Lewisham Council writes:
Lewisham Council is to offer free car parking on three Saturdays in the run up to Christmas.
Shoppers will be able to park for free all day in all council-run car parks in Blackheath, Catford, Deptford, Forest Hill, Lewisham and Sydenham on Saturday 7, 14 and 21 December.
The start of the free parking offer falls on 7 December – the traditional start of the Christmas shopping rush – and also the UK’s first ‘Small Business Saturday’ which is a national campaign to encourage shoppers to ‘shop local’ and use local, independent shops.
Sir Steve Bullock, Mayor of Lewisham, said: “Town centres are at the heart of our local communities and independent businesses play a huge role in making our town centres the vibrant and prosperous areas they are to work in and to shop.
“We are pleased to take part in Small Business Saturday by waiving parking charges in Council car parks during this period and I hope everyone will take this opportunity to do their Christmas shopping locally and help support local businesses.”
The free car parking offer only applies to car parks that are managed by Lewisham Council and does not include on-street parking, Lewisham Shopping Centre (which is privately owned) or Blackheath Station car park which is now owned by Network Rail.
For a list of all participating car parks visit www.lewisham.gov.uk/freeparking.
Hunt's Lewisham A&E appeal thrown out
PA reports:
The Court of Appeal ruled today that Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt did not have the power to implement cuts at Lewisham Hospital in south east London.
Three judges announced their decision on the second day of a hearing in London.
Supporters of the highly-regarded hospital cheered when Lord Dyson, the Master of the Rolls, sitting with Lord Justice Sullivan and Lord Justice Underhill, gave their decision in an appeal brought by the Government over a High Court judge's ruling in July.
Good.
The Court of Appeal ruled today that Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt did not have the power to implement cuts at Lewisham Hospital in south east London.
Three judges announced their decision on the second day of a hearing in London.
Supporters of the highly-regarded hospital cheered when Lord Dyson, the Master of the Rolls, sitting with Lord Justice Sullivan and Lord Justice Underhill, gave their decision in an appeal brought by the Government over a High Court judge's ruling in July.
Good.
I think that you think that a certain borough is not all that it could be, when, in fact, it is all that it should be... And more!
Hyperlocal site Go Earlsfield has this graph, courtesy of think tank The Centre for Cities, which shows that Lewisham's population shrinks by day. It's from a report ('Inner London's Economy') that attempts to understand what happens to the populations of each borough in London's inner core on a daily basis, as commuters flood in and out.
Inner London accounts for 40 per cent of Greater London’s population, but 56 per cent of private sector jobs. The daytime population of Inner London is 68 per cent higher than its resident population; most of the boroughs import workers daily, but Lewisham, Greenwich, Newham and Wandsworth experience (surprisingly) small net outflows each day:
With thanks to Richard for the nod.
Lewisham consults on Council Tax
Lewisham Council says:
The Council is now consulting on its Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2014/15, and also the additional support available to help certain vulnerable people to pay for their Council Tax.
In April 2013 the Government abolished the Council Tax Benefit scheme which helped those people with no or low income to pay their Council Tax. In its place the Council introduced its own local Council Tax Reduction Scheme.
The Government reduced the funding Lewisham Council gets for Council Tax Reduction by £3.2m and the Council had to make some difficult decisions about how to continue to support those people most in need.
The effect of passing on the cut during the current 2013/14 financial year has meant all working age residents having to pay an average of £2.71 extra Council Tax each week. If the scheme remains unchanged in 2014/15 as the Council proposes, it is likely that this amount will not change.
Before details of next year's scheme can be confirmed, the Council is consulting on its proposal to continue to pass on the government cut in grant to those of working age and continue to protect pensioners.
The Council welcomes the views of Lewisham residents and is conducting a short online survey at www.lewisham.gov.uk/counciltax.
Consultation opened on 3 October and closes at midnight on Sunday 3 November 2013.
The Council is now consulting on its Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2014/15, and also the additional support available to help certain vulnerable people to pay for their Council Tax.
In April 2013 the Government abolished the Council Tax Benefit scheme which helped those people with no or low income to pay their Council Tax. In its place the Council introduced its own local Council Tax Reduction Scheme.
The Government reduced the funding Lewisham Council gets for Council Tax Reduction by £3.2m and the Council had to make some difficult decisions about how to continue to support those people most in need.
The effect of passing on the cut during the current 2013/14 financial year has meant all working age residents having to pay an average of £2.71 extra Council Tax each week. If the scheme remains unchanged in 2014/15 as the Council proposes, it is likely that this amount will not change.
Before details of next year's scheme can be confirmed, the Council is consulting on its proposal to continue to pass on the government cut in grant to those of working age and continue to protect pensioners.
The Council welcomes the views of Lewisham residents and is conducting a short online survey at www.lewisham.gov.uk/counciltax.
Consultation opened on 3 October and closes at midnight on Sunday 3 November 2013.
The Great Inversion
Last month, we posted a map showing how house prices have changed in London the last three years, with Lewisham among an inner core of London boroughs which rose while outer boroughs stagnated. It's one expression of a phenomenon that US demographer Alan Ehrenhalt calls 'The Great Inversion'.
“The late 20th century,” he writes, “was the age of poor inner cities and wealthy suburbs; the 21st century is emerging as an age of affluent inner neighborhoods and immigrants settling on the outside.”
The Economist used the book's title to describe what's happening to London, as illustrated by this map from Savills, which shows the socio-economic changes that have taken place in London between the 2001 and 2011 censuses. Areas in red have moved "upmarket", areas in blue have done the reverse. There are actually two great inversions going on here. Firstly, inner London is rapidly catching up with the outer suburbs in terms of wealth and status. Secondly, London is flipping on its axis, as job creation (see map below) in places like Shoreditch, London Bridge and Canary Wharf fuels the ascendancy of East London:
The Economist explains:
The places that have gone downmarket are in Metroland—the 1920s and 1930s railway suburbs stretching west of Acton and Willesden or around Ilford. These are the middle-class suburbs where commuters move when they have children. But of late, house prices in those parts of suburban London have stagnated, even as inner-London ones have soared ahead. In recent years, the outflow of people to the Home Counties has not been matched by the inflow from inner-London, and so population increases have been sustained by immigration and births...
It attributes this change to three big shifts:
1. Jobs are becoming more focused in central London "at the expense of out-of-town office parks, which look increasingly dilapidated." [Lewisham's lack of job creation is not a unique phenomenon].
2. People are marrying and having kids later, meaning that city-centre lifestyles suit them better for longer. "Today’s 20-somethings are more likely to be university educated and less likely to drive, which makes offices that can be reached quickly by bike, bus or train far more desirable."
3. Structural changes, including falling crime, less pollution and better schools are encouraging families to stay put too, while "gentrification proves self-reinforcing, as new restaurants, bars and other businesses open to serve—and employ—gentrifiers."
So while Lewisham once braced itself for an influx of urban poor, priced out of central London, it seems likely that those people will move further out and our borough might face a very different kind of housing policy choice. The Economist concludes:
In some places, borough councils may be tempted to leverage high property prices to generate cash to redevelop their more run-down parts—turning over their social housing stock to private developers. That however smacks just a little of social cleansing. At the moment, complaints about gentrification in London tends to be limited to carping about the silliness of hipster bars, or the cost of a burger in Brixton village*. But... the politics of gentrification in London could eventually become quite tetchy.
*See all arguments about gentrification on Brockley Central ever.
“The late 20th century,” he writes, “was the age of poor inner cities and wealthy suburbs; the 21st century is emerging as an age of affluent inner neighborhoods and immigrants settling on the outside.”
It attributes this change to three big shifts:
1. Jobs are becoming more focused in central London "at the expense of out-of-town office parks, which look increasingly dilapidated." [Lewisham's lack of job creation is not a unique phenomenon].
2. People are marrying and having kids later, meaning that city-centre lifestyles suit them better for longer. "Today’s 20-somethings are more likely to be university educated and less likely to drive, which makes offices that can be reached quickly by bike, bus or train far more desirable."
3. Structural changes, including falling crime, less pollution and better schools are encouraging families to stay put too, while "gentrification proves self-reinforcing, as new restaurants, bars and other businesses open to serve—and employ—gentrifiers."
So while Lewisham once braced itself for an influx of urban poor, priced out of central London, it seems likely that those people will move further out and our borough might face a very different kind of housing policy choice. The Economist concludes:
In some places, borough councils may be tempted to leverage high property prices to generate cash to redevelop their more run-down parts—turning over their social housing stock to private developers. That however smacks just a little of social cleansing. At the moment, complaints about gentrification in London tends to be limited to carping about the silliness of hipster bars, or the cost of a burger in Brixton village*. But... the politics of gentrification in London could eventually become quite tetchy.
*See all arguments about gentrification on Brockley Central ever.
Poor place suffers from poverty-related health problems
The 2013 health profile of Lewisham is out! It's not pretty.
We're winning on hip fractures (in your face, Eastbourne) and healthy eating (by virtue of the fact that Lewisham is not in the north of England) but not much else:
We're winning on hip fractures (in your face, Eastbourne) and healthy eating (by virtue of the fact that Lewisham is not in the north of England) but not much else:
- Deprivation is higher than average and about 17,900 children live in poverty
- Life expectancy for both men and women is lower than the England average. Life expectancy is 6.8 years lower for men and 4.6 years lower for women in the most deprived areas of Lewisham than in the least deprived areas
- Over the last 10 years, all cause mortality rates have fallen. The early death rate from heart disease and stroke has fallen and is worse than the England average
- In Year 6, 25.0% of children are classified as obese, worse than the average for England. Levels of teenage England average
- Levels of alcohol related hospital admissions and teenage pregnancy and GCSE attainment are worse than the stays among those under 18, breast feeding and smoking in pregnancy are better than the England average
- The estimated level of adult 'healthy eating' is better than the England average
- Rates of sexually transmitted infections and smoking related deaths are worse than the England average
- The rate of hip fractures is better than the England average
- Priorities in Lewisham include lifestyle and behaviour change, tackling obesity, alcohol and smoking
With thanks to Robert.
Lewisham house prices rise with inner core
It's a phenomenon discussed by Ben Rogers in The FT, who argues that we need to adapt by creating dense new urban centres beyond Zone 1:
We should raise our ambitions for areas beyond central London and create new places in the spirit of the West End. The Olympic Park, for which five new residential neighbourhoods are planned, presents a fantastic opportunity. It is well connected to central London and beautifully landscaped...
We should be looking at intensifying the suburbs, which account for three-quarters of London’s footprint but fewer than half of its homes. Doubling the density of just 12 per cent of this footprint would meet London’s requirement for 400,000 new homes in the next 20 years.
As you can see from this map, population density in Brockley and Lewisham hardly changed at all between 2001-11 and remains comparatively low for inner London. The employment density map also confirms that South East London is a jobs desert. If we are to create 'new West Ends', the jobs will need to come too. Whether jobs are a cause or effect of greater density is an interesting question.
Lewisham and Greenwich create new NHS Trust
A new Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust will be formed on 1 October 2013. The Trust will be responsible for Lewisham Hospital and community services in Lewisham, and for Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Greenwich.
Lewisham Healthcare says:
Services are not changing following the merger, and patient appointments are unaffected. Lewisham Healthcare and Queen Elizabeth Hospital serve similar communities, and have much in common in terms of what we do. As a larger organisation, the Trust will be better placed to meet the challenges of the future. Our focus will be on learning from best practice in Lewisham and Greenwich to improve NHS services for local people.
Following the merger Lewisham Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital will continue to provide the same services. We will also continue to run community services in Lewisham, and to provide some services at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup. If you receive treatment at Lewisham Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital or Queen Mary’s Hospital, it will not be affected by the organisational change.
All services at Lewisham Hospital – including for maternity and emergency care – are running as normal. In July 2013, Government plans to downgrade Lewisham’s emergency and maternity services in two to three years’ time were overturned by the High Court, following a legal challenge by Lewisham Council and the Save Lewisham Hospital campaign. The Department of Health is appealing this decision, and you will be able to find out more on this website as it happens. The judicial review and appeal do not affect the formation of the new Trust, as there is clear distinction between service change and organisational change.
With thanks to Joe for the news.
Lewisham Healthcare says:
Services are not changing following the merger, and patient appointments are unaffected. Lewisham Healthcare and Queen Elizabeth Hospital serve similar communities, and have much in common in terms of what we do. As a larger organisation, the Trust will be better placed to meet the challenges of the future. Our focus will be on learning from best practice in Lewisham and Greenwich to improve NHS services for local people.
Following the merger Lewisham Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital will continue to provide the same services. We will also continue to run community services in Lewisham, and to provide some services at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup. If you receive treatment at Lewisham Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital or Queen Mary’s Hospital, it will not be affected by the organisational change.
All services at Lewisham Hospital – including for maternity and emergency care – are running as normal. In July 2013, Government plans to downgrade Lewisham’s emergency and maternity services in two to three years’ time were overturned by the High Court, following a legal challenge by Lewisham Council and the Save Lewisham Hospital campaign. The Department of Health is appealing this decision, and you will be able to find out more on this website as it happens. The judicial review and appeal do not affect the formation of the new Trust, as there is clear distinction between service change and organisational change.
With thanks to Joe for the news.
Lewisham Hospital saved
Amazing, wonderful news. Lawyers acting for the campaign to save Lewisham Hospital from the threat the closure of key services say:
The High Court today (31 July 2013) found that the Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt MP, had acted outside his powers and therefore unlawfully, in deciding to substantially cut services and close departments at Lewisham Hospital.
In today’s judgment Mr Justice Silber said that the decision of the Secretary of State must be “quashed” as he had acted outside his powers as Secretary of State, and in breach of the National Health Service Act 2006, when he announced to Parliament that services at Lewisham Hospital would be downgraded and closed.
The BBC reports:
The judge gave [Hunt] permission to appeal against the decision. Mr Justice Silber said recommendations of the Secretary of State had to have regard to, or be supported by, GP commissioners. It was quite clear that the Lewisham GP commissioners did not give support to the proposals, said the judge.
He went on: "On the contrary, they strongly opposed them although those GP commissioners in a number of surrounding but different areas were happy with them. I considered that it was the absence of support from the local GP commissioners which constituted an additional reason why the decision of the Secretary of State cannot stand."
The High Court today (31 July 2013) found that the Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt MP, had acted outside his powers and therefore unlawfully, in deciding to substantially cut services and close departments at Lewisham Hospital.
In today’s judgment Mr Justice Silber said that the decision of the Secretary of State must be “quashed” as he had acted outside his powers as Secretary of State, and in breach of the National Health Service Act 2006, when he announced to Parliament that services at Lewisham Hospital would be downgraded and closed.
The BBC reports:
The judge gave [Hunt] permission to appeal against the decision. Mr Justice Silber said recommendations of the Secretary of State had to have regard to, or be supported by, GP commissioners. It was quite clear that the Lewisham GP commissioners did not give support to the proposals, said the judge.
He went on: "On the contrary, they strongly opposed them although those GP commissioners in a number of surrounding but different areas were happy with them. I considered that it was the absence of support from the local GP commissioners which constituted an additional reason why the decision of the Secretary of State cannot stand."
Lewisham's green spaces in top 10 nation-wide
Lewisham has won 14 Green Flag Awards from Keep Britain Tidy, giving it the joint-seventh-highest score for local authorities nationally. Green Flags are awarded based on criteria including cleanliness, management and safety.
Lewisham borough picked up 13 Green Flags for its outstanding parks, including Hilly Fields, Ladywell Fields and Telegraph Hill Park while Horniman Gardens, which is managed by the Museum Trust, also collected an award.
Lewisham also retained several Green Flag Community Awards (formally the Green Pennant Award) and picked up a new one for Frendsbury Gardens, the West Brockley park that was transformed in 2008.
Councillor Susan Wise, Cabinet Member for Customer Services, said: “I’m especially pleased that Frendsbury Gardens has received an award. As one of our newer open spaces, it’s a great example of how a community, supported by the Big Lottery fund, has turned around a disused space into something which is now award-winning.”
Click here for the BC Greenspaces map.
Lewisham borough picked up 13 Green Flags for its outstanding parks, including Hilly Fields, Ladywell Fields and Telegraph Hill Park while Horniman Gardens, which is managed by the Museum Trust, also collected an award.
Lewisham also retained several Green Flag Community Awards (formally the Green Pennant Award) and picked up a new one for Frendsbury Gardens, the West Brockley park that was transformed in 2008.
Councillor Susan Wise, Cabinet Member for Customer Services, said: “I’m especially pleased that Frendsbury Gardens has received an award. As one of our newer open spaces, it’s a great example of how a community, supported by the Big Lottery fund, has turned around a disused space into something which is now award-winning.”
Click here for the BC Greenspaces map.
Lewisham Wine Club
I am setting up a non-profit wine club. The idea is basically for people interested in wine to meet regularly and everybody is supposed to bring a bottle of wine that they consider sharing and discussing with others.
We will be meeting at the Catford Bridge Tavern and the first meeting is set for August 4th in which the exact set up will be discussed. I hope to find about 10 likeminded people.
People can get in touch via our Facebook group.
Lewisham's Secret Gardens
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| UP Projects' "Spontaneous City in the Tree of Heaven" |
Working in partnership with Lewisham Council, we will launch, a series of new public art commissions this summer. Connected by the Waterlink Way, a cycle and foot path that follows the Rivers Pool and Ravensbourne, a series of new, temporary, permanent and digital public art commissions will investigate four parks, responding to their unique characteristics, communities and ecology.
Launching in July 2013, Secret Garden Project Lewisham will manifest in Sue Godfrey Nature Park, Cornmill Gardens, Ladywell Fields and Riverpool Linear & Bellingham Play Park and will encourage people to discover and use urban green space in creative ways. These artworks form part of the pan-London Secret Garden Project, a programme of environmental art commissions curated and produced by UP Projects.
The first commission to launch will be artist in residence, Rebecca Beinart, who will explore Sue Godfrey Nature Park, Deptford, drawing upon its rich history of local activism, trade and the home remedies that has made Deptford High Street renown. Hosting medicine making workshops, monthly shared meals and conversations with local residents, Beinart seeks to question the wider issues surrounding land use/regeneration and departure of plant knowledge amongst urban communities.
Travelling down to the South of the borough, local digital artist duo, Close and Remote, will be taking to the air, water and land on an expedition to offer a new perspective of Riverpool Linear and Bellingham Play Park. Through a series of events, participants will use radio controlled smart technologies, miniature cameras and binaural microphones to capture different vantage points of the River Pool and Ravensbourne. Utilising GPS technology and the captured film footage, they will develop a free mobile app that will lead visitors off the beaten track, to discover the unique soundscape of this ecologically rich park.
Later in the year, two permanent artworks will be developed for Cornmill Gardens and Ladywell Fields, launching in March 2014. Working in consultation with local residents and park users to shape the nature of these interventions, the works will draw upon the unique characteristics of each site.
Emma Underhill, Director, UP Projects said:
“We are really pleased to have the opportunity to take the Secret Garden Project to Lewisham and work in a series of fascinating green spaces that will provide a rich context for artists to respond to both in terms of local heritage and also ecological value. The four commissions that we are developing for Lewisham will be an exciting addition to the wider Secret Garden Project portfolio.”
Councillor Susan Wise, Cabinet Member for Customer Services at Lewisham Council, said: “We are very fortunate to have one of Inner London’s greenest boroughs and our parks are well loved and well used. The Secret Garden Project is a great idea and it should encourage even more people to discover Lewisham’s wonderful green spaces and to look at them from a different perspective.”
Secret Garden Project Lewisham is an UP Projects production, working in close partnership with Lewisham Borough Council, and is supported by the Arts Council England.
Full details of the commissions and associated events will be posted on the project website www.secretgardenproject.co.uk
Glass Mill Open Day, July 20th
Fusion writes:
On Saturday 20 July, Lewisham Council and Fusion Lifestyle will be marking the start of the summer holidays with a day of free taster sessions and activities for all ages at Glass Mill Leisure Centre.
Throughout the day, young people will be able to take part in special gym induction sessions and sample classes including boxercise and bootcamp.
Meanwhile, adults can test their dance moves with Zumba, tone their tum with Ab Attack, experience a full body workout with Body Combat or take inspiration from the Tour de France with an RPM class. The gym will also be offering group sessions as well as rowing, sit-up and press-up challenges.
The brand new 10m climbing wall will also be open, with a series of taster sessions for adults and juniors, beginners and experts.
From midday onwards, Glass Mill’s two pools will be dedicated to swimming assessments and fun family swims. There will also be an underwater hockey demonstration from 4pm.
All sessions are free and are offered on a first come first served basis, subject to availability.
Less sporty members of the family will be kept entertained by face painting, special appearances by mascots, Olly the Octopus and Zoggy the Seal, and fantastic prize draws and competitions.
The award-winning Rhubarb & Custard Café, located in Glass Mill’s foyer, will be serving special hand-made picnic food which can be purchased and then enjoyed in the beautiful surroundings of the adjacent Cornmill Gardens.
For the full programme of activities, visit www.fusion-lifestyle.com/OpenDay
On Saturday 20 July, Lewisham Council and Fusion Lifestyle will be marking the start of the summer holidays with a day of free taster sessions and activities for all ages at Glass Mill Leisure Centre.
Throughout the day, young people will be able to take part in special gym induction sessions and sample classes including boxercise and bootcamp.
Meanwhile, adults can test their dance moves with Zumba, tone their tum with Ab Attack, experience a full body workout with Body Combat or take inspiration from the Tour de France with an RPM class. The gym will also be offering group sessions as well as rowing, sit-up and press-up challenges.
The brand new 10m climbing wall will also be open, with a series of taster sessions for adults and juniors, beginners and experts.
From midday onwards, Glass Mill’s two pools will be dedicated to swimming assessments and fun family swims. There will also be an underwater hockey demonstration from 4pm.
All sessions are free and are offered on a first come first served basis, subject to availability.
Less sporty members of the family will be kept entertained by face painting, special appearances by mascots, Olly the Octopus and Zoggy the Seal, and fantastic prize draws and competitions.
The award-winning Rhubarb & Custard Café, located in Glass Mill’s foyer, will be serving special hand-made picnic food which can be purchased and then enjoyed in the beautiful surroundings of the adjacent Cornmill Gardens.
For the full programme of activities, visit www.fusion-lifestyle.com/OpenDay
Save Lewisham A&E campaign heads to high court
The three-day Judicial Review of Jeremy Hunt's plans to downgrade Lewisham Hospital begins today.
Lawyers from Leigh Day, on behalf of the Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign, will argue that the decision to substantially cut some of Hospital’s services in three years’ time is unlawful and they will ask the Courts to quash it and ask the Secretary of State to reconsider.
The campaigners also point to a report published yesterday by Prof Allyson Pollock, professor of public health research and policy at Queen Mary, University of London, which claims that the major closures, redundancies, sell-offs and service reconfigurations imposed on the hospital, and more widely across the South London Healthcare NHS Trust by the special administrator appointed by the secretary of state, do not serve patient interests whose needs, prof Pollack claims “…have been, at best, down-played and at worst ignored.”
Writing in the Guardian today, campaigner Shannon Hawthorne says:
As a resident of the south London borough of Lewisham, for me, today is a very significant day. After months of fundraising, protesting and petitioning, the community-led Save Lewisham hospital campaign is heading to the high court. The aim? To challenge plans to close the successful, solvent hospital's existing A&E, maternity, adults' and children's acute wards, and critical care unit, all to bail out a failing neighbouring NHS trust.
By approving the cuts at Lewisham, the health secretary sent out a clear message: any hospital, regardless of quality or financial solvency, can be subject to closures if it fits with the government's wider agenda.
Full article here.
Lawyers from Leigh Day, on behalf of the Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign, will argue that the decision to substantially cut some of Hospital’s services in three years’ time is unlawful and they will ask the Courts to quash it and ask the Secretary of State to reconsider.
The campaigners also point to a report published yesterday by Prof Allyson Pollock, professor of public health research and policy at Queen Mary, University of London, which claims that the major closures, redundancies, sell-offs and service reconfigurations imposed on the hospital, and more widely across the South London Healthcare NHS Trust by the special administrator appointed by the secretary of state, do not serve patient interests whose needs, prof Pollack claims “…have been, at best, down-played and at worst ignored.”
Writing in the Guardian today, campaigner Shannon Hawthorne says:
As a resident of the south London borough of Lewisham, for me, today is a very significant day. After months of fundraising, protesting and petitioning, the community-led Save Lewisham hospital campaign is heading to the high court. The aim? To challenge plans to close the successful, solvent hospital's existing A&E, maternity, adults' and children's acute wards, and critical care unit, all to bail out a failing neighbouring NHS trust.
By approving the cuts at Lewisham, the health secretary sent out a clear message: any hospital, regardless of quality or financial solvency, can be subject to closures if it fits with the government's wider agenda.
Full article here.
New Mental Health Service for Lewisham
Mental health charity, Bromley Mind, launches a new service from 1st July. The Mind Community Support Service in Lewisham is focused on adults affected by mental health problems whose needs are most appropriately met outside of statutory mental health services.
The Mind Community Support Service in Lewisham will work with adults affected by mental health problems for up to six months. It will support individuals to plan for the future given their personal interests and skills, develop life skills including managing finances and access support and new experiences in the local community.
Funders of the service (London Borough of Lewisham and Lewisham Clinical Commissioning Group) have also announced that additional funding has been identified to expand the mental health support team. As a result, the service can provide support to older adults as well as those aged 18-65.
The team of a Service Manager and six Mental Health Advisors will be based in central Lewisham. Referrals from GPs, mental health and social care professionals are being accepted as of 1 July 2013. Adults affected by mental health problems living in Lewisham or registered with a Lewisham GP can approach the service directly to request an assessment to find out if they qualify for support from the service.
For more information about the service, please contact Community Support Service Manager, Antonio Danzi at antonio.danzi@bromleymind.org.uk or 07734 857303.
The Mind Community Support Service in Lewisham will work with adults affected by mental health problems for up to six months. It will support individuals to plan for the future given their personal interests and skills, develop life skills including managing finances and access support and new experiences in the local community.
Funders of the service (London Borough of Lewisham and Lewisham Clinical Commissioning Group) have also announced that additional funding has been identified to expand the mental health support team. As a result, the service can provide support to older adults as well as those aged 18-65.
The team of a Service Manager and six Mental Health Advisors will be based in central Lewisham. Referrals from GPs, mental health and social care professionals are being accepted as of 1 July 2013. Adults affected by mental health problems living in Lewisham or registered with a Lewisham GP can approach the service directly to request an assessment to find out if they qualify for support from the service.
For more information about the service, please contact Community Support Service Manager, Antonio Danzi at antonio.danzi@bromleymind.org.uk or 07734 857303.
Lewisham one of top boroughs for new homes
The Evening Standard reports that boroughs in central south and east London will accommodate the majority of new homes built in the capital in the next decade:
A building spree in six inner-city boroughs — Greenwich, Lewisham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Newham and Wandsworth — will account for almost 60 per cent of the 278,000 new homes planned for London during the next decade.
Analysis [by estate agents Knight Frank] of the capital’s “development pipeline” reveals likely hotspots and provides valuable research for home buyers, and for investors hoping to buy the right property in the best investment area. And as the population growth in those six boroughs is predicted to be among the highest in London, demand for housing is set to generate prices rises in these areas.
Following the recent news that the Royal Docks will be regenerated as a centre for Chinese businesses in the capital, this is more evidence that London's centre of gravity is moving inexorably eastwards. The increase in housing brings with it its own challenges, but more homes mean more people, mean more life, energy, variety and employment in the area.
A building spree in six inner-city boroughs — Greenwich, Lewisham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Newham and Wandsworth — will account for almost 60 per cent of the 278,000 new homes planned for London during the next decade.
Analysis [by estate agents Knight Frank] of the capital’s “development pipeline” reveals likely hotspots and provides valuable research for home buyers, and for investors hoping to buy the right property in the best investment area. And as the population growth in those six boroughs is predicted to be among the highest in London, demand for housing is set to generate prices rises in these areas.
Following the recent news that the Royal Docks will be regenerated as a centre for Chinese businesses in the capital, this is more evidence that London's centre of gravity is moving inexorably eastwards. The increase in housing brings with it its own challenges, but more homes mean more people, mean more life, energy, variety and employment in the area.
The Glass Mill, Loampit Vale
£20m Lewisham pool and leisure centre opens June 10th
Lewisham Council says:
On Monday 10 June, Glass Mill – Lewisham’s flagship new leisure centre – will open to the public.
The £20m centre, located on Loampit Vale, has been designed by leisure specialists LA Architects and will be operated by registered charity Fusion Lifestyle on behalf of Lewisham Council. The contractor for Glass Mill is Pellikaan, with additional works by Barratt Homes who are developing the adjacent ‘Renaissance’ scheme.
Glass Mill has superb environmental credentials and will offer a range of the most up-to-date facilities and equipment. As well as a regional competition standard 8-lane swimming pool with seating for 300 spectators, there will be a 20m training pool, a 100-station gym, a climbing wall, a creche and two studios offering a programme of classes.
Users of the leisure centre will also be able to pamper themselves in a health suite with treatment rooms and sauna, steam and ‘ice’ rooms.
Great thought has gone into changing areas with separate male and female changing as well as specific areas for families and people with disabilities. The centre is fully accessible and includes moveable floors in both pools, changing cubicles with wheelchair access and signage suitable for the visually impaired.
A key feature of the building is the stunning display of over 1,800 coloured tiles, designed by artist Phil Coy, that form the façade and carry through into a rainbow of light in the various parts of the centre. Glass Mill’s exterior also includes a lighting display that changes in line with the surrounding soundscape.
A full menu of delicious food and refreshing drinks will be on offer throughout the day at the Rhubarb and Custard Café. Items served up by Rhubarb and Custard’s resident chef and dedicated staff will include gourmet burgers, healthy salads, coffee and homemade cakes, and a children’s menu. This local firm – a former recipient of a Mayor Of Lewisham Business Award – already has a committed following in its local neighbourhood of Lee and also operates the café at Wavelengths Leisure Centre in Deptford.
Mayor of Lewisham, Sir Steve Bullock, took a dip in the new swimming pool and said: “I am delighted to mark the open of this outstanding new leisure centre. Glass Mill is the culmination of over a decade of leisure investment in the borough.
“There is now a real opportunity for local people to take part in affordable leisure in all areas around the borough. That is what we have always been aiming for. ”
Fusion Lifestyle Chief Executive, Pete Kay said of the opening: "We are extremely impressed with the high standard of facilities now on offer at Glass Mill Leisure Centre and are proud and excited to begin the management of this fantastic centre.
“We believe that the opening of Glass Mill will make a real difference to the local community by providing first-rate sport, swimming and fitness facilities at an affordable price, and Fusion Lifestyle are committed to continuous development of our programmes and activities in order to offer new opportunities for everyone in Lewisham.”
Alastair Baird, Managing Director of Barratt London said: “We have great pleasure in delivering a landmark building for Lewisham as part of the wider Renaissance development.”
Glass Mill’s opening hours will be 6.30am-10pm on weekdays and 7am-6pm on weekends and Bank Holidays. Rhubarb and Custard Café, located in Glass Mill’s foyer, will operate the same hours. For enquiries about membership options, or the full range of facilities and classes on offer, call Glass Mill on 020 8463 9600.
On Monday 10 June, Glass Mill – Lewisham’s flagship new leisure centre – will open to the public.
The £20m centre, located on Loampit Vale, has been designed by leisure specialists LA Architects and will be operated by registered charity Fusion Lifestyle on behalf of Lewisham Council. The contractor for Glass Mill is Pellikaan, with additional works by Barratt Homes who are developing the adjacent ‘Renaissance’ scheme.
Glass Mill has superb environmental credentials and will offer a range of the most up-to-date facilities and equipment. As well as a regional competition standard 8-lane swimming pool with seating for 300 spectators, there will be a 20m training pool, a 100-station gym, a climbing wall, a creche and two studios offering a programme of classes.
Users of the leisure centre will also be able to pamper themselves in a health suite with treatment rooms and sauna, steam and ‘ice’ rooms.
Great thought has gone into changing areas with separate male and female changing as well as specific areas for families and people with disabilities. The centre is fully accessible and includes moveable floors in both pools, changing cubicles with wheelchair access and signage suitable for the visually impaired.
A key feature of the building is the stunning display of over 1,800 coloured tiles, designed by artist Phil Coy, that form the façade and carry through into a rainbow of light in the various parts of the centre. Glass Mill’s exterior also includes a lighting display that changes in line with the surrounding soundscape.
A full menu of delicious food and refreshing drinks will be on offer throughout the day at the Rhubarb and Custard Café. Items served up by Rhubarb and Custard’s resident chef and dedicated staff will include gourmet burgers, healthy salads, coffee and homemade cakes, and a children’s menu. This local firm – a former recipient of a Mayor Of Lewisham Business Award – already has a committed following in its local neighbourhood of Lee and also operates the café at Wavelengths Leisure Centre in Deptford.
Mayor of Lewisham, Sir Steve Bullock, took a dip in the new swimming pool and said: “I am delighted to mark the open of this outstanding new leisure centre. Glass Mill is the culmination of over a decade of leisure investment in the borough.
“There is now a real opportunity for local people to take part in affordable leisure in all areas around the borough. That is what we have always been aiming for. ”
Fusion Lifestyle Chief Executive, Pete Kay said of the opening: "We are extremely impressed with the high standard of facilities now on offer at Glass Mill Leisure Centre and are proud and excited to begin the management of this fantastic centre.
“We believe that the opening of Glass Mill will make a real difference to the local community by providing first-rate sport, swimming and fitness facilities at an affordable price, and Fusion Lifestyle are committed to continuous development of our programmes and activities in order to offer new opportunities for everyone in Lewisham.”
Alastair Baird, Managing Director of Barratt London said: “We have great pleasure in delivering a landmark building for Lewisham as part of the wider Renaissance development.”
Glass Mill’s opening hours will be 6.30am-10pm on weekdays and 7am-6pm on weekends and Bank Holidays. Rhubarb and Custard Café, located in Glass Mill’s foyer, will operate the same hours. For enquiries about membership options, or the full range of facilities and classes on offer, call Glass Mill on 020 8463 9600.
