What Happened to the Funding for Signage in Sydenham?

[leenewham]

A few years ago I was involved with the Portas Pilot. I put forward various ideas for a pot of money that was supposed to be spend on signage for Sydenham (which I did for free).

Nothing happened.

What happened, did the money get returned? It was a reasonable chunk of money. Did it get spend on something else?

The reason i'm asking will be apparent in my next post which the Mayor of London's office have asked me to spread. There is no point getting funding unless it's spent!!

[marymck]

A few years ago I was involved with the Portas Pilot. I put forward various ideas for a pot of money that was supposed to be spend on signage for Sydenham (which I did for free).

Nothing happened.

What happened, did the money get returned? It was a reasonable chunk of money. Did it get spend on something else?

The reason i'm asking will be apparent in my next post which the Mayor of London's office have asked me to spread. There is no point getting funding unless it's spent!!

I thought the ghost signs on Kirkdale were paid for from this pot? Is that not the case? I know Kirkdale only got a fraction of the money (a fifth, I think?) of what the other two SEE3 areas got, but if the ghost signs weren't free, is there any chance of painting out the grocer's apostrophe, please? It sets my teeth on edge every time I see it. Otherwise it's really nice, classy signage and perfectly right for our historic old high street.

The accounts are probably online on the SEE3 website. (Yes Decchips, SEE3 was the local group that won and managed the Portas pilot funding.) I wasn't involved in the bid, which happened in the days of the now defunct Kirkdale Village organization, but I did go to a couple of the regular SEE3 Town Team open meetings and Alex Feakes was looking after the SEE3 accounts, so Lee you could ask him about the signage money. I did ask at the last meeting I went to if we could have more signage in Kirkdale, but I think Chris Best said Kirkdale had had its share of the signage money. Maybe I misunderstood.

[P1971]

Marymck FH only got £2500 or £3000.

Our new shop directory/map stand cost a lot more.

The rest was paid by assembly funding we were awarded & the traders paid £1500 out of our own money.

[Chris Best]

Thanks for the reply Mary. The signage budget was £20k and divided up to reflect the size of the high streets so £4k for Kirkdale and £8k each for Foest Hill and Sydenham. As you say Kirkdale Village Traders worked with Lee on producing the ghost signs which was just over £4k whilst Forest Hill Traders Association decided on a map and finger posts.

Lee put forward some ideas for Sydenham including vintage signs on the corner property of Station Approach and Sydenham Road. The managers of the building, Property World, also have some signage designs and we are in discussion as this space is in the Conservation Area. Following discussions with Sydenham traders and the Sydenham Town Centre Steering Group there was agreement to fund 39 lamp post banners that were put up early last year advertising Sydenham market on the 2nd Saturday along with the red and green Welcome to Sydenham. We have a monthly banner for the market that we put up on the railings outside Pedder's on Venner Square plus we have the A board. We are currently working on new banners for this year that will be going up soon.

We have a small team of volunteers working on events in the high street so if anyone wants to join in please email SEE3 - we have the Easter Bonnet workshop and bonnet parade on Easter Saturday plus the Sydenham market will return on the 2nd Saturday in April. These events were included in the Sydenham Assembly Newsletter delivered door to door in Sydenham ward - posters going up shortly!

[Robin Orton]

... is there any chance of painting out the grocer's apostrophe, please? It sets my teeth on edge every time I see it.

I seem to remember that on an earlier thread Lee said he would fix that.

[Chris Best]

Yes same email address for SEE3 - incoming emails go to a small team of volunteers and we share the replies. Sorry if your email ended up in the spam/junk box but if you resend or DM me I will reply.

[owlwise]

Chris, what can we do about having decent Christmas lights in Sydenham Road this year? Last year's were an embarrassment.

[prince]

Cllr Best,

Can I request that some of the funding allocated for banners is instead used to replace the broken Legible London sign outside Palace Wines.

This issue has been raised by other people in an alternative post.

It appears that officers have said there is no highway budget to replace this broken sign which now creates a very poor image on arrival to the town centre.

Thank you