FUSS Clean Up Day prior to London in Bloom Judging

We've just heard that the FUSS clean up day has changed to Sunday 6th July from 10.30am until approximately 1pm. Meeting up in Staplehurst Road, and if you could bring a dust pan/broom, bin liner, rubber gloves, trowel etc. with you FUSS would be grateful.

Lee Manor School Summer Fair

Lee Manor School are holding their Summer Fair on Sunday 6th July between 2 and 4pm. There's a DJ, Sound Stage, Tombola, Craft Making, Food (Yummy!), Treasure Hunt, Face Painting, Tennis, Basketball, Football, Bouncy Slide, Indoor Bowling and Strawberries & Cream.

Entrance is £1, children FREE.

Looks like fun!

Friends of Hither Green Triangle Nature Reserve Update

I'm very pleased to announce that the Friends of the Hither Green Triangle Nature Reserve (which I'm sure you all know is located between platforms 4 & 5 on hither Green station) now have a new, enthusiastic management committee. Two dates for your diary are the first meeting of the Friends under their new Chair which will be on Wednesday 24th September at 7.30pm (venue to be confirmed), and the date of the autumn clean up day which will be on Saturday October the 11th between 11am and 2pm. Further details to follow, but if you'd like to know more about the Friends and how to get involved email me.

273 bus consultation outcome

In January this year I posted that residents in Fernbrook, Manor Park and Southbrook Road were going to be consulted by TfL (Transport for London) on the introduction of fixed bus stops to replace the Hail and Ride sections of the 273 bus route along their roads. (Hail & Ride we understand is being phased out right across London in order to comply with DDA access.)

Following objections from residents, and input from your councillors, the plans for Southbrook Road have now been revised. Stops will now be situated outside the Northbrook pub and the small industial estate opposite, with no stops outside residents’ homes. Southbrook Road residents should receive a letter from TfL to this effect in due course. The Southbrook Road position will however be monitored by TfL and if complaints about the long distance between the stops in Southbrook Road and Fernbrook Road are received by TfL they will re-consult Officers and Councillors before making any changes.

Again, following our input, TfL are also considering two further stops in Staplehurst Road at the Manor Park end where people currently board and alight the 273.

Locations of the new bus stops, which should be in place by early September are:

Towards Petts Wood

Manor Park, outside Alamo Car Rental building.
Manor Park, outside no: 37
Manor Park, opposite no: 70
Fernbrook Road, opposite Hither Green Station (alongside Costcutter)
Fernbrook Road, just west of the junction with Fernbrook Crescent
Fernbrook Road, outside the rear of no: 178 (Manor Cafe)
Southbrook Road, near the rear of the ‘Northbrook’ pub.

Towards Lewisham

Southbrook Road, outside Southbrook Mews industrial units
Fernbrook Road, opposite no: 68A
Fernbrook Road, outside party wall of no: 65/67
Fernbrook Road, outside Hither Green Station (option for shelter being investigated)
Manor Park, outside no: 86
Manor Park, at entrance to Manor Park.
Manor Park, opposite the Alamo Car Rental building.

Manor Park User Group Meeting to discuss Northbrook proposals

There will be a meeting of the Manor House Gardens User Group on Tuesday July the 8th at 7.30pm in the park café to discuss the Northbrook proposals. Officers of the school, council and development partners have been invited.

Lee Manor Conservation Area Update

Lewisham's Conservation Department have just published the 'Lee Manor Character Appraisal' which gives a fascinating account of the growth of Lee Green and also gives details of the expanded conservation area. You can download a copy here.

An Article 4(2) direction was made on the 23rd April 2008. This means that if you live in the expanded conservation area you now need planning permission if you want to make external alterations such as replacing windows, front doors, roof coverings, painting whole elevations, pebbledashing, laying out hardstanding or changing front garden walls.

The boundaries of the conservation area were extended to include an area to the north east (including Brightfield Road, Hedgley Road and Lampmead Road), the western side of Manor Lane and 113-133 Burnt Ash Road. Flats and some houses in the Upwood Road area were removed from the conservation area as they are later in date and do not form part of the same historic character as the rest of the conservation area.

The following buildings in Lee Manor Conservation Area were locally listed 19 March 2008:

1. Seven parish boundary stones on Southbrook Road, Micheldever Road, Handen Road and Effingham Road
2. The former vicarage, Handen Road (1897)
3. St Winifred’s Roman Catholic School, Effingham Road (c1893)
4. The former Roman Catholic Church of St Winifred, Manor Lane (c1900-03)
5. Southbrook Mews, units 1-7 (c1870s)
6. The Church of the Good Shepherd, Handen Road (1957)
7. The Lord Northbrook public house, Burnt Ash Road (c1865-6)
8. Lee railway station platform shelters and tunnel (1866) (excluding the modern ticket office)
9. Nos 1 Woodyates Road and former postmen's office, Woodyates Rd (c1900)
10. 24-28 Jasmine Court (c1900)

A supplementary planning document which will give advice to people living and working in all conservation areas in the borough will be made available for public consultation this autumn.

Emmaus Recycling Shop in Lee High Road

Emmaus are new to the Ward and they collect unwanted household items like furniture and electrical goods free of charge, and sell them in their shop at 332 Lee High Road to support their work with homeless men and women. The number to arrange a free collection is 020 8854 3426 and they also offer a house clearance service. You'll find further details about Emmaus and their work on their website

Transport for London Journey Planners & VeloVision

And to finish off the cycling theme you can plan your journey by bike or by foot online at:

Cycling: www.tfl.gov.uk/cyclejourneyplanner
Walking: www.tfl.gov.uk/walkingjourneyplanner

And I'd just like to give a plug for VeloVision, which in my opinion is one of the best cycling magazines out there. There is an amazing range of bicycles and pedal powered load carrying options available these days and VeloVision is an excellent way to keep up with what's happening on two wheels. A great read - highly recommended!

FREE Cycling Lesson

Still on the cycling theme if you live, work or study in Lewisham you can get a FREE 2-hour one-to-one cycling lesson. Complete beginners are welcome and you can book your lesson online or call 0845 652 0421

Inaugural meeting of Lewisham and Greenwich Young Cyclists

The inaugural meeting of Lewisham and Greenwich Young Cyclists will take place on Wednesday 9th July 2008 at 7.30pm in the Family Learning Centre of John Ball Primary School, Hurren Close, SE3 0TP. This is the building facing the vehicular entrance to Blackheath Station car park, not the main school
building.

The Agenda for the meeting is:
1. Introductions
2. Election of chair
3. Election of secretary
4. Election of treasurer
5. Vision for the Club - Tom Crispin
6. Affiliation with London Cycling Campaign - Sarah Slater (LCC)
7. Agree membership criteria
8. Agree charges, if any, for membership, Bikeability training and rides
9. Agree purchase of pool bikes
10. Agree purchase of members' merchandise (t-shirts etc.)
11. Agree publicity material
12. AOB

This is a very exciting development and living in Manor Park I often see the cycle training in action, and the confidence and skill shown by the young riders is very impressive. Contact Tom Crispin if you'd like further details.

Food and Drink Festival in Cornmill Gardens Sunday 29th June

Tasty Lewisham Press Release!

Lewisham Town Centre will host its first ever festival of food and drink in the award winning Cornmill Gardens between 10am – 4pm on Sunday, 29 June.

The Food and Drink Festival provides a rare opportunity to sample the finest local, international and ‘fair trade’ produce on a plate – quite literally!

Held in the riverside venue of Cornmill Gardens (opposite Lewisham train station), there will be a huge range of food and drink on offer as well as clothing and crafts:

Pressed fruit juices, cider, bottled ales and herbs from Kent
Wines from Surrey
Traditional cheeses from Somerset, Lancashire, Wales, Italy and France
Goat cheeses from East Sussex
Vegetarian foods such as falafel and filled roti
Fairtrade organic coffee and tea
Freshly made Caribbean food
Local Goan dishes
Authentic Indian pickles
Wild meats from Kent and Sussex
Award winning hog roast, sausages, free range pork and bacon
Fresh seafood
Fine wines from Italy
Portuguese pastries, cakes and tarts
Spanish tapenades and olive oil
Fresh pastas, organic breads, savouries, fresh fruit, salad, cookies, and much more.

For further details email shoplocal@lewisham.gov.uk or call 020 8297 5635.


yum........now Hog Roast sounds interesting!

Portage on Parade!

Friends of Lewisham Portage a holding a sponsored walk and picnic fundraising afternoon in Manor House Gardens on Saturday 14th June between 3 and 5pm. Lewisham Portage offers invaluable support to local disabled children and their families and the money raised at this event will help to fund outings and special play and educational resources.

Quaggy Clean Up Day

On Sunday, June 29th between 1:30pm and 4:00pmn volunteers will be in the River Quaggy CLEARING LITTER and pulling up invasive alien HIMALAYAN BALSAM plants, between Clarendon Rise and Manor Park.

If you would like to join in and help the river then please BOOK YOUR WADERS by
emailing Matthew at QWAG or telephoning 020 8318 6044

giving your: name, shoe size and email address or phone number

then just turn up at the Car Park on Clarendon Rise on Sunday, June 29th at 1:30pm
Your waders will be waiting for you!


This clean up is being organised by QWAG and Thames21.

If you have any concerns about your own river bank, please contact QWAG via the above email address or phone number.

Friends of Hither Green Triangle Nature Reserve meeting

The next meeting of the Friends of Hither Green Triangle Nature Reserve will be on Wednesday 25th June in the Parish Room of the Good Shepherd in Handen Road starting at 7.30 pm. We'll be discussing the group's constitution and the autumn maintenance schedule. You'll be very welcome to join us.

Manor Park User Group meeting

The next meeting of the Manor Park User Group will be a 'walkabout' in the park on Tuesday 1st July starting at 7 pm. We'll be discussing issues such as anti-social behaviour involving dogs in the park with one of Lewisham's Animal Welfare Officers, how the park is managed and maintained by Glendales, summer activities in the park, and the possible development of the disused building in the park for youth activities. You'll be very welcome to join us.

Locality Fund Consultation 2008

How would you spend £10,000 in the ward?

We are pleased to announce that once again we have Locality Funding of £10,000 to spend on improvements or activities in Lee Green ward and we would like to invite you to take part in the consultation process which runs until Friday September the 26th. The criteria for applications or suggestions for how to spend this money is that they should directly benefit the local neighbourhood and that all funding must be allocated and spent by the 31st March 2009. It would help greatly if when making an application you could give details of cost and supplier.

To give you an idea of the kind of thing we are looking for, in the previous three years funding has been spent on:
• a community board at Hither Green station
• cleaning up a problem area like the Burnt Ash Triangle
• match funding for the sculpture in Manor Park
• installing litter bins and planters at Leegate
• planting the flower bed at Lee station
• installing security gates at Burnt Ash
• start-up funding for the Friends of Hither Green Triangle and Manor Park User Group
• outdoor classroom seating at Brindishe school
• local poetry events and workshops
• Lee Manor Society Local History Board
• Good Shepherd Youth Club Folding Pool Table
• Picnic bench for Manor House Gardens User Group
• Community notice board at Hither Green station
• Manor House Library User Group notice board
• FUSS Staplehurst Road Christmas Lights & plants

Some ideas your councillors have had for this year's funding are:
• poetry event at this year's Open Studios
• community notice board for Lee station
• compost workshops
• anti-graffiti paint treatments for Burnt Ash Hill and Manor Lane
• cycle training and Dr Bike workshops
• tree clearance from around the pond area of the Triangle nature reserve
• railway sleeper step access from platform 5 to nature reserve

Funding cannot be used to employ staff although 'one off' costs for personnel who will be directly responsible for delivering the improvement, i.e. artists, are allowed, and money can be added to funding that has already been identified for a particular activity. No applications can be accepted after midnight on Sunday October the 28th when the consultation process finishes so the earlier you can get your application or suggestions in the better, and we can't guarantee that every application or suggestion we receive will be included. We'll have input this year from our Ward Assembly but the decision of your ward councillors is final, and we'll contact everyone who has submitted a suggestion or application with a list of this year's successful applications, which will also be published on Leepedia and in E-Focus.

We very much look forward to hearing from you.

Are you interested in birds?

Glendale are looking for a Bird Champion for Manor House Gardens to record which species of birds visit the bird feeder that will be placed in the park. To find out more about the Bird Champion project email Glendale or call them on 020 8318 3986

FUSS Events

FUSS will be having a clean up and planting day in Staplehurst Road on Saturday the 5th July from 10.30 am. Meet in Staplehurst Road and please bring gloves, trowel, broom and rubbish bag if possible.

FUSS Fund Raising Stall at People's Day
FUSS will be at People's Day on Saturday the 12th July in Mountsfield Park to raise much needed funds for the planters in Staplehurst Road. FUSS would be very grateful for any donations of books : videos : DVDs : jewellery : ornaments and usable bric-a-brac. Items can be handed in at either the Station pub, or left in the porch of 85 Manor Park from Monday 23 June until Monday 7th July.

Lee Green Ward Safer Neighbourhood Panel AGM

Lee Green Ward Safer Neighbourhood Panel will be holding their AGM at Lochaber Hall on Wednesday 2nd July from 7 pm onwards

Lee Green Ward Safer Neighbourhood Panel is made up of representatives of the local community, and the Panel is responsible for setting the policing priorities for our Police Safer Neighbourhood Team.

Why not come along and find out more about the Panel and what it does, and meet our Safer Neighbourhood Team. At the meeting you can find out how to stand for membership of the Panel.

A quartet of events at the Good Shepherd in Handen Road

Good Shepherd Summer Concert
This years summer concert takes place on Saturday June 14th at 7.30 pm, and features the Elm Singers in a program of madrigals, part songs, solo voice and instrumental items by Schubert, Telemann, Elgar, Kreisler and Marcello.

Good Shepherd Summer Fair
This years summer fair in Handen Road will be on Saturday June 21st from 11.30 - 2.30 pm.
Attractions include home produce : face painting : books : plants : children's toys : games and refreshments.

The Thirst Friday Café
There's coffee, cake and good company between 10 - 11.30am every Friday at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Handen Road. Why not come along and bring your friends!

Lee Dancers: Traditional English Country Dancing
Lee Dancers meet on the third Thursday of every month in the Church Hall of the Good Shepherd Church in Handen Road from 7.30 - 9pm . Cost is £3 a session with Under 16s £1. All ages very welcome!

Reminder : Lee Green E-Focus

Just a quick reminder that my colleague, Cllr Brian Robson, sends out an email version of our regular FOCUS newsletter every fortnight . It's full of useful local info and events, planning and licensing applications, opportunities to have your say, and other news and info residents might find useful.

You can subscribe to Lee Green E-Focus by clicking here, which should open a new message window in your email program, and then clicking the 'send' - that's it, no need for text - you don't need to do anything else, and you should start receiving E-Focus shortly afterwards.

We will continue to publish our regular 'hard copy' FOCUS newsletter, and you'll still be able to come and see us at a surgery or contact us by post, 'phone or email. E-Focus is simply a handy way to keep bang up to date about everything the Assembly and what's going on, right across Lee Green ward.

Why not subscribe today!

Licensing Application Dhanvik News 15 Burnt Ash Hill

Dhanvik News, 15 Burnt Ash Hill, has applied for a new/variation licence under the Licensing Act 2003 for the sale of alcohol off the premises Monday – Saturday 08:00 - 23:00 and Sunday until 10:00 - 22.30.

The four criteria under which you can support or object to this application are:
Prevention of Crime and Disorder
Protection of Children from Harm
Public Safety
Prevention of Public Nuisance

You can email the Licensing Team or write to:
The Licensing Team, 2nd Floor Laurence House
1 Catford Road, London SE6 4RU


Please could you ensure that any representations either for or against this application reach the Licensing Team by 8th July 2008.

Lee Green Local Assembly Tonight!

Just a quick reminder that the inaugural meeting of the Lee Green Local Assembly meeting takes place tonight (10th June) at Emmanuel Pentecostal Church Hall 374 Lee High Road, Lee London SE12 8RS, starting at 7 pm. This first meeting is very much about finding out what residents like and don't like about living in Lee Green and identifying their key concerns, and hopefully by the end of the meeting we'll have a co-ordinating committee of residents in place who will be responsible for setting the agenda for the next meeting of the assembly, which will be sometime in September, and ensuring that the work programme set by the assembly is carried out. News and reports from the assembly will be posted on the Lee Green Assembly web page.

We'll also be posting details of the outcome of each assembly meeting here on Leepedia and in our fortnightly email E-Focus.