Voice 4 Deptford has been busy.  Here is a timeline summarising recent action in our work for a better deal for Deptford on Convoys Wharf.

For events from April 2021, please see posts on the News page.

2021

April

• V4D sent comments and objections to revised design for the Jetty restaurant/cafe building.

March

• Convoys Property Ltd (CPL) made a planning application on 1st March 2021 for Approval of Reserved Matters (layout, scale, appearance, access) for Plot 22 (Phase 1), making modifications to the design for a restaurant on the jetty at Convoys Wharf.

• CPL submitted proposals for an archaeological strip and map exercise, followed by a controlled archaeological sample excavation on Plot 08.

February

• Nearly 1,000 additional residential units proposed for Plot 21 by Convoys Wharf in a scoping exercise requested by LB Lewisham.

January

• Voice4Deptford responded to the consultation by Forty Shillings who asked for comments on Plot 21 and CPL’s Culture Strategy.

• Voice4Deptford responded to the consultation by Forty Shillings. They asked for comments on Plot 12, Heritage and Meanwhile Use.

2020

December

• V4D held planning meetings to review Aim and Objects and set out strategy and tactics for next stage of campaign.

• Lewisham’s legal department wrote to inform Voice4Deptford that the Planning Service did not consider that it was in the public interest to pursue us for the remaining Court costs of £2,200 due to them from Voice4Deptford.

• Total raised in the Crowd Justice Campaign: £16,010.

October

• A Judge gave his decision in a paper exercise. His ruling concurs with the arguments of the Defence and Interested Parties, concluding that our Claim should not go to a Judicial Review and it is ‘Totally Without Merit’.

September

• The Mayor of London will not be claiming the costs awarded to him under the (Costs) Order.

• The Royal Dockyard Society made a statement in support of our claim for a judicial review.

August

• All three parties – the Defendant, Lewisham Council, and the two Interested Parties, the Mayor of London and the developers – lodged with the Court their counter arguments to our Claim.

July

• Voice4Deptford lodged a claim for a judicial review in the court.

June

• Voice4Deptford launched a Crowd Justice Campaign, having already reached more than the initial target. The campaign was to raise funds for a judicial review of the planning consent for Convoys Wharf.

• Lewisham’s Strategic Planning Committee approved the first Reserved Matters Application for the Convoys Wharf development for Plots 08, 15 and 22 serious reservations.

March

• Voice4Deptford commented on Convoys Wharf Reserved Matters Reapplication for Phase 1, Plots 08, 15 and 22 for London Borough of Lewisham. There was little material difference in the revised documents submitted by CPL. Nothing changed to affect previous concerns.

February

• Voice 4 Deptford are held a meeting at Pepys Resource Centre to help local groups and local people to learn more about revised proposals for Plots 08, 15 and 22.

• Revised Plot 08 and Plot 15 proposals put forward by CPL for comments.

2019

July 2019

• V4D was invited to attend an informal meeting or a drop in session on Tuesday 30th July along with other local residents who wrote expressing their objection and concern to the current RMAs from CPL. This was to enable Lewisham planners to make an assessment of the areas of concern before the application is considered by the Council’s Planning Committee. The local ward councillors were also invited.
• V4D met Viv Evans from LBL Planning Department to raise a number of questions form V4D and to hear about the approach that he is taking to the current state of the planning process. (Tuesday 30th July)
• V4D met with Len Duval to discuss, among other things, the level of consultation or not with people on the Greenwich side of Watergate Street and the level of disruption they are likely to experience, especially if plans for Plot 22 and the jetty are approved. Also to share how CPL are wriggling out of their responsibility to children and young people under the London Plan on children and young people’s play and informal recreation and this is embedded in the structure of the master plan. (Wednesday 24th July 2019)
• V4D made Comments (21/07/2019) in response to the submission of the Application for approval of reserved matters for Listed Building Consent objecting to the demolition of a portion of the south section of the Eastern Boundary Wall and entrance gates to Convoys Wharf at Watergate Street.
• V4D had a meeting with members of the Lewisham Young Mayor’s Team on Convoys Wharf and their ideas about it. (15th July 2019)
• V4D attended a meeting of the Youth First Network. We made a presentation on Convoys Wharf and discussed possible consequences for young people in Deptford. (Thursday, 11th July)

June 2019

• Vicky Foxcroft, MP for Lewisham Deptford, organised a meeting for stakeholders in the Convoys Wharf Development, including LBL Planners, CPL, the Mayor of Lewisham and the 3 Deptford Councillors, members of the Cultural Steering Group and V4D. (Friday 28th June 2019)  

May 2019

• Voice 4 Deptford made Comments to London Borough of Lewisham on RMA DC/19/111912 Block 15 (Phase 1) Submitted in response to London Borough of Lewisham’s consultation ending 31 May 2019 

March 2019

• V4D presents the latest progress with the Convoys Wharf development at the Pepys Assembly.  You can see a copy of the report here.

• V4D attends a Public Exhibition about Block 15 held by Convoys Properties Limited at the 2000 Centre.  Again V4D urges CPL to meet its 106 promise to establish a Cultural Steering Group. ‘Come on Convoys!’.  Note that this event was an exhibition, not a ‘consultation’.  We expect proper community consultations to take place at a later date.

February 2019

• Meeting with Vicky Foxcroft and Deptford visit by the Mayor, Damien Green

• Arrange to host a pop up shop in May 2019 at Goldsmiths to make contact with local people, Goldsmith’s students/staff and potential volunteers to help with V4D’s work on Convoys Wharf.

January 2019

• Secret Cinema withdrew its plans for the site.

• V4D held a joint meeting with Deptford Neighbourhood Action (DNA) to look at Convoys Wharf development and design codes in relation to the Neighbourhood Plan.  V4D and DNA co-operate fully, each with complementary remits.

• Meetings with Damien Green, Lewisham Mayor, and Viv Evans, temporary head of planning.

2018

October 2018

• CPL has failed to establish a Cultural Steering Group and cultural strategy as it promised to in the S106 Agreement (2015).  Back then CPL also agreed to establish a Youth Forum, a website/competition on Meanwhile Use, study groups on heritage amongst other things.  LB Lewisham has put further work on Plots 08 and 22 on hold.

• London Borough of Lewisham states that further planning work on development is ‘on hold’ until all the requirements of the 106 Agreement on Cultural Steering Group are met.  Repeatedly request clarification from London Borough of Lewisham about what ‘on hold’ means.

• Continue to press for clarification on what ‘on hold’ might mean with Len Duvall and Vicky Foxcroft.

• Response from GLA overturning their refusal to allow V4D to see the 2015 Financial Viability Statement.  V4D now has a full unreacted copy of the original FVS which will assist us in comparing projected financial figures for company profit/loss in 2015 and those projected now.

• Refusal of the Mayor of London to agree with V4D that the planning procedures for CW have timed out.

• Meet with Len Duvall and request that he asks the Mayor of London to clarify why be does not agree with V4D’s understanding that the OPP has timed out.  Also to ask him how a ‘refresh’ of the site might be achieved.

• Further requests to L B Lewisham for clarification about what ‘on hold’ might mean.  Request for sight of the new FVSs done for Blocks 08 and 22.

• Challenge the developers (Convoys Properties Ltd) to live up to their promise in the 106 Agreement to establish a broad and well functioning cultural steering group as they promised to do in the 106 Agreement signed in 2015.

September 2018

• Activate Buttons page on theVoice 4 Deptford website so that people can respond directly, through our template, to London Borough of Lewisham planning department about aspects of the design and process of these two plots. These Comments will stay ‘live’ until the plots go before a planning committee.

• Lobby London Borough of Lewisham’s Mayor Damien Egan, all the Evelyn Ward councillors, to get them onside for V4D’s aims.  None of them favour the current scheme, specially the housing.

• Email all our supporters and local groups asking for response on the V4D Buttons page.

• Meet with Secret Cinema representatives and put our concerns that the requirements of the 106 Agreement on Cultural Strategy have not been met when it comes to Meanwhile Use.

• Write again directly to the Mayor of London about whether the planning procedures for CW have timed out. Continue to lobby Vicky Foxcroft, our MP, and GLA representatives Len Duvall and Nicky Gavron as well as others about the site.  This raised the political temperature.

• Vicky Foxcroft and all of the Evelyn Ward councillors formally object to current plans for Convoys Wharf.

August 2018

• Host a meeting of a ‘group of groups’ and offer our work / findings / material to all community activists to use if they want to.

• Respond in detail to two Reserved Matters Applications, 08 and 22. This response consists of an Executive Summary for plot 08 and Comments and Additional Comments for both Plot 08 and Plots 22.  These are long documents which focus on our core Aims.  They were massively time consuming and difficult to do but the task threw up a lot of important matters e.g. lack of cultural strategy, which have long term strategic importance.  The developers have not met their commitments under the 106 Agreement to set up a Cultural Steering Group which must comment on every block and phase of the development.

July 2018

• Met with LGA’s strategic planner to ask for advice and requested clarification from Mayor of London about whether the planning procedures for CW had timed out

June 2018

• Reorganise the V4D website

May 2018

• Request for clarification from L B Lewisham about whether the planning procedures for CW had timed out

March 2018

• Meet with two former GLA planners who gave us pro bono advice.  Asked for pro bono legal advice from various other solicitors and planning charities.

• EIR request to GLA for original 2015 FVS unredacted

January 2018

• Further Environmental Information Request (EIR) for FVS from London Borough of Lewisham

• Meet with Len Duvall and Vicky Foxcroft about the need to change current plans for the development.

2017

December 2017 

• Freedom of Information Request for Financial Viability Study (FVS) for Convoys Wharf from London Borough of Lewisham

November 2017 

• Launch Voice 4 Deptford website

October 2017 

• Lobby Greater London Authority, Vicky Foxcroft, Evelyn Ward councillors and others about the need to change current plans for the development.

July / August 2017 

• Arranged and hosted two public meetings with Convoys Properties Ltd and consultants. Stated that their plans are wrong for Deptford.

July 2017 

• Attended two consultation meetings arranged by Convoys Properties Ltd in the Methodist Hall.  We leafleted at them. Stated that their plans are wrong for Deptford.