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NEWSLETTER Spring issue, April 2008 No.189, Quarterly, distributed free to members Registered with the Civic Trust and the London Forum of Amenity Societies; Registered Charity No.1058103 Website: www.brixtonsociety.org.uk An artist’s impression of Future Brixton from over a century ago – this design was runner-up to the present building in the competition for the new Lambeth Town Hall. (picture from the competition designs in Lambeth Archives) Sunday 13 April – Brixton Town Hall Centenary Town Centre Walk Tuesday 29 April, 2 pm to 6 pm? A guided walk to follow up the recent The actual centenary of the Town Hall Future Brixton consultations, led by being officially opened will be marked by Alan Piper. Meet at 2-30 pm outside an Exhibition & Reception in the the Tate Library, Brixton Oval, SW2. Assembly Hall in the afternoon. Displays will probably re-appear at the Lambeth More walks dates inside… Archives Open Day in September. Annual General Meeting Lambeth Country Show Thursday 12 June, 7 pm Weekend, 19/20 July at the Vida Walsh Centre, 2b Saltoun 11 am to 7 pm daily in Brockwell Park. Road, SW2 Arrangements are still fuzzy due to a 3- We aim to bring you up to date with local month delay in Council planning, but once issues and the community-led projects we more we hope to have a stall – and as have supported. This time, we are also usual we are asking members to spare us seeking your approval to updating the an hour or two so we can staff it through constitution, to match current charity law the weekend. Offers welcome at the and the range of activities that we are AGM. In any case, we hope you will all increasingly being asked to take part in or stop off at our stall and renew your even lead. membership for the year ahead! 1 Adv\ BS\ N\Apr 08 Front.doc. Diary of Events, Spring & Summer 2008 Brixton Society Primary School, Belmont Leigham Court Road, Meeting dates Road, SW4. SW16. In addition to our special The Clapham Society. Streatham Society. events, the Executive Sunday 27 April – Saturday 24 May – Committee usually meets on the 2nd Thursday of Spring Plant & Dulwich Woods the month to plan Garden Fair A small fragment of the activities and agree our Open 10-30 am to 5 pm, old Great North Wood responses to current admission £3 (£2.50 for has been turned into a developments. Meetings concessions) Museum of nature reserve by the are at 7 pm at the Vida Garden History (in the London Wildlife Trust. Walsh Centre, 2b former St.Mary’s Church) Meet at 2-30 pm at gate Saltoun Road SW2, Lambeth Palace Road, of Dulwich Upper Wood facing Windrush Square. SE1. Reserve near the lower Museum of Garden end of Farquhar Road, 10 April • History. SE19. (Bus 3 to Dulwich • 8 May Wood Park, or other • 12 June (AGM) Sunday 4 May – West routes to Crystal Palace • 10 July Norwood Cemetery: Parade.) General tour of the Lambethans Society. • 11 September cemetery – meet at 2-30 st • 9 October pm inside the main gate Sunday 1 June – • 13 November. on Norwood High Street. Brockwell Park Tree Friends of West Norwood Celebration Links with other Cemetery. Dedication of the year’s groups donated trees – meet at We also list here events Saturday 10 May – 2 pm by the clock tower by other local societies Spring Sale in the centre of the park. that may be of interest. At Trinity Hospice, 30 Friends of Brockwell Park Clapham Common North We suggest checking th with organisers in case of Side, SW4. Details from Sunday 8 June – changes since these Laura Williams, (020) 7787 River Wandle Walk details reached us. Some 1054 or Led by Doreen Heath events may be charged enquiries@trinityhospice. and Alan Piper, picking for, and most groups will org.uk up connections with the welcome donations. Ashby windmill at Brixton. Thursday 15 May – Meet 2-30 pm at Mitcham Sunday 20 April – Tulse Hill & Brixton Hill Tramlink stop, London Illustrated talk by Alan Piper Spring Walk: Road, CR4 (buses 118, at 8 pm at the Phoenix Meet at 2 pm by the 201, 280, 355). Centre, Westow Street, Clock Tower in the centre Lambethans Society. SE19. of Brockwell Park, for a Norwood Society. Summer Walks walk including the history and wildlife of the Park. A fuller listing of guided Saturday 17 May – walks in and around Friends of Brockwell Park Nunhead Cemetery Lambeth will be available Open Day Wednesday 23 April – from local libraries and Open 11 am to 5pm, participating societies by Restoring the Linden Grove, SE15. the end of May. Southbank Centre Friends of Nunhead Ian Blackburn, project Cemetery. E-mail updates director, describes the If we have a current e- recent restoration of the Monday 19 May – mail address from you, we Royal Festival Hall, and A history of the will try to advise you of the continuing work to Domestic Kitchen: any extra events or adapt the 21-acre South Illustrated talk by Brian changes. Just send a Bank arts centre as a Bloice, 8 pm at quick e-mail to whole. 7-30 for 8 pm Woodlawns Streatham [email protected] and start at Clapham Manor Darby & Joan Club, 16 we will amend our list. Adv\ BS\ N\ Apr 08 Diary.doc 2 Planning & Regeneration News FUTURE BRIXTON While Tesco, Lidl, Carpetwright, These comments were submitted on Currys and Halfords all still have a behalf of the Brixton Society, based presence in Brixton, as self-contained on the Council’s questionnaire. satellites with their own parking, they In the current “Future Brixton” cycle, make no contribution to the critical the Society held meetings on Town th mass of the Town Centre itself. Centre issues on 11 October (with a presentation from Cllr. Paul McGlone) Leisure and Entertainment: These th and on 14 February (which the uses have partly offset the decline in Council speaker missed!). Our retail trade, but the Council has still comments have also been informed not thought through the implications of by contacts with ABC Brixton, Brixton the late-night economy. The revival of Market Traders Federation, the residential uses within the Town Create Brixton group and members of Centre is beginning to limit locations the Brixton Area Forum. for late-night uses. Priorities for Regeneration: Creative industries: Public bodies are belatedly recognizing the Encouraging Visitors: If this were a economic benefits of a wide range of priority, then logically efforts should creative activities, including graphic also be made to: arts, music and media, but there • Safeguard Brixton’s character needs to be a critical mass of such (because without it, there is little businesses in a neighbourhood to reason to visit). encourage symbiotic business • Reduce crime and increase relationships. However, opportunities the sense of safety (again for such firms to develop or even start necessary to encourage up locally are rapidly diminishing as visitors). more business space gets taken up for housing development, increasing • Provide a more pleasant rents for what remains. As a result, streetscape. the talent and employment potential • Reduce crowding at pinch points are going to other boroughs, and (not just on the “High Street”). Lambeth loses out again. Improving the Economy: This has Office provision: Demand remains been the biggest weakness in recent mainly local and for small-scale planning and seems to have received suites. Public sector demand has scant attention in the latest proposals. been in long-term decline and office First, it is important to understand that rents have been too low for new office there are several strands to local development to be viable. economic activity, and each faces specific challenges. Services: A variety of small businesses cling on locally, including Retail including markets: Greater small-scale manufacture, car repairs London has many competing centres, and warehousing, largely dependent but Brixton has been left way behind on railway arch premises. Their in conventional shopping terms, while collective profile is low but they are an failing to develop any significant niche important element in Brixton’s position. Brixton’s long-term decline economic life. has been driven by outdated and neglected infrastructure, combined Overall however, the greatest with active discouragement of car- challenge is the displacement of local borne trade. employment and amenities by Most of the Town Centre has suffered housing development. If market intermittent planning blight, so that forces are left unchecked, Brixton will property values are high in hope of lose most of its shops, jobs and future development potential, but character in favour of high-density shop tenants are forced to take a housing. Any Master Plan must short-term approach, limiting the address this or fail. range and quality of goods on offer. BSN\ Apr 08 Planning ed.doc 3 Planning & Regeneration News Sustainability: attracting new enterprises to the The brochure pays lip-service to the Town Centre, in order to improve the idea but we doubt if the concepts are mix of shops and services. It is a really understood. Proposals need to major weakness that nobody is reflect that: responsible for this. • Existing buildings represent considerable embodied energy High Street area and investment of resources. Mix of Shops: We all know that the • Brixton’s public transport links are quality and range of shops is limited, inherently good and would be a and declines sharply away from the major asset if interchange could be central section of Brixton Road improved. between Coldharbour Lane and • In the design of public buildings Ferndale Road. However no firm and spaces, running costs and proposals were shown for tackling ease of maintenance are more this, and we doubt if the Council team important than first-cost or really understands the problem.