PaperBagBadger

I was down at the Rec yesterday and there was a class from Turnham school there with their teachers, enjoying the big safe open space and play area. Sorry kids, TheReclaimer says you shouldn't be there - you're Lewisham kids. And like NMB, I can't help to notice that TheReclaimer is another first time poster.

nmb is very well informed for a local resident. For someone who has lived in the area since they were a child, it is most welcome that this issue has motivated them onto the forum for the first time .... As far as I know it is not general knowledge that Camberwell New Cemetery is closed for burial. The whole tenor of this posting has a strong whiff of Southwark Council propaganda. And to talk about Lewisham residents making a fuss about an open green space which is not in their borough is blinkered. The geographical situation of the Rec means that local people who happen to be Lewisham residents use it as it is their local park in their neighbourhood and they care about it, for the kids of today and tomorrow. It would not just be sad to take the Rec for burial, it would be morally and socially unacceptable. friends of honor oak recreation ground

The e-petition is over 1500 now including Joan Ruddock, MP Lewisham Deptford. Join those who have already signed and help it grow! The Cabinet meeting to discuss burial options has been postponed to 19 April. Why? The comprehensive burial audit taking longer than expected? Long term, sustainable options being put together which do not include the use of the Rec? A realisation of the importance of local green space in our city and the need for its protection? But it means that there is still time before the Cabinet meeting to let the those key councillors know before their meeting what you think - email names and addresses on the blog! Your opinion counts and it means that you will be included in any future consultation, so do it today please! Steve Bullock, mayor of Lewisham, met with Peter John, leader of Southwark Council last week. The mayor shared the concerns of residents about the potential use of the Rec for burial. Cllr John reassured the mayor that Southwark are reviewing this issue and that there are no immediate plans to use the Rec for burial. They also agreed to work together on longer term solutions to the limited burial space in Lewisham and Southwark. So, a cross borough meeting and while hopeful, this falls a long way short of a definite commitment from Southwark Council to safeguard the Rec for ever. The campaign goes on! Check out the blog for updates: friends of honor oak recreation ground blog

Friends of Honor Oak Rec need people to write to Barrie Hargrove and the other Southwark Cabinet members to tell them why the Rec is so important to them and the community. There is a Southwark Cabinet meeting on 22 March where decisions will be made on burial options so please write now! We are promised consultation but so many believe that using the Rec for burial should not be one of those options. Details of names and email addresses of Cabinet members on the blog: friends of honor oak recreation ground

Friends of Honor Oak Rec need people to write to Barrie Hargrove and the other Southwark Cabinet members to tell them why the Rec is so important to them and the community. There is a Southwark Cabinet meeting on 22 March where decisions will be made on burial options so please write now! We are promised consultation but so many believe that using the Rec for burial should not be one of those options. Details of names and email addresses of Cabinet members on the blog: http://honoroakparkrecreationground.blogspot.com/

Just so we're clear, Barrie Hargrove, Cabinet Member for Transport, Environment and Recycling, said on BBC London News on 22 Feb: Quote "We've now reached the point where Southwark cemeteries are almost full and we need to consider different options, and one of the options is to reclaim the Recreation Ground." Check out this and up to date coverage on: friends of honor oak recreation ground blog Where is this promised Southwark burial audit which surely must have details of reuse of older burial plots in all Southwark cemeteries? Presumably, this will be available to Council members attending the meeting to discuss 'consultation options for future service strategy for Southwark Cemeteries'? Anyone know anything more about this meeting to be held at the end of March? Southwark Council meeting

The campaign to save Honor Oak Recreation Ground has reached the national news this week! The e-petition has gone over 1000 and there are many paper petitions being signed out there in the community. Southwark Council are threatening to use the invaluable open green space, Honor Oak Recreation ground, for burials. In case anyone is unsure of where these are, they are behind Honor Oak station - an oasis of playing fields in the middle of Camberwell New Cemetery - a result of some serious bad planning in the past. Southwark maintain they acquired this area for burial in 1901. But times change and this is the only open space available in this part of the community for football, training, sports days for local schools, walking and playing. We know how busy Peckham Rye park is, and Honor Oak Rec is just as busy. Southwark Council list it on their website as one of their smaller parks. They have no sustainable burial policy so even if they used the Rec, which park would next be in danger of being nibbled away for burials? There are many areas of re-usable areas in Camberwell New, Camberwell Old and Nunhead cemeteries and of course, there is the 3 acre site on the old Southwark Nursery site next to HOP station. This piece of land has now been cleared of the illegal dumped mounds (at a cost of ?3.4 million) and it was thought that this was the next area for burial. Southwark have carried out a burial audit and are apparently putting together options for the future. Honor Oak Recreation Ground should not be even considered for this possibility. The local community is giving that message to the council - loud and clear! Sign the petition on: honoakrecpetition Check out the Friends blog (where you can listen to a piece from the Today programme, watch BBC London News, read a SLP/Mercury article ..... friendshonoakparkrecblog And check out SE23 Forum for more discussion! SE23 Forum

The campaign to save Honor Oak Recreation Ground has reached the national news this week! The e-petition has gone over 1000 and there are many paper petitions being signed out there in the community. Southwark Council are threatening to use the invaluable open green space, Honor Oak Recreation ground, for burials. In case anyone is unsure of where these are, they are behind Honor Oak station - an oasis of playing fields in the middle of Camberwell New Cemetery - a result of some serious bad planning in the past. Southwark maintain they acquired this area for burial in 1901. But times change and this is the only open space available in this part of the community for football, training, sports days for local schools, walking and playing. We know how busy Peckham Rye park is, and Honor Oak Rec is just as busy. Southwark Council list it on their website as one of their smaller parks. They have no sustainable burial policy so even if they used the Rec, which park would next be in danger of being nibbled away for burials? There are many areas of re-usable areas in Camberwell New, Camberwell Old and Nunhead cemeteries and of course, there is the 3 acre site on the old Southwark Nursery site next to HOP station. This piece of land has now been cleared of the illegal dumped mounds (at a cost of ?3.4 million) and it was thought that this was the next area for burial. Southwark have carried out a burial audit and are apparently putting together options for the future. Honor Oak Recreation Ground should not be even considered for this possibility. The local community is giving that message to the council - loud and clear! Sign the petition on: savehonoroakrec petition Check out the Friends blog (where you can listen to a piece from the Today programme, watch BBC London News, read a SLP/Mercury article ..... friends of honor oak rec blog And check out SE23 Forum for more discussion! http://www.se23.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4090

The campaign to save Honor Oak Recreation Ground has reached the national news this week! The e-petition has gone over 1000 and there are many paper petitions being signed out there in the community. Southwark Council are threatening to use the invaluable open green space, Honor Oak Recreation ground, for burials. In case anyone is unsure of where these are, they are behind Honor Oak station - an oasis of playing fields in the middle of Camberwell New Cemetery - a result of some serious bad planning in the past. Southwark maintain they acquired this area for burial in 1901. But times change and this is the only open space available in this part of the community for football, training, sports days for local schools, walking and playing. We know how busy Peckham Rye park is, and Honor Oak Rec is just as busy. Southwark Council list it on their website as one of their smaller parks. They have no sustainable burial policy so even if they used the Rec, which park would next be in danger of being nibbled away for burials? There are many areas of re-usable areas in Camberwell New, Camberwell Old and Nunhead cemeteries and of course, there is the 3 acre site on the old Southwark Nursery site next to HOP station. This piece of land has now been cleared of the illegal dumped mounds (at a cost of ?3.4 million) and it was thought that this was the next area for burial. Southwark have carried out a burial audit and are apparently putting together options for the future. Honor Oak Recreation Ground should not be even considered for this possibility. The local community is giving that message to the council - loud and clear! Sign the petition on: savehonoroakrecpetition Check out the Friends blog (where you can listen to a piece from the Today programme, watch BBC London News, read a SLP/Mercury article ..... http://honoroakparkrecreationground.blogspot.com/] And check out SE23 Forum for more discussion! http://www.se23.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4090

Support is rapidly growing to protect Honor Oak Recreation Ground as an open green space where so many go now for sporting activities and leisure and have done for over a century. In case anyone is unsure where it is, it's an oasis of green surrounded by Camberwell New Cemetery (resulting from some seriously bad forward planning in the past). It can't be lost! It's the only playing fields in that area apart from Peckham Rye Park - and we know how busy that is. If you think Honor Oak Recreation Ground should be protected now and the future - sign the e-petition http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/savehonoroakparkrec] visit the Friends of Honor Oak Park Recreation Ground blog http://honoroakparkrecreationground.blogspot.com/ BBC London have been filming today and it is currently being featured on radio news. It will be on BBC TV London News at 13.30 and 18.30 today - Tuesday 22 Feb Also, read the BBC London News piece here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12535599

Interesting bit of social history there. If you want to sign the petition to keep Honor Oak Rec an open green space for all to enjoy today and for the future, go to the Friends blog: Friends of HonorOak Park Recreation Ground where you can sign the e-petition and view Saturday's Radio 4 Today item Or go straight to: Save Honor Oak Park Recreation Ground Petition 778 signatures to date!

If you didn't catch the feature on the Today programme this morning, listen again here: radio4todayHORec Roll on to 1:34.33 Great soundbite David Stephens from the coffee shop!

Fantastic background and analysis,LanguageLounger. Please do get in touch with [email protected] to tell us more! That's not the whole link for the e-petition, although you can get onto it via the Friends of Honor Oak Park Recreation Ground blog link in SuchALife's post. Here's the full e-petition link: www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/savehonoroakparkrec We obviously need as many Southwark residents as possible to sign as possible.