Crossfields to be twinned with Entre deux Merdes

It appears that Crossfields is about to be surrounded by stink pipes.  Thames Tunnel are planning one to the west, just over the Ha'penny Hatch, and one to the east, on the green alongside St Paul's church.

While I don't have the proposed plans for the heavy plant and stink pipe planned for the east, I do have an image for their ''preferred site'' to the west.

 

Where the Hatch meets Norman Road, and resembling an 8 metre-high roofless hen coop, this is what they want to build on the grounds of the Grade II listed building.  They want to put it there because it's further away from local dwellings than the Greenwich foreshore site.  And they couldn't have all that building work going on in a world heritage site, could they?  (Locals will be aware how the Greenwich foreshore currently resembles a where-itage site.)  And, of course, living here we're not local residents, are we...

As for the Deptford side of things, this is the proposed site:

According to Thames Turdway, this location is not their ''preferred choice.''  They'd rather it was as the Borthwick Wharf, but they can't easily get there along Glaisher Street because it's a private road.  The fact that nobody in their right minds would try to get to Borthwick Wharf via Glaisher Road is probably irrelevant.  What is essentially a riverside problem (storm discharges into the Thames) can't be put on the riverside because there is money on the riverside, so let's surround Crossfields with it instead.  There'll be heavy plant coming in and out and we won't be left in peace with our stink pipes for 7 years.  

If you think this plan stinks, Liberty Mosse, a local resident, has written to us to let us know that there's a public meeting next Tuesday:

Hello,

I am a Deptford resident and, like many of my neighbours, am extremely concerned about the proposed use of the green land between Crossfield St, Coffey St and Deptford Church St (bordering St Joseph's and St Paul's) as a Thames Tunnel sewage work site.

As such we have organised a meeting with two representatives from Thames Tunnel to come and speak with interested local residents and businesses about the plans. It will be possible to ask questions and voice concerns. The meeting will take place on Tuesday the 9th of August at 7.30pm in the Salvation Army on Mary Ann Gardens.

Would it be possible to let people know about this on your blog?

Many thanks,

Liberty Mosse.

 And Councillor Alam Smith has also written to us to let us know that there will be a gathering by St Pauls at 11am next Saturday.

As part of plans for a London 'super sewer', Thames Water are proposing major tunnelling works at a site in Deptford adjacent to the historic St. Paul's Church and 2 primary schools.

The works will last 7 years and will involve noisy machinery and constant service by Heavy Goods Vehicles. It will also take away one of the only green spaces in the area. We will be left with a 15 foot high sewer vent on the site with all that entails.

The government has announced that the whole 'super sewer' will be subject to a single planning consent, circumventing local planning rules.

We can see the arguments for a super sewer but this is a completely unsuitable area for works of this kind. Other options are available so for the sake of the schoolchildren, the users of Deptford High Street, local residents and churchgoers, we are urging Thames Water and the government minister responsible to think again and STOP THE STINK.

We will be gathering on the steps of St Pauls Church at 11 am on Saturday 30^th July to show the strength of feeling in the area.

As Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Regeneration I am leading for Lewisham on this project and strongly oppose this site. I will be there on Saturday and I would urge as many residents from Crossfields as possible to turn up.

There's also a Stop the Stink facebook group as well....Say Boo to Poo