Author: Darryl Chamberlain

We’ll oppose Charlton Athletic leaving Greenwich, council leader says as EFL warns club

Darryl Chamberlain
The Valley
The Valley is owned by Roland Duchâtelet, but the club is not

Greenwich Council says it will oppose any attempt to move Charlton Athletic out of the borough as the club’s future hangs in the balance following its relegation from the Championship last week.

Supporters had rejoiced last October when the Belgian electronics magnate Roland Duchâtelet sold the club after five turbulent years to a group called East Street Investments (ESI). But promises that the new owners would invest in the side were not followed through – wrecking hopes it would stay in football’s second tier – and ESI collapsed into acrimony last March, with leading figures Matt Southall and Tahnoon Nimer trading insults on social media.

To make matters worse, Duchâtelet – apparently attempting to recoup the millions he lost during his time in charge – has held onto The Valley and the club’s training ground at Sparrows Lane in New Eltham. Last month, the club claimed ESI had been sold to Manchester-based businessman Paul Elliott, but that deal has yet to be ratified by the English Football League.

Tonight, the EFL confirmed it had not received sufficient information to approve the takeover. “The club is aware of the consequences of not meeting those requirements,” the EFL said, effectively warning Elliott and his lawyer Chris Farnell, who sits on the ESI board, that the club risks expulsion from the league.

Last year, a similar situation led to Bury being expelled from the league. Farnell was also Bury’s lawyer. The Charlton Athletic Supporters Trust has warned the club could be thrown out of the league in less than seven weeks.

Last week, the Eltham MP Clive Efford told the House of Commons that the situation was “undermining the future of the club”. Both he and the Greenwich & Woolwich MP Matt Pennycook have written to the EFL to demand action.

Supporters fear The Valley could be redeveloped, but Greenwich Council leader Danny Thorpe has told The Charlton Champion the authority wants to see the club remain.

“Generations of Greenwich residents have supported Charlton Athletic and they would have been devastated by their relegation last week. The council has very close ties to the club, especially its Community Trust which has worked with us to coordinate over 1,000 volunteers to deliver food and other vital support to residents during the coronavirus pandemic,” he said.

“I wrote to Mr Duchâtelet two years ago when there were protests about his ownership and had hoped that winning promotion last year and new ownership would bring about some stability to the club. Sadly that hasn’t happened, and relegation could make things even worse.

“The stadium and training ground sites are designated for specific uses and we would not be interested in any proposals that involved a change of use. Charlton Athletic belongs in the Royal Borough of Greenwich and we will oppose anything that could lead to them being moved out of the borough.”

While The Valley is generally thought to be a difficult site to build on – a large sewer runs underneath it and road access is limited – fans have feared development proposals for many years. Duchâtelet’s predecessors as owners, Michael Slater and Tony Jimenez, had explored the idea of moving to Greenwich Peninsula and striking a deal to have The Valley used for social housing, a court case in 2017 revealed.

Further back, a separation in the ownership of club and ground led to Charlton leaving The Valley in 1985 for Crystal Palace’s ground at Selhurst Park, leading to a damaging seven-year exile from the area. Greenwich planning policies designate it as “community open space”.

However, there is also concern at Woolwich Town Hall about the fate of Sparrows Lane. While it is designated as Metropolitan Open Land – giving it one of the strongest protections against development – councillors fear a planning inspector could still allow building there.

A Premier League side as recently as 2007, Charlton were relegated back to League One last week after a 4-0 defeat at league champions Leeds United. Fans fear the relegation and off-field drama will lead to the departure of manager Lee Bowyer as well as several key players.

The club said tonight: “Getting the change of ownership approved is the top priority of everyone at the club and there is no delay on the part of the club.

“The club will be in touch with the league on Tuesday morning with aim of getting this process concluded.”

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Have your say on controversial Pocket Living plans for 48 ‘compact flats’ on The Heights

Darryl Chamberlain
The Heights development
The blocks would sit behind two-storey homes on The Heights

Controversial plans to build homes little bigger than studio flats on Greenwich Council land at The Heights have been submitted to town hall planners.

Pocket Living plans to build 48 flats on land currently used for car parking space. It specialises in building “compact flats” – 40 of the planned homes will be one-bedroom apartments of just 39 square metres, designed for one person to live in. Planning guidance gives the minimum size for a studio flat as 37 square metres. All 48 homes will have shared living rooms and kitchens.

Pocket Living Lewisham development
This Pocket development at Marischal Road, Lewisham, was completed in 2016

The flats are designed for first-time buyers, and would be sold at 20 per cent off market rates to Greenwich borough residents – meaning they qualify as “affordable” housing. Pocket developments have already appeared in Lewisham and New Cross, but this is the company’s first scheme in Greenwich borough.

Two linked blocks of four and five storeys are planned for the site, overlooking The Valley, with two car parking spaces for residents – 21 spaces for existing residents will be relocated. The blocks will be next to the two-storey homes of The Heights estate.

Greenwich Council had hoped to sell three plots of land to Pocket, investing the proceeds in new council housing elsewhere. But proposals to sell land off Lewisham Road and Kidbrooke Park Road were abandoned after protests from residents and Labour councillors. Of 41 Labour councillors in post at the time, 12 attended a protest meeting at Charlton House. Many were angry that the council was not developing the land itself or handing the site to Meridian Home Start, its spin-off housing company.

However, plans for The Heights, which sits on contaminated land that Pocket will have to clean up before it starts work, have continued.

Pocket Living render
The flats would overlook The Valley

The company is financially supported by Sadiq Khan’s administration at City Hall, while former Greenwich & Woolwich MP Nick Raynsford sits on the board of the company. A viability assessment submitted with the proposal shows that the company can expect to make a 17.5 per cent profit on the scheme.

Residents have until 19 August to have their say on the proposals on the Greenwich Council website (or search for reference 20/1967/F)

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Charlton loses out on low-traffic schemes as Streetspace funding revealed

Darryl Chamberlain
Victoria Way
This rat-run on Victoria Way will remain in place

Charlton has missed out on a scheme to cut traffic in side streets after Greenwich Council was only given less than a third of the £4 million it wanted for walking and cycling projects.

Plans had been revealed last month for a network of backstreet cycle routes through parts of the borough that would have included Marlborough Lane, Victoria Way, Charlton Park, Charlton Lane and Anchor & Hope Lane.

However, these have disappeared from council maps after the council received only £1.26m in Streetspace funding, mostly from Transport for London. Proposals for a segregated cycle lane on Charlton Road have also disappeared.

The Charlton Champion has established that plans to close some roads in Charlton to motor vehicles were included in a borough-wide bid to the Department of Transport for money. While the £100,000 bid was successful, the plans for Charlton have not gone ahead.

Transport for London analysis of the need for low traffic neighbourhoods – the darker the colour, the greater the need (more details)

This is despite the area between the A102 and Woolwich town centre being marked in TfL analysis as the one with the greatest need in the borough for “low traffic neighbourhoods”, where through motor traffic is blocked and walking and cycling encouraged. The criteria included the high population, low car ownership and high levels of deprivation.

Greenwich’s original proposals for cycle routes (including some existing routes such as the Thames Path and TfL proposals such as Woolwich Road)
What’s actually happening: Greenwich Council’s new map of Streetspace schemes (blue dots denote extra pavement space in town centres, green dots School Streets schemes)

However, there will be a segregated cycle route on Shooters Hill Road and Old Dover Road, which aims to link Greenwich Free School, Halley Academy, Leigh Academy and John Roan School. This is due to be completed by September, for the start of the school year.

Separate TfL plans for a segregated cycle route along Woolwich Road are still going ahead, with a route from Greenwich town centre via the Old Royal Naval College and Old Woolwich Road to Charlton Church Lane marked as phase one, and from there to Woolwich town centre as phase two.

School Streets schemes, which involve closing streets outside schools at pick-up and drop-off times, have already been put in place at Charlton Manor and Invicta schools.

For more details on what is happening elsewhere in the borough, see our sister site 853.

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Closed White Swan pub becomes asset of community value again

Darryl Chamberlain
White Swan
Mendoza bought the freehold to the White Swan in March 2015

The White Swan pub, which closed suddenly just before the coronavirus pandemic, has been registered as an asset of community value by Greenwich Council after a request by the Charlton Society.

The designation means that if the building is put up for sale, a six-month block can be put on the sale to allow a community group to bid to take it on.

It is the second time the pub has been given the status – six years ago the society successfully applied for the White Swan to be made an asset of community value, but the designation was allowed to lapse.

The pub’s owner, property company Mendoza, has insisted it will find a new tenant for the pub. Work has taken place on the site since the company repossessed the building in March.

A decision is due on a planning application by Mendoza to build a house on land at the back of the pub – shaving off a section of the beer garden to build an access road.

The village’s other pub, The Bugle Horn, was designated an asset of community value in June 2015, though that status expired last month.

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Could you help parkrun come to Charlton Park?

Darryl Chamberlain
Charlton Park
Fancy a run? Or a walk?

It’s been on hold since March, but in normal times it gets hundreds of SE Londoners up each Saturday morning for a run around the park. Or even just a brisk walk. It’s helped transform people’s fitness and wellbeing, and has become a global phenomenon. So why not have one in Charlton? CLARE CRAWLEY is looking for volunteers who can help bring parkrun to Charlton Park…

Heard of parkrun? It’s the global phenomenon that sees weekly runs in 20 countries worldwide, totally free, with a focus on inclusiveness and run entirely by volunteers. And myself and a group of Charlton residents are looking to establish a parkrun (or two) in SE7!

Parkrun is a simple format. The Saturday ‘run’ is 5k (although walking or slow jogs are just as welcome) and there is a Sunday event for juniors (ages 4-14) which is 2k. We may have to try starting with one, depending on the interest and enthusiasm we find!

Hilly Fields parkrun
Parkrun at Hilly Fields in Lewisham

One major decision is where we could hold the parkrun and we have scoped a route in Charlton Park. We have contacted parkrun HQ about its requirements for a venue to check suitability. We are also in conversation with Greenwich Council and the Friends of Charlton Park, both of whom are very supportive of the idea.

So how could you help? Well, we have a handful of committed volunteers who can form the basis a steering group to take the planning forward, but we need more! Meetings will probably have to be virtual at first, because of Covid-19. If we are successful, we will also need volunteers to help set up and support each weekly event. Parkrun could not survive without its volunteers, the ‘hi-vis heroes’!

Interested? Contact Claire on crawley_claire[at]yahoo.co.uk.

More information on parkrun (Taken from the parkrun UK website):
“Parkrun is a positive, welcoming and inclusive experience where there is no time limit and no one finishes last. Everyone is welcome to come along, whether you walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate. There are so many reasons to take part! Whether you walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate, you can learn new skills and enhance your health and happiness in the great outdoors whilst making new friends, feeling part of your local community and improving your fitness. Still not convinced? Check out loads of inspirational stories from parkrunners on our blog, or watch them on our YouTube channel.”

Currently, the nearest adult parkruns to Charlton are Hilly Fields, Catford, Avery Hill Park, Victoria Dock, Beckton and Southwark Park. The nearest junior parkruns are Hilly Fields, Eltham Park South and Lesnes Abbey Wood.

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Kevin Nolan’s Locked-Down Valley View: Charlton Athletic 0-1 Reading

Darryl Chamberlain

Kevin Nolan's Valley View

A grim afternoon behind closed doors at The Valley. KEVIN NOLAN watched so you don’t have to, and makes a few suggestions…

A tortuous exercise in pure frustration, which featured two unfavourable penalty decisions and a first half goal contentiously ruled out for offside, prolonged Charlton’s relegation agony in Saturday’s lunchtime clash with Reading at The Valley.

Their ordeal began as early as the second minute when Deji Oshilaja needlessly cut across Andy Rinomhota, bundling him over as they disputed John Swift’s sharp pass into the penalty area. His zeal was misplaced and referee Darren Bond dutifully operated within the law to penalise him. George Puscas drilled his spotkick down the middle as Dillon Phillips gambled to his right.

Scorers themselves only three times in five post-lockdown games, the Addicks could ill afford Oshilaja’s rush of blood. They battled on doggedly but powderpuff finishing again proved their undoing. Up front, Macauley Bonne went close with a couple of half-chances but looked out of his depth while Chuks Aneke was fortunate to escape a caution for persistent fouling. It was Aneke, however, who appeared to have equalised shortly before the first drinks break when he turned home the rebound after Rafael saved Aiden McGeady’s crisp snapshot at full length. Referee Bond clearly saw nothing wrong with the “goal” but, reasonably enough, deferred to his linesman’s upraised flag. Charlton can’t catch a break at the minute; Reading’s penalty follows hard on the heels of the dubious decision which helped Brentford to overcome their stout resistance in midweek.

Much later, Bond was required to adjudicate a similar tangle between substitutes Jake Forster-Caskey and Jon Obita inside the area. Obita’s challenge, like Oshilaja’s in almost the same spot, seemed excessively physical but again the full force of the law came down on the home side. Forster-Caskey was not only denied a penalty but was unfairly booked for “simulation” while Obita escaped scot-free.

Later defeats for Middlesbrough and Hull City mitigated the damage done by this demoralising setback but Charlton would be unwise to rely on the continued ineptitude of others as they enter a critical three-game micro-season. Their current inability to score promises to be their downfall. Bonne is the only recognised striker with a goal to his credit, while a popgun-firing midfield, in which Darren Pratley has been the sole scorer, consistently fails to contribute. The four goals grudgingly conceded by the defence in six games (one of them the penalty generously awarded to Brentford), meanwhile, stands comparison with sides at the top of the division. No team has recently rolled over Charlton, as has happened to their relegation rivals and that jealously guarded goal difference may yet enter the equation.

An increasingly careworn Lee Bowyer will weigh the pluses and minuses in selecting his sides for the upcoming clashes with fellow strugglers Birmingham City and Wigan Athletic. He must surely concede that Oshilaja, a right-footed left back, is a square peg looking for a suitably square hole. His advances along the left flank invariably end in him checking infield on to his right foot before passing either square or backwards, a consequent loss of momentum not common to Alfie Doughty or, indeed, to the totally overlooked Ben Purrington.

The manager will also have been quietly pleased with the first half shift contributed by McGeady who, besides producing Charlton’s most effective shot on target, probed and passed intelligently. The Scottish playmaker’s clever cross created a near-post chance which Bonne screwed harmlessly across the face of Rafael’s goal before, as usual, he faded dramatically after the interval. McGeady should have been substituted long before his 79th-minute departure in favour of anonymous Tomer Hemed.

An interval replacement for ineffective Albie Morgan, Jonny Williams made a determined effort to establish a new personal best for free kicks earned. Another non-scoring midfielder, Williams might be encouraged to spend more time inside opponents’ penalty area, where his propensity to attract fouls could pay off. Like McGeady, he’s good for no more than 45 minute stints. Perhaps they should alternate to good effect.

And in a Charlton side beginning to present a jaded, colourless persona, should room be made for Naby Sarr, a charismatic player hard to ignore and even harder to overlook? Maybe he could even make a difference up front, where he’s been known to cause havoc. Bowyer will probably opt for caution at this late stage -and he might well be right -which will mean more bad news for the diminutive Erhun Oztumer, who seems to be surplus to the manager’s requirements. Oztumer and Sarr, the unused Little and Large pistols in Bowyer’s armoury, might well be worth a look, though. After all, when it’s broke, fix it!

Charlton: Phillips, Matthews, Lockyer, Pearce, Oshilaja (Doughty 46), Cullen, Pratley (Forster-Caskey 84), McGeady (Hemed 79), Morgan (Williams 46), Aneke, Bonne. Not used: Amos, Sarr, Purrington, Field, Oztumer. Booked: Doughty, Cullen, Forster-Caskey.

Reading: Rafael, Cabral, Blackett, McIntyre, Morrison, Osho (Gunter 74), Pele (Obita 46), Olise (Richards 61), Rinomhota, Swift (Moore 74), Meite, Puscas (Baldock 56). Not used: Walker, Miazga, McCleary, Boye. Booked: Blackett, Osho, Baldock.

Referee: Darren Bond.

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Tracks revealed at Charlton’s lost last tram yard

Darryl Chamberlain3 Comments
London's last trams week
Inner London’s last trams ran 68 years ago this week (photo: Leonard Bentley under Creative Commons)

On this week in 1952, inner London’s last trams ran, with the very last journey taking place in the early hours of 6 July, when the final service ran from Woolwich to New Cross depot, passing through Charlton, with thousands lining the route. A few hours later, the replacement for tram route 40, bus route 177, ran for the first time, and the trams passed into history.

There are two locations in Charlton with close links to the tram. The first was an old repair depot in Felltram Way, close to what is now the Woolwich Road flyover, where tracks were still in place until the 1990s.

The second is more poignant. After they were taken out of service, the trams were taken to a yard in Penhall Road. They were scrapped and later burned. You can see this in a film made at the time, The Elephant Will Never Forget.

A few years ago, we were alerted to the possibility that the tram tracks might still be in place on Penhall Road. A Dutch tram enthusiast, Arie den Dulk, sent us some photos from the 1980s showing they were still there. We went for a look one day in 2012 – but the land was too overgrown to tell.

However, on a lockdown walk a few weeks back, the undergrowth had been cleared. And parts of the tracks remain in place, behind a warehouse, 68 years after they played host to London’s trams for the last time.

Tram tracks of Penhall Road
Small parts of where the tracks were can still be seen

With the Charlton Riverside area slated for redevelopment over the coming years, it will be interesting to see if any developer tries to retain a small part of London’s transport history.

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