“I Am a Man”

In June this year, after the killing of George Floyd by a police officer in the American city of Minneapolis, two new artworks appeared in Forest Hill. The first, on Waldram Park Road; simply stated ‘Black Lives Matter’ ― a recognition of the difficulty Black people continue to have, even today, in being seen and treated equally.

The second artwork, created by Nathan Bowen, can be seen on Perry Vale, close to the underpass. It is a powerful image in its own right, but it is also a representation of the 1968 Memphis, Tennessee sanitation strike.

 

The Memphis sanitation strike was provoked by the death of two sanitation workers who were crushed to death in a garbage truck that malfunctioned while they sheltered from the rain. This led to strikes and marches, with the protestors taking up the placards shown in the photo, in a peaceful protest against poor working conditions and a host of other grievances.

Martin Luther King Jr was a strong supporter of the cause of the sanitation workers and led some of the marches in Memphis. It was on 3rd April 1968, in Memphis, that King gave his last speech ― “I've Been to the Mountaintop” ― and on the following day he was assassinated on the balcony of his motel room.

Bowen’s artwork reminds us of the injustice and inequality for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people, not only in 1968, but also today. "For at the heart of racism is the idea that a man is not a man, that a person is not a person. You are human beings. You are men. You deserve dignity." ― Rev James Lawson 1968.

Bampton Estate Green an Asset of Community Value

The Forest Hill Society has received confirmation that their request to recognise Bampton Estate Green as an Asset of Community Value has been successful.

Reasons for nomination:
1) The green/grass open space with trees and the ball court is used and valued by Bampton Estate residents and neighbours to play, interact with each other, for various recreational activities including family picnics.

2) The area is safe and ideal for children and families. The area is well-observed from all sides and situated well away from the road.

3) The ball court is used for sports and physical activities by local children, young people as well as adults from Bampton Estate. The resource encourages physical activity as opposed to sedentary lifestyles.

4) The space allows residents and neighbours direct exposure to nature which is beneficial to mental health and physical well-being, reducing stress and pressure from daily life.

5) The green open space allows children to be outside and play in nature, the latter are crucial in children’s health development, emotional stability and mental health.

6) The green open community space allows local people to make friends and meet neighbours.

7) The combination of several mature trees and the green grass on the estate helps keep our area fresh and cool in the summer.

8) The mature trees help to remove various pollutants from the air that negatively affect people with respiratory problems and increase mortality rates.

9) The area has its own ecosystem and provides a safe habitat for various animals, birds including bats and woodpeckers.

10) The area serves as a communal garden for Bampton Estate residents who live in flats and don't have their own private garden.

Lark in the Park

Saturday 22nd June, 12 noon - 4pm, Mayow Park

Lark in the Park is the community festival brought to you by Perry Vale Assembly, designed to bring local people and community groups together for a day of fun in the park. This year, the theme will be celebrating world cultures.  We hope to have a music and performance stage, and we are also looking forward to welcoming the police #together team with their police horses and dogs.  Plus all the usual attractions including free face painting and storytelling for under-fives, free tennis tasters, Dr. Bike and all our favourite local community groups and charities.

Thanks as usual to Friends of Mayow Park for helping to plan and publicise the festival – find out more about the Friends on their Facebook page: @FriendsofMayowPark.

Planning Application: All Inn One, Perry Vale

There has been a planning application submitted in 2018 to demolish the All Inn One pub and build a six storey building with pub and hotel. The details of the application can be viewed on the Lewisham website.

The Forest Hill Society has written to object to this development for a number of reasons:

• Scale and massing of the development
• Concern over loss of pub amenity
• Lack of details relating to the new A4 (pub/restaurant) unit 
• Loss of character and heritage value of the pub
• Negative impact on daylight to neighbouring properties

We have also asked for consideration of how the Perry Vale car park might be used and for consideration to be given to an improved crossing point on Perry Vale to service the hotel and local residents.

The full text of our objection can be read here.

Christmas Conservation Area

Edward (Ted) Charles Christmas was born in Lewisham in 1867. By 1871 his family was living above the stables of Prospect House, which is now 79 London Road (on the corner of Taymount Rise). Ted’s father was the gardener at Prospect House, and its garden extended from the rear of the house up Taymount Rise to St Paul’s Church. In his early years, Ted trained as a carpenter and then went on to install “sanitary plumbing”, electric bells, burglar and fire alarms, Lincrusta wallpaper and Roman mosaic tiles. However, his speciality was “artistic joinery” and there were, apparently, many fine shop fronts installed by him.

Throughout Forest Hill, Ted Christmas and his construction company built a number of houses and converted other properties to flats. Many of these houses form the basis of the Forest Hill Conservation Area, which includes properties on Thorpewood Avenue, Round Hill and London Road. Unfortunately, there has not been any protection for the houses in the Perry Vale area that form a key group of Christmas houses.

His best-known and one of the earliest developments is located between Perry Vale and South Road in Forest Hill. In 1901, he completed 108-116 Perry Vale: five substantial, detached houses called Linstead, Ashdale, Ulverston, Rosaville and Aberleigh in honour of his wife, Laura. A couple of years later, 131-153 Perry Vale were completed, their names spelling “Ted Christmas”. Round the corner, 72-64 Sunderland Road spell “Grace”, his daughter’s name. He also built houses in Gaynesford Road and several other groups of houses in this area. They are distinctive, and easily recognised.

As a result of concerns by local residents, Lewisham Council are now consulting on creating a new conservation area to recognize and protect these houses alongside a number of other architecturally significant buildings in the area. The conservation area would stretch from Perry Vale to South Road and from Sunderland Road to Church Rise — a small area, but one which includes some lovely buildings.

As well as protecting these Christmas houses, the conservation area makes note of some important memorials in the graveyard of Christ Church on South Road. Of particular interest is the 15-foot obelisk memorial to George Baxter (1804-1867), the inventor of colour printing; and Joseph and Edward Tetley, the founders of Tetley Tea, which was just one of the tea brands owned by Forest Hill residents in Victorian times (another notable brand being Horniman Tea).

More information about Ted Christmas can be found on local historian Steve Grindlay’s blog at:
http://sydenhamforesthillhistory.blogspot.com.

Significant Developments Planned for Forest Hill

All Inn One Site

This summer, owners Julia and Richard announced that they would be selling the All Inn One on Perry Vale. All regulars to the pub will be sad to see them leave in April 2019 and will be concerned about the future of the pub once they leave.

The new owner is considering the best use for the site, but has told the Forest Hill Society that a pub will remain on the ground floor and return to the old name of The Forresters. Since pubs are now protected by law, any demolition proposal would require full planning permission from Lewisham Council — we will be watching this closely, and working with the developer to ensure continued community use of this site.


Artist’s impression of one possible rebuild of the All Inn One pub with residential units or a hotel above.

Co-op Site

Not far from the All Inn One, at the junction of Waldram Park Road (South Circular) and Stanstead Road, is the Co-op grocery store with a large forecourt which used to be a petrol station.

A planning application was submitted earlier this year to convert this site to a 5-storey, 90-room hotel. On the ground floor would be a convenience store, roughly the same size as the Co-op; however, without any car parking, the Co-op is apparently not interested in continuing to operate on the site.

The Forest Hill Society is supportive of this application in principle, but does have some concerns about service access for the hotel and store, and the on- and off-site parking ramifications for hotel guests, shoppers and neighbouring residents.

However, a large hotel in Forest Hill could be of benefit to the community — by bringing more people to the area who would use local restaurants and shops.

Portakabin Site

Between the Co-op site and the railway bridge to the west, on Waldram Crescent (South Circular), lies the Portakabin site. Proposals for its redevelopment currently feature around 21 flats with some form of commercial activity at ground floor level. The development would rise from 3 storeys close to existing buildings on the eastern edge, to 6 storeys overlooking the railway line.

Since this site has been under-utilised for too long, it is good to see this site, close to the town centre, being considered for redevelopment. The Forest Hill Society has spoken to the developers to encourage them to think creatively about the use of the ground floor space, as its location on the South Circular is not a good spot for pedestrian access. Given the site's proximity to the railway line and the South Circular, we have also asked them to consider every possible noise mitigation solution for the benefit of the flats' future residents.

Lark in the Park - 30th June

Planning: Bampton Estate - 50 new homes

Lewisham Homes have submitted a planning application for the construction of one part four/part five storey building to provide fifty over 60s dwelling units. Details of the application can be viewed here.

The Forest Hill Society had submitted an objection to this development as we have concerns on the impact of existing and future residents. Of particular concern are:

• Impact of daylight for existing residents
• Lack of daylight in units in the new development
• Overlooking & Loss of Privacy
• Over-development of the site
• Lack of details for the Northmoor blocks within the Bampton Estate

You can read the full response here.

A Better Crossing for Perry Vale

The Forest Hill Society have started a petition for a new crossing on Perry Vale.

 Many passengers exiting Forest Hill station wish to cross Perry Vale to go home and to visit local shops. Site lines are poor for pedestrians close to the station and shops, and the nearest safe crossing point is beyond all the shops (beside Perry Vale car park). This is not appropriate for a busy crossing point used by all sections of the community, including children and elderly people.

A light-controlled pedestrian crossing (pelican or puffin crossing) would provide a safer crossing point for pedestrians and better manage traffic on the junction with Waldram Place.

With the 20mph speed limit on this road, we believe that a light-control crossing at this location would provide greater safety for all road users. We ask that Lewisham prioritise the installation of a formal crossing at this location.

If you agree, please add your name to this petition.

Local Police Patrols on Twitter

Forest Hill, Perry Vale and Crofton Park Safer Neighbourhoods Teams are our local police teams, reporting to Sergeant John Biddle.

As well as working hard to keep our streets safe, they provide regular updates on Twitter (@MPSPerryVale, @MPSForestHill, and @MPSCroftonPark) and on the local forum — SE23.life.

Regrettably, the police have recently reported a rise in house burglaries, thefts of mopeds and thefts of items from vehicles in the SE23 area. Nevertheless, some successes have been achieved in arresting suspected burglars in the local area, as well as dealing with drugs offenses and anti-social behaviour, and working with residents on crime prevention.

At present all three teams are based at Catford Hill police station, but the Metropolitan Police have plans to close this station (as well as the main Catford police station) and deploy officers elsewhere. The current thinking is that the Perry Vale, Forest Hill and Sydenham teams will be relocated to Newlands Park, just inside Bromley Borough, with the Crofton Park team either joining them or being relocated to Lewisham or elsewhere in the borough.

Each ward has a Safer Neighbourhoods Panel that includes representatives from local neighbourhood watch groups, residents’ associations, civic societies, councillors and traders. These panels help set the priorities for the police in their local areas, so that the concerns of residents can be dealt with.

Little Italy in Forest Hill

We are almost reluctant to share this Forest Hill secret with you as we quite like having it all to ourselves!

We have a new hidden gem on the Perry Vale side of the Forest Hill station where you can enjoy a fantastic pizza or pasta and the best tiramisu I have tasted, all in a beautiful outdoor setting.
Piazza della Cucina at 15 Perry Vale is the venue, and it has recently replaced Cinnamon, which was a very nice Indian restaurant. It has proved to be a very welcome addition to this stretch of Perry Vale, which has seen several establishments open in the last few years, especially: Waters fishmonger and greengrocer; the Perry Vale restaurant, which is doing well; and the newly opened Clapton Craft and popular and well-stocked Crafty Beer shop, each of which have an astounding range of craft beers.

But back to Piazza della Cucina, which a group of us recently visited for a ‘quick’ after-work pizza, as the freshly baked pizzas straight from the pizza oven are marvellous. It was a warm night and we were, on entering the restaurant, asked whether we wanted to sit in the garden! Garden? “What garden?” we asked.  We were not aware that it had a garden, let alone the delight into which we walked. Walk along the upstairs corridor, down some wooden steps, and you are in Italy!

The garden is huge, beautifully designed with the most amazing timber-roofed and decked area, resplendent with geraniums and planters and an outside bar. There are tables under cover in the decked area or you can sit on the uncovered part. There are lovely metal tables and the whole garden is full of authentic Italian touches. All of the timber for the wooden structures was imported from Italy since the restaurant's owner, Jacob, really wanted to embrace his heritage and create an authentic Italian ambience.

There are few eateries in Forest Hill where you can sit outside, and the outside garden of Piazza della Cucina is the perfect place to sit, talk and eat with family and friends.

We would include some pictures here of the outside area but, to be honest, it is so special that I want you to have that WOW feeling as you enter; and a photo here would ruin the experience for you.

Go, sit outside, have a pizza, have a glass of Italian wine, have the tiramisu and talk to the owner, but don’t tell anyone… Let’s keep this hidden gem of Forest Hill as our secret…  OK?

Article by Belinda Evans

Come Rain, Come Shine!

What a summer this has been: first drought, and then torrential downpours, more drought, and even more torrential downpours! But through it all, a trusty band of volunteers has kept planters thriving around Forest Hill town centre; and the ‘tyre towers’ in Perry Vale continue to impress people with fresh green Cordyline plants.

Earlier this year, Groundworks/Energy Gardens planted a new herb trough and apple trees on platform 1 at Forest Hill station. In July and August their com-munity gardener, Victoria Robinson, held three meetings at the station in order to explain the project’s role in creating community gardens and sup-porting gardening activities in primary schools across London. As part of Groundworks/Energy Gardens collaboration with the Forest Hill Society, Victoria committed her final Saturday at the station to weeding, cutting back overgrowth and removing the accumulated debris, helped by local volunteers.


Our annual autumn tidy-up of the planters and station forecourt area will be on Saturday, 14th October, meeting at 2:00pm. Community gardening can be fun so why don’t you join us?  Many people might then admire your handiwork! (Because of the proximity of the South Circular and the station car park, this event is not suitable for children.)

One Way for the Future of Perry Vale?

For a number of years the Forest Hill Society has been looking for ways to improve the area to the east of Forest Hill station. In particular we have been looking at a small stretch of Perry Vale — between the South Circular and Waldram Crescent — where there are a small number of shops. We think this area could be revitalised and become a new destination in Forest Hill.

We have recently seen Waters’ fishmonger and greengrocer open, and Clapton Beers are planning to open a new craft beer shop later this year. But this road has much more potential. It is the only shopping street in the centre of Forest Hill which is not on a bus route, and we think this provides an opportunity to make it better.

Taking our inspiration from Catford Broadway and Lambs Conduit Street in Holborn, we have put together a proposal for this stretch of road to become one way, allowing more space for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as some parking and dedicated loading bays. By widening the pavements it would not only improve the area for pedestrians, but it could allow for some of the cafes to have tables outside.

This scheme was discussed at the Forest Hill Society AGM and at a recent Perry Vale Ward Assembly. We have also encouraged people to respond to our consultation, for which the results were overwhelmingly positive (although some useful feedback was received from a number of respondents).
Perry Vale councillors are now working with Lewisham Council’s transport team to look at putting together a bid for funding from TfL to further develop the scheme and implement the necessary changes to the road layout.

This is not really a new idea, but the Forest Hill Society has turned an aspiration into a realistic plan, which can now be pursued further by Lewisham Council. 

Following the 20mph scheme now instituted across Lewisham, the Council are taking another look at the possibility of a pedestrian crossing close to the station — on the Perry Vale side, which would make a big difference to many pedestrians.

Proposal for a One-Way Scheme on Perry Vale

The Forest Hill Society has drafted a proposal for a one-way scheme for a small section of the Perry Vale road.

The premise of this proposal is that with some limited changes to the road/walkway layout, this area could set the basis for a more attractive location: for commuters, residents and businesses. While an outline scheme has been proposed, we would expect that a more detailed review (including a possible temporary trial) would be carried out by the appropriate planning and transport authorities prior to full implementation.

We invite you to consider the proposal (shared below), and to let us know your thoughts via the survey link.

We plan to then include all responses in a report, and possible Petition, to Lewisham council, as your views will bring some local context to the proposal in terms of local support, perceived benefits of the scheme and any potential issues.


Opportunity Statement
Perry Vale is the road adjacent to Forest Hill Station.
While in recent years the suburb of Forest Hill has undergone healthy regeneration (in part due to the improved connectivity of its rail station), it cannot be said that both entry points to local infrastructure hub have thrived to the same extent.

Perry Vale businesses naturally report high passing footfall, but note that the area does not yet represent a destination for retail or leisure.

We propose that there exists an opportunity to foster the kind of organic improvements in area that have so far eluded it: principally through reconfiguration of road usage.

There are already commercial developments underway which can contribute to the regeneration of this de-facto hub entry point, and we feel that the proposed changes presented here would impact positively on the character and utility of the area concerned, and reflect many principles of key London and Lewisham policies.

After much consideration, and discussions with businesses and residents, we invite Lewisham council to consider this proposal in its planning cycle.

Add caption

 


Please complete our survey to let us know your views.

Ward Assemblies

This month ward assemblies will be voting on how to spend money in the local community. Competition this year has been greater than normal, so your vote counts for the projects that you would like to see in the local area.

Forest Hill Ward AssemblySaturday, 15th October, 2pm
Venue: Forest Hill Pools

Crofton Park Ward AssemblyTuesday, 18th October, 7pm
Beecroft Garden School, Beecroft Road, SE4 2BS

Perry Vale Ward AssemblyWednesday, 19th October, 7pm
Venue: TBC

Planters for Perry Vale

The railway wall on Perry Vale is not the most attractive part of Forest Hill. So the Forest Hill Society decided to do something about it and work with Rockbourne Youth Club and AeroArts to create new planters out of old tyres (kindly donated by A A Tyres & Wheels of Standstead Road).  Huge thanks to all those involved in the preparation work and setting them up just as the rain came down.

We hope you enjoy these colourful additions to the streetscape and if you see rubbish in them it would be great it you could help by removing it!

26 Inglemere Road - Planning Application

A new application has been made to convert a building to the rear of 26 Inglemere Road to a one bedroom dwelling. The application can be viewed on Lewisham website. (Application number DC/15/93613)

The Forest Hill Society has written with concerns regarding this application relating to:
•    The design quality
•    The quality and legibility of the planning application documentation
•    The planning history of the site
•    Site suitability

You can view the full text here

Business Profile: The Perryvale Bistro & Bar

Belinda Evans from the Forest Hill Society interviewed owner Royston Holmes about his new venture, The Perryvale Bistro & Bar, which is located on the east side of Forest Hill station at 31a Perry Vale.

Why did you choose Forest Hill for your new venture? Opening our business in Forest Hill has been a real pleasure, and everyone has been incredibly kind and complimentary. We were looking for a site in South East London in order to link with my partners’ (Hector, Jen & Matt) other site, The Crooked Well in Camberwell. A lot of The Crooked Well’s regular customers are from Forest Hill and it kept coming up in our search; so, when The Perry Vale site became available we had a really good feeling. 

Tell us a bit about some of your dishes and their provenance? Our menu aims to provide a modern British feel drawing on some classic European influences.

What’s your most popular dish so far? It’s difficult to say which dish has been most popular however our baked squid flies out on a daily basis along with our mustard rabbit leg in its summery broth. We always have great specials on, too!!

How do you choose your wines since you have a really extensive and lovely wine list? Our wine list is personally selected by Hector who has some fantastic contacts in the industry, including some of the best vineyards in South Africa and world-class Master Sommeliers.

Do you use local suppliers? We use local, independent suppliers where we can, including William Rose Butchers in East Dulwich.

What’s your favourite thing about Forest Hill? I’m overwhelmed by the feeling of community in Forest Hill. Ninety-five percent of our customers at the moment live ‘just down the road’ so it’s great to be able to build strong links with the area.

Where do you like to eat out in Forest Hill (or the wider area)? I must confess, I haven’t had a huge amount of time to sample the culinary delights in the area, but I’ve had two really good meals at The Dartmouth Arms.

What do you think Forest Hill needs next? I doubt very much that I am qualified enough to discuss what Forest Hill needs next. However, it would be great to see the Perry Vale side of the tracks given a bit of a lift!

What are your plans for The Perryvale in the next few months or years? Having been open for just a month the focus is very much on gaining confidence in our product, but we’re already looking at developing a weekend brunch and pushing a wallet-friendly lunch menu.

For more info, visit www.theperryvale.com.

Lark in the Park

Fun and games in Mayow Park on Saturday 18th July

Ward Assemblies

Ward assemblies are an important way to have your say on developments in the local area and are a good opportunity to meet your local councillors.

Crofton Park Ward - Saturday 21st June, 10am, St. Saviour's Church Hall, Brockley Rise (see http://goo.gl/maps/Xj7yQ)
Forest Hill Ward - Sunday 13th July, 1:30pm, Forest Hill Pools, Dartmouth Road
Perry Vale Ward - Tuesday 15th July, 7pm, Rockbourne Youth Club