Re-forming a Friends of Camberwell Old Cemetery Group

[marianik]

In response to the recent clearance in the wooded area of the cemetery along Underhill Road, and in the interest of getting involved in future decisions concerning the area, local residents are proposing re-forming the Friends of Camberwell Old Cemetery group. One idea is to have the area designated as a local nature reserve, as it is already listed as a Site of Nature Conservation Interest.

A number of us met with the cemetery manager and other council staff on April 7 2014 to discuss our concerns over the current works, and have been told that a public consultation over future development of the cemetery should begin this July. We have also drafted minutes of the meeting and had replies from the council which I have pasted below.

If you are interested in joining the proposed Friends group, please send an e-mail to [email protected] or PM me here on the forum, and we will add you to the e-mail list.

In line with preserving the biodiversity in the cemetery, we have been in touch with the London Wildlife Trust. Daniel Greenwood of the LWT will be leading a bird walk on Monday June 16 from 19-21h30 in the cemetery. The meeting point is inside the Forest Hill Road gates. For further information, contact [email protected] / 0207 252 9186

***

From: Deborah McKenzie

Sent: Thursday, 10 April 2014, 13:40

Subject: Camberwell Old Cemetery

Dear Residents,

Thank you to those of you who were able to meet with us on Monday 7th April. We thought it would be useful to provide a summary of what was discussed in relation to Camberwell Old Cemetery.

Emergency Wall Repairs

? Avril Kirby (Cemetery and Crematorium Manager) provided a background to the current work being undertaken to repair the Ryedale section of the boundary wall. The work was prompted by a resident reporting that the wall at the rear of his garden was in imminent danger of falling down. Once the emergency repairs began it became clear that the wall was in such poor condition that the re-building work would have to be extended along the full length of the wall to ensure its integrity and safety. This has required some vegetation clearance at the foot of the wall to enable access to construction vehicles and excavation to build foundations for a new retaining wall.

Feasibility Study

? Deborah McKenzie (Service Development Officer) responded to enquiries about the wider plans for the section of Camberwell Old Cemetery that lies between the Ryedale and Underhill Road boundary. From within the cemetery this area has been fenced off from public access for several years and the council have been looking at how to bring the space back into public use. In doing so a feasibility study is underway to assess conditions at the site. This has included conducting the following site investigations:

1. Topographical Survey - Ground levels within the fenced section are very uneven, there are sharp dips in some spots and a steep mounded area at the centre. It is not considered safe for the public to use the space. As part of the feasibility study a survey was completed last year to measure land levels across the site to determine the volume of soil that would need to be re-configured to create more level ground across the site.

2. Soil Survey - The condition of the soil and its chemical make up was investigated in order to inform any strategy to move soil around. Some reduction of vegetation was required at this stage to allow access for digging machines to collect soil samples from different depths.

3. Tree Survey - It was immediately recognised that it was essential to understand the condition, species and value of the trees within the fenced area as part of the feasibility and to inform a conservation management plan. Two attempts were made to conduct a tree survey last year but the surveyor found the terrain at the time was such that it was unsafe to continue due to the extent of ground cover coupled with uncertain ground levels underfoot. Consequently, our gardening team needed to reduce undergrowth around the site to provide access for the surveyor to get close enough to trees to survey them accurately.

4. We are in the process of commissioning a phase 2 habitat survey to determine the ecological value provided in this section of the cemetery. This will inform the feasibility study.

Conservation Management

? Biodiversity and habitat loss is always a consideration with any vegetation reduction and advice was sought from the borough's Ecology Officer, Tree Services manager and the Senior Planner responsible for Trees before undertaking clearance for these investigations. Restrictions were placed on the extent of reduction so that it was limited to cutting back ground cover, scrub and small saplings. Under advice from the ecology officer, vegetation was retained on site for wildlife habitats and work took place after the bird nesting season. He was satisfied that factors such as the; the time of the year; the significant regeneration expected and retention of dead wood on site would not result in a significant loss of habitat.

? Japanese Knotweed - we are currently carrying out a 5 year rolling programme for the eradication of Japanese Knotweed with regular inspections to identify any new areas of growth and treatment required.

? A conservation management plan is in place that shapes the management and future development of Camberwell Old Cemetery whilst ensuring that its best and most valuable features are protected and restored and its distinct character is enhanced.

? In response to the final paragraph of Anne's email seeking examples of any increase in bio-diversity achieved by the team's management of the cemetery. We consider that works delivered in 2012 at the Wood Vale end of the cemetery, produced a gain in biodiversity. The following gains were delivered as part of the redevelopment:

?

? 1890 m2 of native shrub planting along Wood Vale.

? 85 Trees planted including 45 native standards

? Bat boxes were placed in suitable trees and all the works were delivered outside nesting season and with input from the ecology officer.

? Wood from felled trees were retained for stag beetle habitat creation in other parts of the cemetery.

? Other measures have been introduced that benefit bio-diversity such as relaxing our mowing regime where the herb rich grasslands are found. Of course we would also welcome any suggestion from residents on how we can continue to improve in this respect.

Consultation

? Once the feasibility report into bringing the site back into use becomes available, a full public consultation will begin. We expect that consultation on proposals will start in June and will be ongoing during the summer. Consultees will have access to the full range of investigation reports above.

? It was suggested that residents may wish to form a Friends of Camberwell Old Cemetery and the council can provide guidance with how to go about this.

We shall ensure that you receive further information about the consultation as soon as dates are confirmed. In the meantime, if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact Avril Kirby on [email protected].

Kind Regards

Deborah

Deborah McKenzie

Service Development Officer (Parks)

Tel: 020 7525 0870

Mob: 07903 261 253

***

IN REPLY to our response asking for more information, Ms. McKenzie wrote the following Answers to our questions:

From: Deborah McKenzie

Sent: May 22

We are seeking to confirm dates for the consultation once the council cabinet resumes in mid June and now intend to begin consulting in July.

Feasibility study.

Can you let us know what sort of " public use " is envisaged by the Council in respect of the section of the Camberwell Old Cemetery which lies between Ryedale and Underhill

Road. ANSWER: The proposal is to return the area to use for burial.

1. Topographical Survey.

As this survey has been completed could we please be given a copy of it now? All survey reports will be compiled for inclusion in the consultation pack and released when we begin consulting in July

2. Soil survey

Please could you confirm in writing that no trace of any asbestos now remains. ANSWER See above

3. Tree survey

Presumably this has now taken place and we should also welcome seeing a copy of it. ANSWER See above

Conservation Management

Please may we see a copy of this plan which you state is in place. ANSWER The draft plan will be released for consultation in July.

For instance does it make provision for an annual inspection of the bat boxes? See above

Can you also specify what type of programme/method you are using to eradicate Japanese knotweed and ensure it does not spread to areas outside the cemetery. ANSWER Please see my previous email. Further info can be supplied during the consultation

Wood Vale bio-diversity

Can you tell us where the wood felled from the trees was put. For instance was it put in the woodland area currently under discussion? ANSWER Details to be discussed during consultation.

Could you specify what "other measures " you are taking to benefit - bio-diversity? For example what sorts of grasses would you use in the future. ANSWER See above

Regarding the mowing how much of the previously mowed areas will be allowed to develop into herb rich grasslands? ANSWER See above

Other issues.

1.At our meeting Avril did say that there was a hot line we could ring if we saw any activity in the cemetery which could be a cause for concern. Could you let us know what this number is and during what times it would be answered by somone. ANSWER Cemetery Office: 020 7525 5600 (office hours 9 - 5); Call Centre: 020 7525 5000 (out of hours)

2.We would like to apply for local nature reserve status for the wilder part of the cemetery so please could you tell us which council officer would be the decision maker in this matter. ANSWER Please seek advice from Jon Best (LBS Ecology Officer)

We would also request that you do not carry out any more destruction of habitat in this area.

As stated in my last email I am happy to set up a Friends Group. Any help you can offer with this will be much appreciated. ANSWER Please see the attached info for setting up a Friends group.

Kind Regards

Deborah

Deborah McKenzie

Service Development Officer (Parks)

Tel: 020 7525 0870

Mob: 07903 261 253

[marianik]

For anyone interested in the bird walk, the time has been changed, so that it will now take place on June 16 from 19 to 20:30 (not 21:30)

[panda boy]

ANSWER: The proposal is to return the area to use for burial.

This is the phrase that is personally most concerning.

Quite how anyone can view this part of the cemetery as being even remotely suitable for burials is beyond me, even before the countless studies have been completed.

(Although I am interested to see the results of all these studies, should make for some interesting reading...)

[marianik]

Posted also in the What's On section, but for anyone interested who missed it there:

Daniel Greenwood of the London Wildlife Trust will be leading a walk to discover bats hunting at dusk in Camberwell Old Cemetery, on Friday 29 August from 8-9:30pm. Meet inside the Forest Hill Road Gate. Everyone welcome!

[marianik]

For those following this thread, the council has just announced that it is holding three exhibitions to discus their plans for the cemetery, with comments from the public due January 9 2015. The exhibitions are VERY SOON!:

Saturday 6th December 10 am-12pmHonor Oak Baptist Church, Forest Hill Road

Monday 8th December 6-8 pm Brenchley Gardens Community Centre

Wednesday 10th December 2-4pm Honor Oak Baptist Church

At these "exhibitions " we will have a chance to view detailed plans and discuss our thoughts with "officers and facilitators"

A leaflet accompanies the letter which can be seen at www.southwark.gov/uk/cemeteriesplans

The leaftlet shows that the woodland area opposite the lower end of Underhill Road is rescheduled to be in use for burial in 2018.

1000 burial plots are to be created, work is due to start early 2016, existing paths refurbished,Additional path built, 53 mature trees retained, 18 removed, More trees and shrubs to be planted and 4 years of burial space created

Please do attend an exhibition if you can.

[panda boy]

Here is a response I received from Councillor Darren Merrill about this;

Thank you for you response to the meeting on the proposed plans for Southwark?s Cemeteries. I?m sorry for the short notice for the meeting date but its important to get the opinions of local resident as soon as possible . The time of year has not been chosen specifically, rather it was the first opportunity to begin the process of conversation on these proposal?s and the implementation of the next phase of the agreed cemetery strategy.

It is important that we begin this next phase as we currently only have approximately 3 years worth of burial space left and the process of implementation will take some time. With the three dates available at different times of day on three different day including Saturday I am hoping we?ll get a high level of attendance. In addition all materials are available on our website ( www.sothwark.gov.uk/cemteriesplans ) with the engagement exercise closing on the 9th January 2015 so anyone who is not able to attend our exhibitions will be able to view the plans and make comment in their own time before the date.

This is only the start of the conversation and with 1400 letters and leaflets having been sent out to households in the roads adjacent to the two cemeteries I hope to get a wide range of views to these plans from the residents which will help shape the application to planning. This will also give additional opportunity for stakeholder around the area to give there view.

Please be reassured that I am taking on every ones views on these plan and I am looking forward to working with everyone on the implementation of the cemetery strategy and at the end of it we will have a cemetery that will be respectful and a great place to use.

Cllr Darren J Merrill

Cabinet Member for Environment, Recycling

Community safety and volunteering

0207 525 3617

[Me! Me! Me!]

As a local amateur archivist (founder member of FoBLC) I am very interested in London cemeteries. I have a library of digital photos of Camberwell Old Cemetery going back many years including 1 or 2 pics of 'illegal dumped area' when first appeared. What a wonderful cemetery for its fauna and flora?

See attached (click below) old print I have of Camberwell old Cemetery when first set up in 1850's as 'The new cemetery at Forest Hill'.

[marianik]

To anyone concerned about future planned developments in the Camberwell Old and New Cemeteries.

The Council will be holding a formal public meeting so that local residents who missed the previous meetings due to short notice will be able to view plans and proposals in respect of these two cemeteries and discuss same.

This meeting will be held on Wednesday 11 February 2015 , 7-8.30 at Honor Oak Baptist Church, Forest Hill Road, London SE22 OSG .

The plans will also be available for inspection at that location and date from 2 pm onwards for those who cannot make it later on.

If you are concerned about the environment and the preservation of trees and wild life then please do try and attend or you can view the plans and the surveys which were made at

www.southwark.gov.uk/cemeteriesplans

and send your comments to Coucillor Darren Merrill at

[email protected]

There will also be an informal meeting on Wednesday 21st January at the Rose pub 108 Forest HIll Road from 7.30 .

This has been organised by and for concerned local residents who would like to meet before the formal meeting organised by the Council

Anyone who would like to join us is welcome but please could you email Anne Stanesby at [email protected] to let her know you are coming. This is to help the pub so they know how many people to expect.

( The pub is just down the road from and on the same side as the main cemetery gates and there is a 63 bus stop opposite it on the other side of the road.

[Phoenix2010]

Hello Me!Me!Me!

I love the old photo of Camberwell Old Cemetery in 1856 - what an idyllic rural scene. A country graveyard, in fact. Would be very interested to see any other photos from your archives, including any of the illegal fly tipping. Were you at the meeting we had last Wednesday with Southwark Council? "Save Southwark Woods" is campaigning to stop Southwark from putting 6,000 tightly packed new graves into Camberwell Old and Camberwell new cemeteries, and preserve them as Urban Nature reserves, which is what they have turned themselves into over the years.

[Me! Me! Me!]

Yes, I was at 'Save Southwark Woods' Council meeting. Pics show dumped area. After dumping it was quickly overgrown and continued to be dumped with all sorts of incidental waste - some from cemetery maintenance I would say as Hollyhocks, Pampas Grass and other garden waste floribunda regrew on the site. I noted mature trees were buried high up to their upper trunks and quickly died. Residue dead trunks will no doubt be evident inside 'the dumped hill' to be landscaped soon. Fauna and flora has, of course, taken advantage of the area including a Brimstone butterfly I managed to stalk and photo on opportunist buddleja c.2009. Such butterflies are shy creatures preferring wild habitats unfrequented by Homo sapiens. Any proposed landscaping that follows general municipal pepper-potting blandness, constant mowing and strimming and ignorance of 'bio-diverse habitats' will not expect to see a re-visitation of the Brimstone butterfly or its shy ilk. Last summer in the wooded area of Camberwell Old Cemetery I saw for the first time in some surprising number (as in Brockley & Ladywell Cemeteries) Ringlet butterflies normally seen in more rural localities. (See/click blue numbered attached pic refs below)