Charlton Champion reader Jon Kingsbury has been in touch about a petition he’s launched to get a defibrillator installed in Maryon Park.
He says:
It’s wonderful that the park is home to communities from all across the area who play sports throughout the year. Football, tennis and, during the Summer, the park hosts a number of school sports days.
Installing a defibrillator by the public toilets in the park would provide people with the means to save a life should someone have a cardiac arrest. Waiting for an ambulance to arrive may be too late.
Councils across the UK are beginning to install these life-saving devices, which can be unlocked and used after a 999 call. They are designed to be used by members of the public and cannot give a pulse to someone who doesn’t need it.
We want our local park to be as safe as possible for our communities and families. Please join our campaign.
Here’s a video from London Ambulance Service which explains how they work.
It seems like a good use for some of the ward budget money (in this case, Woolwich Riverside ward) that Greenwich Council started to make available last year. You can sign the petition here – and it’s something to think about for the area’s other parks, too.
The college, which opened in 2014, caters for 14-19 year-olds, but has struggled to persuade 14-year-olds to switch their education there.
From next year, it will be known as Greenwich Trust School, with 150 places available in each of years 7-9 from September. For the council, it’s a quick and simple way of easing huge pressure on school places across the borough.
The expansion has already been agreed by the government, and most of the £13.7 million costs are being met by Greenwich Council. £200,000 is coming in section 106 payments from two housing developments in Abbey Wood.
Greenwich Trust School will be the first secondary school in Charlton since St Austin’s boys school on Highcombe closed in the late 1980s, eventually becoming part of St Matthew Academy in Blackheath.
The former Charlton Secondary School for Boys, which was merged into John Roan School in the early 1980s, had its upper school in the current Windrush Primary School building, next door to Greenwich Trust School.
Earlier this month, St Mary Magdalene Church of England school opened a temporary site in the old Blackheath Bluecoat building on Old Dover Road, ahead of moving to a new secondary school on the Greenwich Peninsula in 2018.
Pest control: Charlton fans gather in their protest shirts before last week’s match against AFC Wimbledon
Charlton Athletic fans protesting against the club’s controversial owner have raised £3,500 for Charlton Park Riding for the Disabled Association after selling nearly 1,000 protest t-shirts.
The black and white shirts – loosely based on the kit the Addicks won the 1947 FA Cup in – have been sold as an alternative to the club’s official shirts for fans who are boycotting official merchandise while Belgian electronics magnate Roland Duchâtelet remains in charge.
Duchâtelet and his chief executive, Katrien Meire, have overseen the club’s collapse into League One and a 40% drop in season ticket sales since taking over in January 2014. They are now on their seventh team manager, Russell Slade, and are 14th in League One.
Fans clubbed together on the Charlton Life forum to get the shirts made – even getting them sponsored by technology company Data Techniques, which pulled its own backing from the club in protest at its mismanagement.
They have now made enough money from sales to donate cash to local good causes. A further £3,500 is going to the Demelza children’s charity, which operates a hospice in Eltham.
Other proceeds from sales will help fund further protests against Duchâtelet, which have included disrupting matches with black and white beach balls and protesting in the tycoon’s home town of Sint-Truiden.
John Furlonger, chair of the trustees of Charlton Park Riding for the Disabled Association, said: “The group is run entirely by a happy, dedicated team of volunteers getting disabled children on horseback, so it’s very dependent on its community. The same volunteers also work astonishingly hard at everything else in between, from mucking out the horses to fundraising. No charges are made for riding.
“This wonderful donation will go a very long way indeed in making a real difference helping local disabled children to reach their true life potential. Heartfelt thanks are sent from everyone at Charlton Group to each and every Charlton fan who contributed for your kindness.”
Bob Jacobs, who runs Data Techniques, said: “Over the past 20 years we have spent in the region of £200,000 with Charlton as match sponsors, executive box holders and on corporate events at The Valley.
“For us it’s always been about ‘our’ team, not the owners of the club. By sponsoring the protest shirt, we took the opportunity to publicly express our opinion on what is happening to the club and support such a good cause as Demelza.”
Charlton fans gather outside The Valley on 17 September
Although Duchâtelet has finally appointed a manager with British experience after trying a succession of failed “head coaches” from Belgium, fans and the club’s owners remain bitterly divided. Recent developments include:
The disclosure that much of Charlton’s transfer policy was being run by an inexperienced Belgian, Thomas Driesen, over the heads of the club’s coaches and scouts. Driesen remains involved in Duchâtelet’s set-up.
The grandson of Jimmy Seed, the manager that won Charlton the FA Cup in 1947, has disassociated his family from plans to renew the faded “Jimmy Seed Stand” sign that adorns The Valley’s south stand. “He would be horrified to hear about the scouting ‘system’ imposed on the club by Roland Duchâtelet over the last four years”, Jim Dutton said.
Katrien Meire applied to join the Football League’s board – but did not turn up to the meeting to make her pitch to other clubs.
Season ticket sales are down to 6,297, compared with 10,278 at the same stage last season – the lowest figure in nearly two decades – as long-term fans stay away.
A rare visit to London by Duchâtelet saw the club boast he had met a “fan group” set up by the owners, Target 20,000 – but even that stage-managed show of harmony ended in disarray after one of its members was told to resign after discussing the meeting on Twitter.
Duchâtelet told the group he rarely visits the club as it only accounts for 1.5% of his investments, and that he wished rival football fans would mingle together, as they do at rugby. Ironically, Charlton fans have been joined by rivals in their protests – including those of AFC Wimbledon, who beat the Addicks 2-1 at The Valley last Saturday.
The Addicks’ decline doesn’t just affect the club, it affects the area too, which is why this website will continue to cover the protests. Locally-based fan Dave Thomson and The Valley Cafe’s Mehmat Mantery discuss the impact of decline and Duchâtelet on the club and the community in this short video.
Tickets have been cut to £5 for next Saturday’s match against Rochdale. The Football for a Fiver match has traditionally attracted crowds of well over 20,000 – but with fans having withdrawn goodwill from the club, this season’s match is likely to see renewed protests as well as a fall in sales.
A limited number of protest shirts are still available for £25 adults and £19.05 for children – visit coveredendchoir.co.uk for more.
We’re still waiting for news from Greenwich Council on its detailed plans to redevelop the Charlton Riverside – a consultation on a new masterplan was due earlier this year, is apparently due this month, but that’s what they’ve said before.
In general, we know from the previous masterplan and a recent land use consultation that the plan is to sweep away much of the area’s industry (and ultimately, some of the retail barns) and replace it with housing – completely changing the shape of the area in which we live.
Developers aren’t waiting – they probably know what’s going on anyway. So a consultation begins this weekend on a 15-acre site off Anchor & Hope Lane and behind Atlas Gardens and Derrick Gardens. The developer here is Rockwell – which is also involved in the highly controversial cruise liner terminal at Enderby Wharf, east Greenwich.
With exciting new plans for this neglected riverside area now well underway, it’s time for sensitive and visionary planning that will benefit residents and visitors. Part of Greenwich’s new economic and environmental strategy, the new urban community at Charlton Riverside will include new green landscaping plans, while improving access to the waterfront area and its stunning views.
The development of a new Barrier Park link to Maryon Wilson Park will be key in opening up new views of the river and its striking silver defences, while making cycling and walking in the area much easier and safer, improving access to river transport links, opening up choice for local residents and helping to attract visitors.
Those who live at Charlton Riverside will enjoy direct links to exciting new developments already underway at Greenwich Peninsula and Woolwich town centre. This focus on helping to build a community in harmony with its urban surroundings is a key focus for Rockwell.
The plans for Anchor & Hope Lane include a new public park as well as new homes. There’s an exhibition taking place over the next week, and a special website, Charlton Conversations.
Unfortunately, the exhibition isn’t actually in Charlton itself – it’s at Greenwich Yacht Club, at the end of Peartree Way in Greenwich.
You can see it tomorrow (Saturday 24 September) from 10am-4pm; Wednesday 28 September from 6.30pm-9pm; and Thursday 29th September from 4pm to 8pm.
Junk at the top of Victoria Way – cleaning the streets is something the council has struggled with
Wednesday update: Did you go to this? Let us know in the comments below what you thought…
Most fair-minded observers would agree that Greenwich Council’s recent history of engagement with the public isn’t brilliant – the saga of the Charlton skatepark, a potentially good thing but made more difficult because it was imposed on people without discussion, being the perfect example.
We’ve tried to do our bit to improve matters here by carrying updates from Charlton councillor Gary Parker. Now the council’s holding public meetings – the first for about a decade – in parts of the borough to get views on local areas and how they could be improved.
They’re called Better Together, and the Woolwich & Charlton event is on Tuesday 20 September at Charlton House. If you’re around during the day, you can come to drop-in sessions from 2-6pm, and there’s a formal meeting from 7pm to 8.30pm. You don’t need to sign up in advance.
The meeting covers most of Charlton as well as Woolwich – Charlton, Kidbrooke with Hornfair, Woolwich Common and Woolwich Riverside wards. (An event covering Peninsula ward was held on Monday in Greenwich.)
What to bring up? Current gripes include the state of the streets from litter – in November, a council scrutiny panel will discuss “particular challenges in maintaining the state of the environment in Plumstead and Charlton” – to general maintenance, it could be road safety (have the 20mph zones worked?), reviving the fortunes of Charlton Village or fathoming out what the hell is going on at Charlton Lido.
Of course, the council can’t do everything – but raising an issue here might start a ball rolling.
What do your local councillors do for you? Charlton ward councillor Gary Parker explains what he’s been up to in recent months.
This report details some of the activities I have been involved in as a councillor in the Charlton area. It does not include surgeries or case work, which is significant.
Charlton community
I attended a Greenwich University event on workers’ cooperatives and social enterprises in June. I am keen to promote more activity in this area linked to these structures.
Attended and spoke at two meetings on the EU Referendum at Greenwich University and Charlton House, I strongly supported the Remain campaign.
I was the main guest speaker at the Big Red Bus Club AGM in Charlton at the end of May.
I met co-councillors to review ward budget applications. Several have already been authorised including Thorntree School PTA and Greenwich Foodbank.
Met a Nepalese community group to discuss some of their concerns.
Held a meeting with Greenwich Carers at their centre in Charlton about a range of issues, in June – this is a great local facility and should be supported.
Held discussions with local groups and individuals on a range of planning issues and made submissions on various other planning issues, met with planning officers on some of these issues too.
Held discussions on the planned skateboard park with pro and anti- lobby groups and individuals during June to August 2016. (Charlton Champion note: Planners will come to a final decision on this on Wednesday evening.)
Met cabinet member Cllr Sizwe James to discuss support for small businesses in the area and in the wider Greenwich area.
Council
Attended all surgeries on a rota basis with other colleagues in the last quarter.
Attended full council meetings on June 29th and July 27th.
Attended Regeneration Scrutiny panel meeting on 21st July and raised issues relating to planning and development.
Chaired Council Scrutiny Community Safety and Environment panel on 20th June and 28th July.
We are going to have a review of Parks and Open Spaces policy and issue in the Royal Borough of Greenwich at a special meeting of the Community Safety and Environment panel in January 2017, this is open to the public. We are particularly wanting to hear from young people on these issues, please contact me for further details. I met council officers to discuss the format of the meeting in August.
Other meetings and discussions
Charlton Riverside stakeholders’ forum – in June 2016 at Charlton House to discuss issues related to the 30-year development programme. This is a public meeting and further meetings will take place in due course.
Affordable Homes working group – attended on 7th July, this was a joint meeting of council scrutiny panels who are looking at this issue.
Met with chief executive of Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust to brief her on how to generate external funding for the trust and other potential income generation opportunities, in August.
I have been in contact with Charlton Community Gardens in August, about their Orchard project, I really like this group, which is a fantastic volunteer led project that I and others are trying to support.
Held preliminary discussions in August on the forthcoming launch of the new Transport For Charlton group, which is emerging from the old Charlton Rail User Group (CRUG), which wants to focus on other modes of transport too, include buses, road, rail and cycling. More details soon.
If you want to contact Gary Parker or any Greenwich councillor, find their details on the Greenwich Council website.
Charlton Park is all lined up to get its skate park after councillors backed the scheme at a planning meeting on Wednesday evening.
The new skate park is funded by £365,000 from Berkeley Homes, which is building on the site of an old facility at Royal Arsenal Gardens, Woolwich, and £15,000 from Greenwich Council.
Councillors on the borough’s planning board voted by 10-1 to endorse outline proposals for the scheme.
The meeting saw Denise Hyland – the only council leader in London to regularly sit on her borough’s main planning committee – withdraw after objectors pointed out she had voiced support for the scheme at a council meeting last year.
But councillors criticised objectors for stereotyping young people as troublemakers, and voiced the hope that the facility would help residents become fitter and more active.
Objectors had submitted a 50-page dossier of local newspaper reports focusing of allegations of anti-social behaviour at skateboard parks elsewhere in the UK, while one, John Tidy, said: “It’s the wrong design, and it’ll get covered in graffiti.”
One resident, Geoff Cooper, claimed wheelchair users were at risk of falling into the skate park, which will be dug out of ground behind the outdoor gym, meaning a tree will be felled and two table tennis tables will be moved. Another called skateboarding “a minority sport”, adding it would be “unfair that the majority of [park] users won’t want to use it”.
Two local councillors, Charlton ward’s Gary Parker and Kidbrooke with Hornfair David Stanley, backed the objectors, but on the surer ground of the facility’s management.
Parker said there was no management plan for the park, adding that Charlton Lido operator GLL was interested in being involved if the skate park was in nearby Hornfair Park.
Stanley said there was “no evidence of a proper noise assessment”, adding that there were already anti-social behaviour issues at the Canberra Road entrance to Charlton Park. He added that there were already many sporting facilities in Charlton and Kidbrooke and a better skatepark could be placed in the east of Greenwich borough “where there is more social deprivation”.
Former councillor Jim Gillman told the meeting: “If council officers look hard enough, they can find a more suitable place.”
But the skate park’s backers found support from Charlton ward councillor Miranda Williams and fellow cabinet member Jackie Smith, who said Charlton Park was the only site that fulfilled the criteria for a skate park, including accessibility by public transport.
“If there is anti-social behaviour we will deal with it. But there won’t be,” she said. “Skateboarders currently use General Gordon Square [in Woolwich] and there is no graffiti.”
Andrew Donkin, who organised a petition in support of the skate park, said there would be no problems in a skate park that could not be solved. “It’s not like landing a man on the moon,” he added.
Local skateboard fan Kevin First explained how we was still riding a board at the age of 38. “It’s not just for teenagers,” he said, adding that a similar facility in Clissold Park, Stoke Newington was barely visible to the public. Another supporter said skateboarding had given him confidence that had helped him start his own business.
Stuart Hopper, of the Greenwich Skate Park Co-Op, said the park should help boost social integration, and that “oversight” – having plenty of people near it – would help it become a safer facility.
Planning decisions in Greenwich often fall on party lines, but Conservatives Matt Clare and Geoff Brighty also supported the scheme, with Brighty even suggesting he might try skateboarding after hearing evidence from older enthusiasts.
The only dissenter was planning chair Mark James, who objected to the effect on the Charlton Village conservation area.
Councillors backed the scheme with conditions including no construction work on Saturdays. But before that work can go ahead, the council’s agent will have to return to the planning board with more detailed proposals that meet those conditions.
If they are quick, the park could be in place next summer – it’s understood concrete skate parks can’t be built in winter, so the earliest work could start is next spring. But considering the glacial pace of this scheme, perhaps summer 2018 is more likely.
Charlton Champion comment: While Wednesday’s decision looks like bringing the saga to an end, the skate park battle has been dispiriting even by the low standards of Greenwich borough politics.
Few come out of this with any credit, except the council staff lumbered with polishing up the scheme, and the local parents and skateboard fans who have taken the idea and backed it.
A well-maintained facility would Charlton Park’s appeal. But the consultation-free choice of location raised eyebrows considering the council opened a BMX track in Hornfair Park only a few years back – with some suspecting Charlton Park was picked as a salvo in long-running squabbles in the local Labour establishment, with some of the council leadership’s fiercest internal critics living nearby.
Critics also suggest there is no overall strategy for the skatepark – or the park itself – and raise questions about its future funding. Essentially, Woolwich is losing a skate park because Berkeley Homes did not want it anywhere near its luxury homes, and gave the council money to build it elsewhere, albeit within three miles of Woolwich.
A recent Freedom of Information request revealed that there is just a £62,000 annual budget for all playgrounds and skate parks in the borough. There is no evidence of an plan to secure outside funding.
So it looks as if much of the onus for caring for the skate park will fall on those who use it. This may not be a bad thing – skate park fans are a resourceful and passionate bunch – but it helps if the council has a plan for how to incorporate the energy and talents of the park’s users.
But many critics over-stepped the mark with lurid claims that the skate park would increase crime, as they did at Wednesday’s meeting. Council staff rebutted these claims in a recent petition response – pointing out, as Miranda Williams did on Wednesday, there is evidence that they can be good for local communities. It all felt like the failed campaign to stop the Olympics coming to Greenwich Park.
Objectors were right to highlight council leader Denise Hyland’s role on the planning board – an issue which has been highlighted elsewhere and will continue to cause problems for the council. One exchange saw Hyland ask objector Frank Salmon: “Do I know you?”. “Yes, you abused me at a council meeting,” he responded.
But the sudden emergence of a Friends of Charlton Park group in response to the skatepark proposals was as disingenuous and cynical as anything to come out of the town hall. Charlton Park is an amazing but overlooked facility – it deserves better than being squabbled over by two equally cynical sides.
There’s also been a lack of leadership from local councillors – unwilling to publicly stand up the council leadership, or to bother selling the skateparks merits to local people until the day of the meeting itself. If councillors feel unable to speak publicly on a local issue in their own ward, this is not healthy.
We’ve no doubt that the skate park will be a success – just as the outdoor mini-gym has been. There’s certainly the demand from young people for sport in the park, as a look around Charlton Park at weekends would tell you.
But this could have been handled so much better. We hope those who want the skate park get the facility they want and deserve – and the politicians and their friends at Berkeley Homes step aside and allow skateboard users to take the plaudits when the opening day finally comes.
The Charlton Champion 