Deano - no offence, but I can't help thinking you may not in fact be an actual SE23 resident? Are Domino's steeping that low? I hope not...

Nobody here ever suggested that we want "boutiques", or John Lewis/Waitrose to take the unit, neither are we trying to be Knightsbridge. Please, do feel free to actually visit Honor Oak Park and take a look at what's there.

The previous restaurant was NOT a pizzeria, and the reasons for its failure have been discussed here, if you cared to take a look through the thread.... and if you like Domino's Pizza that much, you will also know that they do not think residents here will actually "like" to take away, they're planning a phone order delivery hub in this location, not a nice little cosy takeaway.

*breathe in....breathe out* mustn't go on SE23 this late again...

Domino's? Interest in our community?!

And there was me naively thinking they just wanted to make money!

I think people need to relax - and order a pizza. Anyone would think this was the end of the world. It's just a pizza shop. I admitted I don't live next to it, I live over the other side of the Hill, near the pound shop/101 Barbers/oversized bra shop etc... I think you should think yourselves lucky that Dominos want to invest. It's a vote of confidence in your high street. It's not the most brilliant outlet imaginable but it's better than an empty shop. I think a sense of perspective is needed.

I don't think anyone's suggested it's the end of the world - or have they?

I would rather the unit was empty slightly longer until a more suitable user was found. There are already loads of takeaways round here.

Thanks Deano I feel much better about the situation after your sage advice to 'relax and order a pizza'.

Glad you've seen the light, any size is 9.99 for a limited time only.

I think it is good that people take an interest in what businesses move into their area. There are two good pizza delivery places very near this site and I don't see why a large chain selling not very nice pizzas (and one that already has sites so nearby that it already delivers to the area) should move in here. There's enough of these sort of aggressive sub-standard chains moving into other areas. Well, they won't get in here.

Why are people on this forum getting so precious and hysterical as soon someone has a slightly different opinion regarding dominos? I think you guys should listen to all arguments, last time I checked the notodominos campaign is not ruling SE23 yet. Oh and yes I am a resident and I do order my pizza from Pizza al Forno

According to Lewisham Council this change of use planning request has prompted a record number of requests from hundreds of local residents, many of whom live very near to the unit. If Dominos had any sense they would withdraw their application. If the permission is granted I can quite easily see this spilling over into a leafleting to buy your pizzas from anyone other than Dominos, which would hurt their existing Catford outlet as well as the new outlet. In other words it would be a hollow victory. The next step of the campaign could well be focused on what Dominos actually sell - ie calorific rubbish, which they won't want too much publicity over. If I were them or their franchisee I would go tail between legs and find some other unit that is not so prominent.

Quite why they want such a prominent unit is a mystery to me, given that the bulk of their sales are not from footfall but internet/telephone.

It is a remarkable response to a planning application but 500 people campaigning against them is probably a very small number compared to the thousands of potential customers they'll expect to cover with this branch so I doubt they'll cut and run that easily (especially if they conclude that those 500 weren't likely to form part of their customer base anyway).

I'm with Stefan though - why cant this topic be debated more openly and respectfully? We don't all think alike but that shouldn't stop us using proper debate to help us understand the various views on offer.

Can we please stop insisting that anyone who doesn't 100% agree with this campaign must not live in SE23? Or must have a financial interest (as one commenter on the News Shopper thread linked to above was accused of). I don't agree with it 100%, and I live in SE23, as obviously does Deano.

Just reading the addressees of the ones who have objected, it is clear that they are local. If I was a local business I would be concerned that so many very local people objected to my presence, even if they are not potential customers. That is because they probably have the potential to influence others

Those 500 are not the extent of the opposition, they are the ones who felt strongly enough to do something about it.

Many many more won't be aware of Dominos until they open the shop. A leafleting campaign to point out that people have a choice over who delivers their pizza in the event that Dominos does get change of use planning permission will undoubtedly harm Dominos.

I'd guess it depends on their business model for the site, how far afield they expect to be serving if this is, as feared, a 'hub' site. I suspect they are used to taking these sorts of risks and feel pretty confident that they can out-muscle resistance beyond the short term.

I should point out that I am no Domino's fan - I regard delivery/restaurant pizza to be overpriced cheese-on-toast

I think that the reason why they would want a prominent unit is because it is a prominent unit!

To Deano: I think that your views have merit but consider this - most shopping areas do not operate on purely market forces. I think that most town planners worldwide recognise that this is not desirable.

What this is about, IMHO, is not Dominos per se, it is an issue of zoning and how a business operates. The current site is zoned to be a restaurant with arguably very good reasons and there are some very persuasive arguments as to why a takeaway delivery is not suitable there too - see posts passim which will lead you to objection letters that outline this. The Forest Hill Society letter is a very good starting point.

Also, to really stimulate the market, one requires a safe environment that encourages people to shop and visit. If the most prominent shopping unit isn't really a shop, more of a delivery hub, then this isn't much of a stimulus is it? No more so than a empty unit, I'll grant you, but is that progress?

Dominos have a unit next door to East Dulwich railway station which I guess also serves part of SE23.

If Dominos can gain change of usage from Lewisham Council, afford to pay the rent and turn a profit, then unfortunately their is little we can do to prevent this apart from continuing to make representation as is currently being done.

Yes it would be a shame to see the building converted into a delivery/take away outlet, but sadly that's market forces. The upside is that it will provide some local employment opportunities.

If approval is gained, the business will either thrive or die dependant on its usage. Get ready to be swamped by loads of Dominos junk mail.

The other two local pizza outlets will only survive if they compete on the quality of product and service they provide. The better they perform, so competition will ensue, but ultimately market forces will determine which one comes out on top. Who would have thought that McDonalds in Forest Hill would have closed down, so stand back and watch the HOP battle of the pizza dough.

And finally yes....................................I do live locally in Honor Oak

The local pizzerias may not be at as much risk as you might think. There is a Pizza Hut in FH, but also a thriving independent. I think their customer bases are different.

I see the posters on the Old Bank have now been taken down. Is that because the petition has now closed?

I have no great love for Domino's. I think we have far too many sub standard take away outlets in the area. However, the reason we have so many is that they make a lot of money compared with other uses. I defend their right and freedom to try to make money out of empty units. I thought the petition was humourous and may succeed but what may come in dominos place? If Dominos thinks it's a good location for them then you may get a pound shop; betting shop or worse. I wish we had more decent restaurants nearby but we have la querce; babur etc which are good and if you look around, we need to face facts, the neighbourhood is quite suited to having domino's even though we wish Gordon ramsey may see its potential.

I wonder if Domino's would ever get someone undercover on this forum and get them to try and encourage positive thoughts about possibly the most important unit on Honor Oak Park, a place with huge potential, a unit that could influence the direction of our parade in years to come being turned into one of their takeaway outlets which serves nothing more to the community than a place to pickup, and takeaway their, what would seem to be, overpriced average tasting pizzas?

Oh wait......