Following a successful ‘Save Our Libraries’ campaign in 2016, Lewisham Council adopted a community library model. This leased buildings to voluntary sector bodies or external partners whilst keeping a core library service directly owned and run by the council in central venues like Lewisham High Street and Deptford. Fears for the future of Grove Park …
Category Archives: Blog
Costs of Buying Back Council Homes in Lewisham revealed
Following an article in the specialist Inside Housing publication on 3rd May 2023, explaining that Lewisham Council has bid and received funding from the London mayor’s Right to Buy-back scheme but could not disclose their true cost for “commercial sensitivities” a Freedom of Information request was filed. The costs for buying back 117 properties in …
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Residents ‘disappointed’ by Catford Town Centre roads’ consultation
The campaign group Catford Against Social Cleansing has exclusively released their response to Transport for London’s consultation on “Catford Town Centre, changes to South Circular Road” to this blog site. In their letter campaigners criticise the proposals by questioning the lack of specific details like traffic flow data and maps, the omission of a retail park …
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Playing with the traffic in Catford
Changes to London’s roads are notoriously difficult. In recent times we have had the Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and the fierce debate that arose during covid-19. Part of the problem can be found in the history of London and the way that the city has been developed over centuries. Experts describe London as a polycentric city. …
All change at Lewisham Homes as closure date 1st October 2023 announced
In answer to a public question from former councillor Alan Hall, Lewisham Council have given the final transfer date for all Lewisham Homes‘ services to be completed by 1st October 2023. In December 2022, Mayor & Cabinet decided to bring the housing services back under direct management of the Council. A decision of this type …
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Catford Roadworks to cost over £50 million
The proposals under consultation to re-route the South Circular A205 road in Catford are estimated to cost £55 to £60 million of public money. The figures were released following a public question to Lewisham Council’s Deputy Mayor responsible for planning. Lewisham Council believes that the majority of the funding will come from the Government via …
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Response to the Regulation 19 Local Plan Consultation
The Lewisham Local Plan helps to ensure that planning decisions are made in the best interests of our neighbourhoods and communities. It provides a strategy for Lewisham Council and its partners to direct investment across the London borough. Local Plans are town planning documents. They must be compliant with the Mayor of London’s regional plans …
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Consultation on Catford Road Traffic
Transport for London has started a consultation on changing the road layout in Catford, south east London. The stated aims of the scheme are to simplify the road network and make it safer and easier to walk, cycle and use public transport. A part of the Catford Road section of the main A205 South Circular …
Lewisham Council cuts and spending challenges
The current Chancellor of the Exchequer , Jeremy Hunt has warned “eye-watering” decisions lie ahead. The Treasury confirmed the chancellor will announce “further changes to fiscal policy” in the Medium-Term Fiscal Plan. The one certainty is that local government finance will be hit. The Institute of Government and the CIPFA have published their latest ‘Performance …
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Lewisham Council and Bell Green Boundaries
Since Lewisham Council’s Director of Planning, Emma Talbot refused the application for the Bell Green Neighbourhood Area on 24th August 2022, this has sparked a debate about the ward boundaries and their construction. Interestingly, Lewisham Council has been re-warded by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England as recently as November 2020 and these new …
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