Labour Councillors for Telegraph Hill Ward

Attached to this article is the report on noise and a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document relating to the proposal. Since we were elected in May and after the proposals to cut the council budget, this has been the most difficult decision for us. Cllr Bell and Cllr Millbank will be speaking at the Mayor & Cabinet Meeting on Wednesday on behalf of all three ward councillors. Cllr Whittle cannot attend, but is in full agreement with what we are going to say.

We ask that the community unite and work together in the next few months, whatever the decision on Wednesday. The fears and reservations of some, will, we hope, be unrealised if the decision is taken to allow the skatearea to be built.

Last night members of the community came to an extended Assembly meeting to discuss the skate area proposals and "Our Lewisham, Our Say". Not surprisingly it was a packed meeting and well over 220 people filled Haberdasher's dining hall listening to the arguments for and against. After a heated discussion, with contributions from the floor, a vote was taken and the following result was declared to move forward with proposals to site a small skate aread arond the basketball court on the Pepys Road side of the lower park. The result was as follows:

196 FOR and 72 AGAINST.

The communty has come a long way on this issue and the best parts of it were shown last night. The next stage is for a paper to be written by council officers that will go to the Mayor and Cabinet meeting on 3rd November, where the fate of the skate area will be decided. We know that there are concerns and residents along Pepys Road will be kept informed at each stage. It is important that everyone feels able to put their point across and that as far as possible we have an outcome that is acceptable to as many people as possible.