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Popes road car park to become temporary Ice Rink

Update:
Update on Streatham Hub and the temporary ice rink

Temporary ice rink news
An application to locate a temporary ice rink at Pope’s Road has been received and validated and the formal planning process has commenced. This includes a three week statutory planning consultation, which runs from Friday 22 October until Friday 12 November. You can view the application on the Public Access Planning Database from the council’s planning pages – www.lambeth.gov.uk/planning - the reference number is 10/03425/FUL. You can also see hard copies of the plans at the Town Planning Advice Centre or at Brixton Library (please see details below).



This application is part of the multi-million pound Streatham Hub regeneration project and the renewed negotiations with the developer, Tesco, agreed in principle by the council’s Cabinet in March 2010. The council drove a hard bargain with Tesco to ensure that the hub scheme could still go ahead whilst continuing to keep an ice rink open in the borough and without sacrificing the quality of the new Streatham leisure centre.



Approval of the planning application could see a temporary rink open on the site of the condemned Pope’s Road car park within a year. The rink would be expected to operate for up to two and half years before being decommissioned once the permanent rink opens in Streatham. It is expected that the rink will help to increase visitors and trade to Brixton and, in particular, the nearby markets.



The car park itself, closed since December 2009, must be demolished as it is a dangerous structure. Demolition is expected to commence early November 2010. There are no plans and no funding to resupply a multi-storey car park on this site, which is identified in the Brixton masterplan for a mixed-use development, which could include parking. The temporary rink would provide an active use for this site, whilst a suitable longer term solution is explored.



Commenting on the temporary ice rink application
Comments may be submitted online through the Public Access database, by email to lambethplanning@lambeth.gov.uk, or in writing to Lambeth Planning, Phoenix House, 10 Wandsworth Road, London SW8 2LL. When submitting comments by email or letter, please remember to quote the reference number, 10/03425/FUL and your name and address. Please ensure that we receive your comments by 12 November 2010.
The full plans are available to view in person at the following locations:

Town Planning Enquiries, Phoenix House, 10 Wandsworth Road, SW8 2LL; between 9.30am and 4.30pm ,weekdays; tel. 020 7926 1180 (assistance available)
Brixton Tate Library during normal opening hours, please telephone first on 020 7926 1067 (viewing only)


Streatham hub news

With the temporary relocation of the ice rink to Brixton, construction work on the hub is expected to be quicker than previous estimates and the opening of the much-needed new leisure centre, including a new ice rink, remains a council priority.



Tesco’s planning application for a mezzanine floor as part of their proposed new store, also part of the renewed negotiations with Tesco, was approved by Lambeth’s Planning Application Committee on 12 October 2010, subject to conditions and a section 106 agreement.

It is anticipated that the temporary ice rink planning application, along with the revised section 106 agreement for the hub scheme, will be considered by the planning committee in December 2010. You can see further information on the hub and the temporary ice rink at www.lambeth.gov.uk/streathamhub

Regards
Anna Williamson
Future Brixton Team
Click to expand...
 
editor said:
I did guffaw rather at that claim too.
Click to expand...

It's such a dishonest and ridiculous statement. I love the bit where they say that they believe it will increase customers in Brixton, particularly the two markets. As if people genuinely would pop in for a quick skate and then accidently return home with a bag of onions and a couple of coconuts on impulse buy. As loss of parking provision goes, it's lousy compensation for the traders and a bit of a unbelievable slap in the face

Anna Williamson, you should be ashamed. Even you surely can't believe the nuanced, misleading toss that you've written there.
 
Here is info on how to object. There are bullet points that u may use if u like. It does not take to long too object using the Councils website. It important to object now as the more objections that go in the more the Council will see that this is an issue which concerns a lot of people in the community. The bullets points are specifically related to this application which is to replace car park with "temporary" ice rink . The other issue is that Tescos are seeking to alter there Section 106 agreement.Which is that the old ice rink should stay in Streathem until the new one is built. Continuity of ice in Streatham. There is supposed to be another planning application to "vary" the original Section 106 agreement.

POPE’S ROAD ICE RINK PLANNING APPLICATION

HOW TO OBJECT



Either write to:
Jonathan Fullelove
London Borough of Lambeth
Planning Department
Phoenix House
10 Wandsworth Road
London SW8 2LL

quoting reference: 10/03425/FUL

or go to the Lambeth planning website:

http://planning.lambeth.gov.uk/publ..._comments_entryform.aspx?caseno=L9K9JXBO0IZ00

and use the form to object on-line. Be sure to press the “Object” button.




These are just some of the problems we have identified. Please tell the Council about any that will affect you and say that you object to the planning application.


• parking
o for market customers
o for Brixton Market street traders own parking

• local traders
o stalls and shops cannot survive for long without car parking nearby

• local residents
o the rink will be open from 6:00am until 2:00am.
o noise
o disruption
o traffic congestion
o taking our on-street parking

• local services
o it will take up police time
o traffic affecting local police and fire brigade

• ice rink users
o the ice rink will be too small
o hockey teams and supporters will not be separated
o facilities for officials will be inadequate
o longer journeys for most users

• crime and disorder
o always possible especially where there are competing teams and supporters
o site is ideal for crime - confined but with many bolt holes

• the environment
o energy to create ice wasted (the plan at Streatham was to use it to heat a swimming pool)
o longer journeys for most users
o extra local traffic adding to air pollution
 
I would also put in my comments that there was not proper consultation of the local community about putting the Ice rink here and losing the Car park.
 
The "Dont Ice Brixton Market" website has been updated to include info on opposing the planning application by Tescos:

http://www.donticebrixtonmarket.org/object-to-the-ice-rink.html


TESCO’S PLANNING APPLICATION FOR AN ICE RINK IN POPE’S ROAD
HOW TO OBJECT: BEFORE 12th November 2010
Either:
Write to:
Jonathan Fullelove
Planning Department, London Borough of Lambeth
Phoenix House, 10 Wandsworth Road, London, SW8 2LL
Quote reference: 10/03425/FUL and include your name and address
Email: lambethplanning@lambeth.gov.uk
Quote reference: 10/03425/FUL and include your name and address
Or object online at the Lambeth Planning website:
Go to www.donticebrixtonmarket.org and follow the link.
Not sure how to write an objection letter? Just start with something simple like:
Dear Mr Fullelove,
I would like to object to the proposed ice rink for Pope’s Road Brixton. My reasons are…


Possible objections: Below are some of the problems you might want to raise:
Lack of parking for market customers, visitors to Brixton, market traders
• Stalls and shops are suffering without customer car parking
• Brixton Market street traders are losing parking for their vans
• The replacement parking near Tescos is insufficient and too far away from the market
Local residents will suffer from it
• The rink will be open from 6:00am until 2:00am
• Noise, disruption, traffic congestion
• Taking our on-street parking
Local services will be taken up with it
• It will take up police time
• Traffic will affect local police and fire brigade
Ice rink users aren’t served well by it
• The ice rink will be too small to function as a facility important to the South East region
• Hockey teams and supporters will not be separated
• Facilities for officials will be inadequate
• Longer journeys for most users and inadequate parking
Environmental waste
• Energy to create ice will be wasted (the plan at Streatham was to use it to heat a swimming pool)
• A waste to create a new building only to tear it down again in a few years
• Longer journeys for most users, extra local traffic adding to air pollution
Crime and disorder
• Always possible especially where there are competing teams and supporters
• Site is ideal for crime - confined but with many bolt holes


For more information visit: www.donticebrixtonmarket.org

There is link to Lambeth planning page on the website. I also put link to the page u can comment on here:

http://planning.lambeth.gov.uk/publ..._comments_entryform.aspx?caseno=L9K9JXBO0IZ00
 
Here's some photos of the car park as it is now:

brixton-car-park-1.jpg


brixton-car-park-5.jpg


brixton-car-park-8.jpg


Curiously, the old car park attendant’s office is still manned.

More: http://www.urban75.org/blog/brixton-car-park-awaits-its-fate/
 
Nice shots of car park. Ed

Good to record the old Bobby Sands on side of car park. A bit of Brixton history. Its been there for years.
 
The figures would be more meaningful if they compared Brixton with similar markets. If markets all over the country show a similar decline then you have no case.
 
On that rational then Steve Reed shouldn't be saying the opposite either then, no?

Actually I don't think you need data from other markets around the country, you really need more data from this one. I'm also waiting on an FOI for the number of parking tickets in the town centre (although I think the council might have told traffic wardens to go easy recently).
 
memespring said:
It would appear that Steve Reed might have been misleading people when he said that reports of lost trade are purely anecdotal. I FOIed the occupancy rates and there seems to be a fairly clear downturn

FOI reply here:

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/street_market_occupancy_rates#incoming-127612
Click to expand...


Q for Memespring So how do the four separate sets of time-series data in the FOI answer relate to the single run of figures used to construct that (very naughty) graph. What weightings did you apply?

Q for Lambeth: What market stalls are covered by "Brixton Concourse" - the numbers appears to show an increase in occupancy from 2008-2009?
 
lang rabbie said:
Q for Memespring So how do the four separate sets of time-series data in the FOI answer relate to the single run of figures used to construct that (very naughty) graph. What weightings did you apply?

Q for Lambeth: What market stalls are covered by "Brixton Concourse" - the numbers appears to show an increase in occupancy from 2008-2009?
Click to expand...

Lang Rabbie, you are right - in retrospect, I should have specifically asked for the actual number of pitches and used those (this would all be much easier if things were published proactively). As a result what is shown will overrepresent changes in the smaller bits of the market.

However, I was trying demonstrate that there was an event last december when the car-park was closed (something the leader of the council was disputing) rather than the absolute figures, and to wrap it up in a single chart.

Here are the figures per section of the market, you can still clearly see the drop off:

Untitled-5.jpg

This graph includes the full data set provided which also shows lower rates at the time the credit crunch hit at the tail end of 2008.
 
Latest newletter:

Demolition of former Pope’s Road car park update
Demolition of the former car park is now being undertaken by DDS on behalf of the Lambeth council. It is anticipated that the car park will be fully demolished by the end of March 2011 but all dates are subject to ongoing negotiations with Network Rail.

The link bridge connecting Brixton Rec with Pope’s Road is planned for demolition on Sunday 12 December 2010. This will involve temporary road closures of Brixton Station Road and Pope’s Road. Alternative routes will be available.
A DDS site liaison officer is based in the car park kiosk for the duration of the project to address the concerns of local residents or businesses. Members of the public will be able to contact the site liaison officer during working hours and contact details are posted on the hoarding around the car park. Further information about the demolition is available on the council website http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/Services/TransportStreets/Parking/WhereToParkParkingCharges/CarParks.htm

Parking in Brixton town centre
New Brixton town centre parking map
A new easy-to-use parking map has been produced for Brixton town centre area. This is part of the council’s plan to promote the more than 300 available parking spaces better. The map includes the 36 new free short-term parking bays that were introduced in the vicinity of the Pope’s Road car park following its closure.

The map was printed in the 1 December 2010 issue of Lambeth Life and is also available on the website or from various outlets around the town centre, including Olive Morris House customer centre and Brixton Library http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/Services/...ParkingCharges/MapsOfWhereToParkInBrixton.htm

Planning application for new off-street town centre car park
A planning application has been made by Lambeth Council for a temporary town centre car park on the corner of Buckner Road and Porden Road, behind the Town Hall. The car park is expected to operate for up to three years and will accommodate approximately 33 car parking spaces.
The provision of additional town centre car parking is in response to some businesses’ and residents’ concerns about parking availability in the town centre of Brixton following the closure of Pope’s Road car park in December 2009. The planning application is likely to be considered by the Planning Applications Committee in January/February next year and further information will become available on the Planning Portal.

Temporary ice rink at Pope’s Road update
The statutory planning consultation for a temporary ice rink to be located on the site of the former car park in Pope’s Road has now closed. The application is to ensure the borough’s ice skaters have somewhere to continue skating whilst a new Streatham ice rink is built as part of the multi-million pound Streatham Hub project. The application has been made by Tesco, the council’s developer partner for the Streatham Hub project, who will also build and run the temporary rink until the new permanent rink is open and handed over to the council.

The former car park closed in December 2009 and is currently being demolished as it is a dangerous structure. The longer-term plan for this site is for a mixed-use development, which could include retail, housing and some parking.

The planning application is expected to be considered by the Planning Applications Committee in January/February next year and information will continue to be updated on the council website – http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/Services/Environment/Regeneration/FutureLambeth/TemporaryIceRink.htm

Regards
Future Brixton Team
If you would like to be removed from this mailing list please reply to sender stating ‘remove from list’.

Physical Regeneration Team
Regeneration and Enterprise Division
London Borough of Lambeth
Email: futurebrixton@lambeth.gov.uk
Website: www.lambeth.gov.uk/futurebrixton
 
The Council were not saying the car park so dangerous that it needed to be demolished some time ago.

Pope’s Road Car Park History

The Pope’s Road car park is a multi‐storey car park built about 1974. It is owned by the LB of Lambeth. At its
maximum capacity it had spaces for nearly 600 cars spread over 6 floors. However, because of its
deteriorating structural condition, the car park has been partially closed for some years. The condition
continued to deteriorate, giving rise to heath and safety concerns. On 4 November 2009 an inspection was
carried out by NPS London Ltd. The key item in the report is at 4.2.2 which begins: “The structure as a whole
is not safe …”. However, it then goes on to recommend immediate actions, “for the safe functioning of the
car park until the end of 2010”. Clearly, the car park was not seen as irreparable.
The LB of Lambeth appeared to accept this key conclusion and reported on its website: “Pope's Road car
park in Brixton will close temporarily on Saturday 19 December following health and safety concerns. A
structural survey has identified problems with parts of the concrete walls and ceilings that require urgent
work to make them safe. We have taken expert advice from structural engineers, who have concluded that
the car park should be sealed off in order to allow remedial work to take place. The car park will close at
midnight on Saturday 19 December and work is expected to take a minimum of two months. We are doing
all we can to minimise disruption and ensure that the car park reopens as soon as possible.”
However, rather than undertake the remedial works, the Council caused another survey to be undertaken
and reported the result on their website as follows: “Expert structural engineers, Lambert Smith Hampton,
have advised that the Pope's Road multi‐storey car park in Brixton be demolished because it is unsafe and
beyond repair. They conducted a number of tests including a panel abseil survey of the structure.”
On 9 June 2010 a “delegated decision” was taken to demolish the car park. It is understood that a contract
for the demolition has been let.

Pope’s Road Car and the Future Brixton Masterplan
The Future Brixton Masterplan of July 2009 specifically identifies the Pope’s Road car park as a site for
redevelopment. At 5.1.11 it states: “The masterplan proposes the development of a new town centre car
park at Popes Road/Brixton Station Road, with retail provision providing an active frontage at ground level.
This building will further house residential uses at upper levels. This mixed use development will provide
overlook from residential uses at upper floors, increasing safety and activity along Brixton Station Road.”
However, in the current economic situation there is no expectation that a developer will come forward to
undertake such a scheme for some time to come. Given that fact and the apparently inevitable demolition of
the car park, the expectation was that a surface level car park would be provided on the site until such time
as a developer might come forward. It should be noted that such a car park would be expected to generate
an annual income from parking charges of £284,000 (LB of Lambeth Cabinet Report 26 July 2010).
 
The variation on the Section 106 is at application stage now. Objections need to be in by 15th. The variation on the Section 106 is so that Tescos can put the ice rink offsite for 3 years whilst they are building there superstore. The previous Section 106 that was agreed insisted that the old rink remain in place until the new one is built.

A Section 106 agreement is used when a large private development is planned. It is to make sure the community does not lose out on infrastructure when a private developer or company build a development.

planning referance 10/04049/S106

http://planning.lambeth.gov.uk/publicaccess/tdc/DcApplication/application_searchresults.aspx

10/04049/S106
“Application to vary the Section 106 (legal) Agreement dated 4 December 2008 in respect of planning permission
08/03477/FUL” was received by the LB of Lambeth from Tesco plc on 12/11/2010. The primary purpose of this
application is to change the currently required phasing of the works. This will enable them to clear the
Streatham Hub site and undertake all the construction in a single phase. This leads to the requirement for a
temporary site for the ice rink. This application is open for objection until 15/12/2010. The organisations
responsible for this briefing document strenuously object to it for reasons which include the following:

It is not open to the LB of Lambeth to vary the section 106 agreement
The section 106 agreement was determined by the Mayor of London. Any variation of the agreement must
therefore be a matter for the Mayor.

The variation is not necessary
The only purpose of the variation is to save Tesco plc money. It appears that the company has persuaded the
Borough that the recession makes the Streatham redevelopment uneconomic as planned. However, the
company’s half year financial results for the 26 weeks ended 28 August 2010 show that the group’s sales
increased by 8.3% to £32,914 million. To be fair, the Tesco group is a global operation and the UK sector did
less well with sales increasing by “only” 5.9% to £21,870 million1. To put these figures of £32.9 and £21.8
billion for 6 months into perspective, in the 2010 UK Government Spending Review, the total expenditure
limit for Defence for 2010/11 is £36.9 billion for the year2.
So with annual UK sales exceeding the national defence budget, Tesco plc cannot afford to honour the
agreement it reached on how to build a new supermarket in south London.

The variation opens the way to an inadequate replacement ice rink
The immediate, practical effect of Tesco plc being granted such an application is to open the way for the
temporary (for three years) ice rink on the Pope’s Road site. For the many reasons set out below in the
objections to that planning application below, the replacement rink would be totally inadequate and not fit
for purpose.

The variation is perverse in the light of planning application 10/02434/FUL
As detailed above, the granted planning application 10/02434/FUL allows Tesco plc to increase the
floorspace of its proposed supermarket by some 56%. As a general rule of thumb, the larger a development,
the larger the community contribution by the developer through the section 106 agreement. In this instance,
having secured a huge increase in the size of its development, Tesco plc wishes to reduce its section 106
contribution by reducing its construction costs to the detriment and annoyance of two local communities.
 
Comments--------Submission Type: Customer objects to the Planning Application.

Comments: This variation to the original Section 106 should not be allowed. The old agreement to keep the continuity of ice at Streatham was agreed with the Mayor of London. It is not up to the Council to change it. This is not being done not in the interests of Lambeth residents but because Tescos have decided to go back on there original agreement.

They say that in the present economic climate the original agrement needs to be changed. Tescos are a large multinational company who are making sizeable profits. They can afford to keep to the original Section 106.

The other planning application for a larger store at Streatham has already been agreed. As Section 106 is related to size of development the size of the section 106 should be increased. The application does not do this. In fact it specifies the the £300k for leisure paid by Tescos is to be kept as it is and not increased.

Im concerned that the document says the Tescos expect the Council to take the risk for finding a temporary site. This should not be the Councils problem. Its Tescos who want a larger store and also to move the ice rink off site. If the Council takes the risk and does not find a site what happens then? Is it liable financially?

I am concerned that the application says that if the basis for funding the scheme is changed and the risk moves away from Tescos then Tescos Section 106 commitment to the cost of paying for the development needs to be re looked at. What does this mean in practise?That several years down the line Tescos can wriggle out of commitment to paying for development?

The paperwork provided for public to comment on begs more questions than it answers. It is superficial and the bare minimum needed. Its hard to comment on in detail as it does not provide any. Makes me think this application is purely to allow Council officers and Tescos to finalise a detailed variation without public scrutiny.

I also do not like the way that this "variation" has been put forward. The three applications for the Streatham hub are linked but are being pushed forward at different times. This variation to the Section 106 should have been applied for first. Only if it is agreed should the Popes road car park application be put forward. Also the application for a larger store has been agreed. The issue of the Section 106 should have been raised at that application. As the development is larger so should have the Section 106 been increased.

The way Tescos and sections of the Council are using the planning process does not facilitate community involvement in decision making. This is particularly pertinent as Lambeth is moving towards being a "Cooperative Council".

In summary.

The Mayor needs to be consulted on any variation to Section 106. As this is a strategically important sports site if the Mayor says that the original ice rink stays open at Streatham until the new one is built then this application should not be allowed. I dont understand why this application does not mention the Mayors involvement in this site.

Tescos can afford to keep to the original agreement

This application is not detailed so should be knocked back for more detail from relevant officers.

The relationship between the Council and Tescos for the various "risks" in the development is of concern. It must be made clear so that Tescos some time later cannot offload problems onto the Council if the development goes wrong.
 
excellent stuff Gramsci :)

I find it hard to believe that Lambeth planners are not aware of Tesco's modus operandi in terms of applying for planning permission then constantly changing the goalposts over the coming months/years.
 
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