Convoys property Ltd have submitted a third reserved matters application for Plot 15. This has been brought forward at the request of London Borough of Lewisham in order to provide affordable and social rented housing at an earlier stage than planned.

You can comment on this by clicking here to activate an email with comments on the proposals for Plot 15. You may also edit the email and add your own comments.

A link to the planning documents is here.

Below is a summary of the comments Voice 4 Deptford sent to LB Lewisham Planning Department.

Comment on the consultation process

Statement of Community Consultation

The mounting of a Public Exhibitionby Quatro by which it thought it could consult with local people was rushed, misleading and superficial. It yielded precisely 8 comments, 10% of those people who showed up in an inner city location inhabited by thousands. As a consultation exercise it would be laughable if not so arrogant. Many of the statements on the presentation boards were partial or untrue and display a lack of respect for the community CPL is supposed to be consulting.

Read Full Comments on Statement of community consultation here.

Specific Comments on aspects of Reserved Matters Application for Plot 15 (Phase 1)

Aesthetic and Design

Convoys Properties Limited and the L B Lewisham have brought forward a plot with some non-private housing. The aesthetic and design of this plot however falls short of providing the people of Lewisham with the type and quality of building and housing that it deserves.

Read full comments on Aesthetic and Design here.

Ecology and Environment

Voice 4 DeptfordComments:Convoys Properties Limited have brought forward a plot with limited ecological and environmental merit.

Read full comments on Ecology and Environment here.

Children and Young People’s Play and Informal Recreation

 Design of Play Spaces

It is important to involve children and their families in designing space to play from the beginning. They have ideas adults would never think of and the process helps to bring about social cohesion.

The proposals for Plot 15 provide incidental play space more suitable for children over 5. The images in the Design Statement show this. Under 5’s cannot normally do handstands.

Children under 5 love to play with sand and water, to swing and slide. This could be included in the design.

Consideration can be given to the needs of older children. They like to climb, take risks and kick a ball around for example. The upright posts which are intended to look like masts would benefit from some yardarms, ie horizontal posts on a mast that the older children can also climb. Provide hard surfaces such as concrete and asphalt for games such as tag and football.

Read full comments on Children and Young People’s Play and Informal Recreation here.

Culture and Heritage

It is the opinion of Voice 4 Deptfordthat Reserved Matters Application DC/19/111912 should be refused until CPL engages in a meaningful and ongoing dialogue with the local community about a Cultural Strategy for the site which reflects the needs, aspirations and heritages of the people of Deptford.

Read Full Comments on Culture and Heritage here. (Link to PDF ‘Full Culture and Heritage’)

Financial Viability

The Unredacted Financial Viability Statement of 20 November 2013 concludes the scheme is not financially viable, “we conclude that the Master plan 2013 scheme falls short of being viable by normal measures” (point 19.2). If LB Lewisham have carried out the review noted in the S106 this will be self-evident. Voice 4 Deptford request a review of financial viability and a new Financial Viability Statement according to the process set out in S 106 Fifth Schedule Affordable Housing Review Mechanism.

 Read full comments on Financial Viability here.

Comment on the Reconciliation Document

We ask LB Lewisham that consent to the RMA is withheld unless CPL shows how the proposals for Plot 15 are ‘consistent with the overall proposals for the site, as established by the Development Specification CW05A (February 2014) and Parameter Plans (as approved under Condition 2) before’ in detail.

Read full comments on Reconciliation Document here.

Why Voice 4 Deptford rejects applicationDC/19/111912 (Phase 1).

Voice 4 Deptford value LB Lewisham’s attempts to bring forward affordable housing with some social rented housing in the Plot 15 while holding back consideration of RMA’s for Plots 08 and 22. There are certain improvements inPlot 15 over Plot 08, which show it is possible to create better design with human scale architecture, a different approach to play and bringing in passive house features. It emphasises the point that Plot 08 needs a radical rethink, as does the whole development. Since sending our comments on Plots 08 and 22, the need to deal with climate change and the natural environment, the changing economic climate and the plight of children and young people hasbecome much more urgent.

Continue to read why Voice 4 Deptford rejects application DC/19/111912 (Phase 1)