SE23 Forum

Does anyone know what the construction site between the cemetary / sports ground and the station on Honor Oak Park is going to be for?

An extension of the current cemetary

Is this a suitable site for a cemetery? It's right by the railway station, so the public announcements will be audible during committals. More seriously, the preparatory works seem to have destabilised the embankment. If it to be used as a cemetery there will be regular digging, which could create a continuing problem.

I suggest that the Forest Hill Society should think of raising this matter with LOROL, Lewisham and Southwark planners and anyone else relevant.

d

I'd assumed it was work associated with the ELL ...........................

I don't think its possible to stop this work now but I agree with the issues about the embankment but I can only assume that the authorities have been involved in this decision. I'm surprised that more cemetary space is still being built given the preference for cremation these days.

Dave, the existing cemetary is already close to the station so the same noise issue will apply.

I have spoken to the guy carrying out the 'tree work' and he informed me that the well established trees set back from the embankment are causing some gound heave towards the station platform. These trees are going for the chop to be replaced by some more suitable planting thereafter.

Apparently Lewisham folk are just dying for more cemetary space!

Lottie

It's not for Lewisham people, it's a Southwark cemetery. The gradual reduction of park space for burial at this site has long been a bone of contention for local Lewisham residents, but to no avail. Burial is still demanded by some, and Southwark believe that this is an appropriate site. I remember meetings with Southwark to argue about this at least 8 or 10 years ago, and I'm sure Horniman ward councillors will also have done what they could.

The real problem is not that burial is intrinsically unenvironmental, but that there is a reluctance in this country to re-use burial space.

I hope Roz is right that the ground stability issues were properly considered - but I wonder given that the movement was not predicted. Also, I'm not sure Roz is right about the existing cemetery being very close to the railway. It's at least 25 or 50 metres away, and the railway cutting will tend to baffle noise.

A correction, its not just for Southwark peopleas long as you're willing to pay for a plot, residents outside Southwark are charged more for a plot.

So where does Lewisham bury its bodies?

As I recall, mainly in its two main cemeteries, Hither Green and Grove Park, but there may be some burials still in the Ladywell Cemetery.

Not sure what the current situation is, so if you want an authoritative answer, best to consult Lewisham Cemeteries and Cremation Services.

Isn't this 'construction' work actually to do with the cleanup of illegally dumped asbestos which has been disucssed elsewhere on this forum?

"burial at this site has long been a bone of contention for local Lewisham residents"......

seems appropriate to the subject matter!

I thought this work was due to the illegal dumping as newforester says. I also thought this was what was causing the subsidence rather than trees which in general stabilise soil. I watched diggers pulling down matyre trees a couple of weeks ago there. I thought farmers were paid not to cut hedges during bird nesting season so I do not understand how mature tres can be pulled down by diggers at this time. Perhaps if they needed to do this they could have done it in February.