Comments on: Rubble Trouble

By: Capability Bowes

Capability Bowes — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 22:19:21 +0000

News in: We Win! The developer has withdrawn the application for redevelopment

By: Resident

Resident — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 20:23:45 +0000

Douglas: I dont understand why you call them a “questionable developer” I and others have spoken many times about their plans and always found them reasonable and helpful.
There are many local sites already available for community use including the early years/primary school right next door. This regeneration will benefit the whole community far more than keeping one building could.

By: Douglas

Douglas — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:13:59 +0000

If Kitewood do actually build this development – which I doubt in the current economic climate – all the new people who move into it will put pressure on existing community services. Greenwich Council should issue Kitewood Estates with a Section 106 by law to make sure they offset the impact of their supposed ‘regeneration’, and provide a development that benefits the wider community. I went to the public exhibition too, and they said they’re giving 500sq mtrs over to ‘community use’, then they explained it’s a communal garden inside a gated community to be used only by those who buy into the scheme. I’m not saying they should stop the development – I’m saying they should provide more than just an insular ghetto for the wealthy in the middle of a deprived area which desperately needs regeneration, and which is accessible to ALL. Greenwich Council used to own the land, it’s been under their stewardship & left to rot & ruin for at least 2 years – to now allow a questionable developer to knock everything down to the ground on the basis of a few pretty diagrams is a travesty. That old school house is a beautiful historic building that should be brought back into use – it would cost less to recycle & reuse it as a community space in the middle of the development than knocking it down anyway!

By: Resident

Resident — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 17:01:06 +0000

Mary: The harm from that is it will stop a regeneration of an area that badly needs it. The developers do have their act together and how can you say it will be years before anything is built, the money comes from selling the housing. You can’t think it’s the hospital site.
As you say the council have let the site become blighted and when regeneration is planned you complain.
As I have said we already have an excellent centre for energy of people in the Forum on Trafalgar road!

By: Mary Baker

Mary Baker — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 14:46:21 +0000

I agree with Phantom:

I live on Colomb St and some lovely people visited me yesterday and told me about their plans to reuse the old school building while we are waiting for the developers to get their act together..I say go for it! Noone has cared for years about that site, and now a nice group of young people want to do something with it for a short time, what harm is there in that? They may have arrived in the final hours, but it will be months & years before anything is built on that site. It’s pointless to demolish it when someone can use it. Let them do it I say! The council has let the site become blighted and abandoned for years & the developers are only interested in profits. Once the old school house & the energy of the young people are gone they will be gone..let people flourish like flowers in the pavement cracks I say!

By: Capability Bowes

Capability Bowes — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 11:51:42 +0000

In The Phant’s defence:

“I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”. – Voltaire

By: Resident

Resident — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 20:59:55 +0000

Dear Phantom,
I don’t see why you are so anti this regeneration. I live on Commerell street and
have spoken to a number of local residents who fully support this. Not every project goes the same way as the old hospital site! The dilapidated buildings have a been draw for anti-social behaviour for years, I don’t agree the with
the objection saying “crime will move into your neighbourhood” if they go surely it will take away the attraction making the areas better for all.
I have spoken to Kitewood many times (they even held 2 public exhibitions) and the development will be staged as is common on these projects. No developer could afford to do it in one go and they have put in a lot of effort to draw up building plans.
As for the provision of community facilities we already have an excellent community centre at the Forum on Trafalgar road.