Cleaner Greener and Safer Applications

The deadline for Cleaner, Greener and Safer applications for Camberwell has now passed, so I thought it would be useful to give an update of a couple of those that Veronica and I have submitted for South Camberwell:-

1. A speed reader sign on Champion Hill. This remains a road where vehicles frequently travel over the 20 mph speed limit, so we thought it would be helpful if a sign which flashed vehicles speeds if they exceeded the limit could be installed. It might even slow some of them down!

2. A community notice board at the junction of Bromar Road and Grove Hill Road. This is currently a fairly barren area of paving, and could do with some focus or brightening up. The idea comes from one of the residents of Grove Hill Road who I was speaking to recently.
3. A mini-roundabout at the junction of Malfort, Ivanhoe and Avondale Rise. Last year residents contacted us with their concerns about this becoming an accident black spot, so hopefully we can use some of the CGS funding to reduce speeds and accident risks here.
4. Planting in the beds at the top of Grove Lane. This is a repeat of the application I submitted years ago and which resulted in the installation of statues of a wolf and sheep. Whilst the statues are charming - it is not what we asked for! So some planting to generally improve the condition of the beds would be welcome.


I hope that some, if not all, of these applications will be successful. I will post updates when I have any further news!

Camberwell Planning Meeting

Last night Camberwell Community Council met to consider a number of planning applications, two of which concerned South Camberwell. The longest application of the evening concerned an application by the Salvation Army to redevelop Springfield Lodge, at the tope of Grove Hill Road. Veronica and I have both been approached by residents who have concerns about this application, and so we were disqualified from sitting on the Planning Committee. However, we took advantage of our role as ward councillors to make representations to the Committee.

Whilst the redevelopment of the site is welcome, the particular design submitted was not, particularly as it would have an impact on the amount of sunlight, daylight and overshadowing received by neighbouring properties. It is regrettable when residents have to suffer any negative consequences from the redevelopment of any site, and I felt that it was an unacceptable loss of amenity for neighbouring properties in this case.

Despite our best efforts, and some forceful submissions, our colleagues on the Committee granted the application permission to proceed. This was a disappointing outcome, as I believe a reconsideration of the design by the Salvation Army could have overcome many of the current complaints. We will just have to hope that the impact will not be too negative.

The second application concerning South Camberwell was for the removal of a tree in Grove Park. This was fairly controversial as two years ago an unscrupulous developer removed a number of trees from a neighbouring plot in breach of a Tree Preservation Order. As a consequence of that act all applications concerning TPOs now come to Community Council. However, in this case the offending tree has been found to be the cause of some terrible subsidence, with cracks to a property increasing at the rate of 1.5mm a month.

Permission was given for the removal of the tree, so I now hope that the misery suffered by residents of the property in question soon comes to an end, and that the subsidence is 'fixed' as soon as possible.