Canning & Clyde Road Residents Association
Latest News
Latest News
May 2010
ADDISCOMBE RAILWAY PARK
The second phase of the Addiscombe Railway Park is now open. You can now walk or cycle all the way from East India Way (opposite the bottom of Canning Road) to Blackhorse Tram Stop. It's a pleasant ten minute walk. Take a look!
EAST CROYDON
For news of East Croydon Station and the surrounding area, see E Croydon Gateway page.
CLYDE ROAD - ONE-WAY
A number of residents have expressed concern at the number of cars driving the wrong way down Clyde Road which is one-way. It could cause accidents.
We have raised this with the Council and the Addiscombe Safer Neighbourhood Team (i.e. our local bobbies on the beat). Sergeant Simon Cooke has spoken to a number of people in Clyde Road and there are mixed views on the reasons for this. Some think it is delivery people driving up and down to find a house, some think the signing is not clear. Through Johnny, a council officer attached to our Safer Neighbourhood Team, they have been on to the Council. Simon has been sent to pace the road with a view possibly to putting arrows on the road to show more clearly that it is one way.
We shall keep an eye on the situation.
CANNING ROAD - FOUL WATER FLOODING
Following a heavy downpour in July 2007, some of the basements in Canning Road were flooded with foul water. This was an exact repetition of flooding exactly 10 years previously. In 1997, Thames Water inspected the main sewer and found it blocked in one place by tree roots which they cut out. Initially in 2007 they refused to accept that tree roots might have grown back and the sewer should be investigated.
Thanks to our terrier like persistence and the intervention of our MP, Andrew Pelling, Thames Water did eventually survey the sewer and found that indeed the tree roots had grown back. We are delighted to say that the offending roots have been removed and Thames Water have even volunteered to monitor the situation. We shall of course hold them to this. A big thank you to Andrew for his support.
EAST INDIA CONSERVATION AREA
We are now scheduled to have our Area Assessment and Management Plan consultation in 2010. These will partly determine what we can and cannot do in our area. A certain amount will be determined by what usually happens in conservation areas but we are keen for our residents to express their views. We'll let you know once we know it's happening.
Briefly, here's what has happened so far with the four things that have most affected residents.
Windows - you do not need planning permission to change windows if you own a whole house. You do need it if you own a flat. Although the official line the council officers give is that you should replace wood with wood, in practice planning permission was granted in July this year to Hyde Housing to replace the flat windows at 184 Lower Addiscombe Road with double glazed white UPVC replacement windows. The main thing is to choose the same style as the originals.
Fences/Walls - you do not need planning permission for demolishing or building a fence or wall at the front up to 1 metre in height.
Trees - You need permission to fell or heavily prune a tree with a trunk with diameter more than 75 millimetres.
Satellite dishes - You need permission to put one up at the front and anywhere prominent on the building.
We published some more information in our June newsletter. If you have any queries about changes you would like to make to your house, walls or trees, contact Paul Robertshaw, Conservation Officer, on 020 8726 6000 (ext 62251) or email Paul.Robertshaw@croydon.gov.uk
ADDISCOMBE RAILWAY PARK
In case you haven't discovered this yet - Addiscombe Railway Park is a stretch of green along what used to be the Addiscombe railway line. It starts at the bottom of East India Way. Currently it runs to Dalmally Passage. The Council, however, have successfully bid for funding to open up the remaining section to Black Horse Bridge.
The latest state of play is the old coal stock yard at the back of Harris & Bailey is being made into a football kickabout area aimed at older children and teenagers. The new section of the park from Dalmally Passage up to Blackhorse Lane tram stop is on schedule for a March 2010 opening. It will be the same kind of landscaping as the existing section. There will be footpath links from the main path to Woodside infant and junior schools.
Volunteering: The BTCV (Conservation Volunteers) have carried out various volunteering works in the park and will be back to resume projects in February / March. Anyone wishing to volunteer please contact Dave Johnson, Community Project Officer tel: 0208 726 0974 or e mail d.johnson@btcv.org.uk
LESLIE ARMS
The owner of the Leslie Arms is appealing against
Croydon Council's refusal to grant planning permission to turn the ground
floor of the pub into flats. If this fails, he will look at uses for the
original pub building that do not require planning permission (restaurant
/ pub / office / retail). What he decides will depend on what is financially
viable. He is willing to listen to residents' views on how the site including
the back may be developed. He has engaged architects who among other things
are suggesting how the forecourt may be improved, possibly with trees.
OUR NEW CHAIRMAN! - May 2009
We are delighted that Gordon Thompson has been elected our new Chairman. Here are some words from him.
I am most honoured to have been elected
by my fellow residents as Chairman (yes, with due apologies to the politically
correct, I am not a piece of furniture). There is no way that I could
ever replace the irreplaceable Steve (or even Andor, who stepped in so
nobly at a difficult time) but I will do the best I can to serve all the
residents, to work constructively with our MP, GLA Member and Councillors,
to challenge where necessary the ‘visions’ and follies of politicians
and planners, and to keep this part of Croydon (and Croydon in general)
a place which people love and want to live in.
PHOTO COMPETITION
FOR CANNING & CLYDE ROAD RESIDENTS
An anonymous donor has given us £100
to be used for a photography competition for people who live in either
Canning or Clyde Road. People are invited to send in photos that have
been
taken in what is now the East India Conservation Area.
There will be two prizes in each age range: 11–16, 18+. The competition
is open to amateurs only. Photos are to be taken within the East India
Conservation Area only. People can choose
whatever subjects they like. The donor suggested the following to kick-start
ideas: personalities, ethnicity / cultural, landscape / nature, historical,
buildings.
If you would like to submit a photo, please let Anne have a print (around
6”x4” or 5”x4” depending on the format of your camera)
by the end of November. The competition will be judged by a local professional
photographer and the results announced in our Christmas newsletter. The
mystery donor also expressed the wish that we should mount an exhibition
of photos submitted to the competition; we shall look into this.
THE BIG SQUEEZE - OVERCROWDING
ON TRAMS
Some of our residents have commented
on the overcrowding of trams during peak hours. Trams are now the responsibility
of Transport for London so we raised this with our GLA Member,
Steve O’Connell, who asked our views on campaigning for more trams.
We discussed this suggestion at our AGM and have made the following observations
to our GLAM. We have requested an improved tram service. We realise there
is no simple solution to
achieve this. How it is best achieved we feel is best left to the service
providers to investigate rather than just requesting more trams. We are
aware that improvements to the tram service
may involve a combination of measures. We would ask Transport for London
to investigate carefully the various possibilities and the knock-on effects
of each.
These are some of the ideas which have been suggested:
* Increasing the length of trams - although of course there would be major
implications in
having to change the length of all platforms;
* Increasing the frequency of trams - what effect would this have on other
road users eg longer
waiting times at junctions?
* Adjusting the signalling - again, what effect would this have on other
road users?
We would not want improvements to the tram service to be at the expense
of bus services which are largely good.
We acknowledge that demand for various types of transport often increases
to fill available capacity.
If you have any further comments, do please let us, Steve O’Connell
and our three Councillors, Andrew Price, Maria Garcia and Russell Jackson
know.
EAST CROYDON GATEWAY SITE (to left of station)
Gateway site (by East Croydon Station
on the other side of the tracks)
The owners and developers of the land, Stanhope Schroders, say they remain
very committed to Croydon and are working positively with Croydon Council.
They already have planning
permission for a development that was delayed by the Public Inquiry into
the unsuccessful Arena project. This included offices, retail, housing,
a new Warehouse Theatre and public park.
The economic climate has changed drastically. Stanhope, however, want
to proceed in a flexible manner that adapts to the market. Whereas before
they could have built offices speculatively, now they need to secure a
tenant before raising finance for building an office. They plan to secure
a tenant for their main office building fronting George Street but to
achieve this it will probably be 2/3 the size of the original.
For housing, they are in discussions
with Homes & Communities Agency (HCA) to see if they can bring forward
a residential block which would be 100% rented. If Stanhope can go ahead
with the office block, they would need to relocate the Warehouse Theatre.
They are in discussions with the Warehouse to see if it would be under
a residential block, as originally planned, or a freestanding building.
For the open space area, Stanhope would undertake some temporary treatment
so the area is clean and well managed. In order to attract a tenant, the
rents will have to be competitive so there will not initially be finance
for full-scale landscaping.
In the current very uncertain economic climate, Stanhope will have to
be very flexible to react to any occupier interest and adapt existing
plans accordingly.
CHERRY ORCHARD ROAD (to right of station)
Developer, Menta, have submitted a planning application to build four blocks (two of 27 storeys, one of 37 and one of 51 storeys). Please see special Cherry Orchard Road newsletter for more information. We sought residents' views on whether or not they would like us to make any comment on the application and, if so, whether for or against. As a result of views expressed, we have lodged an objection to the planning application. Click here to view the objection. As at June 2009 we are still waiting to hear the outcome of the application.
ARENA GATEWAY PROJECT NOT GOING AHEAD
Arrowcroft, the developer wishing to build a 12,500 seat arena by East Croydon Station have not challenged the decision of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government not to grant permission to build the arena.
Stanhope Schroders own the land and have planning permission from the Secretary of State for their own development including a park and new home for the Warehouse Theatre. They are in the strange position of having permission without having first liaised with Croydon Council who previously refused to engage with them. Stanhope Schroders hope to spend the next few months building a relationship with Croydon Council to arrive at a scheme that is acceptable all round. We shall continue to monitor potential developments.
ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE EAST CROYDON GATEWAY COMPULSORY PURCHASE ORDER
On Thursday 7 August 2008 we learnt that the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, has not allowed Croydon Council to compulsory purchase the land by East Croydon Station in order to facilitate the Arrowcroft proposed development including a 12,500 seat arena. We heard last week that she had not granted Arrowcroft planning permission. Arrowcroft have until the middle of September to decide whether or not to appeal to the High Court.
ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE EAST CROYDON GATEWAY ARENA PLANNING APPLICATION
On Thursday 31 July 2008 we learnt that the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Hazel Blears, had accepted the Planning Inspector's recommendation not to grant planning permission for Arrowcroft's planning application to build a mixed development including a 12,500 seat arena on the land beside East Croydon Station and Dingwall Road.
Arrowcroft have six weeks in which to launch an appeal in the High Court.
See our E Croydon Gateway page for more information.
STEVE'S TREE
It was great to see so many residents and family at the planting of Steve's tree. Steve's family expressed their thanks to residents and to Andor and Andrew for their kind words. We were also very pleased to that Andrew Pelling, our MP, was able to attend and lay on some earth along with family and residents.
For those who haven't seen it yet, Steve's 'wonderful
tree', as he once called one of these, is an Indian Bean Tree. It is the
one with large purple/brown leaves on the triangle of green on the Addiscombe
Road between the top of Canning and Clyde Roads in front of the professors'
cottages. Next time you pass by, do give him a quick wave!
EAST INDIA CONSERVATION AREA
As of 26 March 2008, our two roads became part of the East India Conservation Area. This comprises the land (formerly Addiscombe Place) that was owned by the East India Company for training their cadets (see History of Addiscombe page). It includes Canning, Clyde, Elgin, Havelock, Outram, Ashburton Roads and Mulberry Lane.
We shall be looking in more detail at what being in a conservation area means at a later date. In the meantime, useful information can be found at English Heritage website for very basic information and the Communities and Local Government website for much more detailed information.
Croydon Council have a statutory obligation to consult with residents over the management of conservation areas. When we have a date for this, we will be involving our residents so you can have your say on how you would like your area preserved.
For previous news, click here.
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