SE23.com - The Official Forum for Forest Hill & Honor Oak, London SE23
Online since 2002   11,000+ members   72,000+ posts

Home | SE23 Topics | Businesses & Services | Wider Topics | Offered/Wanted/Lost/Found | About SE23.com | Advertising | Contact | |
 Armstrong & Co Solicitors



Post Reply  Post Topic 
Pages (15): « First < Previous 1 2 3 [4] 5 6 7 8 Next > Last »
Forest Hill Central
Author Message
steveb


Posts: 113
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #61
14-08-2008 10:21 AM

Housing association could offer shared ownership which would be good news for those struggling to get on the housing ladder.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
ambient
No longer registered

Posts: 85
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #62
14-08-2008 10:40 AM

Whether it is sold or completed by BH, I think the bigger concern for all is whether the subway refurbishment goes ahead as planned on the schedule that was communicated (i.e. before the end of this year)

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Foresters


Posts: 212
Joined: May 2006
Post: #63
14-08-2008 10:47 AM

What form is the subway refurbishment supposed to take. My guess is it's a coat of paint (which woul end up covering the inoffensive murals), rather than re-introducing ramped access etc. anyone know?

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
michael


Posts: 3,255
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #64
14-08-2008 11:06 AM

Certainly not ramped access but possibly slightly more than a lick of paint. Ramped access to the Perry Vale side was considered but it seemed slightly pointless unless a ramp was put on the other side, and that is significantly harder to achieve.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
grahamw


Posts: 58
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #65
14-08-2008 01:42 PM

If a Housing Association buys the site there's no reason why they couldn't still sell flats on the open market - a lot of them do this. And if people have already bought flats the Housing Association would I'm sure honour those commitments.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
brian


Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
Post: #66
14-08-2008 01:51 PM

I agree but if people have already purchased ( must be kicking themselves ) they presumably purchased in the belief they were moving into an upmarket devolpment.
Also would the HA finish of the units in the same way as they were planned originally , which I assume any purchasers based their buying decision .
I expect The All Inn One would be upset. They have soldiered on in the promise of a great number of wealthy yuppies with disposable income moving next door.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Grangerover


Posts: 35
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #67
14-08-2008 02:40 PM

Folks, let's just remember this is an unconfirmed rumour at present (in fact all FH1 said was that Berkely are "looking to sell" but haven't done actually done so). Personally, I don't see why anything would change for us exisiting residents should the development be sold to a HA and it may never happen anyway....

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
koza


Posts: 39
Joined: Jun 2008
Post: #68
14-08-2008 03:41 PM

there is not enough affordable housing available for newly qualified teachers, nurses and other professionals, if there is a plan to place the site into the hands of a housing association then that is a far positive move towards the needs of the community.

do you really think that if these homes were sold on the open market it would make a better place to live for the rest of us?

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Sherwood


Posts: 1,412
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #69
14-08-2008 04:02 PM

I hope that the subway refurbishment is secure. Someone told me that such parts of schemes are always left to the last and if they run out of money they don't get done.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
NewForester


Posts: 379
Joined: Feb 2008
Post: #70
14-08-2008 05:12 PM

michael wrote:
Certainly not ramped access but possibly slightly more than a lick of paint.

Not much more than a lick of paint (to the underpass)...

Lewisham.gov.uk DC/06/62989 wrote:
The applicants have expressed their willingness to carry out the following works as part of the planning proposal ?
  • re-location of the carriageway and footway further to the east (the siting of the proposed building is based on this realignment);
  • creation of a raised table pedestrian crossing point,
  • re-paving of both sides of the street, with defining treatments to the entrance to the site and the stair access to the railway platform,
  • cleaning of the embankment walls from Hindsley?s Place to the stair access,
  • re-pointing where necessary and spraying with anti-graffiti paint, introduction of tree planting along Perry Vale,
  • cleaning up, re-painting and provision of new lighting to the underpass, and
  • introduction of cycle racks next to the platform stair.
6.53 The only element that is not included and that was envisaged by the SPG is the provision of the ramped access to the eastern end of the subway. The applicants originally included this as part of the proposed environmental improvements. (The SPG envisages lift access at the opposite side of the subway, where the change in
levels to the street is much greater, with a steep flight of stairs.)

6.54 The ramped access was deleted from the proposals at the Council?s request and replaced with the cleaning, re-painting and re-lighting of the subway as well as the cleaning and re-pointing of the embankment wall

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Foresters


Posts: 212
Joined: May 2006
Post: #71
14-08-2008 09:22 PM

'cleaning up, re-painting and provision of new lighting to the underpass'

This is just a waste of effort. The steps need renovation (accepting that a ramp won't be added - Have you seen the pushchairs being struggled with up and down these stairs?) and the path through needs re-surfacing. The lighting is not too bad and the murals are great - they should be developed further rather than painted out.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Snazy


Posts: 1,516
Joined: Jan 2008
Post: #72
15-08-2008 08:37 AM

I was actually of the understanding that the flooring of the underpass will also be replaced, so this may include the steps.

I did actually hear that the "murals" were requested to be either saved or renewed, however the decision was made to paint it........... white. Sad

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
brian


Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
Post: #73
15-08-2008 08:49 AM

Plenty of work going on this morning by council workers on the road, not much sign of life on the building site , or maybe all out of view.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
michael


Posts: 3,255
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #74
15-08-2008 12:33 PM

I can confirm that according to the planning appeal submitted on behalf of Berkeley Homes that construction will cease at the end of this month.
The appeal can be viewed at http://acolnet.lewisham.gov.uk/ACOLLATEDOCS/37462_1.pdf with section 6.16 referring to the cash flow problems that have occurred due to the wrong number of 2 bedroom flats verses 1 bedroom flats.

In my opinion this cash flow crisis is not the result of the different numbers of bedrooms in the units, but due to overall market conditions which have lead to a significant reduction in demand for new build. The numbers of bedrooms is not of material consideration. Berkeley Homes continues to ask very high levels for these properties and their unwillingness to reduce prices is only to ensure they get to build the more profitable 1 bedroom units rather than 2 bedroom units.

The insistence on switching this development from prominently 2 bedroom units to prominently 1 bedroom units takes no account of the needs of Forest Hill residents and the needs of the community. Holding us to ransom by leaving an ugly building site in the centre of our town shows their contempt for local residents.

I now need to put this in more diplomatic language and write my 4th response to a planning proposal in the last week - August is a busy month for damaging planning applications.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
brian


Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
Post: #75
15-08-2008 12:46 PM

This indeed is very bad news but not totally unexpected. I agree with you that the complaint about 1 or 2 bedroom flats is a red herring. The prices too high to start with and in today's market who would buy at these prices.
I strongly suggest the council stand firm against and other than the original devolpment. By mothballing the devolpment they must be making great losses.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Sherwood


Posts: 1,412
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #76
15-08-2008 01:51 PM

They are still advertising the flats for sale in their website!

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Grangerover


Posts: 35
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #77
15-08-2008 02:32 PM

Paragraph 6.3:

"...a realistic asking price had been sought given local comparables."

para 6.15

"...some local residents/amenity groups questioned the merits of the marketing campaign, suggesting that the sale prices were excessive and that it was this that was affecting sales...It is not the price that that is hampering sales but what is on offer i.e. the unit mix."

A reminder of those 'realistic' asking prices:

1 beds: ?240,000 - ?275,000
2 beds: ?330,000 - ?395,000

Furthermore, the website appears to be saying that a car parking space (which like it or not, is still a major issue for most buyers) would have to be negotiated on top of the price for the flat, thus putting off propsective buyers even more.

I don't have the "local comparable" prices to hand, but I would suspect they are/were a good ?100,000 lower than the FHC prices. I'm sure someone can find out.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
grahamw


Posts: 58
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #78
15-08-2008 02:46 PM

Given the choice of a few more one bed flats in a completed development, or a concrete shell for the next few years (or maybe more..) which would you choose?

Personally If the change to more one bed flats makes the scheme viable, and buildable, I would prefer the former.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Grangerover


Posts: 35
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #79
15-08-2008 02:52 PM

Graham I agree with you, however I think it is very miselading for Berekely to claim they can't sell their 2 bed flats, therefore Lewisham should let them change their plans or else. They could still sell them, just not at the ridiculous prices they are asking for.

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
ambient
No longer registered

Posts: 85
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #80
15-08-2008 05:20 PM

Not suprised about the extra fee for car parking. I looked into new build flats a few years ago and a parking space tends to cost 4%-5% of the sale price of the flat!!

Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Pages (15): « First < Previous 1 2 3 [4] 5 6 7 8 Next > Last »

Friends of Blythe Hill Fields


Possibly Related Topics ...
Topic: Author Replies: Views: Last Post
  Forest Hill Central School brian 2 8,191 06-03-2008 01:42 PM
Last Post: IWereAbsolutelyFuming