Phil Spencer (of 'Location, Location, Location' fame) was filming outside Coral Bookmakers this week for a Channel 4 programme to be broadcast at 9.00pm on Wednesday 7 December. The Ladywell filming focused on the living space typically available to a family in temporary accommodation and the scandal of empty properties above shops - such as the empty and neglected flats above Coral.
(Above) Phil chats to locals
(Above) Tony Major, LVIG Chair, galvanises the crowd!
(Above and below) Phil chats with Tony Major and Lara Thornton (LVIG Comms Officer)
6 comments:
Well done guys, great work. Let's hope the Council follow through with the environmental enforcement notice re the pigeons - that was what finally got things moving with 46 Ladywell Road, but these things can take a painfully long time.
I am looking forward to seeing the programme. Perhaps it will embarrass Coral/Coomes into taking some action not only to remedy the existing disrepair but to let the accommodation to tenants.
My fear though is that a big organisation like this may be largely impervious to public criticism and with deep pockets will simply do the minimum repairs to keep the pigeons out and still leave the flats empty.
It may still be necessary for the council to serve an Empty Dwelling Management Order on Coral/Coomes but it can be an expensive process and they may fight us through the courts.
On a brighter note - Planning permission has been granted on the old wreck that is 63 Loampit Hill - the absentee owners having finally been forced to take some action after the council threatened legal action.
The permission allows for the ground floor to be restored for use as a shop and for flats to be developed above. A little way off LVIG's beat but still within Ladywell ward and it just goes to show what can be achieved by determined action by the local authority, albeit a long time overdue in this case.
I saw that scaffolding went up on Loampit Hill a few days ago - good news indeed, and hopefully Lewisham Council will be able to recoup the the £20k or so it spent on the roof a few years back. I hope the lovely tiles on the front get preserved and repaired - it falls within the conservation area, so hopefully they will.
You may well be right re the flats above Corals. I'm not sure if LBL have done an EDMO on flats above shops before, or just houses. I would like to see them reused as flats, but even sprucing the outside would be a vast improvement on the status quo.
Replacing broken window panes and cleaning the glass would be a start. Even a few curtains at the windows would relieve the empty look - would cost the bookies less than a day's profit, I'd have thought. Of course, it would be better/best if the flats were occupied so that that corner didn't look so forlorn!
Didn't see the programme last night, but I gather LVIG featured in the first slot before the ads.
I am a chartered building surveyor based in Somerset with considerable experience in the conversion of flats in existing buildings. I was very impressed with Phil's programme and wondered if there was a way of getting involved by giving of my services in my local area. If anyone knows of who I should contact regarding this I would be pleased to hear from you.
I do consider all the concepts you've introduced on your post. They are very convincing and can definitely work. Nonetheless, the posts are very short for beginners. May just you please lengthen them a bit from subsequent time? Thank you for the post.
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