Charlton – Page 14 – The Charlton Champion

Controversial ‘compact flats’ plan for The Heights recommended for approval

December 8, 2020June 19, 2023Darryl Chamberlain

Pocket Living render — The flats would overlook The Valley

Update: A decision on this was postponed so councillors could visit the site.

Controversial plans for 48 “pocket homes” on The Heights will go before Greenwich councillors next week – with planning officers recommending they allow the development on an estate car park.

Developer Pocket Living plans to build 45 one-bedroom flats and 3 two-bedroom flats on the contaminated plot overlooking The Valley. It plans to sell them all for 80 per cent of market value to people earning under £71,000 within the borough of Greenwich – meaning they tick the official definition of “affordable”, if not the dictionary definition.

The company specialises in “compact flats” – its one-bedroom flats are little bigger than a studio flat. After six months, Pocket will be allowed to market them across London at limits set by City Hall, which has been giving funding to the company under both the Johnson and Khan mayoralties. Former Greenwich & Woolwich MP Nick Raynsford is among its directors.

As well as the funding it has received from City Hall over the years, Pocket is asking to be excused from paying the Community Infrastructure Levy – a charge on property developers which is reinvested in local facilities.

Two linked blocks of four and five storeys are planned for the site, with two car parking spaces for residents – 21 spaces for existing residents will be retained and relocated. The blocks will be next to the two-storey homes of The Heights estate.

Greenwich Council initially planned to sell land at three sites to Pocket, but plans to build off Lewisham Road and Kidbrooke Park Road were dropped after a revolt among Labour councillors. Of 41 Labour councillors in post at the time, 12 attended a protest meeting at Charlton House. More recently, the council planned to sell green space on Tunnel Avenue, east Greenwich, to the company.

However, despite the controversy surrounding the Heights development, only three objections were received by the council. Four people wrote in favour.

Documents submitted as part of the planning application indicate that no community groups in Charlton were consulted by Pocket, who instead contacted the East Greenwich Residents Association and Greenwich Society, which do not cover the area.

The Charlton Society has lambasted the scheme. It said: “The proposal would harm and block views across London. The land stability issues are unresolved and the ground is unstable.

“The massing does not respect the local context. Worse, in our view: it actively insults it. The proposal is best regarded as a case of over-development, given its context.”
It added that the land should be used for green space instead.

The Heights development — The blocks would sit behind two-storey homes on The Heights

Transport for London has objected to the scheme, saying there are too many car parking spaces as the existing facilities are underused.

However, Greenwich’s planning officers say they are happy with the decontamination plans and the stability of the site. Officers quote a report from Pocket which says: “The homes will meet an affordability gap by providing options for those who would not be able to afford a Shared Ownership / Private Sale home.

“It is noted that based on previous schemes, Pocket Living have detailed that typical purchasers are likely to be 50% key workers, 69% earning less than £46,000 and had rented within the private sector for 8 years prior to buying.”

The officers add: “The design quality of the proposal is of an appropriate standard that works well with the existing building as well as the wider character, form and scale of the surrounding area and the visual amenity of the street scene.

“The impacts of the proposed development upon the amenity of neighbouring occupants have been assessed and have been found to be acceptable.

“Overall, the proposal is considered to be an acceptable redevelopment of an underutilised site.”

Councillors will discuss the development at the planning board meeting next Tuesday.

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‘The angry past has moved out’: Charlton’s White Horse pub rides again

December 5, 2020June 19, 2023paulbreen

White Horse Charlton — The White Horse has cast off its old reputation

It’s a brave time to open a new pub, but the once-infamous White Horse on Woolwich Road has been reopened with a new look and a new menu. PAUL BREEN popped in for a pint.

Having taught briefly at the old Holborn College (now Windrush Primary School) over the road, I knew the reputation of The White Horse. Passing it a few weeks ago, I realised that something about it seemed very different from the past associations of the place. However, I didn’t enter because like with most people, the act of going out is now a rarity.

But after seeing the lounge empty one early evening, with sensible precautions in place for social distancing, I went in and ordered a pint, where I experienced something new, positive and unexpected.

Under the radar, Charlton seems to have acquired a decent new pub to go along with the others that we already have. The angry past has moved out and there’s a new rider on the saddle of The White Horse. Though I never ventured into the previous shaven-headed incarnation, everything’s most definitely changed beyond recognition, from décor to drinks. I could feel echoes of The White Swan’s early days in a lot of what I saw, from the friendliness of staff to the general ambience of the place.

Speaking to the owner, I get a sense that he’s got a vision for the place and for being a part of the Charlton community. That seems timely when the football club has just acquired a new owner too; Thomas Sandgaard. There’s something about new ownership that fills people’s hearts and minds with a sense of hope, a sense of better times on the road ahead. That’s as true of a local pub as it is of a football club. Something in the human spirit feeds so strongly off fragments of an imagined future. Here, the promise of Sunday roasts (including a veggie option) brought back those lost moments of in-law lunches as a group at the same table.

Possibly even better than that (sorry in-laws) was the promise of forthcoming craft lagers and theme nights that used to be such a feature of The White Swan from dodgy DJs to quizzes and folk sessions. I wanted to scream out “my God, there is a future!” but present regulations dictate that shouting ecstatically is very definitely not allowed in public. I do though want to shout about this place because in my head I’m already there on that sunny May day when Thomas Sandgaard shocks us all by reaching this stage of his title-winning pub crawl around Charlton.

Though I only got a snapshot of one brief evening here, this discovery gives me a sense of hope, a light in the darkness of this lingering winter. Going to our other locals, of course, does the same I should add but there’s something beautiful, something restorative in finding newness right now. There’s a kindling of hope that the good old days can come back to us, that they’re not just moments lost in time in these days of living in fear.

The White Horse is somewhere I’m hoping to visit on one of those rainy Saturdays, in a time when we’ll joke darkly of days when we could cough suddenly and clear the bar to get a round.

There is hope out there and there is healing in the sight of old places staying open and new ones springing to life, even in this darkest of winters. We do need to support them though so that they’ll be there for us on rainy evenings, match days, film festival nights and the like. Nobody knows what the future holds or even how this virus is going to play out, but we’ve got to keep believing and to keep looking ahead. Thanks to the White Horse and Hachi Sushi Grill for their tastes of the past and the future. Thinking about it almost brings tears to my eyes, though it could just be the wasabi from last night in the Japanese café!

Read Paul’s review of Hachi Sushi Grill.

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Join a Christmas treasure hunt for children at Charlton Toy Library

December 4, 2020June 19, 2023Darryl Chamberlain

Got small children to entertain next weekend? Charlton Toy Library, which is based at Charlton House, is putting on a treasure hunt in Charlton Park next Saturday. In their own words…

Charlton Toy Library is putting on a Christmas Treasure Hunt, on Saturday 12 December between 10.30 – 12.30.

There will be two trails for little hunters. One easier one for kids up to 3 years and one advanced one for kids over 3 years. Starting point is at the Charlton Toy Library to collect the treasure map.

The event is free to attend and participants will receive a treat at the end. All social distancing measures and government guidelines are being followed for this event.

It follows a pumpkin hunt held at Halloween, which we’re told was a roaring success. To sign up, visit eventbrite.co.uk.

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Christmas shopping in SE7: Local makers showcased by The Corner @ 96

December 3, 2020June 19, 2023Neil Clasper

News in from our friends at the Corner @ 96 on Bramshot Avenue about their latest endeavour to promote local producers during the Christmas shopping season.

The Corner @ 96 is supporting local makers, bakers and artists in the lead up to a Christmas like no other. We are showcasing lots of amazing local talent in our windows and have compiled a directory to help you to shop locally and shop handmade this Christmas.

We really want people to experience the personal touch and pleasure that comes from buying directly from the maker, many sellers are offering free local delivery or collection as well as postage and and gift wrapping options to make completing that gift list even easier!

We also have a walking trail this Saturday from 10am to 5pm where you can meet some of the makers.

The Corner @ 96 is on the corner of Sherington Road and Bramshot Avenue.

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Leave your messages outside St Luke’s and St Thomas churches this Christmas

November 29, 2020June 19, 2023Darryl Chamberlain

Cherub above St. Luke's church door in Charlton — Photo © Neil Clasper

Want to see your Christmas message turned into a decoration and displayed outside a local church? You can at St Luke’s in The Village and St Thomas in Woodland Terrace. Read on to find out more…

Charlton’s Church of England churches have got lots planned this Christmas and something for everyone!

– Online Community Carol Service – A celebration of Christmas & Charlton
– Messages on Christmas Trees (St Thomas, Woodland Terrace & St Luke’s, Charlton)
– Digital Advent Calendar – with a message each day from members of the community
– Online Christingle – make a Christingle at home as you watch
– Messy Christmas – fun and creativity for all
– Online Carol Service for Care Homes
– Christmas Eve and Christmas Day online and in church – the perfect way to start your Christmas

If you’d like to send a greeting to local people or a message of hope we’ll convert them into decorations to be hung on the Christmas trees. Email your words to arekp[at]dawid.com.pl by Saturday December 19th and read messages from your Charlton neighbours as you pass by.

You can find out more at charlton.church.

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TfL ‘monitoring’ effects of widened bus lanes through Charlton

November 27, 2020June 19, 2023Darryl Chamberlain

Woolwich Road — Transport for London says the widened lane improves safety for cyclists

Transport for London says it is monitoring the effects of widened bus lanes between Charlton and Woolwich after over 2,000 people signed a petition calling for them to be removed.

The lanes have been widened between Anchor and Hope Lane and the Woolwich Ferry to assist buses and improve safety for cyclists, cutting the ordinary traffic lanes down to one in each direction.

In January TfL consulted on plans to build a segregated cycleway between Charlton and Woolwich, which would have had a similar effect, but after the coronavirus pandemic the route between Greenwich and Charlton was prioritised instead. Eventually TfL hopes there will be a continuous cycle route between Tower Bridge and Woolwich.

Bus lanes were widened as an interim measure – and introduced to Woolwich Church Street for the first time – to speed up services and to add some extra safety for cyclists. However, they have been blamed for increased congestion on Woolwich Road and Woolwich Church Street.

A petition created three weeks ago by Gagandeep Singh says there are “vehicles queuing up all day and evening”. By Thursday evening it had gained 2,359 names. One signatory claims it took them 90 minutes to travel between Woolwich and Charlton; another said: “It’s impossible to get out of the roundabout at Warspite Rd. Traffic jams are terrible all day long.”

While there has been a huge jump in traffic since the end of the first coronavirus lockdown, there has been congestion where drivers attempt to filter from two lanes to one at the junction with Anchor and Hope Lane. While the wider bus lanes – which replace narrow cycle lanes on Woolwich Road – allow cyclists to overtake buses at stops, they are not continuous. This means riders still have to take their chances with HGVs and other fast-moving traffic at roundabouts – despite the introduction of a 20mph speed limit on the route.

A Transport for London spokesperson told The Charlton Champion the widened lane had been introduced as part of its Streetspace programme “to create more space for people to safely walk and cycle”.

He added: “The bus lanes push general traffic and HGVs further away from cyclists; making this corridor a much more pleasant and less intimidating route, and provide a link from Woolwich into the Cycleway that is currently being built between Greenwich town centre and charlton. These lanes are an interim measure while we work on the permanent scheme that was consulted on earlier in 2020, and which would provide a two way segregated cycle lane taking people from Woolwich all the way into Greenwich, and eventually into central London.

“Bus lanes protect buses from congestion and ensure journey times and intervals between buses are more reliable. Bus lanes will help guard against a damaging car-led recovery by improving bus journey times and safety for Londoners making journeys by public transport and the increasing proportion travelling by bike.

“Changes made as part of the Streetspace programme are being introduced on a temporary basis under temporary traffic orders, and will be monitored after implementation to ensure they deliver the expected benefits. Monitoring along the A206 corridor will include reviewing cycle flows, perception of safety, collision rates, general traffic flows and bus journey times.”

He continued: “We are reviewing the operation of the bus lanes with the Royal Borough of Greenwich, and the data we are collecting is helping to inform these ongoing discussions. Where appropriate, adjustments to the scheme will be made if they aren’t performing how we expected. The new measures will be in place for up to 18 months, after which the monitoring strategy will form a key part of discussions between TfL and the council as to whether the scheme should be removed or made permanent.”

CYCLEWAY 4 PROGRESS

Woolwich Ferry to Anchor and Hope Lane, Charlton: Bus lanes as interim measure, funding for cycle route not yet certain

Anchor and Hope Lane to Farmdale Road, Greenwich: Work yet to start

Farmdale Road to Old Woolwich Road: Due to open early December

Old Woolwich Road to Old Royal Naval College: Uses existing routes

Old Royal Naval College to Norway Street, Greenwich: Awaiting funding application

Norway Street to Rotherhithe Tunnel: TfL in discussions with local councils, plans due in coming months

Rotherhithe Tunnel to Tower Bridge Road: Complete

Work is continuing on the cycleway between Old Woolwich Road and Farmdale Road, which will see a safer crossing put in place for riders at the Angerstein roundabout. It is due to open in early December – about two months later than planned.

The TfL spokesperson said: “This is later than originally anticipated for a number of reasons, including delays in our supply chain for temporary materials, issues with ducting identified when on site and a recent design change to Vanburgh Hill bus stops to assist bus operations.

“We are currently finalising plans for the section of cycleway between Charlton and Anchor and Hope Lane and will announce our proposals and construction timescales shortly.”

A small section of Cycleway 4 is already open between Tower Bridge and Rotherhithe Tunnel; TfL said this week that plans for the section through Deptford would be announced “in the coming months”.

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Can you help Charlton Toy Library raise £2,000 for vulnerable families?

November 23, 2020June 19, 2023Darryl Chamberlain1 Comment

Charlton Toy Library open sign — Happier times – but the toy library is still helping families

Lockdown may have closed the independently-run Charlton Toy Library until December 2, but it is still helping local families. It’s just launched an appeal to raise money to buy food vouchers for families in need – can you help them raise £2,000?

They tell us…

At the end of one of the most challenging years in a long time more families than ever are in need of some Christmas cheer and support. Charlton Toy Library is continuing a long-standing tradition to provide Christmas gifts and food vouchers for vulnerable families.

“This year we are supporting over 40 families in dire straights and have an ambitious target of £2,000 to raise for food vouchers. We are grateful and humbled by all the support from the generous Greenwich borough community we have received in the past and believe that we will do it again this year, together,” says Sharon Jay, outreach worker at the Charlton Toy Library.

Donations can be made at virginmoneygiving.com/fund/CTL_XMAS.