Henslowe Road Development.

[Pugwash]

Southwark Council propose to build new homes on the site of the garages between 76 and 82 Henslowe Road. These will be council homes let at a social rent with 50% being available to local residents in housing need.

Southwark are holding a drop in session to discuss and present design proposals - giving local residents a chance to meet with council officers and architects.

The event will be held on Monday 22nd October between 6.30 and 9 pm in the small hall at the East Dulwich Community Centre, 46-50 Darrell Road. SE22 9NL (next to Dulwich Medical Centre).

[Jim1234]

Fantastic news!

[Chirpie]

Does anyone have any plans for this already? It?s half term that week so we won?t be able to attend the meeting g butkeen to find out more about the plans and I couldn?t find anything online

[Pugwash]

There are no plans as yet on the Southwark website from my discussion with the planning officer when organising the event, they are seeking views from residents before a 'final plan' is submitted.

[James Barber]

This is one of the three sites I proposed several years ago. Really frustrating it has taken such a ridiculous amount of tie for Southwark Council to act. Thankfully they are at last.

The devil will be in the detail and whether they go for a design that people want - https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjsx-zv0vfdAhVHAcAKHZzWCfYQFjAAegQICBAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ipsos.com%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fmigrations%2Fen-uk%2Ffiles%2FAssets%2FDocs%2FPolls%2Fhousing-home-types-survey-create-streets-slides.pdf&usg=AOvVaw3fFPZpRKR9qe8lZw08ULaw

[Pugwash]

Some of the garages are still being used by local residents for storage as well as cars.

[apples]

Like Pugwash says this is not a brownfield site, the garages are fully occupied (I think) and are paying rents as far as I know. I had to join a waiting list and stay on it several years to get mine.

[James Barber]

Hi Pugwash, apples,

We have a critical shortage of housing, but we don't have a critical shortage of places to park cars locally.

On that basis my priority is to house people over cars.

I'm sorry if we have different priorities.

Hopefully the final design will be in keeping with the area and not some appalling architecture.

[Passiflora]

What an appalling attitude James Barber! Southwark Council have had rented garages over the Southwark area for many years and to be suddenly told they will be taken away to build new houses? We all know there is a critical shortage of housing but this is the lowest of the low!

[solar]

I appreciate there is a shortage of housing, but building a few houses on this site and the one in Bassano Street is not going to make much difference. The garages are being used so lets keep them.

[Pugwash]

Go and see proposed plans tonight at the East Dulwich Community Centre. Small hall from 6.30 - 9 pm.

[Whoop]

James - will you be there this evening given you proposed this site? It would be very good to hear how you plan to deal with the parking issues that will be caused by this development (you are probably well aware of proposed traffic calming islands for Barry Road which will put additional pressure on the already horrendous parking on Henslowe Road - which was created in the first place by previous developments). I would also be keen to hear your thoughts on the negative impact it will have on the lives of the 2 very vulnerable families that live directly beside the site. I wholeheartedly support new housing for those in need but it somewhat loses its value when it negatively impacts more people than it actually benefits.

[alice]

Southwark has the worst record of any London borough on new social housing.

[James Barber]

Hi Passiflora, solar,

Southwark still has over 20,000 garages it rents out and their are lots of private garages to rent across the area.

I'm genuinely baffled why parking cars in garages is considered more important than somewhere- however few - for people to live. Guess if people have somewhere live a garage would be their next priority.

Hi Whoop,

I can't make the consultation tonight - travelling home from meeting in Reading - but I will be looking at the final schemes and commenting.

Barry Road changes - totally mindless council proposals that will pointlessly add danger for people walking and cycling, at great expense.

Hi alice,

And that was part of why I wanted to do more than just critics the council but positively some places they could build.

The council isn't just bad at building it lies. It had council owned properties on Crebor Street since 1984 to house disabled people with live in carers. It moved the residents out. Left the property empty of tenants for several years. Then rented it out and declared they'd 'build' new council houses in 2017.

[garages2018]

Hi Went to Henslowe garage meeting even if I have one at Bassano street. Over 20 there, time meeting 6.30 to 8.00

Was there for 40 minutes and no Mr Barber. I wish to say that the meeting at Dulwich Library was 4.00 t0 7.00 which I feel it was unfair to have meeting as a LOOOOOOOT of people don't finish 6.00 and by the time they get home its finished.

Back to meeting again no garage department at meeting, No Mr Barbar, well not there by the time I left, maybe he will make it later as it goes on to 8.00 ??.He is the one that put the proposal forward to build houses.

Again the council staff still answering to questions. I don't know about that. Good luck to garage to all the garage renters. and all at Bassano Street. The Masses of people in the area that want the garages to say as they are doesn't matter.

I will sign off now as I had my say (but it don't really matter does it)

[garages2018]

Mr Barbar .I think the answer to Passiflor,Solar was a bit funny in your meaning as you don't know there backgroud as you worked for the council you should know this

[rendelharris]

Passiflora Wrote:

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> What an appalling attitude James Barber!

> Southwark Council have had rented garages over the

> Southwark area for many years and to be suddenly

> told they will be taken away to build new houses?

> We all know there is a critical shortage of

> housing but this is the lowest of the low!

So it's more important to house motor cars than to house people?

[apples]

I went to the community centre tonight, got in just before it closed, spoke to the architect and Southwark Council representative, and I saw the plans and model.

The proposal (I believe) is that four families will get to be housed in four 3-4 bedroom houses on the space. There's no detailed floorplan yet but some of those bedrooms must be really small!. I was given a Southwark leaflet with the headline '11,000 New Homes Programme' ? when will that happen if they only get built four at a time? Meanwhile, to the north of the borough, social housing is being demolished....

Back to SE22, the problem with the garages site is that it is deep but quite narrow. Southwark can't build housing higher or deeper as that will overlook the neighbours. The newcomers will no doubt bring cars too, there appears to be no provision for them to be kept off road. And if Southwark were to go ahead and build these houses the contents of fifteen garages, with rent-paying tenants, will be evicted.

Whoop/James: you talk of the added pressure of the Barry Road traffic calming and its effect on parking in Henslowe Road. Please be aware that the private developments in Underhill Road had inadequate provision for off-road parking and the increased double yellow lines at that junction (some of which defy logic) mean we already have fewer and fewer places to park.

Like Solar says 'the garages are being used so let's keep them'.

[Whoop]

This is not about people v cars, this is people v people. If it was simply about crushing cars to make room for housing or building on disused land for people that need housing, then it would be a clear cut decision. However peoples lives are being impacted negatively by this proposal, some far more than others.

There is zero consideration for the genuinely vulnerable families either side of the proposed site whose lives will be heavily and negatively impacted.

There is zero consideration for parking. I can confirm that the new houses come with no provision for parking and no solution has been suggested for the people that currently use the garages for parking.

There is zero consideration for the 16 people that pay rent and actually use the garages (some for over 20+ years).

Ultimately, 3-4 new homes will not even make a minor dent in the 11,000 new homes target but it will massively impact many local families in numerous ways and Southwark needs to start considering these people too because collectively they should matter. It should not be all about meeting targets.

[abeattie]

I attended this last night and had a long conversation with council reps and architect. Designs are in very early stage but thankfully look like they will try and blend in with surrounding buildings- i.e. 2 storey terrace to the front with loft dormer out back- They are ambitiously planning on squeezing in four properties side by side (x2 3 bed & x2 4 bed) but to do so they will be incredibly narrow- the architect mentioned this could revise the number down to 3 properties in total. I challenged them on the fact that with the council proposing this, it is definitely going to go ahead regardless of consultation outcome- which they basically admitted providing it meet planning policy. So for residents i would say this is a when not an if- we might have a say over design, but i would pretty much guarantee this will happen. they mentioned application with full design will go in in march with a view to start build next summer, which would last 10-12 months- again ambitious i would think.

[apples]

James Barber Wrote:

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> We have a critical shortage of housing, but we

> don't have a critical shortage of places to park

> cars locally.

>

On your website (March 2018) you also tell us that we live in the 'Empty homes capital of London' where 'six thousand homes in Southwark lie empty, which is more than neighbouring Lambeth, Lewisham and Tower Hamlets combined.'

Parking has become more difficult in Henslowe Road.

James Barber Wrote:

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> Southwark still has over 20,000 garages it rents

> out and their are lots of private garages to rent

> across the area.

>

Where are the 20,000 garages and are they already vacant? If so maybe new houses could be built there? Last night the Southwark representative was not able to assure me that once evicted we would be offered a garage anywhere nearby.

The Southwark plan is for just four (maybe three) new houses on this site. Would that make a difference to the 'critical housing shortage'? It is clear that the loss of these garages would make a difference to the people who use them and who pay rent for them and the change of use, the demolition and the building work would have an impact on all who live close by.

[Earl Aelfheah]

James Barber Wrote:

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> ..... we don't have a critical shortage of places to park

> cars locally.

Interesting. No need for a CPZ then?

[toland82]

As our property is directly adjacent to this site we would be extremely concerned about putting this site forward as a potential site for development. Any interference with OUR boundary as it stands would have a very detrimental effect on our amenity which is our garden. We are a family of 3 with two special needs adults. This means that our privacy, which is a very precious amenity of our garden as it stands. We think this has to be given very great consideration before this site is put forward for development. We also have one of the garages which we have paid rent for the last 15 years, this is a very important facility for us as a household as we use it to store things that are very important to our lives. As it stands we have to park one or two streets away due to lack of on street parking due to private developments in the immediate vicinity over the last 20 years. So to take away this valuable facility from us and fifteen other garages tenants could be deemed a great imbalance between what will be lost in comparison to what realistically can be gained by development of this site considering the sites footprint. I am also speaking for the other vulnerable person who is adjacent to the other side of the garages as they are not online.

[toland82]

toland82 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> As our property is directly adjacent to this site

> we would be extremely concerned about putting this

> site forward as a potential site for development.

> Any interference with OUR boundary as it stands

> would have a very detrimental effect on our

> amenity which is our garden. We are a family of 3

> with two special needs adults. This means that our

> privacy, which is a very precious amenity of our

> garden as it stands. We think this has to be given

> very great consideration before this site is put

> forward for development. We also have one of the

> garages which we have paid rent for the last 15

> years, this is a very important facility for us as

> a household as we use it to store things that are

> very important to our lives. As it stands we have

> to park one or two streets away due to lack of on

> street parking due to private developments in the

> immediate vicinity over the last 20 years. So to

> take away this valuable facility from us and

> fifteen other garages tenants could be deemed a

> great imbalance between what will be lost in

> comparison to what realistically can be gained by

> development of this site considering the sites

> footprint. I am also speaking for the other

> vulnerable person who is adjacent to the other

> side of the garages as they are not online.

[Whoop]

Question for James Barber given the most recent comment above.

Put aside the 16 people losing garages and the horrendous parking issues this development will cause, did you actually spend any time understanding the needs and lives of those directly adjacent to the site when you proposed it for development? If not, maybe it would be courteous to spend some time with them to fully understand how your proposal is going to impact them.