Fire (Stuart Road) (policy on open fires?)

[vandam]

Hi All-

Does anyone know the Southwark Council policy on open fires. Just wondering as we live near a fire which has been burning for several days now and is left to burn overnight unattended. This is in the old semi-abandoned garages on Stuart Road - it looks like the site is being cleared. There is a skip there but most of the items to be cleared are just being thrown on the fire spewing ash all over the neighbourhood. Apparently the Council have visited the fire and nothing seems to have changed. The fire has been going since last week (Thursday 8/11/12) and is surely a public fire hazard.

Thanks, Vandam

[hpsaucey]

hi there. went past on school run the other day. were workmen with hardhats in there. got the feeling were connected to building works opposite but was rushing by so might be wrong....

[James Barber]

Hi vandam,

We live in a smoke free zone.

Where is it exactly?

[vandam]

Hi-

It is not related to the school building work opposite.

It is at 85 Stuart Road. I reported it to southwark Council Environment Officers this morning and they have just come around to visit me and are going to the site now. So hopefully this will have an effect. Will await further developments. One thing they said is that if the fire is unattended at night we could call the Fire Brigade.

Thanks

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Vandam,

I'm one of the Peckham Rye Councillors. I've just picked up on your post. If it's not resolved to your satisfaction, please contact me.

Renata

[uncleglen]

The council policy- which was once written in a green leaflet called 'Bonfires' -said you are allowed a bonfire in your garden for 1 hour at dusk once a month and one on Guy Fawkes. You are not allowed to burn noxious stuff like paint. I had one of these leaflets given to me because of a nuisance neighbour about 8 years ago.

[vandam]

Thanks very much everyone who has responded-

The Council Environment Officers came down yesterday and the fire was stopped so hopefully that is the problem sorted.

Good to know about the green council policy leaflet too.

[Renata Hamvas]

I'm glad the problem is sorted now, Vandam

Renata

[Mattsoper]

Hi Renata,

Do you know what's happening at this site? I've checked the planning applications on the Southwark Council website and the last mention of 85 Stuart Road was back in 2009, though there doesn't appear to be any update since then.

Thanks,

Matt

[vandam]

According to Southark Planning website the developers are Grimwood and Bowdery, based in Bromley(?) but they are impossible to get hold of in order to open up a channel of communication. They are ex-Directory. The demolition is now in progress.

[Renata Hamvas]

I have been in contact with council officers in relation to the onging problem with fires (hopefully this is now sorted!) demolition is currently going on the site, so environmental health are keeping an eye on what is happening here.

In terms of planning Stuart, I don't know, I will check, I am assuming that it is the 2009 plan that is being implemented.

Renata

[Mattsoper]

Thanks for the update, Vandam.

I've looked at the planning application you mentioned above and it says that Southwark refused permission in 2008, though there are details mentioned about an appeal in 2009. Do you know if this means it's been approved? Compared with the development of the old H R Denne building and the new Bredinghurst School, this one seems to be happening without much notification - apart from the burning beacon, of course!

[lameduck]

what about the asbestos on the roofs of these garages

i have noticed one man taking them down.

what about the people who live next door etc

surely there must be some council policy on this

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Lameduck, a resident reported the potential asbestos issue to me and it is now being dealt with by council officers.

Thanks

Renata

[hpsaucey]

this makes.me so mad. if there's potentially asbestos then there are local residents and its a walking route to primary and secondary schools. I'm a museum union health and safety rep and this work would not be allowed to happen without risk assessments, method statements etc for the work. is there asbestos on the roofs or is it just a suggestion that there might be? what has been burnt? have all chemicals and other toxic substances been dealt with properly? I walk my kids near, but have started avoiding it sometimes as the fire has been on and off, mainly on, for weeks. sometimes my eyes have felt sore and i have put it down to contact lenses but I wonder...... hope this is being properly checked out.

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi HP Saucy,

this was reported to me by a resident as a potential asbestos containing site (they were concerned about the garage roofs). I reported it to council officers and they have been there to investigate what is going on. I hope to have an undate tomorrow about the site, I shall post on here when I do.

Renata

[vandam]

I have been getting a bit despondent about this site. On two occasions I have got the Environmental Officers from the Council down to the site when the fire was burning. On the first accasion they agreed the fire was unacceptable and spoke to the very unco-operative labourer on site. He stopped that day but then carried on burning intermittently. The second time the Environmental Officers came down they said that even though there was a fire burning, it was not serious enough for them to ask him to stop?! That was frustrating. Then the demolition began and I called a Building Inspector from Planning to come down. He had a look at the site and said that I was to await any construction notices from the Developer. I was not even thinking about asbestos but now I am worried as it seems that some of these Developers basically do what they like and we all stand aside watching. Who do our lawyers speak to when we get asbestos poisoning?

[lameduck]

the problem here is planners allow cowboys planning permission

they dont check to see what they are doing they have had a fire every day except weekends

since 11th or 13th november,i am frightened to burn my private papers bank statements etc

in case it upsets somebody or wrecks their washing.

and now we are subjected to asbestos spread all over our gardens roads etc

because they want a CHEAP job.

i wish they were regulated

[hazelnunhead]

I too live near by and am worried hearing about the possible asbestos link. Rental could of update please?

[Renata Hamvas]

Council Officers have got back to me again today:

The above site was visited by Environmental Enforcement Team (EET) and the Council's Regulatory Health and Safety Team on Tuesday 4th December 2012. The site has also been visited three times previously.

Asbestos: There is asbestos on site in the form of asbestos cement roofing sheets to the garages being dismantled. At the time of the visit some of these roofing sheets had been removed and placed inside the garages. The asbestos roofing sheets had been removed with suitable precautions and protection in place, as per Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidelines. The asbestos is also to be disposed of as hazardous waste. The EET are monitoring.

Fire: There is a fire burning on the premises, however it is a controlled wood fire in a metal container and in the middle of the site on cleared ground. In order to establish nuisance the environmental enforcement team officer visited the immediate adjacent property No 83 Stuart Road. No nuisance was observed.

In summary, so far as was resonably practicable to assess, there is no imminent risk to safety or health or nuisance to the residents or passers by in the vicinity.

As the site is technically a construction site and thus enforced by the HSE, they have also been made aware for any further intervention if they wished.

In terms of planning, there was a planning application in 2005 for 2 houses, approved. In 2008 there was a new application for 3 houses and a bungalow. This was turned down, but won on appeal in early May 2009.

Was anything being done on the site prior to November 2012?

Lameduck, if an application is correct, doesn't breach any planning/building regs, affect residents ammenities etc it is likely to be approved. The planning department doesn't know who will be doing the building work. In fact people often buy vacant sites, get the planning permission and then sell the site on to someone else.

I am still keeping this one continuously under my radar.

Renata

[The Nappy Lady]

Hi all,

When I walked past on Sunday it seemed that the asbestos roofing was stacked to the right of the gate in one of the garages there - or what was left of it.

Historically I believe the main issue with this development was that the builders wanted to pack too many houses into the space to make the necessary profit. They also wanted to purchase the bungalow on the end/corner, but were not willing to pay the price the owners required to obtain it. So a stalemate was reached and the garages have sat there rotting ever since.

Annoying for those of us who enjoyed having access to a lock up on our doorsteps, as we were 'evicted' only to see nothing then done with the site - but such is life.

I would love to see the site developed as long as the job is done right, and with a suitable number of houses or flats. I guess only time will tell, but very much hope the council don't allow anything sub standard to get through planning.

[The Nappy Lady]

Cross posted with Renata.

3 houses on the site sounds ideal, especially if built to match the Victorian Terrace already there.

Shame they intend to put a bungalow on their too. :-(

[Mattsoper]

Seems odd to me that the developers would want to build a bungalow when a two-storey house would presumably offer more in the way of profit, unless, of course, a bungalow was the only way they could get a fourth building past Southwark council.

It's no particular loss for those crumbling garages to be demolished but shouldn't the plans for the new buildings be available for local people to see? There have been a few examples of poorly designed developments being proposed for nearby streets in recent years so it would be good to get an idea of what's in store before the building works begin.

[vandam]

Hello Renata-

"Fire: There is a fire burning on the premises, however it is a controlled wood fire in a metal container and in the middle of the site on cleared ground. "

The fire has been on open ground, not in a metal container. It is usually left burning unattended overnight!

"Was anything being done on the site prior to November 2012?"

As I live very close by, I am fairly sure nothing was being done prior to November.

I too am not opposed in princilple to the garages being developed, just wanting to see proper procedures being respected.

Thanks,

Vandam

[hazelnunhead]

I have a copy of the plans. It looks fairly decent and in keeping - the architectural plans that is. Will try find a link or can send via pm if you give me your email.

I