Brockley Mess - new cafe opened today on Brockley Road

I'm writing this from inside Brockley Mess - the new cafe that has opened today on Brockley Road, in what used to be Moonbow Jakes. I'm really impressed with what they've done with the place - it used to be rather dark and dingy (which suited Moonbows, as it was more of an evening, live music kind of place), but now it's all light and airy, with great colourful tiles and wallpaper, and some huge old black and white photos on the wall (one is of Brockley County School, what is now Prendergast Hilly Fields and the other is of South East London Technical College - Lewisham College as now is).

Brockley Mess is run by the people behind Royal Teas in Greenwich and there is definitely more of an emphasis on food and the day time trade than Moonbows (they're currently only planning to open until 7pm, but might open later at the weekend if demand is there). There are not one but SIX types of cake, all baked on the premises, including a delicious gluten-free and vegan orange one which I tried. They also do a wide range of all day breakfasts, platters to share and even cream teas!

Oh and they have wi-fi (hence I'm writing this now).

I don't normally do quite such shameless plugs for businesses on this blog, but when Moonbows closed it left a gaping hole on this stretch of Brockley Road so I'm really delighted that we've now got a worthy replacement and I wish Brockley Mess every success.

PS: A big thank you to Lewisham town centre manager Liz Bannister who I believe played a role in this all happening.
PPS:It also looks like something will be opening soon in the former Brockley Kitchen site, which will hopefully be one less empty shop a bit further up the road too.

St Cyprian's Hall to be auctioned off on 22nd September

According to the notice that has just gone up outside it, St Cyprian's Church Hall, on the corner of Brockley Road and Braxfield Road is due to be sold at auction on 22nd September. As well as the church hall (which in itself is a considerable size), I understand that the auction includes the sale of the neighbouring commercial premises and flats above (the undertakers, and the premises on the other side of the hall too).

Taken together, these represent a sizeable site, onto which I imagine some developer will be hoping to squeeze as many flats as possible. As far as I'm aware, none of the buildings are listed, so theoretically they could all be demolished. although the owners has to honour existing leases with the businesses.

Personally, I think it would be a real loss to Brockley Road if these buildings were demolished, and would hope to see a sensitive redevelopment that incorporates at least parts of the existing church hall, and brings the front entrance to the church hall, that has been bricked up for so long, back into use.

The hall and neighbouring premises are 'owned' by the RC Diocese of Southwark, although I know there is some controversy as to whether the diocese actually owns the hall and has the right to sell it, due to a covenant that was allegedly signed when it was transferred over from the Church of England in 1968, which says the building is to be preserved for community use. Back in 2007, when rumours of plans to sell the building surfaced, a group of local residents got together to oppose the plans, but I'm not sure what came of it all. If any of those residents is reading this and would like to get in touch, please do. Given it is about to be sold at auction, I'm assuming the diocese are confident that this is not the case.

It would be nice to see the hall brought back into community use, but I'm rather cynical about the chances of this happening, given the pending auction, the considerable sums of money that need to be spent on the hall roof to make it safe, the proximity of St Andrews and the fact that the hall has not been in proper community use for a while now. The RC Diocese of Southwark has allowed the hall to get into a very run-down state over the years, and over the past few years the number of events, classes etc held at the hall gradually dwindled, until it was closed entirely about a year ago, on health and safety grounds I understand. Furthermore, the diocese's efforts at community consultation and engagement over this have been non-existant, as far as I'm aware.

A potted history of the St Cyprian's Hall, according to Geograph:

"The building was erected in 1881-2 as St Cyprian's mission church in the parish of St Mary, Lewisham (Anglican). It was superseded in 1901 by a new parish church of the same name in Adelaide Road [sic] (which was bombed in WW2) but retained as a parish hall and occasional place of worship until 1968 when it was sold to the Roman Catholics for use as a church hall."

Discussion on Brockley Central Blog

I'm braving the dragon's den that is Brockley Central blog today, by asking for views on spending the £2,000 we have allocated for the Ladywell ward bit of Brockley Road. Thanks to Nick for posting my request up there. Comments of late on the BC blog have been a touch heated, to say the least, so I'm hoping people will be kind! Feedback so far suggest we should stick to plan A, which is to spend the money improving the area outside the row of shops opposite St Andrew's Church.

Brockley Road Post Box: going, going . . .

I have finally received a response to my e-mail to the Post Office, asking that they either re-open or remove the post box outside Crackerjack on Brockley Road. I didn't hold out much hope that they would re-open it, given their current post office closure programme, and indeed they're not going to. However they have promised to remove it within the next six weeks. So potentially a bit less street clutter on that stretch of Brockley Road, though a post box in use would have been preferable.

Advertising board outside 258 Brockley Road - application refused!

Last month I posted about my efforts in getting an illegal advertising board outside 258 Brockley Road removed, only for the advertising company to then immediately apply for planning permission to get it back again. I objected to the application on the grounds of loss of amenity (unnecessary street clutter) and impact on the adjacent conservation area, as did a number of residents. Well, good news! I've just opened a letter from the Planning Service confirming that the application has been turned down under powers delegated to officers. If an appeal is lodged, planning will write and let me know. So thank you to all those who wrote in and objected - it clearly made a difference in this case.

Funnily enough, Ute and I were outside Brockley Kitchen today, with the town centre managers and Des from Brockley Cross Action Group, trying to decide what could be done to tidy up that stretch of pavement. The bins (commercial and residential) were once again on the pavement, which I will follow up on. Royal Mail are sending me weekly 'holding e-mails' assuring me they are still looking into the fate of the post box there, so hopefully something will eventually be done either to reopen or remove it. The bent railings have now been replaced and highways tell me the big pot-hole is the responsibility of the freeholder who owns the stone masons (and they have apparently written a letter asking them to fill it in). We are getting some progress, but rather slowly.

We also visited the horrendous cesspit that is the mews behind SIDS the plumbers and Moonbow Jakes on Brockley Road, but that's another story which I'll post more on separately.

February Live Events at Moonbows

Details of February live events at Moonbows below. All events are Free.

Sunday 10th February LONG LOST SON
Inspired by the dark Pennine landscape of their small Northern hometown, Long Lost Son present their hushed, tense and heartfelt sound that draws on the influences of Dram Parsons, Nick Drake and Cave.

Tuesday 12th February AMY MAY
A Cornish singer songwriter, Amy is making waves in the west country after the release of her debut album. Part of her UKtour, this may be the only time you will get to see this rising star in an intimate venue.

Thursday 14th February CHEESENIGHT
Valentine is the cheesiest night of the year so we are going to celebrate with a night of cheese. Cheesy music, cheesy cheese and lots of lonely single people eating cheese. Not one of our normal evening's but better than watching longing lovers staring at each other all night. Smart Dress (sort of) required.

Friday 15th February
DJ SAFFOLLA.featJAVIERORTAGA- MagicalMusicalMysterynight
Our own local Ninja Tunes DJ will be performing his usual magic on the decks while Javier Ortaga will be performing real magic at your table.

Sunday 17th February LITTLEG WEEVIL
This London born Memphis Blues songwriter reminds Jake of the many nights in dingy backstreet clubs of New York during the 90s. 'Little white boy with a black soul! Fantastic!' WADIRadio, Memphis, TN, 2005.

Monday 18th February POETRY NIGHT
This follows on from the huge success of January's evening that saw stunning performances by all involved. We are going to repeat the night with Peter Searls our MC, Augusto Monk with Jazz, stories and visuals, and our array of published and open mic poets. Take the stage yourself and perform your own favourite poem.

Thursday 21st IM
IM play a kind of ambient electronic groovy improvised jazz stew. Combining electric trumpet with Hammond organ, percussion, old analog synth sounds and home-made instruments, they explore sound and texture in a new and refreshing way. The sound of IM reminds Jake of the French trumpet player, Erik Truffaz.

Sunday 24th DJ NOVA
A Moonbow favourite, DJ Nova will take us on her musical journey from Jazz to Punk.

Tuesday 26th ORCHARD HILL
One of South East London's youngest and hottest new indie prospects. Orchard Hill are gathering a momentum that could propel them to the very top - come and see what all the fuss in about!

Thursday 28th FILM NIGHT
Declan McGill is back with a selection of high quality short films made by people living around South East London with Jazz singer, Hannah Northedge providing us with some classic film songs during the popcorn intervals. To submit your film please send URLlink to brockleyfilm@yahoo.com

Sunday 2nd March EARL GREEN AND THE RIGHT TIME
Earl Green has won the best voice in the no less than four times in the past decade. Close to 400 people heard why during the Brockley Max festival last June and now he is returning with his band, The Right Time, to give Brockley the opportunity to hear one of Britain's premier Blues singer's.

All events start from 8pm onwards. See Moonbow’s website for more details.

Just when you think you're getting somewhere . . .

On Tuesday I posted about a minor success I'd had getting an illegal advertising board removed from outside Brockley Kitchen. I may have spoken too soon. Yesterday I opened my councillor post to discover notification of a planning application for, yes, you've guess it, a "The retention of one double sided illuminated free standing advertisement display unit outside 258 Brockley Road SE4". Application details can be found on the Council's planning website. This isn't an application by Lloyd who runs Brockley Kitchen (who would like to use the space to have tables and chairs in the summer), but by the advertising company and his landlord.

Given that I have already expressed delight on the board's removal, I can't really claim to have an open mind on this for any future planning committee meeting it may come to, so I have decided to write in and object. The planning grounds I will be objecting on are loss of amenity and impact on an adjacent conservation area.

As I mentioned previously, that section of pavement along Brockley Road has a number of issues with excessive street clutter already, with a BT exchange box, a redundant post box, a number of commercial waste bins stored there, railings, illegal pavement parking etc. Any efforts we make as local councillors, with the town centre manager and the businesses along Brockley Road to get some improvements to this stretch of the street would only be undermined by having an ugly great advertising board stuck in the middle of the path.

I believe that this is an unnecessary piece of street clutter that will have a negative impact on the amenity of the area, and force pedestrians to weave their way around yet another obstacle in order to get past. Furthermore, it looks unsightly and out of place on the edge of a conservation area, and opposite St Andrew's Church, which I believe is a listed building.

Should anyone else wish to write an object to this application, objections should be received by Planning by 28th January and can either be e-mailed to planning@lewisham.gov.uk or posted to Planning Service, Laurence House, 1 Catford Road, London. SE6 4SW.

2 Minor Successes

Possibly another contender for 'not the most exciting blog post in the world ever', but bear with me; anyone who has ever been a local councillor and experienced at first hand how excruciatingly slow a process it can sometimes be to get things done, may appreciate this.

Minor success Number One: New bench by bus stop at top of Adelaide Avenue!

We finally have a new bench by the bus stop at the top of Adelaide Avenue. First reported that the previous one was broken in the Summer of last year. Eventually got a response saying that it was going to be replaced. I queried why it had to be replaced and not simply repaired, but never got a response to that. I noticed when I cycled past today that it had finally been replaced. A good quality new bench, though arguably we need to be repairing things more, rather than automatically replacing broken things. Does look better quality than the previous one though. Sadly some silly so and so has already tagged it, but I've reported that to lovelewisham, so hopefully it will be cleaned off this week, along with yet more tagging on the bus shelter.

Minor Success Number Two - unauthorised advertising board in the middle of the pavement on Brockley Road finally removed!

I have been exchanging e-mails with council officers for some time about the state of the bit of Brockley Road opposite St Andrew's Church (where Brockley Kitchen is). There are horrendously bent, railings, lots of pot holes, lots of commerical refuse bins creating an eyesore, constant illegal on pavement parking in front of the barbers, an unauthorised advertising board in front of Brockley Kitchen and a disused post box that has been there since the post office closed years ago. Generally, the area has a feeling of neglect and excessive street clutter about it.

Anyway, after being told several times by officers that there was no unauthorised advertising hoarding and me insisting that there was and sending photographic evidence to prove it, the Council wrote to the advertising company and gave them 28 days to remove and it has finally gone. Lloyd from Brockley Kitchen is delighted and talking about being able to put some tables and chairs on his forecourt in the summer .

I'm still working on the other issues along there, but at least that's one thing ticked off the list. The railings are apparently going to be replaced (highways won't even consider removing them apparently), the pot hole may or may not be filled in (it's a slightly grey area whose land it is), the post box is apparently on Crackerjack's land (so I guess I need to take that up with Royal Mail directly) and parking are apparently clamping down on illegal parking on the pavement, although when I asked how many tickets had been issued, the answer came back 'none', so there is still room for improvement there.

We have allocated a small part of our localities fund for improvements to this bit of Brockley Road, but I'm still trying to get the things that should be done anyway sorted first, before we think about any frills.

Betting Shop Application Rejected - again!

Ute just called me from the town hall to say that the licensing committee turned down the application by Portland Bookmakers to open a betting shop on the corner of Brockley Road/Adelaide Avenue, on the grounds that they couldn't guarantee children and vulnerable people would be protected.

A great victory for local residents and for common sense, in spite of the new legislation which seems designed to encourage gambling and make it more difficult for local authorities to reject applications. This application apparently received more objections than any other Lewisham licensing application that officers could remember.

Well done to all those who worked so hard to oppose this. The applicant still has the right to appeal at the magistrates court, but in the meantime, perhaps the debate can continue here or on Brockley Central about what kind of business you would like to see in that premises.

Here we go again, another betting shop application . . .

Barely have we had time to celebrate Friday's decision at Bromley Magistrates Court and I have received the following from the council's licensing department today:

Please be advised that the following premise has applied for a NEW / VARIATION Premises licence under the Gambling Act 2005.
Premises name and address
Portland Bookmakers
329-331 Brockley Road
London SE4 2QZ
Applied for a new Premises Licence for the following purposes – Betting Office
Representations should relate to one of the following licensing objectives
1. To prevent gambling from being a source of Crime & Disorder
2. To ensure that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way
3. To protect children & other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling

Any representations should reach licensing by 10th October 2007. Licensing team, Laurence House, 2nd Floor Laurence House, 1 Catford Road, Catford SE6 4RU. E-mail: licensing@lewisham.gov.uk

The previous application was heard by Bromley Magistrates Court, but since then regulations have changed and it will now be heard by the Council's licensing committee. Please note that grounds for objection are slightly different now too, so any letters you may have been planning to recycle will need to be modified accordingly.

Planning Applications in Ladywell Ward

A number of new planning applications in the ward:
DC/07/65501/X: 8b Hilly Fields Crescent, London, SE4 1QA. The alteration and conversion of 8b Hilly Fields Crescent SE4, together with the construction of a 2 storey extension to the side, single storey to the rear, dormer extension in the rear roof slope and dormer window in the front and rear roof slopes and the installation of rooflights to the side roof slopes to provide 2 two bedroom, 2 one bedroom and one three bedroom self-contained flats with the provision for refuse and bicycle stores.

DC/07/65425/X: 308 Brockley Road, London, SE4 2RA . The construction a four storey extension to the side and rear of 308 Brockley Road SE4, together with the construction of a roof extension to the front of the existing building to provide 2, one bedroom and 3, two bedroom self-contained units.

DC/07/65094/X: Yard at rear of 97-99, Loampit Vale, Lewisham, SE13. The demolition of the existing industrial buildings and construction of a part three/part four storey building, comprising 1 one bedroom, 10 two bedroom and 1 three bedroom, self-contained flats on the site to the rear of 97-99 Loampit Vale SE13, together with associated landscaping, the provision of a refuse/cycle store, bicycle store, 4 garages, 8 car parking and 14 bicycle spaces with access onto Algernon Road.

If you would like to comment on any of these applications please send an email to planning@lewisham.gov.uk including the Application Number, your name, address, comment and reason for interest.

Fairtrade Brockley!

Fairtrade Fortnight (26th February-11th March) kicked off yesterday and there are a number of events planned in Lewisham to celebrate it, including an ethical fashion show at the Albany, a Brazilian band at the Horniman Museum, a mayoral reception with local businesses and a fairtrade afternoon at Wavelengths.

Brockley Road is doing quite well for fairtrade, with Brockley Kitchen, Moonbow Jakes, Cafe Neu and Toad's Mouth Too all selling a range of fairtrade products (Moonbows have recently expanded their range). Lloyd Shackleford from Brockley Kitchen is passionate about fairtrade and is one of the speakers at the mayor's reception next week. Clement from Cafe Neu has more reason than many to support fairtrade; when I was talking to him it turned out that he used to work as a cocoa farmer in Nigeria so knows at first-hand what it feels like to work hard for a year then get next to nothing for what you've grown.

Pictured: Lloyd and Maurice from Brockley Kitchen. They have posters around the shop promoting fairtrade and Lloyd says that lots of customers tell him they have come to Brockley Kitchen specifically because they sell fairtrade tea and coffee (and flapjacks, hot chocolate . . .), so fairtrade makes good business sense for him as well as being the ethical thing to do.

Local shops seem to be lagging behind cafes somewhat, and from speaking to the shopkeepers, this may be because the cash and carries they use don't stock fairtrade. I think the cash & carry firms are missing a trick here. It is important that they start to stock Fairtrade goods so that small shops can do so. Many people who want to buy Fairtrade would also prefer to support local businesses, but at the moment small shops are losing fairtrade business to supermarkets.

Talking of small shops versus supermarkets, Traidcraft are doing a survey at the moment to find out peoples' views of supermarkets, the way they operate and how it relates to fairtrade.

Anyway, the fairtrade events in Lewisham are:

Friday 2 March 7-10pm: Fairtrade Ethical Fashion Show, The Albany Centre, Deptford SE8
Featuring Traidcraft, Chelline International Fashions, Think Fairtrade, Fathema and Rezia Wahid, Rosamond Robertson, Melanie Wilson, Zoë Hamilton-Peters, Mela Boev, Inkeri Medley and other local designers. (tickets are free but need to be booked in advance at the box office)

Sunday 4 March 1-2pm and 3-4pm: Fairtrade Rhythms, The Horniman Museum, Forest Hill, SE23. Get moving to the Brazilian rhythms of Viramundo to celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight.
(Free admission)

Thurday 8 March 6pm - 8.30pm: Fairtrade Reception, Civc Suite, Lewisham Town Hall
Catford SE6. Reception hosted by Steve Bullock, Mayor of Lewisham for local businesses in support of Fairtrade Fortnight. By invitation, but contact Shola if you would like to go.

Saturday 10 March 11am - 3pm: Fairtrade Stalls at Wavelengths Library, Deptford SE8, Drop-in

Application for a betting shop on Brockley Road

An application has been lodged with Greenwich Magistrates Court for a license to open a betting shop at 329-331 Brockley Road (currently Homeview Video Shop). This has caused considerable concern among local residents, over 40 of whom have already been in touch with us. Below is the letter we are distributing to residents in the nearby area detailing how to object if they wish:

Dear Local Resident,

Betting Shop application on Brockley Road

Your local Green councillors share the concerns of local residents about proposals for a betting shop at 329-331 Brockley Road (currently the Homeview video shop). Although the premises have been given planning permission for a change of use, the Planning Committee were led to believe this was for an estate agent.

Greenwich Magistrates Court are currently considering the application for a betting licence, and they will take into account objections received in the next few weeks. If you wish to object, you need to send two copies of your letter to:

The Clerk to the Licensing Justices, Greenwich Magistrates Court, 9 Blackheath Road, Greenwich SE10 8PG

Clearly state your own address and the proposal to which you are objecting. As the magistrates can only consider certain grounds for refusing a licence, objections need to focus on the lack of demand for another betting shop and on the impact of the existing betting shops and the proposed new one on the area. Issues to address could include the fact that there are already two betting shops nearby, concerns over a potential increase in anti-social behaviour and the vicinity of a school. The loss of the video shop will not be considered a valid reason for the magistrates to turn down the application.

The six Green councillors on Lewisham Council will be submitting formal objections as we believe another betting shop would have a very negative effect on the area. We are committed to supporting local shops and want to see a wide range of local shops and services which genuinely serve the community.

If you would like further information, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Yours sincerely,

Cllr Mike Keogh Cllr Sue Luxton Cllr Ute Michel (Green Party councillors for Ladywell Ward)

Cllr Darren Johnson Cllr Romayne Phoenix Cllr Dean Walton (Green Party councillors for Brockley Ward)