Sydenham Town Forum

Why was Lewisham so late in formally adopting a public art policy? Answer: they weren't late. In their July 2004 Unitary Development Plan the Council outlined their policy - at URB29 - in respect of art in public places. URB29 referred to the Council's Supplementary Planning Advice Notice "Art ...

I provide below an extract from advice given by Lewisham officials to Heidi Alexander, Lewisham's Deputy Mayor, about the Forest Hill Subway and about slippage in the programme of road works in Perry Vale. That Network Rail are finally taking a positive interest in the Forest Hill subway (they own i...

This is just to register my strong opposition to Sainsbury's recent application for 24 hour trading on the Bell Green site. Annabel McLaren's opening posting on this thread set out strong grounds for opposition. Were the application to be successful then a clear risk is that it would set a precedent...

I would just like to register my support for those who favour the retention of the Greyhound. Annabel McLaren’s posting of 28 July sets out arguments with which I fully agree so I won’t repeat all the points that she, and others of a similar mind, have made. However, I’m heartened by the posting mad...

Greg Whitehead's comments are confused and confusing. And if he wants me to justify that criticism in greater detail then I will. First though, I'd appreciate a reply to my earlier question to him - does he consider that the development now agreed at Bell Green will result in an increase in road tra...

And another thing... a giant retail park is, according to Greg Whitehead, the best possible outcome. Really? I think that view is simply wrong-headed. Of course the site had to be developed - the Sydenham Society has always strongly argued that. The site's neglect for almost a decade has been someth...

Knighton, I doff my hat. Far better than I could do.

Whilst waiting for Knighton to answer Nasaroc's questions properly (his earlier generalisations about an improved South Circular don't count), I should like to respond to one of Knighton's. He has previously asked "What other leisure facilities are there?" (in Sydenham). The answer - of co...

Knighton You can comment on the Society's Gateway proposals, as the website makes perfectly clear. Maybe the funding for Gateway will materialize, maybe it won't. You can't be absolutely sure until it's in the pocket. But your remarks completely miss the point - which is that the Sydenham Society ha...

Oh dear, Knighton...you really don't know much about what goes on around you. You should have swallowed your pride and gone to the Sydenham Society website, as I had suggested. Had you done so you would not only have been enlightened about Bell Green but you would also have had the opportunity of re...

Knighton I plead guilty to indulging in fatuous parody, which I thought was about the right level of response to the ideas you've so far posted. Let's take one example - you say in one posting that you've only just heard of the proposed Bell Green development. I'm not critical of you for that, altho...

Maturin (no need to kneel) What a terrific idea. Mass rallies at Bell Green - why didn't Knighton think of this? I warm to the prospect of goose-stepping around the gasholders wearing a uniform. I can hear the cheering crowds now. We could have a mass rally every weekend with mini-mass rallies in be...

Despite Nasaroc's admonitions, I do think that Knighton has put forward some well thought out ideas. The purpose of roads, self evidently, is to carry traffic. If roads cannot cope with existing traffic levels then, logically, the only solution is to build bigger and better roads. The building of ne...

I've just seen Councillor Chris Best's posting of 30 March 2006 in which she says that she established the Sydenham Community Regeneration Partnership in 1997 "...to ensure that our high street remained vibrant and did not continue on the downward slide..." I wonder how Councillor Best squ...

I’m beginning to feel a bit like Keith Flett. In my last posting I promised to report the result of my enquiry of Councillor Chris Best who publicly claimed to have received letters from local residents about the Bell Green development. The implication of her remarks was that she had received quite ...

I'm no fan of Councillor Chris Best, who I think is hopeless in most respects, but she and the Council are in a difficult position. If they judge a need to make budget savings of £10m, then of course officers would have to identify possible sources for savings, put them into some priority order, and...

Paddy Pantsdown asks - ‘Where is a viable costed alternative with someone willing to take a risk?’ The quick answer is that, as far as I know, no viable costed alternative exists. However… Housing is the most profitable use for land – so said a barrister, recently, who specialises in planning cases....

Glad to read, Ella, of your similar views.

Paddy Pantsdown - you make some excellent points. I will respond, but I'll leave it for a couple of days just on the off chance that some of our local councillors might like to join in.

Bryan Leslie

The Sydenham Community Regeneration Partnership, chaired by Councillor Chris Best of Sydenham ward, met on 15 September. About a week before the meeting the Sydenham Society asked Councillor Best to place the Bell Green development on the agenda, as one of the first items to be taken, and to allow p...

Yes, I think Stuart has provided a fair summary of the Bell Green section of the meeting. I have further points to make about the Bell Green discussion but I'll do so under the topic "Could the Bell Green development be good for the High Street?" - in order to maintain continuity of discus...