Huge billboard goes up on Coldharbour Lane without planning permission and car wash shenanigans

[stevebradley]

I'll raise that Coldharbour billboard with the Planners and report back (will take about a fortnight for them to formally respond to me).

A pet hate of mine is people not getting planning permission, and it happens all too frequently in the borough. Grrr......

 

[editor]

Cheers Steve. A few of us have already fired off complaints but it's a case of the more the merrier and if you can swing a speedier response that would be much appreciated!

 

[chrisscottd1]

great poster on the previous billboard by barrier

Love it or loathe it, the barrier is an iconic structure!

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Love it or loathe it, the barrier is an iconic structure!

Does that poster mean Editor's going to turn into a downright ugly building?

 

[chrisscottd1]

Despite apparently being a neighbour I only know the Eds function on here and couldn't possibly comment on his/her form!

Bauhaus designs are not to everyone's taste I admit - especially in England, where we love our twiddly bits, - but the Barrier has a certain severe presence to it - or at least it did until we mucked around with the design.

There are not many buildings as readilly identifiable

 

[chrisscottd1]

oops - hit send too soon!

There are not many buildings as readily and widely identifiable as Brixton landmarks.

 

[Crispy]

Barrier block is not Bauhaus style by a long shot!

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Despite apparently being a neighbour I only know the Eds function on here and couldn't possibly comment on his/her form!

Bauhaus designs are not to everyone's taste I admit - especially in England, where we love our twiddly bits, - but the Barrier has a certain severe presence to it - or at least it did until we mucked around with the design.

There are not many buildings as readilly identifiable

Yeah, that's definitely him, bans people left, right and centre

 

[editor]

Barrier block is not Bauhaus style by a long shot!

It's certainly an unusual looking building and quite hard to categorise. I'd put it as Modernist/neo-brutalist myself, but I'm sure others would disagree.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

It's certainly an unusual looking building and quite hard to categorise. I'd put it as Modernist/neo-brutalist myself, but I'm sure others would disagree.

I've actually never seen the other side of it. What's that look like?

 

[editor]

Here's how Building describe it:

Southwyck House on the other hand is a blunder of a building that is often mistaken for Brixton prison. Known locally as the Barrier Block, it presents a daunting edifice, with early seventies, neobrutalist-inspired architecture and tiny turret windows peering out over Brixton. It was designed as part of the 1968 “box of motorways” project which, had it got off the ground, would have seen a raised six-lane motorway scythe through Brixton. The Barrier Block was designed to protect the Somerleyton estate from the inevitable pollution and traffic noise, which explains its tiny windows and unusual zig-zag design – intended to “bounce” the sound back to the ground. The road project was finally abandoned, but Brixton has been left with this ugly and impractical building...

...Blunder

Southwyck House, a block of flats in Brixton, south London, was built by the Greater London council as part of a wider development strategy that was subsequently abandoned. It has caused controversy since its opening in 1982 – local folklore claims it was built “the wrong way around”. The contractor was Amec Building, Ted Hollamby was the chief architect.

http://www.building.co.uk/comment/wonders-and-blunders/3142026.article

I think they've rather drawn on my piece for that article, mind.

 

[editor]

I've actually never seen the other side of it. What's that look like?

All windows and terracing. It's a really well designed block.

 

[chrisscottd1]

In the formal sense of the architect having attended one the Bauhaus schools - no, (though when we were planning on knocking it about to add the extra security I was told by the Lambeth architects that she was taught by someone who did - but I have never checked up on that).

I would be interested to hear why Crispy feels it emphatically not Bauhaus in influence (I am no expert in design but always interested to learn)

In the sense of the principles employed - form following function etc -the chevrons which are a feature of the CHL side are formed from the internal stair cases and project to reflect the sound of the planned motorway down. The little windows on that side are lavatory and staircase ones, again for noise protection - the living spaces have huge windows giving onto balconies separated by divisions carrying the rainwater drains.

Decorative elements being limited to functional features is a solidly Bauhaus principle.

The use of the whole block as a noise barrier likewise.


The other Bauhaus principles of:
Simplicity,Symmetry,Angularity,Abstraction,Consistency,Unity,Organization,Economy,Subtlety,Continuity,Regularity,Sharpness,Monochromaticity

were also followed (in impact, subtle it ain’t but many of the design solutions are)

In Dessau the Bauhaus style became more strictly functional with greater emphasis on showing the suitability of basic, unadorned materials. Bauhaus architects rejected "bourgeois" details such as cornices, eaves and decorative details.

It seems to me that it adheres to all the principles propounded by Walter Gropius and his disciples at the Bauhaus.

Of course, whether one likes it or not, or believes it to have been a successful application of those design principles is a different matter.

 

[chrisscottd1]

Minnie_the_Minx, if you are interested in what the other side looks like there is an excellent panorama on here at http://www.urban75.org/brixton/features/brixton005.html - love these - Editor responsible? Many thanks to whoever anyway.

To go back to theme of thread – the owners of the Texaco site do seem to be pushing the boundaries – quite literally, as I vaguely remember arguments over whether their ownership extended either right back to the barrier car-park wall, or as far forward as their new steel fence, let alone as far as where the front of the billboard is now. If it does not that would mean the billboard is on Council land and they are trying to gain ownership by occuption. Conversations which took place in Feb 2000 are increasingly vague in my mind, but that was minuted in a TRA meeting at that time – doesn't mean it is true but might be worth checking.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Minnie_the_Minx, if you are interested in what the other side looks like there is an excellent panorama on here at http://www.urban75.org/brixton/features/brixton005.html - love these - Editor responsible? Many thanks to whoever anyway.

ah yes, seen that, but it makes me dizzy as he's whizzing round so fast!

 

[chrisscottd1]

ah yes, seen that, but it makes me dizzy as he's whizzing round so fast!

If you click on spinning image you can control speed with cursor - even stop it.

This thread is doing my head in - have lived on Barrier since it was built and just realized how little I really know about it (as opposed to just heard). I have tracked down one of the routes of the Bauhaus influence I had at the back of my mind and will start a new thread for it.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

If you click on spinning image you can control speed with cursor - even stop it.

This thread is doing my head in - have lived on Barrier since it was built and just realized how little I really know about it (as opposed to just heard). I have tracked down one of the routes of the Bauhaus influence I had at the back of my mind and will start a new thread for it.

ah right, think on my old computer I had problems with those type of videos so didn't bother to check that first on newer machine

 

[editor]

Oooh! The irony! The billboard now hosts a poster for a gig I'm playing at!
http://www.urban75.org/blog/illegal-coldharbour-lane-brixton-billboard-update/

 

[editor]

Quick update: it's still there.

 

[Laughing Toad]

There was a notice on it a few weeks ago saying something about them having deemed consent because it's in front of a building site. I'll have another look next time I'm passing.

 

[editor]

There was a notice on it a few weeks ago saying something about them having deemed consent because it's in front of a building site. I'll have another look next time I'm passing.

It was never in front of a "building site."

 

[stevebradley]

As promised, I raised this billboard issue with Lambeth Planning a while back, and received the below response on 30th March. Apologies for not posting it up earlier, but I'm afraid I only come on to the site sporadically these days.

The text below is quoted verbatim, though I have edited out references to two other planning enforcement issues I raised at the same time, as they aren't relevant to this issue.

RESPONSE FROM SENIOR PLANNING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER :
"The advertisement hoardings on Coldharbour Lane are already the subject of an enforcement investigation. The advertisements do not appear to have any form of consent and it appears that they have been placed on council owned land – the estates department has been notified of this and is looking into the matter in collaboration with the planning enforcement team. Although we do not yet know who is responsible for the erection of the hoardings, we have written to a number of different parties who we believe may be involved and we have asked them to remove the hoardings. If the advertisements are not removed, the council has the power to remove them – however, undertaking direct action in this manner will obviously be dependent on budgetary constraints".

"It should be noted that the council cannot take enforcement action solely because there is a breach of planning control – it must be considered expedient to take action"

"As part of the budget cuts, the Planning Enforcement Team has lost one full time Planning Enforcement Officer with another being reduced to part-time working only. Consequently, the excess cases have been distributed amongst the remaining team members. Officers have, therefore, had to re-prioritise their workloads accordingly. Please accept my apologies should any delays be experienced as a result and I hope that the above information is helpful".

Sounds to me like the council has a clear case here - though whether they can be fussed to do anything about it is a different question.

I was told I would receive a further update on this, but I've had to chase as one hasn't arrived. I'll post up again when I do get an update.

Thanks

Steve
(For those who don't know, I'm a Lib Dem councillor in Lambeth - covering the northern part of Brixton in Vassall ward)

 

[Mrs Magpie]

I'm not holding my breath. There was an enforcement notice on Living Bar for taking out the original windows on a culturally important building (the old Coach and Horses) and despite people doing a lot of background work in their own time, hassling for action (eg trawling the Metroplitan archives for pictures of how it was and writing letters etc) Lambeth council (paid people, remember) did sweet FA. Twas ever thus.

 

[laptop]

So did we reach a conclusion on the likely effects of being caught removing it?

It's a shame - just sometimes - that magistrates' courts don't set precedent.

I recall a case from the 80s where some people were done for criminal damage for painting out fascist grafitti on a railway bridge.

The magistrates held that they'd improved the bridge, so the prosecution could fuck off.

 

[Laughing Toad]

So did we reach a conclusion on the likely effects of being caught removing it?

It's a shame - just sometimes - that magistrates' courts don't set precedent.

I recall a case from the 80s where some people were done for criminal damage for painting out fascist grafitti on a railway bridge.

The magistrates held that they'd improved the bridge, so the prosecution could fuck off.

So you're saying if someone were to burn it down, even if they were caught, it's unlikely that they would be prosecuted?

 

[stevebradley]

Under the law you are allowed to cause a crime (e.g. attacking someone) to prevent the occurenec of a greater crime (i.e. that person murdering someone else).

This defence was successfully used by 'Swords into Ploughshares' peace activists in 1996 when they were taken to court by BAE for damaging Hawk aircrafts bound for the Indonesian government to use against its own people in East Timor. The judge accepted their argument that damaging the planes was preventing a greater crime from occuring.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

I thought it was the jury, not the judge, that decided that.

 

[co-op]

I guess it would have to be proportionate so maybe painting out the advertisers name rather than burning it down.

You could then send a photo of the de-logoed hoarding to the company being advertised and explain why you'd done it. Anyone want to do this?

 

[laptop]

So you're saying if someone were to burn it down, even if they were caught, it's unlikely that they would be prosecuted?

No, it's likely they'd be prosecuted - but they'd have a chance in court.

 

[stevebradley]

After much cajoling I've finally had a proper answer out of Lambeth's Enforcement Team on this bilboard. It reads as follows :

"We have discussed the hoardings with the advertiser who initially claimed deemed consent rights under the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisement) Regulations 2007. We disagree with his claim and have explained the council’s case in a meeting with him. We gave him the opportunity to put forward a counter argument but he has failed to do so. Although the advertiser has recently provided more material, we do not consider this sufficient. In light of the above, it is our intention to issue notices threatening the removal of the hoardings".

I'm told the council is now working with the Estate Services provider for the land on which the hoarding is located in order to get them to physically remove it. Apparently it's looking positive so far, but discussions are still ongoing.

If I get any further updates I'll post them here. But fingers crossed that the illegal sign's days are now numbered.....