Mobile Telephone Masts
There has been a concerted campaign by local residents, concerned by the decision of the Dulwich Estate to offer the boundary of a sports field in Gallery Road as a site for the installation of two 60' high mobile telephone masts. They argue that this will not only spoil the rural appearance of Gallery Road for residents and visitors to the Picture Gallery alike, but the proposed masts will be in a Conservation Area. They also stress that these masts are of the powerful type which emit a beam of maximum intensity over a 200 metre radius. They point out that the field proposed is used by Pelo Football as a playing field used daily by youngsters for football training and that the pavilion in the neighbouring field will be used for at least a year by the children at Dulwich College Preparatory School Nursery during rebuilding of their main school.
The proposal has naturally alarmed the Prep school parents who claim that the Stewart Report, which prompted recent government health warnings about the danger to children by their using mobile telephones, "even in an emergency", also advises against positioning of masts near schools. In addition to the Prep Nursery, the radius of the 200 metre beam from the masts will also encompass the Dulwich Picture Gallery's education facility and classroom as well as local houses.
The Society's policy is to object to all applications within the Conservation Area and particularly near schools. Southwark Council planners recently refused an application for a shorter mast on the corner of Allison Grove and Dulwich Common and hopefully they will do the same for the one in Alleyn Park by the railway bridge.
Herne Hill Velodrome
A press release issued just before the Newsletter's copy date confirmed that the Velodrome would open for cycling on August 5. An agreement has been reached between the Dulwich Estate and the British Cycling Federation on a three year lease. It appears that both the London Velodrome Trust and the Velo Club de Londres are also involved. The Society further understands that Southwark Council has agreed to provide some additional financial backing but at this stage it is not clear if this has been taken up.
At the same time the Dulwich Estate is continuing negotiations with Citygrove Estates to look at various options for a more secure future for the track. Both the Society and the local residents' associations have made their views clear to the Estate on the sustainable nature of any proposed development.
Ujima
In the last Newsletter we reported on a proposed redevelopment at Bullfinch Court, just north of the Croxted Road shops. The scheme was for 17 social housing units of various sizes, each with its own private garden, planned around a central parking court in an area at present occupied by garages. The Society objected to the density, layout and design of the scheme and we were pleased to note that the application was subsequently withdrawn. A revised and much improved scheme by a different architect was shown to local residents at a public exhibition at the end of June.
Ujima is a housing association which has several projects proceeding in the area. There has been some concern over one named Surrey Mews, located adjacent to the Estate behind the Sir Joseph Paxton PH. It appears that the new houses were built much closer to the site boundary than had been shown on the original drawings and that neighbour aspect was severely compromised. Lambeth Council subsequently refused a retrospective planning application for the houses and the case has gone to appeal. Some local residents feel that Ujima has been less than sympathetic to their concerns and the errors should have been dealt with much earlier.
Village Petrol Station
S.G. Smith & Company is applying for consent to remove the former filling station at the Gilkes Crescent end of their property and also to demolish the canopy over the present filling station at the Calton Avenue end and turn both spaces into car parks, presumably for car sales vehicles. The removal of the 1930's filling station will mean the loss of the only attractive building on the site while the other will be the loss of a major Village amenity. It will also mean that the nearest petrol stations will be Croxted Road or London Road.
Planning Committee decisions upheld
Two recent cases where councillors of Southwark Council Planning Committee refused applications against their officers' advice have been upheld. These are for an additional house in the rear garden of 9 Dulwich Village and for the demolition of the Sir Ernest Shackleton PH and its replacement by flats on the Kingswood Estate.
