Save Our Green!

Crossfields resident Nick Williams writes about the Thames Tunnel open floor hearing at the Ahoy Centre yesterday:

Super Sewer is bad for business and bad for our children, Planning Inspectors told

Hardy campaigners braved howling gales and freezing temperatures today to urge Planning Inspectors to ‘save our Green’ from Thames Water’s ‘super sewer’ plans for Crossfields’ Green, Deptford.

More than 30 activists from Don’t Dump on Deptford’s Heart protested outside the second session of the Planning Inspectorate’s inquiry into the Thames Tideway Tunnel on Thursday 21 November, at the AHOY Centre, Deptford Green. And many took time to give evidence about the damage it will cause to the local community and fragile economy of the area.

Local companies and their representatives explained how the tunnel work would blight business, and choke the recovery of Deptford’s High Street, already struggling due to the recession.

And, Patricia Chantrey, Headteacher at St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School, situated just a couple of metres from the Crossfields site, called for Thames Water to recognise her pupils’ need to play, exercise and learn outside rather than to be confined indoors. When quizzed by the Inspectors about alternatives for St Josephs’ children, she said there was no way of mitigating the impact, which would be particularly acute for those with breathing difficulties or special needs.

Pointing out that air quality on Deptford Church Street is already significantly worse than recommended European Union levels, the campaigners argued that the controversial 46 metre shaft should be sunk in the Thames rather than one of the few green lungs for the neighbourhood.

“On every criteria, building the shaft in the Thames is the superior option,” said campaigner Nick Williams. “With some rational planning Thames Water could not only construct their tunnel, but by transporting materials by river, they could also massively reduce the environmental damage that this and other local development will inflict.” 

The alternative, proposed by Thames Water, is for spoil from the shaft and tunnelling work to be removed from site by up to 32 Heavy Goods Vehicles a day, forcing the closure of the whole of the western carriageway of Deptford Church Street. With several major construction projects already in prospect locally at the same time, HGV traffic is set to dramatically increase, raising road safety fears as well as concerns about noise and pollution.

“Thames Water argues that because there is already noise and pollution in the area, we will not be troubled by more”, said Williams.  “It is totally unacceptable, particularly when perfectly viable alternatives exist”.

The Planning Inspectorate, which has the power to recommend to the Secretary of State whether the £4.2 billion project goes ahead or not, will publish their decision in late summer/early autumn 2014.

Join the campaign at Don't Dump on Deptford's Heart
Also read a further report on the hearing at East London Lines
Sign the petition here.

Thames Tunnel Public Hearing: Thursday 21st November at the Ahoy Centre

Don't Dump on Deptford's Heart have produced a brief and very good document which contains the arguments against Thames Tunnel using the site at Crossfields Green. Download it here.

Apart from the demo being organised (8.45am) for the start of tomorrow's Thames Tunnel Pubic Hearing at the Ahoy Centre (click to find location), we understand the public may attend the inquiry itself even if they have not registered formally to speak at this "Open Floor Hearing", which is being held by the government's Planning Inspectorate (not Thames Water). If you decide to attend (registration is 9 - 9.30am), you will find the document useful.

HOW IT WILL AFFECT YOU: NOISE AND POLLUTION

Apart from the unacceptable rise in noise levels for the church, school and Crossfields residents, spoil from the shaft and tunnelling work will be removed from the site by hundreds of lorries, forcing the closure of the western carriageway of Deptford Church St, and reducing it to the two lanes closest to Crossfields. For three years.

Work will also start next year on Creekside at Faircharm Trading Estate, and Creekside itself will become the main route for up to 90 construction lorries per day. When the Thames Tunnel work starts in 2016, Creekside will be used as a rat run, so there will be no letting up on our exposure to gridlocked traffic on all sides.

In a recent survey by Greenwich campaigners "No to Silvertown Tunnel", it was revealed that Greenwich Council's own figures showed pollution levels at the top of Deptford Church Street where it meets Creek Road were on average 61.34 μg/m3 between Jan 05 and Jul 13. Readings above 40μg/m3 are in breach of EU air quality regulations.
www.silvertowntunnel.co.uk/our-study/
www.silvertowntunnel.co.uk/our-study/greenwich-borough-data/

Update: (And how could we forget!) If Hutchison Whampoa's application for Convoys Wharf is approved by the Mayor of London (see our previous post and sign the petition there), they will start work in 2014 (to go on until 2023), adding hundreds of construction vehicles to Evelyn St and Creek Road, and causing massive congestion which will of course tail back along Deptford Church Street. 

Thames Water's original site was at Borthwick Wharf on the riverside at Millennium Quay, where spoil could be removed by water. In a massive abandonment of their environment principles, they then switched the site to landlocked Deptford Church Street. We need to let them know we cannot tolerate the levels of pollution this scheme will bring, and insist they revert to their first chosen site.

In addition, see this report that says the proposed increase in household waste water charges (by as much as £80 a year) may generate after-tax returns as high as 24% for Thames Water, more than three times the estimated 7% return for other water utilities.

Please sign the petition here.

The Don't Dump on Deptford Heart's "They say, we say" document can be downloaded here.

Creekside Ahoy! Thursday–Sunday 6-9 June

Arthub Gallery in Creekside invites you to a SILENT AUCTION of artists' postcards in which you are invited to bid on postcard-sized artworks for a very good cause – the Ahoy Centre in Borthwick Street, Deptford.

The exhibition includes small works by local artists, both internationally renowned and unknown. The Silent Auction will take place throughout the exhibition, and the identity of the artists will only be revealed when the work is bought. Bidders can post their bid in one of the boxes in the gallery and at the end of the show the highest bidder wins. Minimum bid is £20.

THE AHOY CENTRE

The Ahoy Centre is a registered charity which works in the community to enhance people's lives through sailing and rowing. They believe that outdoor activities inspire learning and help to build life skills essential for future life and employment. They run courses for schools, disabled groups and youth groups and for groups of 4 adults or more.

A Pathway to Employment course for 16-24 year olds not in education or employment offers the opportunity for young people to increase their personal skills for a future in water sports, boat building and maintenance or the leisure industry. Participants also get to apply for two apprenticeship schemes run by the centre in Activity Leadership and Boat building/Marine engineering. Their Show Me Why programme works with youth at risk of offending or who have already offended to channel them into further education, apprenticeships and employment.

Water sports activities include sailing, powerboating and rowing and the Ahoy is a rocognised Royal Yachting Association training centre. A small staff are aided by freelance instructors and a wealth of volunteers. Totally Oarsome! is the centre's fundraising campaign where participants get to learn to row and then to compete in rowing challenges to raise sponsorship, including the Great River Race (London's water marathon), and the Cross Channel Row Challenge (rowing from Dover to Calais!).