that, while the changing room block was derelict, the council had no current plan to demolish it. Demolition would be expensive.

Some people present expressed frustration that discussion seemed to be going round in circles. A sensible way forward, it was said, would be for the Assembly to appoint a small working party of four or five people, all of them in favour of creating the kind of play space described above, and including at least one parent with young children. This working party’s task would be to explore (a) locations; (b) types of equipment; (c) ways forward. It would welcome suggestions and would report back to the Assembly. Its proposals would then be the subject of widespread public consultation.

Cllr de Ryk stressed the need for transparency and emphasised that the assembly should only proceed with a scheme “if we can create something really worthwhile that children will love”.

It was advised that there would be another playspace meeting on the 20 November at Age Exchange 7.30pm – 9.30pm.

6

Blackheath Fireworks Appeal

Andy Thomas from Lewisham Councils Community and Cultural Development team advised that the Blackheath Fireworks need financial help and gave information on £5 draw to start the fireworks and the cost of the getting wristbands for the VIP area.  People also signed up to volunteer with collection buckets.