NAG newsletter - Digital killed the graffiti...

Dear Neighbour,

Click on pix to enlarge. Welcome to the March NAG newsletter. Please forward to family or friends and they can request their own here.

We would hate to lose you…
…especially accidentally. Some NAG members have reported not receiving their monthly e‑newsletter, and when checking it appears as if they had unsubscribed. This could be an accidental ‘click’ (easily done on a smart phone) or some sort of Mailchimp glitch.

We plan to email every first, or sometimes second weekend of each month. So if non‑arrival, drop us a line at info@norwoodactiongroup.org and we can send an opt-back-in link for you to click. Regret GDPR (and the system) means we can’t do it for you.

Thank you for your ongoing support and interest. We have an amazing opening rate, sometimes exceeding 80%, considering all the competition for attention in this digital world.

Library and Picturehouse news…
The library has been on a soft-opening all this past week for pre‑booked use of computers, and next week expects to additionally be offering click-and-collect. But check on-line first. Books loans will be resumed as soon as possible. Meanwhile Picturehouse plans to open very soon following when allowed (currently not before 17^th May), but maybe dependent on a block-buster release. Do enthusiastically support both library and cinema to the max.

Tree Pits
NAG suggested 2021 as Year of the Tree Pits – go for it!

Crown Lane, Crown Dale, Central Hill
The busy A214 has a bad accident record along this stretch. There’s a petition to Lambeth and Croydon councils to address this problem. Sign here.

London and Lambeth Plans
The London Plan 2020 has now been published (formally adopted), and the draft Lambeth Local Plan 2020 is going through the final stages of consultation. It’s too late to address anything other than the recent changes to the draft. NAG has been there since the beginning. Regrettably our effect has been less than we would have hoped. Along with national guidelines and regulations, these plans include the main policy documents that developers have to have regard for. You can make your own comments here till 29 March.

Truck Low Emission Zone
The truck LEZ covers all of Greater London and should not be confused with the ULEZ which will affects all non‑compliant vehicles within the North and South Circular Roads from October. Non-Euro 6 engined trucks have to pay to be within the LEZ, up to £300 each day (though levied by the hour). This means many trucks will be retired as the GNK one shown in the photo being loaded for export, so will pollute elsewhere! The Euro 5 engined transporter had to pay the LEZ charge to collect it.

Well Centre for young people
Offering support and advice on physical, sexual and mental health issues.

Bat fanciers…
… check this. On-line free talk on Tuesday from Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses – option to pay to support them.

Living in Lambeth survey
Were you one of those invited to contribute? We understand Lambeth commissions a survey roughly every quarter year to a random sample of 850 rate-payers. This is not ideal as disadvantaged people are often not rate payers. The survey itself could be improved as with mostly alternative choice answers it can be difficult to convey what you wish.

LGBC

The LGBC proposal for our corner of the borough
That’s Local Government Boundary Commission. As reported last month, its recommendations can be commented on till 12 April, here. The commission seems to have ‘done its thing’, taking little heed of the submissions made last year. Lambeth has an online discussion Thursday next – book here – described there as “a new political map”. Political considerations is a matter that the commission cannot consider.

Moving-out, moving-in
As long as you have money, you won’t go hungry or thirsty. La Casa Degli Amici Italian restaurant replaced with Village Masaleh Pakistan and North Indian.

BOB Wine Shop with a coffee shop. Norwood Dental Surgery at 99 Norwood High Street with possibly a wine shop. Just up the road at 107, Smoky’s pizza, kebab, burgers substituted with Daddy’s Chicken Spot. Across at 18 Knight’s Hill Wah Moul Chinese take-away replaced with Mojo Classic Takeaway – chicken, kebab, pizza and mezze. Let’s not forget Barons replaced by Mercatto Premium Butcher at 338 Norwood Road.

First public clock in Lower Norwood
St Luke’s was a grand design in the rural Norwood of the 1820s and it boasted a clock of the highest quality from Vulliamy, the King’s Clockmaker. The only significant cluster of homes was around the earlier impressive Congregational Chapel of Chapel Road, still there today, now used as a nursery school. In days when few would have had timepieces, churches often provided the time by line-of sight and hour strike to the surrounding countryside. It’s not known how far the sound travelled in those quiet days (Big Ben is said could be heard from over nine miles in good conditions).

This marvellous time-piece is now performing reliably again, even after nearly 200 years, thanks to the knowledge and dedication of Dr James Nye of local museum The Clockworks. Fine adjustments are ongoing and should improve beyond the current average variance of just 4.8 seconds each day. The target pendulum swing is 2 seconds, and monitored electronically is now averaging 2.00011 per swing! NAG thanks everyone who generously contributed to the restoration fund. A living clock striking the hours adds tremendously to the ‘sense of place’ we enjoy in West Norwood. More here.

Lambeth – have your say
On consultations including West Norwood Conservation Area here. And Love Lambeth Community Round Up.

More love from Lambeth
It’s all quite overwhelming! Get your love here.

Real stories…
…from the Foodbank here. With your help it assists so many in dire straights.

Suddenly
More heart graffiti, a little less romantic, from The Egg Man. Then co-opted for the NHS.

The Effra
Many will know of the fable of the first Queen Elizabeth being rowed in the Royal Barge to Dulwich. Impossible. It was at best an unnamed brook, and at worst muddy ditch. Just a short stretch was named Effra in the 18^th century (after Effra Farm near to modern Coldharbour Lane, where it flowed close by). But here’s a new one – “The River Effra has a long history, playing a major role in the Danish Conquest of England around 1016 when King Cnut The Great sailed up the river as far as Brixton.” More Effra nonsense from MyLondon here.

BTW – Croxted correction
NAG strives to give 100% accurate and unambiguous information. When unsure, it may be said “It is rumoured…”, or similar. So, correction! Last month reference was made to prospective banned left and right turns at South Circular when travelling south on Croxted Road. This should have referenced travelling south on Rosendale Road. Thank you to everyone who reminded us. We knew, just mis-spoke!

Victoria / West Norwood train service, and London Bridge
Engineering works on May bank holidays and weekends, details here. Some London Bridge services have been reinstated

Humans smart, pigeons smarter
No matter how well man fits mesh, pigeons always find their way in.

Local covid news
NAG can do no better than refer you to our excellent colleagues at Norwood Forum, right here.

Goodbye Veolia, hello Serco
Lambeth has entered into a contract with Serco to operate the waste collection service. This has upset people who believe Serco’s ethics are offensive, and believe Lambeth should bring back in-house. NAG is told that is the plan longer term, but not yet. Want to sign a petition? More a protest vote as the contract is already signed.

E-scooters
The latest statement from the Department of Transport is here. There was a recent local blitz on them by The Met. But they’re here for the long term. The Met has also had great success locally with serious crime.

Street lights at Tulse Hill

The tragedy must not repeat
NAG’s struggle continues to achieve properly uprated lighting where Ms Justyna Kalandyk was struck by four vehicles on a dark and wet winter’s early morning. Since then another four pedestrians have been injured, fortunately none seriously. An extra lamp-column has now been installed, but astonishingly, in a useless position, around the corner. The luminaires on this corner seem to have been changed to white LED type but the level of illumination is still pitifully low, especially inadequate when raining. We may ask you to commence a social media campaign if TfL doesn’t respond adequately, and soon.

Lambeth Horticultural Society is more than gardening…
…a fabulous resource of multi-interests for all ages. Check it out.

Open Orchard
Opportunities for all the family to engage in outdoor fresh-air fun, enhancing our neighbourhood too. We’re told: “The Open Orchard Project has been busy and we are proud to announce that West Norwood has a brand new orchard! Please pay a visit to the bottom end of Ladas Road where the little lawn now contains 9 fruit trees (7 apples, 1 cherry and 1 plum). We call it 'Ladas Field' and it's got a nice elliptical shape when seen from above from your helicopter, or on g-maps. We hope the council will tolerate taller grass there in the future enhancing biodiversity amongst many other positive effects. We planted 7 more trees in various other locations (Thorsden Way, Tivoli Park, Hobbs Road and Bentons' Lane, Bzz Garage, and Brockwell Park).” Visit The Open Orchard.

The Great North Wood project fundraising
The real one, not the pub! Managed by London Wildlife Trust there are GNW projects locations dotted around South London. Project manager Andrew Wright has some free online fundraising training available on Thursday 11 March from 10am to 1pm. Contact Andrew here.

How is…
…a new air conditioning unit installed at the Leisure Centre? With an enormous crane.

Reporting problems to Lambeth
Lambeth has changed the front page of its website providing the most sought-after links, including a further link ‘see more council services’ for reporting all kinds of issues. In particular, one for abandoned vehicles. Fill your boots!

Persistence may be needed
A member reports it took nearly five years for the fly tipping issue on council housing property to be addressed.

SLT
South London Theatre never tires. A packed programme on-line and soon live, here – two plays rehearsed and hot to go!

Planning - this month, a feast

Calm your excitement! New hoardings around the site of the Knight’s Hill 1858 West Norwood Technical Institute demolished more than 20 years ago, are not the harbinger of change. Photo shows a short section of the old institute’s wall, the last vestige, now behind hoardings once more.

Admiral Casino at Tulse Hill. The last ‘agreed expiry date’ for the application has passed. It may be some while before the denouement. Perhaps a good sign that Lambeth is thinking long and hard regarding grounds for refusal. Approval could have been quick.

An application for an extra floor on top of Sainsbury’s has been running for over a year.

A slow-burner, from 2019, redevelopment of 125-133 Norwood High Street with a proposed grotesque four-storey ‘bunker’. If approved with the five-storey application opposite at 90‑96 there will be a canyon where Lambeth plans visualised low-rise. NAG on the case.

The Bunker - CGI about the same quality as the design

A really slow-burner was for reconstruction of the under-rail access into Knollys Yard. Application withdrawn after nearly five years. What happened to approval, refusal or withdrawal in eight weeks?

Yay, at last… A Yeatman & Sons, Funeral Directors has had the approval issued for redevelopment. But don’t expect anything to happen soon. When it does, the business will move to another location in West Norwood. This will continue the local service of more than 120 years, founded in 1886 by stone‑mason Albert Yeatman.

At the old King’s Head pub (as old West Norwoodians know it) at 82/84 Norwood High Street, there’s an application for the ground and basement to be a bathroom showroom. As the applicant is a partner in GNK Builders’ Merchants next door, there may be more than meets the eye. However, Lambeth policy means approval is unlikely.

At 81-89 Norwood High Street, developers withdrew its application to develop to seven-storeys. Probably biding its time. Meanwhile, it has executed some refurbishment as shown in the photo. Shops available.

At no. 6 Norwood High Street, next to Romi Barber, A Small Studio is now fully fashioned, offering space to micro businesses.

Behind 57-161 Auckland Hill, between gardens and railway line, the land has been bought with development in mind. Not an easy site. Locals are fighting the potential loss of timeless recreational space.

5G telecom masts ‘trying to germinate’. With heights of 18-20 metres (twice the height of a typical house), crowned with three antenna apertures and a 300mm dish, plus installation of three equipment cabinets all on the pavement, opposite The Park in Elder Road, another at the upper end of Knight’s Hill. Why on pavement? Because it’s cheaper. It’s understood they emit a constant buzz from the cabinets due to cooling ventilation.

And Southwark Metals’ waste metal recycling site at Windsor Grove? Watch this space.

Lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Will Brockwell Lido, seen here in 1938 thronging with activity, open on 29 March (the earliest date under the current ‘roadmap’)? No news.

All lockdown rules should be lifted by 21 June, ready for Mid‑Summer's Day.

WN Health & Leisure Centre and Pool soonest 17 May – also no news.

Crystal Palace Olympic Pool is undergoing major repairs, so an unknown, but the 25m pool and gym will open under roadmap dates.

There's just a little bit more....