Hi,
i have looked at the minutes from this meeting, discussion took place on how Lewisham approached this problem compared with other councils , or thats my impression from the lengthy minutes!
Has any progress been made further on what is going to be done with the properties we where asked to identify?
Why has the sydenham forum or the individual contributers not been feed back to after being asked for their opinions?
Empty properties blight
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Chris Best
- Posts: 439
- Joined: 6 May 2005 11:37
- Location: Sydenham
The Review of Empty Properties report can be found here http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres ... 6thJan.PDF and includes a number of recommendations.
For follow up and feedback I suggest that you contact Nick Long, the Empty Homes Manager, to discuss empty residential properties and Julie Sutch, the Town Centre Manager that covers Sydenham, for information on the Sydenham Business Property Database.
For follow up and feedback I suggest that you contact Nick Long, the Empty Homes Manager, to discuss empty residential properties and Julie Sutch, the Town Centre Manager that covers Sydenham, for information on the Sydenham Business Property Database.
I posted this as an idea in this thread last October and it seems to have started in other places:
This is the link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manc ... 997600.stm
The idea has also been talked about at the Sydenham Assembly and Virtual Norwood forum for Crystal Palace Parade.
Why can't we have it in Sydenham...how many empty shops do we have that could be creative spaces.
Perhaps Julie Sutch is already on the case...
TEXT FROM LINK:
New plans to stop 'ghost towns'
Community groups should use more empty shops as resources to help prevent town centres becoming ghost towns, the government says.
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears announced measures to help groups turn shops into galleries or advice centres.
The scheme is being launched in Stockport, Greater Manchester, where the council is already using empty units for cultural pursuits.
Ms Blears is discussing the plans with the town's business leaders.
The seminar will also be attended by Culture Secretary Andy Burnham, councillors, landlords and town centre managers.
The package of measures includes £3m of funding, faster planning procedures and standard short-term leases.
"If you're faced with boarded-up shops, it's a really depressing shopping experience," Ms Blears said.
"One of our ideas is to say on a temporary basis, can we get more community groups coming in, art galleries, rehearsal space for youngsters?"
Extra powers are to allow councils to take over premises left empty.
Stockport town centre, seven miles south of Manchester city centre, has not been immune to the recession.
Like many other towns, its main shopping street has an empty Woolworths store and a number of other units lying unused.
But a council spokesperson said the authority was already taking "proactive measures to support the town centre economy".
The dedicated town centre management team co-ordinates initiatives such as marketing and networking and events to attract new businesses and visitors to the area.
Orbital knitting
"In particular our popular events like Culturefeast in May are focusing on innovative ways to develop the cultural offer in the town centre through utilising empty units," the spokesperson added.
"Interesting uses to date include temporary art galleries, photographic studios, writers' workshop and performance space.
"Empty clothing units have been utilised as dance studios and space for giant orbital knitting groups.
"We will be looking for even more innovative new ways to ensure we make use of them."
This is the link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manc ... 997600.stm
The idea has also been talked about at the Sydenham Assembly and Virtual Norwood forum for Crystal Palace Parade.
Why can't we have it in Sydenham...how many empty shops do we have that could be creative spaces.
Perhaps Julie Sutch is already on the case...
TEXT FROM LINK:
New plans to stop 'ghost towns'
Community groups should use more empty shops as resources to help prevent town centres becoming ghost towns, the government says.
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears announced measures to help groups turn shops into galleries or advice centres.
The scheme is being launched in Stockport, Greater Manchester, where the council is already using empty units for cultural pursuits.
Ms Blears is discussing the plans with the town's business leaders.
The seminar will also be attended by Culture Secretary Andy Burnham, councillors, landlords and town centre managers.
The package of measures includes £3m of funding, faster planning procedures and standard short-term leases.
"If you're faced with boarded-up shops, it's a really depressing shopping experience," Ms Blears said.
"One of our ideas is to say on a temporary basis, can we get more community groups coming in, art galleries, rehearsal space for youngsters?"
Extra powers are to allow councils to take over premises left empty.
Stockport town centre, seven miles south of Manchester city centre, has not been immune to the recession.
Like many other towns, its main shopping street has an empty Woolworths store and a number of other units lying unused.
But a council spokesperson said the authority was already taking "proactive measures to support the town centre economy".
The dedicated town centre management team co-ordinates initiatives such as marketing and networking and events to attract new businesses and visitors to the area.
Orbital knitting
"In particular our popular events like Culturefeast in May are focusing on innovative ways to develop the cultural offer in the town centre through utilising empty units," the spokesperson added.
"Interesting uses to date include temporary art galleries, photographic studios, writers' workshop and performance space.
"Empty clothing units have been utilised as dance studios and space for giant orbital knitting groups.
"We will be looking for even more innovative new ways to ensure we make use of them."
Certainly, when the group behind Sydenham Community Radio first mooted the idea of moving into any of the empty High Street units (in line with our desire to provide a high visibilty and easily accessable focal point for community activities), we were advised that anything between the Greyhound and Mayow Road was a total non-starter, because these units were exclusively reserved for retail businesses.
Perhaps it's time for us to try again?
Perhaps it's time for us to try again?
There was an editorial in today's Guardian in favour of this:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree ... sses-shops
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree ... sses-shops
I was wondering about this issue as I walked the high street yesterday.
Basically, is it time to start giving up on high street retail? Allow the properties to be converted to office use, even to become residential properties.
We used to maked use of the high street because we had no choice. Now, we jump in our cars and drive to Sainsburys or Croydon. And that ain't gonna change, no matter how much the luddites want it to. Cars and retail sheds are here to stay.
Basically, are the planning laws at fault - trying to maintain an profile of a high street that no longer makes economic sense?
Basically, is it time to start giving up on high street retail? Allow the properties to be converted to office use, even to become residential properties.
We used to maked use of the high street because we had no choice. Now, we jump in our cars and drive to Sainsburys or Croydon. And that ain't gonna change, no matter how much the luddites want it to. Cars and retail sheds are here to stay.
Basically, are the planning laws at fault - trying to maintain an profile of a high street that no longer makes economic sense?
Dick - I think you're trying to wind us up! Walking down the high street and thinking at the same time is clearly a dangerous thing.
I've been reading this thread with increasing puzzlement. Not because I don't believe that empty shop premises should be utilised or "decorated" -indeed a so-called wallpaper scheme is currently being devised for Sydenham Road. But I simply do not accept that we are suffering from empty property blight in the high street.
Of course we have empty shops but there are in fact almost exactly half the number we had 5 years ago in the middle of what was then economic boom. And if you investigate empty premises, you find that most are in the process of be re-rented or there are "special circumstances" are to why they are empty.
The organisers of the Sydenham Arts Festival have recently been in contact with the owners of many empty shops since they propose to use the premises for an "arts trail" during the festival. Virtually no suitable shops are available since they are in the final process of being re-rented. The shop formerly used by Proctors already has a new lease signed, for example, and I could go down the high street and tell you similar stories.
Then there are the "special circumstances". The Machrays Chemist shop has been covered in another thread. Or take the former curtain shop on the corner of Queensthorpe Road. Very simple case - greedy landlord asking an unreasonable rent. As soon as they drop the rent the shop will be occupied - probably as a curtain shop!
Ask the traders - local shops have seldom been busier. Somerfield is visibly trading more strongly since its makeover. And the fact that we have a major planning application on the Greyhound site and another pending halfway down the street is an indication of the strength of local trading.
We have a £2m road improvement scheme and the opening of a £2bn rail scheme to look forward to in the next 18 months which will revolutionise the area.
Property blight. What property blight? There have always been empty shops on the high street and there always will be as one trader leaves and another arrives.
As for the idea of turning the high street into offices. Why would anyone want to move into a totally unsuitable, single aspect cramped, dingy shop premises usually without toilet or kitchen and pay up to £20,000 per year when they can hire a modern purpose-built office nearby for half the price?
I've been reading this thread with increasing puzzlement. Not because I don't believe that empty shop premises should be utilised or "decorated" -indeed a so-called wallpaper scheme is currently being devised for Sydenham Road. But I simply do not accept that we are suffering from empty property blight in the high street.
Of course we have empty shops but there are in fact almost exactly half the number we had 5 years ago in the middle of what was then economic boom. And if you investigate empty premises, you find that most are in the process of be re-rented or there are "special circumstances" are to why they are empty.
The organisers of the Sydenham Arts Festival have recently been in contact with the owners of many empty shops since they propose to use the premises for an "arts trail" during the festival. Virtually no suitable shops are available since they are in the final process of being re-rented. The shop formerly used by Proctors already has a new lease signed, for example, and I could go down the high street and tell you similar stories.
Then there are the "special circumstances". The Machrays Chemist shop has been covered in another thread. Or take the former curtain shop on the corner of Queensthorpe Road. Very simple case - greedy landlord asking an unreasonable rent. As soon as they drop the rent the shop will be occupied - probably as a curtain shop!
Ask the traders - local shops have seldom been busier. Somerfield is visibly trading more strongly since its makeover. And the fact that we have a major planning application on the Greyhound site and another pending halfway down the street is an indication of the strength of local trading.
We have a £2m road improvement scheme and the opening of a £2bn rail scheme to look forward to in the next 18 months which will revolutionise the area.
Property blight. What property blight? There have always been empty shops on the high street and there always will be as one trader leaves and another arrives.
As for the idea of turning the high street into offices. Why would anyone want to move into a totally unsuitable, single aspect cramped, dingy shop premises usually without toilet or kitchen and pay up to £20,000 per year when they can hire a modern purpose-built office nearby for half the price?
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Robin Orton
- Posts: 3380
- Joined: 9 Sep 2008 07:30
- Location: London SE26
I've counted the shopfronts, including pubs and restaurants, in the upper part of Kirkdale, i.e. above Wells Park Road and Sydenham Park. Out of 41 properties, 14 (34%) are empty or apparently not trading. I've counted as empty the LiveLAN internet cafe (133) which looks closed and whose website seems no longer to be operating; also the soon-to-be Tesco at 139-147. (I see that the retail area under the new flats at 113-119 is on the market for £1m! See http://www.commercialroute.com/property/see/VQ1T2HGP/.)
Over a third of properties empty seems a high figure to me. I might count them again next year, by when the opening of Tesco might have had some effect. I wonder how the percentages compare with neighbouring areas, e.g. Sydenham Road or Dartmouth Road?
Over a third of properties empty seems a high figure to me. I might count them again next year, by when the opening of Tesco might have had some effect. I wonder how the percentages compare with neighbouring areas, e.g. Sydenham Road or Dartmouth Road?
Why don't Lewisham Council care? Why has the borough seemed to have missed out on the 'boom years'? A town like Sydenham should not look as scruffy and as empty as it does despite the fact it may have more shops open now than it did 5 years ago, Sydenham has so much potential and Lewisham should have done more before now ...even Downham is in a desperate state, some of the worst ive seen in London, like where the Tiger's Head, The Green Man Beefeater and Courts the furniture store used to be, why arent businesses wanting to open up or develop housing in Lewisham to the extent and as quickly as they do in boroughs like Wandsworth?
Last night was the opening night of 'the bigger picture' on Church Road in crystal palace. www.thebiggerpicture.
It was a total success and makes use of an empty shop, in this case using an empty shop as an art gallery for local artists.
It will be open for the next 6 weeks and houses some fantastic artwork and jewellery. If any local artists are interesting in doing the same thing here in Sydenham then the artists and organisers would be more than happy to share there experience. (contact through the website).
I'd urge a visit, it's very impressive.
It was a total success and makes use of an empty shop, in this case using an empty shop as an art gallery for local artists.
It will be open for the next 6 weeks and houses some fantastic artwork and jewellery. If any local artists are interesting in doing the same thing here in Sydenham then the artists and organisers would be more than happy to share there experience. (contact through the website).
I'd urge a visit, it's very impressive.