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Minister calls on local authorities to reduce street clutter

In a letter to the leaders of local authorities Communities and Local Government minister Eric Pickles confirms the coalition government’s commitment to reducing street clutter, and asks borough chiefs, to make the same commitment. The minister points out that streets and roads make up around three quarters of all public space, and unattractive clutter can impact on people’s quality of life, causing confusion for drivers and pedestrians and affecting safety.

The Minister’s letter in full:

http://www.londonforum.org.uk/f/d/The_Ministers_letter_in_full_207.pdf

Our thanks to London Forum for this information.

Recycle your Christmas tree

According to tradition, Twelfth Night (5th January) is the date when all Christmas decorations should be removed otherwise it will bring bad luck upon your home. You can recycle your tree at Sydenham Wells Park (Wells Park Road entrance) and at Mayow Road (Mayow Road entrance) until 28 January. The trees are chipped and used as mulch in parks around the borough.

Don’t be put off if you find there are no other trees at the entrance to the park – it will be due to the fact that they have already been picked up by Glendale. Just place your tree to one side away from the entrance itself.

 Real trees only are accepted!

Government to help prevent pubs turning into flats?

Pub Minister Bob Neill has launched a public consultation into the use of “restrictive covenants” which make it easier for pub landlords to shut down pubs and turn them over to property developers.

If  made into law, the removal of this restriction could prevent breweries making sure that a pub can’t be bought by one of its rivals when they come to sell the premises.

The move has been welcomed by  Camra’s chief executive, Mike Benner,  who said: “Restrictive covenants are used by pub companies to deprive local communities of their pubs, at a time when 29 pubs are closing every week.

Between 2004 and 2009, this happened to almost 600 pubs.

He welcomed the consultation as a “great success for localism” and added: “It shows that government recognises that pubs are vital community assets that need to be protected.

For the new community right-to-buy scheme to work, pubs need to be available for communities to keep open.

It’s a victory too for people power: this proposal came from communities on the ground, via their local councils. ”

Photograph above courtesy of Steve Grindlay

Visit Columbia Road Flower Market

The new East London line puts us into contact with great places in London you’d rarely have visited a few months ago before the line opened. So if  you’re looking for something to do on a spare Sunday morning, why not visit Columbia Road Flower market – close to Hoxton station on the East London line?

Open from 8am-2pm every Sunday, the market has over 50 flower stalls selling plants and flowers at unbelieveable bargain prices (leave it until near closing time and you’ll get even better prices!). And Columbia Road and the adjoining streets are packed with interesting boutiques, art galleries, vintage clothes shops and the like.

Hackney City Farm with the wonderful Cafe Frizzante  is just along the road.

For directions from Hoxton station visit:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&expIds=17259,27494&xhr=t&cp=13&rlz=1R2GZHY_enGB337&wrapid=tljp1293545281170024&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=columbia+road+flower+market&fb=1&gl=uk&hq=columbia+road+flower+market&cid=0,0,16371762784659927086&ei=SO8ZTYqOEcPChAeFkqW4Dg&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=image&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CCkQnwIwAQ

Lewisham has to find an extra £13m in cuts

The results of the complex settlement made by the Department for Communities and Local Government means that LBL has to find an extra £13m in cuts over and above the £60m it has already budgeted for.

Lewisham’s Mayor Steve Bullock announced this depressing news in his recent mayoral E-newsletter – see the key paragraph below:

“The Council had been planning to have to reduce its budget by £60 million over the next three years. Following the recent announcement, it now seems it will be forced to find a massive £89 million over the coming four years. Next year alone it is facing a reduction of £33 million.
These figures add up to the greatest financial challenge the Council has ever had to face. So far we have been able to meet most of our savings through efficiencies and have protected services to the most vulnerable. We had been expecting to reduce our budget by around £20 million next year – now we know we have to increase that amount by a further £13 million.”
 
 

For the Mayor’s full message see http://www.sydenhamsociety.com/2010/12/message-from-mayor-of-lewisham/ 

 
 
 

 

Post-Christmas stroll – Thursday, 30 December

The Society’s traditional post-Christmas stroll is on Thursday 30th December

Meet at 11.00 at the entrance to Low Cross Wood, opposite the Dulwich Woodhouse, for stroll through Dulwich Woods taking in part of the Green Chain Walk from Sydenham Hill. The walk will take approximately 1 hour and will finish at the Harvester on Dulwich Common for a seasonal drink and maybe food. Please note that if some parts of the woods are still very icy, we may need to change the walk.
Contact Jackie [020 8778 5455] or Iris [020 8693 9525] for further information

End of year quiz – Dolphin, 29th December

The Dolphin have been jotting down notes throughout the year so why not come along to their End of the Year Quiz and see how well you have kept up with the goings on in 2010.

Maximum of 6 per team no cheating etc. etc. It will be challenging but great fun so get reading those newspapers and book your place on 020 8778 8101.

East London Line hits 70,000 journeys per day. TfL presents update on extra late trains and extension to Clapham Junction..

In a report to the Sydenham Society and other stakeholders, TfL reports the  latest news on the East London Line.  

  Written Update – London Overground 13 December 2010 

1.      Dalston Junction – West Croydon service 

Performance on the Dalston Junction / West Croydon route is the highest on the Overground network. On average 95.4% of trains, arrive within 5 minutes of their scheduled arrival time.  

Customer satisfaction levels on the new Dalston Junction – West Croydon route have been high since it opened. The key stats from the most recent customer satisfaction surveys are:

  • Overall satisfaction score of 86 out of 100 (Overground network average was 81)
  • General punctuality score of 84 out of 100 (Overground network average was 77)
  • Service frequency score of 83 out of 100 (Overground network average was 71), reflecting the value of the high frequency 5 minute service provided on the core section.
  • October 2010 passenger counts on the Dalston Junction – West Croydon route showed that the number of journeys undertaken per weekday on the route had risen to 70,000 (compared with 40,000 in the first full month of operation).

 2.      London Overground extension to Clapham Junction

  • The Government’s recent Spending Review announcement re-confirmed the funding for the London Overground extension to Clapham Junction, so TfL London Rail continues to press on with the project. 
  • The construction works will be split into new railway works (which will be developed and delivered by TfL), and On-Network works, i.e. those to existing National Rail infrastructure (which will be developed and delivered by Network Rail).
  • Tender responses have now been received for the TfL works, i.e. construction of the new 1.3km railway ink between Surrey Quays station and the existing South London Line at the Old Kent Road (largely within LB Lewisham). It is expected that the contract will be awarded in early 2011 and construction work will start in spring of 2011.
  • Network Rail is continuing with the design of the connections into the existing national rail network and the works at Clapham Junction required for the scheme.
  • When the construction works are complete in late 2012, London Overground services will run from Clapham Junction to Dalston Junction via Surrey Quays calling at all stations en route.  A fleet of new high capacity, air conditioned trains will provide a direct and frequent service of four trains per hour to Docklands (via Canada Water) and the City (via the new Shoreditch High Street station).
  • The funding for the scheme did not include the cost of building a new station at Surrey Canal Road.  Although TfL, Lewisham Council and other stakeholders have lobbied the Department for Transport for funding, the Department has now confirmed that it will be unable to provide the £7m required.  However a site for a possible future station has been incorporated in the design of the extension so that, should funding be confirmed at a later date, it could be built with reduced disruption to the operational railway. TfL and Lewisham are continuing to work together to ensure that the design of the scheme in this area takes account of the proposed development nearby.

 3.      Later Dalston Junction – West Croydon services.

From 13 Dec later services will run between Dalston Junction and New Cross Gate allowing late night travellers to interchange with Southern services at New Cross Gate. From 13 Dec the extra trains between Dalston Junction and New Cross Gate will be the 23:47hrs, 00:01 hrs and 00:15hrs from Dalston Junction.

Christmas at the Geffrye Museum

Not too late to catch the Geffrye Museum’s Christmas Past  which offers visitors a fascinating insight into how Christmas has been celebrated in English middle-class homes from 1600 to the present day. The rooms provide the perfect setting for visitors to explore the origins of some of the rich and colourful traditions of Christmases past, from feasting, dancing and kissing under the mistletoe to playing parlour games, hanging up stockings, sending cards, decorating the tree and throwing cocktail parties. 
 
Until Sunday 2 January 2011. Closed December 24, 25, 26 and January 1. The Geffrye Museum Next to Hoxton station on the East London Line