28 September 2011

Honor Oak Rec deadline. Act now!

The consultation process by Southwark Council is almost over - you have until Friday to submit your questionnaire. If you have not already done so, the questionnaire can be completed online at Southwark's website.

About 150 people attended last weekend's Public consultation event at the Rec and the questions and comments gave the loud and clear message to the council :
that our community want the Rec to stay as an open green space, to be improved and not used for burial.

We recognise that the passing of loved ones is an emotional affair and that people need to visit graves to grieve, but are also cognisant of the fact that we have limited space locally for the living and the deceased. We are not against burial, but urge Southwark (and Lewisham) to follow a sustainable policy which does not consume valuable amenity space; the previous extensions of Camberwell New Cemetery were supposed to last many years and yet are already full. Using the remaining space of Honor Oak Rec will merely delay the inevitable day when there is no more burial space available in Southwark and Lewisham - it is not a solution to the problem. In 2007 the Government stated it was supporting London boroughs in the reuse of burial grounds that are more than 75 years old.

Our suggested answers
How often do you visit the cemeteries or crematoriums in Southwark?
Enter frequency of visits to all Southwark cemeteries and Honor Oak Rec (which is part of Camberwell New Cemetery from the viewpoint of this questionnaire)
What is the reason for your visit(s)?
Tick all that apply
Do you have a preference for burial or cremation?
Answer truthfully. Obviously, if you say burial, then more burial space is required.
If you have chosen burial as a preference please let us know what would be important to you when selecting a cemetery plot
If you chose burial, then explain that you want a sustainable solution, encouraging grave reuse by lift-and-deepen. The Church of England recommends grave reuse after 50 years in its Churchyards' Handbook.
Do you feel it is important for Southwark Council to continue to provide burial space for its residents
If you feel that Southwark should provide burial space, then stress that this should be either by reuse of existing space, or by provision of new space outside the Borough
Please rate the following options in order of those you feel most appropriate for the future of burials in the borough. Please number your preference from 1 to 8 with 1 being your first preference and 8 being your least favoured option.
A. Re-use of common graves - 1
B. Re-use of private graves - 2
C. Use of burial chambers - 3
D. Find burial site outside of Southwark - 6
E. Share other cemetery or buy privately - 4
F. Find shared land with other councils - 5
G. Use some/all of Honor Oak Recreation Park - 8
H. Stop burying in Southwark Providing a burial service is not a statutory responsibility. - 7
Add comments stating the need for any Burial policy to be sustainable. Also note that when Camberwell New Cemetery opened, there was plenty of green space in the Borough and this is no longer the case; burial space should not be provided at the expense of amenity space.

The campaign to preserve the Rec is being supported by Fields in Trust as well as the Friends of Honor Oak Rec.

Apple pressing afternoon at One Tree Hill

The One Tree Hill allotment society have their annual apple pressing afternoon on Saturday, 1st October, between 1pm and 5pm.  All are invited to go along and join them “chop/ mash/ scrat/ press apples into lovely fresh juice for you to drink".

It’s a free event at the One Tree Hill Allotments, just off Honor Oak Park. Entry is by the top side gate on Honor Oak Park. See this map for the location (marked “ALLOT”) or email london_cider@btinternet.com for further information.

15 September 2011

'Bring and Take' day - Saturday 24th September

The Forest Hill Society is organising a 'Bring and Take' day on Saturday 24 September 2011, 11.00am to 3.00pm, at the Dacres Wood Reserve Field Centre, off Dacres Road SE23.

BRING: usable items you no longer need
eg bicycles, push-chairs, books, toys, CDs, DVDs, tools, small items of furniture, musical instruments, good‑quality clothing, electrical goods, kitchenware etc


TAKE: items you will find useful

This isn’t a swap so you don’t need to match a Bring item with a Take item. Bring and Take whatever you like but remember, the more items people bring the more there will be take away!


Please note: Items you bring should be in good working order.

In addition, Lewisham Council are providing a van for the collection of WEEE waste (electrical and electronic equipment), so if you have any electrical items that no longer work you can bring them along to be disposed of properly.

How to find the Dacres Wood Field Studies Centre:
Entry to the Field Centre is off Dacres Road, between Catling Close and Homefield House, near the junction of Dacres Road and Silverdale. An unmarked driveway leads directly to the Field Centre from Dacres Road. Parking is available on Dacres Road and other nearby roads.

The Nature Reserve won't be open but the Forest Hill Society are organising an Open Day on Sunday 23 October 2011.


View Larger Map

11 September 2011

Open House Weekend in SE23 - 17th-18th September 2011

Havelock Walk Open Studios
Saturday and Sunday 12pm-6pm.

Tour of the landscaping of Horniman Gardens- Sat - 2pm-4pm.
More details

The Capitol - Sat 10am-5pm/Sun 10am-5pm.
Regular architectural tours including behind-the-scenes to largely untouched first floor area. Pre-book ONLY on 020 8291 8920. Last tour 4pm.

Walter Segal self-build house with eco-refurbishment
8 Walters Way, Honor Oak Park SE23 3LH - Sun 1pm-6pm.
Regular tours, first come basis.

10 September 2011

What is Neighbourhood Planning,and why might it be relevant for us?

The Forest Hill Society and The Sydenham Society invite you to a neighbourhood planning workshop on 21 September 2011 at 7.30pm,  Upstairs at The Hob (opposite Forest Hill Station).




You may have heard about a range of changes to The Planning System that the Government are proposing.  One of the positive things to come out of the draft legislation is the proposal for Neighbourhood Plans that allow communities to put together their own vision and plan for the future in a way that can then become planning policy.

The Forest Hill Society and the Sydenham Society are hosting an event on the 21st September at the Hob to consider the neighbourhood planning proposals, to discuss how it might be relevant for Forest Hill, Perry Vale and Sydenham and whether it is something we should to do.  The idea is that the event gives information about Neighbourhood Planning and Localism, but that it also focusses on the specifics of the areas we are interested in and gets people to think about what could change for the better and what the key issues might be?

We want to include people who don't know anything about this at present but who are simply interested in the area(s).  We don't have a set view about whether a Neighbourhood Plan is the answer or not yet, or how it would work, but understanding the issues behind this is one of the purposes of the event. We particularly want to attract people with good ideas and thoughts about what could be done to improve the area.

The meeting is open to all, from SE23, SE26, and those further afield who are interesting in what neighbourhood planning might mean to them.

03 September 2011

Perry Vale Energy Savers - Launch Event

Time: September 13, 2011 from 7pm to 9pm
Location: Kilmorie School, Kilmorie Road, London SE23 2SP
Organized By: Susan Wise and Lewisham Council

Perry Vale residents (see map of Perry Vale Ward) have been awarded funding from the GLA to improve energy efficiency in their homes.

Participating households will receive a visit from a professional energy advisor who will asess which energy and water saving devices residents can benefit from, install them and offer practical advice on how to reduce energy use,  The scheme is open to everyone in Perry Vale, is completely free with no obligation on the resident's part.

Please attend and learn how to save energy and reduce your energy bills!

Cross Post from Love Perry Vale.