Lewisham Council TV

Lewisham Council has begun webcasting its meetings. The first-ever recording was made on Wednesday and is available to view here now.

This has to be the right way forward. Traditional local media cannot cover the Council meetings in detail and many Councillors and prospective Councillors have in the past complained that meetings have not always been run in the best interests of local democracy, with the Mayor's decisions shielded from proper scrutiny by councillors.

The service is very high-quality and includes bookmarks that allow you to jump to any member's question and search for contributions by speaker (neither of Brockley ward's new Councillors made a contribution on Wednesday, although Cllr Johnson made several).

Some highlights include:

13:30mins - Cllr Johnson asks whether the Council believes that enough has been done to reassure the public in the wake of the recent spate of shootings in Brockley. Answer: yes, they do.

21:30mins - Cllr Johnson asks whether the Deputy Mayor believes there's a case for strengthening conservation area enforcement to provide better regulation of the types of local businesses operating in places like Brockley Mews. Answer: Maybe, but it would be a borough-wide response, rather than just a conservation area issue.

Broadcasting the sessions should not only help keep Lewisham residents better informed, but also ensure meetings are conducted to a high-standard.

However, check out the initially facetious and ultimately useless response by the Deputy Mayor in response to a supplementary question to Johnson's question about rogue businesses. When asked about enforcement, where residents' regular complaints are ignored, the Deputy jokingly asks whether anyone's reported the problems and then says "we really only have two planning enforcement officers and it takes a long time to get round to them." (22.46).

There's also a depressing amount of points-scoring based on national political squabbles, which serves no valuable purpose in terms of arriving at the right solutions to local problems.

It may take a while for the glare of digital scrutiny to improve the quality of local democracy, but it's a vital step.

Let us know if you spot any important moments from Wednesday's meeting. Thanks to Cllr Johnson for sending the link.

The Brockley World Food Festival, July 17th

On July 17th, from 11am-3pm, Friendly Gardens will play host to the first Brockley World Food Festival.

Supported by Lewisham Council, local Assembly co-ordinator Nancy Stridgen is searching for local groups interested in taking a stall at the event,

They are also asking groups if they or they know anyone that would want to participate in bringing food for people to share at the event. There is a budget from the event to pay people for their contribution (though not catering prices as the ethos is the sharing and getting to try lots of different types of food).

They are currently looking for the following contributions:

Bangladeshi
Eastern European
English

Contact Nancy Stridgen at Lewisham Council on 0208 314 9608 if you'd like to be involved.

BrocSoc BBQ tonight

The Brockley Society's annual barbecue takes place tonight, at 7.30pm in the Stone Circle in Hilly Fields.

Bring your picnic, friends and family. Some refreshments provided – and bring your own food to cook.

Malpas murderer convicted for life

Clinton Bailey, of Malpas Road, has today been convicted of the murder of a woman.

The BBC reports:

A man has been jailed for life for murdering a care assistant he met on the internet, emptying her bank account and dumping her body in a suitcase.

Clinton Bailey, 36, of Brockley, south-east London, was told he must serve at least 30 years for the murder of 37-year-old Leah Questin last September.

Boris set to abolish Brockley pedestrian crossing

The Mayor of London has published a list of pedestrian crossings which he is proposing to remove, saying they are 'no longer useful'.

One such crossing on the list is on Lewisham Way, by the end of Tyrwhitt Road. As anyone who has ever walked down Lewisham Way knows, this stretch of road is busy and fast-moving. People will still want to cross it - without a crossing at this point, their attempts to cross will be significantly more dangerous.

Bad idea, Boris.

PS. Other crossings in Lewisham which are on the list are:
- Lewisham Rd by Morden Hill
- Torridon Rd / Hither Green Lane
- Hither Green Lane / Duncrieve Way

Brockley Mews tour, July 4th

This Sunday, as part of their work to raise the profile of Brockley's mews and highlight the challenges facing their current use and possible development, the Brockley Society will be hosting a guided walk of the mews, led by Gillian Heywood.

To take part, meet outside the Wickham Arms at 11am.

The tour will take 90 minutes. The walk will also be an opportunity for local residents to give their views on how the mews could best be used in future.

The Blackwall Tunnel

Through me you go to the grief wracked city; Through me you go to everlasting pain; Through me you go a pass among lost souls... And I endure eternally. Surrender as you enter, every hope you have.

- Dante's Inferno, Canto III

Reader Ed and his family have been seduced to Brockley from Hackney and would like to know whether any Brockley residents regularly use the Blackwall Tunnel during rush hour and - if so - how long the journey usually takes and how often it goes wrong.

Any advice welcome.