The Charlton Champion

Extend Bakerloo Line to Charlton, Canary Wharf’s owners demand

August 30, 2018June 19, 2023Darryl Chamberlain

Waterloo Bakerloo line platforms — Waterloo tube station – could there be a Bakerloo Line link to Charlton? (Photo: Daniel Wright via CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Transport for London’s proposed Bakerloo Line extension should run via Canary Wharf to Charlton, the owners of the giant Isle of Dogs development have said.

Current plans see the Tube line extended from Elephant & Castle via the Old Kent Road and New Cross Gate to Lewisham, with as long-term aim to take it onto Catford and Hayes.

But Canary Wharf Group (CWG) has called for the route to be diverted to Surrey Quays to serve a giant new development there, before running to Canary Wharf and Charlton.

It says the current Jubilee Line will not be able to cope with demand from the new Canada Water scheme, which if approved see 3,000 new homes, two million square feet of workspace and one million square feet of retail, leisure, entertainment and community space built on the Rotherhithe Peninsula, on land including the Surrey Quays shopping centre and the former Daily Mail printworks.

The call, first spotted by community website SE16.com, comes in response to a Southwark Council consultation on the Canada Water masterplan.

CWG compares the Canada Water scheme with the huge development at Battersea Power Station, which is getting its own Northern Line extension.

“In considering the Canada Water Masterplan proposals we would like to remind you of our previous proposal to extend the Bakerloo line from Elephant & Castle to Charlton via Surrey Quays and Canary Wharf,” CWG’s Jason Larkin says in a letter to Southwark Council planners.

“This scheme would provide significantly improved public transport capacity to the area around Canada Water and on the Isle of Dogs, and would help the development aspirations of both Southwark and Tower Hamlets.”

CWG also says it has outlined a proposal for a new railway from Euston to Canary Wharf via the City.

Canary Wharf’s eyes on Charlton

While this is the first time this particular proposal has been seen in public, it is not the first time Canary Wharf’s developers have proposed a railway to the Charlton area.

In the 1980s, CWG’s predecessor Olympia & York proposed a £400 million Waterloo & Greenwich Railway, which would have run to Canary Wharf and terminated at Westcombe Park. While London Transport eventually plumped for a Jubilee Line extension which took a route north to Stratford, O&Y still invested £400 million into the project.

In 2002, it was suggested that Crossrail could run from Canary Wharf to Charlton, Woolwich and Abbey Wood – but a route via the Royal Docks was chosen instead.

Earlier this year, Greenwich Council released a draft transport strategy which included a Bakerloo Line route to Charlton Riverside – despite the current Lewisham plans being reasonably far advanced.

Don’t hold your breath – but…

Of course, Canary Wharf Group doesn’t want a Tube to Charlton out of pure love for the area – this part of town contains a lot of underused land that could make a useful place to dig a big hole and build a place for trains to turn around (including the old rail depot between Westcombe Park and Charlton stations).

Charlton residents keen on a quick link to Canary Wharf probably shouldn’t hold their breath. The Lewisham extension ticks off City Hall goals of linking “opportunity areas” for redevelopment at Old Kent Road, New Cross, Lewisham, and – perhaps – Catford. Lewisham and Southwark councils have recently launched a campaign to get the scheme funded.

And much of Charlton will be within an easy bus ride of a Lewisham Bakerloo line terminal (although so will half of south east London), so SE7 will benefit in some way from a link to SE13.

Yet – Canary Wharf Group is a big player and can get what it wants (and has the money to pay towards it). And Canada Water and Charlton Riverside are also “opportunity areas”. Remember it has also called for a new link between Euston and Canary Wharf – where are those trains going to turn around? This story may be around for a while yet.

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Developer plans to demolish Charlton’s Pickwick pub

August 30, 2018August 30, 2018Neil Clasper1 Comment

Pickwicks pub on Woolwich Road — The Pickwick pub on Woolwich Road, seen in August 2014. Photo by Neil Clasper.

As reported by From The Murky Depths blog, The Pickwick pub on Woolwich Road could be set for demolition to make way for 14 flats, a new pub, and a terrace of 6 houses. Originally known as the Roupell Arms, it had operated as a pub and B&B, but has been closed for the past couple of years.

The applicant is a Mr Sunil Purewal of Pure Let Greenwich Ltd. To see the full application, visit planning.royalgreenwich.gov.uk and enter reference 18/2976/O.

On the same stretch of road, developers had plans to add flats and a gym to the (now closed) Antigallican pub approved in August 2017, plans to demolish The White Horse were refused on appeal in 2016, and the application to add flats to the Victoria and turn it into a takeaway has gone quiet.

The Charlton Champion provides news and information about issues and events in London SE7.
– Help us by telling us your stories
– Buy Neil a coffee at ko-fi.com
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Battered Charlton Riverside streets costing Greenwich Council big, report reveals

August 27, 2018June 19, 2023Darryl Chamberlain2 Comments

Flytipping on Charlton Riverside — Flytipping is a big problem in the streets near the Thames Barrier (pic: Neil Clasper)

Greenwich Council has spent £17,000 in the past two years on patching up the battered roads near the Thames Barrier, a report to councillors has revealed.

The poor state of the industrial area at Charlton Riverside has been highlighted by a petition to council leader Danny Thorpe, which complains of fly-tipping, dirt, pavement parking, potholed roads and speeding lorries.

But while the council proposes taking action on bad parking, fly-tipping, abandoned vehicles and road repairs, it is pinning its hopes on the redevelopment of the area to secure long-term improvements.

The report will be discussed at a meeting of the council’s highways committee on Wednesday 5 September.

25 people signed the petition, which was handed to the council in July by Woolwich Riverside councillor John Fahy.

Dumped van, Charlton Riverside — Dumped vehicles are another issue in Charlton Riverside (Photo: Neil Clasper)

“[We are] disgusted with the poor conditions of the roads and pavements on Westmoor Street leading to New Lyndenburg Street and surrounding roads,” it says.

It complains of the pavement on Westmoor Street being blocked by parked and damaged cars, making them “totally unusable”, forcing pedestrians to walk in the road. “Can you imagine if somebody were to get killed because of this and Greenwich Council would be held responsible?”

“Multiple skip and rubble lorries carrying hazardous materials” create a “scary and dangerous environment” and “leave an enormous amount of dirt, rubble and mud”, it continues.

It also complains of poor driving and “multiple potholes”, demanding “sensible speed restrictions with penalties and fines issues for those who break the law”.

25 people signed the petition to the council (Photo: Neil Clasper)

The council report notes “the roads in question are often subject to fly-tipping and other illegal activity and there is a history of complex associated issues in the area. It also adds the streets are inspected every three months and that 79 repairs have been carried out in the past two years, costing £17,000.

It also concedes that parking enforcement “has not been regular in the recent past”, with the situation compounded by some markings having been worn away, making them unenforceable.

But the council will not cut the speed limit to 20mph in the area as it “is industrial, not residential”, adding that enforcement is a matter for the police.

The council says fly-tipping is removed within 48 hours (Photo: Neil Clasper)

The report the council will send a letter to businesses, review parking controls in the area before starting to enforce them, and have a one-off dedicated clean-up of the area as soon as pavement parking is cleared. The council will also target abandoned vehicles for removal, warning businesses they cannot use the pavements, and clear illegal advertisements.

In the long term, there will also be a planning review to ensure the businesses are doing what they say they are doing and have the right licences.

But the report adds: “In the longer term as part of the Charlton Masterplan parcels of land in this area are identified for residential development. Whilst this is a long term plan, gradual improvement as a result of development will be secured.”

Charlton riverside — Much of the area is due to see residential redevelopment in coming years (Photo: Neil Clasper)

Photos in this story taken by Neil Clasper on Sunday morning. See the agenda papers for more details of the petition and review.

Horn Fair 2018: Charlton House needs you

August 26, 2018June 19, 2023Neil Clasper

Charlton House

Do you have a foodie, crafty, or unique business, or have an idea for a lecture? Then our Horn Fair this October NEEDS YOU!

We have limited spaces for our Market Place and Horn Talks so if you would like to Join The Cause – Enlist Now! #HornFair pic.twitter.com/TIRZBO5LqH

— Charlton House & Gardens (@CharltonHouseGW) August 24, 2018

Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust is looking for people to get involved with this year’s Horn Fair – taking place on Sunday 14th October, which will be themed around the 100-year anniversary of Charlton House opening as a World War I voluntary aid detachment hospital in 1918.

You can get in touch with the trust by email at office[@]rght.org.uk or by telephone on 020 8856 3951.

What’s happening to the derelict Victoria pub on Woolwich Road?

August 26, 2018June 20, 2022Neil Clasper4 Comments

UPDATE JUNE 2022: This is a four-year-old story and is out of date. Here are the latest stories about the Victoria pub.

Update 30 July 2019: A new planning application has gone in for the building.

Out exploring the industrial land that is set to become Charlton Riverside (see the latest on that planning saga here) we took the opportunity to take some new photos of the decaying Victoria pub, which prompted a lot of questions on our Twitter and Facebook channels about its current status and future.

In short, we don’t know what’s happening with it (and would love to hear from anyone who does), but we do know:

It’s in a poor state. With a reputation for having been a pub with a lean, it now appears to be falling backwards down the hill. Added to that, much of the back of the building is missing, and it’s clearly not been watertight for a long time.
There is an outstanding planning application – reported by From The Murky Depths blog around this time last year – to restore the pub, turn it into a takeaway, and build new accommodation at the back. It’s not clear what is happening with this application at the moment.
Land Registry records show that the building is currently owned by a Jahangir Ghani, who bought it in July 2014 for £380,000. Unhelpfully, the owner’s address is given as the pub, though there’s clearly no one living there at the moment.
The building is included in Greenwich Council’s list of Buildings of Local Architectural or Historic Interest – the ‘local list’: “Late Victorian public house with Edwardian tiled façade by Truman’s Brewery. Despite fire-damaged interiors the fine tiled façade of 1910 survives with several splendid features including the large spread eagle which holds up the corner above the name ‘The Victoria’ and Truman’s trademark eagle on the Eastmoor Street façade. Significant townscape value being the only remaining building marking former historic crossroads of Eastmoor Street 107 of 132 Woolwich Road which gives a sense of the now lost, formerly intimate streetscape of the area. Qualifies due to architectural interest as an evocative and sole-surviving example and environmental significance as a characterful, time-honoured local feature. Forms part of the Thames Barrier and Bowater Road Conservation Area” . It is important to note that a local listing does not offer the same protection as a national listing in planning terms; find out more about listed buildings in Greenwich here.

Do you know any more about the plans for the pub? Get in touch and tell us what’s going on! And we’d love to hear your memories of the pub when it was open in the comment section below.

The Victoria pub, Woolwich Road, Charlton

Charlton Athletic crisis: ‘Pay your staff their bonuses’, council leader tells owner Duchâtelet

August 23, 2018June 19, 2023Darryl Chamberlain

Greenwich Council’s leader has stepped into the crisis engulfing Charlton Athletic, writing to the football club’s owner Roland Duchâtelet urging him to pay staff the bonuses they have earned.

Backroom staff at The Valley and at the club’s training ground in Sparrows Lane, Eltham – many of whom are poorly-paid and work long hours on matchdays – have been told by the Belgian electronics magnate that they will not be receiving promised performance bonus payments because the club is in financial trouble.

Staff are considering legal action against Duchâtelet, whose four-year tenure at the club has seen the team relegated to League One amid a backdrop of instability, with a huge drop in income with the loss of TV rights money and fans staying away from The Valley.

Fan group CARD (Coalition Against Roland Duchâtelet) has organised a protest in The Valley’s car park at 2.15pm on Saturday ahead of the match against Fleetwood Town – past protests have resulted in matches being disrupted. In 2016, a match against Coventry City was halted after plastic pigs were thrown onto the pitch.

Danny Thorpe has written to Duchâtelet today to urge him to “do the right thing” and cough up.

I have sent this letter to @CAFCofficial today. What is happening at the club is a real concern for all of us here in @Royal_Greenwich & it isn’t right that low paid staff suffer as a result of poor management decisions. #charlton #cafc @CharltonCSE7 pic.twitter.com/l4yeOTJenU

— Dan Thorpe (@DanLThorpe) August 23, 2018

“There is a huge groundswell of concern over this issue and is is a testament to the strong feelings… that so many fans are set to take part in a protest which could disrupt the match on Saturday,” he said.

He added that the club was “a source of great pride” in Greenwich borough.

A promised takeover of the club has, after many months, still not materialised, and Duchâtelet has instigated a cost-cutting regime, including denying academy players bottled water, cutting the use of electricity and taping up paper dispensers in toilets.

Today’s Evening Standard reports that a staff member was even told to ask permission to eat crisps while at work because Duchâtelet wanted to save money on cleaning costs.

Thorpe’s intervention is the first time the council has got involved in the long-running saga at Charlton, although local MP Matt Pennycook has written to Sports Minister Tracey Crouch and the English Football League about the issue.

Two years ago, Thorpe’s predecessor Denise Hyland refused a request from a fan to talk to Duchâtelet about fans’ worries about the club’s future. The following year she even took part in a photocall with Eltham MP Clive Efford and Duchâtelet’s former chief executive to promote the redevelopment of the club’s training ground.

Fantastic new facilities for sport @CAFCTrust & @FootscrayRugby great to see @CAFCofficial investing in the future for club and community https://t.co/HCacJ0NUUT

— Clive Efford 💙 (@CliveEfford) March 3, 2017

18 months on, work has halted at the training ground.

The council has close relations with the Charlton Athletic Community Trust, a separate body from the football club.

British Oak pub wins national ‘excellence’ award for its cellar

August 23, 2018June 19, 2023Darryl Chamberlain

British Oak, Blackheath — The British Oak is the local pub for many Charlton residents

The British Oak pub on Old Dover Road has won a national award for the way it keeps its beer.

Landlord Peter Clements won the Excellence In Cellar Standards Award from the firm that owns the pub, Ei Group.

The Oak, which is many Charlton residents’ local pub, still has two separate bars as well as a beer garden and regularly hosts live music and other events.

Clements and his staff were praised for how they look after their beer and glasses, with judges noting “they even consider what type of water is available in their local area to determine how much product is used”.

It beat pubs in Coventry and Stafford to scoop the prize.