James Barber

Yes, that exception on top of the station was made. But it wasn't 9. That single story paid for a doubling in the size of Grove Vale Library.

Hi Dogkennelhillbilly, North of East dulwich station is not covered by the Dulwich Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) Suburban requirements. And 1978 was before this guidance was agreed. Hi Jenijenjen, We have vacant sites and sites that for certain heights would likely become available. Giibs & Dandy vacant builders yard - neighbours I've spoken to of this site are extremely concerned about what the council may now approve. Kwik Fit, Goose Green Trading Estate instantly come to mind as sites where tall buildings would bring a significant offer to the freeholders to see the sites up. The Southwark Plan treats Giibs & Dandy + Kwik Fit as one site suitable for residential redevelopment. It also lists the Trading Estate for this as well. See page.84 https://www.southwark.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2024-09/Southwark Plan 2022 reduced 1.pdf Do you think developers having seen the council approve a 9 storey redevelopment are more or less likely now to seek the same at other East Duwlcih locations?

Hi Dogkennelhillbilly, You won't be aware that i proposed infill sites for housing in East Dulwich - the garages on Bassano Street and Henslowe that respectively became 1-4 Dill Terrace family houses and the 78, 80, 80A Henslowe Street family houses. These were council owned garages and it was frustrating how slow the council was to go from my idea to completion (roughly eight years). East Dulwich has some other vacant WW2 bomb sites I'm guessing that the private land owners have been sitting on.Owe for a land tax for vacant land. WRT to the builders yard by East dulwich station. Southwark Council has an agreed policy the area should remain suburban 2/3 storeys maximum. But the approved scheme is 9 storeys of student accommodation. Very hard to put this genie back in the bottle. The council has recently publicly stated lower ratios of social housing will be required. I will be amazed if the developer doesn't submit another application now they have the 9 storeys approved but with significantly less social housing. The less social housing the higher the land values. The higher the land values the less social housing viability reports state are possible. If we really want to increase home supply - Southwark have over 6,000 empty homes. Vancouver charges a low % of the value of empty homes and rapidly eased this problem. Parts of Wales have introduced under Article 4 planning permission is required for second homes seeing within 12 months a dramatic decrease in property prices. Southwark Council have Article 4 requirements - why not add this one? It takes National political will to solve this AND regional and local authorities such as the second home council tax premium and these being used promptly.

I know I'm a bit premature but don't want to forget through too much Chrisntas cheer! Southwark Council Christmas trees recycling arrangements 2025 - bit worrying for the future that they're emphasising the free bit. "We’ll collect and recycle your real Christmas tree for free! Trees should not be taller than 5ft. You should chop any taller trees into smaller pieces. Remove all decorations and the pot or stand and recycle it by: putting your tree with your garden waste containers on collection day requesting a free collection if you do not have a garden waste collection taking it to our Reuse and Recycling Centre [43 Devon Street, SE15 1AL open 08:30-16:30 Mon-Sun] If you live in a flat you must leave the tree: outside on the kerb visible for the collection crew not in a bin store" I'll add the link to the collection booking service when it opens on 22 December.

Most homes in East Dulwich / Good Green ward have collections on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. So no changes for them this year. But for those few local homes with collections normally on Thursdays or Friday, with Christmas, Boxing day happening on Thursday and Friday any blue, brown or green bin collections will be delayed by two days. So Thursday 25 December collections will be on Saturday 27 December and Friday 26 December collections on Sunday 28 December. For New Years day those Thursday collections will be on the Friday 2 January and those with normal collections of Fridays that will be on Saturday 3 January. To double check when your Southwark Council rubbish, recycling, food waste, garden waste collections will be taking place please please check here - https://services.southwark.gov.uk/bins/lookup

The planned closure of Dulwich Library for over 6 months to refurb and change the heating seems odd. The description of works does not seems to align with the expected length of closure. Some library authorities use shop fitters over December/January when they have no other work to undertake such library refurbs. The costs are especially keen as a result. And shop fitters are used to compressed time works. Win win. I would hope the works involve using the vacant unused second floor. Perhaps relocating the first floor librarian back offices there to make a bigger user space on the first floor.

The proposed BT freestanding advertising/street hub unit is proposed to be placed immediately adjacent a Bus Stop area. It will impede people entering and leaving buses that stop at this bus stop. It would block buses deploying their disabled ramps. Frankly, I am amazed this wasn’t caught at the application initial assessment and rejected. This proposal will cause problems, it is clearly discriminatory towards disabled people and people requiring wheelchairs. Equally it would block people with prams from accessing buses that stop at this bus stop. I would encourage people to email the case officer pointing out the blindingly obvious - [email protected]

I really enjoyed the last one but sadly I can't make it Sue - hope it goes well.

Thanks Sue for organising. What an interesting bunch of people to meet up with.

Such developments typically have 6-18months resolving all the conditions imposed on the approve scheme. While this going on they'll be lining up the constructions contractors, project management, etc. I'd guess 12-18months time.

Very good point Sue. If a replacement franchise is successfully let then it would throw into question whether the Crown Post Office was unprofitable. The only obvious differential would be levels of pay for the staff and level od service for customers and any up tick in usage.

The Post Office is a still owned by the government. The decisions about whether to keep the Crown Post Office open or replaced with a downgraded version on Lordship Lane is a Labour Government decision.

A franchise Post Office is in fact a sub Post Office. It isn't able to provide the same services as the current Crown Post Office on Lordship Lane. Things like Road Tax, Passports, etc are not allowed via sub Post Offices. Likely the staff wont be transferred across as their hourly rate would decrease. It may be the hours of operating will increase. Crown Post Office staff are often unionised, sub Post Office staff are not usually unionised. Franchise sub Post Office commission for completing the various services is lower than for Crown Post Offices.

The developer is now onward selling the scheme to realise their profits. A developer contact tells me this happens when they can't believe their luck at getting planning permission and the promises they've had to make to a council to get their way. Any purchaser is likely to try and realise more profits by seeking changes to the approved scheme.

Approved scheme usually have three years to start. Start can be pretty minuscule in practice.