Very little about deliveries (like how often and what time of day) other than they will be from the front entrance, not from Havelock Walk. Not sure where waste would be stored.
Doesn't seem to be anything too controversial in there. Deliveries from London Road rather than Havelock Walk good as far as I'm concerned, although I suspect that it might be very easy for a delivery driver just to drive down Havelock Walk and stop to unload there rather than stop in the London Rd loading bays.
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Not sure where waste would be stored.
There seems to be a new access proposed next to their existing loading door on Havelock Walk. I suspect that waste would be stored in the back of the unit and wheeled out from there.
Would certainly like to hear more about delivery and waste collection schedules. Also not looking forward to the disruption during works, but oh well.
What a shame. We just lost another chance of actually transforming one of our two main streets into a commercially viable "high street". So, an established and decent business like Morrisons is deemed to be out of character within our "picturesque" raw of shoddy and shabby pawn shops, fried chicken dispensaries, barbers and nail parlours. Well done, Lewisham. I am very annoyed with the way the Lewisham administration continually fails to look after our corner of the borough.
I'd debate that Morrisons is a "decent" business considering the issues the company have had in the last few years and continue to do so with the hiring of yet another chief executive.
As for the 'pawn shop' comment, you may have noticed that The Money Shop which incidentally is next door to the proposed Morrisons closed recently. This shop targets low paid workers and those on benefits and they couldn't make a viable business in FH.
However, there's nothing for Morrisons to go back to Lewisham with another planning application with a more sensible design for the M&Co store along with an improved suggestion for deliveries and get that approved instead.
Yasmine - from what I can see on that article the issue it was rejected on was deliveries and rubbish disposal. Which are significant issues to overcome.
Rather than the absurd views of "cheap alcohol will flood the high street" or it "doesn't fit in with the street". (these appear to just be views shared by some of the campaigners along with legitimate concerns above)
Look at the old gym development. They didn't provide enough space for rubbish disposal. Now we all have to put up with several of their bins on the footpath and rubbish strewn across the pavement everyday. That's the kind of stuff that should be rejected by the council. So at least in this case they have taken it is to consideration.
Yeah it would have been nice to have a new supermarket instead of a money shop. We will have to see what we end up getting. My guess is nothing good.
Whatever the article may say, the reasons for rejection were:
1. The proposed shopfront and ATM fail to respect the special character and appearance of the host building and the surrounding Forest Hill Conservation Area contrary to Policies 7.4 Local Character and 7.8 Heritage assets and archaeology of the London Plan (2011); Policy 15 High quality design for Lewisham and Policy 16 Conservation areas, heritage assets and the historic environment of the Core Strategy (2011); DM Policy 19 Shopfronts, signs and hoardings, DM Policy 30 Urban design and local character, DM Policy 31 Alterations/extensions to existing buildings and DM Policy New development, changes of use and alterations affecting designated heritage assets and their setting: conservation areas, listed buildings, schedule of ancient monuments and registered parks and gardens of the Development Management Local Plan (2014); and the Shopfront Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document (March 2006).
No other factors are mentioned in the decision.
I wonder what kind of ATM would pass the heritage test? Perhaps one with a surrround with columns and a pediment? And in an area as architecturally eclectic as Forest Hill would the columns be Grecian, Roman, Early English or late gothic?
I have to say that, in my view, Lewisham is far too wedded to the use of conservation areas as a method of improving the environment. Conservation approaches work well where there is some obvious thing to be conserved - for example, it is obvious what needs to be done to maintain the appearance of a Nash terrace or a medieval hammerbeam roof. In an area like Forest Hill, one person's judgement (whether citizen or planning officer) is likely to be as good and subjective as another's (whether planning officer or citizen).
This then carries a real risk of arbitrary government.
The grounds for refusal at first appear wrong even if the decision was correct. If you want to see what an ATM would look like that would pass the heritage test you have to look no further than Barclays, Santander, and Sainsbury's.
Sadly the council do not have adequate planning policies to protect high streets from poorly planned deliveries and refuse storage. One example of this I recently saw is in Downham, where the old Woolworths is now an Iceland. This is just next to the war memorial and now has a row of delivery trolley parked outside. You can get an idea from http://goo.gl/maps/BVLEK, although this make it look quite tidy and organised compared to what I remember. I'm quite sure that Morrisons opening in this location would be a problem for pedestrians, residents of Havelock Walk, and would be a blight on the town centre (not from the shop frontage but from their lack of plans for delivery and refuse disposal).
You could argue that all these concerns are covered by the conservation area policies and high quality design policy, perhaps that is the view of the council planning department, and if so I tend to agree. Should Morrisons appeal, I look forward to a planning inspector visiting the site and raising the same concerns that have been raised by the Forest Hill Society and businesses and residents in Havelock Walk and beyond.
Morrisons themselves are currently going through changes at senior management level, hiring a different chief exec. This may mean a change of policy on upcoming M Local's which were introduced by his predecessor.
Morrisons confirmed his replacement, ex-Tesco executive David Potts, would start work next Monday and it was "pausing" the expansion of its convenience M store offering - a sales platform it was late to develop - with 380 jobs at risk as a result.
Hopefully KFC will open a branch here. Perfect site for a restaurant - right opposite the station and a large pub. The chicken shops we have are not the nicest
Yippee, more food wrappers and boxes spspread across SE23. I hope not. Plus, the chicken burger and ribs from the Southern Fried chicken joint are fantastic.
Oh no not an Unlucky Fried Kitten - we really don't need one of those and the food is terrible. I wonder if someone might now try to get the old money shop next door as well and make a reasonable size store. Would be good if Boots moved into it - bigger store, better range and more central. And needed. Another sweet shop of coffee shop could go in the current Boots site.
Some people like KFC... and it would bring more people into the area.
Boots are unlikely to open a branch there, as the security would cost too much. Due to the addictions clinic, and subsequent clientele in Dartmouth Road, the tiny Boots already has to have continual security.
Starbucks/Costa would kill any small cafes in the area.
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