Good afternoon Lucy Dee has forwarded me the email from you below re the topiary at Old Bellenden School. As you may be aware, the existing building is going to be extended to allow for a new 2 form of entry school, to be opened in September 2016. The works are scheduled to commence in Summer of this year, and the planning application was submitted last week. The architects, Haverstock, have been working closely with the council and the Dulwich Hamlet Educational Trust who will be running the new school, to create a design for the school that maximises the space for the students who will be occupying the building. It is a tight site, so any external space available needs to be maximised as much as possible for the benefit of the students. It has therefore been proposed that this front area of the site, which is currently occupied by the topiary trees, would be used as an external learning space/garden, which would be managed by school staff when in use. The proposals for the scheme are included in the planning application, which is now valid and can be found on the council?s website under the link below. The council has a statutory duty to consult on planning applications, and the planning officers would welcome any comments you have in relation to the proposed works. http://planningonline.southwark.gov.uk/AcolNetCGI.exe?ACTION=UNWRAP&RIPNAME=Root.PgeResultDetail&TheSystemkey=9558529 Do let me know if you have any further queries. Kind regards Rebecca McTier Capital Projects Chief Executive's Department PO Box 64529, London, SE1P 5LX T: 020 7525 4808 From: Lewis, Dee Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2015 2:40 PM To: McTier, Rebecca; Long, Richard; Page, Julia; Brown, Andrew Cc: Shelley, Patrick Subject: FW: Trees at Bellenden Fyi and should you like to liaise with Lucy about the trees. Thanks Dee Dee Lewis Youth Work Team Manager Southwark Council, Youth Service t: 020 7525 1589/1103 m: 07956 346 706 e:
[email protected] w: www.whtvr.org www.southwark.gov.uk f: www.facebook.com/whtvrorg From: Lucy Swan [mailto:
[email protected]] Sent: Monday, January 12, 2015 4:53 AM To: Lewis, Dee Cc: Nathaniel Swan Subject: Re: Trees at Bellenden Dear Dee, As you will already have gathered I am greatly disturbed by the intention to remove the trees at Bellenden road. It is unlikely that such large and old trees could be successfully dug up and replanted. Even were one to attempt such a project, it would involve removing each tree with an enormous root ball which would need specialist equipment. Then they would need storing somewhere where they would have to be looked after. I have coaxed, trimmed and cut for the last fifteen years and now at last when they are looking fantastic it seems it was all for nothing. Southwark council commissioned the trees under the renewal scheme for Bellenden road and has spent many thousands of pounds on it, and on maintaining the site, all now going to waste. I suppose I thought that trees where things to be looked after, something we all valued, indeed I know from years of cutting them, and Nat my colleague will agree, they are greatly enjoyed and valued by the residents of Bellenden road and the wider community. I am glad that there will be a new school and that a good design has been made but in my judgement it might have been polite of the architects to consult or at least contact me concerning the fate of the trees, and I am sure we could have come to some arrangement which would have benefited the community , saved the trees and suited the architects. Frankly I am surprised at the lack of communication. If it weren't for your good self I would be none the wiser. I am back from India January 26th and will remain hopeful that nothing will be done without consultation before then! Meanwhile my colleague, Nat whose phone number is 07850 099255 can deal with all your queries. Yours sincerely, Lucy Swan Sent from my iPhone On 9 Jan 2015, at 16:38, "Lewis, Dee" wrote: Hi Lucy Happy New Year to you and I hope you are well. With regard the trees at Bellenden, we are now looking at their removal in readiness for the contractor to take over the site in preparation for the school. Can you advise me on the feasibility of digging and replanting them? Thank you Lucy. Dee The email you received and any files transmitted with it are confidential, may be covered by legal and/or professional privilege and are intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this in error please notify us immediately. If you are not the intended recipient of the email or the person responsible for delivering it to them you may not copy it, forward it or otherwise use it for any purpose or disclose its contents to any other person. To do so may be unlawful. Where opinions are expressed in the email they are not necessarily those of Southwark Council and Southwark Council is not responsible for any changes made to the message after it has been sent. The email you received and any files transmitted with it are confidential, may be covered by legal and/or professional privilege and are intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this in error please notify us immediately. If you are not the intended recipient of the email or the person responsible for delivering it to them you may not copy it, forward it or otherwise use it for any purpose or disclose its contents to any other person. To do so may be unlawful. Where opinions are expressed in the email they are not necessarily those of Southwark Council and Southwark Council is not responsible for any changes made to the message after it has been sent.
