To very slightly paraphrase Planning Policy Statement 5 (PPS5), historic environment is central to our cultural heritage, and hence, a cultural, socio-economic and environmental (and I stress the word environmental) resource that should be sustained for the benefit of present and future generations.
Therefore, I have no hesitation whatsoever in agreeing with the Camberwell Society and local residents in asking that you refuse this application.
The design of the build is out of character and of poor quality and should be refused under policy 3.12 and 3.13 of the Southwark Plan and of course Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3) and Planning Policy Statement 5 (PPS5).
It is a rather low, mean and cramped scheme which does not integrate successfully into the Conservation area.
The proposal is out of place and incongruous. It will seriously harm and not preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Conservation Area. As such it is contrary to policies 3.13, 3.15 and 3.16 in the Southwark plan.
The one vital feature of Grove Park, its central green square and long gardens, will be destroyed if this scheme is approved.
Southwark has adopted a Conservation Statement and nowhere in that statement is this location identified as a site appropriate for development and a change of land use.
Other sites duly identified in the plan have been developed without the overwhelming opposition of those whose direct amenity is affected.
There is little presumption that there is any appropriate development for this site in particular as it can no longer be in any way in planning law be regarded as a brownfield site.
It is green and it should stay green if we are simply to do our statutory duty to protect and enhance the historic and future amenity of Grove Park as a key element, perhaps even the very heart and green soul of the conservation area.
Comrades, Planning Policy Statement 1 (PPS1) says any development should improve the way places look and work.
Nothing about this design improves the look of the conservation area.
Our statutory duty is to ensure all developments protect or enhance the character or appearance of this conservation area, therefore a refusal of planning permission should automatically follow from any correct interpretation of Planning Policy Guidance 15 (PPG15).
It is the approach I ask you to take today. Please protect the existing recognized and highly valued qualities of Grove Hill as are clearly set down in the Conservation Area Statement and the Camber Well that springs forth from it’s summit.
23 October 2010
19 October 2010
CSR
I wanted to post just before the final CSR (Comprehensive Socialist Reduction?) announcement.
Even if it is a no more than a rush to cut spending, rather than undo more than a decade of advancement, then it still seems to threaten at least half a million public sector jobs and (oops!) even half a million private sector jobs. The Federation of Small Businesses have today called it as they see it.
The speed and size of reduction in public spending might just put us all at risk.
No gradual approach to reducing the deficit instead a range of more dramatic and unconsidered risks?
Yes, we do have to understand we already have entrenched unemployment – Lord Hutton knows this – and it is not good enough to say a never ending welfare story is something we all aspire to secure. Yet, we are still coping with the THATCHER Incomprehensible Spending Review (ISR). Ten times the savagery does not make it any less wholesale blight on all our future generations.
But, that's why it is important that people do rally to protect jobs and services on Wednesday.
Many of the jobs to be lost will not just be those supporting PEOPLE but those jobs so many small businesses created to regenerate an entire generation sacrificed at the alter-ego of the last Tory purge!
Building the BIG BROTHER-CAMEROON better not just be about CUTS.
Tomorrow will we hear the work-like words INVEST?
Will we hear those commonweal-words “A FULLY SHARED FUTURE”?
Or, will (I) we need to eat some humble PIE? For, right now, I side with the Roundheads and not those for a privileged background.
I cannot accept a transformation that will create fully fledged ghettos and deep poverty created, enhanced and preserved until a new Government is elected.
Where the threat is FEUDAL in approach and we must join together as we have always done to fight for FREEDOM.
Workers from Southwark will be holding a rally at Camberwell’s old Town Hall this Wednesday to seek to raise some awareness of the “efficiencies” being imposed on public services by the Government.
Speakers will be highlighting the effects any savage cuts will have on our futures.
Key community services such as arts, libraries & leisure are expected to be particularly severely hit but the cuts will hit every council service.
However, cuts to the public sector will also harm the private sector as businesses such as shops rely on public sector workers for custom.
If you make the rally you may be asked to sign up to a Million Voices campaign in support of public services.
I say simply this:
“WE MUST STAND UP FOR ALL SOUTHWARK.”
And, as a gentle post script: “The very last thing Southwark needs is any more of MR SPLINTERS. Sitting on the hedge got us a CON-DEM MP on Bermondsey. Let’s pray people in our great Borough never make that same mistake again!
Even if it is a no more than a rush to cut spending, rather than undo more than a decade of advancement, then it still seems to threaten at least half a million public sector jobs and (oops!) even half a million private sector jobs. The Federation of Small Businesses have today called it as they see it.
The speed and size of reduction in public spending might just put us all at risk.
No gradual approach to reducing the deficit instead a range of more dramatic and unconsidered risks?
Yes, we do have to understand we already have entrenched unemployment – Lord Hutton knows this – and it is not good enough to say a never ending welfare story is something we all aspire to secure. Yet, we are still coping with the THATCHER Incomprehensible Spending Review (ISR). Ten times the savagery does not make it any less wholesale blight on all our future generations.
But, that's why it is important that people do rally to protect jobs and services on Wednesday.
Many of the jobs to be lost will not just be those supporting PEOPLE but those jobs so many small businesses created to regenerate an entire generation sacrificed at the alter-ego of the last Tory purge!
Building the BIG BROTHER-CAMEROON better not just be about CUTS.
Tomorrow will we hear the work-like words INVEST?
Will we hear those commonweal-words “A FULLY SHARED FUTURE”?
Or, will (I) we need to eat some humble PIE? For, right now, I side with the Roundheads and not those for a privileged background.
I cannot accept a transformation that will create fully fledged ghettos and deep poverty created, enhanced and preserved until a new Government is elected.
Where the threat is FEUDAL in approach and we must join together as we have always done to fight for FREEDOM.
Workers from Southwark will be holding a rally at Camberwell’s old Town Hall this Wednesday to seek to raise some awareness of the “efficiencies” being imposed on public services by the Government.
Speakers will be highlighting the effects any savage cuts will have on our futures.
Key community services such as arts, libraries & leisure are expected to be particularly severely hit but the cuts will hit every council service.
However, cuts to the public sector will also harm the private sector as businesses such as shops rely on public sector workers for custom.
If you make the rally you may be asked to sign up to a Million Voices campaign in support of public services.
I say simply this:
“WE MUST STAND UP FOR ALL SOUTHWARK.”
And, as a gentle post script: “The very last thing Southwark needs is any more of MR SPLINTERS. Sitting on the hedge got us a CON-DEM MP on Bermondsey. Let’s pray people in our great Borough never make that same mistake again!
29 May 2010
Two of South Camberwell’s Councillors are Southwark Cabinet Members. Peter John is Leader of the Council and Veronica is Cabinet member for culture, leisure, sport and the Olympics. I know they will serve our Southwark with passion and excellence.
Some of the immediate challenges for the Cabinet include the terms on which Southwark enters into any deal for the regeneration of the Elephant and Castle; making every council home warm, dry and safe, and finding funding so that we can implement the pledge to introduce free healthy school meals for all primary school children in the borough.
I was elected by the Southwark Labour Group as a deputy whip and at the first full Council meeting appointed as Vice-Chair of the Planning Committee. Much of the first few weeks have been taken up with training and induction.
A number of organisations and individuals, on and off the record, have commented about how difficult it was to get a meeting with the old administration.
One essential for any elected representative is to listen and to know when to “shut up and listen”. As a community campaigner with strong views I know this will be my biggest challenge.
Southwark’s Labour administration are committed to building a fair future for all and they will be listening to what the people of Southwark have to say as we look to deliver in some key priority areas. I am very keen to see our green spaces protected and we must double recycling as an essential contribution to working for a non-carbon future. We will need to cut back on wasteful spending and protect frontline services and there will be many tough decisions ahead.
So with this in mind, we have decided to hold some Planning Committee meetings at Southwark’s Tooley Street offices rather than at the Town Hall. Many applications come from the north of the borough and it makes sense to hold meetings to deal with these applications at Tooley Street so that local residents can easily attend and take part in the process. The Planning Committee meeting scheduled for 29th June 2010 will take place at Tooley Street on the ground floor in a space that can accommodate the large numbers who turn up and are otherwise uncomfortably crammed into the traditional space at the Town Hall.
Yesterday, I attended the pre-hearing by the Inspector on Southwark’s Core Strategy. It was interesting to see so many familiar faces all keen to improve on the soundness of the Core Strategy.
Finally, it was a great joy to watch Tayo Situ installed as Mayor of Southwark. He has chosen Macmillan Cancer Support as his charity appeal
Some of the immediate challenges for the Cabinet include the terms on which Southwark enters into any deal for the regeneration of the Elephant and Castle; making every council home warm, dry and safe, and finding funding so that we can implement the pledge to introduce free healthy school meals for all primary school children in the borough.
I was elected by the Southwark Labour Group as a deputy whip and at the first full Council meeting appointed as Vice-Chair of the Planning Committee. Much of the first few weeks have been taken up with training and induction.
A number of organisations and individuals, on and off the record, have commented about how difficult it was to get a meeting with the old administration.
One essential for any elected representative is to listen and to know when to “shut up and listen”. As a community campaigner with strong views I know this will be my biggest challenge.
Southwark’s Labour administration are committed to building a fair future for all and they will be listening to what the people of Southwark have to say as we look to deliver in some key priority areas. I am very keen to see our green spaces protected and we must double recycling as an essential contribution to working for a non-carbon future. We will need to cut back on wasteful spending and protect frontline services and there will be many tough decisions ahead.
So with this in mind, we have decided to hold some Planning Committee meetings at Southwark’s Tooley Street offices rather than at the Town Hall. Many applications come from the north of the borough and it makes sense to hold meetings to deal with these applications at Tooley Street so that local residents can easily attend and take part in the process. The Planning Committee meeting scheduled for 29th June 2010 will take place at Tooley Street on the ground floor in a space that can accommodate the large numbers who turn up and are otherwise uncomfortably crammed into the traditional space at the Town Hall.
Yesterday, I attended the pre-hearing by the Inspector on Southwark’s Core Strategy. It was interesting to see so many familiar faces all keen to improve on the soundness of the Core Strategy.
Finally, it was a great joy to watch Tayo Situ installed as Mayor of Southwark. He has chosen Macmillan Cancer Support as his charity appeal
11 May 2010
I like Gordon!
Last week I was elected as one of three Labour Councillors for South Camberwell Ward in the London Borough of Southwark, by the strength of our common endeavour.
Today at 1945 hrs Gordon Brown resigned as Prime Minister and, as I write, David Cameron prepares to go to Buckingham Palace and become Tory Prime Minister in what I am sure will be the same kind of chemical alliance with the Liberal Democratic Party we faced in Lambeth and in Southwark.
Such toxic alliances have now resoundingly been rejected in London.
In the Southwark alliance, led by Mr Splinters, seeking to drive our poor borough into the ground, real people just had to join hands and say enough is more than enough.
I hope we will never put our borough in the hands of those who want power more than they want to serve.
Today at 1945 hrs Gordon Brown resigned as Prime Minister and, as I write, David Cameron prepares to go to Buckingham Palace and become Tory Prime Minister in what I am sure will be the same kind of chemical alliance with the Liberal Democratic Party we faced in Lambeth and in Southwark.
Such toxic alliances have now resoundingly been rejected in London.
In the Southwark alliance, led by Mr Splinters, seeking to drive our poor borough into the ground, real people just had to join hands and say enough is more than enough.
I hope we will never put our borough in the hands of those who want power more than they want to serve.
Election Day with Harriet Harman
1 April 2010
It's raining so it must be time to canvas!
In the cold, in the pouring rain and, as the weather turns distinctly arctic, I do have to say I disagree with Ben’s opinion (blog link) you that can’t beat “phone canvassing… you just hang up and dial again.”
In Camberwell no rain, no snow, no hail, no gates, no driveways, no stairs, no entry-phones, no scaffolding, no gangs and no status dogs will stop us from reaching out one-to-one as there can be nothing better than a face-to-face conversation.
Our Labour Councillors, Veronica and Peter have made sure they knock on everyone’s door at least once a year asking if there are any problems, issues or concerns.
For the last five years, I’ve not missed any of these vital community surgeries.
Veronica and Peter do quickly turn all this casework into results for South Camberwell. I must have filled out the mobile community forms hundreds, if not thousands, and more so since the Lib-Dem and Tories started to cut services and chop us out.
So, as we move into Camberwell and Peckham, the challenge we set our prospective parliamentary candidate, Harriet Harman, last week was to do the same and she agreed do give South Camberwell a big shout.
Our Camberwell ethic, if you like, is one of constant attention to duty and in South Camberwell we will always be on the doorstep in preference to the phone.
In Camberwell no rain, no snow, no hail, no gates, no driveways, no stairs, no entry-phones, no scaffolding, no gangs and no status dogs will stop us from reaching out one-to-one as there can be nothing better than a face-to-face conversation.
Our Labour Councillors, Veronica and Peter have made sure they knock on everyone’s door at least once a year asking if there are any problems, issues or concerns.
For the last five years, I’ve not missed any of these vital community surgeries.
Veronica and Peter do quickly turn all this casework into results for South Camberwell. I must have filled out the mobile community forms hundreds, if not thousands, and more so since the Lib-Dem and Tories started to cut services and chop us out.
So, as we move into Camberwell and Peckham, the challenge we set our prospective parliamentary candidate, Harriet Harman, last week was to do the same and she agreed do give South Camberwell a big shout.
Our Camberwell ethic, if you like, is one of constant attention to duty and in South Camberwell we will always be on the doorstep in preference to the phone.
30 March 2010
Cross border and Tom
Campaigning has stepped up a gear as we fast approach both general and local elections on May 6th. But, in a break from campaigning on Thursday night I did attend the fun packed election fundraiser for Camberwell and Peckham Constituency Labour Party. We raised a tidy sum to top up the campaign coffers!
The highlight of the evening was meeting, for the first time offline, Labour blogger Tom Scholes-Fogg (Here is the link to his take on the evening:(www.tomscholesfogg.com). Significantly, the event took place in Cambwerwell just on the border between Labour run Lambeth and Lib-Dem / Tory run Southwark at the Sun and Doves Last year at a Camberwell Community Council meeting Lambeth offered to work cross-border with Southwark to cuts costs and protect frontline services. The Southwark Lib-Dem leader simply dismissed the offer. So it was very good to see announced this week, as Labour victories fast approach on May 6th in both Lambeth and in Southwark, that Cllr Steve Reed, Leader of Lambeth Council, and Cllr Peter John , Leader of Southwark’s Labour Councillors, have agreed to offer residents better value for money by sharing management costs and merging some services across both councils. Residents in other cross-border areas like Waterloo
When we win the elections on 6 May, Steve and Peter will bring senior managers from both councils together in a summit to identify where closer working will benefit residents and save money. Savings could run into millions of pounds at a time when the government is expected to cut funding to local councils. Lambeth and Southwark councils both provide many services that are identical, but do we really need to pay twice for separate sets of senior management and back-office support? By merging some services we can save money to reinvest in the frontline, protecting services and helping keep council tax down. Labour is all about quality services. In Southwark, we’ve seen the Lib Dems and Tories drive service standards down. By working more closely with neighbouring councils like Lambeth we can guarantee better services that cost less, and that means a better deal for local local people.25 March 2010
Nationally, the bold new deal on council housing means councils can now keep all of the proceeds of social rents and council house sales. This will give councils some leeway to invest in building, improving and acquiring properties for social use. We desperately need more good quality, well managed and maintained council homes.
John told me that is a once and for all settlement seeking to bring council house funding into the 21st century. By giving local authorities the freedom to fund and run their council homes, without central Government subsidy, not a single penny from rents or sales will go to Whitehall and not a single penny will subsidize other councils as the current system dictates. The deal will release at least ten per cent more money in every council for maintaining and managing their homes. And it will create the funding capacity to build over 10,000 new council homes a year.
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