We're sharing details of planning decisions, licensing decisions, planning applications and forthcoming consultations. We have included some click-through links so you can respond directly to the council. Get involved and shape your local environment. It really matters.
Scrapyard Trundleys Road/Surrey Canal Road
Many people have been in touch regarding the new Southwark Metals scrapyard on Trundleys Road. We asked Lewisham Council for details about the Licence, conditions and associated risk assessments. No response yet but the license was granted in May 2020 during the first Lockdown when most other councils nationally were putting measures in place to make streets safer.
This facility was rejected by Lambeth Council and their ward councillors when proposed for Windsor Grove. Lambeth residents felt 120 truck movements a day was an unacceptable pollution and safety risk. The facility has been welcomed by Lewisham Council resulting in 240 HGV/Truck/Van movements PER DAY, 6 days a week crossing over, access over walking routes to green spaces, Cycle Quietway 1 and school routes for Sir Francis Drake and Ilderton Schools.
This section of Trundleys Road has declined rapidly in the last few years. The once verdant and fenced north end of Folkestone Gardens was turned into a bleak moonscape by Lewisham Council's Quietway 1 "landscaping". The impact of the Rotherhithe Movement Plan is yet to be felt on Trundleys Road. Now the increased HGV traffic "from across the South East" accessing the scrapyard is having a huge impact of street safety. Local residents and park users live with the constant noise pollution of crashing metal echoing across the area.
So far Lewisham council are unable to provide license details, risk assessments or any evidence site visits took place prior to the issue of a licence for this facility. Watch this space.
Application for Extend Hours & Weighbridge on Blackhorse Road
Residents in Inwen Court, Gosterwood Street & Blackhorse Road Allotments alerted us to this application on Blackhorse Road. DC/20/118503: the construction of two industrial/warehouse buildings with the provision of a weighbridge and variation of the opening hours of to between 8am and 11pm. The existing units have been listed for sale recently.
The owner of the site is building the facility hoping to attract a tenant in the future. Who will that tenant be? We are wary of a weighbridge.
Perhaps it will be another scrapyard for Evelyn operating from 8am - 11pm. Local residents have asked us to share their opposition to the scheme and invite you to support them. Please click HERE to respond.
Another massive development for the Evelyn Ward opposite Folkestone Gardens is DC/18/106941: Construction of two buildings up to 15 storeys to provide commercial space and 189 residential dwellings at 164-196 TRUNDLEY'S ROAD, AND 1-9 SANFORD STREET LONDON, SE8 5JE.
You can read the Design & Access statement HERE*. We need Lewisham Planning to ensure any Section 106 & CIL developer funding is allocated to specific projects here in the immediate area.
Residents were promised a new playground in Folkestone Gardens in 2014. This was promised as part of the Skate & Play project which has, to date, only delivered “Skate” at a cost of at least £250k S106 funding. Section 106 & CIL from DC/18/106941 should be allocated to creating a new high quality natural playground to fulfil Lewisham Council’s 2014 commitment.
The proposed development will demolish Victorian street frontage that once hosted a shop and a restaurant. The proposed ground floor usage does not include any replacement A-class (shops and restaurants) units. Where will all the residents get a pint of milk or go to eat?
Lewisham Council doggedly adhere to an outdated idea that this is solely an 'Strategic Industrial Location' (SIL). Doesn't this area deserve to be a 15-minute neighbourhood too? Planners can't have it both ways. We need amenities to support the influx of residents & families moving here.
The plans for the streetscape are uninspiring. The Southwark Metals Scrapyard, Rotherhithe Movement Plan, increases in population and Quietway 1 have had a huge impact on Folkestone Gardens and the safety of surrounding streets.
There is an opportunity to reroute Cycle Quietway 1 out of Folkestone Gardens around the edge of the park and provide a new safer crossing at the junction with Surrey Canal Road.
As for density and design: the precedent has been set by previous developments. There's a 20+ storey tower at Anthology (built) and 13 storey towers at Neptune Wharf (planning granted). These are based on the existence of Hawke Tower on the Woodpecker Estate. If you have comments on building height or overall design please add to your response.
Please CLICK HERE to support a new playground, better cycleway, better road crossings and amenities using funding from this development. Please add any other comments you have about the Trundleys Road Development to your response.
*link to LBL Planning portal, we have no control over this site crashing.
We Need a Masterplan/Development Strategy for the Evelyn Ward?
DeptfordFolk and other local organisations have repeatedly asked Lewisham Council to develop a Masterplan or development strategy for the Evelyn Ward. This would help existing and future residents cope with the pressure of 10,000 new homes in this small area. In addition there are 3,500 homes planned to the north at Canada Water and a further 3,500 planned to the west at Surrey Canal Road.
This area desperately needs a development strategy to improve air quality, create safer and better walking and cycling routes, improve crossings, increase greening, ensure better public transport and to secure investment in our community facilities (particularly for older and younger residents).
Lewisham Council have consistently said "NO" to reasonable requests for a plan for the Evelyn Ward. Residents have had to try to develop their own plans like the Everest Masterplan (Pepys Estate) or Deptford Parks Liveable Neighbourhood.
You can imagine our surprise ths week when Lewisham Council announced their "A21 Development Strategy" to "set out an approach for how and where much needed housing and genuinely affordable housing can be built along the length of the A21." from Lewisham Centre to Bromley. What about Evelyn where housing IS being built?
Evelyn needs a Development Strategy. Otherwise it will be a lot more of this kind of development and residents will see very little improvement to this area or any effective strategy for S106/CIL (developer funding) expenditure.
Leaflets have been distributed in the area about an upcoming consultation on Plots 1 & 3 of the "Deptford Landings" development. These are the two plots next to Dragoon Road. As there is no Development Strategy or Masterplan for the Evelyn Ward it is left to developers to make descisions about the future of our public spaces.
DeptfordFolk, and other local organisations, have spoken to Lewisham Council and Lendlease about the future of Dragoon Road. This street also features in the Everest Masterplan.
We are pleased there seems to be plans to convert it into a "new public garden" and would want to see play opportunities included here. Dragoon Road is also part of the proposed TfL Quietway 14. The adjacent Trinity Estate should not be left out of improvements to green space. There should be a plan to connect and improve adjacent green spaces and access routes.
DeptfordFolk's £2.9m Deptford Parks Liveable Neighbourhood project includes opening the former Surrey Canal towpath connecting the riverside to New Cross and beyond. The route under Blackhorse Bridge is protected. We will be looking to see that this is fully integrated into plans for Plot 3.
We attended a recent Convoys Wharf online Q&A. Unfortunatley the Developer had no answers to our questions about HGV movements in the local area for this 3,500 unit, 15 year build.
If Lewisham does have a plan for how ingress and egress to this massive site is managed we haven't seen it. There a new "Community Forum" and other developer led engagement activities planned. Sign up if you're interested:
DeptfordFolk is the constituted user group representing Folkestone Gardens & Deptford Park SE8. More information can be found on the website www.deptfordfolk.org. Email hello@deptfordfolk.org to be added to the mailing list. You can follow DeptfordFolk on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. #deptfordfolk
