Council decide £40M Crystal Palace Park Regeneration Scheme this week, March 2021

Bromley Council are meeting on Thursday 25 March to consider their Crystal Palace Park regeneration scheme for outline planning approval.

Plan of the Park and proposed changes (red dots and text added by CCARA)

The major project, first submitted last spring, involves the conservation and repair of heritage assets across the Park, landscaping, new paths, the demolition of some existing buildings, the change of use of some land and the construction of new buildings, including two housing developments.

Around half of the £40M cost of the scheme is to be funded by the two new residential developments. The existing caravan park, at Rockhills in the northern corner of the Park, would be cleared to make way for 140 new flats built on part of the land with the remainder being returned to public access. Further east, along Crystal Palace Park Road, the existing nursery building, St John’s Ambulance station and Park Rangers’ maintenance building would be demolished and replaced with a second housing development of 70 new flats called Sydenham Villas. The London Plan requires developments on public sector land to provide 50% affordable homes, however the Council is proposing only 24 flats of this category.

The nursery would be relocated to a new Community Centre, to be built on the existing caravan park site. A new Park Ranger’s building would be provided slightly further west from the current building. St John’s Ambulance would be relocated either to the new Community Centre or a new Information Centre proposed to be built on the site of the existing building, close to the Penge Gate.

A new Cultural Centre is proposed at the Upper Terrace and would be linked to the Subway. Some of the Farm buildings at the Capel Manor College would be demolished and rebuilt, and others renovated to improve facilities for the public.

The meeting is on Thursday 25th March at 6.30pm and the public can view it via YouTube.

Full details of the proposals, and a link to the meeting can be found here

another large Housing Development Planned on Bromley Road, march 2021

A planning application has been made to the Council for 27 flats and involves the demolition of another large Victorian house in Beckenham, on the corner of Crescent Road and Bromley Road.

The scheme, by Woolbro Group, involves the demolition of the existing two-storey Victorian building and recent annexes, last used as a care home, replacing it with a large, part-three part-four storey block of 27No. flats. The new building comprises 12No. one-bedroom and 15No two-bedroom flats with the capacity to accommodate up to 82 people. Only 19 parking spaces are provided.

Despite a requirement in the Bromley Local Plan for affordable housing to be provided in every new development of 11 units or more, here is yet another example of a development being proposed in Beckenham which provides none at all, because the developer claims they can’t afford to include it. The market value of the smallest 1-bedroom flats in the £10M development is expected to be £300,000 each.

A time of writing, there had been more than 200 objections to the proposal.

Full details of the planning application are on the Council’s website here 20/05008/FULL where you can also register comments.
If you wish to comment on the proposal, you have until Friday 19th March to do so.
You must give your full name and address, or your views may not be registered.

Mini roundabout proposed at junction of Bromley Rd, Scott’s Lane and Downs Bridge Rd, March 2021

The installation of a mini roundabout at the junction of Bromley Road, with Scotts Lane and Downs Bridge Road, supported by ward Councillors, is due to be discussed at a meeting of the Council’s Environmental and Community Services Policy Development and Scrutiny committee on Thursday 11 March at 6.30pm (see agenda and attached documents here). Unusually, the Council Officer report states that TfL do not recommend a mini roundabout be installed at this point.

Please let us know your views by email to hello@coperscope.org.uk. Ward Councillors contact details can be found here.

LAST CHANCE – ALBEMARLE ROAD CYCLE SCHEME CHANGES – HAVE YOUR SAY TODAY 3 MARCH 2021

The temporary scheme on Albemarle Rd is being reviewed by the Council (it will be 6 months from implementation in May). Many local residents have provided feedback on the scheme and the Council’s Highways Team have taken onboard some of the comments received and are proposing significant changes. The Council are undertaking a subsequent consultation on 2 options:

OPTION 1 – alter the scheme by installing traffic lights on Westgate Bridge, make part of Albemarle Rd two way, and keep the trial going

Westgate Road Bridge – 2 way with traffic lights

Our Association raised with the Council that the new cycleway and the closure of Westgate Rd Bridge to road users northbound did not link up with the long-proposed TfL cycle way at Lower Sydenham planned to go along Worsley Bridge Rd. It appeared that the Council had not considered the linkages between the 2 schemes in designing Albemarle Rd. Cyclists travelling from Bromley from Albemarle Rd to Lower Sydenham would either have to dismount and push their bike over Westgate Rd Bridge where the pavement is not wide enough to do this safely or traverse the hazardous Beckenham Junction which does not have any cycle boxes.

If cycle schemes are to be effective it is essential they are connected to other cycle ways. We are pleased the Council took this on board and have secured funding from TfL put traffic lights on Westgate Rd Bridge so that a more interlinked cycling Quietway can be created from Albemarle Road to Lower Sydenham without cyclists having to negotiate the busy crossroads at Beckenham Junction.

Our Association understands from the Council that the traffic lights installed at Westgate Road bridge will be ‘smart’,monitoring the traffic and adjusting to avoid unnecessary traffic queues.

This is excellent news for all road users, there are very few places to cross the railway line in Beckenham, and having Westgate Bridge back two-way will alleviate congestion at peak time, whilst encouraging cycle use travelling south to north.

It is important to note that TfL will only fund the traffic lights on the bridge as part of a cycle route – if the Albemarle Rd cycle scheme is scrapped the traffic lights will not be provided.

The exact route of the quiet way from Westgate Road Bridge to Lower Sydenham has not yet been finalised and we anticipate there will be opportunity for residents to give their views. Our Association will also be engaging with the Council on this. Please let us know your views at hello@coperscope.org.uk

Albemarle Road to Westgate Road reverts to two-way traffic again

The Council propose to make Albemarle Road two-way between Beckenham Junction and Westgate Road. This will mean the sharp turn in the road that was installed to direct Bromley Bound traffic off Albemarle Rd and down St George’s Road, past the Harris Beckenham Green School, will be removed and the junction returned to its original configuration.

This is good news for pedestrians who found it difficult to cross over St George’s Road at this point, with cars having right of way. This will also benefit the school, as rush-hour traffic will no longer be funnelled down St George’s Road

Albemarle Road partially reverting back to two-way traffic, and two-way access over Westgate Road Bridge, will have a significant effect on traffic flows in this part of Beckenham at peak time.

The Council has confirmed that the cycle lane wands on Albemarle Rd will be retained in the section of road that reverts back to two-way. We are following up about the road cleaning around the wands as debris is already building up around them.

The trial will be extended to assess the changes

The Council has confirmed the trial will be extended to assess the changes above. In a few months time residents will have the opportunity to give their views again on the amended scheme.

OPTION 2 – scrap the whole scheme

As the Albemarle Road Scheme is temporary it can be removed in its entirety. However this will mean that TfL will not fund the traffic lights for Westgate Road bridge. We understand that Bromley Council do not have funding to do this independently.

Many readers will be aware of the £700k scheme in Kensington and Chelsea that was removed. In response TfL are reported to have said it would be unlikely to fund any schemes in the borough in the near future. In Beckenham alone there are so many important highways schemes that need funding, a pedestrian phase at the lights by Corner Ways Surgery / Beckenham Theatre, crossings by schools, a crossing by Beckenham Place Park to name a few – none of these are likely to be funded directly by the Council, and without TfL funds may never be realised.

COMPLETE THE SURVEY BY 3 MARCH

Read the proposal and new road layout maps here
Complete the survey here
Let us know your views by email to hello@coperscope.org.uk

census day 21 march 2021

The next national Census is due to take place on 21 March 2021, managed by the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

The Census is a once in a decade opportunity to determine the profile of our resident population. Many funding decisions are based on the data collected, so it is important to maximise opportunities to engage with residents, especially hard-to-reach groups, and to raise awareness to ensure a maximum return rate.

This time, the Census is digital first, with 90% of households being sent a pack that includes an online access code for completion. The remaining 10%, identified by ONS as likely to need them, will be sent a paper version. Residents can request paper versions if they receive an online pack and are unable to use it. ONS has a range of support mechanisms in place to help complete the census such as questionnaires in a range of formats/languages, a network of field trained support staff, as well as contact centre support via phone, web chat, social media, text, etc.

Postcards are to be sent to all households in mid-February informing them the census is coming and, from 3 March, packs are to be sent asking people to take part and explaining how. A range of reminder campaigns will follow throughout April and field campaigns in May in areas of low completion.

For more information go to www.census.gov.uk

If you are a Twitter user, you can follow the Census coverage at @Census2021.