We had our Area Meeting the other day. This is an attempt to create a forum in which the local councillors and the wider community can come together to discuss issues of concern and look at ways forward.
In our case we were looking at the redevelopment of the centre of Lewisham - getting rid of a roundabout, changes to the train, bus and DLR station, the creation of a more pedestrian friendly centre. The discussion was mainly positive, and the concerns that people raised were, I felt the right ones - how to make sure that crime was designed out, making sure the design works for the whole of the area and not just the bit around the station, how to keep the open air market viable, and the benefits and dangers of a night-time economy.
My real problem with the design of the evening was that the local councillors were redundant, none of the questions people put were addressed to us, and none of the presentations (other than one from our directly elected mayor, Steve Bullock, and a brief introduction from
Gavin Moore) were from politicians. So much for community leadership.
Cllr Andrew Brown
