Lewisham Council writes:
Lewisham Council is to offer free car parking on three Saturdays in the run up to Christmas.
Shoppers will be able to park for free all day in all council-run car parks in Blackheath, Catford, Deptford, Forest Hill, Lewisham and Sydenham on Saturday 7, 14 and 21 December.
The start of the free parking offer falls on 7 December – the traditional start of the Christmas shopping rush – and also the UK’s first ‘Small Business Saturday’ which is a national campaign to encourage shoppers to ‘shop local’ and use local, independent shops.
Sir Steve Bullock, Mayor of Lewisham, said: “Town centres are at the heart of our local communities and independent businesses play a huge role in making our town centres the vibrant and prosperous areas they are to work in and to shop.
“We are pleased to take part in Small Business Saturday by waiving parking charges in Council car parks during this period and I hope everyone will take this opportunity to do their Christmas shopping locally and help support local businesses.”
The free car parking offer only applies to car parks that are managed by Lewisham Council and does not include on-street parking, Lewisham Shopping Centre (which is privately owned) or Blackheath Station car park which is now owned by Network Rail.
For a list of all participating car parks visit www.lewisham.gov.uk/freeparking.
The Catford Canteen
Lewisham Council writes:
This autumn an exciting new indoor dining experience will be opening its doors in the heart of Catford.
The weekly Catford Canteen will launch over two nights on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 October and will be hosted by underground dining specialists Basement Galley, who will bring a touch of their culinary mastery from their most successful east London project, The Underground Supper Club, to a revamped short term vacant unit in the Catford Centre. On its debut evening, diners will be able to enjoy a 5-course menu with dishes from soy-braised salmon to rich aubergine tagine.
The Catford Canteen builds on the success of the Catford Broadway Supper Club and is an ideal way to explore a range of gastro specialities prepared by different chefs every weekend and for new food businesses to showcase their talents. Diners can look forward to tucking in to an eclectic range of food including: Vietnamese (Sydenham’s Two Hungry Bees), Italian (Ladywell’s Pastificio Mansi), Barbadian (Catford’s Inapikkle) as well as Hither Green’s The Hungry Larder, the Hither Green Wine Club and the Brockley Brewery Company. Chefs from further afield will include Colonel Toms Louisiana Gumbo and Christabel’s Mad Hatters Brunch Party.
Director of Basement Galley, Alex Cooper, said: “We’re honoured to be launching this new and exciting venue. Most of what we do is in east London so it’s great to see things happening in this part of London. I also think it’s great that the Catford Canteen is a Council run initiative. Opening a restaurant is expensive so a pop-up restaurant with a fully fitted kitchen, furniture and business support is perfect for budding food entrepreneurs who want to test out their offer before committing to something more permanent.”
Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Regeneration Councillor Alan Smith, said: “Catford residents have told us they want a better range and quality of shops and to be able to socialise in the town centre. Now that we own the Catford Centre, we are able to try out new ventures and give businesses and the local community a sense of what their town centre could become. The Catford Canteen will allow us to embrace this opportunity by turning a short term vacant unit into something new, exciting and vibrant.”
The Catford Canteen is at 28 Winslade Way, Catford Centre, Catford SE6 4JU and advance booking can be made via www.lewisham.gov.uk/CatfordCanteen.
Ladywell Fields User Group AGM
The LFUG annual jamboree is on Tuesday 15 October, 7.30pm in The Council Chamber at Catford Town Hall.
There will be presentations about the Catford Stadium redevelopment plans and the Secret Gardens project. The User Group also has two elected positions - Chair & Treasurer and Secretary. Tony Rich has served as Chair, and Robert Sheppard as Secretary for c.5 years. Both are happy to ‘give way’ to new blood if anyone’s interested - and can explain what each role entails.
For more information, please email ladywellfields@yahoo.co.uk. All nominations should be submitted, by email to this address, by Friday 11 October.
There will be presentations about the Catford Stadium redevelopment plans and the Secret Gardens project. The User Group also has two elected positions - Chair & Treasurer and Secretary. Tony Rich has served as Chair, and Robert Sheppard as Secretary for c.5 years. Both are happy to ‘give way’ to new blood if anyone’s interested - and can explain what each role entails.
For more information, please email ladywellfields@yahoo.co.uk. All nominations should be submitted, by email to this address, by Friday 11 October.
5-a-side players needed
Chris writes:
Last year's call for local 5-a-side footballers on Brockley Central met with huge success. However, due to the popularity of fatherhood we're falling low in numbers again.
Anybody out there interested in 60 minutes of 5-a-side football with a group of ageing has-beens should get in touch. We play on the pitches at Catford bridge, kicking off on Wednesdays at 19:30, the cost is £5.
Please email me if you'd like to play.
Last year's call for local 5-a-side footballers on Brockley Central met with huge success. However, due to the popularity of fatherhood we're falling low in numbers again.
Anybody out there interested in 60 minutes of 5-a-side football with a group of ageing has-beens should get in touch. We play on the pitches at Catford bridge, kicking off on Wednesdays at 19:30, the cost is £5.
Please email me if you'd like to play.
Sunken Master
Lucy writes:
I go to a really brilliant adult/teenager swimming lesson down at St Dunstan's school pool on Mondays at 8.15-9.15pm.
The coach is an ex Olympic guy and he's amazing. The class is quiet as they have changed venue and lost some swimmers. I just wanted to help them try and get more people as they are really lovely as well as being good!
If people like the sound of that, their website is www.tigersharkssc.co.uk for more information.
I go to a really brilliant adult/teenager swimming lesson down at St Dunstan's school pool on Mondays at 8.15-9.15pm.
The coach is an ex Olympic guy and he's amazing. The class is quiet as they have changed venue and lost some swimmers. I just wanted to help them try and get more people as they are really lovely as well as being good!
If people like the sound of that, their website is www.tigersharkssc.co.uk for more information.
The Ladywell Tavern (and maybe Jam Circus) will be back
Kate from The South London Press has managed to get a quote from Enterprise Inns, the owners of the Ladywell Tavern, confirming that the pub (which closed last weekend) will reopen. She writes:
A spokeswoman for Enterprise Inns said the company had received no interest from Tesco, adding: “The publican of the Ladywell Tavern has only ceased trading temporarily; minor works are being carried out on site and our aim is for the pub to resume trading as soon as possible.”
There's more evidence that the local drinking scene doesn't face The World's End, the departing team at The Catford Bridge Tavern have been talking a good game on Twitter, saying that their next move will be to reopen Crofton Park's Jam Circus.
A spokeswoman for Enterprise Inns said the company had received no interest from Tesco, adding: “The publican of the Ladywell Tavern has only ceased trading temporarily; minor works are being carried out on site and our aim is for the pub to resume trading as soon as possible.”
There's more evidence that the local drinking scene doesn't face The World's End, the departing team at The Catford Bridge Tavern have been talking a good game on Twitter, saying that their next move will be to reopen Crofton Park's Jam Circus.
The Catford Bridge Tavern bought by Camden pubco
Pubco Antic has lost its fight to hang on to The Catford Bridge Tavern, a pub the team brought back from the brink and then fought their landlords to prevent it becoming retail. They announced on Twitter:
It is with very heavy heart that we must announce we are closing @catfordtavern. We are all absolutely gutted. Such a huge shame. I guess it's the danger of creating such a fantastic pub. It's all down to the type of lease. Unfortunately these things do happen.
But the good news is that the drinkers of Catford can welcome their new Camden overlords, since the pub has been bought by Camden Bars, the pubco behind the Lock Tavern, which was once twinned with the Amersham Arms in New Cross.
Hopefully, this might spur Antic to refocus their attention on reopening Jam Circus, which languishes up the road in Crofton Park, still scarred by smoke and fire.
Thanks to Matt and Monkeyboy for the spot.
It is with very heavy heart that we must announce we are closing @catfordtavern. We are all absolutely gutted. Such a huge shame. I guess it's the danger of creating such a fantastic pub. It's all down to the type of lease. Unfortunately these things do happen.
But the good news is that the drinkers of Catford can welcome their new Camden overlords, since the pub has been bought by Camden Bars, the pubco behind the Lock Tavern, which was once twinned with the Amersham Arms in New Cross.
Hopefully, this might spur Antic to refocus their attention on reopening Jam Circus, which languishes up the road in Crofton Park, still scarred by smoke and fire.
Thanks to Matt and Monkeyboy for the spot.
Lewisham Wine Club
I am setting up a non-profit wine club. The idea is basically for people interested in wine to meet regularly and everybody is supposed to bring a bottle of wine that they consider sharing and discussing with others.
We will be meeting at the Catford Bridge Tavern and the first meeting is set for August 4th in which the exact set up will be discussed. I hope to find about 10 likeminded people.
People can get in touch via our Facebook group.
Catford Broadway improvements begin
Lewisham Council reports:
Work has started on a major refurbishment of Catford Broadway – one of a number of projects being undertaken by Lewisham Council to help attract more shoppers and visitors to Catford town centre.
Between now and spring 2014, the Council’s contractors will be:
- laying brand new level paving to create a more accessible and pedestrian-friendly street which will also help to resolve current issues including drainage
- installing new lighting and seating
- working with a number of shopkeepers to improve the appearance and condition of their shopfronts
upgrading the alleyway between Catford Broadway and the Thomas Lane car park (in between no’s 15 and 17 Catford Broadway) to encourage more people to use both the car park and the alleyway.
This work will be carried out in phases, so Catford Broadway can remain open for business throughout. The market will also continue to operate as normal, although individual stalls will be temporarily relocated while their usual location is being worked on.
From September onwards, once the first phase of the works is completed, parking will no longer be permitted on Catford Broadway in order to encourage more pedestrian use.
The Council has secured £1.5 million from the Mayor of London's Outer London Fund to carry out the refurbishment of Catford Broadway and various associated projects such as the new Catford Broadway Supper Club, Catford Broadway Market which takes place on the first Sunday of each month and the trainee market trader scheme which has helped over a dozen residents to set up their own businesses. The Council has contributed an additional £600,000 towards this scheme.
Work has started on a major refurbishment of Catford Broadway – one of a number of projects being undertaken by Lewisham Council to help attract more shoppers and visitors to Catford town centre.
Between now and spring 2014, the Council’s contractors will be:
- laying brand new level paving to create a more accessible and pedestrian-friendly street which will also help to resolve current issues including drainage
- installing new lighting and seating
- working with a number of shopkeepers to improve the appearance and condition of their shopfronts
upgrading the alleyway between Catford Broadway and the Thomas Lane car park (in between no’s 15 and 17 Catford Broadway) to encourage more people to use both the car park and the alleyway.
This work will be carried out in phases, so Catford Broadway can remain open for business throughout. The market will also continue to operate as normal, although individual stalls will be temporarily relocated while their usual location is being worked on.
From September onwards, once the first phase of the works is completed, parking will no longer be permitted on Catford Broadway in order to encourage more pedestrian use.
The Council has secured £1.5 million from the Mayor of London's Outer London Fund to carry out the refurbishment of Catford Broadway and various associated projects such as the new Catford Broadway Supper Club, Catford Broadway Market which takes place on the first Sunday of each month and the trainee market trader scheme which has helped over a dozen residents to set up their own businesses. The Council has contributed an additional £600,000 towards this scheme.
Catford Dogs Homes get go ahead
The Mayor of London's office announces:
More than a thousand jobs and 500 new homes will be created in Lewisham through the redevelopment of the former Catford Greyhound Stadium, the Mayor of London Boris Johnson announced today.
The £117m redevelopment will bring 589 new homes to the 4.7 hectare site in the heart of Lewisham under a deal reached between the Mayor and developer Barratt London [the developers of "Renaissance Lewisham" and a client of BC's employers]. When finished, this will include 113 affordable rent properties which will be managed by Gallions Housing Association, 60 shared ownership properties and 416 properties for private ownership.
More than a thousand jobs and 500 new homes will be created in Lewisham through the redevelopment of the former Catford Greyhound Stadium, the Mayor of London Boris Johnson announced today.
The £117m redevelopment will bring 589 new homes to the 4.7 hectare site in the heart of Lewisham under a deal reached between the Mayor and developer Barratt London [the developers of "Renaissance Lewisham" and a client of BC's employers]. When finished, this will include 113 affordable rent properties which will be managed by Gallions Housing Association, 60 shared ownership properties and 416 properties for private ownership.
The publicly owned stadium has been released by the Mayor as part of his drive to unlock development on public sector owned land in order to increase housing supply for hard working Londoners and boost jobs and growth. It is amongst the first tranche of sites released by the Greater London Authority since it became one of the capital’s largest public land owners last year.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “London’s unbeatable allure means unprecedented demand for housing, and making public land available for development has a big part to play in meeting this. The transformation of Catford Dogs, which for the last decade has been left empty and unused, will not only bring hundreds of new homes to the heart of London, but will feed into the wider regeneration of Catford Town Centre making it an even better place to live and injecting a healthy new dose of jobs and growth into one of the capital’s key opportunity areas.”
The former dog track sits between two key transport hubs, Catford Bridge and Catford railway station, and when complete will also boast 508 sq m of retail space, 298 sq m of community space as well as landscaped links through the site to Ladywell Fields and Catford Town Centre. Work is expected to begin by early 2014 and the project is expected to be complete by 2017.
Alastair Baird, Barratt London Regional Managing Director, added: “'We are delighted to be working with the Mayor on this exciting project. This is the fifth site we have secured in the capital in the last six months, bringing a total of 1,800 new homes to London. The site at Catford will add to our already significant presence in the Borough of Lewisham, with our redevelopment of the town centre – Renaissance – which will provide a total of 788 new homes together with a new leisure centre due to open shortly.”
The transformation of Catford Stadium, which has been unused for the last ten years and sits within one of London’s key opportunity areas and will provide a major catalyst for future regeneration potential in Catford Town Centre. Lewisham Council have outlined a number of redevelopment opportunities including the redevelopment of Catford Shopping Centre and plans to work with TfL to improve the transport network in the town centre.
Deputy Mayor of Lewisham and Cabinet Member for Regeneration Cllr Alan Smith says: “It is very good news for Catford that this site is finally to be developed. The additional homes and jobs will be very welcome in this part of Lewisham, and the development will sit well alongside our own plans for the rebuilding and improvement of Catford Town Centre.”
Barratt London is among the 25 developers announced last week to sit on the Mayor’s brand new land procurement group, the London Development Panel, which has been set up to accelerate the delivery of housing in London by making it faster, easier and cheaper for public land owners to bring forward land for development.
The former Catford Greyhound Stadium site was transferred to the GLA from the HCA as part of the devolution of power to the Mayor under the Localism Act 2011. The land was acquired by English Partnerships, a predecessor body of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), in March 2004 from Network Rail and the National Greyhound Association.
The Catford Plan
Lewisham Council has launched a public consultation about the future of Catford. If any part of the borough needs re-imagining, it's Catford, which could make a vital and interesting contribution to life in the borough, but mostly doesn't.
The Council is updating its planning strategy for Catford Town Centre. The Catford Plan will guide where and how development should take place for the period to 2026, reflecting community and Council expectations, and once agreed and adopted it will be used to assess and determine relevant planning applications.
The Council is now consulting on a ‘further options’ document for the Catford Plan, which details the emerging vision, plans and policies for Catford’s future. The purpose of this consultation stage is to ensure that anyone who is interested, particularly the local business and resident communities and affected land owners, has the opportunity to comment on what options should be taken forward, and any alternative option being considered.
All are open for comment and you are invited to suggest other options if you feel there is another way. The Council wants to hear from local people and believes that local knowledge and opinions result in a better plan.
The Council's specific recommendations include:
In BC's view, Catford needs less retail space and more and better-quality green space, housing and amenities for young families, to build on the area's traditional residential strengths. Some will call that a vision for a "dormitory" area, but there's nothing wrong with trying to build nice places to live, especially when such places command such a premium in London.
The Council is updating its planning strategy for Catford Town Centre. The Catford Plan will guide where and how development should take place for the period to 2026, reflecting community and Council expectations, and once agreed and adopted it will be used to assess and determine relevant planning applications.
The Council is now consulting on a ‘further options’ document for the Catford Plan, which details the emerging vision, plans and policies for Catford’s future. The purpose of this consultation stage is to ensure that anyone who is interested, particularly the local business and resident communities and affected land owners, has the opportunity to comment on what options should be taken forward, and any alternative option being considered.
All are open for comment and you are invited to suggest other options if you feel there is another way. The Council wants to hear from local people and believes that local knowledge and opinions result in a better plan.
The Council's specific recommendations include:
- The Catford Centre and Milford Towers to be redeveloped as mixed-use properties with a supermarket anchor tenant
- Minor realignment of the South Circular to create a contraflow for buses
- The Civic Centre to become another mixed use development with a range of "civic" uses
- A new residential development (with some green) to replace Laurence House
- More new retail on Plassey Island commercial partk
- Housing at the Greyhound Stadium
- Residential to replace Wickes and Halfords
In other words, the whole town centre is up for grabs. Which is as it should be. But on first inspection, the ideas advanced in the Council's preferred options aren't hugely exciting. The primary aim is to create a better shopping environment, while building more and better-quality homes. Fine, but we are in the midst of a huge consolidation in retail. The biggest and best shopping centres continue to attract big brands. The well-kept local high-streets will attract independent retail and leisure. Catford runs the risk that it will be neither grand and well-connected enough to compete with the likes of Westfield Croydon, nor interesting and charming enough to attract independent businesses.
In BC's view, Catford needs less retail space and more and better-quality green space, housing and amenities for young families, to build on the area's traditional residential strengths. Some will call that a vision for a "dormitory" area, but there's nothing wrong with trying to build nice places to live, especially when such places command such a premium in London.
