An appeal has be lodged by the owners of Momo Franks against the enforcement action served by Lewisham Council in relation to the unauthorised change of use.

The Local hearing will take place at the Civic suite ,Catford Town Hall,Committee room 2.

On Tuesday  25′TH November 2008 at 10 AM

All interested parties may attend and at the Inspectors discretion take part in the discussion  at the  hearing.

One may  obtain information about taking part in a planning appeal at .

http://www.planning-inspectorate.gov.uk/pins/appeals/planning_appeals/guide_taking_part_appeal_r120.pdf

Your Local councillors are pleased to report that the Mayor of Lewisham has backed down over a proposal to cut the public firework display on Blackheath.

Our Facebook group to save the display  grew to over 1,400 residents and our online petition attracted similar support.

Local residents shared our view that this display is a major event on the calender for Blackheath  and a safe way of celebrating Guy Fawkes Night.

The cost of £36,000 to Lewisham Council for 80,000 visitors to enjoy the display is good value. The cost to the taxpayer for the emergency services to deal with domestic firework parties that go wrong is high and a safe event that brings together the community in Blackheath is worth supporting. The event also brings extra business to traders in Blackheath village.

Thanks to all of you who took part in the campaign and I hope you enjoy this evening’s display. 

Lewisham’s Mayor is considering axing next year’s Blackheath fireworks to save £36,000. This year’s display on Saturday 8^th November could be the last!

Your Ward Councillors are opposed to this proposal, not least because we fear it will lead to an increase in injuries as some people will decide to run their own displays from home.  Bringing such a large number of people together provides a great boost to local trade.

If you would like to help save this very popular event please sign our online petition at http://www.ourcampaign.org.uk/saveblackheathfireworks.

You can join our Facebook group which can found by using the following link http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=29997552511.

 Information on Local Assemblies The Council is making changes to the way it involves Lewisham’s citizens in how decisions are made in their area. Local assemblies will be a place for people who live, work or learn in a ward to meet and discuss issues with other local people. They are a new way for the community to decide the priorities for their area and work with the Council to address them. The proposals for local assemblies emerged from the

• To increase the range of opportunities available to the community influence decision making
• To be a focal point for the community
• To give the community a stronger  voice in setting the local agenda for change
• To be a place to find out what’s happening in an area and what opportunities exist to get more involved
• To enable  the community to decide how the £10K Locality Fund will be spent

How will the assemblies work? ·        Each ward in Lewisham will have its own Local Assembly·        The assembly will meet 4 times a year·        Assemblies will be chaired by a councillor from that ward·        Anyone who lives, works or learns in the ward is and will be encouraged to attend·        A Coordinator (sitting within the Local Assemblies Team) will be assigned to each local assembly for: community engagement; day to day running of the assembly; and assisting with delivery of the assembly actions·        The approach is to adopt flexible arrangements for assemblies that can be adapted to suit different circumstances, minimise bureaucracy and be innovative·        A coordinating group composed of at least one councillor, an individual from the community and a relevant voluntary / community sector organisation will provide support for assemblies by helping to plan and structure meetings  What will assemblies do? 

• Influencing decision-making by strengthening the articulation of local priorities
• Improve accountability and service delivery

·        Create opportunities for innovative decision making for the Localities Fund·        Bring together individuals from existing projects / initiatives in an area. Assemblies should compliment these·        Provide a focal point for engaging with the council and other service providers·        Promote active citizenship enabling local people to get things done by themselves Local Assembly Charter  Developed by the community, this will set out the direction of travel for the Local Assembly including: ·        Providing a snap shot of the an assembly’s priorities and actions for change·        Agree rights and responsibilities of the Council and of the Local Assembly

·        Include specific information about the standards local people can expect in relation to local services

The Blackheath Local Assembly will take place on July 1ST 2008 at St Margeret Lee Church Hall