Crossing Greenwich Park

Following representations by the Westcombe Society and others, the paths identified for closure from 16th May in the map published by London2012 in its latest brochure will now conform to the plans approved by the Planning Board on 14th April.

Contrary to what is stated in the published notice, a number of paths on the eastern side of the Avenue will be closed. However, the main signed approach path to the Observatory from Maze Hill Station, the Thames Path and the Old Naval College attractions will remain open. The Westcombe Society’s understanding of the current situation is set out above.

Rebuilding the John Roan Lower School

The Council has written to many (but not all) owners and occupiers of properties on the Page Estate (the roads enclosing the lower school site) to notify them it has applied to the Land Tribunal to have protective covenants restricting building on part of the site removed.

The covenants were imposed to preserve part of what is now the Blackheath Conservation Area and World Heritage Site Buffer Zone free from developments such as the adjacent Westcombe Court. Only one dwelling was allowed and the covenanted land was required to remain as gardens and orchard.

When ILEA decided to build the lower School in Westcombe Park Road, residents of homes in Vanbrugh Fields transferred this area of the land forming part of their rear gardens to make this possible. The land was transferred for a nominal sum, but with covenants in place to retain he protection they had enjoyed as owners.

The current school was carefully designed to respect the covenants, avoiding building on the covenanted land and retaining the trees and the nature reserve that had been a feature of the site – the habitat of stag beetles, purple hairstreak butterflies, hedgehogs, newts, frogs, toads &c. The school and its neighbours have coexisted happily for more than 30 years in conformity with these covenants.

Plans for the new school (which were on display at public exhibitions) show the new buildings will not encroach on the covenanted land. Planning permission for the new building is expected to be sought in late June with a view to demolishing the old school early in the new year.

Westcombe Society response to Southeastern Trains' proposed Olympic timetable

The Westcombe Society covers the area between Greenwich Park and the A102 to the South of the Greenwich Line. We welcome the opportunity to comment on the consultation timetable for the Olympic period, but have serious doubts of the need for proposed overall scale of service cuts, and express our strong objection to the way these proposed cuts are concentrated on just 4 stations, including both of those serving our area - MazeHill & Westcombe Park (the other two being Woolwich Arsenal and Deptford). Since of the four, these are the only two which are consecutive, this area seems to have been specifically targeted for cuts. Furthermore, given the closure of all foot and cycle routes across Greenwich Park, the closure of Charlton Way and the obstruction of Romney Road by the large numbers crossing it from the shuttle bus disembarkation point, there must be a strong likelihood that all other modes of transport serving this area - bus, car, cycling, walking and hence access to the Greenwich stations and to North Greenwich - will also be severely disrupted or impossible (and more so than on other points on the line). Thus, unless it can be demonstrated that these other modes will in fact be operating close to normal, we have to regard the extent of the proposed targeting of rail cuts on this area as wholly unacceptable.

On a more specific point, in the likely absence of other good means of travelling from London before noon or to London after, we believe that the proposed Maze Hill timetable would create very serious difficulties. Is there evidence that users of Maze Hill are substantially more concentrated in the conventional rush-hour than users of other stations? And if the reason for the pattern of semi-closures is to prevent unmanageable crowds of Olympic spectators coming from central London using Maze Hill, even when they will presumably have been given directions to use Greenwich, this is surely massive overkill and cannot justify the proposed degree of inconvenience for regular passengers.

Turning to the overall scale of the proposed cuts, we are not convinced that (other than very occasionally) the additional waiting time required for embarkation and disembarkation of spectators would require the elimination of (typically) 3 other stops, and even if some additional time is required we do not see why this should not be accommodated by slightly longer overall running times. Indeed, it might well be that only on Cross-Country day will the number of passengers make an appreciable difference – in which case significant timetable changes could also be limited to just this one day.

Finally, we must emphasise the crucial importance of examining the proposals for rail in conjunction with those for bus and tube, whilst also taking full account of expected restrictions on cycling and walking. We need a holistic approach. It is also essential that this take full account of the needs of disabled and less mobile passengers.

Dick Allard, Chair of Planning & Environment sub-committee

6 May 2011

2011 Olympic Closures of Greenwich Park

The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) has published a brochure setting out their proposals for closing parts of Greenwich Park for the Equestrian and Modern Pentathlon events in 2011. The closure of some paths across the park is scheduled to begin on Monday 16^th May.

The brochure can be obtained from the Drop-in sessions (click for details) or click here to download it. Click map and timetable to download the above images in more detail.

Unfortunately, the map is incompatible both with what is stated in the timetable and with what was approved at the Planning Board on 14^th April. The map shows that the footpath from the Park Row entrance – used by people visiting the Observatory from Maze Hill Station, the River Walk and the Old Naval College – and the footpath below the Wolfe Statue – providing a shorter and less steep route between the Maze Hill and St Mary’s gates and used to reach Greenwich stations and Town Centre from Westcombe Park – will be closed from Monday 16^th May. But the approved plans showed these paths as open, as also stated in the Timetable. The map also shows the Tea Pavilion as closed from 1^st June whereas the approved plan showed it as open throughout.

Following representations by the Westcombe and other amenity Societies, LOCOG officials are urgently reviewing these apparent breaches of the Planning conditions. The closures will in any case take time to implement and despite LOCOG failed to provide advance warning signs or accurate information, it should still be possible to use the paths while the problem is addressed.

Free Tickets for Modern Pentathlon & Olympic Test Event

Greenwich borough residents can now apply for free tickets to the Equestrian and Modern Pentathlon test events in Greenwich Park in July 2011, which include the finals of the Modern Pentathlon world championship.

The test events are part of preparations to make sure that competitions run smoothly during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

For more information about the events and how to apply for tickets, please follow this link:

http://www.greenwich.gov.uk/Greenwich/2012Games/OlympicNews/Apply-for-Modern-Pentathlon-Equestrian-tickets.htm

Olympic Consultation

May 2011 Applications

Trees

50 VANBRUGH PARK, BLACKHEATH, SE3 7JQ ref 11/0911/TC

Crown reduce by 20% and thin by 20% sycamore tree in front garden

Case officer: Debi Rogers Telephone: 020 8921 5661

Registration date: 8 April 2011

Site Notice Date: No Public Consultation

Deadline for decision: 30 May 2011

RAISE NO OBJECTION

39 WESTCOMBE PARK ROAD, BLACKHEATH, SE3 7RE ref 11/1098/TP

Reduce crown of Cedar Tree to previous reduction points (TPO82)

Case officer: Debi Rogers Telephone: 020 8921 5661

Registration date: 11 May 2011

Site Notice Date: No Public Consultation

Deadline for decision: 6 July 2011 APPROVE

10 ULUNDI ROAD, BLACKHEATH, LONDON, SE3 7UG ref 11/0893/TC

Fell Eucalyptus in rear garden and replace with Rowan

Case officer: Debi Rogers Telephone: 020 8921 5661

Registration date: 9 May 2011

Site Notice Date: 10 May 2011

Deadline for objection: 31 May 2011

RAISE NO OBJECTION

66B VANBRUGH PARK, BLACKHEATH, LONDON, SE3 7JQ ref 11/1000/TC

yew tree in rear garden - reduce crown by 25%

Case officer: Debi Rogers Telephone: 020 8921 5661

Registration date: 18 April 2011

Site Notice Date: No Public Consultation

Deadline for decision: 30 May 2011

RAISE NO OBJECTION

2F BEACONSFIELD ROAD, BLACKHEATH, LONDON, SE3 7LZ ref 11/1106/TC

Oak tree, Pine tree and two lime trees - crown reduce all trees by 30%

Case officer: Debi Rogers Telephone: 020 8921 5661

Registration date: 9 May 2011

Site Notice Date: No Public Consultation

Deadline for decision: 28 June 2011

39 WESTCOMBE PARK ROAD, BLACKHEATH, LONDON, SE3 7RE ref 11/1170/TC

cherry, laburnam,crab apple x 2, ash tree, laburnam - reduce back to previous reduction points. Beech tree in garden of 37 - crown thin overhanging branches by 25%

Case officer: Debi Rogers Telephone: 020 8921 5661

Registration date: 10 May 2011

Site Notice Date: No Public Consultation

Deadline for decision: 21 June 2011

RAISE NO OBJECTION

53 VANBRUGH PARK, BLACKHEATH, SE3 7JQ ref 11/1084/TC

Cedar tree in front garden - deadwood and reduce width of tree by 20% and uprights on canopy top to keep shape

Case officer: Debi Rogers Telephone: 020 8921 5661

Registration date: 4 May 2011

Site Notice Date: No Public Consultation

Deadline for decision: 21 June 2011

RAISE NO OBJECTION

Other

BLACKHEATH VETERINARY SURGERY, 105 HUMBER ROAD, LONDON, SE3 7LW ref 11/0752/F

Construction of timber shed in rear of garden

Case officer: Kemi Erifevieme Tel: 020 8921 5566

Registration date: 13 April 2011

Site Notice Date: 11 May 2011

Deadline for objection: 1 June 2011

APPROVE WITH CONDITIONS

11 Vanbrugh Hill, Blackheath, London, SE3 7UE ref 11/0972/F

Construction of a 2-storey rear extension, installation of 4 rooflights and removal of 2 Lime trees and a Holly bush

Case officer: Victoria Wood Telephone: 020 8921 6201

Registration date: 13 April 2011

Site Notice Date: 11 May 2011

Deadline for objection: 1 June 2011

APPROVE WITH CONDITIONS

GROUND FLOOR MAISONETTE, 53 VANBRUGH PARK, SE3 7JQ ref 11/0972/F, 11/0843/C

Replacement of front and side boundary walls with dwarf wall and Iron railings, new vehicular and pedestrian gates and replacement windows to front and rear elevations of lower maisonette

Case officer: Victoria Wood Telephone: 020 8921 6201

Registration date: 11 April 2011

Site Notice Date: 11 May 2011

Deadline for objection: 1 June 2011

APPROVE WITH CONDITIONS

12 RUTHIN ROAD, BLACKHEATH, LONDON, SE3 7SH ref 11/0971/SD

Submission of details pursuant to Condition 1 (Window and Railings Detail) of Planning Permission dated 30.04.2010 (ref: 10/0604/F)

Case officer: Kemi Erifevieme Tel: 020 8921 5566

Registration date: 13 April 2011

Site Notice Date: No Public Consultation

Deadline for decision: 8 June 2011

APPROVE

Ground floor maisonette, 53 Vanbrugh Park, Blackheath, SE3 7JQ ref 11/0839/F

Construction of a single storey rear extension with roof terrace, subterranean rear outbuilding and installation of replacement windows to lower ground floor front elevation.

Case officer: Victoria Wood Telephone: 020 8921 6201

Registration date: 27 April 2011

Site Notice Date: 25 May 2011

Deadline for objection: 15 June 2011

APPROVE WITH CONDITIONS

90 Mycenae Road, Blackheath, SE3 7SE Ref 09/1141/F

(Reconsultation)

Erection of a single storey outbuilding for storage purposes

see http://bit.ly/IF5I2

Case officer: Jacob Jaarsma Tel: 020 8921 5438

Registration date: 27 May 2009

Site Notice Date: 15 June 2011

Deadline for objections: 6 July 2011