Minutes of Meeting
1. Introduction and welcome
Cllr Chris Best welcomed everyone to the Sydenham Assemblyand explained that everyone should have an agenda for the meeting and that her Newsletter is on each table. She then asked people to let Paul Gale the Sydenham Assembly Coordinator know if they did not receive their door to door leaflet promoting the assembly.
Cllr Best told the assembly that as part of the actions from the last assembly and the presentation on the Olympics, Peter Stunell from the transport department of the council is here to advise people particularly businesses about transport arrangements for the Olympics.
2. Transport arrangements for the Olympic Games period
Peter Stunell from Lewisham Counciltold the assembly that whilst there will some impact on transport in London there will be none in Sydenham. However, there may be some impact upon on supplies depending upon where they are coming from. Peter stated that Transport for London have released some leaflets relating to this and some are on each table.
Q How do we ensure that supplies get through?
A There will be opportunities, for example ordering early or from non-affected suppliers. You could look at re-timing deliveries, but some things may be difficult. If you are concerned you need to look at the leaflet and possibly attend one of the free workshops for freight operators and their customers.
Councillor Best also stated that there will be more information on the Lewisham website and that people will be kept informed of developments.
3. SydenhamTown Centre Steering Group
Outer London Fund - Cllr Best told the assembly that the Sydenham bid for the Outer London Fund had been unsuccessful and that the Council was supporting Catford and Deptford initiatives. However, she will continue to pursue funding opportunities for the area.
Girton Road Car Park Community BootSale- Anna BagharifromSydenham Community Radio told the assembly that there will be a community car boot sale from the second Sunday in May at the rear of Girton Road car park, it is hoped that this will run throughout the summer. This has been organised by Sydenham Community Radio and any member of the community or community group can have a pitch which will cost £5. Anna also stated that on Saturday March 10 from 3pm at Venner Road Hall Sydenham Community Radio will hold a community meeting, at this meeting you can find out about plans for the future and how you can become more involved.
Sydenham Town Centre Website–Pen Else introduced sydenhamtowncentre.com to the assembly. This is a vehicle for high street regeneration and will benefit residents as well as shops and businesses. To make things easier Sydenham has been divided into 4 sectors, Cobbs Corner, High Street, Library Quarter and Bell Green. The site is a work in progress and can change and evolve. It can feature key events in the year such as the approaching Mothering Sunday and offer links to businesses carrying out promotions. There will be categories such as events, community, spaces for hire, job vacancies and vacant units. New categories can also go up. Anything that is community related will be free.The site will be very Sydenham specific and retail news can also go up. Pen told the assembly that the site will be relying on information coming in, so ‘you need to tell us what you are doing.’
Q How often do you exchange data and update the main page?
A We aim to update the homepage every month, if you have an event we will need a few weeks notice to put it up
Q How much will it cost?
A If a business was to pay £50 per year it will receive a really good page with a direct link
Q Will it go as far as WellsPark?
A We aim to cover all of SE26, there maybe another one for Kirkdale
Q What about young people, can they use it to promote events
A Yes, this can go in the ‘community’ section
Q What about vacant units, can it help speed up reoccupation?
A It will certainly help and we hope attract inward investment
Q How do you put something on the site?
A Just email me
Q Will schools and places of worship be on it?
A Yes they can go under ‘community.’
Councillor Best stated that she felt that it will give the high street a really good profile and that it goes down as far as Bell Green because of the new developments in that area.
4. Lower Sydenham
Anthony Scully introduced himself as the Chair of Friends of Home Park and Friends of Sydenham Library, he is also a member of the Sydenham Society. Anthony told the assembly that he lives next to HomePark and he has an interest in Lower Sydenham. There have been problems with anti-social behaviour, but the area has improved with the saving of the library a factor.
5. Sydenham Mosaic
Valerie Kelly updated the Assembly on the mosaic project and showed pictures of six roundels completed and proposals for another six roundels which it is hoped will go on the renamed Sydenham Centre. She stated that six roundels still require sponsorship and that they are keen for a further roundel aimed at depicting a multi-cultural Sydenham to complete the 12 proposed.
The six roundels already completed are:
- CroydonCanal with The African Queen by CS Forester, who lived in Sydenham
- Camille Pissarroand St. Bartholomew's Church depicting extra pair of glasses indicating sponsorship by Woodfall Opticians
- Ernest Shackleton – sponsored by the Shackleton foundation
- The London Blitz indicating the bombing of Sydenham Road
- The Couldery Kitten – Horatio Henry Couldery was a local painter known for painting domestic animals – particularly kittens and is sponsored by White’s Pet Shop
- St Christopher’s Hospice logo
Valerie stated that she has already approached local schools for ideas and that the £1,040 underspend from the St Christopher’s roundel has been ring-fenced for this project.
Valerie told the assembly that the pending high street improvements mean that we must try and get the roundels up before the works are completed. The Crystal Palace Great Exhibition roundel and the multi-cultural roundel will certainly be displayed, but money is needed for the other four including
- Sir George Grove, Sir August Manns and Sir Arthur Sullivan who began the concerts in CrystalPalace.
- International Music Festival logo and piano
- John Logie Baird and TV
10. ? Sport and W. G. Grace who lived in Sydenham
Please contact Paul Gale on 020 8314 3387 or email to see pictures of the roundels.
- Feedback from last Sydenham Assembly on 8 September
Update from the SNT and CCTVupdate - PC Chris Duneclift from the Sydenham Safer Neighbourhood Team provided the Assembly with the following figures over the past year:
Robbery - Borough wide up 15.5% - Sydenham up 22.9%
Burglary – Borough wide up 0.8% - Sydenham down 12.5%
Knife Crime – Borough wide up 18.3% - Sydenham down 10.6%
There are some issues regarding personal safety particularly at this time of year as robberies do increase. Females should take extra care with gold chains and be careful not to display them as these are an easy source of cash. Care should also be taken regarding use of mobile phones.
The Sydenham PSP (problem solving plan) relating to street drinkers is a partnership with Lewisham Council and their Neighbourhood Community Warden scheme. We are issuing banning notices and there has been a decrease in street drinking. There is an ongoing issue relating to the man with the dog, but he will be in court next month. The PSP will close next January.
There has been the successful execution of 6 warrants and the police are currently monitoring 4 addresses relating to drug use. If you have any information you can contact the police or crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
Cllr Best introduced Karen Thompson and Tyrone Bankinson from the Community Warden Service and told the Assembly that the Responsible Retailers Agreement is now widening to include all retailers, not just Off-Licences.
Cllr Best told the Assembly that all the CCTV cameras on Sydenham Road are fully functional and that the cameras are monitored. If there is an incident any person can contact the CCTV Control Room on 020 8314 6166 so that the incident can be monitored, recorded and details passed immediately to the police. .
Q The increased presence after the riots made us feel very safe, do you have figures to support this?
A I do not have the figures on this, but the clear-up operation was very successful
Q All the street briefings are during the day, how about some in the evening?
A I will take that one back and see what we can do
Q In terms of the CCTV coverage, where does it end and are there any plans to extend it?
A Cllr Best – It ends at Kent House Road, extension is a funding issue and there are no plans to extend it at present, although the present system is being upgraded with improvements at Silverdale and the top of Queensthorpe Road. Maybe we could liaise with this library about placing a camera outside.
Q What about the new homes and something being drawn-up with the housing associations relating to CCTV?
A We do have planning gain from the new developments that provide community benefits. Planning officers look at various measures, however, we are mainly looking at education with primary school places being the priority.
Q Lots of young people were victimised after the riots, what issues are in place to help young people when the police do this?
A You do have a right to complain and you can speak to the Duty Officer
Q Why were young people targeted
A Lots of young people took part in the riots
Sydenham Charter including the revised Action Plan- Cllr Best introduced the Sydenham Charter to the Assembly explaining that this is a working document and that we want to capture action points that you think are relevant. There is a contact list attached to the document, but this list is only as good as the information provided so please could residents take a look and let Paul know of any updates..
To see a copy of the Charter please visit the Sydenham Assembly web pages.
Sydenham Smiles campaign – Cllr Best told the assembly about the Sydenham Smiles campaign which was an idea that came from the floor at the last assembly
Cllr Best stated that an Outer London Fund (OLF) bid has been submitted to improve the town centre, this bid is for £70k. £40k is for signage linked to the ‘what if’ project and could see 10 shop fronts be improved with 90% (£4k) being covered by the grant. There is £10k for the Sydenham Traders Association, £10k for a street market on Station Approach and £10k for cultural activities such as the Arts Festival. We will find out in January if we are successful.
- Information items, open questions and answers
Christmas Events
Hugh Dames told the assembly about the Kirkdale Christmas pop-up which is on Saturday 10 December from 10am – 3pm with over 50 activities taking place including dance and yoga. Pen Else spoke about the web site for more information please visit -
Geraldine Cox from the Sydenham Traders Association and Kirkdale Bookshop told the Assembly about the switching-on of the Sydenham Christmas Lights. This will happen on Friday 2 December at 5pm outside the Post Office. The panto Dame and Daisy the Cow will be switching the lights on and over 20 shops have agreed to stay open late. There will Carol Singing with different choirs and drumming outside the Dolphin between 6pm and 7pm.
Updates
Station Approach– Cllr Best told the Assembly that there is still no update relating to Network Rail and the transfer of the land over to Lewisham Council. She then asked the Assembly whether it supports her to ‘lobby hard’ to put pressure on Network Rail to agree the transfer.
The Assembly agreed to this.
Cllr Best then told the Assembly that following the last Sydenham Town Centre Steering Group meeting they are now re-visiting the plans with a view to placing a toilet at the end Station Approach as the train station has no facilities for public use.
Q Does this mean that other high street works can start first?
A Yes we plan to start work in March, we need to lobby Thames Water regarding some leakage first.
Q One of the selling points of this proposal was that you would take over one of the vacant shops so that we see what is going on, is this going to happen?
A We would like to but the issue is funding, we could use the re-named Sydenham Centre and I will make sure that we identify an information spot.
Nigel Desborough then told the Assembly that ‘Here for Good’ on Sydenham Roadcan be used for this.
Planning Applications – Cllr Best told the Assembly that there is a planning meeting this Thursday (1 December) from 7.30pm at the Town Hall. This is retrospective application relating to the old Kirks Cameras. Robinson Jackson have removed the old curved wooden shopfront and this is a conservation area so with the Sydenham Society she islooking for something that will enhance the heritage.
Rear of 201 Sydenham Road – There are strong feelings relating to the proposed 3 storey building as this is felt to be over-development. Residents are objecting and at the meeting objectors usually have 5 minutes to speak to the Committee.
Paulro’s – We have a new officer Robert Dewhurst and he is looking at enforcement action against the owner of the old Paulro’s shop for removal of the original Victorian shop front in a conservation area.
Joyce Treasure, acting Chair and Co-founder of Sydenham Film Club told the Assembly that they are now holding regular monthly screenings at the Golden Lion on the 3rd Thursday of every month. Joyce explained that she is now stepping down and Sarah Chan is the new Chair. The next film will be Local Assassins and on Thursday 15 December starting at 7.30pm – please see the web site for more information -
Annabel McClaren, Chair of the Sydenham Society added that Joyce has been working with Steve Grindlay to produce a short local history film of Kirkdale. This will be screened as part of the Kirdkale Pop-up on Saturday 10 December – 2pm in the Windmill. It is hoped that the library will be used for a future screening.
Anna Baghari, Sydenham Community Radio, asked about the support for running a community car boot sale. Anna has approached the Council about using the rear of the Girton Road car park on Sundays and asked the Assembly for their support. The Assembly were supporting and Paul will liaise with relevant officers to make sure this is possible.
Open questions and answers
Q Are traders reporting flyposting and how is it being removed?
A You can go to the Love Lewisham web site, all you need to do is take a photo and then send it in. However, if it is on private property the Council will need permission to remove the flyposting.
The Community Payback Team have been in Sydenham Road trying to remove the flyposting – particularly the yellow carpet stickers that were adhered to the walls using double sided duck tape that cannot be removed easily. This flyposter is now being prosecuted. We will try to get the Payback Team to return to remove more of the stickers including the small shutter stickers.
Councillor Best then thanked every one for coming to the first Assembly held at Sydenham Community Library. She asked the Assembly whether it would prefer Tuesday 6 March or Thursday 8 March for the next Assembly. Most people present preferred the Tuesday.
Therefore the next meeting of the Sydenham Assembly will be on Tuesday 6 March 2012 at the Grove Centre.
The meeting closed at 9pm.