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Environment, Herne Hill, News, Parks, Planning, Transport

A LOOMING FOREST OF TOWERS

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Many neighbours (including Fawnbrake Avenue residents plugged into the Fawnbrake Street Party WhatsApp group) have already heard about the plans to erect a massive building sprouting two tower blocks of 20 and 29 storeys at Loughborough Junction, where Herne Hill Road approaches Coldharbour Lane. Yes it’s in Loughborough Junction, but this eyesore would dominate much of Herne Hill too, particularly on the Lambeth side.

The site is bounded by Hinton Road (the short extension of Milkwood Road), Wanless Street (right up against the back gardens of the houses), Herne Hill Road, and one of Loughborough Junction’s many railway viaducts, this one carrying trains to and from Denmark Hill Station.

The proposed new building (it is nominally one “podium building” with two towers superimposed) would offer some employment and retail floorspace, and 170 flats.

Time to send in our comments

Few of us would argue that these two sites  are perfect as they are. Redevelopment is overdue, with the emphasis on more housing accommodation, but with some space for businesses too.

But why the looming towers? The crass unsuitability of such an intrusive development has provoked an unprecedented torrent of predominantly hostile comments on Lambeth Council’s planning site. There is still time for others to lodge their objections. It’s easily done and now is the time, before the website closes for comments. The site can be reached by clicking here.

A host of objections suggest themselves, including the grotesque disturbance of the traditional, mainly low-rise landscape and views around this part of south-east London including from Ruskin Park.

Proposed towers viewed from Ruskin Park

 

 

 

 

 

Herne Hill Society on the case

The Herne Hill Society’s highly expert planning group have already posted  a report, available by clicking here. They are currently  preparing a major, detailed objection to this plan. We will post a link to this when it becomes available.

Meanwhile, this post focuses mainly on the transport issues.

But first … another 16-storey tower looms

What makes things worse is that the proposed development would sit alongside another earlier one, in the pipeline already, featuring a 16-storey tower, on the neighbouring so-called Higgs Estate. This lies just the other side of the same railway viaduct and abuts on to Coldharbour Lane. Lambeth granted planning permission for this development in December 2019. Local societies including the Herne Hill Society and the Brixton Society strongly objected to this application too, but were overruled by Lambeth.

So if the current application were to be granted, Loughborough Junction would “benefit”, as the estate agents say, from three highly intrusive tower blocks – see the picture.

In our view, one’s enough.

The 16-storey Higgs Estate tower (L) – already approved, and the two new proposed 20 & 29 storey towers (R).

Rail transport links? Wishful thinking

What is particularly nonsensical is the claim that the development is well served by public transport.

It is literally true, as the application blandly states, that “The application site is well served by public transport and Loughborough Junction Station, which is within a two-minute walk of the site, offers mainline train services to central London and elsewhere.”

But of course, this ignores, either deliberately and cynically, or unprofessionally, the fact that at critical times of the day (and particularly at morning rush hour between 7:30 and 9:00), the Thameslink trains stopping at Loughborough Junction are already full to bursting – so much so that passengers wanting to board at Herne Hill station, just 2 minutes up the line, often have to wait for several trains to go through before they can squeeze on. No way would the hundreds of additional commuters emerging from the proposed tower blocks be able to struggle on board at Loughborough Junction.

Lies, Damned Lies and Cynicism

A Transport Plan, one of the many supporting documents accompanying the application, concedes that a Lambeth Council study in 2014 already identified, even back then, that “Loughborough Junction … suffers from sharp peaks that contribute to relatively uncomfortable conditions for passengers both within the ticket hall and on the platform.”

Things have undoubtedly got worse in the last six years, and will get even worse when the residents of the 16 stories on the Higgs Estate start trying to get to work. But the authors of the Transport Plan, inevitably delivering what the developers want to hear and have paid for, suggest that people could quite easily walk to Denmark Hill station (already highly congested) via Ruskin Park or to Brixton Underground. We have seen no evidence that the developers or their transport planners have bothered to open a dialogue with the train operators to address these issues. Perhaps because there is no solution?

Raising the very same objections last March to the earlier Higgs Estate proposal, the Brixton Society pulled no punches:

“The present Public Transport Accessibility score is … deceptive, and new residents will experience difficulty if they wish to travel to work in Central London at normal hours. Yet that access to Central London will be the main appeal of this location for purchasers of the sale or shared ownership dwellings within this development. Claims by the applicant that only a few will wish to do so are entirely specious.”

It still went ahead.

Maybe our new neighbours in Loughborough Junction will all resort to cycling? In which case, the cycle shop on Coldharbour Lane might do quite nicely out of it. The rest of us won’t.

Herne Hill, Property

SE 24 IS A PROPERTY HOTSPOT!

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Yes, according to a report in last Friday’s Times property pages (paywall, probably) , spotted by a sharp-eyed neighbour (thank you, Fred!).

After 19 consecutive months of price falls — down 2.9 per cent in Greater London since a peak in July 2017, and 15.7 per cent in prime central London since a peak in 2014 — there are signs of life in the market again. It’s probably too early to talk of “recovery” but there are real signs of life in the not-so-quite central areas, because of their relative affordability. A London estate agent quoted in The Times says “Most banks are only willing to lend 4.5 times wages. Even if you’re a couple earning £100,000 combined, there are only a few pockets left in London where a normal person can afford to buy.”

Candidly, one might think that Herne Hill, at least, no longer offers many bargains for people seeking to trade up. It may be less expensive than, say, Dulwich but ‘affordability’ isn’t a word that springs to mind, most would say.

London Property Hot Spots 2019

Meanwhile property experts say that even if the market is showing glimmers of recovery, it’s hard to believe it will return to the heady heights of 2017 any time soon, when affordability is still such a problem. “We have had a resetting of prices that was well overdue,” one says. “The idea that double-digit annual house-price inflation is somehow a good thing is peddled by knaves and fools. What we want is a stable housing market.”

The relative ‘hotness’ of housing markets is measured by a new seller’s advisory service, Prop Cast™., whose chart is shown above. Their basic service appears to be free. It measures buyer demand levels to help predict how quick and easy or slow and hard it will be to sell your home. It tells you whether your market is hot or cold, and puts you on the same page as reality ‘so you make smarter decisions about your sale’.

Should we call the architect?

There’s a word of warning in all this. Maybe “potential” isn’t what people are looking for. One estate agent says family houses are selling better and faster because of a lack of decent stock.

“Middle-class millennials want to buy a house that’s already done up, they don’t want to do the work. If you’re prepared to do work, there’s a lot more choice,” he says.

Time to raid the savings?

 

Herne Hill, Our People, Our Street

New Fawnbrake resident brings studio barre classes to SE24

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A recently-arrived neighbour on Fawnbrake Avenue, Maxine Latinis, is a Barre fitness instructor, and would be happy to welcome local residents to her classes at the South London Dance School in the centre of Herne Hill.

After noticing that several gyms in the area offer oversubscribed Barre classes, Maxine decided to team up with The South London Dance School and bring Drop In classes to South London. She hopes to save Barre converts the long trip into central London, or the commitment of a gym membership.

Barre, she explains, is a fitness class, open to all abilities, that utilises the strengthening elements of Ballet, the stabilising focus of Pilates and the stretching techniques of Yoga. Each class is to music, and runs for 55 minutes. As she puts it …  “imagine the repetitions of Pilates with a little more diversity & excitement!”

Maxine can be found at The South London Dance School, Wednesday mornings, between 7-7.55am & 8-8.55am

Maxine also teaches for Virgin Active, around London, including Virgin Active in Streatham.

Contact details for Maxine:

Phone: 07786 727 646

Email: barremaxlondon@gmail.com

Maxine is also contactable via:

Class Pass

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

More information about Barre: http://tinyurl.com/y5m298bx

Post updated 9 July at 21:30

Aircraft Noise, Environment, Herne Hill, Local causes

Aircraft noise over SE24 is getting worse  – let’s protest!

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I guess we’ve all noticed that the noise from flights overhead has worsened in recent years, badly affecting our enjoyment of our homes, gardens and local parks, and disturbing our sleep particularly in the early morning.

This is due to changes which mean that over this part of South London, flights are more frequent and planes are flying lower.

Herne Hill, Dulwich, Forest Hill, Brixton, Camberwell and swathes of south-east London are particularly affected.

 

Changes in recent years mean that we are on a concentrated flight path for arrivals into Heathrow Airport. When the wind is westerly, which is 70% of the time, all flights arriving into Heathrow airport are flying over our area in a concentrated descent approach.

Dulwich and Herne Hill Quiet Skies Campaign

Some neighbours in Dulwich have started a petition and have highlighted this in a post on the Herne Hill Forum website,  but this does not seem to have been well publicised on social media, least of all on Twitter unless I have missed something. The number of signatures so far is disappointing.

We would encourage all readers of this message to visit the petition  site at change.org and sign it.

Herne Hill, Local causes, News, Parks

Ruskin Park Summer Fete, Saturday 22nd June

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Next weekend, the Friends of Ruskin Park are planning another extravaganza with old favourites and new surprises for all ages.

It’s Saturday afternoon, from 12pm to 6pm at and around the Ruskin Park Bandstand.

 

 

 

 

As they say … Bring the family, there’s so much to do including donkey rides, arts workshops, face painting, raffle, craft stalls and local groups.

They will have live music on the bandstand and in the new acoustic tent. Plus this year we’ll be joined by Matt Barnard juggler extraordinaire and a daring trapeze show.

Food and Refreshments

These will be provided by Canopy Beer Company, Tyjanick Galettes, Deli Jerk, Clarkshaws Brewery, Gourmet Sausages and Eden Organics. There’ll also be a Friends of Ruskin Park stalls selling tea and cake and Pimms and strawberries.

More info

For this and all their events, they have an excellent website.

Herne Hill, John Ruskin 200

Ruskin – A Famous Herne Hill Victorian, Powerfully Relevant Today

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John Ruskin, without doubt Herne Hill’s most famous resident, was born 200 years ago and this year has witnessed events, exhibitions, talks and books to celebrate and reassess his life and his actions, as probably the most globally-known and influential public intellectual of the Victorian era.

He was not just an art critic and champion of Turner: his powerful criticisms of many of the damaging consequences of rapid industrialisation, abandonment of tradition, neglect of the natural environment, and inhuman living conditions heralded social changes in the 19th century, and remain relevant in the 21st.

Ruskin Self Portrait, 1875

He lived in Herne Hill from his earliest years. The leafy garden of his parents’ house on Herne Hill, just a few hundred yards up the slope from Fawnbrake Avenue,  made a huge impact on his awareness and love of nature. He kept a house here as his London base and visited frequently after he had retired to the Lake District. (The Ruskins’ houses, though, are long gone.)

On Wednesday 12 June, Jon Newman, author and Lambeth archivist, will give a lecture looking at why Ruskin is still relevant today.

This important event, which is this year’s Thomas Lynn Bristowe Memorial Lecture, is hosted by the Herne Hill Society and Brockwell Park Community Partners.  It will be in the Herne Hill Baptist Church on Half Moon Lane at 7:45 PM on Wednesday 12 June – everyone welcome, free of charge.

Herne Hill, Local causes, Our Street

Call for Community Solidarity – please consider sponsorship

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This site does not generally canvass for charitable giving, but this excellent cause is brought to us by one of our neighbours on Fawnbrake Avenue, so please read on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although most of us on this street haven’t had any reason to use it – and with luck may never need to – the Citizens Advice Bureau in Brixton, or more accurately the Brixton Advice Centre, is a vital and unique port of call for people who often have nowhere else to turn for advice and help. But it is desperately short of money, and our Fawnbrake neighbour, Fred Taggart, who is the Honorary Secretary and a Herne Hill resident for 39 years, has launched a local appeal for critically needed funds. Trustees and staff are looking for sponsorship when they join in the 2019 Legal Walk in two weeks’ time.

Fred Taggart writes:

“Herne Hill is generally an affluent and socially-aware community.  But not everyone has a million-pound home, and many neighbours and friends struggle to get by on tight budgets, or have employment, debt or bad housing problems.  For 50 years the Brixton Advice Centre on Railton Road has helped, advised and acted for local people with legal or administrative problems who would otherwise be unable to afford legal services.  It averages getting on for 5000 cases each year.  It is a vital part of life in Herne Hill and Brixton.  Unless you have used its services you probably don’t know it exists.

“Austerity has savaged the Centre’s budget, so to generate income, trustees and staff will be taking part in the 2019 Legal Walk on17th June when the Lord Chief Justice and thousands of lawyers raise funds for good causes.

“I am asking those of us who are fortunate to invest in the community in which we live by sponsoring our walkers.  Here’s the link: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/BrixtonAC19   

“Just as sponsored walkers want to be first, everyone in Herne Hill wants to ensure that   no-one in our community gets left behind.  So, support your community Advice Centre.  By making life better for some, the Centre makes the community better for everyone.”

 

Fawnbrake Trees, General, Our Street

Over in Brixton, residents see red over nabbed street flowers

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Yesterday’s Daily Telegraph reported that a row had erupted on a street near Brixton Hill after a resident accused neighbours of stealing flowers planted on the street by a community group. It began with a note pinned to a tree in the street, reading: “Please do not pick my flowers. Thanks”.

An aggrieved neighbour replied: “In an area massively affected by gentrification, it’s sad to see people claiming ownership of even the flowers.”

But other neighbours chipped in, and one wrote: “ARE YOU SERIOUS? This is not about ownership or gentrification, this is about someone trying to make the street a nicer place for EVERYONE by planting flowers and people stealing them and stamping on them!”

The original note poster responded, explaining that the lupins and geraniums had been planted as part of a local scheme called Our Streets, in which members of the local community “adopt” a tree to water and plant flowers under. They added that the flowers had now been dug up and “moved elsewhere”.

 

A local gardener who been planting brightly coloured blooms on roads near her house reported that they have been stolen, and commented sadly “Come on, people of Brixton Hill – you’re better than this. 12 plants taken overnight.”

We couldn’t imagine such things happening here on Fawnbrake Avenue, could we?

Our Street

Drain unblocked

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The drain outside nos. 75-83 that had caused the excessive flooding has been unblocked this lunchtime.

It appears that concrete had been poured into the drainage system (probably from building works further along the street) and had trickled down, underground, to come to rest and set here at the lowest point, thereby blocking the pipes.

If anyone employs or sees contractors using concrete, please warn them not to unload unwanted concrete into our drains!

I am thanking Cllr Jim Dickson, whose intervention last week undoubtedly speeded things up.