Cllr Pete Pattisson inspects one of the boarded-up properties.

Lewisham’s Labour-run Council’s has left a community housing association with a £2million hole in their budget. Investigations by Liberal Democrat councillors have exposed the shortfall, which occurred when the Council transferred its properties in Whitefoot, Downham and Bellingham to Phoenix Community Housing Association in December 2007.

The Council estimated the cost of re-furbishing boarded-up properties on Woodbank Road and Undershaw Road, would be in the region of £7000, but when Phoenix carried out its own surveys the costs were around £100,000, far in excess of the ‘estimates’ provided by the Council.

In total there are 19 properties that are in need of major works of this sort, but as Phoenix constructed its business plan on the information provided by the Council they do not have sufficient funds at this time to do all the works to the properties, which will cost in excess of £2 million.

“Phoenix is working hard to improve all its properties in the area, but they have been badly let down by the Council’s incompetence. Worst of all, local residents will have to go on living beside these boarded up wrecks,” says local Lib Dem councillor Pete Pattisson.

“There are almost 20,000 people on the housing waiting list in Lewisham, and the longer properties like this remain boarded up, the longer people are going to have to sit on the waiting list.”

Over £200 was raised for two women in their 80s from Downham who were victims of a cruel robbery, at the quiz at the Downham Tavern on Wednesday evening.

A big thank you to all those who supported the event. Cllr Pete Pattisson

You might have read in the Newsshopper that two ladies in their late 80’s from Downham let a man into their home after he showed them a police warrant card and badge.

He asked various questions about their security and managed - with the help of an accomplice - to steal a £1,000 from the bedroom. It was money saved to pay for their funerals.

The Downham ward Councillors want to help these ladies and are organising a Quiz Night and Raffle at The Downham Tavern from 7.30pm on Thursday, March 19th to raise some money to help reimburse them. Please do come along and support this important cause.

Cllr Pattisson and myself recently attended the Whitefoot Ward Safer Neighbourhood Panel meeting at Catford Police Station. This is the meeting where residents and Police discuss local policing matters, and set policing priorities on Whitefoot Ward. Following feedback from local residents, we have included dealing with dog fouling as one of our priorities.

The next meeting is on Wednesday 8th July at Catford Police Station at 7.15pm. – tea and biscuits provided!

A sad piece of news from the meeting is that PC Mark Hopkins will be leaving Lewisham, and heading off to sunny Cornwall! Mark has spent the last four years working hard for Whitefoot residents and has gone above and beyond the call-of-duty on many occasions. We’ll all miss him, but wish him well in his new role in Cornwall. Best of luck Mark!

Slavery may be forgotten, but it’s not yet gone. Before Cllr Pete Pattisson was elected to represent Whitefoot, he spent a year photographing modern forms of slavery around the world to draw attention to this evil practice. He will be exhibiting his photographs in the library at the Downham Leisure Centre from Sunday March 22 to Saturday April 4. Do go along to see them, or if you can’t make it, visit his website: www.petepattisson.com