A bit late with this, but it’s worth recording anyway. Last week Greenwich Council renewed planning permission for the development of a diving centre at Charlton Lido, despite the original deal having collapsed some time back.

However, the planning board meeting did bring with it confirmation that Greenwich Leisure Limited is due to take on the lease from the stricken Open Waters Investments, which brings forward hope of some kind of revamp for the lido – and maybe even the diving centre will be built after all.

But there’s strong feelings around Hornfair Park at the moment. Local campaigner Toni Hale walked out of the meeting, angry about the construction of a three-storey building alongside the pool. There’s even stronger feelings about council plans to build a BMX track and improve the park’s tatty playing fields – a sensible idea, you might think, in an area where there’s absolutely nothing for young people to do.

Not so, according to the 500 people who have signed a petition against the plan. (The full application can be viewed here.)

Campaign manager Toni Hale said: “So far we have 500 signatures on our petition. There is just no need for a BMX track in the park. It could lead to an increase in crime and there are already other tracks in the borough.”

Those other tracks, in Woolwich, Lee and Eltham, aren’t really an easy ride for a youngster from Charlton or Kidbrooke, though. Should Hornfair Park be filled with the sounds of bikers and divers, should it be a quiet oasis?

Greenwich councillors have approved plans to turn the old Horse and Groom pub on Woolwich Road into a church, despite opposition from neighbours.

The proposal by the Chreubim and Seraphim Movement Church was backed by five votes to one by a panel of six councillors on Wednesday with only local representative John Fahy (Labour, Woolwich Riverside) opposing the scheme.

Council planning officers said they approved the scheme “on balance”, subject to conditions including noise mitigation measures and restricting its opening hours to 6pm to 8pm on weeknights and 9am to noon at weekends.

The church had operated for a while without planning permission, and one local resident who addressed the Woolwich and Thamesmead planning committee said traffic in the area was “gridlocked” whenever it was open. But the church claimed over 95% of its congregation did not drive to services.

Local residents had signed a petition against the plans, and Cllr Fahy said the local area was “entirely different from other parts of the borough” because of the large number of people driving to football matches at The Valley.

“This application will simply add to the problems people experience,” he said.

But fellow councillor Don Austen (Labour, Glyndon) said the application was “difficult to oppose” on planning grounds.

As well as the change of use from a pub to a place of worship, the church also got permission to install six CCTV cameras, security grilles on the windows and a toilet extension.

Oh no it isn’t…

Oh yes it is, and in Charlton as well! On Thursday 24, Friday 25 and Saturday 26 February, the Alexandra Players will be performing Dick Turpin by Peter Webster at the Alexandra Hall on Bramshot Avenue. It might not be the most traditional of panto tales, but all the elements are there – the Dame, the baddy, the comedy policemen, the pantomime horse…

The Saturday matinee is already sold out, but there are still tickets for evening performances, which start at 8pm. For tickets you can send an email, stating your name, how many tickets you want and for which night, to alexandraplayers@gmail.com

Charlton Athletic are hoping for a sell-out crowd at The Valley on Saturday with all tickets for their home match against Exeter City priced just £5, and are rolling out the welcome mat for the club’s neighbours to come and sample the atmosphere with the side on the up.

The deal comes six weeks after the club was sold, and a month after Addicks favourite Chris Powell was installed as manager. The team have won all four matches so far under the new boss, including last weekend’s 3-2 victory over Peterborough United.

Tickets usually start at £17.50, but the club’s new owners want to increase attendances at The Valley, which have slipped as the club tumbled through the leagues. From seeing sell-out crowds of over 27,000 in the Premier League – when club executives were looking at expanding the ground to a 40,000 capacity – crowds have fallen to below 14,000 in League One.

The Addicks are now comfortably in the play-off places following the win over Peterborough.

“Chris Powell’s appointment as manager is just part of the renewal that is already going on under the new owners,” said head of club development Rick Everitt. “Helping us to build the crowd and atmosphere at The Valley is an important contribution fans can make to try to ensure that our stay in this division is as short as possible.

“We need fans to spread the word to their friends, extended family and neighbours that this is their chance to come along and see what football in SE7 has to offer.”

Tickets are available from The Valley box office (open weekdays 9am-5pm) as well as online or by calling 0871 226 1905.

Squeeze singer and SE7 resident Glenn Tilbrook is back playing free shows at the Anchor and Hope on Tuesdays in February – so that’s starting tonight, then, with support from Ceri James and Andy D.

(Thanks to Transpontine for the reminder. Above is a clip of Glenn covering Black Sabbath’s Paranoid last year, instead of him doing his new material last month, since the geniuses who run EMI think allowing their artists’ new music to be promoted through embedding YouTube videos will somehow damage their massively indebted business. )

This Sunday sees the return to the airwaves of In the Meantime at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Their studio guest this week is Tim Anderson. Tim, is the chair of The Friends of Maryon and Maryon Wilson Animal Parks. As you may be aware already, the animal care centre located in Maryon Wilson Park has been highlighted as a possible saving in the council’s budget plan. No changes will be made over the coming year, but the council are asking people to come up with ideas about how to keep the park going.

There’s been coverage of these plans and the campaign against it in the News Shopper and this site. There is also a petition and a Facebook page campaigning for the future of the animal park.

So tell them your feelings about this proposal. It’s not set in stone yet, but should we be cutting other services rather than the park? and if so, what services should be cut instead? What do you see for the future of the park? Will it find a rich patron? Will a local group or organisation rise up to take it over? Does someone have a fantastic idea to save it? Could the council still reverse the idea? Or, in the worst case scenario, how will it make you feel if it does indeed have to close? Tell In the Meantime your views.