Cllr. Darren Johnson, a Green Party member of the London Assembly, has called on Mayor Livingstone to intervene in plans for Lewisham town centre, following a request from the Quaggy Waterways Action Group (QWAG). Darren has tabled a formal question to the Mayor of London.An outline planning application for the Lewisham Gateway scheme has been put forward but both Darren Johnson and QWAG are unhappy that there is a loss of green space and only one improvement to the rivers. A significant stretch of the River Ravensbourne will be buried underground and roads will be moved up against the River Quaggy. This is despite a major public consultation exercise carried out by Urban Renaissance in Lewisham in 2002 which revealed that "opening up the rivers" was a top priority for Lewisham residents.

Darren Johnson said:

"We are asking for the proposed new road to be moved an extra four metres away from the Quaggy. This is only a modest change but would enable the river to be fully restored and create a decent riverside environment in the heart of the town centre. I hope that the Mayor of London and Lewisham Council can work together in order to get these plans amended and give the people of Lewisham what they really want."

Contact: Ian Wingrove - press officer Ian.Wingrove@london.gov.uk

Notes:

The full text of Darren Johnson’s question is as follows:

"Will you ask TfL and the LDA to give consideration to the proposal from the Quaggy Waterways Action Group that the planned road layout for Lewisham High Street be moved approximately 4 meters away from the River Quaggy in order to allow for a more natural riverside setting?"

Details of the River Quagge Action Group can be found at www.qwag.org.uk

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