What's On In April

There’s a lot going on at the moment so we thought we’d better send out a mid-month reminder of what’s happening so you can get involved in whatever takes your fancy. That’s if you can drag yourselves away from Forest Hill Beach, of course, which seems to be the big attraction at the moment. OK, so it’s just a big sand pit by the side of the South Circular but it’s proving very popular along with the rest of the renovation work at the Horniman Triangle play area. There’s even a welcoming café so make the most of it whilst the sun is shining!

23 CLUB

This month’s 23 Club coincides with St George’s Day and Shakespeare’s Birthday so definitely a reason to celebrate. A number of people – regulars and first timers – have already said they’ll be attending so do book your seat at the table.

Thursday, April 23rd at 8pm - The Dartmouth Arms pub, 7 Dartmouth Road SE23 3HN Phone 8488 3117. Please book directly with the restaurant making it clear you’re with the 23 Club or Forest Hill Society. We look forward to seeing you there.

PUB CRAWL

Thursday, 30th April.
We’ll be starting at 7.30pm at the Railway Telegraph, 112 Stanstead Rd, SE23 1BS. We’re aiming to get as far as Mr Lawrence's Wine Bar, 391 Brockley Road, SE4 2PH but that may be a bit ambitious. Anyway, we’ll certainly make a point of trying out the new Stone Bar in Honor Oak Park. There’ll be more details of the route nearer the time on our website.

MAY BANK HOLIDAY REVELS ON OUR OWN MILLENNIUM GREEN

The Forest Hill and Sydenham Societies are joining forces for the Bank Holiday on the 4th of May. We'll be celebrating spring with a day at a hidden green space on the border of Forest Hill and Sydenham - the Albion Millennium Green.
The Green, formerly a tennis club, was landscaped into an attractive, informal park at the turn of the century under a government scheme to develop 'Millennium Greens.’ Its entrance is at the end of Albion Villas Road (just off Sydenham Park Road), one of the prettiest streets in the area.
It's a haven for flowers and wildlife but it does need a little sprucing up. So we'll start the day with a group tidying up session and then savour the fruits of our labours with a picnic (please bring your own), games and traditional May Day activities for all the family.
So mark your diaries now. It'll be a great Bank Holiday day out - just around the corner.

Forest Hill School Report

Recent report from Forest Hill School for BBC Schools' News Reports.

SUPERMARKET SHAKESPEARE

Shakespeare in your local supermarket - another way to celebrate the Bard’s birthday this month. Brighten up your shopping trip at Sainsbury’s, London Road, by watching Teatro Vivo present its theatrical performance inspired by Shakespeare’s Sonnet No 91.

Some glory in their birth, some in their skill
Some in their wealth, some in their bodies' force...

According to the press release, there’ll be six performers who will create “contemporary characters that have intertwining stories and these will be performed all around the supermarket. Performed whilst the supermarket is open, these stories will show the contemporary relevance of Shakespeare’s work in an accessible and everyday environment.

Shoppers can follow the individual characters and hear how their stories unravel whilst filling up their trolley and choosing their dinner.”

Supermarket Shakespeare is FREE to attend. There is no need for audiences to book; they can just turn up.

DATES:-

Tuesday 28th April - Friday 1st May 6.30pm
Saturday 2^nd May 12pm & 6pm
Sunday 3^rd May 12pm & 3pm

Performance Length: 1 hour.

www.teatrovivo.co.uk

Sunderland Road Planning Objections

Two more objections to planning applications from the Forest Hill Society, both on Sunderland Road.

139 Sunderland Road details of the application for 9 flats to replace an existing house can be viewed on the Lewisham council website and you can read our objection here.

35 Sunderland Road details of the application for continued D2 use by a church organisation can be viewed on the Lewisham council website and you can read our objection here.

Lewisham Councillors Reject Over-Development in Forest Hill

Lewisham’s Planning Committee last night voted to unanimously reject the recommendation of planning officers and refuse a planning application to build 74 flats on a backland site in Forest Hill. The councillors agreed that the proposal put forward by Loromah Estates was over development, poorly designed and could become a magnet for criminal activity.

The local community, supported by Forest Hill Ward councillors, organised a vigorous campaign to oppose this development and appeared in force at last night’s Planning Committee. The Council received about three hundred objections and five petitions, reflecting the strength of local feeling.

The planning application proposed building nine blocks of three to four storeys on land behind the Christian Fellowship Centre on Honor Oak Road and to the rear of Tyson Road. A previous attempt by Loromah to gain permission for a dense housing development here was rejected. This new application featured some superficial modifications and a slight reduction in density but was, to all intents and purposes, the same proposal. Planning officers, who had worked with the developers on this new application, recommended approval. However, in an unusual move, they noted on their report that “a lower density development in this backland location would lead to an improved scheme.”

The Committee quickly decided that the development was indeed too dense for the area. It was also concerned about the heavy loss of mature trees.

The councillors were particularly concerned about the proposed undercroft parking in the development. The councillors believed this would encourage crime and would quickly become littered with waste. Providing security gates, as suggested by the developer, would mean the residents of the furthest block having to drive through three or four sets of locked gates to reach their parking space which was clearly impractical, according to councillors.

The Forest Hill Society praises the decision by the Planning Committee to overturn the planning officers’ recommendation. The Vice Chair of the Society, Michael Abrahams, who spoke on behalf of the local community, pointed out;
“Loromah Estates was proposing a very high density development in a backland site on one of the steepest hills in London. Not surprisingly, the result is a very poor design which has been strongly opposed by the local community.”

Dacres Wood Nature Reserve

The Forest Hill Society had over 80 people of all ages visit the Dacres Wood Nature Reserve.

Information was provided by Alona Sheridan and Steve Grindlay about the history and natural features of the area. Steve Grinlay has kindly made his notes and maps available to us and they can be viewed here.

Below are a few pictures from the afternoon.

Alona speaking	Reflections...
Toad Spawn	Information and Activities

Lewisham PCT Consultation

Lewisham PCT is presently running a consultation (until April 6 2009) regarding the new GP-led health centre in the borough. The consultation document suggests that the new GP-led health centre should be located at the north of the borough at The Waldron health centre, New Cross.

The Local Medical Committee is concerned that this site may not be in the best interests of the majority of Lewisham residents, and risks harming existing patient services.

Local GPs have started a petition saying that any extra investment in GP and community services should benefit ALL patients in Lewisham by being easily accessible from all areas of the borough, with any new GP-led Health Centre being more centrally located.

The Forest Hill Society urge members to respond to this consultation and consider how the location of the new GP led health centre will affect people in Forest Hill.

More details from a local resident and Lewisham GP can be viewed here.

Forest Hill Society eNewsletter - 21st March

A busy week in Forest Hill with the 23 Club, the Ward Assembly, and a visit to possibly the last section of canal in Forest Hill!

'23 Club' at The Old Bank – This Monday, 23^rd March, 8pm

This Italian restaurant is situated close to Honor Oak Park Station. Booking is not necessary for this evening but do look out for other SE23 Club members. The Old Bank, 76-78 Honor Oak Park, SE23 1DY, Phone 8291 1738

View Larger Map

Dacres Wood – Sunday, 29^th March, 2pm (BST)

As British Summer Time begins (at last) join us for a fantastic opportunity to take a look round this site which is not normally accessible to the public. As well as interesting flora and fauna, you will see one of the last surviving parts of the Croydon Canal. The tour will be led by Alona Sheridan and the local historian, Steve Grindlay. Sturdy shoes and appropriate outdoor clothes are recommended.

Meet in the grassy area in front of the reserve gates, (junction of Silverdale and Dacres Road).

View Larger Map

Forest Hill Pools

Over the next few months the council will be consulting about the future of the Forest Hill swimming pool. At present they are proposing two options;

1. Move the pool to Willow Way SE26 in 2011 and sell off the existing site for housing, or
2. Put the project on hold until 2012 before looking again at Option 2 (new build on existing site, retain Victorian frontage, cross subsidise from Willow Way) with possible delivery in 2015.

The Forest Hill Society favour the development of Work/Live units on the Willow Way to help fund a pool development on the existing site, but want this to happen considerably sooner than 2015. A petition has been put together which supports 'Keeping Swimming in Forest Hill ' which you may wish to sign at http://keepswimming.notlong.com. We understand that this petition has already collected over 170 signatures online and well over 1,000 on paper. More about this campaign group can be found at http://ksfh.notlong.com/

Forest Hill Ward Assembly - Wednesday 25th March, 7:30pm

The Forest Hill Ward Assembly is an opportunity for residents living in Forest Hill ward to discuss issues that effect the local area, including the pools which is one of the items on the agenda. Further details of the Assembly can be found on the council website.

Venue: Living Springs International Church, 8-10 Devonshire Road , London SE23 3TJ (see Google StreetView)

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Wednesday 25th March 7.30-9.30pm
Forest Hill Ward Assembly Meeting. Living Springs International Church, 8-10 Devonshire Road, London SE23 3TJ

Thursday 7th May - 7:30pm
Forest Hill Society GENERAL MEETING - The Hob, 7 Devonshire Road SE23 3HE

OUT AND ABOUT
Sunday 29th March at 2pm
Nature and history walk at Dacres Wood Nature Reserve. Meet in the grassy area in front of the reserve gates, (to the left of Homefield House.) Led by Alona Sheridan & Steve Grindlay.

Thursday 30th April - Pub Crawl.
Starts 7.30pm at the Railway Telegraph, 112 Stanstead Rd, SE23 1BS. Ends at Mr Lawrence's Wine Bar, 391 Brockley Road, SE4 2PH

Monday 4th May from midday
May Day Tidy plus picnic. Albion Millennium Green. Entrance at the end of Albion Villas Road, off Sydenham Park Road.

THE 23 CLUB
Monday March 23 at 8pm - classic Italian.
The Old Bank, 76-78 Honor Oak Park SE23 1DY Phone 8291 1738.

Thursday April 23 at 8pm
The Dartmouth Arms pub, 7 Dartmouth Road SE23 3HN Phone 8488 3117

Saturday May 23 at 8pm
The Thai Orchard, 3 David's Road SE23 3EP Phone 8291 3901

Environment and Leisure Committee

We love being close to the big metropolis and having all the amenities that come with urban living. But we also love the tranquil, green spaces that make SE23 so special. James Marmion is on a mission to make Forest Hill a community we can all enjoy and we’re delighted that he’s volunteered to chair the Society’s Environment and Leisure Committee. We asked him to set out his vision.

I’ve lived in Forest Hill for ten years and in southeast London for twenty. Before coming to London, I lived in Liverpool, overlooking a lovely beach now filled with figures made by Anthony Gormley, the Peckham sculptor (which makes it even lovelier).

In SE23 we benefit from all the good places to go out that come with being close to a big metropolis. But the main reason I became involved with the Forest Hill Society was to try to round off some of the sharper urban edges that come with being next to that great metropolis. So what do we need to do?

We need to foster our green spaces. It’s been great to see the continuing development of the green chain walks and we have an active community presence at our several local nature reserves at Devonshire, Garthorne and Dacres Roads. We’ve organised a walk around Dacres Road reserve to raise its profile, stimulate involvement and, not least, admire the last remaining remnants of the canal that preceded the railway line. We’ve also combined volunteering with relaxation by organising a tidy-up followed by a picnic in one of our hidden away green spots. Elsewhere, I’d like to build support for the excellent community idea of using the vacant lot next to One Tree Hill allotments as a family allotment space.

We should promote green issues too – such as supporting the Eco Street project running in the “Rockbourne Triangle” and persuading the council to rollout benefits such as improved recycling schemes across SE23.

We need to smarten up our streetscape and immediate surroundings. The Honor Oak Park Action Group has performed wonders to improve the look of Honor Oak’s Parade and station. Wouldn’t it be good if we could have a similar, community driven group to smarten up London Road and Forest Hill station? Friends and neighbours often complain about how development of our area is handicapped by the presence of the South Circular Road. So how do we turn a handicap into a virtue? Can we improve the road with street art or planting? The railway bridge too is in desperate need of smartening up - a shame as it has the potential to provide a wonderful welcome point to Forest Hill with a good clean, a lick of paint and a well-designed sign.

Most of all I’d love to see children and families get involved – harnessing that sense of civic pride for those growing up or settling down in the area – and having our local schools and youth clubs join in with environmental projects.

I need to hear your ideas too. If you want to drop me a line about them, or if you’re inspired to get involved with what we’re doing, you can write to me at james@foresthillsociety.com.