The documents the architect gave me to carry away point out , in bold, that this is an "unauthorised church", as if the developers are doing everyone a favour by obliterating it.
May comment more on this later. Beehive "happy Monday" takes precedence after the shock of the constitutional crisis.
Meanwhile I gathered from the architect that the pastor of the church had been in touch with a developer who has some sort of an option contingent on planning approval.
Seemed the thinking was originally that they might claim continuity of church use on the grounds of B8 (storage) but Lambeth advised this was not on.
To me the redevelopment looks OK but interestingly there was another consultee a bit older than me I think - said he'd been around the area for 40 years. That guy was at pains to stress that the proposal was to timid. He felt that the Victorian viaducts needed appropriately large to offset them rather than infill which tended to hide their engineering & architecture.
Another couple there were very concerned to discuss the failings of the Loughborough Road scheme, and how that would fit into the area's future prospects (which they saw as adversely affected).
A tall well spoken professional turned up after me and pointed out that the opening of an arch through to the "farm" area might make it more desirable for residential - but then went on to point out that a new development in this spot might make future improvements at Loughborough Junction impossible - such as reinstating platforms on the Victoria-Blackfriars loop line which started the whole station development off.
teuchter's roof comment above is obviously correct. Actually the design seemed a bit better than another sample of this architect's work from Southwark which was in the illustrative material handed out. I did not manage to hang onto mine - so can't put anything up.
bimble do your duty!
I am wondering in view of
bimble comments earlier about the shortage of premises for African churches whether I should comment in favour of contuing that use on the ground floor.
It seems to me that from a moral perspective Lambeth are forcing ther church elders to cash in an accidentally potentially lucrative investment which will almost inevitably lead to them being ripped of by a developer and/or falling out over money. I feel moved to save from themselves those who would save me from myself.
Meanwhile Beehive calls. Will the guest ales be £2.10 tonight or £1.99 that is the question.
