Building site on Sydenham High Street

Sydenham Syd · Post by **Sydenham Syd** » 22 Jul 2014 10:41

Just wondered if anyone knows what is going on behind the hoarding with graffiti on Syd High St? There seems to be a lot of discussion about lack of housing in London and obviously huge house price levels, I just wondered what is going on with that plot and why it seems to have been derelict for so many years. There is also a site behind Lidl, overlooking the car park, where there is a large derelict building. I am sure the development scouts are out, but the one on the high street looks strange - forgive my ignorance if this has been well documented.

Eagle · Post by **Eagle** » 22 Jul 2014 10:56

Do you mean the one just on Kirkdale side of Railway Bridge ???

If so , not in High Street but very near.

Believe they are building a Wine Bar and there is post about this.

If you mean somewhere else please advise.

Sydenham Syd · Post by **Sydenham Syd** » 22 Jul 2014 11:16

The one next to the 'Gold Shop' - this URL should direct you to what I mean

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Lon ... a9282a184c

Eagle · Post by **Eagle** » 22 Jul 2014 12:37

Now with you.

Space between Venner and Homecroft. Used to Dennents the Hardware and DIY store there I believe in the 60's.

Surprisingly large site.

Do not know but expect some Tim approved apartments.

biscuitman1978 · Post by **biscuitman1978** » 22 Jul 2014 12:54

Planning permission was granted in 2011 for the demolition of the existing building and development of A1/A2 floorspace and nine flats. You can view the planning permission by going to http://planning.lewisham.gov.uk/online-applications/ and searching for 'DC/09/72662/X'.

Another planning application was submitted in late 2013, the purpose of which was to tidy up some of the conditions imposed on the 2011 permission. That application (ref DC/13/85830) was approved in March 2014.

If you read the covering letter for the latter application (available at http://planning.lewisham.gov.uk/online- ... 250976.pdf) you'll see it explains that:
- The site has been 'recently purchased' by Vale Enterprises Ltd
- The application was submitted with a view to developing the site 'in the near future'

Let's hope we see some action on site soon!

stuart · Post by **stuart** » 22 Jul 2014 14:05

biscuitman1978 wrote:If you read the covering letter for the latter application (available at http://planning.lewisham.gov.uk/online- ... 250976.pdf) you'll see it explains that:
- The site has been 'recently purchased' by Vale Enterprises Ltd
- The application was submitted with a view to developing the site 'in the near future'

"Document unavailable ..."

Vale Enterprises Ltd "General construction & civil engineering" - dissolved 13/08/2008 according to Companies House.
Not looking too good ...

Stuart

Tim Lund · Post by **Tim Lund** » 22 Jul 2014 14:09

This might be helpful, from that application

Tim Lund · Post by **Tim Lund** » 22 Jul 2014 14:12

For what it's worth, the letter heading if from this company

http://www.dp9.co.uk/

biscuitman1978 · Post by **biscuitman1978** » 22 Jul 2014 14:38

Tim Lund wrote:For what it's worth, the letter heading if from this company

http://www.dp9.co.uk/

dp9 is a well established and planning consultant with a strong track record, so I don't think there are any worries on that front...

stuart wrote:Vale Enterprises Ltd "General construction & civil engineering" - dissolved 13/08/2008 according to Companies House.
Not looking too good ...

...but it is a little strange that a company apparently dissolved in 2008 should submit a planning application in 2013.

Sydenham Syd · Post by **Sydenham Syd** » 22 Jul 2014 15:57

Quite extraordinary that there seems to be nothing going on there. I guess access for heavy vehicles will cause havoc on the high street, but surely something must go on there - too valuable. Otherwise it should become a park or something - but the Tiger's head or whatever, but an admittedly talented graffiti artist, is a little bit of an eyesore

leenewham · Post by **leenewham** » 22 Jul 2014 16:33

It's a shame it wasn't opened up for use as a market or fun fair or had this parked on it:

http://www.vintagemobilecinema.co.uk

Etc…

Work starts before too long so rumour has it though on the rebuilding.

Sydenham Syd · Post by **Sydenham Syd** » 22 Jul 2014 16:59

Where are you getting those rumours from?

Tim Lund · Post by **Tim Lund** » 22 Jul 2014 17:30

biscuitman1978 wrote:
Tim Lund wrote:For what it's worth, the letter heading if from this company

http://www.dp9.co.uk/
dp9 is a well established and planning consultant with a strong track record, so I don't think there are any worries on that front...

stuart wrote:Vale Enterprises Ltd "General construction & civil engineering" - dissolved 13/08/2008 according to Companies House.
Not looking too good ...
...but it is a little strange that a company apparently dissolved in 2008 should submit a planning application in 2013.

Would you expect a well established and planning consultant with a strong track record to check that the legal entity it is dealing with exists, or is this the sort of thing which nobody normally bothers with? Should they? Do you think it makes a difference?

What's normal practice with redacting information when publishing documents in planning? If they are for publication, why should any part be made private? If they can be, who decides, and on what grounds?

Tim Lund · Post by **Tim Lund** » 23 Jul 2014 09:59

Having dug around a bit - i.e. paying £3 for this from the Land Registry

and following changes of name and directors via Duedil, it would seem that the site belongs to a dormant company, Grove Park Realisations Ltd, controlled by a Mr Gary Wyatt. Still no trace of Vale Enterprises Ltd, other than dissolved companies, but maybe such a company exists, but not to be found on the UK Companies House web site, i.e. registered elsewhere.

I find this all very curious - I'm sure greater transparency and the accuracy which should come with it would result in more efficient regeneration of sites such as this.

Sydenham Syd · Post by **Sydenham Syd** » 23 Jul 2014 10:28

Thanks you Tim - the whole thing seems very mysterious indeed. I might ask one of the local agents, or basically Property World who owns it - they are bound to.
The company on the title seems to be based in Fulham. Odd.
Its a huge site - I notice it was bought for £190k - bargain!

Tim Lund · Post by **Tim Lund** » 23 Jul 2014 11:08

Given what was written in the planning application about it having been recently purchased, that owner is almost certainly no longer in the picture.

Interestingly, as I was writing this, my phone rang, and it was the new owner talking to me!

At which point, I feel my rhetoric about transparency put to the test.

I'm not going to divulge the name and other details here and now, because it was a private phone call, and I have no reason to think that anything said will not be in the public domain soon, when a planning application is made.

But I take my hat off to those involved - the new owner and his planning consultants at DP9, who I emailed this morning, and who evidently passed my details on to the owner. These are people who understand about communications!

leenewham · Post by **leenewham** » 23 Jul 2014 11:27

From the planning application:

Sydenham Syd · Post by **Sydenham Syd** » 23 Jul 2014 12:18

Ok so any idea what is going to be built?

Tim Lund · Post by **Tim Lund** » 23 Jul 2014 15:08

Mixed use, with retail ground floor and housing, looking, I'd guess, much as the images posted by Lee.

Seems pretty reasonable to me.

Thanks for starting this thread, BTW!

Sydenham Syd · Post by **Sydenham Syd** » 23 Jul 2014 15:36

Sorry, I think my repost, and the very good images provided by Lee, crossed in the ether somewhere so I hadn't seen them.

I suppose I am all in favour of maintaining the uniformity of the High St architecturally, so I am probably pretty happy with that in many ways. Part of me wanted to have something dynamic and original, however, one has to be careful what one wishes for.

No probs on the thread - I have often wondered who actually 'owns' the high street. I know the rents are scandalously high, coupled with the services provided by Lewisham, (I am told they are higher than on Lordship Lane for e.g.), but it is always interesting to know who is in charge.

Do we have a time scale for construction?

Sydenham Town Forum

The Community Voice for London SE26 since 2004