Bellingham and Lewisham in the news
Public Questions for the 25th November full Lewisham Council meeting must be submitted by Tuesday, 10th November 2026 at 23:59 – one minute before midnight precisely. This is the last public question time scheduled for 2026. Anyone who lives, works or studies in the borough can table up to two written questions per meeting. These …
Continue reading “November Public Question Time at Lewisham Council Looms”
Hot on the heels of Lewisham Council’s rejection of a controversial 802-home development at Deptford Creek on heritage and light impact grounds, further temporary staffing arrangements have been revealed. Previously, the Council made it clear that the Senior Conservation Officer responsible for the formal assessments of local historic buildings, conservation areas, and heritage assets does …
Continue reading “Lewisham Council Planning – More Acting Up”
The Labour Government has passed the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026. Experts have hailed this as a “foundational text we will be returning to for years.” The Act settles a number of issues of the time, the committee system of governance has not faired well and stronger leadership models have found favour. There …
Plans for Catford have moved on. The Compulsory Purchase Order proposed by Transport for London has been dropped and Government – Department for Transport – funding has been cancelled. In February 2025 Transport for London Board were given this Commissioner’s report: Catford Town gyratory scheme On 13 December 2023, the Board approvedin principle a Compulsory …
Deptford is an interesting place. It has a rich history. This has been recognised by the adoption of a formal Conservation Area around Deptford High Street. The separate Deptford High Street and St Paul’s Church conservation areas were designated in 1976 and 1975 respectively. In 2019 they were merge together. At the time Lewisham Council …
The Greater London Authority has published their latest assessments of flood risks across London. As the hot weather subsides, thoughts will turn to rain. The new London Regional Flood Risk Assessment has been in development for some time before its final publication in March 2026. For the London Borough of Lewisham there are some significant …
Public Questions can be tabled at Lewisham’s full council meetings. There are some rules to follow to have a question placed on the order paper and these have been clarified through changes to the council’s constitution. Although these proved controversial, the new administration confirmed that they plan no further changes. Presently, anyone who lives, works …
Following a Freedom of Information request, Lewisham Council has confirmed that the new Chief Planning Officer, Michael Forrester and the powerful Head of Development Management, David Robinson are acting up in their respective roles. These two positions are crucial to the effective running of the planning process across the London Borough of Lewisham as they …
Like all local authorities, the London Borough of Lewisham accounts must be audited. Parliament has decided that there should be an opportunity for anyone interested to inspect and make copies of the accounts and all relevant documents. These rights are enshrined in law, in Section 25 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014. The …
Lewisham Council have adopted the directly elected mayoral model of governance. Most of the media gaze falls upon the Mayor and the Executive. Equally important but less publicised are those with the immense responsibility for formally scrutinising the work of the council. There have been many constitutional changes over the years. However, the basic structure …
