THE BRIXTON SOCIETY NEWSLETTER The Brixton Rec and the Central Sites as seen from Brixton Rail station, June 2012 (see p.3) Spring issue, April 2014 BTC-Jn12-09.jpg No.213, free to members, quarterly. Registered with the London Forum of Amenity Three events lined up for June – Societies, Registered Charity No.1058103, Website: www.brixtonsociety.org.uk Thursday 12 June: Annual General Meeting Changing Times 7 pm at the Vida Walsh Centre, Over the past year, the number of new 2b Saltoun Road, SW2 proposals and initiatives affecting Brixton Time again to report on what we have been has greatly increased, and to help you doing over the past year, collect ideas for the keep track, we have devoted a lot of this year ahead, and elect committee members to issue to a roundup of what’s going on. carry them out. Agenda details from the Remember that we need to hear from you Secretary, Alan Piper on (020) 7207 0347 or if you think the Society should support or by e-mail to [email protected] oppose any of these, or if you think we have just got our facts wrong – mistakes Open Garden Squares are easy with the number of projects in the Weekend - 14 & 15 June air right now! We will have a stall on Windrush Square on both days, and use it as a base for some short After our frustration in opposing the loss of guided walks. the George IV and recently the Canterbury Arms, we have met with representatives of Windmill Festival CAMRA to try to beef up protection for the area’s surviving public houses. Sunday 22 June We have also discussed with the London Provisionally 1 pm to 5 pm, with stalls, music, theatre and food. Windmill Gardens are Mural Preservation Society the scope for a between Ramillies Close and Blenheim publication to record the story of several Gardens, off the west side of Brixton Hill, SW2. large-scale murals that survive around For details of the Festival and other Windmill Brixton, mainly from the early 1980s. events, see: www.brixtonwindmill.org Finally a reminder to come out and see these sights for yourself while you still can – why not If you can spare some time to help us at either join in a couple of our Sunday guided walks? event, please call Bill Linskey on (020) 7274 You should find a Summer Walks programme 3835 or by e-mail to [email protected] enclosed with this edition of the newsletter. More dates inside... Alan Piper. 1 Diary for Spring & Summer 2014 Society Meetings community and local traders Thursday 15 May – together, at St.Martin’s The Executive Committee Bygone Brixton Scout Hut, High Trees, SW2 usually meets on the second Alan Piper highlights some Tulse Hill Community Mkt. Thursday of the month to of Brixton’s history, 8 pm at plan activities and agree our the Phoenix Centre, Westow Sunday 27 April – responses to current issues. Hill (by Sainsbury’s), SE19 Brockwell Park Meetings are at 7 pm at the South London Local History Vida Walsh Centre, 2b Community Partners Group. Saltoun Road, SW2 (at the Open meeting including Effra Road end, facing reports on proposals for the Monday 19 May – Windrush Square). changing rooms block and Clapham and the for Brockwell Hall itself – at Bicycle 11 am in Brockwell Hall 8 May, Roger Armstrong will tell the (upstairs meeting room). 12 June (AGM) stories of some early cycling 10 July, pioneers and bicycle makers Followed at 2 pm by a 14 August in the area. Doors (and bar) History Walk around the open from 7 pm for 8 pm Park, departing from the start, at Omnibus (the old Market Walks clock tower. Clapham Library) Clapham Our guided walks round the Friends of Brockwell Park market area continue on the Common North Side, SW4. second Saturday of every Sunday 27 April – Clapham Society month, at £3 including the Spring Plants & th illustrated booklet of the Gardens Fair Tuesday 10 June – route. Tickets available via 10-30 am to 5 pm at the Walk around Stockwell our website or after 12 noon Garden Museum, the former Meet at 7 pm outside on the day from our stall in St. Mary’s Church, Lambeth Stockwell Underground Brixton Station Road. Walks Road, SE1 – admission £5. Station for an evening walk start from there at 2-30 pm The Garden Museum led by Alan Piper. and take about 90 minutes. Southwark & Lambeth Sunday 4th May – Henry Archaeological Society Links with Other Tate Gardens Groups Conducted tours of the Editorial Notice: grounds of Sir Henry Tate’s Please check directly with Space permitting, we try to old house in Streatham, at 2 the organisers if any queries feature local events and pm or 3 pm. Meet at the over times or admission. publish reminiscences or gates of Park Hill on enquiries in our newsletter. Thursday 17th April – Streatham Common We welcome news and The Crystal Palace Northside, near the junction comments from all who are Philip Emery of the Crystal with Leigham Court Road. interested in the Brixton Palace Foundation shares The Streatham Society area, so opinions expressed his knowledge of the in these pages are not Wednesday 14 May – building that gave its name necessarily those of the to the suburb, 7-30 pm at Elephant and Castle: Brixton Society. Upper Norwood Library, A history of the Newington/ All material should be sent Westow Hill, SE19. Walworth area, presented to the Secretary, Alan Piper, Norwood Society by Stephen Humphrey. 82 Mayall Road, SE24 0PJ, 7-30 pm for 7-45 start, or by e-mail to Saturdays 19 & 26 April Herne Hill United Church [email protected] – Community Market Hall, c/o Redpost Hill and Phone/ fax (020) 7207 0347 11 am to 4 pm on alternate Herne Hill, SE24. Saturdays, to bring the Herne Hill Society AdvN\BSN\ Apr 14 Diary.doc 2 Changing Times Heart of Brixton organisations focussing on youth training, emerging technology and food businesses. Recently Fluid and AECOM ran a couple of Their layout provides a more open public workshop discussions on behalf of Lambeth space at the corner of Popes Road and Station and Network Rail to sound out ideas for Road, with opportunities for staging events. developing sites around Brixton Station Road centred on the railway station. There was For general updates on Brixton developments, widespread support for ensuring the market see www.futurebrixton.org was supported by parking for customers and storage for traders’ barrows, and that space Business Revival should be provided for small enterprises, Brixton’s Business Improvement District (BID) rather than private housing supplanting was approved by a ballot of local businesses everything. back in December, but the next steps had still Despite local opposition, the Council had just not been announced as we closed for press. given permission for a developer’s earlier Check their website for updates: proposal to replace the nearby Canterbury www.brixtonbid.co.uk Arms by a 9-storey block of flats. Brixton Market Traders Federation continues At least the Council has already committed to to run themed markets on each Saturday of retain the Recreation Centre, and has just the month in Brixton Station Road, and overall launched a consultation on how better use can activity in the street markets is holding up well. be made of the existing building. Emphasis is See www.brixtonmarket.net on introducing additional activities and making the premises more user-friendly and efficient. For the indoor market arcades, agreement has The deadline for comments is Friday 30 May. been reached between Lambeth Council and See www.lambeth.gov.uk/brixtonrecsurvey or the management company that the company send your comments by e-mail to will oversee the mix of uses to ensure that the [email protected] proportion of cafe uses does not increase to dilute the retail trade any further. Meanwhile at the Ice Rink site While the above developments are being planned, the cleared site of the former Ice Rink is likely to be available for a couple of years. Competing proposals for temporary use of the site had just been unveiled as we finished this newsletter. The rear part of the site, adjacent to Canterbury Gardens Estate, will provide some much-needed car parking for Brixton shoppers, but different mixes of uses are proposed for the frontages to Popes Road and Station Road. Grow:Brixton is proposed by Carl Turner Architects, together with the Edible Bus Stop Townscape Heritage and Canteen. Worthy uses include facilities for The main thrust of the scheme is to encourage locals to learn new skills including gardening, owners to restore the original character and music and building, but the layout is rather detail when refurbishing buildings in the core enclosed. of the Town Centre Conservation Area. The main focus is on Electric Avenue and nearby Brixton Toolbox is proposed by Carver parts of Atlantic Road and Coldharbour Lane. Haggard Architects and TALL Engineers, as a Reliance Arcade may also benefit. consortium of local businesses and community AdvN\ BSN\ Apr 14 Changes.doc 3 Changing Times There is also an element for complementary appointment of a Development Manager and projects to promote interest in local heritage design team, who will report to a steering and develop skills in building conservation. group including Brixton Green and Oval House Current plans are for the bid to be sent to the Theatre, as well as Lambeth Council. This Heritage Lottery Fund by the end of May, for should happen by the end of April, so that work to take place over four years, 2015-19.