Residents living in Sydenham ward should have received the door to door flyer about the next Sydenham Assembly starting at 7pm in the Naborhood Centre, 44a Sydenham Road, next to the Post Office on Thursday 8 September.
At this meeting, just like the first meeting in March 2008, there will table discussions to review the progress on key issues and what more we can do as a community. I have been speaking to our traders in the high street to encourage them to come along and join in the review of recent high street events plus plan activities for Halloween, Christmas and Easter.
We have invited an officer from the Licencing Team to discuss issues around the high street and receive feedback on the Drinking Control Zone.
Why not share your views in person on the high street shops including the commercial opportunities of the Greyhound and Nickell’s sites.
Concerned about fly-tipping and fly-posting? Again come along and give your views.
There will be a table for transport discussions including the high street improvements and Bakerloo Line.
I have been working with our youth officers to encourage young people to join us and focus on what activities we could all participate in at the new youth centre in Wells Park Road.
There will then be some time for feedback on all the table discussions and future actions. Finally there will be a slot for any questions residents wish to raise concerning Sydenham.
Chris Best
Councillor for Sydenham Ward and Chair of the Sydenham Assembly
http://www.chrisbest.org.uk
Sydenham Assembly 7pm next Thursday 8 September
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Chris Best
- Posts: 440
- Joined: 6 May 2005 11:37
- Location: Sydenham
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Chris Best
- Posts: 440
- Joined: 6 May 2005 11:37
- Location: Sydenham
Re: Sydenham Assembly 7pm next Thursday 8 September
I have been talking to the traders about working with the community and coming along to the Assembly tomorrow evening - hope you can join in the discussion about what you would like to see in the high street.
Re: Sydenham Assembly 7pm next Thursday 8 September
I'd really like to go but due to some pr*ck in a coach crashing into me and my pregnant wife on Wednesday and spending nearly all day getting our unborn baby checked out I'm behind with deadline and presentations so I wont be able to go. Annoying as it looks like shops are on the agenda and I'm at a meeting on Monday about the Outer London Fund talking about branding and the What If Sydenham and Ilfracombe projects.
Re: Sydenham Assembly 7pm next Thursday 8 September
I too must sadly tender my apologies. It was a choice between the community and death (otherwise known as not turning up for our anniversary supper). However, we will be supporting local business tonight at Trattoria Raffaele.
Hopefully somebody will post a report ...
Admin
Hopefully somebody will post a report ...
Admin
Re: Sydenham Assembly 7pm next Thursday 8 September
I could only be there towards the end, but it felt like a fairly good meeting, with plenty of new and younger faces.
There were some curious disagreements as to whether this is a friendly place or not. I can't help feeling that if you get involved in stuff anywhere you live, before too long you start to recognise faces in the street and smile at them - mostly - and that we're not that different from other part of London - or outside.
On a more serious note, there were updates from the man who is actually marketing retail space in the Greyhound development, and lots of compliments for Lee's work on Billings - we all want more like this.
There are legal old ups on the development of Station Approach, but the Sydenham Road improvements are still on track for next year.
There were some curious disagreements as to whether this is a friendly place or not. I can't help feeling that if you get involved in stuff anywhere you live, before too long you start to recognise faces in the street and smile at them - mostly - and that we're not that different from other part of London - or outside.
On a more serious note, there were updates from the man who is actually marketing retail space in the Greyhound development, and lots of compliments for Lee's work on Billings - we all want more like this.
There are legal old ups on the development of Station Approach, but the Sydenham Road improvements are still on track for next year.
Re: Sydenham Assembly 7pm next Thursday 8 September
I thought my ears were burning.
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Chris Best
- Posts: 440
- Joined: 6 May 2005 11:37
- Location: Sydenham
Re: Sydenham Assembly 7pm next Thursday 8 September
Yes it was a very positive meeting - the tables were buzzing - I am tied up for most of today but will post a report later this evening.
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Chris Best
- Posts: 440
- Joined: 6 May 2005 11:37
- Location: Sydenham
Re: Sydenham Assembly 7pm next Thursday 8 September
The feedback I have received from those attending was that this was a very positive meeting - with new faces in the 80 plus people present. A number of valuable points were made and for me it was about talking up Sydenham as there is a very strong local community.
Generally there were positive comments about the East London Line and the estate agents said that Sydenham offers good value with interest from couples – some with young children or looking to start a family in the locality.
I was facilitated a table discussion looking at future investment opportunities in the high street. Mookie Ziv, the agent for the two commercial units at the Greyhound, believed this site presented a real opportunity to attract larger businesses – the larger unit at the rear has interest from a well known supermarket and the small unit fronting onto Kirkdale could attract a wine bar – the space for the commercial units is 657 square metres. The concept for this area was one of leisure space maximising the use of the public square surrounding the pub – the pub comprises of 286 square metres. In total the site offers commercial floorspace of 943 sq metres.
The next largest floorspace will be at 22 Sydenham Road offering 475 square metres ground floor A1/A2. The reason Sydenham has so many small independent shops is the lack of floorspace - 59 Sydenham Road (old House of Curtains) is only 83 square metres – 892 sq ft. When you get down to the front retail space of 60 Sydenham Road it is only 35 sq m - 376 sq ft advertised with a rent of £15,800 per annum. Add to this the business and water rates, light and heat, insurance, phone etc so for anyone opening a small shop in Sydenham you need to be thinking about overheads of at least £500 per week. A retailer in the high street told me with staffing costs he worked on an overhead budget of £2,000 per week. The conclusion of this discussion was the need to ensure residents shopped local and supported their high street.
In terms of action points these included:
• Better promotion and marketing of Sydenham – shop local campaign – Sydenham Smiles plus a loyalty card; traders web site; local newsletter covering SE26; use of Facebook -Assembly page, TNG Wells Park etc linked to other local web sites
• More events to bring residents to shop in the high street such as Halloween, Christmas and Easter; more community events such as “get to know your neighbours” day
• Open up the use of the Naborhood Centre for everyone in the community and promote the change of name to the Sydenham Centre
• Improving the look of the high street – start the renewal works asap; helping traders with signage; clean up flyposting; encourage a diversity of shops - more quality shops such as shoes and clothing
• Ensure better planning controls on change of use from retail; enhance Conservation Areas by keeping traditional look for shop fronts; work on traders agreement for licencing to 11pm; respect the residential area including a meeting with Zanzibar
• Ensure visible community policing and more feedback on the use of CCTV
• Mentoring and job opportunity schemes for young people
Generally there were positive comments about the East London Line and the estate agents said that Sydenham offers good value with interest from couples – some with young children or looking to start a family in the locality.
I was facilitated a table discussion looking at future investment opportunities in the high street. Mookie Ziv, the agent for the two commercial units at the Greyhound, believed this site presented a real opportunity to attract larger businesses – the larger unit at the rear has interest from a well known supermarket and the small unit fronting onto Kirkdale could attract a wine bar – the space for the commercial units is 657 square metres. The concept for this area was one of leisure space maximising the use of the public square surrounding the pub – the pub comprises of 286 square metres. In total the site offers commercial floorspace of 943 sq metres.
The next largest floorspace will be at 22 Sydenham Road offering 475 square metres ground floor A1/A2. The reason Sydenham has so many small independent shops is the lack of floorspace - 59 Sydenham Road (old House of Curtains) is only 83 square metres – 892 sq ft. When you get down to the front retail space of 60 Sydenham Road it is only 35 sq m - 376 sq ft advertised with a rent of £15,800 per annum. Add to this the business and water rates, light and heat, insurance, phone etc so for anyone opening a small shop in Sydenham you need to be thinking about overheads of at least £500 per week. A retailer in the high street told me with staffing costs he worked on an overhead budget of £2,000 per week. The conclusion of this discussion was the need to ensure residents shopped local and supported their high street.
In terms of action points these included:
• Better promotion and marketing of Sydenham – shop local campaign – Sydenham Smiles plus a loyalty card; traders web site; local newsletter covering SE26; use of Facebook -Assembly page, TNG Wells Park etc linked to other local web sites
• More events to bring residents to shop in the high street such as Halloween, Christmas and Easter; more community events such as “get to know your neighbours” day
• Open up the use of the Naborhood Centre for everyone in the community and promote the change of name to the Sydenham Centre
• Improving the look of the high street – start the renewal works asap; helping traders with signage; clean up flyposting; encourage a diversity of shops - more quality shops such as shoes and clothing
• Ensure better planning controls on change of use from retail; enhance Conservation Areas by keeping traditional look for shop fronts; work on traders agreement for licencing to 11pm; respect the residential area including a meeting with Zanzibar
• Ensure visible community policing and more feedback on the use of CCTV
• Mentoring and job opportunity schemes for young people