Sun Wharf on Creekside – happening sooner than expected!

Click to enlarge

We touched on Sun Wharf as part of our coverage of the Kent Wharf redevelopment application. Public consultation for Kent Wharf in July 2014 was followed by submission of an application in December 2014 which was passed in March 2015 and work is now well under way. Included in the Bellway Homes' application was an "indicative masterplan" for the entire stretch of land bordering Deptford Creek and Creekside, going all the way down to the railway. It would add a further 242 homes. See Crossfields Estate shaded in red (our addition):

Indicative masterplan, Dec 2014

The Kent Wharf plans mainly showed the present development in context with Laban, as well as an untouched Jones Catering Supplies and Cockpit Arts.

Kent Wharf plans, Dec 2014

With Jones in possession of a lease till 2022, it seemed we might be spared the continuous onslaught of construction work on Creekside. There might be a bit of a breather before Sun Wharf began.

But it would appear from the above public consultation that all obstacles have been removed and Bellway Homes can plough ahead with their masterplan. Jones may have been offered an alternative site to continue their lease (or their lease has been bought out), and Cockpit Arts have been seduced into getting a new 'purpose-built facility'. The speed with which the Kent Wharf plans turned into reality suggests public consultation at this time means the rest of the masterplan could begin at Sun Wharf as early as 2018, around the time Faircharm and Kent Wharf are reaching completion.

As we predicted then, a tower of 14 storeys could easily rise to 18. Here's 2014's building heights:

Indicative masterplan, Dec 2014 (click to enlarge)

Indicative masterplan, Dec 2014

And here's the (only) picture on the front of the consultation leaflet (black biro is ours). My! How that tower has grown! And gone is the old Cockpit building with the Love Over Gold mural – now they're tucked into the development and overshadowed by a 9 (?) storey building! Looks like there will be a lot more than 242 homes now in the highly dense development...

Sun Wharf, Feb 2016 (click to enlarge)

Whilst these rapid changes on Creekside could be viewed with excitement by some, it's rather depressing for local residents – not everyone is out at work every day, and going by the noise and pollution already being created by demolition works at Faircharm (which we'll cover in another post) the prospect of another five years of being stuck in the middle of a building site is not a happy one. On one side is Thames Tunnel at their Deptford Church Street site, and on the other, five new developments on the Creek, plus more Thames Tunnel work across the Creek. There's also another potential Creekside development when No.3 Creekside is sold (quite possibly to Bluecroft who have already bought the MOT Centre).

The Faircharm development has recently generated convoys of HGVs queuing all the way up Creekside to take away demolition materials, but that is nothing compared to the 180 lorry trips per day planned for when construction begins. Whilst Workspace plc have cheated their way out of using the Creek to transport spoil and materials at Faircharm (not 'financially viable'), Bellway Homes at Sun Wharf should have less of an excuse – but they have not used the Creek at Kent Wharf, and there is also the little matter of Thames Tideway Tunnel's plans to use the Creek themselves. Oh, and did we mention the noise? And the floor shaking and the cracks appearing...

What can we get from all this redevelopment? New 'townscapes', a buzzing new street full of cafes and mini supermarkets perhaps? Even nearer gyms, a few galleries? More parking congestion? A one-way street? At least there might be a few more much needed homes for families at Sun Wharf, which is more than you can say for the Faircharm development. Will the Love Over Gold mural be preserved? Those who value it may have to put up a fight as it's unlikely that Cockpit Arts will argue for its retention. What will happen to Cockpit's craftspeople – will they be the first to be offered new creative spaces in Faircharm and Kent Wharf while their building is demolished? (We'll have to ask our designer friends*)...

View our Pollution Survey (May 2014) results here to get an idea of what's in store while this fantastic brand new environment is being created on our doorstep. Meanwhile find out more on Wednesday 24th Feb (3.30-7.30 at Creekside Centre) and on Saturday 27th Feb (11–3 at Laban).

* We asked a friend at Cockpit and she had no idea of the plans.
 

Busy weekend of Creekside music and art starting tonight

Starting with Number3London...

We've slagged off her landlord in the previous post, but we wish only the best to Caffy St Luce and her latest Rocklands project Number3Live Sessions launching at Number 3 Creekside this evening (and continuing 12th and 19th December). The bill tonight is Rhiannon The Nightmare, Jean Genie's Massive Hugs, James Fisher and DJ Gavin Black. It's free entry, doors are 7pm.

Despite the planning application being unresolved, the licensing is in place, so it's likely to be a late one, and a good opportunity for the nearby Crossfields residents to test the sound and noise barriers! Here's hoping their evenings won't be disturbed, and everyone has a great time.

Artwise, it's Christmas Open Studios at Cockpit Arts  – lots of visitors expected as usual as people come from far and wide to pick up classy and crafty Chrismas presents at studio prices at Numbers 18-22 Creekside. It's free entry from 11am till 9pm today but a £3 ticket price over the weekend (which allows entry both days, Sat & Sun 11am-6pm).

APT Gallery at Number 6 Creekside and Arthub Studios at Numbers 5-9 Creekside hope to attract some of these visitors to their own Christmas sales – though of course it might be the other way round! APT were open late for 'SLAM Last Fridays' last weekend and the traffic on Creekside was terrible! Tonight they'll be open from 6–8pm and 1-5pm on Sat & Sun.

Arthub Studios & Gallery's 'Snap it up!' offers a free glass of mulled wine this evening (6-9pm), a DJ and some 'screen printing' (not sure what that means!). Then they're open 1-5pm on the weekend.

Next week on Saturday 13 December, there's a Winterfair at the Arthouse and a Vintage Christmas & Craft market at The Albany.

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.

New Creekside venue planned

This is 3 Creekside, the old Medina works. It's owned by John Cierach, who also owns the yard opposite behind the Birds Nest pub, and, more famously, the Big Red pizza restaurant and bar.

Having now rid himself of some troublesome tenants in the building (an evangelical church who refused to pay any rent) and tried, without much success, to rent the space as artists' studios, Mr Cierach has now lodged a Planning Application with Lewisham Council to turn the building into a new "cultural and creative hub for Deptford".

In order to carry out his plans, Cierach must apply for change of use – from 'light industrial' to 'sui generis'. This Latin term means "in a class of its own" and is used when no other, or no particular planning class applies. He intends the building to have a range of uses as follows:

The main area at the front of the building will provide space for live music, dance, theatre, cinema and DJs, and would also be available for photo shoots, product launches, wedding services and receptions. The yard area will have seating for food provided by street food vendors. Inside, a large bar will serve coffee, soft drinks and alcohol (including "botanical cocktails using herbs grown from our landscaped yard").

At the back of the building, bordering onto Crossfields, there will be a large gallery space. He also hopes to establish a micro brewery. The first floor does not require a change of planning class apparently. This area is to be rented out as music studios.

Outside of this application, Cierach also hopes in time to turn his scruffy yard at 2 Creekside into "a mini market of 2-storey steel containers" to house creative people who will make and sell things. The market could also include "flowers, bike repairs, street food and maybe organic foods".

It all sounds quite exciting, doesn't it! But there is a downside...

Although the Big Red has established itself over time as a popular venue, the late night activities on the weekends (often held in a container at the back) are not at all popular with some of its neighbours, with very loud music going on past 2am on a regular basis.

And whilst nothing in particular has been going on at Number 3 for a while, it has been used a few times this year already as an 'after party' rave venue, with loud music starting at 2am and going on till the morning. These events have caused many sleepless nights for both Wilshaw and Cremer House residents on Crossfields, and since the Noise Police clock off at 3am and generally take 45mins to respond, complaints on these occasions were unsuccessful. Ravers have spilled out into the garden area behind the building (which belongs to the Council) and used the open access to Crossfields as a rowdy short cut in and out of the venue. As one Crossfields resident puts it: "he hasn't got a very good track record of being a good neighbour!"

Listed in his application under "Important Dates" there is an item called "Latest Neighbourhood Consultation Date: Wed 30 July 2014". But there has been absolutely no consultation with anyone on Crossfields, and probably nowhere else either.

The application can be found on the Lewisham Planning Portal HERE.

The target date for a decision is Friday 19 September, so any objections should be lodged with Lewisham Planning by then. Email planning@lewisham.gov.uk quoting the application number DC/14/87991 and include your name and address. An objection may not stop the venue becoming a reality, but may encourage the Planning Committee to apply enforceable conditions to reduce noise pollution when they grant the change of use.