Elephant and Castle Leisure Centre Project Consultation
James Hatts Tuesday 14 June 2011 1.03pm
Just to say that I've made a small correction to yesterday's article - apparently (subject to cabinet's decision to dispose of the land) Lend Lease will be appointing architects for the residential tower.
Make's involvement related to an earlier option for the development of the site that is not currently being pursued.
Make's involvement related to an earlier option for the development of the site that is not currently being pursued.
Editor of the London SE1 website and SE1 Direct newsletter
James Hatts Sunday 10 July 2011 9.10pm
The decision to build the leisure centre as an add-on to the schools building contract has been called in by Lib Dem and Tory members of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee and will be discussed tomorrow night:
http://moderngov.southwarksites.com/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=20928
http://moderngov.southwarksites.com/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=20928
Quote:On 7 July 2011 the Chair of Overview & Scrutiny Committee - Councillor Cathy Bowman - and three members of the committee (Councillors Eckersley, Hubber and Noakes) requested a call-in of the decision on the following grounds:
* Inadequate justification of value-for-money and compliance with the MTRS by virtue of it being a non-competitive contract award.
* Lack of clarity re. relative cost/benefit analysis of multi-purpose sports hall v cafe provision. (England Squash & Raquetball projects build cost per squash court to be £40k and annual return to be circa £12k. Where are the projections - in terms of build costs and return - for a cafe and/or a creche?).
* No analysis of impact of decision to jettision squash courts and sports hall on a key strategic aim of the Council's Sport and Physical Activity Strategy, namely "Improving access and choice for the whole population".
Editor of the London SE1 website and SE1 Direct newsletter
James Hatts Thursday 12 January 2012 10.42am
The latest plans will be on show at the centre this Saturday, Monday and Tuesday:
http://www.london-se1.co.uk/whatson/event/12082
http://www.london-se1.co.uk/whatson/event/12082
Editor of the London SE1 website and SE1 Direct newsletter
Merlin Rouge Thursday 12 January 2012 6.27pm
James Hatts wrote:The latest plans will be on show at the centre this Saturday, Monday and Tuesday:
http://www.london-se1.co.uk/whatson/event/12082
Southwark Notes thinks the Leisure Centre deal is rip-off!
"Why have more when you can have less?"
http://southwarknotes.wordpress.com/2012/01/12/why-have-more-when-you-can-have-less/
Merlin Rouge Saturday 14 January 2012 7.31pm
And more...
'The Elephant regeneration fable has been maintained for over ten years on a promise of a few benefits for local people to come as a compromise on the selling off of public land and allowing a massive increase in housing that is unaffordable to most local people. Two of these benefits were a new shopping centre and a new bigger and better Leisure Centre. As of last year it was decided, although not by any local people, that the Shopping Centre will only be refurbished and more new private housing built on the top of it. Regarding the Leisure Centre, a deal has been struck between The Council and LendLease for a new Centre with less space and facilities than the old one provisional on the developers building a 100% unaffordable private housing tower block on half the old site. When people are consulted on half the facts and plans, it’s not a real consultation. In fact it’s an insult to the local people who for 10 years or more have put up with different Council administration’s blundering, deceit, manipulation and now blatant disregard for the few crumbs that could come from re-making the area as a fist of tower blocks, come and coming soon, for the more wealthy (Strata, Tribeca Square, Eileen House, 360 London and so).
Consultation is loaded. That much is clear from the Leisure Centre shenanigans. When will local people have a genuine say in what’s going on at The Elephant and by genuine we mean a chance to actually say ‘NO MORE’ to these weasel RIP-OFFs?'
http://southwarknotes.wordpress.com/2012/01/14/southwark-notes-asks-1-more-basic-question-on-a-rip-off-in-progress/
'The Elephant regeneration fable has been maintained for over ten years on a promise of a few benefits for local people to come as a compromise on the selling off of public land and allowing a massive increase in housing that is unaffordable to most local people. Two of these benefits were a new shopping centre and a new bigger and better Leisure Centre. As of last year it was decided, although not by any local people, that the Shopping Centre will only be refurbished and more new private housing built on the top of it. Regarding the Leisure Centre, a deal has been struck between The Council and LendLease for a new Centre with less space and facilities than the old one provisional on the developers building a 100% unaffordable private housing tower block on half the old site. When people are consulted on half the facts and plans, it’s not a real consultation. In fact it’s an insult to the local people who for 10 years or more have put up with different Council administration’s blundering, deceit, manipulation and now blatant disregard for the few crumbs that could come from re-making the area as a fist of tower blocks, come and coming soon, for the more wealthy (Strata, Tribeca Square, Eileen House, 360 London and so).
Consultation is loaded. That much is clear from the Leisure Centre shenanigans. When will local people have a genuine say in what’s going on at The Elephant and by genuine we mean a chance to actually say ‘NO MORE’ to these weasel RIP-OFFs?'
http://southwarknotes.wordpress.com/2012/01/14/southwark-notes-asks-1-more-basic-question-on-a-rip-off-in-progress/
Neil Sunday 15 January 2012 7.51pm
I popped in to look at the plans over the weekend. All still a little vague. I did ask why some of the options discussed here for retaining the second sports hall and squash courts werent viable. The (helpful) staff there pointed out some problems with incorporating leisure and residential in the same building (timetable depends on developer delivering the residential building, we'd be in trouble if it had been on the bottom floor of 360 or Oakmayne's development; other more practical issues like fire alarms requiring the whole building to be emptied, tbf I've been in the centre a few times when the alarm went off and I only go for 2 or 3 hours a week). Most of the other reasons were finance related. Obviously some of these ideas work elsewhere, I particularly think the gym would be better located on the bottom of the residential building but hey...
pros Sunday 15 January 2012 10.43pm
i was genuinely shocked to see that this is going to be another 0% 'affordable' housing - affordable is sooo iffy at best of times, but this is really really really not on. whether or not the plans themselves are exciting/doable/etc is totally irrelevant to be honest, to me at least, if they're reducing the size of the leisure centre itself (used by and needed by existing residents) and if they're not considering local residents' housing needs.
on a slightly jollier or grimmer note, you might want to try some gentle 'regneration tai-chi' we 'invented' :)
http://www.peoplesrepublicofsouthwark.co.uk/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=1739%3Aec-regen-leisure-centre-consultationday1&Itemid=2#.TxGtFnn2iws.facebook
on a slightly jollier or grimmer note, you might want to try some gentle 'regneration tai-chi' we 'invented' :)
http://www.peoplesrepublicofsouthwark.co.uk/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=1739%3Aec-regen-leisure-centre-consultationday1&Itemid=2#.TxGtFnn2iws.facebook
James Hatts Monday 23 January 2012 1.25pm
Today's the final day of the current consultation.
The exhibition panels are available to download at
http://www.elephantandcastle.org.uk/pages/consultation_dialogue/94/leisure_centre_redevelopment.html
The exhibition panels are available to download at
http://www.elephantandcastle.org.uk/pages/consultation_dialogue/94/leisure_centre_redevelopment.html
Editor of the London SE1 website and SE1 Direct newsletter
jamesup Monday 23 January 2012 1.58pm
thanks James
James Hatts Saturday 28 January 2012 11.46am
Figures published this week show that the use of the squash courts at E&C is increasing - 4,279 visits in 2010 and 4,607 in 2011.
There now seems to be a suggestion that public squash courts could be provided when Seven Islands Leisure Centre is refurbished in a couple of years' time, but nothing has been promised.
There now seems to be a suggestion that public squash courts could be provided when Seven Islands Leisure Centre is refurbished in a couple of years' time, but nothing has been promised.
Editor of the London SE1 website and SE1 Direct newsletter
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