LINK TO ARTICLE ON SYDENHAM SOCIETY WEBSITE

Network Rail’s London and south-east Rail Utilisation Study (a plan for future rail projects) published a few days ago announces an extension of the Bakerloo Line.

The proposed route will take the line  from Elephant & Castle through New Cross Gate, Lewisham, Catford then to Lower Sydenham and along the existing the current mainline route to Hayes. This ends many years of speculation as to a proposed route  – many of which would have not resulted a route anywhere close to this area.

The proposed route would include a station at Lower Sydenham (the existing station would be re-sited closer to the Sainsburys store at Bell Green). It would also include an interchange at New Cross Gate which would allow access for those travelling from Sydenham on the East London line or on mainline trains to London Bridge.

Although it may take many years for the line to be built, this proposal is of huge importance to this area – it means a steady and improving rail future for our part of the world and an opening up of lower Sydenham as an interchange on the London Underground.

For a full copy of the Rail Utilisation Study see:

london and south east – route utilisation strategy

Friends of Home Park showed this video at the family Fun Day recently. It’s about a boy from Malawi in Africa. He taught himself how to build a windmill to help irrigate his families land by reading books at a local library. Be built the windmill. He saved his family from starvation.

Sydenham Library is under threat of closure. If it is shut it’s gone forever. The library is an essential part of the regeration of Home Park. The library have been incredibly supportive of the improvements that have been made in Home Park, especially with the Family Fun Day.

Recently we have seen two terrible tragedies in Fairlawn Park. One problem young people face is not having things to do, being bored and not seeing the opportunities that life can bring. Taking away a valuable local asset like the library would be a massive mistake. It’s well used and an important part of Home Park and the regeneration of the area.

Even if you don’t use the library that much, if you believe in the library system, please support the campaign to save it:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/savesydenhamlibrary/

What do you think?

Will it bring the community together? Or is it a unnecessary irritation?

Post your comments below.

If you have any information on the origins of this picture, again please let me know.

www.homepark.wordpress.com

We have £20,000 to spend in Home Park.

We have some proposals which are currently being costed. They could look something like this:

1.  Outdoor gym equipment

2. Seating area (possibly with cafe cabin selling coffee and snacks at later stage)

We could get some interesting seating and normal benches for this area (to be costed) and it could be an area that get used for games which people can ‘book’ out of the library to bring the library into the park.

Or it could incorporate something like this ampitheatre style set up so plays or book readings could take place.

3. Updated seats

4. Fixed outdoor table tennis tables

The area around it could be in a lighter floor colour or gravel as in the parks in Paris to create a’ zone’ in the park.

5. Improved play area

We could add more equipment. Perhaps something for kids to climb over and interact with other kids.

What do you think?

The New York Time ran an article about a book which features Fairlawn Park! The Novelist Graham Swift’s dad lived here. In the extract above the  novelist writes about how he came back to FP and his dads old house was covered in Ivy and had a rusting car in the front garden. Things have improved since he visited! 

Anyway, it’s an interesting article, if only because Fairlawn Park was mentioned in the new York Times.

The Council is considering a Local Safety Scheme for Sydenham Road (Mayow Road – Porthcawe Road). We hope to be able to include works at the junction with Fairlawn Road and in the vicinity of the school in the scheme. This may involve the construction of a raised entry treatment in Fairlawn Park, at the junction.<span>  </span>We would not introduce rumble strips as they can cause intrusive noise for residents. However implementation of the scheme has had to be delayed for some time until the gas mains works in Sydenham Road have been completed. This, unfortunately, is likely to take at least eighteen months. I am afraid that we are unable to send a representative to your meeting on 30  September.

Once the gas works are complete we will inform residents of the details of the scheme and invite comment. There won’t be consultation as such because the scheme is being done for road safety reasons and the engineering measures chosen will be selected to reduce accidents at the junction.

Thank you for your email.

According to our records there are still a few old low pressure sodium lanterns (orange light) in Fairlawn Park therefore we will arrange to have these upgraded to modern high pressure sodium lanterns (white light) which will improve the lighting levels in this road.

I am please to inform you that Lewisham’s street lighting (in conjunction with Croydon Street Lighting) are progressing towards a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) in late 2009.

Under the PFI, lighting in the majority of roads throughout the borough will be redesigned and have modern high pressure sodium lanterns (white light). This light enables the eye to distinguish colours and shapes far more easily than the old style orange light and has proved to be a significant factor in the reduction of crime and accident levels.

If you would like to find out further information regarding the PFI, this can be found on our website at http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/TransportAndStreets/RoadsAndPavements/Croydon

AndLewishamOutlineBusinessCases.htm

A detailed structural condition survey of all roads within the borough was carried out in 2006. This information along with a number of other factors was used to develop our current resurfacing programme. Unfortunately, Fairlawn Park did not rate as highly as those roads which have been included on this list. However, I have asked our highway inspector to carry out a safety inspection of Fairlawn Park and to arrange for any necessary repairs to be carried out.

With regards to traffic calming, the Council is in the initial stages of considering a local safety scheme for Sydenham Road (Mayow Road – Porthcawe Road). We hope to be able to include works at the junction with Fairlawn Road and in the vicinity of the school in the scheme.

I hope the above is helpful. However if you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Regards
Jane O’Dwyer (Mrs)
Contact & Information Officer
Transport Projects & Programming
Wearside Road Service Centre
Wearside Road
Lewisham SE13 7EZ

At last.

Due to the hard work of the fledgling Friends of Home Park £20,000 of funding has been allocated to much needed improvements in Home Park from April onwards.

So far the former mulch pit has been removed which local residents planted with bulbs. This is now to be grassed over.

Many thanks to those involved. Further improvements will be posted to keep everyone informed.

http://forum.sydenham.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=3265&sid=5bbf438eef3528e31835a7ed614aef6d

Please come along and make a difference.