Neighbourhood Development

May Elections – Our new ward candidates speak – 28th March 2018

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OBF OLD BERMONDSEY FORUM
MEETING and UPDATE
6.30pm Wednesday 28 March
Globe House | Corner of Bermondsey Street & Crucifix Lane 

MAY COUNCIL ELECTIONS
OUR LABOUR AND LIB-DEM WARD COUNCILLORS ARE INVITED TO TALK ABOUT THEIR RESPECTIVE POSITIONS ON NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANNING TO INFORM YOUR VOTING
As our followers are now aware, the Council have refused to allow St Thomas St or the areas between the railway line and Tooley St to become part of our neighbourhood plan.  This is a brazen reassertion of their rejection of the whole principle of neighbourhood planning – at least in so far as it is anything other than another sham engagement of the community in the development of their neighbourhoods.  It is of course in line with their sham ‘consultations’ on planning issues generally.  We have instructed our specialist planning QC to advise on the legality of this decision as it makes neighbourhood planning meaningless; essentially, neighbourhoods can only have a plan if it endorses exactly with what the Council themselves want to do. We are allowed only to be their puppets.

It is obvious that the present Council are likely to continue their steadfast resistance to anything that stands in the way of their secretive cash-driven deals with developers, done behind closed doors.  So what support can we expect from at least our local Councillors? The Council elections on 3 May are our once-in-four-years opportunity to select at least three members of the Council so we have invited candidates for our redefined ward, London Bridge and West Bermondsey, to share their views and state their positions.

Currently confirmed to attend are:

Julie Eyles, John Batteson and Ed McDonagh of the Labour Party

and

Damien O’Brien, Ben Johnson of the Liberal Democrats

Also to be discussed is our response to the Council ‘s refusal of our area extension.  By the time of the meeting we expect to have legal advice on the prospects for a Judicial Review of the decision.

All Welcome

REMINDER: CONSULTATION ON THE OLD KENT ROAD AREA ACTION PLAN DROP IN SESSION

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We have prepared a further draft of the Old Kent Road Area Action Plan which we are consulting on until 21 March 2018. The documents are available to view on our website here.

The plan explains our strategy for the regeneration of the Old Kent Road, including the extension of the Bakerloo Line, to accommodate new homes, provide new jobs, leisure, shopping, parks and transport improvements in a new town centre over the next 20 years.

Come along to a drop-in session to find out more about the plan:

Wednesday 7 March 2018   4.30pm – 8.30pm   Christ Church Peckham, 676-680 Old Kent Road, London SE15 1JF

Fill out our online questionnaire on our consultation hub to give your views on the plan.
We look forward to hearing from you.

Southwark Council

planningpolicy@southwark.gov.uk

020 7525 5471

OBVNF AREA EXTENSION UPDATE

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 BVAG
&
OBF
OLD BERMONDSEY FORUM

OBVNF AREA EXTENSION

URGENT ACTION REQUIRED

Formal Consultation on extension of our neighbourhood area closed on 01 February 2018.

The Council received over one hundred letters of support for our application to extend our neighbourhood area.  This is far more than they have ever received in response to their own ‘consultations’ on policy for St Thomas St.

Nevertheless it came as no surprise to learn on Tuesday that the council has recommended our application for refusal. The Officers Report can be viewed in full here.

In anticipation of this continued resistance from the Council however we took prior legal opinion from counsel on our position in law which can be viewed in full here.

Our immediate response to this decision can be viewed here.

Even by their own standards Southwark Council have delivered a masterclass in make-it-up-as-you-go-along planning, no doubt in furtherance of their overriding objective – soliciting developer cash.

For example, the following maps taken from their own 2013 ‘characterisation study’ clearly demarcate areas to the north of Snowsfields as forming part of a cohesive area that they designate ‘Bermondsey’.  Very obviously the Vinegar Yard warehouse, the shops and residential premises in Snowsfields and Melior St and the small offices and heritage buildings in Weston St are entirely in conformity with the Bermondsey St area.  But, as we know, facts and logic are never allowed to interfere with the Council’s anti-local plans where there is cash to be harvested from big developers.

obvnf2234

Although calculatedly ambiguous, as usual, the Council rely heavily on their 2014 decision designating a neighbourhood area exclusively of their own making and for their own purpose – keeping us out of St Thomas St. The argument they advanced then was obvious nonsense [see paragraph 24, 2014 Officers Report here ] and it is even more obviously so now. They happily shut the door on effective Neighbourhood Planning in Bermondsey by cutting St Thomas Street out of our initial proposal – ‘The St Thomas St Plan’ – by adopting the manifestly artificial and inappropriate northern border of Snowfields.  The report declares the ‘predominantly residential, interspersed with commercial and industrial uses’ to be wholly incongruous to the sites north of Snowfields: The Horseshoe Pub? Vinegar Warehouse? Snowfields ‘Pocket Plaza’, Weston St?

Our position remains that the proposed areas of extension clearly make a for coherent neighbourhood because they fit better in character, urban grain and scale with the northern part of the area designated by the Council; they mainly consist of small independent businesses and residences with a high concentration of buildings of some historic or architectural interest. [Excerpt from our current application to extend the Neighbourhood Area]

This includes the area above Snowsfields which even by their own study clearly constitutes a more coherent neighbourhood area than the ‘Area A’ designation of 2014.

To underline the conclusion of our legal advice:

Should the Council decide to uphold this complete refusal they will be at risk of legal challenge by Judicial Review.  Such proceedings would highlight the contrived inconsistency, perverse reasoning and brazen denial of facts.  Just as importantly, it would spotlight the real reason for their decision, namely to cream off big bucks from developers in complete disregard for the character of the area, its heritage, and of course overwhelming local opinion.

Whether or not you responded last time please take a few minutes to email planningpolicy@southwark.gov.uk and let them know your opinion about this decision before 5pm this Friday 23 February 2107.

CONSULTATION ON THE OLD KENT ROAD AREA ACTION PLAN: DROP IN SESSIONS

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We have prepared a further draft of the Old Kent Road Area Action Plan which we are consulting on until 21 March 2018. The documents are available to view on our website here.

The plan explains our strategy for the regeneration of the Old Kent Road, including the extension of the Bakerloo Line, to accommodate new homes, provide new jobs, leisure, shopping, parks and transport improvements in a new town centre over the next 20 years.

Come along to a drop-in session to find out more about the plan:

Tuesday 6 February 2018 4.30pm – 8.30pm Drawing Room, Unit 8  Rich Estate, 46 Willow Walk, London SE1 5SF
Wednesday 7 March 2018 4.30pm – 8.30pm Christ Church Peckham, 676-680 Old Kent Road, London SE15 1JF

Fill out our online questionnaire on our consultation hub to give your views on the plan.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Southwark Council

planningpolicy@southwark.gov.uk

020 7525 5471

Revised neighbourhood area boundary for Bermondsey

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Good morning all,

For your information:

The council is currently consulting on a revised neighbourhood area boundary for Bermondsey. The consultation is underway on behalf of the Old Bermondsey Village Neighbourhood Forum who submitted an application for a revised boundary to the council in late 2017. Consultation is open until Thursday 1 February 2018. More information, including the application, maps of the proposed boundary, and general information about neighbourhood planning can be found on our website here. Hard copies of the application are available to view in John Harvard, Blue Anchor and Newington temporary libraries. Comments can be submitted online via our consultation hub page, by email to planningpolicy@southwark.gov.uk or by free post to the address on our website.

Regards

Tom Weaver

Graduate Planner

Major Applications

Development Management | Planning | Chief Executive’s Department | Southwark Council

Postal Address: 5th Floor, Hub 2 | PO Box 64529 | London SE1P 5LX

Visitor Address: 160 Tooley Street | London SE1 2QH

0207 525 3841

07718 961 836

Reminder: Forum Meeting 6.30pm Wednesday 24th January

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Globe House | Corner of Bermondsey Street & Crucifix Lane
 High-rise -v- Heritage in Bermondsey St/St Thomas St

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New Quill++ proposal: shown to locals on Thursday last week

As we have long expected, Southwark Council’s ambitions for money-spinning tower blocks the length of St Thomas St were only half met by the absurd ‘Quill’ that everyone knew would never be built.  Having bestowed a £40m+ windfall on its anonymous, off-shore, tax-sheltered promoters they are now partnering second-round speculators, Greystar, with a bigger and better version of the proposal.  Only 500 student bedrooms was a bit restrained for Southwark so Greystar are offering them double that number, with the added attraction of 45 floors instead of the Quill’s modest 31.

But just so that locals don’t feel like everything around them is changing the ownership of the building stays in anonymous Jersey companies owned through nominee shareholders.  As their predecessors didn’t, It obviously wouldn’t be fair that poor Greystar should have to pay tax on the further £20m or so windfall the Council are straining at the leash to bestow upon them in exchange for the high-rise precedent they so crave.
quill2a3-5cf102812bf1

‘Quill Mk1:  A bit discreet for the council and so only worth a tax-free £40m windfall

Following the 2010 planning consent for the fanciful nonsense that was ‘Quill’ Mk1 the site owners walked away with a massive lottery jackpot when they handed the baton to new chancers, Greystar. Greystar’s website boasts how they ‘leverage relationships into investment opportunities’.  They’re not wrong about how good an investment opportunity getting in bed with Southwark Council can be.

land-e081-4b22-9cee-36383d8e5e9bLand Registry title register entry as of April 2017 (when former anonymous Jersey-based owners passed the golden goose to new anonymous Jersey-based owners (Greystar?)
OBF meetings are open to all  – All welcome
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CONSULTATION ON THE OLD KENT ROAD AREA ACTION PLAN: FURTHER PREFERRED OPTION

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We have prepared a further draft of the Old Kent Road Area Action Plan which we are consulting on until 21 March 2018. The documents are available to view on our website here.

The plan explains our strategy for the regeneration of the Old Kent Road, including the extension of the Bakerloo Line, to accommodate new homes, provide new jobs, leisure, shopping, parks and transport improvements in a new town centre over the next 20 years.

 

How to respond

 

Please email planningpolicy@southwark.gov.uk

 

Please check our website here to find out more about our consultation including other ways to respond.

 

If you would like us to attend your meeting or event please let us know by phone or email.

 

We look forward to hearing from you.

 

Southwark Council

planningpolicy@southwark.gov.uk

020 7525 5471

CONSULTATION ON THE BERMONDSEY NEIGHBOURHOOD AREA REVISED BOUNDARY

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The council is now consulting on an application for a revised neighbourhood area on behalf of the ‘Old Bermondsey Village Neighbourhood Forum’. Consultation will run for 7 weeks from 14 December 2017 to 1 February 2018.

The Old Bermondsey Village Neighbourhood Forum was designated by the council in June 2015 to undertake and represent the local community in neighbourhood planning. For more information about Neighbourhood Planning and the revised neighbourhood area boundary, please refer to our website on this link:http://www.southwark.gov.uk/planning-and-building-control/planning-policy-and-transport-policy/development-plan/neighbourhood-planning

 How to respond

Please visit our consultation hub and fill out our online questionnaire.

Comments can also be made in writing or via email and sent to the following addresses.

Email: planningpolicy@southwark.gov.uk

Post: FREEPOST SE1919/14 Planning Policy Chief Executive’s Department London SE1P 5EX

 We look forward to hearing from you.

 Southwark Council

planningpolicy@southwark.gov.uk

0207 525 5471