Monday, 22 September 2008

Localities Fund ideas

Every year Lewisham council allocates £10,000 to each ward to be spent on a variety (or one larger) of schemes from the Localities Fund. In addition to this fund there will be an opportunity to bid for the Mayor's fund.

The council website says that the funding is made available for the purpose of the following:
  • The engagement of local residents to deliver improvements in their ward via the assembly process and other methods.
  • Action or activity which directly benefit the local neighbourhood.
  • Action or activity that will make a visible difference.
  • Physical, sustainable improvement(s) to the neighbourhood.
  • ‘One off’ costs for personnel who will be directly responsible for delivering the improvement, i.e. artists. Funding can not be used to employ staff.
  • An improvement that can be delivered by 31 March 2009.
  • The money can be added to funding that has already been identified for a particular activity.

It would be a good idea for local residents of Ladywell to discuss what they might like to see done with the money. Members of LVIG will be going to the next Ladywell Assembly (8th October) meeting to put popular ideas generated here forward to the assembly.

Hopefully we will all be able to come up with some fantastic ideas between now and the meeting!

18 comments:

Unknown said...

Does anyone know how much some decent Christmas lights might cost? If we buy them this year with a share of the money we could keep them for next year?

Pete said...

At the meeting last night it was brought up that there were lights last year that were paid for through the localities fund. Presumably they're still around somewhere..?

ianh said...

Two things that could make a visible difference to engagement, at least the first of them being deliverable by 31 March: (a) signage saying 'this is Ladywell Village', to distinguish the Village area from the ward and the rest of Lewisham; (b) subsidy to encourage and help retailers to make over their signage to a LV design theme.

Pete said...

Wasn't there some mention of signage that has now disappeared but was previously put in place by one of the residents groups (apologies I can't remember which one)? It would be nice if we could get a sign put in somewhere - we would have to decide where the village begins and ends though I suppose.

Aren't there already grants available to shopkeepers? I'm not too sure how far £10k would go between all of the shops in Ladywell either.

ianh said...

Thanks for the comments, Pete. I think it needs signs plural, on every route. The council should know the village boundaries, they were adopted in the 60s or 70s.

And the £10k would be leverage, at marginal not actual cost - if the shopkeepers didn't want to do it it wouldn't happen, so they'd have to be approached with a benefits analysis.

Anonymous said...

I like the idea of signs "welcome to" and "good bye from" Ladywell, or some wording like that, I have seen in Honor Oak. But we I hope we don't need to get too worried about our exact borders, we don't want to get into border disputes with our neighbours!

Anonymous said...

last comment wasn't ment to be anonymous. It's from John

Anonymous said...

I'd quite like us to use the money to really give us that "village" feel by having hanging baskets and more green/floral displays along Ladywell Road/Algernon Road shops. We could also have a go at entering the Lewisham in Bloom competition off the back of it. Staplehurst Road Shops Users Group have won it before and it really makes a difference to the feel of the area. Much more cheery and pleasant place to shop. It would definitely brighten up our streetscape!

Anonymous said...

I'm all for a sign for the village too. A great welcome to the village.

Anonymous said...

I like the idea of Ladywell Road entering Lewisham in Bloom next year - I've always thought there was potential there. Don't wish to put a dampener on things, but worth remembering that Ladywell ward covers a fairly large area, including parts of Loampit Vale and Brockley Road, so it would be unlikely for all £10k to get spend on Ladywell Road, though that depends on what the assembly decides.

What do you think about trying to get something like this going, while we're waiting for the owners of the garages site on the corner of Malyons to develop it? It would look better than the fly-tipping it currently attracts . . .

ianh said...

Sue, these ideas have been about Ladywell Village rather than Ladywell Ward, so I'd hope we could make a case for a worthwhile sum to be spent on the Village area. Would you be prepared to ask Council officials to tell us what the Village boundaries are?

Anonymous said...

We also need to raise funds for the Ladywell Christmas Market. Could we put in a bid for some or all of the costs of marketing, electricity access and supply and better lights for the tree?

Anonymous said...

The is the possibility that we will have no Christmas tree in Ladywell this year! We have just been informed that there is no money in the council's budget for one and we have to fund it ourselves or try and get it through the Localities Fund. Even if we are able to get funding from the Localities Fund, they will will not fund 100% of it. What are we going to do? We can't leave Ladywell without a Crhistmas tree this year!

Jet said...

If we do go for the idea of having "welcome" and "goodbye" road signs, either now or in the future, I don't think we it matters too much knowing just what are the exact boundaries.

The signs are a way of publicising the name and identity of Ladywell or ladywell Village, they are not about sayng exactly where Ladywell begins and ends

Anonymous said...

As a local shopkeeper myself, I feel some of the localities fund would be best used on improving shop signage or even paintwork (I would-wouldn't I?). In the past many councils have offered grants for this sort of thing but Lewisham council are not offering any funding for Ladywell shops at present. The norm is usually for the council to pay a certain percentage of the total cost of renovations-sometimes up to 50%. It is important that shopkeepers also invest and show some commitment to improving their signage. We need to sell the benefits to the business owners in order to get them onside.
I believe the parade of shops on Ladywell Road to be at the heart of Ladywell Village and therefore a showcase for the area.
Signs welcoming people to Ladywell Village are also a great idea.

Anonymous said...

I would love to see some of this money be spent on planting trees on Ellerdale St.
It is a main through way from hilly fields to lewisham station and there are no trees! Such lovely homes on the street but it could really be improved.

Anonymous said...

Hi
Sorry, I've only just come back on here and seen the comments - will enquire re the village boundaries. Website is looking good btw. How do I see the results of your survey on the localities fund though?

Anonymous said...

Doh! Just noticed scroll bar on poll - sorry, ignore previous question!