Your Neighbourhood Matters
A Society for Forest Hill, London.
To contact the Society about our activities please email email@foresthillsociety.com
Support the Forest Hill Society - become a member today.
17 June 2017
24 May 2017
Parliamentary Election Hustings - 6th June
The
Forest Hill Society and the Sydenham Society are organising an election
hustings for candidates for our next MP on Tuesday 6th June, from 7:30pm at JK Banqueting Hall at 15 Perry Vale, SE23 2NE, in the centre of Forest Hill.
Confirmed candidates attending:
Shaun Bailey - Conservatives
Ellie Reeves - Labour
John Russell - Liberal Democrats
Karen Wheller - Green Party
Hoong-Wai Cheah - UKIP
The venue is less than 1 minute from Forest Hill train station, is close to bus routes 356, 122, 176, 185, 197. Car parking is located 2 minutes away in the Perry Vale car park opposite Church Vale.
A full list of candidates standing in Lewisham West and Penge can be found here.
11 May 2017
Parliamentary Election Hustings - CANCELLED
Due to the horrific incident in Manchester last night and the suspension of election campaigning today, we have decided to cancel the hustings that was due to take place this evening.
We are looking to see if it would be possible to rearrange prior to the election and will keep you informed.
The Forest Hill Society and the Sydenham Society are organising an election hustings for candidates for our next MP on Tuesday, 23rd May from 7:30pm at JK Banqueting Hall at 15 Perry Vale, SE23 2NE, in the centre of Forest Hill.
Confirmed candidates attending:
Shaun Bailey - Conservatives
Ellie Reeves - Labour
John Russell - Liberal Democrats
Karen Wheller - Green Party
A full list of candidates standing in Lewisham West and Penge can be found here.
We are looking to see if it would be possible to rearrange prior to the election and will keep you informed.
A full list of candidates standing in Lewisham West and Penge can be found here.
03 May 2017
Edible High Road - Plant Give Away
Saturday 6th May from 2pm
The Forest Hill Society will be giving away plants to anybody who wants to grow some vegetables or herbs. The plants have been grown by the Horniman as part of courses and are surplus to requirements so, for the third year in a row, we are delighted to be giving them to local residents and visitors.
We will be at Forest Hill station from 2pm-4pm this Saturday and all plants are free. All we ask is that you look after them and then eat them!
Get there early for the best selection.
The Forest Hill Society will be giving away plants to anybody who wants to grow some vegetables or herbs. The plants have been grown by the Horniman as part of courses and are surplus to requirements so, for the third year in a row, we are delighted to be giving them to local residents and visitors.
We will be at Forest Hill station from 2pm-4pm this Saturday and all plants are free. All we ask is that you look after them and then eat them!
Get there early for the best selection.
16 April 2017
Bell Green Aldi Planning Application
An application has been made for an Aldi store to replace the gas holders at Bell Green. You can view details of the planning application on the Lewisham Council website.
The Forest Hill Society has written in objection to this application. Our main reasons for objection were:
If you wish to oppose this development you can send your objection to planning@lewisham.gov.uk or sign the petition that has been created.
The Forest Hill Society has written in objection to this application. Our main reasons for objection were:
- Removal of historical context for Grade II listed Livesey Memorial Hall.
- Impact of local roads and pollution
- Potential impact on town centres including Forest Hill and Sydenham
If you wish to oppose this development you can send your objection to planning@lewisham.gov.uk or sign the petition that has been created.
07 April 2017
Dartmouth Road Improvement Notification Letter
Below are details from the contractor regarding the Dartmouth Road Improvements Works that will be carried out between May 2017 and March 2018. Full road closure will happen for six weeks from 9th January 2018.
A2216 Dartmouth Road
Work
on the improvement of Dartmouth Road from A205 to Round hill Road will start on
the 02nd May 2017 for 10 months. Kier Highway Services Ltd – London Highways
Alliance Contractor are carrying out these works on behalf of London Borough of Lewisham.
The improvement work involve
·
Repaving
footways, improving street lighting locations, new street furniture including
landscaping and resurfacing of the road.
·
New
public realm area outside of Heron House including seating and natural stone planters.
·
Re-positioning
of existing signal poles and widening the existing Pelican crossing.
·
Installation
of new entry treatments / speed tables within the side roads.
·
Installation
of new parking bays.
·
Installation
of new 20mph Speed limit.
·
Installation
of additional bus stops.
Where and when will the work take place?
This
project is being completed in 6 phases:
·
Phase 1 will commence on 02/05/17 with the installation
of new kerbs, footways, parking bays and granite raised entrance into
Thorpewood Avenue. The works will start on the west side from Derby Hill up to
Junction with Thorpewood Avenue. Access into Thorpewood Avenue will be via a
diversion route that will be signed. Two-way manual traffic control will be
implemented, to enable safe and efficient working on Dartmouth Road.
·
Phase 2 – will commence on 16/08/17 with the new
kerb, footway and parking bay works continue on the east side from Thorpewood
Avenue up to Dartmouth Place. Raised Granite entrances into Clyde Terrace and
Dartmouth Place. Access into Clyde Terrace and Dartmouth Place will be signed
via a diversion route. Two-way manual traffic control will be implemented, to
enable safe and efficient working on Dartmouth Road.
·
Phase 3 – will commence on 20/07/17 with the new
public realm area on the east and west sides of the road. The public realm
extents are from Derby Hill to Centaury Yard. You will see installation of new
kerbs, granite paving footways, street furniture and landscaping. Two-way
manual traffic control will be implemented, to enable safe and efficient
working on Dartmouth Road.
·
Phase 4A – will commence on 06/11/17 with the new
kerb, footway and parking bay works continue on the west side from Century Yard
to A205 Junction. Two way Traffic control to be implemented, to enable safe and
efficient working.
·
Phase 4B -. Will
commence on 09/01/18 with the new kerb, footway and parking bay works will be
installed on the east side between Century Yard and A250 Junction. This Phase
will run concurrently with the phase below, under a road closure of Dartmouth
road.
·
Phase 5 – will commence on 09/01/18 on Dartmouth
Road, between A205 and Round hill Rd will have new Granite Sections installed into
the carriageway. A road closure of Dartmouth road will be in force to through
traffic for 6 weeks to enable the works to take place. The Granite sections
will be built in localised road closures, to allow access to shops and
facilities via either end of Dartmouth road. A letter and local engagement will
be sent out 3 months in advance of works.
·
Phase 6 - will commence on the 07/02/18 on Dartmouth
Road, between A205 and Round hill Rd, the carriageway will be resurfaced. Works
will be completed over approximately 3 nights and involve a full road closure
for the three nights. A letter and local engagement will be sent out 1 month in
advance of works.
01 April 2017
Honor Oak Park Needs U
Over the last few years one of the primary objectives of the Forest Hill Society has been to improve spelling and grammar in the local community. So we are delighted to announce that TfL has agreed that Honor Oak Park station will be renamed Honour Oak Park from 1st April 2018. We are now calling on Lewisham Council to act in the same way and rename Honor Oak Road and Honor Oak Park in line with the correct British spelling.
Initially there were some locals who expressed reservations at the addition of the U to Honour Oak, pointing out that this was an accepted spelling in the time that the first Queen Elizabeth is said to have visited the site. However, when concerns were raised in the Neighbourhood forum it was agreed that nobody wanted to attend a Neighborhood Forum, so the Us had it!
Parents at Fairlawn school have been quick to praise the move as they are fed up of trying to explain to their children why they are expected to spell correctly, when all the road signs are wrong.
And although most residents in Honour Oak and Forest Hill welcome this decision, over in Dullitch Village people are said to be mildly irritated.
The next stage in our campaign for better spelling will focus on London Road. Energie Gym might just about pass, but Ferfect Chicken is beyond the bucket.
If you have any comments on this proposal you should contact april.loofs@tfl.gov.uk or view our detailed plans for improving the railway at http://www.foresthillsociety.com/2016/04/croydon-canal-to-be-reinstated-after.html
Initially there were some locals who expressed reservations at the addition of the U to Honour Oak, pointing out that this was an accepted spelling in the time that the first Queen Elizabeth is said to have visited the site. However, when concerns were raised in the Neighbourhood forum it was agreed that nobody wanted to attend a Neighborhood Forum, so the Us had it!
Parents at Fairlawn school have been quick to praise the move as they are fed up of trying to explain to their children why they are expected to spell correctly, when all the road signs are wrong.
And although most residents in Honour Oak and Forest Hill welcome this decision, over in Dullitch Village people are said to be mildly irritated.
The next stage in our campaign for better spelling will focus on London Road. Energie Gym might just about pass, but Ferfect Chicken is beyond the bucket.
If you have any comments on this proposal you should contact april.loofs@tfl.gov.uk or view our detailed plans for improving the railway at http://www.foresthillsociety.com/2016/04/croydon-canal-to-be-reinstated-after.html
22 March 2017
The Ultra Low Emissions Zone – What Does it mean for Forest Hill?
By Brendan Cuddihy, Transport Committee
Transport for London (TfL) currently has plans in place to implement an ‘Ultra Low Emissions Zone’ (ULEZ) in Central London by 2020. This would require all motorised vehicles entering the current Congestion Charging Zone to meet exhaust emission standards or pay a daily charge.
Following the election of Sadiq Khan as Mayor of London, TfL has been consulting on both bringing forward the ULEZ plans and widening them to cover a much broader area of London. This is in response to growing concern over the effects of air quality on the health of Londoners. Many parts of London — including the South Circular where it passes through Forest Hill, Sydenham Road and the whole northern half of the London Borough of Lewisham — currently fail to meet legal limits for air pollution, most notably nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter. The pollutants come from many sources, but the dominant one is motor vehicle engines, especially those which are diesel-fuelled. The legal limits are based on research into the health effects of air pollution, and failing to meet them is causing thousands of premature deaths in London each year.
Last summer TfL completed a consultation on initial ideas for the ULEZ. There were over 15,000 respondents, a significant majority of whom supported greater action on air quality. More recently, TfL has recently concluded a second phase of consultation in order to start the statutory process required to change the initial ULEZ plans. The proposals included:
While that may sound onerous, the rationale behind adopting the ULEZ should not be forgotten. The plans will no doubt drive investment in cleaner vehicles across London, both by businesses and private owners, including in areas which are not directly affected. The result of this will be cleaner air for all Londoners and, hopefully, a fall in the number of people whose lives are tragically cut short by air pollution.
Transport for London (TfL) currently has plans in place to implement an ‘Ultra Low Emissions Zone’ (ULEZ) in Central London by 2020. This would require all motorised vehicles entering the current Congestion Charging Zone to meet exhaust emission standards or pay a daily charge.
Following the election of Sadiq Khan as Mayor of London, TfL has been consulting on both bringing forward the ULEZ plans and widening them to cover a much broader area of London. This is in response to growing concern over the effects of air quality on the health of Londoners. Many parts of London — including the South Circular where it passes through Forest Hill, Sydenham Road and the whole northern half of the London Borough of Lewisham — currently fail to meet legal limits for air pollution, most notably nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter. The pollutants come from many sources, but the dominant one is motor vehicle engines, especially those which are diesel-fuelled. The legal limits are based on research into the health effects of air pollution, and failing to meet them is causing thousands of premature deaths in London each year.
Last summer TfL completed a consultation on initial ideas for the ULEZ. There were over 15,000 respondents, a significant majority of whom supported greater action on air quality. More recently, TfL has recently concluded a second phase of consultation in order to start the statutory process required to change the initial ULEZ plans. The proposals included:
- Introducing an ‘Emissions Surcharge’ (which is also being referred to as the ‘T-Charge’, where T is for toxic) in October 2017 for older, more polluting vehicles driving into and within Central London. This would cover just the Congestion Charge Zone.
- Bringing forward the introduction of the ULEZ to 2019 instead of 2020.
- Extending the ULEZ from Central London to all of London for heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches, as early as 2019, but possibly later.
- Extending the ULEZ from Central London to the North and South Circular roads for all vehicles not meeting recent emissions standards as early as 2019, but possibly later.
While that may sound onerous, the rationale behind adopting the ULEZ should not be forgotten. The plans will no doubt drive investment in cleaner vehicles across London, both by businesses and private owners, including in areas which are not directly affected. The result of this will be cleaner air for all Londoners and, hopefully, a fall in the number of people whose lives are tragically cut short by air pollution.
Above: Concentrations of annual average NO2 (Source: LAEI 2013)
Below: Proposed boundary of ULEZ on the North/South circular roads
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