With Lewisham Council approving redevelopment of the Shopping Centre and major improvements of the high street, market and library, SouthLondonLines went out onto the streets to find out what the borough is like to live in.

Some residents expressed concern about dirty streets, safety and rising fares while others were less critical.

Nathaniel, 11, said his neighbourhood is “not very clean. There’s lots of stuff on the floor.” His friends Tiana, Chloe and Shanae were equally direct, complaining that “it’s not the best” and blaming people for not caring about the world.

Reema Assaf, 24, who recently moved to Lewisham, said her main concern was totally different. “Overall, this area is moderately clean compared to other parts of London I’ve seen, since some are way worse,” she said. “What bothers me more is safety. It doesn’t feel very safe at night since there has been two robberies on my street just in the first two weeks since I moved here.”

George Zhukov, 27, a student at Goldsmiths, agreed that Lewisham is “clean enough”. He said that a bar across from Goldsmiths “occasionally has some rubbish”. He suggested practical improvements such as clearing fallen leaves more regularly and making pavements more accessible for wheelchair users and cyclists.

The mixed responses indicate that Lewisham’s residents feel let down by patchy maintenance and it’s not clear if the redevelopment and improvements, approved by the council’s Strategic Planning Committee on October 16, will change opinion.