New flats proposed at Potters Fields

And developments in southwark are certainly in need of criticism,

I personally think the collage building ,should be kept and turned in to somsort of museum ,with an imaginative extension at the back leading to the park .with cafes and a picnic area.

I was half expecting a torrent of abuse but what can I say? Reasoned discussion with more than an ounce of sense... I guess I am just bored with a lot of people ranting on about agents, developers and any proposal that seems to be made in any area - not just SE1. Planners are another matter - Ms Jo has a point - the greatest irony about planners is that they plan nothing at all -completely unpredictable, no degree of flexibility, no imagination... need I go on? For those who wish to object for valid and considered reasons - I say go on - for other bandwagon passengers - get off...

Has anyone made any bichy comments ,there was a comment about Berkeley Homes being sharkes ,

Didn't they try to exploit some loophole to get out of building the affordable percentage of houses in the ugliest riverside development of all up river from the MI5 building.

I personally think the idea that there not sharks is pushing the suspension of disbelief a bit far.

Ever heard of profit margins michael? Kind of important for the sustainability of any business... And as for affordable housing quotas, can anybody really say hand on heart that if they are spending £300,000 plus on a property they wouldn't feel a little miffed that the bloke next door spent a fraction of that and is living in the same development? And dare I open up the old debate - AH -a viable policy or just a planning pain in the a*se? It's easy to be liberal and condemning towards big business until you happen to be the guy in charge of the purse strings - affordable housing can make or break the viability of any scheme - no matter how large or small the developer. It's just lovely to be able to see these things in black and white, but the reality of it is that developers will provide what they have to in order to secure planning and no matter what design is proposed you're never going to please everyone all the time, no matter how great you think the scheme is.

The river side in london is a public amenity and a tourist attraction ,and the south bank is a cultural center ,London needs more housing but the tiny slithers of land by the river in central London that are so attractive to property developers aren't going to solve London's housing problems ,nor should they be expected to,when there are for more imaginative options that would be better for London as a whole and in the long term. regardless of Berkeley Homes profit margins.

Muck and Raul - plenty of developers manage to make their profit margins (and more) while still providing affordable housing.

You may be miffed that you have spent £300K+ on a 2 bed Berkeley Homes Style Hutch and someone is living close by on a cheap rent. But cities will simply not work without affordable housing - you will have no one to serve you beer at your local gastropub.

I say if developers want to make a big profit from my area let them put something back.



Post edited (12 Feb 04 10:54)

It may sound daft and really obvious but I had an epiphany this morning.
I'd like to compile a wish list of what people would ideally like to see on the coach park site. Preferably ideas with some sort of commercially viable slant but all ideas welcome.
I'll be honest, I haven't had any ideas myself yet (just had a nice liquid lunch) but I plan to chip in when I think of something.
If we can get some good coherent ideas together then it might be worth taking them further and make them happen Coin Street style (forgive me if I'm wrong but I only know a few scant facts about Coin St but the impression I get is that it was a regeneration that came about with close community consultation and the local people voicing strongly what they wanted on the site). That's the sort of thing I would like although at the moment it is definitely a pipe dream but hey, even if there's a slim chance of making our dreams a reality it's worth a go.
Sure there can be plenty of opportunities for making a few quid out of the site but we have an opportunity to lead and throw some innovative ideas around, we can have something that can truely benefit the area.
Put your thinking caps on, dream away and let us know what you would really like to see at Potters Fields.

Received this email this morning, from Sean Connolly at Southwark Council:

You will remember contacting the council during the David Blaine event, and at that time I promised everyone that the Potters Fields would be reinstated on a temporary basis, (which it has been), and that the Council would consult widely on the future for Potters Field. Consultants for the project have just been appointed and I am pleased to detail below how you can have your say. The first stage of the consultation will be two public meetings, they are:


18 02 2004, 7:00 - 9:00pm at the Guys Tower

19 02 2004, 12:30 - 2:30pm at the More London Pavilion

The event on the 18th is primarily aimed at the local community and the 19th for the business community.


Any further queries on Potters Field should be directed to Jon Sheaff, parks manager via jon.sheaff@southwark.gov.uk

Kyliedog,

Sounds like you are confusing the park at Potters Fields (David Blaine site and under Jon Sheaff) with the site of the proposed development, which is the coach park and buildings adjacent.

Scamp,

The difference between this site and coin St is that there, the ownership was passed to the community, along with a functioning car park to fill those revenue shortfalls over the years.

Really thats exactly what we need here - we will not get what we want or need while the developers own the land (see my earlier post). Anyone got the energy to campaign vigorously for a few years?....

What's really wanted is an extension of Burgess Park. Linear parks such as Mile End Park and the River Walk from Westminster to Greenwich are very successful, though they take a long time to realise.

I'ts simple enough to do. - Bridge over the Old Kent Road and slice through Tesco,s carpark, swing left along the industrial areas at Mandela Way happily demolishing the Fagins Den of the Royal Mail sorting office up to Grange Road, then through Bermondsey Square, absorb the churchyard, into Tanner Street Park, slice up past the houses to the little park at the Traffic lights and Bob's your uncle.

A strip of green from Peckham into the city. Fantastic. Nothing could be better to regenerate the lower areas of Southwark, and it would bring more life and activity where it ended at Tower Bridge.