With other members of Sydendam Labour Party we have been collecting signatures for a petition to Boris against the rise in fares in 2012 - this is going to hit local residents very hard in the daily commute to central London

• A single bus ticket is up by 50% since 2008 under Boris Johnson. 
• A weekly bus and tram pass is up 45%. That’s a massive £301.60 a year more! 
• A weekly zone 1-2 travelcard is up 21%. That’s hitting Londoners with a bill of £260 a year. 
• A weekly zone 1-6 travelcard is up 20%, was £44.60 in 2008, will be £53.40 in 2012. Costing Londoners an extra £457.60 a year. 
• An annual zone 1-4 travelcard will cost £96 more in January 2012 than it did in 2011! 

The next meeting will be on Tuesday 6 March at the Gove Centre.

Please visit our Sydenham facebook page 
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sydenham-Assembly/155426357840755

For more information on the Sydenham Assembly please visit www.lewisham.gov.uk/localassemblies/sydenhamassembly  

It has taken some time but we are pleased that we are about to tender the works for the improvements funded by Transport for London. 

The Council has set aside some capital funds to improve the layout of Station Approach at the same time as the high street works .  The last few details are being agreed with Transport for London and work should start in the New Year. 
Lewisham has a web page with all the details so please take a look at the plans -
http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/inmyarea/regeneration/sydenham/Pages/sydenham-high-street.aspx

Following the review of the Myplace funding the Minister has written to confirm that Lewisham can go ahead with the plans for the new youth centre in Wells Park Road - this is excellent news for the TNG - The New Generation.

Chris is pictured here with the architects during the consultation on the plans.  The completed plans and outline design can be seen on Lewisham's web site - http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/Environment/Regeneration/Sydenham/TNG/
Please take a look at the detals of the planning application - http://acolnet.lewisham.gov.uk/LEWIS-XSLPagesDC/acolnetcgi.exe?ACTION=UNWRAP&RIPNAME=Root.PgeResultDetail&TheSystemkey=61494
 
Planning permission has been granted and demolition of the old youth centre is about to start.  

Chris, Liam and Marion have worked hard to find a solution to ensure the library building remains open both as a community library and a local resource centre.  Working with Darren Taylor from Eco Computers the library continues to function and remains open as previously but now doesn't close for lunch.

Sydenham Community Radio are now based in the building and Opening Doors are providing employment advice.

This is a good outcome faced with the 25% cut in Lewisham's budget from the uncaring ConDems.

We recognise that the building is important for lower Sydenham and provides an anchor for Home Park that has facilities that include an outdoor gym and outdoor classroom as well an advernture playground.

Sydenham Labour Party will continue to work hard to meet the needs of local residents.

Our Lewisham Our Say -  As part of our open dialogue with the community on saving £60 million from our budget over the next three years we held the first public meeting to discuss the proposed closure of Sydenham Library onThursday 19 August at the Grove Centre in Jews Walk.  Over a 100 people attended to express their concern at the closure of this much loved library. We are continuing to talk to stakeholders of the library to get their ideas on alternative provision locally as well as future uses of the building.  The building is much more than a library and serves the lower part of Sydenham with a catchment in Bellingham and Perry Vale wards. We have been working on alternative proposals and at the public meeting on Monday 11 October at the Livesey Hall there were suggestions from the Friends of Mayow Park and Sydenham Community Radio. Other suggestions were made for looking for a commercial income with one idea for a nursery linked to the park.
http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/LeisureAndCulture/Libraries/OurServices/Consultation.htm
 
At the last Sydenham Assembly meeting at 11am on Saturday 11 September we discussed the consultation on the savings and received updates on Sydenham high street and the Myplace bid for the Youth Centre - all part of regenerating Sydenham. http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/Environment/Regeneration/Sydenham/  

Sydenham Community Radio continues to broadcasting on air - if you have missed any of the programmes you can listen again -  http://sydenhamradio.co.uk/

At the Mayor and Cabinet meeting on the 14 July the Mayor approved plans to trial a borough-wide Drinking Control Zone (DCZ).  A Designated Public Place Order (DPPO), commonly known as a Drinking Control Zone, has now been put in place across the borough of Lewisham following consultation with residents and businesses during the summer.

The DCZ is not a ban on alcohol consumption in a public place, and does not make drinking in a public an offence, but a measure that can assist in tackling problematic street drinking linked to antisocial behaviour.

The intention of the DCZ is to provide police with a tool to address alcohol related disorder in a quick and effective way. Failure to comply with a request from the Police to hand over alcohol can result in arrest and/or a fine of up to £500.

The DCZ would be reviewed following a 6-month trial period. The difficult issue of anti-social behaviour brought about by street drinking needs to be tackled and the implementation of a pilot borough-wide DCZ will enable us to review its effectiveness and look at our options, once the results have been analysed at the end of the pilot.

The scheme will run until the end of February 2011. The Order will give police discretionary powers to stop people and confiscate and dispose of any alcohol within the boundaries of Lewisham borough.

Following the end of the DPPO, Lewisham Council and Lewisham Borough Police will review the effectiveness of the Order to see whether it should be introduced permanently across the borough.

The powers are not intended to disrupt peaceful activities. They will be used to tackle nuisance, or annoyance associated with drinking alcohol in a public place. It is not a criminal offence to drink alcohol within the designated area (within the boundaries of Lewisham borough). An offence is committed if a person refuses to obey a police officer’s request to stop drinking.

After many years of campaigning we are delighted with the opening of the East London Line bringing a new air-conditioned Overground service to Sydenham - and putting us on the tube map.  Sydenham now has eight Overground trains an hour to and from Dalston Junction, alongside four Network Rail trains to London Bridge - with six in the morning peak.  This new line is dubbed the Culture Line as there are ten museums and galleries along the line - please visit www.cultureline.org.uk/ for more information.     

Face to face - Chris, Liam and Marion have a busy schedule meeting residents and finding out what is important to you – why not come and meet your Labour Councillors at their regular advice surgeries:

1st Saturday of the month, 10.30am - 11.30am, Sydenham Library, 210 Sydenham Road, Sydenham SE26 5SE

3rd Saturday every month, 10.30am - 11.30am, Naborhood Centre, 44A Sydenham Road, Sydenham SE26 5QX

4th Saturday every month, 10.30am - 11.30am, Hillcrest Club Room, High Level Drive, Sydenham SE26 6XT

Email or phone 

Cllr Chris Best - www.chrisbest.org
e: cllr_chris.best@lewisham.gov.uk
t: 020 8659 6445
Chris is the Cabinet Member for Community Services and a member of the Pensions Investment Committee.
Chris is Chair of the Sydenham Assembly.

Cllr Liam Curran
e: cllr_liam.curran@lewisham.gov.uk
t: 020 8314 6937
Liam is Chair of the Sustainable Development Select Committee and a member of the Housing Select Committee. Liam is a member of Planning Committee A and the Strategic Planning Committee.

Cllr Marion Nisbet
e: cllr_marion.nisbet@lewisham.gov.uk
t: 020 8693 7816
Marion is Vice Chair of the Safer and Stronger Select Committee and a member of the Children and Young People Select Committee.  Marion is a member of Planning Committee C.

Write to Lewisham West and Penge Labour Party, 43 Sunderland Road, Forest Hill, London SE23 2PS

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