What is going on here?

Sometimes it is too easy just to blame “the authorities” – but Sydenham residents deserve better explanations about what is happening when they have suffered roadworks and disruption to traffic and bus routes for nearly two years.

A case in point is the on-going works to replace our Victorian gas mains. The organisation primarily responsible for these is Southern Gas Network (SGN), which as a ‘statutory undertaker’ has a legal right to say when they need to dig up a road, leaving the local authority to co-ordinate with all others affected.

At a meeting last December involving local traders and the Sydenham Society, promises were made by SGN about better communications, but a couple of web pages from SGN and Lewisham are hardly a noticeable improvement. Even these say only that the work will be completed by April 2010 – nothing about when traffic and parking restrictions affecting particular stretches of Sydenham Road will be introduced and removed, where and when holes will be dug and filled in, or bus services diverted. At one point SGN claimed that they were having regular meetings with the Sydenham Society – of which we knew nothing. On questioning, they said they were due to attend a meeting with us – of which, again, we knew nothing.

Eventually, working with Sydenham Traders, we did pin them down to a meeting at which SGN explained some of the unexpected technical problems they had encountered but more to the point, the project manager, Gareth Lewis, promised to send us and the traders fortnightly updates on progress from now on. We must now wait to see if his happens.

There are any number of other cases where there could be better explanations about what is going on, and relevant background. In this newsletter there are updates on several, eg Sydenham Road improvements, the Greyhound planning application, the problem of anti-social behaviour from abusers of alcohol and other drugs, the need for better general awareness of conservation areas and planning requirements.

The Sydenham Society also lobbies on these matters, and works with the Council to help improve communications.  Two projects are currently ongoing financed by the Localities Fund – the production of an up-to-date community directory and a leaflet explaining the responsibilities of shop owners in conservation areas.  Local residents need a place where all this information can be brought together and can be easily accessed. The web will be at the heart of this, but often only behind the scenes.

Leaflets, e-newsletters, community noticeboards, notices for shop keepers to display to customers are all needed. This is a major challenge in which we will keep working as well as we can with “the authorities” and other community groups.

Tim Lund

Winter 2009 Newsletter