A convenience store could be coming to the Fairview New Homes’ development on Victoria Way, replacing planned ground-floor office space.
Fairview gained permission for 330 homes on the old Thorn Lighting site in January 2018, despite 125 objections from residents and local councillors, with concerns raised by Transport for London and the Greater London Authority about the 144 car parking spaces included on the site. Fairview was accused of “bullying tactics” by the chair of one residents’ group. The first residents moved into Bowen Drive last year.
Now three floors of planned office space could be cut to two, with a planning application to change the ground floor of the development’s northeasternmost building – the one closest to the existing terrace at the foot of Victoria Way – to a convenience store.
“However a convenience shop operator has expressed interest in the ground floor (218sqm) of the commercial unit at the above site. This use would contribute towards local employment opportunities and create an active frontage to the site whilst retaining two floors of B1 office floor space above,” Fairview says in its application to Greenwich Council.
The convenience store operator is not named. The Co-op and, to a lesser extent, Sainsbury’s have taken spaces in new developments in the area in recent years.
“It is anticipated that the convenience store will be used by local people and that trips will occur mainly by sustainable modes,” Fairview says, which may come as a surprise to anyone who has seen the number of cars stopping outside local corner shops.
“It is anticipated that any associated delivery and servicing movements will be infrequent and undertaken using smaller vehicles, such as cars, small vans and LGVs.”
Another season got under way at The Valley yesterday – and fans were back too. The match didn’t live up to the hype, but KEVIN NOLAN didn’t mind.
There was plenty going on during a busy opening day at The Valley; before the awkward encounter with newly-relegated Sheffield Wednesday kicked off, that is. That’s when the real business began and things became serious.
A hectic schedule included the restoration of Floyd and Harvey as club mascots(?), farewells to a couple of long-serving women players and the introduction of the 2021-22 distaff squad.
There were lengthy interviews, expertly conducted by Scott Minto, with Thomas Sandgaard and the man of the hour, Alan Curbishley on the occasion of the woodenly named East Stand being re-dedicated in his honour. The Great Man wears well, spoke well and struck the perfect balance between pride and humility. The mutual respect he shared with a corps of his ex-players was obvious. Those were great years.
Curbishley’s anecdote about seeing The Valley for the first time at the famous Who concert in 1974 stirred a musical response from Thomas Sandgaard. He picked up his guitar and toured the stadium accompanying “Valley Floyd Road”, while proving effortlessly he’s no Pete Townshend.
Metallica’s Master of Puppets rounded off the proceedings (“I will help you die!”) before silence proved yet again that it’s golden. It was certainly a far cry from good old Billy Cotton’s boys bouncing through Red Red Robin. But different, there’s no getting away from that.
During the noisy, chaotic doings, almost 3,000 bemused Owls fans bided their time in the Jimmy Seed Stand. It’s hard to say whether they felt entertained or not. Probably not.
The natives, meanwhile, were restless. They’ve seen it all before. Make a fuss of the Addicks and you’re inviting trouble. Bitter experience has taught these fans that their heroes do not respond favourably to the spotlight. It was bad enough being on Sky TV without all the hoop-la. Low key is in their great old club’s DNA, as is their chronic inability to beat Millwall. Some things are best accepted with resignation.
The game itself hardly lived up to its prolonged build-up. That was too much to ask. What we got was an earnest but unimaginative clash of few clear-cut chances which was always destined to end scoreless.
The weather provided more entertainment for many yesterday
Most of those chances were created by Charlton while the best of them was missed by spiky veteran Barry Bannan in the game’s dying throes. Both sides are expected to feature in this season’s promotion race and will no doubt settle for the point which sent them on their way. It was easy, however, to imagine the sound of TV channels being changed across the country as the tedium repeated itself.
With three newcomers making their debuts, Charlton took time to settle down but coped easily enough with their visitors, who were unfortunate to lose Callum Paterson to a nasty head injury after just 10 minutes.
Wednesday were still a distracted mess when Liam Palmer’s foul on Diallang Jaiyesimi gave Albie Morgan the opportunity to showcase his setpiece skills. From the right flank, Morgan’s free kick picked out Jayden Stockley, unmarked 10 yards from goal. The striker’s header was almost deliberately aimed wide of the right post.
Morgan was less accurate with the free kick he sent tamely over the bar, following Sam Hutchinson’s crude challenge on Sean Clare. Before the break, Conor Washington came within inches of converting Akin Famewo’s inviting pass. Darren Moore’s Wednesday had made little impression, not that the Addicks were especially dominant in a forgettable first half.
The second period changed little. Again the Addicks held the edge, with Morgan blazing Clare’s cute cutback wildly into the North Stand and Jaiyesimi driving a self-created chance wide of Bailey Peacock-Farrell’s left hand post.
Again, the Owls had been toothless until Bannan, whose sole contribution had been in picking up a booking for a spiteful off-the-ball foul on Clare, turned his attentions to more legal matters. After latching on to Craig McGillivray’s wayward clearance, he kidded his way through Charlton’s floundering defence, picked a spot to the right of the keeper but dragged his shot risibly wide. The chance, luckily for the Addicks, had fallen on his right foot, the one Bannan uses only to balance the “wand” which all left-footed playmakers possess, at least according to timeworn cliche.
So a predictable draw it was, a result which pleased Nigel Adkins, who felt “we looked fit, we looked strong, we had a big variety in our play. The players were great…young Charles Clayden makes his debut” (a pointless three-minute stint but it counts), Jayden Stockley was outstanding…and we talk about DJ, wow! he was unplayable today, wasn’t he!”
The manager’s positivity is infectious. A bit hard to justify at times when some slight criticism seems in order, but easier to take than negative nitpicking.
Attendance: 17,639 (2,712 visiting). Referee: Will Finnie.
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Benjamin Zephaniah is coming to Charlton (photo: David Morris via Creative Commons)
Dub poet Benjamin Zephaniah is one of the headliners at Greenwich Council’s new free festival in Charlton Park, to be held later this month.
The Birmingham-born artist will take the to main stage of the Greenwich Together ’21 event alongside his band The Revolutionary Minds on Saturday 21 August.
Tribute act The Ultimate Dua Lipa will also play, alongside the National Youth Jazz Orchestra and Fat Brass Singalong, a “turbo-charged hip-hop jazztronica band”.
There will also be a dance stage and a community stage, featuring sets from The Kimberleys and Daisy Veacock. A “lawn of tranquility”, sports and healthy living zone and global festivals field are also planned, along with free School of Skate lessons for anyone inspired by the Olympics.
Adel Khaireh, the council’s cabinet member for culture and communities, said: “Greenwich has an amazing mix of cultures, communities and people, and we’ve all got so much to learn from and share with each other.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing so many of our residents together again, and our talented community organisations, artists and traders back in action. We’ve got a brilliant day of entertainment, for everyone to enjoy.”
Bramshot Avenue is in Charlton Hornfair – but the ward won’t be called “Charlton Slopes”
Most of Charlton will be covered by three council wards as part of a shake-up in Greenwich borough’s political map – but a call from the local MP to use the name “Charlton Slopes” has been rejected.
Boundary commissioners yesterday published their final plans for 23 new council wards to replace Greenwich’s current 17. All London boroughs have had their ward boundaries reviewed in recent years to take into account changes in population.
Two wards – Charlton Village & Riverside and Charlton Hornfair – will replace the old Charlton and Kidbrooke with Hornfair wards, with Victoria Way and Canberra Road forming the boundary between the two.
However, the new Greenwich Peninsula ward will absorb a bigger chunk of SE7 than first planned – with residents living around Troughton Road being absorbed into a ward that will run up to Morden Wharf and the O2, along with the new Bowen Drive development and homes around Fairthorn Road. This effectively replaces the old Peninsula ward.
Maryon Road, part of Woodland Terrace and the Maryon Grove Estate will come under the new Woolwich Dockyard ward – along with the under-construction Trinity Park development – but Kinveachy Gardens and Heathwood Gardens come home to the new Charlton Village ward. All of these streets are currently in Woolwich Riverside.
While the current wards all have three councillors each, the new wards will have a mixture of two and three-councillor wards. Charlton Village, Charlton Hornfair and Woolwich Dockyard wards will have two councillors; Greenwich Peninsula will have three.
The Local Government Boundary Commission for England said there was “broad support” for the two new Charlton wards. There had been calls for the area of SE7 around Gurdon Road and Felltram Way to the Thames to be included in Charlton Village – but moving 1,500 voters would have left an unbalanced pattern of wards.
Kinveachy Gardens switches into Charlton Village & Riverside
Local MP Matt Pennycook argued in favour of moving the area around Troughton Road into Greenwich Peninsula. He observed that “the entire area between Woolwich Road and the railway line was a single community which should not be split, citing such unifying features as the Rose of Denmark pub and the new Synergy development providing direct access between Rathmore Road and the Gurdon Road area”, the commission said in its summary. Pennycook also pointed out that the new Bowen Drive development means it is possible to walk from Rathmore Road to Gurdon Road directly.
But he was less successful in arguing that Charlton Hornfair should be renamed “Charlton Slopes & Hornfair” to take into account its larger area.
Once largely used as estate agents’ shorthand for the streets north of Charlton Road, the name began appearing on official maps two years ago after parliamentary researchers asked for real-life descriptions for small areas used for statistics.
Victoria Way becomes the Charlton Hornfair – Charlton Slopes border
However, the commission was less keen on giving Charlton Slopes official status. “Matthew Pennycook MP suggested renaming this ward ‘Charlton Slopes & Hornfair’, recognising the Charlton Slopes area in the ward name,” the commission said.
“However, we received submissions from residents of the Slopes area supporting both the boundaries and name of this proposed ward. We are therefore not persuaded to change our proposed name for this ward.”
The changes do not affect parliamentary constituencies – which are being reviewed separately – or Greenwich’s boundaries with other boroughs. The new ward boundaries will take effect from the council elections on 5 May 2022.
Charlton has long had historical links with Greenwich
This weekend is your last chance to make sure that Charlton continues to share an MP with Greenwich & Woolwich, as a consultation into new constituencies comes to an end.
The Greenwich & Woolwich constituency – currently represented by Labour’s Matt Pennycook – has so far come out of a boundary review largely unscathed.
But neighbouring Eltham is due to expand to take in Chislehurst, something which has caused disquiet among Labour activists in the seat, who fear this would mean curtains for its local MP, Clive Efford.
A handful of streets in the south of SE7 already come under the Eltham seat, and The Charlton Champion understands that party activists are lobbying the Boundary Commission to change its plans so the seat includes the Charlton ward too – bumping up the Labour vote while separating this area from its neighbours.
This latest review is the third attempt in a decade to redraw the parliamentary map to take into account changing populations. While past reviews tried to cut the number of MPs, this one keeps the figure at 650 – meaning London gains two new seats. In addition, most seats must now have between 69,724 and 77,062 electors – a significant change from more flexible rules in the past.
Under the plans, Eltham would lose the strongly Labour Shooters Hill ward but gain two Bromley wards – the marginal Mottingham and Chislehurst North, which has two Tory councillors; and the staunchly Conservative Chislehurst ward. The seat would be renamed Eltham & Chislehurst and have 74,179 electors.
Greenwich & Woolwich, however, shrinks to take into account the area’s growing population, losing Glyndon ward, leaving it with 69,824 electors – just 100 more than the minimum. Glyndon goes to Erith & Thamesmead along with Shooters Hill, uniting most of Plumstead under that seat.
Charlton has few links with Eltham and its high street
Past reviews would have Greenwich & Woolwich split up altogether – with one proposal suggesting an “Eltham & Charlton” seat, separating Charlton ward from its two larger neighbours altogether.
“It’s understandable that people in Eltham are deeply unhappy about the proposals, but keeping Greenwich, Charlton and Woolwich together is for the best, as is uniting Plumstead in Erith & Thamesmead,” one Labour activist told The Charlton Champion.
“There are close historic and present links between Greenwich, Charlton and Woolwich which there simply aren’t with Eltham – it makes sense to keep the riverside communities together.”
There are no direct public transport links between the Charlton ward and Eltham, while links for shopping and leisure are with the Charlton retail parks, Woolwich and Blackheath rather than Eltham High Street. Commuter links are with the Greenwich-Woolwich rail line and North Greenwich tube rather than the Bexleyheath line which serves Eltham.
Historically, Charlton was always linked with Greenwich for local government, while much of its early development was connected to the barracks at Woolwich.
Furthermore, keeping Charlton linked with its two bigger neighbours opens up the likelihood that the streets currently marooned in the Eltham constituency (these streets are known as polling district KH1) would be returned to Greenwich & Woolwich in the future. This is a separate process from the review of council ward boundaries, which places most of the SE7 area in two wards.
If you live in Charlton ward and want to stay in Greenwich & Woolwich – or if you live in the streets that come under Eltham and want polling district KH1 to come under Greenwich & Woolwich instead – tell the Boundary Commission for England at www.bcereviews.org.ukby Monday.
But they need lots of volunteers when the show takes place in November. They need people to help as stage workers (they have a stage manager), putting up the lighting, make-up, costumes, arranging chairs, providing refreshments, making bookings, collecting tickets at the door, showing customers to their seats, and more besides.
Once the volunteers are in place, auditions will take place so rehearsals can begin.
Can you help? Email Gwen on gwenzammit[at]yahoo.co.uk.
News in from local amateur dramatics group THE ALEXANDRA PLAYERS as they return to the stage this week:
Come and support your fabulous local amateur dramatics group on their first show post-lockdown!
From Wednesday 28th – Saturday 31st July 2021, we will be bringing to you 4 fabulous evenings of entertainment. Tickets £10 and will include a drink for your refreshment and a programme. Curtain up at 7.45pm (Doors open at 7.15pm).
CAST INCLUDES ALL YOUR REGULAR FAVOURITES
Keith Hartley, Sue McGeehan, Jackie Hartley, Alex Parker, Adam Alexander, Roy Moore, Mark Higgins, Emma Hickey, Liz Moss, Deborah Pike, Janet Sweet and Louise Gaul
Although Covid restrictions have been eased, for your comfort and safety – the hall will be at half capacity (only 40 tickets will be available for each performance) and we will unfortunately be unable to accept cash or sell tickets for this production on the door. Seats in the hall will be arranged to accommodate bubbles and so tickets must be bought online and in advance so that we know exactly how many people will be in attendance.
The box office is now open – call 07889 782 819 to book your tickets.
The Charlton Champion 