273 bus stops

According to a letter delivered to Fernbrook Road residents last week the new fixed bus stops to replace the Hail & Ride sections in Southbrook, Fernbrook and Manor Park are due to go live on Saturday 28 November, however no actual bus stops are as yet in place. The letter makes no mention of whether Hail & Ride will continue in Southbrook Road as was last agreed. Despite requests for clarification from both Transport for London and Lewisham on stop placement and how the route will operate we've so far been ignored.

Hopefully officers will eventually communicate and I'll update as soon as we have confirmation of bus stop placement and whether Hail & Ride will operate in Southbrook Road.

Oyster to go live 2 Jan 2010 on Network Rail services in London

Oyster Pay as You Go is to go live on Network Rail services in London on 2nd January 2010

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Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson and Chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, commenting on the Mayor of London's confused announcement of the final roll-out of Oyster Pay as You Go to all train companies in the London area said:

"Boris Johnson has wasted 18 months on this issue. The scheme he will re-announce on Monday sadly will not be as convenient as it should be for Oyster PAYG users and regrettably many people who start to use the trains will discover that the same journey costs far more than a parallel tube journey."

Example: From 2nd January people who travel using Oyster will face far higher fares on the trains than the tube for almost identical journeys. For example the cost of a single tube journey from Finsbury Park to King's Cross is £2.20, but by rail it is £4.00.

"The Mayor should have stuck to his pledge he made to Londoners to sit down with the rail companies and sort out these issues. Sadly because the Mayor has failed to do this and due to lack of attention to detail we will have a scheme from 2nd January that falls far short of what Londoners deserve. Instead of a fast Pay As You Go system many Londoners will now face a Pay As You Queue system."

Example: A person with a season Travelcard on their Oystercard who wants to travel beyond their zone will from January have to queue at a ticket office for every separate trip to obtain an "Oyster Extension Permit"

The results of this year's Locality Fund consultation

As in previous years there was a Locality Fund of £10,000 to be spent in Lee Green Ward in 2009, and like previous years we were oversubscribed with applications. Consultation on how to spend this money was extensive and carried out through the Local Assembly, by email, posters, notices on the ward's community notice boards, Twitter, blogs, webpages and word of mouth. The results of this consultation were presented to the Lee Green Local Assembly at their meeting on the 28th September and the Assembly then voted for their preferred applications. The lucky applicants in the order in which the Assembly voted for them were:

1st: Lee City Safe (South London Citizens)
Who were awarded funding of £1,300 to continue to develop their community work in the Burnt Ash Hill area by developing the skills and self-confidence of children and young people in Lee Green so they can help take the lead in making our streets safer, particularly in the shopping areas. It’s hoped that a programme can be developed that will spread to other shopping areas – Leegate, Staplehurst Road, Manor Lane and Lee High Road.

2nd: Primary Transition Project in Manor Park
Who were awarded funding of £2,385 for a hire of temporary toilet (1 year while the building in the park is refurbished), and provision of barriers, river dipping equipment and a bird hide towards establishing a Forest School in Manor Park, and making the park sustainable for schools and the community.

3rd: Lee Green Local Assembly Youth Forum
Who were awarded funding of £1,400 to run a two day facilitated workshop with young people aged 12-19 in Lee Green ward looking at concepts of space (e.g. where they live) and how they connect with the area and other places, as well as identifying and clarifying what tools will be required to enable their engagement in the local decision making processes. Workshop programme to include activities geared towards equipping young people with info around plans for Lee Gate and elsewhere in the ward, including: History & knowledge of area, Identify & analysing local ward, Skills & knowledge audit and Presentation and networking skills.

Joint 4th: Lee Fair Share
Who were awarded funding of £400 to provide two day trips for mobility impaired community members, and purchase a camera to record the events.

Manor House Gardens User Group
Who were awarded funding of £1,235 to reprint the very popular ‘History & Wildlife in the Manor House Gardens’ leaflet which is distributed to local schools, libraries and at park events.

Joint 5th: FUSS (Friends & Users of Staplehurst Shops)
Who were awarded funding of £1,000 to refresh the very popular planting in Staplehurst Road

St Winifred's Catholic Junior School
Who were award funding of £1,000 towards the creation of a ‘Peace Corner’, an area for reconciliation and peer mediation processes, and an outside classroom for the delivery of PSHE and SEAL as a memorial to ex pupil Jimmy Mizen. And two raised vegetable beds at St Winifred’s Junior School (to go alongside the existing one) for use by the school Gardening Club and as an outside classroom for Science and promotion of healthy eating.

Joint 6th: Northbrook C of E School who requested seating provision in Staplehurst Road. Funding of £390 was awarded towards either repairing and reinforcing the large planter situated by Favourable Chicken, the Deli and You Don't Bring Me Flowers in Staplehurst Road to provide seating, or to replace the planter with a new design incorporating seating. At present people waiting for the bus and students from local schools sit on the large FUSS planter on their way home and this is to protect the planter and provide much needed seating.

The Users & Friends of Manor House Library
Who we awarded funding of £890 towards the cost of a heritage board reflecting the history of The Manor House. This will add to the amount allocated from other sources, e.g. Baring Foundation grant. The intention is to follow the pattern of the Lee Heritage Trail boards which have been established by Sir Ian Mills of the Blackheath Heritage Trust so as to be similar.

Hither Green Triangle Clean Up Day Cancelled

Just received word that the Hither Green Triangle nature reserve clean up and step building day planned for Saturday November 21st has unfortunately had to be cancelled. The good news however is that on the same day Hither Green Community Association are holding a clean up day on the station embankment in Springbank Road so there's still plenty to do! Please remember to bring your steel toe capped boots along if you already have them.
Further details and/or to confirm attendance please email: info@ourhithergreen.com

Hither Green Station Embankment Project

Hither Green Community Association are holding a clearing, pruning, planting day on the Springbank Road embankment on Saturday 21st November, 11am-3pm, at platform 1 Springbank Road.

Steel-capped boots and high-visibility vests will be provided on the day.

For further detail and/or to confirm attendance please email: info@ourhithergreen.com

Caring Christmas Trees Project

King's Church Catford are part of this years Caring Christmas Trees project. Simply by buying a quality real Christmas Trees from http://www.caringChristmastrees.com you will be supporting homeless people. Order online and select the size of tree and location/day that you would like to pick it up.

Every Caring Christmas Tree bought helps a homeless person receive shelter and support through the work of The Jericho Road Project which is run as part of King’s Church Catford (charity no.1082666). The Project began in 2001 and currently provides housing for 26 people whilst also working to reduce rough sleeping and helping ex-offenders to reintegrate into society, the mentally ill to maintain stability and former addicts to stay clean.

Home Education Resource

Interesting Home Education (or indeed for anyone with an enquiring mind) resource: http://www.cosmolearning.com/

Christmas lights at Leegate!

After years of requests very pleased to announce that we'll finally have Xmas lights at Leegate this Christmas! Look out for the lights in Lee Road, Lee High Road, Burnt Ash and Eltham Road. Lights should be up and switched on by 28 November.

Lee Green Open Studios 2009

The annual Lee Green Open Studios event gives the very creative people of Lee Green the opportunity to show their work to visitors in an informal and relaxed way in studios, galleries, cafés and community spaces all centred around the Lee Green area. This year there are 37 people taking part, showing in some 16 venues in South East London.

Visitors can view the work on display, meet and talk to the artists and designers and buy pieces of their work or place a commission. An enormous variety of work will be on show including textiles, jewellery, prints, photography, ceramics, painting, sculpture and lots more.

Leaflets with maps marking the venues will be available to pick up soon from these supporting businesses:
You Don't Bring Me Flowers Cafe 15 Staplehurst Road
Hand Made Foods 40 Tranquil Vale, Blackheath
Stark Gallery 384 Lee High Road
Leaflets will also available from all Lewisham Libraries very soon and from any of the venues during the Open Weekends.

Lee Green Open Studios 14-15th and 21-22nd November
Saturdays 12-7pm, Sundays 12-6pm

Admission is free at all Venues

Dog Control Order Enforcement Notices come into effect: 16 November

As from 16 November 2009, enforcement action - which means an on-the-spot fine of £75.00 - can now be taken against people who:

Fail to remove their dog’s faeces from a public place
Do not keep their dog on a lead in a designated area such as a park or open space - these will be sign-posted in public areas
Do not put, or keep their dog on a lead when directed to do so by an authorised officer
Permit their dog to enter land to which dogs are excluded - these will be sign-posted
Take more than 4 dogs onto land at any one time

As well as Council enforcement officers other partners such as Safer Neighbourhood Teams, Neighbourhood Wardens, housing partners and the Council’s parks contractors, will have the authority to issue the Fixed Penalty Notices if people do not comply with the regulations.

The Dog Control Orders exclude people who are registered blind with a guide dog and people with trained/registered support dogs.

People of Lewisham Ukulele Collective

People of Lewisham Ukulele Collective meet alternate Tuesday’s 8-30pm at The Lewis Club, Lewisham Hospital. Beginners and experienced Ukers welcome. Visit the club webpage for songs and links at http://lewishamukulele.wordpress.com Or contact simon