Sydenham Town Forum

So to be clear, when addressing a meeting of the Mayor and cabinet and you said “You're up against the government which says you're not complying with the law” this was based on nothing more than your own supposition. The government hasn’t actually said such a thing in any documentation you can point ...

Can you point to any evidence that either of these things have happened? It sounds like 2+2 = 19,000 to me.

You told the Mayor at the meeting: "You're up against the government which says you're not complying with the law."
That's an extraordinary claim. Can you point to some evidence of this being the government's view?

Your claim that the “successful” consultation “approved” your forum and the council “overturned” or “vetoed” it is an inaccurate distortion of the process. The consultation invited residents to offer their views; they did. Some were in favour, and some were against. The council read them and made the ...

This whole saga only reinforces the council’s original decision to not approve this so-called forum in the first place. A real forum would represent the views of the whole community, not just those of one or two people.

Can you explain how decision-making will work, and whether it is indeed the case that policy for the whole "forum" can be made by votes of a committee of as few as six people, as the constitution suggests?

Can I suggest the name "forum" is a bit of a misnomer? It implies that a place where local interested people meet and have their voices heard. It sounds more like a closed society. From the constitution: a committee of six to twelve people is elected once a year at an AGM. Candidates will need to ...

Will this body be truly representative of the area? Or will it be yet another self-selecting committee of people who claim to speak on behalf of their neighbours but really only represent themselves? As we've already got one of those...

JRW wrote: ↑13 May 2021 15:27 Absolutely hilarious to see that @RC_Southwark have just blocked me on twitter. I’d be grateful if any posts they make about the OLSPN situation could be screenshot (or transcribed), and posted here.

Talk about godly behaviour…

An unnecessary remark.

Hi Jack, Across Lewisham, amenity societies have expressed concerns about the state of planning consultantions, as they have been problematic for many years now. Would you expect societies to publicly represent local concerns, or would you encourage them to stay quiet, and be loyal to the one-party ...

Concerning to read in the Church’s evidence that the school may be forced to close permanently as a result of this.

I understand the perspective of the Sydenham families living in insecure, low-quality, and expensive housing. I was raised in a low-income single-parent family in a council home and I currently live in private rented accommodation. I can bring these underrepresented perspectives to the council ...

We all know the Sydenham Society is generally opposed to new homes, but I was rather baffled by the message in its latest newsletter. Question: Why should I be interested in Lewisham’s new Local Plan? Answer: Because it could mean the shutting down of some of Sydenham's best businesses including The ...

I'm baffled they didn't list the car wash / former petrol station. It is both an eyesore and a potential environmental issue. It (and the one which is now the Istanbul mini market next to the Alfred) closed when the Euro regulations on fuel tanks were upgraded, and their non-compliant tanks were ...

Precisely - this is purely a scoping exercise identifying where houses could in theory go over the next 20 years. All would need subsequent planning permission, and it would depend on the land owner wanting to develop in the first place. 400 new homes over 20 years isn't a big number, but in reality ...

Amazing really that when charities are in such financial need, especially now, people are so generous in donating money to stop new homes for the homeless...

I read in the Sydenham Society news letter that residents are consulting barristers, with a view to suing the council and blocking this new social housing. I get that many people don't like the design, or wish they could be built in someone else's eyeline. But a planning process was held and ...

JRW wrote: ↑29 Nov 2020 21:55
Of course, your) project relies on support from councillors, so I could see why you would want to please them.

How do you mean?

I find it a worry, personally, that council members are unaware of the £6.1m endowment, and that officers of C&YP are so determined to keep it secret that even high level members aren't being told. Yes, public money, approved by mayor and cabinet, but the conditions unknown, and signed off by one ...

Indeed JGD. The council has to answer to 300,000 people and runs on an increasingly threadbare budget. Of course it should be honest and transparent. But it cannot spend endless resources placating those who like to see scandal and conspiracy around every corner.