Dawson's Hill (The Conservation Volunteers are planning a new project)

[J.Ressler]

The Conservation Volunteers(TCV) are planning a new project at Dawson's Hill aimed at improving biodiversity, exploring the history of the site and improving access for the public.

We are seeking feedback from local residents and interested parties for this project and would appreciate it if you could please answer the following questions by emailing me your answers or you can do the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/NF7RTHZ

1. Do you currently use or visit Dawson's hill?

2. If yes, how often?

3. Do you think Dawson's hill adds value to the community?

4. If a project goes ahead do you think you might participate in project activities and events?

5. What kind of improvements you would like to see at Dawson's hill? We are proposing the following:

a) New natural play area

b) New seating

c) Path improvements

d) New signs and information boards at key locations

e) your suggestion?

We are looking forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards,

Judith

Judith Ressler

[email protected]

Community Engagement Officer

I work three days per week

Mobile: 07901008316

The Conservation Volunteers

4th Floor, Charles Darwin House 2, 107 Grays Inn Road, WC1X 8TZ, 0203 794 8020

[Penguin68]

Can I suggest you either (a) offer an e-mail address to which people can respond or (and better) (b) set up a survey - e.g. on Survey Monkey https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/ - that way the responses can be organised and calibrated. Although people could PM you on this site, that is both slightly clunky and uses up storage which might be better deployed. (And, good ideas, by the way)

[J.Ressler]

Thank you very much for the suggestion. I have now added my email address, but will also set it up on survey monkey.

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/NF7RTHZ

[Burbage]

I have a few little questions of my own.

a) Who is initiating this project, and who manages the site? Why are they different?

b) Several of the TCV ideas can be found in a document from 2013. Which one? And, if nothing has happened since then, why might that be? (feel free to consult previous threads in constructing your response).

c) Is there a conservation element to the project?

d) If not, will an environmental impact assessment be carried out?

I might be being a little unfair, but there are three angles that concern me. The first is that Dawson's Hill is, at least in the view of some, a nature reserve which (according to previous threads on this forum) was deliberately allowed to return to a state of nature, and contains a number of different habitats, all of which have conservation value, and are currently lightly managed by Southwark, alongside other groups*, mainly to clear the litter and otherwise leave well alone.

The second is that the council has already identified the site as a potental site for a new, more formal park and for childrens' playground (though there is already a playground, and other facilities, for residents who live on the estate). That hasn't gone forward, but it's not clear why. As these needs arguably compete with the conservation angle, I guess an informed, public debate would be necessary. If only to decide if the playground, for example, should be built on the thoughtfully-tended meadow, or over the deliberately-wild orchard?

Thirdly, it's not clear what funding is being applied for. Will it be council funding, out of the Parks budget? If so, is this not a case of a contractor trying to write their own tender? Or is it from a different budget, or somewhere else entirely, in which case how does it fit within the overall Open Spaces plan, and what provisions will be made for maintenance? I am a little concerned because, although the TCV is probably blameless in this regard, it's not unknown for certain groups to attempt land-grabs, or for charities to end up being tax-efficient branches of government - as some did when they unwisely lunged for workfare money and ended up sending out sanctions letters for the DWP while utterly alienating some of the volunteers they'd relied on - and though there can be benefits, there are indubitably downsides, too.

I hesitate to annoy. Sometimes there are good reasons to clutter places with facilities and furniture. Sometimes it makes sense to cut down an orchard to make room for a library, or tidy up a cemetery. But Dawson's Hill has been, for decades, one of the few open spaces that's been left to itself, rather than artfully tidied up for the benefit of dog-walkers and joggers.

* Including the Dawson's Hill Trust, which did some good work, but seems to have disappeared. A company of that name was registered in 2007, but dissolved in 2009. It still has a website, though it doesn't appear to have been updated since 2004, at www.dawsonshill.org.uk. The domain belongs currently to the Southwark Green Party, who either see value in keeping it alive or don't know how to stop the bills.

[Sally Eva]

Question 4 should come after Q5 on your survey.

The questions are really

a) does anything need doing?

b) if yes, then what?

[redjam]

I agree with Burbage's point - building a play area (however 'natural') seems completely incompatible with the place being a nature reserve.

[JamesRixon]

I have filled in the survey regarding new robust benches and bigger recycling bins combined in the design. I would be interested in being involved in this.