New developer buys into Creekside gold rush...

Number One Creekside is the latest bit of real estate in our vicinity to be snapped up by developers. The owner of this popular MOT Testing Centre (opposite the Bird's Nest pub) has sold out to Bluecroft Property Development.

On their home page, Bluecroft announce their new land purchase (May 2014, apparently) as a site with "potential for a large residential new build development of circa 150 apartments".

In an effort to distance himself from this boast, one of Bluecroft's two directors, Tom Mulligan, told us that this refers to another site in Deptford, but he wouldn't say where. So it's probably this one. With 150 flats to fit in to this medium-sized plot, it is likely there will have to be a tower block.

Tom said they specialised in "Affordable Commercial", a mixed use of housing and commercial space – with the affordable emphasis on units for 'creatives' rather than homes that ordinary people can afford. Conscious that he was talking to a local artist, he was keen to show his awareness of the area already being a 'creative and small business environment'. This is also the designation for Creekside given by the Council, though this did little to stop Faircharm Estate owners Workspace cutting its affordable commercial employment space by two thirds in order to build luxury flats by the Creek.

Bluecroft say it will take two to three years to work up suitable plans and they will do their best to consult with their neighbours, since they "are a small company who cannot afford refusals" – in other words, they cannot afford to appeal if planning permission is refused. It is equally true that the Council cannot afford appeals either – there is only so much they can do in the face of aggressive market interests (and practically nothing at all when Boris Johnson steps in and takes planning control from them, eg Convoys Wharf, where the GLA has bent over backwards to give the Hong Kong developer everything it wants). Anyway, just how small can Bluecroft be if they can also boast a £150m project in a secret location in the City?

The north London outfit are also already ensconced in Lewisham – they include Riverdale House next on their list of recent projects. This is a bit odd since Galliard Homes are already actively promoting a whole floor of (15) properties 'off-plan' in this "all private" development (with no 'help to buy'). One way or another, Bluecroft are partnered with some big sharks.

Perhaps they will operate in a similar way to Cathedral plc's Deptford Project. They 'worked with' the Council in its plans for the new station and claim to have 'worked with the community' (the train carriage and low-rent 'creative' spaces in the arches). They certainly threw some money at the area around their site, but where's their investment in Deptford now? Nowhere to be seen. Since they arrived in Deptford, they've acquired large sites in Greenwich. Building on Deptford Project aka Rise was delayed whilst they concentrated on their Greenwich High Road site, and at Morden Wharf on the peninsula they're now pretending to be terribly concerned about the future of the river (and all those terrible high rise luxury developments!).

Then as soon as building started in Deptford they brought in IP Global to sell their properties overseas. See our recent post, and also the Deptford Dame's new post on local reactions to IP Global's marketing strategies. (See the video which provoked protest at the end of this post). It remains to be seen what businesses can exist and survive in the renovated arches, but the busy market and cafe culture depicted in their visuals will be in shade for most of the day.

Will they be offering special rents to social enterprises? Why aren't they doing that now in another part of Deptford – and showing their on-going commitment to the area? As the ex-director of Deptford X Visual Arts festival often noted when trying to raise funding, developers only give money when they are trying to curry favour. Once they have their planning permission, the funding dries up. This year's (late) funder was Anthology – new kids on the block, and making all the right noises and showing themselves to be well cuddly. They only appear 'nice' because they're not as awful as Lend Lease or, indeed, Hutchison Whampoa.

Still, even if Bluecroft intend to pretend to be friendly (quote Tom Mulligan "I come from an artists' background, so I know all about the arts"), it is blindingly obvious that development is their business and they are out to make shitloads of money (as the Deptford Dame coins it). And that is almost preferable to the deception being forged by the wolf-in-sheep's-clothing that is the owner of Number Three Creekside. Mr John Cierach (whose portfolio also includes the yard behind the Bird's Nest and the Big Red Pizza Bus) claims to be creating a "creative hub" for this little corner of Creekside and has tried to convince locals that he is "fully invested in the creative life of the area". Fully invested alright – with his secret plans to buy the Bird's Nest pub and turn it into flats (so far resisted) and his fanciful idea of building flats under the DLR viaduct (nice!).

[Ironically, whilst Cierach's plans to stage weekend late-licensed live music events attracting up to 500 people give nearby long-term residents on Crossfields much cause for concern, a brand new residential development at the MOT-Bluecroft site would be incompatible not only with that, but with the already well-established activities at the Bird's Nest. Venues are often shut down as a result of noise complaints from people who move into new developments knowing full well there is a lively and popular venue nearby – hence this recent e-petition.]

Ultimately, the issue we have with developers is that they are not building the homes that ordinary Londoners can afford. Creating balanced communities is simply not their business; their role in 'regeneration' is totally skewed. Bluecroft Property's plans may include affordable creative business units but they'll probably be the 'micro' kind suitable only for trendy mobile app designers who have been outpriced in Shoreditch. And then only because the Council have asked them to – so that they can continue to attract development money to Lewisham! But Bluecroft are under no obligation to provide any remotely affordable homes. Are they?


"When the artists start coming, that's when you want to get in" Tim Murphy, IP Global.
Er, they're already here, Tim, you knob, and you're pricing them out so they'll all be gone soon.

Deptford Project sold to Hong Kong

So the train's gone, and work has begun on Cathedral's £48m Deptford Project – much to the annoyance of local residents who now wake up to the sound of diggers.  

What a long way this project has come. Originally the redevelopment of the site was part of Lewisham Council and Joan Ruddock's idea to revitalise both Deptford station and the area around it. Richard Roger's firm Rogers, Stirk, Harbour & Partners was brought in to come up with the design below in collaboration with Ash Sakula Architects.

Cathedral won the contract to build it in 2007. Now, after a long delay since planning permission was granted, they have raised the cash to actually build it – by selling the entire block of 121 flats to Hong Kong investor IP Global.

According to this report, this is "the second project in Deptford that IP Global has invested in. The company recently bought a block of 64 flats in a scheme at Hilton’s Wharf on Deptford Creek for £30 million".

Hilton's Wharf is not actually in Deptford (and also not built yet). It's the other side of the Creek in Greenwich. Obviously Deptford is no longer a word that scares foreign investors away, despite the feelings of some snobby residents in the Creekside Village development on Creek Road who are desperate to change their postcode from SE8 to SE10.

Update: 9th April 2014

Conran Estates are now involved in marketing the development "in trendy 'up and coming' Deptford". They say, "This development is being marketed across the world, mainly Asia, but we have secured an early opportunity to offer to local purchasers for both residential and investment purposes".

Since the site hasn't been built yet, who else but investors and buy-to-let landlords are likely to snap up these apartments? ('Yields' are forecast as "up to 4.75%", whilst "predicted prices in the City will increase approximately 19% over the next 5 years".)

Prices are: Studios £260k - £270k; 
1 Bed £320k - £350k; 
2 Bed £395k - £495k; 
Exec 2 Bed £575k - £690k; 
2 Bed Penthouse £605k - £755k
There are: 14 x Studios, 36 x 1-bed, 59 x 2-bed, 6 x exec 2-bed, and 6 x penthouses.

The "Investment Case" states:
• Located in the heart of the trendy and up and coming Deptford with a 1 minute walk to the Deptford overground station
• A very attractive location for those who work in the City of London or Canary Wharf
• Deptford has been hailed as "the new Shoreditch" with farmers' markets, coffee shops and boutique retailers now occupying the area. Steeped in history, the area has been singled out by Boris Johnson as a key investment/regeneration area due to its close proximity to the City.
• The area is to become a smart residential neighbourhood, with the addition of a new Waitrose only a few minutes walk away
• The Deptford Project is part of a £42 million dollar regeneration of the area which will include cafes, restaurants and boutique shops...

Oh, how we laughed!

Train carriage squatted, and Creekside cafe to close

Plans to move the train cafe to Douglas Square have been taking a long time, and we heard it could be up to a year before it is relocated. In the meantime, the Deptford Project developers Cathedral plc had now agreed to help the cafe business owner's storage problem by moving it to one of their other sites in Greenwich (yet to be redeveloped) so that building work can commence on the Deptford site. But at the end of last week the train was squatted.

This is the same notice as was pinned to the door of the old Job Centre (perhaps even the very same notice), which was squatted at the end of September, just as refurbishment work was about to start on the new pub that is planned for the building. Although a train is not a pub, it seems the same rules apply, and no-one except the squatters can enter the premises. The decking was due to be removed and donated to a garden project, but now cannot be touched since it would deny the squatters access to their new pad. The electricity supply was also due to be cut off, but the squatters say it would be a breach of their human rights to remove their only source of power, which means the cafe (not the developer) may be stuck with a large bill.

No one was in when the site security guard let us into the yard on Saturday to take these photos. The developer's schedule will now be held up until they can get a court possession order. Not that they have seemed to be in any hurry to get started since they got planning permission several months ago.

Meanwhile, another local cafe is about to close, also thanks to redevelopment – the Creekside Cafe on Creekside, part of Faircharm Trading Estate. Their lease is up and there's no point in renewing it, since some time in 2014 building work will begin to turn a thriving employment zone into luxury housing. This will last three years or more and bring great disturbance to Crossfields residents. Unfortunately, a Lewisham Planning Committee agreed earlier this year that Workspace plc cannot make enough profit for its shareholders by simply providing actual workspace.

Creekside Cafe's situation differs from the train cafe in that its owners (Mason's Catering, already a fairly successful catering firm based on Deptford Church Street) knew nothing about Workspace's plans to turn Faircharm Trading Estate into luxury flats and chuck out the businesses that the cafe serves when they took on the tenancy. The train, on the other hand, was initially supported by the developer, who paid for its installation as "meantime use" on the site. In return, Cathedral ingratiated itself into the community with its branding, whilst boasting the cafe's successes as its own. Until, that is, they got their planning permission and wanted rid of it.

The same clever developer did the same last year with the pop-up Mvemnt Café by Greenwich DLR, which was run by Greenwich Co-operative Development Agency, who knew the limits of the project – to cash in on the Olympic pedestrian traffic to Greenwich Park. Perhaps a fine example of "meantime use". Cathedral hailed it as a great success, though we hardly ever saw or met anyone there (since most Olympics punters were herded away from it and all the other Greenwich businesses).

It seems "meantime use" can only work if the business can be easily relocated or closed down. But even then, a planning application can take a long time to come to fruition, and there are often delays in building phases once permission is got, so any business who takes up a "meantime" offer suffers enormous insecurity about when they must move out. In the meantime the business may have become established in the community, sorely missed as a community resource when it's gone, and the business itself left with debts it has no chance of recouping if it cannot easily relocate. And even if they can, like the businesses being chucked out of Faircharm, relationships in the community built up over many years are severed by a move to another borough or town.

Meanwhile, Creekside Cafe has only been around for a relatively short time, but their cheap and tasty food proved popular with and highly convenient for local artists, craftspeople and residents – and those Creekside businesses who haven't yet been forced out by Workspace's new plans for Faircharm.

Wave goodbye to the Deptford train cafe

When building work finally commences in a couple of months' time on the delayed Cathedral/United House development next to Deptford station (see pic below), one of Deptford's most recent and best loved landmarks, the café known to locals as "the train", will have to move.

The café has been given notice to be off the site by 31st August, but a decision over where it will go must be made within the next week. Whilst Cathedral have offered to help with some of the relocation costs, another option is that they buy the train business and move it to Brighton, where they are 'delivering' an "Innovation Quarter". Meanwhile, the café staff have been given notice, as have the creative business tenants in the arches, who have been offered space in Canning Town.

The train café was originally planned to be moved to sit alongside the new station – the perfect place for it. It appears on this model which was viewed during the 'consultation' (though was missing from the application drawings).

There is certainly plenty of room for it here. There is also room here for a nice big anchor.

But Network Rail own the land in front of the station and they have said the train café would compromise the franchises they want to put in their arches, eg their corporate partners Costa Coffee. Surely the developers must have known this might be the case when they submitted their plans?

Might the train go here instead, under the Mr & Mrs mural?

No, Lewisham Council says the train is too heavy. The anchor was also considered to be too heavy to go here. Watch out the pavement doesn't cave in next time you walk on it!

Could it perhaps go here, in Douglas Square? Or are there other vested interests vying for this space? If it can't go here, then it's goodbye to the train cafe.

Update 20th June 2013: Still no news on the train's new home, or if it can stay. Some of the displaced artists and creative businesses may relocate to Tidemill, but nothing is confirmed.

Update 29th June: ditto above.



CREATIVE DEPTFORD AND THE DEVELOPERS

The marketing pitch of all developers is that Deptford is a thriving creative community, yet these days a great many of Deptford's creatives are actually homeless. Businesses are being chucked out of Faircharm to make way for luxury apartments, Utrophia's temporary time on the high street is up just as soon as Antic get their planning sorted, and the artists in St Paul's House must also move out at the same time as those in the Deptford Project yard.

Lewisham Council, which enjoys the vast amounts of Section 106 money that comes from these developments to spend in other parts of the borough, also trades on Deptford's creative reputation whilst failing to ensure there is adequate accommodation for the people that created the reputation. The Council have just re-signed the contract for Newbould Guardians to stay at the old Tidemill school – a property that could accommodate a hundred creatives yet only houses about ten, at enormous expense to Lewisham's taxpayers whilst making a tidy profit for a private security firm.

Cathedral plc say on their website: "In summer 2008 we installed a 1960s commuter train carriage into a site next to Deptford High Street train station in south east London. We put it there to kickstart a £42m mixed-use PPP regeneration scheme with the London Borough of Lewisham in partnership with United House...The Deptford Project Café has become a popular place with Deptford locals. Lovingly restored by neighbourhood craftsmen and run by a local group, the café acts as a creative hub for the community and as the focal point for The Deptford Project. It has been featured in media all over the world and was hailed as London’s grooviest new café. Vogue magazine included The Deptford Project Café in their top 50 favourite things in London....We continued our placemaking by opening up the abandoned arches under the carriage ramp and letting them on a temporary basis to local craftspeople. They have built a vibrant community there..."

But now we're chucking them all out!

United House, who call the site Deptford Rise, say "it is a £60m PPP project to include 138 private homes, new public space, live/work units and office space for small, creative organisations. The Deptford Project is already established as a thriving and quirky community initiative where features include a cafe in a disused train carriage, pop-up markets and an outdoor cinema in summer."

So the people who have built the vibrant community, who have helped to create Deptford's reputation as a creative hub, must fuck off so that new creative spaces (which no one will be able to afford) can be built. The creative scene in Deptford is down to two main factors: Goldsmiths College and cheap space. The latter is now only available as a result of temporary spaces created by developers while they thrash out the details of their luxury home developments with Lewisham Planning. The only creatives who can survive the onslaught of the developers in relative security are those who can afford to own their buildings.

There could be a smoother transition from temporary to permanent in these situations, but there is not. What makes an area unique in the first place is disregarded and unsupported when it's time to sell the luxury flats to overseas investors (see Alternative SE4's latest post). The Deptford X visual arts festival only gets support from developers when they are sucking up to Lewisham Planning in the initial stages. Never mind, eh, creative people are a sturdy bunch used to living on the edge in total insecurity, and those who find themselves having to leave are soon replaced by the next batch of plucky graduates, a factor that the developers are relying on. There is no "now", there is only "the future". In the future, all creatives are envisaged as operating solely in the digital world, where space is virtual.

The buzzword for developers and planners is Placemaking. This is originally defined (since the 70s) as capitalising on a local community's assets, inspiration and potential "to create good public spaces that promote health, happiness and well being". There is indeed now much capitalising on the community's assets – in this case, 'Creative Deptford' – in order to drive up the value of new luxury apartments and increase the profits of the developer.

The main driver for the massive Convoys Wharf development is Deptford's "creative" reputation. The fact that the site has enormous historical significance is more or less disregarded since preserving and celebrating that aspect would get in the way of building 3,500 flats (3000 of which are likely to be marketed to foreign investors). Heritage is mainly to be acknowledged in place naming only. In its "Cultural Strategy" the developer states that their plans will make Deptford "the new Shoreditch" whilst conveniently forgetting that that part of the East End is located right next to the wealthy City of London, and hundreds of creatives had to move out before all the new trendy people could move in.

Still, in the time it takes for the Convoys site to be built (some twenty years or more), there may be opportunities for cheapish temporary spaces, but not for some time to come, so this will be little comfort for those caught in the present developer-led transition. Such is the poisoned chalice of regeneration.

News catch up

Thames Tunnel
Deptford Misc reported earlier in the week the encouraging news that the present Mayor Boris Johnson has called for the re-examination of five sites in the Tunnel project – including Deptford Church Street. "This site is adjacent to a school and on one of the few open spaces in this deprived area of London. The site will also impact on a busy section of the road network which is also an important bus route. I think there is more scope for alternative sites in this area, including the options examined in the first phase of consultation and again I urge you to search for a site that has lower impact."

A border row has now broken out, with Nick Raynsford (Labour MP for Greenwich & Woolwich) wading in to defend the "thousands" of residents at the alternative (and initially preferred) site at Borthwick Wharf. Perhaps it is time for Joan Ruddock to step in to defend Deptford and for Labour's Livingstone and Len Duvall to match Boris Johnson, with a promise to challenge Thames Water who have chosen to favour a privileged gated community over a poorer one and use HGVs on a busy road rather than use the river.

Or did Boris frame this one to set the cat among the pigeons, with the Tory revision of parliamentary boundaries set to have the Greenwich (Labour) consituency swallow most of (Labour) Deptford and Raynsford possibly taking the Deptford crown from Dame Joan (whilst its citizens remain in the very unroyal borough of Lewisham)? Unfortunately this Tunnel row news came too late to put the question to Joan personally when she was humbly knocking on doors last night and today reminding us to vote for Ken and Len.

New development starts work
The Deptford Dame reports on "The Movement" – Cathedral's new development on Norman Road which we wrote about in March 2011 when the planning application was submitted. We noted then that we were not consulted despite being in the consultation catchment area. Too late now. Your view east is about to be ruined.

Defeating the developers
Deptford Misc also reported that the Lord Clyde pub in Wotton Road was celebrating the defeat of developers who wanted to turn it into flats. The story goes some way to explain why developers have such a bad reputation: their planning application stated "The current use does not provide any positive contribution to the local area and therefore it’s replacement with a residential building is the most appropriate form of development." This prompted the landlord, who hosts a successful boxing club at the pub, to gather local support to object to the proposals. Read more at Deptford Misc. We also wrote about the Lord Clyde in March 2010 in the context of CAMRA's campaign to stop pubs being turned into flats.

New Cross & Deptford Free Film Festival
Both the Deptford Dame and Transpontine have flagged up the upcoming Free Film Festival (27 April–6 May). More details at www.freefilmfestivals.org. We note that among the offerings, there will be a screening of The Tunnel, a film about the late comedian Malcom Hardee and his infamous club, in the new 40-seater 'cinema in a lorry' at the Big Red Pizzeria.

Virgin London Marathon
On your doorstep Sunday 22 April. Check the website for more details of times and route plus new sponsors Virgin Money have plenty of merchandise to sell you! And The Duke will be serving breakfast from 9am.

Convoys Wharf Planning Objection Workshop

A new campaign has been started that hopes to respond to the plans submitted by Hutchinson Whampoa and News International for the massive site at Convoys Wharf.

The group, calling themselves DEPTFORD IS..., have organised an urgent Planning Objection workshop to help people understand what is planned for the site and to show folk how to object if they feel Deptford is not best served by what's on offer. Objections must be submitted to Lewisham Planning by 27th September, hence the urgency.

Saturday 24th September 10am (for 10.30) – 12noon

The Blue Room at The Albany

They also have a few ideas of their own that go much further than the developers' present plans in honouring the site's international heritage as King Henry VIII's royal dockyard, which they hope to present at the end of October. To keep updated, join their mailing list or sign their petition Hands Off Our Heritage, see their blog at www.deptfordis.org.uk


OTHER DEPTFORD DEVELOPMENTS...

There are three towers proposed for Convoys Wharf – Tower A is 148m tall with 46 storeys, Tower D is 124m with 38 storeys, and Tower I is 106m with 32 storeys. But it is the density of the buildings around the towers that gives cause for concern – some are as high as 60m. 3500 homes and 2000 parking spaces also seems excessive.

To get an idea of these heights, compare with the Z building (aka Aragon Tower) on Pepys Estate at 92m with 29 floors. Eddystone Tower is 26 storeys. The Seager Tower on Deptford Broadway is 82m with 26 storeys, with still to come, its accompanying highrises (9 storeys sloping down to 3).

Meanwhile, the Deptford Dame reports on The Wharves (Evelyn Street/Grove Street/Oxestalls Road), which has just received the go ahead including detailed planning permission for two thirds of the site. The whole development will comprise 905 residential units plus shops, restaurants, bars, takeaways and other non-residential uses. It will be very high density – above London Plan guidelines – with buildings as tall as 18 storeys.

Though small in comparison, the development by Cathedral at Deptford Station/Octavius Street is far too high (eight storeys) in the context of the high street, and they plan to add another floor to the existing St Paul's House overlooking the street. There will be 124 luxury apartments and 11 'affordable' flats. Although not what you'd call a tower, the new building will cast an enormous shadow over the planned public piazza (and the repositioned train carriage) in the afternoon.

The tallest buildings at Lewisham Gateway are 77m. At Loampit Vale, the development looms above the local landscape. Local residents fought hard against these plans but failed to stop the latter.

 

At WorkSpace on Creekside, at least one tower is planned. At Creekside Village we still have towers to come. The present nine storey buildings may be joined by 14, 17 and 22 storey structures.

Still, it could be worse – the Shard at London Bridge is due to reach 310m by completion in 2012 when it will be the tallest structure in London (and the European Union). Presently the tallest building is the 50 storey One Canada Square (Canary Wharf) at 235m followed by Heron Tower in the City of London at 230m.

Cathedral application...another high street pawnbrokers...

Whilst scanning Lewisham Planning for details of the Convoys Wharf planning application (see earlier post), we came across another couple of local applications.

Firstly, DC/11/78175/X
The long awaited application from Cathedral plc for the development attached to the new Deptford station otherwise known as The Deptford Project...featuring a rather massive Richard Rogers building full of luxury flats, accompanied by alterations to the existing St Paul's House to provide low-cost housing...plus a piazza etc...View the application here. The Planning Statement is here (78 pages).

If you got involved in any way with the "highly visual and participative consultation" process (a rather random sticky dot exercise), you might want to have a butchers at the The Statement of Community Views, which appears to show a majority in favour, although the process was so unscientific it would surely be impossible to say exactly what the community is in favour of. Apparently we want more tall buildings and luxury flats.

For more detail on the plans see The Deptford Dame.

Secondly, DC/11/77795/X 
An application for a change of use at 37 Deptford High St to a Retail Jewellers and Pawnbrokers, together with the installation of a new shop front (with an additional application for an illuminated sign). See here. As yet no documents to look at or deadline for objections. We'll be keeping an eye on this...Can anyone remember what was here before?

Deptford Launch #2 – Deptford Project Garden

Tuesday afternoon saw the launch of Deptford Project: An Urban Harvest in the Deptford Project yard behind the railway carriage. This 'community' garden, designed by Alex Bell, is sponsored by Greenwich Community Development Agency  and Cathedral plc, and was created for the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2011. It has now been relocated back in Deptford for a short period.

Schools and volunteers from the Greenwich area helped to grow plants for the garden and to create the painted CD-box sculptures. The aim is to raise awareness of growing food in an urban environment.
Rosie Boycott, aka London's "food tzar" and chair of the London Food Board (and pictured below with Claire Pritchard of GCDA), was invited to cut the ribbon.

 

Hospitality included music from local blues guitarist Steve Morrison and seasonal food grown and made in the area such as smoked salmon hand prepared, cured and smoked by the 'Little Greenwich Smokery', cheese from the Greenwich Cheeseboard, free range Kent eggs, handmade chutneys from 'Potters of Brockley', and ham and humus prepared by Greenwich Kitchen (a GCDA training project). 

Guests at the opening mostly included those involved in the Cathedral development  – so there were a lot of suits. A model of the development was on show along with drawings and a booklet called Public Property (a paeon to public private partnership – the new PPI?).

Apparently there will be allotments on the top of the Richard Rogers building. No kidding.

Meanwhile, the garden's designer Alex Bell writes about his garden on a BBC gardening blog: "Urban food production provides an excellent means of involving groups such as women, ethnic minorities and older adults in socially productive activity. It also provided a valuable means of expression of local or ethnic activity, for example, growing culturally significant produce...

"Food growing provides communities with opportunities for community cohesion, community capital, access to healthier food, gentle exercise, community learning and often leading to happier, safer communities. Our sponsors (GCDA) have also developed growing projects in partnership with supported accommodation, schools, children centres, day centres, MIND, Age Concern and Older Peoples Services working with adults with learning difficulties and recently with centres for higher education."
www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/gardening/2011/07/raising-the-bar-on-community-g.shtml

See also: www.london.gov.uk/london-food/london-boroughs/growing-greenwich-case-study

Cathedral consultations

Deptford

This Saturday 12 March there'll be African Poetry (2pm), a Steel Band (1pm), food and craft stalls (10am-6pm), Lion Dancers (midday), face painting and Mahjong (12.30pm), Dohl drumming (3pm), and Reggae DJs (3pm-7pm), all congregating in the Deptford Project yard.

Deptford Project sponsors, Cathedral plc, are inviting you to look over their plans for the site and give them your views. They'll be in Arch No.1 in the Project yard on Saturday and also Mon-Fri 14-18 March between 10am-5pm.

Greenwich

Meanwhile, Cathedral are also applying for planning permission to develop the old Norman Road Industrial Estate just beyond the Ha'Penny Hatch. Their plans here could radically alter some Crossfields' residents' views towards Greenwich in the near future. According to their Statement of Community Involvement, this is the area of consultation.

You'll notice it includes Crossfields. Consultation apparently took place in November 2010, and most recently letters notifying of the planning application went to businesses on Creekside, but the Planning notice put up on a lamp post outside the overgrown industrial estate is the first I've heard about this project since the Creekside Charrette in 2009... 

See the Planning Application here (Ref: 11/0271/F), and download Cathedral's Statement of Community Involvement here. This has lots of pictures of the proposed development which is intended as a mixed use development comprising:

• 181 residential units
• 358 student residential units
• 1,332sqm of education/office space
• 1,382sqm health club/leisure floorspace
• 11 incubator/start up business units
• a nursery
• 480sqm of retail foodstore floorspace
• 37sqm cafe/bike shop
• 104 bed 3-star hotel
• 30 room boutique hotel and restaurant
• onsite energy centre
• public realm to include public art and onsite landscaping
• 57 car parking spaces including 2 car club spaces
• 439 cycle spaces

This is a mock-up of the view from the DLR.

Here is an aerial view looking north east of the area covered. Crossfields is just off shot at bottom left.

Crossfields is top right in this view looking south west.

If you have any objections to the plans, note you'll have to submit as a member of the public since although we're supposedly in the consultation zone, we have not been consulted. Objections must be in by around 15th March. You may find there's nothing to object to except the loss of your view.