The Greyhound

[simono]

A louvre panel is the cover to the plant machinery for the air con units. These as you will see from the plans be right opposite the bedrooms of the properties in Peak Hill Gardens and under the windows of the bedrooms to the new flats. A great moving in present and in my view unacceptable. This was supposed to be where the deliveries went in but the achitects failed to realise they couldn't get the delivery lorries into the entrance due to the width of Spring Hill.
This is the second application for this scheme, the first having been witdrawn after concerted objections from neighbours.There are alternative places that this plant could go - for instance on the roof or at the front of the block where noise would be under the front rooms of the flats and where it would be more obscured by road noise.
If anyone has been up to the Tesco's on Kirkdale and stood next to the fans there you will know how intrusive the noise is. How would you like that under your bedroom window running 24hrs a day? I am arranging another petition from the resisents of PHG to object to these proposals and remain hopeful that the proposals will be rejected again.

[AdamN]

Walking past the site this morning (7:20am) and it would appear that the far top left flat is occupied. Lights were on, furniture was in and there was someone walking around in there.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[Chris Best]

Yes handover was set with Hexagon for the 10 October so that the residential part could be occupied. Haxagon gave me a preview and I can say that the finish is to a high standard particularly the Spring Hill flats. The 40 flats will provide much needed affordable homes.

The planning consultation for The Greyhound lasts until the 16 October. I can't get onto the planning portal at the moment to give the link but can say I am asking about the landscaping. The part that is Hexagon's is all hard landscaping but the original plans demonstrated there was a significant amount of soft landscaping including trees.

It has been confirmed there is a small increase in the roof pitch due to the eaves projecting slightly further when the new rear cavity wall has been constructed replacing the original wall of the extension which the previous roof stitched into. I still have questions regarding the placement of the floors in relations to the walls - at the moment the second floor is running through the window line. I am hoping to get answers to my questions before the closing date so that I can give an informed response.

[Bazman76]

I realise that its a bit late but having seen the finished flats I have to say they seem quite incongruous when considered as part of the high street, and down right ugly when considered on their own.

I really hope that future projects will more in keeping with the high street.

As for the whole affordable housing thing, that's just one cruel joke. Why build houses nobody (that can afford not to) would want to live in? It's jsut building ghetto's for the future (hardly what we want on the high street).

Anyway rant over.

[Annie.]

I think Sydenham has been over developed, the flats by Sainsburys are already going off white,not long till they look crap! The green ones are apparently going to be the new "Milford House"? Nice! We are now squashed between Milford House and Miriam Lodge! I thought Sydenham wanted to attract investment?
The flats at Cobbs Corner should not have been allowed, far too big to dominant on the Horizon,ugly,with the tiny diminished Greyhound plonked in front, poor greyhound.
I think if they could have got away with it, when the fire happened in the Greyhound, they were hoping they could just pull it down.
Shame on Lewisham Council.the "gateway" to Sydenham is no more.
I am hoping with all my heart that the redevelopement will do something to help, but the worst that can happen -- has.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[Tim Lund]

the worst that can happen -- has.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

"The worst is not / As long as we can say 'This is the worst'"

King Lear, Act 4, Scene 1

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[Annie.]

Thank you for the education Tim,
But to be honest I couldn't give a pigs ear about King Lear,
I'm sure other people know what I mean.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[Eagle]

At least the Greyhound has not been turned into a nail bar or tanning studio.

[Annie.]

That would be even worse than worse Eagle!

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[Rachael]

I would have to agree that the Greyhound flats are quite brutal and domineering. The quality of the finish is clear, but it doesn't make it a beautiful building. By contrast, the new development at Bell Green is much more attractive, but the finish is shoddy.

Having said that, if the flats in the Greyhound development are affordable, and they have been built to a high standard, then I am sure there are plenty of people who will appreciate being able to live there.

[Tim Lund]

Thank you for the education Tim,
But to be honest I couldn't give a pigs ear about King Lear,
I'm sure other people know what I mean.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

Annie - apologies - it was just quite a good quote to comment on the planning tragedy with The Greyhound has become, and the fact that it was only from the start of the 4th act suggests there are a fair few scenes to come, and the best part of two whole acts.

It would be nice to be able to respond more seriously, but it's not easy to know what is going on, and as long as that's true, we can't say what further disappointments might be in store. On the question of the quality of the new flats, there's no reason to doubt what Rachel writes; these will have been built to 'decent homes' standards, and the people who move in will certainly appreciate their new homes. So Bazman76 can only be right in writing that ''It's just building ghettos for the future" if the subsequent management of block is inadequate.

I don't agree with Annie that 'Sydenham has been over developed'. I think it has suffered some poor development, and poor management / regulation of development, but 'attracting investment' goes hand in hand with more development. People moving into new developments should bring in local spending power, and building new homes is how investment can be financed.

You've probably read enough from me on the economics on housing and the High street, but this is the fundamental problem, which I've banged on about since at least this post from January. We need more affordable homes, but the way to get them is not by forcing through brutal and domineering developments such as this, but by increasing the supply of housing of all sorts, so that prices are driven down to the point where they become affordable.

I don't think that would take much, but saying how much is not easy - in the economics jargon, it's a question of estimating 'elasticity of demand', complicated by the unraveling of decades of people in effect speculating in the property market - buying houses even when it's a stretch on their finances because they believe prices - in the long run - can only go up.

[Eagle]

rshdunlop

You say the flats at The Greyhound are affordable.

All housing is affordable.

Out of interest do you know the price they are being sold for.?
Do you have to be an essential worker to get one ? I do not mean nail bar worker or tanning studio executive.

[Rachael]

I don't know, Eagle. I take your point about 'affordable' - I was using it in the context of housing associations etc having to provide 'affordable' housing. The details are probably on Hexagon's website.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[Tim Lund]

I don't know, Eagle. I take your point about 'affordable' - I was using it in the context of housing associations etc having to provide 'affordable' housing. The details are probably on Hexagon's website.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

I believe that 'affordable' has come to mean up to 80% of market rents, which when market rents are as silly as they are, is no great comfort. It's why policies which stress the supply of 'affordable' homes miss the point; we need more supply period. Or full stop.

[Eagle]

I have checked Hexagon SE26 and cannot see any mention of selling or rental prices ?

Are they all for rent?

I do hope they are all going to working people.

[Tim Lund]

I have checked Hexagon SE26 and cannot see any mention of selling or rental prices ?

Are they all for rent?

I do hope they are all going to working people.

I believe they are now going to be 100% rented social housing, which contrasts with the figure of 36% (14 out of 39) given in the planning documents. But that was a minimum - why Hexgon is doing what it is is one of the many unknowns of this drama.

[Eagle]

Yes Tim does seem a mystery.

No problem with rented housing as long as for working people.

[biscuitman1978]

Two more applications in which people might be interested:

- DC/12/81550/FT: details of the scheme for the reuse of the salvaged tiles from the old 'drinking corridor' (see here for an image of the proposal)

- DC/12/81551/X: details of rear tiled wall (see here for an image of the proposal)

[coll]

Hello all,
apologies if this question has been asked and answered already. I can't seem to find it if it has.

What was the outcome of the application to turn the upstairs of the pub into flats? Surely if it were to pass, it would greatly reduce the want for anyone to take it on as a pub- being so limited of space. This would make the replacing of tiles only a minor victory in major mess.

[biscuitman1978]

Hello all,
apologies if this question has been asked and answered already. I can't seem to find it if it has.

What was the outcome of the application to turn the upstairs of the pub into flats? Surely if it were to pass, it would greatly reduce the want for anyone to take it on as a pub- being so limited of space. This would make the replacing of tiles only a minor victory in major mess.

The application (DC/12/80236/X) was withdrawn by the applicant.

The current application to rebuild the pub (DC/12/81431/X) provides for the building as a whole, as well as a new conservatory, to be used as a public house/restaurant