tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129884466436576116.post1200694124395093555..comments2024-02-14T12:43:04.624+00:00Comments on Crosswhatfields?: The Deptford RivieraSuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07914930883748622529noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129884466436576116.post-54610206359790466472017-09-15T15:41:07.329+01:002017-09-15T15:41:07.329+01:00Hi I am concerned about the proposed new developme...Hi I am concerned about the proposed new developments and i'm wondering if there are any important e-mails or petitions circulating that could stop the applications going through. Both No.1 and No.2 Creekside.<br /><br />Thanks in advancestop the rothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02365698757654196678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129884466436576116.post-48290939120905765972017-08-16T23:52:33.075+01:002017-08-16T23:52:33.075+01:00Depressing....I've watched Camden Market go &#...Depressing....I've watched Camden Market go 'yuppie' over the years ,also with the 'odd' fire speeding up the process.I have sympathies with the Creek boating community as it's an uphill battle to find moorings ,especially if your barge is over 20m!.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129884466436576116.post-38430696060575932402017-08-12T22:02:17.025+01:002017-08-12T22:02:17.025+01:00Hi Julian,
Thanks for your reply and explanations...Hi Julian, <br />Thanks for your reply and explanations. I really respect your work on projects such as Lennox. I also want to make it absolutely clear I don't wish for you to go away.<br /><br />I think my main point was that more clear regulations would help in determining what is, and what is not allowed in the creek. Think the creek would be better off if there would be some obvious mooring locations for all, also people who (are not all millionaires but) like lattes. I just think there are many in the new developments who would like to be part of, and contribute to the local community. Words like social cleansing doesn't really help make those people feel welcome. <br />All the best with this difficult situation<br /><br /> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129884466436576116.post-9963026979490821362017-08-11T22:24:36.372+01:002017-08-11T22:24:36.372+01:00Dear Anon,
It's a shame that you didn't r...Dear Anon,<br /><br />It's a shame that you didn't read the whole blog before posting. <br />As one of the people quoted in the piece, I'd be happy to answer your points. I'm one of the "pensioners".<br /> I've worked in Europe, North Africa and as far afield as the USSR, but we all need somewhere to put down roots. For me it was Deptford Creek it's my home ! This was a very different place 30 years ago, a wild frontier with industries that were being starved by a tory ethos that fed only the City, outsourcing to the third world. We lost some fantastically skilled trades that we really could do with now ! <br /> I am a single parent, my four year old son grew up playing in the environment that the Creekside Centre now takes schoolkids on escorted trips in. He's now 35.<br />My ship is seagoing as well as home. As ship's master, If I put into the main river without a destination then barrier control would take a pretty dim view.<br />You seem to want us to go, and we used to come and go when we were safe in the knowledge of a home berth to come back to but, if we lost that, then due to the wholesale development of all Thames waterfronts there are no destinations, except for a few exclusive facilities for millionaires. The last few enclaves of vessels inhabited by ordinary people are being crushed by the PLA's new mooring policy and rapacious developers. As a Crown agent the PLA is similar to an out of control QUANGO if you're a boat dweller. <br />The blog touches on the labour involved just to make it possible to moor in the creek. For my vessel to safely put down on the tide I had to dig a 74 ft boat shaped hole, lay on water and power services, gangplanks to cope with the tidal range and sink anchorage points to hold 200ton of vessels. <br />Then, years later along came the DLR destroying it so that we had to do it all over again. I really hope that you never find yourself in the path of a govt enabled project ! Resistance will send you grey, I guarantee.<br />Then there's maintenance of the vessel, thats after you've done the major restoration, my ship is 123 years old, built in Prussia, for the Kaiser Wilhelm Kanal, I have pictures of her towing the Bismark on her final trip. With Deptford's incredible maritime history. It's amazing what lurks up a muddy creek.<br />I have been an active contributor to community projects in Deptford for most of the last 30 years such as the "greening and cleaning of the creek", "The Creekside Forum", "The Mayor of London's blue ribbon steering group" and for the last seven years, "The Lenox Project".<br />With the wholesale felling of mature trees on surrounding projects (despite Mayor Khan's initiatives) the creek is a green oasis further diversified by the presence of the boats. We do not want an environment dredged and sanitised in order to accommodate the "luxury rental barges proposed by Artworks to replace us, with profits going to support their lifestyles in West London and the shires. The boaters alternative proposals would dramatically green the areas well as opening to public access without the necessity of the purchase of an overpriced latte !<br />I too could raise a jaundiced eyebrow in the direction of the burnt out minesweeper artists co-operative but accidents happen, and there's no evidence of dodgy behaviour and the owners are doing their best to resolve things responsibly.<br /> What is dodgy are the rates being charged by "Artworks" for art space. I absolutely agree with the blog author on this. Particularly as the same artists are being used as a vehicle to "artwash" the two sites and pave the way for a luxury mixed use high density development that apparently is already in discussion with planners.<br />Finally, the boaters in Deptford Creek are a community, we have a residents association, FODC, the majority of us pay council tax and none of us are clogging up any council waiting lists. Being here for a long time / first does carry legal weight. <br /> <br /> <br />Julianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09482471075046102298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2129884466436576116.post-79009407254786441292017-08-11T17:02:55.955+01:002017-08-11T17:02:55.955+01:00Wow, extremely long piece, I'll try to read in...Wow, extremely long piece, I'll try to read in more detail later.. <br /><br />You would think that people moved to a boat lifestyle because they could go anytime, now they are clinging to the comfort of a stable 'home' is kind of ironic. <br /><br />Feel largely sympathetic to the boat dwellers, and this Cierach guy sounds on the dodgy side.<br /><br />But that said, I don't think using words as cleansing increases my sympathy towards your goals. It would be useful if a grown-up debate could be held as to how to improve the area while giving occupants a place. The previous situation might have been great for the incumbents, but is this fair? Seems like you could only join that place if you "fit in with the current community". Why should one person (or a few), not being the owner, have the say all about who can live somewhere cheaply just because he was there first? It's a tragic reality in the UK that if you rent you have very little rights and can be asked to go as soon as the landlord sells. They are in fact not even "proper" renters, more a rather bizarre situation of "coming to an arrangement". In this piece the status quo is defended, i.e. because the boaters have lived there for so long. But why do they have more rights than other individuals renting? <br />There seems to be have been no pressure to keep anything in shape or make the area a pleasant environment in general. Is their contribution to "the community" that great?<br /><br />Take a look at the boats just a bit upstream who caught fire last year. Great community blah blah. They just abandoned it, left the remains of the boats and some others around it to rot away. I would love for some developer to come in and clean that place, if this means it would allow for other people to actually moor their boat and have some activity going on the creek.<br /><br />Sorry for sounding dismissive as to the concerns raised. I do hope these people will be able to find a place to go. There should be a role for the Council, hopefully. How about asigning some place on the opposite side, the LeSo college?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com