Toilet building on Peckham Rye Common

[Eileen]

Gavin Edwards Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> An important development.

>

> It seems we may have had some success in

> convincing the council that this shouldn't be a

> commercial enterprise. We've just received an

> e-mail from "Peckham Rye Projects" saying that the

> council have now offered them the contract to

> restore and maintain the toilets building.

I agree this is a welcome development. But Gavin who is 'we' in this - **It seems we may have had some success in convincing the council that this shouldn't be a commercial enterprise. We've just received...** ? Several of us in the community have been working on this for a long time, and continue to do so, long before we had ever heard of you when you suddenly appeared recently. It would be nice if you could acknowedge local community efforts on this and other matters, and not somehow subsume them in your party political campaigning.

[VikkiM]

Hi Eileen,

I?m sure that Gavin meant ?we? as in not only himself but the Labour councillors from Nunhead and Peckham Rye Community Council and local residents (such as yourself obviously) who have raised this continuously. (Plus Peckham Rye Projects.)

Whilst Gavin won?t be able to compete with you yet in terms of number of years campaigning for our area, as he?s lived in Peckham Rye for some time he?s clearly one part of the local community efforts. To suggest otherwise might seem to suggest you are trying to somehow subsume his efforts into your own party political campaigning ;-)

But, like you, I rather not make this about one party of another. It's a really positive development, thanks to the efforts of many people, and I hope that everyone in our area can work together to make sure we get another great community asset for our area.

Victoria.

[Gavin Edwards]

Steady on Eileen! I can confirm the use of the word "we" referred to the local community. Apols for my sudden appearance ?but unlike some recent arrivals to our area, I do live here ;-)

PS. I?m really pleased that you?re also welcoming this development as, like me, you?ve seemed to be equally exasperated at council officers at recent community council meetings. I?ve asked if Peckham Project might be invited to a meeting of the sub-group in the new year to talk about their plans. Hope to see you there.

Gavin

[PeckhamRose]

Fair point Vicki but when anyone comes on here from a political party and says "we", forgive us for gritting our teeth (a bit more than are the roads...).

Whereas - anyone who knows Eileen knows when SHE says "we" she includes anyone who feels included.

[James Barber]

I was involved in this as Southwark's Cycling Champion councillor.

Balfe's Bike's bid for the lease. They won with the best offer. That after taking further much more detailed professional advice about how to make it work commercially, Balfe's realised that major renovation and reshaping of the building would be required. That this would require planning permission and any encroachment outside the current curtilage might involve Metropolitan Open Land with all the planning issues that involves.

I suggested that the current public feeling was such that it would be a protracted process with an unclear outcome.

Probably more realistic for Balfours is to hope for a bouble shop unit in the current shopping parade.

I suspect that the end result might well have ended with public lavatories a la London Recumbents in Dulwich Park.

It would have taken a decent bike shop a little further away from East Dulwich ward but it would have grown and been an asset to trying to get local people to cycle more.

On balance I'm delighted Balfe's are not moving. I think the vision they had was great but the wrong side of East Dulwich Road to make it really work. More importantly a small business can't survive and thrive with such big hurdles revitalizing the Peckham Rye Common toilet block.

I suspect any small business will be reticent to bid. We run the risk of a big chain being the only sized organisation that is able to take on conflicting public opinion and the resources required. OR a vacant building is left on site and the site remains under used and without the security that passive surveillance from use brings.

[PeckhamRose]

So a small Wetherspoons it could be, then.

[Eileen]

Gavin - I first saw your comment, identical to the one you used to start this thread, on your Peckham Rye Labour candidate blog. I tried to post my comment there but the system rejected my attempts to do that so when I saw the same comment posted here I took the chance of posting it here. On your political blog you made no mention of the community efforts as you haven?t on a number of other matters either. There could be no way of knowing you were referring to anything other than Labour party activities. It is just that this seems to be a tendency in your publications and it is just a bit wearisome.

Gavin Edwards Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Steady on Eileen! I can confirm the use of the

> word "we" referred to the local community. Apols

> for my sudden appearance ?but unlike some recent

> arrivals to our area, I do live here ;-)

>

> PS. I?m really pleased that you?re also welcoming

> this development as, like me, you?ve seemed to be

> equally exasperated at council officers at recent

> community council meetings. I?ve asked if Peckham

> Project might be invited to a meeting of the

> sub-group in the new year to talk about their

> plans. Hope to see you there.

>

> Gavin

[Gavin Edwards]

Hi Eileen,

The post on here was first, the blog came second. Putting the message on both means more people see it (as you've demonstrated). The comments facility on our blog is turned on and anyone can comment, so not sure what happened there. As I say, I hope we can continue to work together on this whatever our respective political affiliations.

Gavin

[VikkiM]

In response to James whilst I prefer a local business to a big corporate I do think that the local community should be consulted on the future of community buildings. Southwark built and acquired these assets for community use.

But the important point on this one, is that it took local residents, such as Eileen and Gavin, to point out to the Council that, as this building was on Common Land, there would be complications with both what it could be used for and also changing and developing the building. This should have been made clear by the council prior to them offering the contract to anyone commercially. The replies we?ve had from the council either in person or written have just been incomprehensible nonsense.

Eileen - we always try to reference the efforts and activities of others in our blog and having looked at the blog posts I?d have to be honest and say that I disagree ? there are loads of references to other local people and residents joining with us, or us joining with them. Yes, we are Labour Party candidates but we are also three local people who share the many concerns local people have.

We wholeheartedly believe that there are clear dividing lines between us and the Lib Dems on a whole host of issues. I'd heard that you are a Lib Dem party member or supporter? If that?s just scurrilous rumour then I?m absolutely sorry for mentioning it. However, if it?s true I?m very happy to acknowledge that you are different from the other Lib Dems I?ve met as you tend to share our despair at the Lib Dems running the council as much as we do ;-)

Now, those toilets ...

[boosboss]

All these 'we's' and 'us's' are a lot less clear than shameless political grandstanding is! Read it the same as Eileen did.

JBarber - Balfe's Bikes ;-)

[rgutsell]

HI all

Howabout a local history centre/activity centre/museum?

[James Barber]

Hi rgutsell,

Great idea but small matter of how to fund its running costs and refurbishment.

[first mate]

I'd like to see Gavin and VikkiM and the like, adopt user names that reveal clearly their political motivations and affiliations ie "Gavin Edwards Labour Party candidate/ campaigning for the Labour party, or better still just have a dedicated Politicians area.

[PeckhamRose]

I agree!

[first mate]

PK, Yes, a little transparency and less of the point-scoring and little word games so may politicians, would-be or not, seem addicted to would be wonderfully refreshing. VikkiM and Gavin may be passionate about local issues because they live here but they are also after holding political posts and should be completely upfront about that.

[Gavin Edwards]

First mate and Peckham Rose. In fairness, the first post on this thread was signed off "Gavin Edwards, Peckham Rye Labour

[email protected]". Most of VikkiM's posts are pretty clear too. I promise I'm not trying to go incognito.

I think that a thread about a building in our area, especially one on the Rye which is such a big part of the area, do belong to this section of the forum. The comments that have wondered off thread are as much down to others as to us. The information on this thread has communicated information about our area that people might not otherwise have known about. It's also let me find out a bit more about what people think of the toilet building. I'd be keen to keep this thread going as plans for the toilets develop and so that forum users can keep expressing ideas and suggestions. Isn't that a good thing?

If local candidates/councillors from all parties never did this kind of thing I think we might be accused of not engaging or ignoring people.

Gavin Edwards

Peckham Rye Labour

[email protected]

[PeckhamRose]

Fair point tho Gav.

[BARA]

Having had the problem of inappropriate urination by bus crews in Etherow Street/Barry Road, Rycott Path and Norcroft Gardens for more than a decade BARA would welcome the reopening of the toilets near the Old Lido site opposite Peckham Rye.

Even better would be if they could find a way of allowing the buses to stop/park there for a few minutes to allow the crew to have a (toilet) break. Would planning laws permit a mobile tea wagon to be parked there - it could be a tea and pee place!!

[James Barber]

Hi BARA,

The buses terminating at the southern end of Friern Road will in the near future be served by a small toilet block.

The hold up for this 'hut' has been the discovery of EDF electric cables not charted that now have to be moved.

Council Officers have agreed to my request to offer any assistance or help they can to encourage EDF to move them. I'm hopeful this can be achieved in the next 4-8 weeks.

[Rosyposy]

Can't we just have it turned into a Starbucks? :)

[OutOfFocus]

help they can to encourage EDF to move them

Had to read that twice - visions of a task group of Forum members moving electric cables :)

[AcedOut]

Some practical ideas:

1) The site could be used as a free bike hire station. Isn't this going to happen in zone one now? I'm not really up-to-date on what Boris has suggested or signed-off, but this would be an idea bike station IMO.

2) It would also be nice to have and outdoor water fountain for runners. Appreciate this would not consume the entire site, but with plumbing already in place, it would be good to make use of this. Or just install a water feature/fountain with additional drinking facilities.

3) Use it as a small enterprise building such that small businesses can showcase their goods/services. Offer this on a rotation basis where a small business can 'win' a one-month lease of the space. Each business much pitch for this space each month and a committee will vote for the winning business to take up the space. This would be a great little location for something unique like this and would also be a great little bit of PR for the local areas, as it's not something I've ever heard of before.

4) Outdoor theatre. A small stage area.

There are so many possibilities...

[James Barber]

Hi AcedOut,

1. The bike hire stations are all in Zone 1. No plans to extend out this far at present. Guess edepends how successful the scheme proves to be.

2. You could easilly make this happen yoursefl. Apply for Cleaner, Greener, Safer money for a water fountain. Deadline for application is Friday 8 January. So get cracking.

3. I wonder if a Peckham Commerce soceity exists to run this.

4. Would think being so close to busy roads would make this overly noisy for outdoor theatre.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Aren't there plans to have an amphitheatre in Peckham Rye Park? Should have thought this would be great for outdoor plays.

Connecting the obsolete fountain, which is extremely unattractive, would be a lovely idea.

[Keef]

Not being funny, but why can't it just be a fecking toilet?