The academy, in Charlton Park Road, has had its plans for a revamp approved by the local authority at a planning meeting on Tuesday. The school, which looks after kids with special educational needs, was given the greenlight to bulldoze the existing school building in place of new modern features.
Charlton Park Academy teaches students with complex, low incidence special educational needs.
Councillors signed off on the plans at a meeting on June 5 following officer’s recommendations.
Officers said in a report before the meeting: “Charlton Park Academy, as a SEN school, provides a valuable service for the local community by providing education for vulnerable children and young adults who cannot be accommodated in conventional or unspecialised schools, with a focus on complex, low incidence disabilities.
They added: “The proposed development is considered to be acceptable in land use terms, and the redevelopment of Rainbow House would enhance the educational offer within the borough, by providing modern learning facilities and enhanced sleeping facilities for children with special educational needs.”
The existing buildings were originally parts of the 1967 school that have since been encased in temporary structures. In their planning statement, submitted last year, the school said: “The key benefits of the scheme include the demolition of tired and not-fit-for-purpose education building and an important upgrade in the provision of a much-needed Special Education Needs and Disability facility with all modern facilities.”
The plans will have the existing school building demolished and a two-storey replacement with sleeping accommodation for staff and students, along with kitchen and living areas.
Tom Bull is the Local Democracy Reporter for Greenwich. The Local Democracy Reporter Service is a BBC-funded initiative to ensure councils are covered properly in local media. See more about how The Charlton Champion uses LDRS content.
The Thames Barrier Bridge could be positioned either side of the barrier
A firm of architects has unveiled a proposal to build a cycling and pedestrian bridge next to the Thames Barrier, with lifting spans to allow shipping to pass through.
Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands’ suggestion of a Thames Barrier Bridge would connect the Charlton Riverside with the Royal Docks, two areas undergoing huge redevelopment schemes. It would put many Charlton residents within walking distance of the Docklands Light Railway and, slightly further away, the Crossrail station at Custom House.
It would feature four lifting sections with each 61m span capable of being individually opened or closed to allow river traffic to pass. It is anticipated the bridge would have to open and close 10 times a day.
A proposal was submitted to Transport for London in late 2017 and both practices are currently engaged in “exploratory conversations” with a number of “relevant stakeholders”, according to Architects Journal.
The bridge would have to open and close 10 times per day
Alex Lifschutz, founding director of Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands, told Architects Journal: “There is really only one location in east London for a relatively low bridge suitable for cycles and pedestrians.
“Construction would take about 18 months and phasing would mean that at least two of the barrier openings are always open for navigation, so no river traffic would be stopped. And because the majority of the construction can be done from the river, it will minimise disturbance to residents.”
The Hyde scheme would see plots A and C built first, followed by D and E. The rejected Rockwell scheme is to the left, the Flint Glass Wharf proposal is the other riverside project
The housing association plans to build blocks on the river on the site of the existing Westminster Waste works at Maybank Wharf as well as blocks further back on other industrial sites on New Lyndenburg Street.
Hyde says in documents filed to Greenwich Council’s planning team that the blocks will be between one and 10 storeys tall, and that it hopes to begin eight years of construction next year, starting from the river and moving inland. The documents filed are for a scoping opinion – a request for early feedback from Greenwich planners ahead of a full planning application.
Plans for a new river wall are included in the scheme, along with open space and 7,000 square metres of business and retail space.
One site not included in the proposal is the Tarmac aggregate plant – while Hyde has bought the land, the application says the site, which is on a protected wharf, will continue to operate, leading to the possibility of some of the new blocks having to be screened off from the site, just as has happened in the newer phase of Greenwich Millennium Village, which is next to Angerstein Wharf.
Hyde promises a “cycle friendly” layout, although just how “cycle friendly” a development next to a site which uses HGVs can be is open to debate. It also proposes an extension to the new Bexleyheath to Woolwich 301 bus service, which starts on 15 June, to serve the new development, which would link the scheme to the Crossrail station at Woolwich – although nudging commuters to use a zone 4 station merely underlines how cut off some of the early Charlton riverside developments could be.
Two of the other three Charlton riverside schemes have not yet gone to planning, while one has already been rejected by both Greenwich Council and City Hall.
They are:
the Rockwell scheme for 771 homes at Anchor & Hope Lane was refused first by Greenwich Council last summer, then by the Mayor of London in January;
Planners at Greenwich Council have recommended that councillors back a scheme to revamp Charlton Park Academy by knocking down and rebuilding its main site.
The plans, to demolish a building known as Rainbow House for bigger, modern facilities, have been backed by council officers.
A two-storey replacement will have sleeping accommodation for staff and students, along with kitchen and living areas.
Officers said: “Charlton Park Academy, as a SEN school, provides a valuable service for the local community by providing education for vulnerable children and young adults who cannot be accommodated in conventional or unspecialised schools, with a focus on complex, low incidence disabilities. The proposed development is considered to be acceptable in land use terms, and the redevelopment of Rainbow House would enhance the educational offer within the borough, by providing modern learning facilities and enhanced sleeping facilities for children with special educational needs.”
The school said its current setup has become “no longer fit for purpose and have aged beyond being reasonably maintained”. It added: “The key benefits of the scheme include the demolition of tired and not-fit-for-purpose education building and an important upgrade in the provision of a much-needed Special Education Needs and Disability facility with all modern facilities and support providing essential enhancements to the quality of SEND provision whilst at Charlton Park Academy.”
Tom Bull is the Local Democracy Reporter for Greenwich. The Local Democracy Reporter Service is a BBC-funded initiative to ensure councils are covered properly in local media. See more about how The Charlton Champion uses LDRS content.
The Charlton team pick up the trophy (not the big one on the pitch)
Charlton Athletic’s play-off triumph at Wembley on Sunday will have landed thousands across south-east London with hangovers yesterday morning. Now the many fans who have been boycotting home matches in protest at Roland Duchâtelet’s disastrous ownership of the side now face a dilemma – to buy a season ticket for Championship football next season or not?
The Addicks’ run to promotion back to the Championship – three years after a relegation caused directly by the instability caused by Duchâtelet’s calamitous running of the club – brought crowds flocking back to The Valley, with 25,428 seeing the semi-final win on penalties over Doncaster Rovers.
More than 38,000 filled the Charlton end at Wembley on Sunday to see the side come back from a disastrous early own goal, when goalkeeper Dillon Phillips misjudged a backpass from defender Naby Sarr and was help running helplessly as the ball dribbled into his own net, giving Sunderland an early advantage.
Naby Sarr & Dillion Phillips. This has to be one of the biggest blunders in the history of the football league play-offs! 🤦♂️
Thankfully for them, Charlton came back to win 2-1 & promotion to the Championship 🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/6qGdvuPfnj
Ben Purrington equalised for the Addicks towards the end of the first half, setting up a tense second half. Just as it looked to be going to extra time, Patrick Bauer’s late, late winner saw scenes of pandemonium.
Thousands of Charlton fans will be watching the news carefully in the coming days before deciding whether to commit their hard-earned cash to watch the team next season.
The Charlton Champion‘s LARA RUFFLE COLES reviews the baby music classes held at Charlton House
I feel very passionate about music. It brings me great joy, occasionally sadness, but it always provokes an emotional reaction. And as a member of two choirs, I benefit greatly from the social interaction and continuous learning that comes with rehearsing and performing.
Given recent news stories on the state of musical education in Britain, I feel very fortunate to have had an extremely dedicated music teacher at my state secondary school. From the age of eleven I sang in the school choir, had weekly music lessons, and completed my GCSE in music. At university I studied music and ran a rock music society, before joining a choir when I moved back to London. All this stemmed from that teacher, so thank you Mrs Pamela Wright!
For my son, I want to involve him in music from a young age, and with any luck he might want to learn an instrument or join a choir when he is old enough to chose for himself.
Until fairly recently there was a sign advertising Greenwich Music School outside Charlton House, and after a quick Google I was excited to see that they ran baby music classes for expectant parents and those with children.
I was patient enough to wait until my child was actually born before booking a class, but I started taking him to their Family Music class at seven weeks. His level of interaction was (ahem) fairly limited, but it was great to get out of the house, meet other parents and carers, and spend time in Charlton Park after class.
Family Music is for 0 to 4 years and focuses learning through singing. The teacher leads the class through songs and melodies that use different volumes, speeds, and low and high notes. We sing and play using actions, scarves and cuddly toys, have instrument play time with shakers, drums and bells, and the babies and toddlers move around the room to music.
As my son has grown he has been able to participate at a greater level and now the trouble is keeping him still for more than two minutes! Thankfully, the classes are relaxed and welcoming, and even if we don’t have his full attention, he is still in a musical environment – and it isn’t as if he can turn his ears off.
You can also attend Family Music or Songs and Sounds (9 months to 2 years) at Mycenae House. I chose Family Music over Songs and Sounds due to its location, and because I love seeing him interact and learn from children who are significantly older than him. Another plus is that I’ll still be able to take him to Family Music for a good while if I have a second child. Eventually, I want to take him to the older classes offered by the school, so I am crossing my fingers that he likes music!
Greenwich Music School’s co-director Bethan Scolding tells The Charlton Champion why she set up the Early Years Music programme:
We started GMS to share our passion for music with people of all ages through teaching and education of the highest quality. Bringing together our team of specialist tutors and developing our bespoke curriculum, from babies and toddlers to professional musicians, has been fantastic – and it’s been a great privilege to see our first students progress and flourish at all levels.
The school offers a variety of courses for children and adults, and financial support is available. Please contact the school for further details.
For classes not based in Charlton itself, there are a myriad of options to choose from – Google ‘music classes for babies’ at your peril – so I’ve highlighted just a few nearby:
Blackheath Library has free Rhyme Time sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2pm
The Conservatoire in Blackheath also runs music classes for children and adults
Bach to Baby concerts are held regularly at Mycenae House. The concerts are great fun and the Christmas concert was particularly festive. But if a room of 40 to 50 children sounds terrifying, you might want to look elsewhere…
Network Rail first told Greenwich Council about its plans for the Angerstein Wharf branch crossing, across a freight line on the east Greenwich/Charlton border, in April 2018, emails released by the track company under the Freedom of Information Act show. Several council officers were involved in discussions and three site visits were held.
Councillors for Peninsula ward – who would have known of the importance of the crossing – were not told about the issue and neither was Greenwich & Woolwich MP Matt Pennycook, The Charlton Champion has established. The council maintains “there was nothing to tell residents” at the time.
A council officer dealing with conservation was also involved in a discussion about the planned closure in December and January 2019.
Network Rail sent the council a formal notice warning of the crossing closure on 14 February 2019, but the Valentine’s Day missive went unanswered until after a neighbour of the crossing used Twitter seven weeks later to say that residents had received letters about the closure.
Greenwich then threatened Network Rail with a injunction to prevent the closure of the crossing, which is used by hundreds of people each day heading to and from Westcombe Park station. It is one of a handful of foot crossings on London railway lines, and has grown in importance since new housing was built on the Charlton side of the crossing at Fairthorn Road.
The plans, which are to accommodate a resignalling of the line to and from the Angerstein aggregates wharf by the Thames, have now been put on hold.
A sign warning of the closure was stuck to a fence at the crossing
‘A full diversion is the way to go’
Network Rail first told Greenwich Council about the plans on 11 April 2018 – 12 months before neighbours found out. An unnamed member of Network Rail’s track renewals team warning that works were planned in May 2019 that “may affect the nearby foot crossing at Farmdale Road”, asking to set up a site visit. No response was received for a week until after the Network Rail officer sent a follow-up mail, after which a site visit was arranged by Greenwich’s street works area co-ordinator. An email sent from Network Rail after this visit states “I think we both formed the opinion that a full diversion is the way to go”.
After this, a further email from Network Rail which appears to have been sent to the planning team says “we need some assistance from yourselves to help us evaluate what we can do with the crossing to ensure public safety and rail transport safety”.
Responses include an email from one Greenwich Council officer to another stating “I don’t know what the Farmdale Road foot crossing is (level/bridge) as it’s not clear on the plan”.
On 9 May 2018, a planner responds to say: “The council would be likely to object to any closure since the route is well used by local people and by virtue that the passageway continues access over the A102 to Westcombe Park railway station, a route previously under threat when the A102 was built and with that the footbridge now seen over that road. NR could, of course, provide an alternative route in the form of a subway beneath its line.” A further site visit was held on 22 May 2018.
After that site visit, a council structures and street lighting manager emails with a summary of what was discussed, including plans for Network Rail to install CCTV as part of a risk assessment. But no further response was sent by Network Rail.
Network Rail has told The Charlton Champion: “After that meeting Network Rail undertook the process to understand the status of the crossing.”
‘Our closure of the foot crossing’
Separately, in November 2018, a Network Rail officer emails to comment on Greenwich Council’s plans to locally list the crossing – a mild form of protection against development – and states: “We would be happy to discuss with you further regarding the potential listing of these items and whether that is compatible with our closure of the Angerstein Wharf foot crossing.”
In mid-January 2019, a Greenwich officer emails to set up a meeting with their Network Rail counterpart. Network Rail has said this was followed by a third site visit to the crossing on 13 February.
Then on 14 February, a formal letter was sent by email warning of the closure of the crossing.
It promises: “We will erect clear signage either side of the crossing to make it clear when the closure will commence… As we have been in close liaison with you about these works, we wanted to inform you of this.” Greenwich Council says it did not receive this letter.
No response was received until 8 April – two days after a neighbour of the crossing tweeted about a letter he had received about the plans.
The tweet was included in the email. Meanwhile, the councillors and MP were finding out about the scheme for the first time through complaints from residents.
“I am not aware that Network Rail has notified the council directly of the proposed work,” the email states, while a further mail from the head of highways cites “a number of strong high level representations today objecting to the proposed crossing closure”.
A letter from Network Rail was placed in Fairthorn Road
The council then threatens an injunction, at which point Network Rail removes its plan to close the crossing. Asked what happened to the “clear signage”, a Network Rail spokesperson said: “The closure notice and information relating to the alternative route was displayed on the over bridge on the approach to the crossing and along Farmdale/ Fairthorn Road for the recent works and the Angerstein resignalling commissioning at Easter.”
A third site meeting was held on 12 April 2019 – a year and a day after the council was first told about the plan, and a few days before The Charlton Champion sent its Freedom of Information request – with an email from Greenwich Council confirming “that self-closing gates are to be installed to ensure that the public will be reminded that in opening these that they are at a level crossing”.
“I look forward to a copy of the letter bound for stakeholders and residents and further details of the works programme during the course of next week.”
The path is a popular route to Westcombe Park station
Councillors the last to know
Many current and former Greenwich councillors have long remarked privately that they are often the last to know about issues in their areas. Furthermore, the correspondence shows that officers were unaware of the crossing or its impact on the local area – which could also explain the council’s attitude to the consequences of the nearby Ikea store, where long-promised measures to assist pedestrians and cyclists have yet to be completed.
A Greenwich Council spokesperson told The Charlton Champion: “The council did not support Network Rail’s closing of the Angerstein Wharf crossing at short notice and with no consultation with residents in April 2019. When Network Rail made their initial enquiry to us in spring 2018 we were clear that they had not provided enough information of their plans.
“When we heard nothing further we assumed that their plans had changed and therefore there was nothing to inform residents of.
“The council has no record of receiving a formal closure notice from Network Rail in February 2019. If we had, we would have challenged their proposals and briefed our elected members then.
“In April we were as surprised as residents to find out what they had done. We swiftly instructed our legal team who persuaded Network Rail to postpone their plans. We will be meeting Network Rail next month and we will go prepared with legal advice regarding the status of the path and Network’s Rail statutory obligations to keep it open.”
Tom Bull is the Local Democracy Reporter for Greenwich. The Local Democracy Reporter Service is a BBC-funded initiative to ensure councils are covered properly in local media.
The Charlton Champion 