slp reports .............

good news so far ....but the campaign must go on!

Thanks to everyone who came along to the Southwark Cabinet meeting yesterday. There was a good turnout both outside and in the room.

The Cabinet heard all 4 deputations:
from the Friends of Honor Oak Rec, from Hillyfielders football club, from Fairlawn school and from Friends of Peckham Rye Park.

The Cabinet decided to go for their short term plan which will provide about 8 years of burial using:
(a) the newly cleared site next to Honor Oak Park station (requires planning permission)
(b) an area of unused space in Camberwell New Cemetery
(c) an area of common graves in Camberwell Old Cemetery
Map link below

A full and wide reaching consultation on longer term proposals will be rolled out very shortly and the use of the Rec for burial will be included in this,
BUT two amendments were also passed:

One stating that the Cabinet's view is that the use of the Rec is the least favoured long term option

and the second, that Southwark will be looking to work closely with Lewisham and other councils to deliver long term solutions to the burial issues throughout London

We see this as a minor victory and would like to thank all the supporters who have been active and all those who have signed the petitions. Your voice was heard! especially through all the emails which were sent. The Cabinet specifically referred to the high number of emails and letters which they had received!

BUT the campaign goes on!
The consultation is critical for us!
We need to make sure that everyone in our area who uses the Rec is heard.
We have asked for all Lewisham residents who live within 1km of the cemeteries to be consulted as well as stakeholder groups
The draft list and consultation questions are on a link below, so please take the time to look and if you have any comments/suggestions which need to go to Southwark, forward them to fohopark@gmail.com
What we need to do now is to ensure that our view is heard loud and clear in the consultation process and that Lewisham Council is encouraged to engage actively with Southwark to provide long term alternatives to burial and thus protect the Rec.

click here to see the maps
click here to see the draft consultation process
click here to see the Southwark Cabinet papers item 8
click here to see the extract from the draft minutes of the meeting

important southwark meeting! Tues 19 April 3.30 come and lobby!

The Southwark cabinet meeting to discuss burial options is approaching fast:
Tuesday 19 April 4 pm at Southwark Town Hall, Peckham Road, Camberwell, SE5 8UB
What you can do to help:
1. Come down to the Town Hall between 3.30 and 4.30 to lobby outside
Bring flags/placards, come with friends and kids, people from your street/school to help the cabinet members realise how much this green space means to us.

Help publicise the lobby - here's a flier to pass around/put in your window: 2. Remember to email/write to the Cabinet members - email addresses on a posting below

3. If you need any convincing ...
The Hillyfielders football club have made a brilliant film about how they use the Rec and how vital it is for them.
Watch it here and pass the link onto friends .... http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzHdWFjQquY

See you on the 19th! Paper and e petition now over 2,400

well over 2000 supporters!

We've been collecting some of the paper petitions, and with the e-petition, we are a force of .... 2,368 - and they're not all in yet! Dave Stephens at Honor Oak station's Coffee Bean has offered to be a collecting point so you can drop them off with him. So thanks to everyone who has signed ..... please don't stop spreading the word and gaining support.

And remember to email/write to the cabinet members prior to their meeting on Tuesday 19 April when they will decide on burial options for Southwark. (emails below) The Rec is not an option!

Approaching 2012, the year of the Olympics in the UK, Southwark Council believe that this "offers residents and particularly young people a unique opportunity to become involved ...... sports events ... learning new skills .... an opportunity not to be missed."

Taken from Southwark Cabinet Meeting Minutes 22 March 11

The minutes go on: "priority areas we have identified" which include "engaging young people, getting active, being healthy ....."

Hey, all these things go on at HONOR OAK RECREATION GROUND!!