The minutes from the Forest Hill Society general meeting are now available.
Please feel free to add you comments using the link below.
02 May 2009
General Meeting, Picnic, and the Pools
Thank you to everyone who’s been supporting our social events recently. There have been a lot of them and we know you can’t get to them all. There are still more events to come this month. We always like to see new faces so do take a look at what we’ve organised.
Most importantly, we have our General Meeting on 7th May at The Hob. This is a chance to discuss the major issues facing SE23 (I guess the Pools might crop up) and the way forward for the Forest Hill Society. If you’d like to become more actively involved in the Society’s work – in whatever capacity – do make yourself known to us at the meeting.
You should all have received a consultation form the Council asking for your views on the future of Forest Hill Pools. At the end of this email, we’ve included a message from Hilary, one of our representatives on the Stakeholder Group, explaining more about the Society’s position.
Monday 4th May - 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.
Thursday 7th May - General Meeting. 7.30pm at The Hob pub opposite Forest Hill Station.
We’ll be upstairs and the bar will be open so there’ll be plenty of opportunity to socialise as well as take part in the more formal part of the evening. Doors open from 7pm. See you there.
Saturday 9th May – Dawn Chorus Walk, One Tree Hill - 5am
This is organised by the Friends of One Tree Hill. At this time of the year, the air is full of birdsong as each bird gets up in the morning. This annual, guided walk is an experience everyone should have at least once in their lives! So wrap up warmly and come and see how many different birds we can identify. Meet at 5 am at the gates to St. Augustine's Church, One Tree Hill, Honor Oak Park SE23. If you wish to find out more about the walk on their website
Saturday May 23 at 8pm – 23 Club
The Thai Orchard, 3 David’s Road SE23 3EP Phone 8291 3901. 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.
FOREST HILL POOLS CONSULTATION STARTS
By now all of the households in Forest Hill, Perry Vale and Sydenham Wards should have received Lewisham Council’s latest questionnaire on the future of Forest Hill Pools.
This consultation is about whether people think that a pool is better in Dartmouth Road (with a bit of a wait) or Willow Way (which they think can be delivered sooner). It also asks questions about how often people use the pool and their age group etc.
If you have lost, recycled or someone else in your household has already filled in the printed questionnaire, then it is available to complete online.
The Society’s Forest Hill Pools Stakeholder Representatives are generally of the view that:
• A new pool should be built on the existing pools site as a way of helping regenerate the town centre and attract a wider range of shops and services; and
• That the pool should be delivered as soon as possible, and certainly much before the 2015 date that the Council set out in the questionnaire.
The Council says in the questionnaire that the Willow Way site can't be used to cross subsidise the pools on the Dartmouth Road site because housing is not going to be an acceptable use for this site, given its current designation as an employment site.
So this leaves us with a bit of a difficulty as neither of the options as they are presented in the questionnaire really meets the needs of Forest Hill. A number of the FHS Executive have been working to try and get the Council to reconsider the current options as they stand. The work that has been done indicates that it may be possible to redevelop Willow Way for live/work development or mixed uses including employment and that this development COULD then be used to cross subsidise a new swimming pool on the Dartmouth Road site. It may not meet the whole funding gap that has currently been identified but it may well go some way towards doing so. In that case, it may be possible to deliver a new pool on the current site much sooner than 2015.
We also think that if the responses to the questionnaire support the idea of a new pool on the current site then it may be possible to persuade the Mayor to reconsider the current options on the table and work to find a solution that delivers it sooner.
If anyone has any questions about the Pools project and the Council’s current consultation then please let us know. We are very keen that Forest Hill has a pool back soon and that it is in the best place for the majority of residents of this part of Lewisham and for the regeneration of our town centre.
Most importantly, we have our General Meeting on 7th May at The Hob. This is a chance to discuss the major issues facing SE23 (I guess the Pools might crop up) and the way forward for the Forest Hill Society. If you’d like to become more actively involved in the Society’s work – in whatever capacity – do make yourself known to us at the meeting.
You should all have received a consultation form the Council asking for your views on the future of Forest Hill Pools. At the end of this email, we’ve included a message from Hilary, one of our representatives on the Stakeholder Group, explaining more about the Society’s position.
Monday 4th May - 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.
Thursday 7th May - General Meeting. 7.30pm at The Hob pub opposite Forest Hill Station.
We’ll be upstairs and the bar will be open so there’ll be plenty of opportunity to socialise as well as take part in the more formal part of the evening. Doors open from 7pm. See you there.
Saturday 9th May – Dawn Chorus Walk, One Tree Hill - 5am
This is organised by the Friends of One Tree Hill. At this time of the year, the air is full of birdsong as each bird gets up in the morning. This annual, guided walk is an experience everyone should have at least once in their lives! So wrap up warmly and come and see how many different birds we can identify. Meet at 5 am at the gates to St. Augustine's Church, One Tree Hill, Honor Oak Park SE23. If you wish to find out more about the walk on their website
Saturday May 23 at 8pm – 23 Club
The Thai Orchard, 3 David’s Road SE23 3EP Phone 8291 3901. 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.
FOREST HILL POOLS CONSULTATION STARTS
By now all of the households in Forest Hill, Perry Vale and Sydenham Wards should have received Lewisham Council’s latest questionnaire on the future of Forest Hill Pools.
This consultation is about whether people think that a pool is better in Dartmouth Road (with a bit of a wait) or Willow Way (which they think can be delivered sooner). It also asks questions about how often people use the pool and their age group etc.
If you have lost, recycled or someone else in your household has already filled in the printed questionnaire, then it is available to complete online.
The Society’s Forest Hill Pools Stakeholder Representatives are generally of the view that:
• A new pool should be built on the existing pools site as a way of helping regenerate the town centre and attract a wider range of shops and services; and
• That the pool should be delivered as soon as possible, and certainly much before the 2015 date that the Council set out in the questionnaire.
The Council says in the questionnaire that the Willow Way site can't be used to cross subsidise the pools on the Dartmouth Road site because housing is not going to be an acceptable use for this site, given its current designation as an employment site.
So this leaves us with a bit of a difficulty as neither of the options as they are presented in the questionnaire really meets the needs of Forest Hill. A number of the FHS Executive have been working to try and get the Council to reconsider the current options as they stand. The work that has been done indicates that it may be possible to redevelop Willow Way for live/work development or mixed uses including employment and that this development COULD then be used to cross subsidise a new swimming pool on the Dartmouth Road site. It may not meet the whole funding gap that has currently been identified but it may well go some way towards doing so. In that case, it may be possible to deliver a new pool on the current site much sooner than 2015.
We also think that if the responses to the questionnaire support the idea of a new pool on the current site then it may be possible to persuade the Mayor to reconsider the current options on the table and work to find a solution that delivers it sooner.
If anyone has any questions about the Pools project and the Council’s current consultation then please let us know. We are very keen that Forest Hill has a pool back soon and that it is in the best place for the majority of residents of this part of Lewisham and for the regeneration of our town centre.
23 April 2009
Cleaning up the Streets of Forest Hill
Lewisham joins the Capital Clean-Up Campaign
Press Release from Lewisham Council:
Lewisham is taking part in London’s Capital Clean-Up Campaign which starts on Monday 27 April and runs until Friday 5 June.
Clean-up events will be taking place around the city, and Lewisham has arranged its own local initiatives to help keep the borough’s environment clean and tidy.
Residents and organisations are urged to get involved.
Lesley Seary, Executive Director for Customer Services, said: “Lewisham is recognised as one of the cleanest boroughs in London. Local clean-ups like these are really worthwhile. They help improve the environment and provide a great opportunity to get involved in your local community.”
Projects planned for the coming weeks involve cleaning pathways, removing overgrown vegetation, graffiti and fly-posting. They all run from 10am – 2pm and are taking place at the following locations:
* Thursday 30 April: Bramdene Road, Bellingham, SE6
* Thursday 7 May: New Cross Road, opposite New Cross Gate station, SE14.
* Friday 15 May: the access road behind Somerfield store, Girton Road, SE26.
* Thursday 28 May: Ivy Road/St Norbert Road, SE4.
* Friday 29 May: London Road footpath, SE23 (opposite Sainsbury store).
* Wednesday 3 June: Perry Vale car park, Forest Hill, SE23
To get involved in any of these clean-up events or for further information call Colin Sandiford on 020 8314 2295 or email colin.sandiford@lewisham.gov.uk
The borough’s rivers are also being targeted in the clean-up campaign. The Three Rivers Clean-Up runs from Saturday 30 May – Sunday 7 June.
Clean-up sessions will be taking place daily throughout the week in different venues along the rivers Pool, Quaggy, and Ravensbourne. The sessions will be an opportunity for local people to meet new people as well as doing something worthwhile for their local environment.
Everyone is welcome. No experience is needed, and full training, supervision, clothing and equipment will all be provided.
For more information on the programme of events and on how to get involved visit www.thames21.org.uk/3riverscleanup.
Press Release from Lewisham Council:
Lewisham is taking part in London’s Capital Clean-Up Campaign which starts on Monday 27 April and runs until Friday 5 June.
Clean-up events will be taking place around the city, and Lewisham has arranged its own local initiatives to help keep the borough’s environment clean and tidy.
Residents and organisations are urged to get involved.
Lesley Seary, Executive Director for Customer Services, said: “Lewisham is recognised as one of the cleanest boroughs in London. Local clean-ups like these are really worthwhile. They help improve the environment and provide a great opportunity to get involved in your local community.”
Projects planned for the coming weeks involve cleaning pathways, removing overgrown vegetation, graffiti and fly-posting. They all run from 10am – 2pm and are taking place at the following locations:
* Thursday 30 April: Bramdene Road, Bellingham, SE6
* Thursday 7 May: New Cross Road, opposite New Cross Gate station, SE14.
* Friday 15 May: the access road behind Somerfield store, Girton Road, SE26.
* Thursday 28 May: Ivy Road/St Norbert Road, SE4.
* Friday 29 May: London Road footpath, SE23 (opposite Sainsbury store).
* Wednesday 3 June: Perry Vale car park, Forest Hill, SE23
To get involved in any of these clean-up events or for further information call Colin Sandiford on 020 8314 2295 or email colin.sandiford@lewisham.gov.uk
The borough’s rivers are also being targeted in the clean-up campaign. The Three Rivers Clean-Up runs from Saturday 30 May – Sunday 7 June.
Clean-up sessions will be taking place daily throughout the week in different venues along the rivers Pool, Quaggy, and Ravensbourne. The sessions will be an opportunity for local people to meet new people as well as doing something worthwhile for their local environment.
Everyone is welcome. No experience is needed, and full training, supervision, clothing and equipment will all be provided.
For more information on the programme of events and on how to get involved visit www.thames21.org.uk/3riverscleanup.
18 April 2009
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.
04 April 2009
01 April 2009
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 2nd May 12pm & 6pm
Sunday 3rd May 12pm & 3pm
Performance Length: 1 hour.
www.teatrovivo.co.ukSunderland 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.
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.”
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.”
29 March 2009
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.
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.
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