Thursday 29 September 2011

Ladywell Streetscape improvements - fingers crossed until December!

We’ve just heard that at the 14 September meeting of LB Lewisham's Mayor and Cabinet, the 'Local Implementation Plan' (the annual highways spending submission to Transport for London) for 2012/13 was agreed.

Within this, Council officers proposed that £450k be set aside for the Ladywell Streetscape Scheme in 2012/13 (with a further £300k to complete the project the following year). The overall LIP programme will be submitted to TfL on 7 October, and TfL will probably confirm by Christmas whether they are content with the programme.

In the meantime the design principles put forward by LVIG's design consultants are being developed into detailed proposals by Council transport officers with a view to public consultation in late 2011 or early 2012.

Robert Sheppard
(LVIG Deputy Secretary)

Tuesday 27 September 2011

AGM tomorrow to be held in St.Mary's Church Crypt

Tomorrow's LVIG Annual General Meeting will take place at 7.30pm tomorrow evening in the Crypt at St.Mary's Church, Ladywell (opposite the Ravensbourne Arms on Lewisham High Street).  The Crypt can be accessed to the right of the main entrance.

We've a lot of interesting things to get through, including a session on neighbourhood planning (part of the Government's emerging 'localism' agenda) where we've got a knowledgable external speaker; we need to assemble a team to organise the Christmas Market; and we need also to elect a committee for the coming year.

Please do come!

Robert Sheppard

Friday 23 September 2011

Planter bid loses out to youth projects

At a well-attended meeting yesterday evening, the Ladywell Assembly chose the projects for funding from the 'Mayor's Fund' in 2011/12.  The successful organisations, following a ballot of all present, were:

1st Montage Theatre Arts
2nd Youth Village
3rd= Lewisham Youth Theatre and Brockley Design Winter Festival
5th Lewisham Community Sports
6th Brockley Football Club

This was a worthy experiment in participatory budgeting but, regrettably, LVIG's bid (£6k to buy new planters) always looked likely to lose out, especially given the age profile of those present and voting.

Well done to the successful bidders!

Friday 9 September 2011

Two key diary dates this month

At 7.00pm on Thursday 22 September the Ladywell Assembly will meet at St.Andrew's Church on Brockley Road.  This is the meeting at which bids to the Mayor's Fund will be presented and voted upon so WE NEED MAXIMUM TURNOUT TO SUPPORT OUR LVIG BID for £6,000 to provide 8 attractive and robust planters to replace the current ones which are now tatty and falling apart.  These new planters have been chosen to compliment the streetscape improvements we're expecting the Council to start next Spring.
At 7.30pm on Wednesday 28 September, the following week, LVIG will hold its Annual General Meeting at which all seven Committee posts will be up for grabs.  Please email ladywell.info@gmail.com for a nomination form.  In addition we'll have a presentation on neighbourhood plans (part of the Government's 'localism' agenda) from a resident who was involved in one of the 'pilots' in Bermondsey, plus a discussion on the 2011 Ladywell Christmas Market and the need for 'new blood' to deliver this over the next few months.
Robert Sheppard

Thursday 8 September 2011

El's Kitchen is runner-up in Deli of the Year 2011 awards

El's Kitchen in Ladywell was runner-up in these awards, the results of which were announced on 5 September.  400 delis were nominated nationally and 10,000 consumer votes cast, so to make it to the last three is an incredible feat, especially so soon after opening.  Well done to Eleanor and the whole team - you're an asset to the area.  For more see www.delioftheyear.co.uk/.

Ladywell Station ticket office longlisted for closure

Ladywell ticket office may be closed if recommendations made to the Government get the go-ahead.  'The Telegraph' reports that "Sir Roy McNulty, who was called in to advise the Government how the rail industry could be more efficient, has recommended removing staff from 675 stations" and Ladywell, Crofton Park and St.Johns are all on the list.  "The 'hit list' of stations was buried in the small print of the McNulty report, which was presented to Philip Hammond, the Transport Secretary, in May."  See www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/road-and-rail-transport/8741943/One-in-four-railway-ticket-offices-faces-the-axe.html for more information.  Closing ticket offices at less-used stations could help cut £1 billion a year from the industry's running costs.
Robert Sheppard