New St Christopher's Charity Shop

[JRW]

At every stage of the planning process, applicants are encouraged to pre-check their application before submitting formally. If the yoga company failed to file documents correctly, then it is their fault for not taking advantage of the offer.

What we need is a change of law, limiting the tax benefits for property companies in keeping buildings and land out of use. Sydenham is blighted by property owners who are holding out for a better offer long-term in redevelopment, when the Bakerloo arrives. Meanwhile, the empty shops get shabbier and dirtier, and are a public nuisance by making the area look semi derelict.

If shipments and business rates were reconsidered, then shops would find retailers queueing up for a realistic price. One for the Mayor of London perhaps?

[Bovine Juice]

Waiting for the Bakerloo is a major long term ambition, surely. Isn't it only coming to Lewisham by 2030 and no guarantees beyond that.

[chrisj1948]

I am very disappointed that the yoga studio will not be going ahead. For years we had placed geranium pots on the triangle of land behind the property to discourage tipping and littering. They were well liked. We were asked to remove them to allow installation of a bicycle rack, which we duly did. The land is increasingly reverting to a messy eyesore, and people have started to use it as a parking place which means, unless they have a tiny Smart car, that they end up blocking our rear gate and preventing us from using our car.

Regards
Chris

[Bovine Juice]

The land is increasingly reverting to a messy eyesore, and people have started to use it as a parking place which means, unless they have a tiny Smart car, that they end up blocking our rear gate and preventing us from using our car.

Regards
Chris

Is it worth putting a polite notice "Gates in constant use" on your gate?

[chrisj1948]

Is it worth putting a polite notice "Gates in constant use" on your gate?

We already have one

[simonh]

Just out of interest, what sort of business would be the top of everyone’s list for Syd High Street?

[JGD]

mosy not asking for hand holding at all.

Just consistency in approach.

In any case where one applicant is granted approval with conditions such as requiring that a Traffic Statement or a Sound Statement be supplied at a later date, it would be reasonable to apply that same principle to another applicant.

In the yoga case it was not consistently applied. The application was rejected and no opportunity offered to provide the statements later. It may of course have something to do with the planner's perception of size and legal strengths of the party that was offered the conditions.

The planners grounds for making a request for the statements could also be deemed questionable.

[mosy]

JGD, that assumes that all is equal (or not) from a face value perspective. It might be that the "subject to" grant was because of undertaking in the application that the info would be given as soon as it could be, whereas More Yoga confirmed they'd just missed it but did re-submit with it later, which presumably by then would make no difference whatever the council did if the landlord had decided to let to another.

I do find it odd that the planning committee only seems to sit every once in a blue moon bearing in mind that the groundwork will have been done by others already, so why not sit more frequently? Otherwise, again I do think the onus is on a business to learn how much time would be lost from a re-submission.

I still agree absolutely that applicable rules should be applied equally to all though.

[syenhamboy]

Just out of interest, what sort of business would be the top of everyone’s list for Syd High Street?

For me it's a well run and managed local business. The encourages more of the like.

NOT
another Charity shop
pound shop
betting shop
chain shop
cash cheque pawnbrokers
estate agents

[JRW]

Cycle shop?

[Andyb]

I think an Iceland would do good after a good refit and open up floor space back to original size, great frozen range and grocery range which is getting better.

[JRW]

I would love an Iceland, especially since it's been launching eco innovations, like a plastic packaging ban. The downside would their frankly ghastly shop front designs. All that shrieking red plastic frontage is a bit much, especially for the old Safeway building, which has quite a sleek, mid-century look to it. All very snobby I expect, but it is a shame that their corporate design isn't keeping up with their new strategies. That said, I would still choose Iceland rather than Poundland or whatever.

[parker]

I wouldn’t mind an Iceland in the old Co-op as long as it looked like their new format stores, like the one in Clapham Common. It beats an Aldi or what it’s probably going to be, a Poundstretcher

It’s a shame we can’t aim as high as an M&S Food Hall.

[angela53]

I think they have done a great job of smartening up this spot - looks so much better than the previous betting shop and the furniture is of good quality. I hope it stays

[The Clown]

It still looks a real mess from the back as you approach from Newlands Park

[Pally]

It still looks a real mess from the back as you approach from Newlands Park

That's a shame but from the front it looks great!