Coldharbour Lane, Brixton - news and updates

[editor]

Sounding worryingly vibrant and edgy is The Yard which has just appeared opposite the Barrier Block.



The three storey building was recently sold for nearly a million quid, with the usual flat conversions going on, but I've no idea what The Yard is going to be. There's nowt about it in the planning application...

17/04496/FUL | Erection of a part single, part two storey rear extension; Creation of a self-contained studio residentail unit to rear of ground floor behind retained A1/A2 unit. Alterations to shopfront. | 340 Coldharbour Lane London SW9 8QH

 

[alcopop]

Silent Disco in Brixton @TheYardBrixton

 

[editor]

Silent Disco in Brixton @TheYardBrixton

Oh fucking hell. It's worse than I thought. A fucking silent disco in a tiny empty shop. And they're charging £22 for people to stand about with headphones and no doubt gawk at the social housing opposite.

I wish they'd fuck off.

 

[editor]

This south African meat-shifting lot seem to be involved in The Yard's upcoming venture
biltongbros

 

[editor]

So they've opened up offering 'live music, live graffiti (edgy!), craft beer and cider."

How did they get a drinks licence for this?

 

[CH1]

So they've opened up offering 'live music, live graffiti (edgy!), craft beer and cider."

How did they get a drinks licence for this?

View attachment 117745

They have got it though https://planning.lambeth.gov.uk/online-applications/simpleSearchResults.do?action=firstPage
17/00918/TEN | Temporary Event Notice | Current Licence | Shop 340 Coldharbour Lane London SW9 8QH

According to the licensing record above the application is still being assessed by the Met Police

 

[editor]

They have got it though https://planning.lambeth.gov.uk/online-applications/simpleSearchResults.do?action=firstPage
17/00918/TEN | Temporary Event Notice | Current Licence | Shop 340 Coldharbour Lane London SW9 8QH

According to the licensing record above the application is still being assessed by the Met Police

It also states that the licence doesn't start until the 20th.

 

[The Fornicator]

They'll be really grateful for all this free publicity!

 

[editor]

They'll be really grateful for all this free publicity!

I'm sure a few posts here will have sent their cash tills ringing like never before, such is the power of this thread.

PS It was empty when I went by on Saturday.

 

[editor]

Chang Tai at 401 Coldharbour Lane (a few doors up from the Dogstar) has been repossessed.



I took a look at the bailiff's site and it's really poorly written.

Are you are considering buying a new Commercial unit, Commercial Buy 2 Let, or in need of a Business Start up Loan, re new Equipment, Property Development, Leases, Bridging Loan.
We can have access to whole of market lenders and can source the best interest rates for you.

What a scummy business to be in.
Forfeiture | Madagans

 

[editor]

Here's some considerate drivers parked up for a Friday night opposite the Barrier Block. It looks like this most weekends. Pushchairs -> into the road.

 

[editor]

I'm hearing strong rumours that the owners of the noisy car wash will be putting in a planning application to build 48 flats in front of the Barrier Block. Couldn't find anything in planning - anyone know more?

 

[CH1]

I'm hearing strong rumours that the owners of the noisy car wash will be putting in a planning application to build 48 flats in front of the Barrier Block. Couldn't find anything in planning - anyone know more?

It had to come. In terms of the process the first thing now is to have a public consultation meeting before putting in the planning application - so watch out for a meeting being discreetly advertised.

If it's anything like the recent consultation on Hardess Street (see LJ thread) the consultation might be quite a way away from Southwyck House - in case locals turned up to complain! I guess we could always petition the people who get their car washed (just joking).

 

[bimble]

Does the land belong to the car wash people and not the council ?

 

[Twattor]

I'm hearing strong rumours that the owners of the noisy car wash will be putting in a planning application to build 48 flats in front of the Barrier Block. Couldn't find anything in planning - anyone know more?

It would be very difficult. They'd be very limited in anything they could hope to do by the overlooking and daylighting issues arising from proximity to barrier block. Look on google satellite at the shadow cast over the site.

 

[editor]

It would be very difficult. They'd be very limited in anything they could hope to do by the overlooking and daylighting issues arising from proximity to barrier block. Look on google satellite at the shadow cast over the site.

That didn't stop a development nearby being proposed in 2002 - and you've only got to look at the houses on the opposite side of the road which are now dwarfed by the hideous Edge development to see that very little consideration is given to existing residents.

The singular beauty of Southwyck House, aka the Brixton Barrier Block

 

[editor]

It had to come. In terms of the process the first thing now is to have a public consultation meeting before putting in the planning application - so watch out for a meeting being discreetly advertised.

If it's anything like the recent consultation on Hardess Street (see LJ thread) the consultation might be quite a way away from Southwyck House - in case locals turned up to complain! I guess we could always petition the people who get their car washed (just joking).

We've got an active TRA and I doubt if they're going to like the idea of a block going up right in front of them.

 

[CH1]

We've got an active TRA and I doubt if they're going to like the idea of a block going up right in front of them.

I think we should revert to the idea of turning the whole strip into an open park and grassy area - or the Mrs Magpie idea which I floated at the last council election of turning the car-wash into an outdoor gym (free of "Better" direct debit charges).

 

[teuchter]

It would be very difficult. They'd be very limited in anything they could hope to do by the overlooking and daylighting issues arising from proximity to barrier block. Look on google satellite at the shadow cast over the site.

I don't think either of those things are necessarily obstacles that couldn't be overcome. Daylight stuff is mostly to do with visible sky, not direct sunlight, so the shadow is not really so relevant.

Building in front of the barrier block however might make it more difficult to convert its lower, car parking levels into housing units, a proposal I seem to remember seeing at some point, and one which seemed potentially sensible.

 

[CH1]

Does the land belong to the car wash people and not the council ?

From what I recall the lease on the car-wash land had been transferred to Ujima Housing Association for social housing.

Ujima then went bust due to alleged fraud on totally different matters (though the CEO was actually cleared at trial at Southwark Crown Court).
However because the HA was insolvent the housing stock was transferred (L&Q?) and the other assets were "realised" by the liquidators.
So the car-wash site (which was on a long lease from Lambeth Council, having previously been a Texaco Petrol Station) was sold to a property company whose directors are in Stanmore, but whose office was nominally in Soho.

That is my recollection - though if you have back copies of the South London Press from 2012-ish Ben Morgan did write it all up.

 

[CH1]

So they've opened up offering 'live music, live graffiti (edgy!), craft beer and cider."
How did they get a drinks licence for this?
View attachment 117745

I see Yard is closing down.

The guy running it looked quite personable, but it seemed to be a smaller and more intriguing version of the internet cafe a few doors along. I'm absolutely not the person to advise on running a shop or business, but it seems to me the problem for shops like this is getting people to just open the door come inside - and I imagine the smaller the shop the more of a threshold there is before doing so.

Personally I am sad they are closing. Putting a lot of effort into getting a shop going, and putting up some or all of your savings seems pretty brave to me - as someone who always worked for other people.

 

[editor]

I see Yard is closing down.

The guy running it looked quite personable, but it seemed to be a smaller and more intriguing version of the internet cafe a few doors along. I'm absolutely not the person to advise on running a shop or business, but it seems to me the problem for shops like this is getting people to just open the door come inside - and I imagine the smaller the shop the more of a threshold there is before doing so.

Personally I am sad they are closing. Putting a lot of effort into getting a shop going, and putting up some or all of your savings seems pretty brave to me - as someone who always worked for other people.

I got the impression that they could afford to take a loss on this and it didn't look like they'd spent an awful lot on the place anyway. Their engagement with the local community was zero, so I can't say I'm bothered by their departure. It seemed more like a jolly place for their pals.

 

[madolesance]

I got the impression that they could afford to take a loss on this and it didn't look like they'd spent an awful lot on the place anyway. Their engagement with the local community was zero, so I can't say I'm bothered by their departure. It seemed more like a jolly place for their pals.

I thought the set up they had on Coldharbour Lane was just a compromise for not being able to get into 'Pop'. Business wise their idea could of really taken of in the right location, but now, they may have to refinance somewhere closer to home.

 

[Gramsci]

I think one of the problems with the Yard business plan is that it wasn't clear what it was. The cocktail bar is a cocktail bar, the pizza place looks like a pizza place etc. Going past the Yard I used to wonder what it was exactly. Not that I found it enticing enough to go into.

 

[Gramsci]

I do miss George on that stretch of shops. CH1 on another thread said he is now back in Cyprus.

 

[editor]

I think one of the problems with the Yard business plan is that it wasn't clear what it was. The cocktail bar is a cocktail bar, the pizza place looks like a pizza place etc. Going past the Yard I used to wonder what it was exactly. Not that I found it enticing enough to go into.

You mean the ukulele player wasn't enough of a draw?

I had no idea what the Yard was supposed to be. It almost seemed that it had been purely set up for the amusement of the owner's pals, like a semi-private bar.

They certainly didn't make any effort to promote or publicise their activities, apart from the occasional single A board in the street.

 

[elmpp]

That A board will play havoc with the aforementioned pushchairs

 

[CH1]

Wondering whether the council should give people who "use" the Loughborough Park part of Coldharbour Lane recycling lessons?

Living on the poor (north) side of the street it constantly infuriates me when I come to put my recycling in the recycling bin on the pavement outside the kitchen window and people have chucked in banana skins, half full tins of Fosters or thick plastic ("wrong kind of plastic") Sainsburys shopping bags containing God knows what.

In temperate weather I sometimes clear out the shit, but I'm blowed if I will today in a damp 7°C.

If the council decide they've going to do £80 fines for contamination I will insist they have 24 hour video surveillance so they know who is doing the contaminating. Meanwhile if it's true that just one banana skin can cause rejection of a whole refuse lorry of recycling waste, maybe they should cut costs and just have rubbish bins along here - sending it all to the incinerator.

 

[Mr Bim of Bar]

You mean the ukulele player wasn't enough of a draw?

I had no idea what the Yard was supposed to be. It almost seemed that it had been purely set up for the amusement of the owner's pals, like a semi-private bar.

They certainly didn't make any effort to promote or publicise their activities, apart from the occasional single A board in the street.

Yep and DOMINOES PIZZA coming in a few weeks in the premises of the Caribbean takeaway, builders are in there now gutting the place.

 

[CH1]

Yep and DOMINOES PIZZA coming in a few weeks in the premises of the Caribbean takeaway, builders are in there now gutting the place.

I was getting worried about you.

Sorry that the ethnic purging of Brixton continues however.
Is Dominoes eat in or delivery by courier? A bit odd to have 2 pizza shops in one parade. In my day planning would not have allowed that.