|
SuperSizing Bell Green
The Headlines from the Planning 'Drop-in' held on May
16th 2005
First a resumé of the planning proposal which
will more than double the size of the current Bell Green retail
park:
Phase 1 (complete) is the current Sainsbury's
SavaCentre store & car park (above).
Phase 2 comprises two parts - an even larger retail
development centred on a DIY store on which Homebase have an option plus three
other units which may be electrical or furnishing plus a fast-food drive
thru/around (McDonalds or Burger King?). The second part nearest the railway is
business park with employment prospects for around 300 people.
Phase 3 (nearest the main Sydenham to Catford road) is
a mixed residential/small retail development.
The planning gain to the surrounding area would appear
to be:
- The main road between the Perry Rise/Perry Vale
intersection and the Stanton Way one-way system will be properly dualled
(avoiding the dangerous 'pinching' of traffic that currently occurs
- A pedestrian footway tunnel will be driven through the
railway at the Southend Lane bridge. This will eliminate the need for people
from the Park having cross/recross Southend Lane at this dangerous &
congested traffic point.
The plan would also bring back into use one of the
largest heavily contaminated brownsoil sites in London. A site that began in
1854 as the Bell Green gasworks.
So what are the pros & cons for
Sydenham?
Pro
- Several hundred new jobs
- New stores bringing new trade to Sydenham &
existing SavaCentre - which has never traded successfully
- 160 (maybe affordable?) residential units
Con
- Significantly increased traffic (including large
delivery vehicles) through the existing congested Town Centre
- Spill over parking into neigbourhood roads (inviting a
CPZ?)
- Poor public transport links (long walk from major bus
routes/railway station - particulary to the business units)
- Upto £1,000,000 per annum taken out of the
Sydenham & Forest Hill Town Centre economies
The latter point is of particular concern to all
residents and existing businesses in Sydenham. The proposal to charge for
parking in the Town Centre together with the expansion of free parking at Bell
Green does not put the competing businesses on a level playing field. The
increase in traffic will make Sydenham Road a more unpleasant and inconvenient
place to shop. The combination may make some businesses unviable and, in the
nature of shopping centres, any closure puts pressure on the remaining business
which can have a domino effect.
If this were to happen it would mean that Sydenham
would have no central location of shops to which most residents could walk.
More would drive down to Bell Green further increasing traffic pressure (and
pollution) and leaving non-drivers, particulary the elderly and young,
isolated.
What was particulary disappointing was that the drop-in
event only sent invitations to 1200 local residents and no steps were taken to
inform the wider number of people in Sydenham who would be even more
significantly affected. In other words Lewisham will, on June 16th, make a
major planning decision without either informing or consulting with the
majority of the people affected. There may be an opportunity after a decision
for the Mayor or Secretary of State to call in the proposals and hold a Public
Enquiry but this is surely the wrong way round.
It has to be said that the plan, as it stands, is still
highly speculative. There are no firm committments from retailers without which
the developers are unlikely to begin the very expensive reclamation work to
make the site safe. In the current soft retail sector this may be a major
impediment to anything happening quickly. it was said at the meeting that if
everything were to go as fast as possible with no planning impediments than
occupation would be unlikely before late 2007. Realistically it may be years
later.
Anything else?
Is this the best plan for Sydenham? Well it has some
curiosities.
Despite predictions that less than 10% of people will
come by public transport - parking provision is well below predicted
requirements for Phase 2 & 3. For example 80 parking places will be
provided for 160 residential units when the demand is probably more than one
place per unit. It seems everybody is assuming that the demand will spillover
into the existing underused Sainsbury carpark. Nobody appears to have consulted
Sainsbury about this and if Sainsbury were to do what many other similar stores
do in similar circumstances (limit freeparking to paying customers) then a
large number of vehicles will have to find home in adjoining
streets.
The anchor site is a Homebase store. There is no
contractual committment by Homebase and they have two large stores a mile or so
away (Penge & Downham). It would more likely divert business from existing
stores than expand their market. Indeed the attraction of the site to Homebase
would appear to be to deny it to a competitor such as B&Q. Electrical
superstores are already nearby near Rushey Green and there is an empty Courts
at the other end of Southend Lane for a furnishing business.
As for the fast-food outlet. After seeing 'SuperSize
Me', 'Jamies Dinners' & the McLibel case - is this something Sydenham needs
now and providing a threat to all of us who try and suggest our kids get a
decent diet...
What are the alternatives?
The Sydenham Society believe that with modern methods a
greater part of the site could be used for residential use. This would be of
more immediate benefit to Sydenham and provide less pressure on existing
roads.
If Lewisham & the Mayor of London are serious about
making public transport more attractive and useful to get a real switch from
cars than the site could be used more imaginatively as a public transport hub
served by both bus and train.
If not then the site should be made self sufficient in
parking terms so as to not impact other residents. Provision of comparable
parking arrangements should be provided at neighbouring shopping centres so
that they can compete fairly.
There appears to be no alternative to increasing
traffic and congestion if it remain a primarily retail development. Indeed
without the congestion it unlikely to be viable as such.
So what do we do now?
- Talk to you local councillor <here>. Are they for/against
it?
- Read the Sydenham Society report <here>
- Explore the issues further in the Sydenham Town Forum
<here>
LATEST: Lewisham decide to defer
approval - more <here>
Livesey Hall - home to many events...
|
