Going over old ground - The Hound that is Grey

[Eagle]

I agree Steve , a play area next to main road a non starter , I hope.

Pictures look quite nice ,sadly somehow reality often not as good.

[FromCtoShiningC]

I 100% agree with Steve.... something like a Pizza Express may not suit all tastes (literally), but I'd certainly pay my money... they do some lovely pizzas and people WOULD make an evening visit and boost the nightime economy which is severely lacking in SE26.

[Eagle]

Some would say the nighttime economy in Sydenham is far too active and noise ( Tanzanian excuse for a night club ).

[leenewham]

Always look on the bright side of life…

#rebuildthegreyhound

[parker]

I think it would be good to bulldoze Sydenham and build a Westfield. If it's good enough for Croydon

[Steveofsyd]

All gone a bit silent....any news? It really is a disgrace...I wonder if one of those investigative TV shows might be interested...lol
On a more sensible note i read recently that M&S were looking for new locations near stations....
If this project was actually moving, they might have shown an interest but doubt they would touch this with a very long barge pole

[squashst]

The recent Syd website is depressing re the Greyhound - looks rather bleak if true.
"Bad News! Nothing is going to happen soon. The commercial head lease owner is refusing to sign the necessary Deed of Variation because they are reported to become liable for the rent with no confidence that the Greyhound will be rebuilt any time soon. A not unreasonable position!

Meantime Purelake are putting in a new planning application asking for A1/A2/A5 use in addition to the existing A3/A4. In English that means changing from only a pub/restaurant to betting shop (William Hill has been sniffing) or Takeaway (McDonalds are also reported sniffing). The Sydenham Society is outraged and had a motion passed by the assembly asking Lewisham to refuse this any application that extends use and doesn’t have a rebuild timetable.

This will run and run and run … and it is all down to Purelake whose machinations have included on the criminal act of partially demolishing a building in a conservation area without consent and then misleading the court with a promise to quickly rebuild in return for a reduced fine. They undoubtedly think they can get away with it and unless they can be coerced by further legal action probably can. Their reputation is something they appear not to care about.

The damage they have done to Sydenham and the community is considerable but difficult to calculate. They are, in the words of our most busiest poster, A COMPLETE DISGRACE."

[Smiffy]

I may get the white gloss out and paint 'PURELAKE DID THIS' in huge letters on the hoardings. It's a shame Zanzibar's late licence has been revoked, kicking out time would have been an ideal time to do it, no danger of the police seeing anything untoward.

[mosy]

Did someone say run and run and run...

Should we get a fat lady to sing?

[parklife]

Is it possible to advertise this awful purelake saga wider ?
I was thinking of a facebook page
could have a counter detailing how many days since our pub was half demolished and left to rot

I don't know how to do it

[Rachael]

There is a Facebook page already. It doesn't seem to have got much traffic.

[Eagle]

Pull it down . Most people I have talked to want it pulled down .

Let Purelake be fined and the money spent on a worthwhile community scheme.

[admin]

Purelake was a discussion point at a lunchtime meeting today. i hope something significant might come from it. The issue is getting a united response which will hit them where it hurts most. I'm usually non-partisan on Sydenham issues. But this is different. Watch this space.

Admin

[Gaddison]

It would be great if this could be a focus of community attention to bring pressure to bear. Personally I had been concentrating on the Zanzibar issue up until now, and I can tell you it is such a relief with the result and quite uplifting that the community and the council were able to bring success there . I wonder if that solidarity could be continued and turned to the Greyhound now?

It is at present a huge blight to the area, left there for too long - actually bordering on criminal given the detrimental effect that such an eyesore has on all around, detracting people from businesses on the highstreet. It really setbacks all of the improvements to the high street in recent years.

The area behind the building has taken on the guise of a ghetto- with street drinkers and homeless people congregating, and masses of rubbish piling up. I do feel particularly sorry for the people who live in the flats behind, given what was promised.

Maybe the first thing is to push for a community gathering as was held on several occasions over the Zanzibar club. An example that has been raised before here should give cause for optimism for the power of united community will and pressure – ie the Ivy House pub in Nunhead.

I used to live in Nunhead several years back, at a time when the owners of the building containing the Ivy house pub closed it down as they wanted to develop the whole building as flats. That was really gutting, as anyone who knew that place would know - it was an amazing community hub with a fantastic heritage: had great food and great music .

The community pushed very hard and managed I understand to get the pub listed, thus preventing its demolition. It was reopened a year ago as London’s first cooperatively owned pub – their website http://www.ivyhousenunhead.com/ makes quite inspiring reading. There are apparently 371 shareholders – I believe many in the local community. I haven’t been back yet, but plan to in the near future and will try and drop them an email to see how they managed to do it.

It seems to be that the Greyhound, given its history, should be of at least equal importance to the community of Sydenham.

On a final note: I did see some old photos of the greyhound interior., it looked quite grand http://sydenhamforesthillhistory.blogsp ... enham.html. Does anyone know if this has been preserved and stored somewhere. I really hope so, but I know there was some sort of fire there after it closed.

[JRobinson]

time to write to my MP ... again.
no wait, he's the brother of the director of Purelake...!

time to write to our Lewisham Councillors, but they probably know about this already.

how about Boris Johnson? Evening Standard (again?) someone in Whitehall in charge of planning?
Watchdog? Cowboy Builders?

[Gaddison]

Maybe if we all write to our MP he'll get so inundated with letters and p....d off he'll force his brother to get his act together!

Worth a shot

[Eagle]

Surely we must assume if anything could have been done the powers that be would have done it.

Sad as it is therefore one must assume that then contractors are within their legal rights.


I , like many , do not want that eyesore for another 24 months or so.


Please pull it down.

Perhaps a plebiscite is called for. But please leave smarmy Alec and Sturgeon behind...

[G-Man]

I'm with you Gaddison. We need to get together to save the pub.

Eagle - I'm not sure who you're asking but most of the forward thinking people, and those I know who have just moved to the area are all for the pub being rebuilt. To knock it down would be against the initial agreement and essentially the local community giving in.

Cheers

G-Man

[Nigel]

Gaddison and G-man , agree 100%
We must find a way to make a big noise.
A very good morning
Nigel

[leenewham]

I agree G man. Not sure who Eagle is talking to, I don't think I've met anyone in person who wants it pulled down and the chatter on other forums is to get it rebuilt.

#rebuildthegreyhound