Bellenden Residents' Group (BRG)

The BRG is interested in exploring how we can develop some form of participative neighbourhood planning to run alongside the development of the statutory PNAAP (Peckham & Nunhead Area Action Plan). We would like to enable local residents to create and articulate their own ideas about our neighbourhood, and help to develop a Neighbourhood Profile and through that make them accessible to others including the Council and developers. To start this we are encouraging local residents to post their photos or videos of places they like or don't like, and why, on the Rye Lane West neighbourhood pictures page for some first action steps.  That main page is for Rye Lane West Neighbourhood only, as that is the BRG neighbourhood. But we are keen for other neighbourhoods to try the same thing and have created the Other Neighbourhoodssection for that. See this map for the streets these cover.
 

What is the character of Rye Lane West?

Rye Lane West is the area that adjoins the borders with Camberwell, and includes the Holly Grove Conservation Area and the Bellenden Renewal Area which overlap and cover together most of the area (see map). It is predominantly Victorian terraces, with newer developments filling in the war time bomb damage. It contains a wide variety of houses, architectural styles and streetscapes. In addition, with its emphasis on gardens, open space, local shops and in some parts lack of through traffic, it also has sufficient common features that make it feel like a well-defined enclave set between Peckham, Camberwell, East Dulwich and Peckham Rye. It is a residential neighbourhood squashed right up against the western edge of Peckham Town Centre which has a very different kind of character. Peckham Rye Station, right where the neighbourhood meets the town centre, is a major gateway to the neighbourhood, the town centre and the wider area. The neighbourhood is also on the path of the large volume of commuter traffic in the rush hours, sweeping into central London in the morning, and out again in the afternoon/evening, bypassing the town centre. Several streets are dominated by that traffic in the rush hours, while other streets are not affected at all.

Have you been affected by planning applications and enforcements? Do you want to help create a planning and development profile to safeguard and improve your neighbourhood?

Like all areas over the past few years, Rye Lane West has been subject to planning applications that are often felt to be detrimental to the character of the area. These have resulted in many objections and enforcement issues and much time, effort and upset in dealing with them. Changes are inevitable in many ways and it would be useful to understand the pressures for change, but wouldn’t it be much better if developers and house owners knew in advance what we feel would be acceptable? At the same time shouldn’t we get involved in understanding the positive aspects of the area so we can help to identify development opportunities that would enhance its setting?

What is the Peckham & Nunhead Area Action Plan (PNAAP) and how will it relate to us?

This is Southwark Council’s long-term plan, which looks into the future and is intended to result in realistic plans for implementation. It takes into account a whole range of topics from traffic and transport to shopping, business and community facilities, public spaces, new design and especially environmentally sustainable buildings. Although its main focus is Peckham Town Centre it will have an impact on the Rye Lane West area. We feel that the Neighbourhood Profile, that we have been thinking of developing for some time, fits well with the discussions about the Peckham & Nunhead Area Action Plan (PNAAP). The Council consulted on the Issues and Options for Peckham between 30 March and 25 May 2009. They are now writing the Preferred Options which will be published for consultation in June 2010. In the meantime discussions continue about various aspects of the PNAAP affecting this neighbourhood including traffic, the station and the town centre.

• For Council information on the PNAAP, see:

            * pages 49-50 of  Core Strategy Section 4: Spatial Planning to Improve Places

            * http://www.southwark.gov.uk/futurepeckham 

• For how the PNAAP fits with the overall Borough planning policy see: http://www.southwark.gov.uk/YourServices/planningandbuildingcontrol/planningpolicy/
• For further information on some issues raised for the future of Peckham town centre, see: some comments on the Council's plans
• for some information on the station and the town centre see: Peckham Rye station  and Transforming Central Rye Lane

The Neighbourhood Profile

The Neighbourhood Profile will not have any statutory involvement with the planning process but the local Lane Ward Councillors support the idea, and the Council Planners are willing to work with us to see how it fits. It is intended that such a Neighbourhood Profile could be lodged with the Planning Department and given to any developers or others enquiring about development or planning issues in the relevant neighbourhood. It is also going to help clarify a number of issues about the neighbourhood which will inform other actions we might take. 

How you can contribute to the Neighbourhood Profile

As a result, we decided to start by trying to capture in pictures what we like about the area and what we would like to see improved, especially its physical aspects. We could well move on to consider other issues facing the neighbourhood, after we have made progress with this. The pictures already posted have produced a number of themes: click here and see in right hand column.

During 2010 we will be drafting the Neighbourhood Profile from contributions made by local residents. You can contribute in these ways:

• by taking photos or very short videos of any parts of the neighbourhood that you especially like, and uploading them with your caption and some text on why you like them. You can do the same on anything you don't like and any ideas on how they could be improved. Upload your photos or videos here and click here to see the contributions so far.
• if you can’t send photos, you can send us your views anyway with the same kinds of comments, email BRG@bellenden.net
• let us know if you have any other ideas for finding out what you and your neighbours think and feel about your neighbourhood, including what geographical area it covers for you, and if you have a common name for it.
• by letting us know if you have any particular skills of any sort that you would like to contribute to this project.
• Finally we are hoping this profile may become an inspiration for other neighbourhoods in and
  around Peckham to use as a template in developing their own Neighbourhood Profile.

Send any queries or comments to us at BRG@bellenden.net We will keep you in touch with developments.

Residents Meeting & Exhibition Wednesday 29th April 2009

There was an exhibition drop-in between 5-7pm followed by a discussion to 8pm. Meeting poster copy: download here. Flyer copy: download here. During the exhibition, pages from the website were projected onto a large screen to show how it was developing and how easy it is to upload the pictures and make comments. The meeting discussion identified a number of key issues that are relevant to the consultation on the PNAAP.  See the notes of the meeting.

Neighbourhood meeting 9th December 2008

We had a first meeting – on 9th December 2008 – of residents interested in contributing. The Lane ward Councillor Gordon Nardell, was present at the meeting along with Michael Carnuccio, the Council planner responsible for planning policy in Peckham. They will both continue to participate. At the meeting we looked at how we might identify and describe what we think is best about our neighbourhood and how to improve the rest. We also had a first look at how the PNAAP might relate to planning issues in our neighbourhood. See the notes of the meeting.