Tennis Club Planning Latest

For the third time developers appealed to the independent Planning Inspector after Lambeth council refused their bid to build homes on the West Norwod Tennis Club.

A hearing took place in March at which residents & Cllr Jane Pickard supported the council’s refusal.

The planning Inspector agrees with the council and has dismissed the appeal:

“the benefits of the proposed development for 52 homes would not be outweighed by the harm from loss of outdoor space and the scale of the building.”

See the Inspectors report below

2187818 DECISION

 

Tennis Club planning appeal

Cllr Jane Pickard at tennis club gate

Developers are appealing against the decision by Lambeth council to refuse planning permission to build 52 flats on the site of West Norwood Tennis Club on the corner of Cheviot Road and Knights Hill.

If you want the Planning Inspector to take your views into account the deadline is Friday 1st February.

You can do this online by quoting ref APP/N5660/A/12/2187818  at :  https://www.planningportal.gov.uk/planning/appeals/online/search

To see detail of the planning application refused by Lambeth quote 12/02129   at: http://planning.lambeth.gov.uk/online-applications/

Fire Station For Sale

Cllr Pickard at West Norwood Firestation

West Norwood Fire Station will be moving  in autumn 2014 to a new building under construction at 210 Knights Hill SE27 0JD. The current building at 445 Norwood Road SE27 9DQ  is now up for sale by agents Dron & Wright. The site is 1,000 sq meters over 0.15 hectares and has already attracted interest from hoteliers & retailers. The Fire Station will continue to operate from Norwood Road until the move to Knights Hill.

Name West Norwood’s new health and leisure centre

Councillors visiting the construction site

Work is progressing well and should be complete in just over  a year’s time on a new health & leisure centre opposite West Norwood rail station. Following campaigns by residents and councillors the council is working with the NHS to create  a joint health & leisure centre which will  including a 100 station gym, 25m swimming pool & dance studio as well as a GP surgery and clinics.

We are now looking for a new name for the centre.  Any suggestions are very welcome!

Last minute campaign to protect rail services from West Norwood

Tulse Hill Station

Do you regularly travel to north London through Blackfriars by train? The government (Department for Transport) is currently consulting on proposals to combine Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchises.

The proposals mean our “Wimbledon Loop” service of  four-trains-an-hour through from South London (Tulse Hill, Tooting, Streatham and beyond) to Thameslink, Farringdon and London St Pancras will  terminate at Blackfriars. So anyone wanting to travel further north will have to change trains at Blackfriars. The proposed termination of the Wimbledon Loop  at Blackfriars is caused by a massive upgrade to other parts of the Thameslink service for trains coming up from Brighton and Kent via London Bridge eg  Blackfriars Station has been remodelled and the viaduct across Borough Market extended.

There is a public consultation until Thursday 23rd August 2012  and it’s important that Thameslink rail travellers comment on the proposed service changes.

To comment, email thameslink@dft.gsi.gov.uk To see the proposals there is an 84 page  consultation document  available on http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/dft-2012-23/  Page 30 asks  a key question – what is the most satisfactory way to manage the Blackfriars interchange?

For further information on the last-minute protest campaign to persuade government ministers to over-rule the plan campaign to terminate trains at  Blackfriars station please email  Cllr Jane Pickard [jpickard@lambeth.gov.uk]. Terminating our trains at Blackfriars is not necessary and is unfair to local people!

Theresa Villiers, MP for Chipping Barnet in north London, is the Minister of State for Transport with responsibility for London – email:  theresa@theresavilliers.co.uk

Woodvale Funday

Shelisea aged nine wins a prize

Dozens of children received “gold” medals and prizes after winning races at the Woodvale Estate on the same day as Mo Farah won his 2nd Olympic gold medal!

The Funday day had a barbeque, reggae and rock music, bouncy castle and other games and sports for children, including an ice-your-own fairy cake stall. The event on 11th August, organised by local residents and supported by Lambeth Living, attracted more than 400 people and raised around £100 from a raffle and tombola.

Keith Hill, Chair of Lambeth Living and former Streatham MP, drew the raffle. First prize was tickets to the Olympic Park donated by Lambeth Council.

Cllr Jane Pickard thanked Mary, Rose and other committee members for all their hard work which  made this year’s Funday the biggest and best ever.

“We had good weather, loads of families came out and there was a really friendly, relaxed atmosphere. Well done to everyone,” said Jane.

Calling all competitive gardeners .. and cooks and artists

Cllr Pickard at the Spring Flower Show in St Lukes

Saturday September 1^st is an opportunity to show gardeners can be just as competitive as athletes this London Olympic summer! The Lambeth Horticultural Society annual Summer Flower Show has nearly 100 classes of show flowers, fruit and vegetables. There are also competitions for best crafts,  floral art & photography  and cookery. The ODDEST VEGETABLE competition is judged by the public!

The Show is held in West Norwood at St Luke’s Church, Knights Hill SE27 0HS – open to the public from 2pm

All are welcome to enter the competitions – apply by Wednesday 29^th August. See the Lambeth Horticultural Society web site for details:

http://www.lambethhorticulturalsociety.org.uk/LHS%20schedule%20summer%202012%20for%20web.pdf

Benches on the hills of West Norwood

New Benches

West Norwood shopping centre is at the bottom of a series of steep hills – York Hill, Lansdowne Hill, Knights Hill & Auckland Hill. So it’s great going downhill to go shopping but harder bringing your shopping back home up hill!

New benches have been strategically placed to create a rest stop for residents walking up, or down our hills.

Some residents do have concerns that the new benches will encourage anti-social behaviour.

Do the advantages of a bench, particularly for less mobile residents, outweigh the potential disadvantages? Do let Cllr Pickard know what you think [jpickard@lambeth.gov.uk ]

A new commuity garden

A piece of wasteland in Lakeview Road is being turned into a community garden thanks to efforts of local residents,  Lambeth Living and their contractors.

Getting ready for spring

Local councillor  Jane Pickard explains that the family next door “ were fed up because the area was a mass of brambles and bushes which invaded their own garden and were pushing the fence over”.  Jane  got in touch with  the Portobello  Tenants and Residents Association who had been talking about using the land for a community garden.

Now  not only has the land been cleared and prepared for gardening, but the family next door had their damaged fence replaced and will be  growing fruit and vegetables on one of the beds.

To get growing in 2012  get in touch with the Portobello TRA or email Jane Pickard.

Fire station planning appeal

Proposed Fire Station site

Lambeth council refused planning  permission  to build a new firestation for West Norwood on the site of the care home at 210 Knights Hill in January 2011. The main reason for refusal was that regular activities such as training for fire fighters would cause  too much noise in a  residential area.

The Fire Brigade then appealed to the independent Planning Inspector against the council decision. The Planning Inspector has arranged to  listen to the arguments for and against the proposals at the YMCA , 40 Stockwell Road SW9 9ES  on Wednesday 25^th January . The hearing is in public but anyone wishing to speak to the Planning  Inspector must be present  at 10am to indicate they wish to do so. For advice on planning appeal hearings see: http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/pins/taking-part_planning-hearing.pdf

If you would like an more information about this hearing please contact Cllr Jane Pickard  jpickard@lambeth.gov.uk.

Details of the original planning application can be seen via  the Public Access database quoting  ref 10/02504  : http://planning.lambeth.gov.uk/publicaccess/. For detailsof the appeal quote case 2156756  at http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/planning/appeals/online/search