Miriam Lodge 185 Dartmouth Road

[ALIB]

This topic has been started on this forum elsewhere, however, after yesterdays events, i am motivated to start a separate one.

My previous complaints to Lewisham have got no replies from Lewisham MP's or Councillors. The silence is deafening. Unlike the noise local residents had to endure for most of Saturday 17th July.

Local residents are enduring a significant decrease in the quality of their everyday life.
Street beggars, petty crime, noise early in the morning, noise in the evenings, house break-ins, damage to vehicles, have all been noted since Paul Breen House became Miriam Lodge and started its life as a bail hostel and housing convicted criminals.

local residents were not consulted about this change of use, but this will be an issue we will take up with Lewisham in due course.
**EDIT**

Miriam Lodge is an outrage in the way it has been converted to a bail hostel.

[Blushingsnail]

There's a post on the SE23.com forum that this building is appearing on hotel listing sites as the 'Hive Hotel'. Does anyone know anything about this? Has it actually turned into a hotel or is it just a name change which has triggered travel websites listing it as a hotel?

[ALIB]

Since my initial rant some time ago, things have improved vastly at the hostel. There are still occasional beggars and an ambulance was present yesterday morning, but on the whole it seems to be better managed. Though to say all the prvious residents are on bail awaiting trial would have been an exaggeration. I was also under the impression that it provided accomodation for vulnerable people.

I think the owners ultimate intention was to make the building into a hotel. He seems to be on his way to achieving this through 'planning creep'. I think originally set up as a bail hostel, it can now accept paying customers too . Only difference is, it is now actively advertising

e.g. http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Revi ... ml#REVIEWS

4 stars in most listings too.

[Eagle]

Is this the old police sessions house next to the Police Station that is rarely open.
The map seems to imply it is the other side of the BLA ( back in the 70's the best pub in the area , now a dump ) where I thought there was a second hand car lot.

What do the poor policemen do for accomodation now after being chucked out for illegal immigrants then a bail hostel( how low can you go ).

[ALIB]

IF, i owned the site, my Business Plan would be something like this:

1) Turn the accomodation block into a Bail Hostel/refuge for vulnerable people.

2) Gradually accept some paying guests , so commencing a gradual change of use to a Hotel.

3) Have a fully-fledged hotel ready for the Olympics and cash-in.

4) Monitor bookings after 2012 to explore additional development potential of the site and whether it would be financially viable

That's what i would do.

[bensonby]

Is this the old police sessions house next to the Police Station that is rarely open.

Yes. The police station is open 5 days a week - that's hardly "rare".

What do the poor policemen do for accomodation now after being chucked out for illegal immigrants then a bail hostel( how low can you go ).

They move out of London because they can't afford decent-sized homes locally.

[Dorian]

Yes it is Eagle,

I too had a few great pints of Youngs " ordinary " there in its better days, a long time ago.

I also think it had a Rugby team that would call on the Police Section house on a Saturday morning for extra players when short of a few. Sad days that have gone. I also recall the officers turning up at the BLA at closing time for a few when they finished a shift, which kind of made a few of us hangers on " legal" to stay a bit later .

Now its this http://www.miriamlodge.com/home.html. Planning pushed through without any consultation by " delegated powers " with no reference to a democratic commitee, and as far as Lewishams web site is concerned , NO public consultation !

[Dorian]

What do the poor policemen do for accomodation now after being chucked out for illegal immigrants then a bail hostel( how low can you go ).

They move out of London because they can't afford decent-sized homes locally.

And they should be forced to do that to house a Hostel ?

I was at school on the South Coast and 20 years ago bumped into an ex- peer from my school who had followed his father into the Met, in the Brick. He was quartered in that section house as a probationer. So I suppose now he would just commute from further out to accomodate............ a more deserving section of society ?

[bigbadwolf]

You've misquoted ALIB, Dorian. It was Eagle that (predictably) disparagingly opined on where police officers were accomodated in the past, and what alternatives (or lack thereof) are available to them now.

[Dorian]

Indeed I have !

Ali B please forgive me

[Eagle]

It is shame the Police to not have use of the sessions house . What it was constructed for.

The Police Choir in the early , mid 70's used to make the Brick a great drinking establishment. Bill and Dot ran a tight ship , preceeded by Harry and Lil.

Who decided that the Police did not need accomodation near to their job?

True Bensonby the Police station is open 9 to 5 but with regret criminals do not stick to those hours . Very ungentlemanly of them I know .

I suggest they chick out the Illegals and Bail hostel persons and bring back The Police.

[ALIB]

With regard to the Police station, or the Lodge ?

The Lodge appears to be better managed in recent months. There is noticeably less begging in the area, but there are still odd occasions when ambulances are called to Miriam Lodge.
I would hazard a guess that Miriam Lodge takes up a fair bit of police time (from Sydenham police station). You would hope that is incentive enough to keep the police station being sold-off.

My real concern is that the police station is sold to the Lodge owners who then use the station building as a bail hostel extension.