Date: Saturday 11th May, 11.30 – 3.00pm Location: Myatt Garden School, Rokeby Road SE4 1TY Join us at a free event to celebrate Brockley’s unique mews and greenways, and promote open spaces networks. The event will be followed by a guided walk through local byways. See flyer below for the schedule of activities for the day. Free tickets can be booked on our TicketSource page:
There was anguish during the summer amongst some local residents, over recently-installed gates and tarmac at the northern end of Ashby Mews. Brockley Society convened a public meeting in July to discuss the issues involved; see report of the meeting and photos of the Mews on a separate page here. In order to further gauge local opinion on this matter, we have now created a survey about Ashby Mews and the other mews in Brockley Conservation Area. Please follow the link below to be taken to the survey webpage. Your personal details are not required to complete the survey. Your responses will help us determine how to proceed, and we very much appreciate you taking the time to submit your views on this matter. Click here to be taken to the survey webpage.
A civilised but lively meeting of about 60 people took place on Thursday 19 July at Myatt Garden School A summary of proceedings can be read and downloaded below. Detailed minutes of the meeting can be viewed and downloaded here, and the Powerpoint presentation here. After gates appeared at the northern end of Ashby Mews in April 2018, followed by tarmac in June, Brockley Society received a large number of email, phone and face-to-face complaints expressing considerable anger. At each stage we spoke to the mews owners, or “frontagers”, who had taken these measures, explaining Brockley Society’s opposition to them, and stating that closing off a right of way and creating a gated community was totally at odds with Brockley’s vibrant and open community, developed over many decades. We published our view on Brockley Society’s website and other social media that: retrospective planning application was needed for the gates all mews frontagers […]
Ashby Mews – Gates and Resurfacing Locked gates recently installed at the Ashby Road end of Ashby Mews, SE4, followed by resurfacing a stretch of the mews in tarmac have caused a significant number of residents to contact Brockley Society to complain. We are holding a meeting to gauge local opinion, explain the legal and planning ramifications and consider the next steps. Brockley Society Public Meeting Thursday 19 July 7.30pm, Myatt Garden School, Rokeby Road, SE4 1DF Everyone is welcome, whether you oppose or support the changes, simply walk through the mews, or are just interested in the Brockley Conservation Area. Those responsible for the gates and tarmac and those whose properties are affected are also welcome. Brockley Society’s position is as follows: 1. Resurfacing the Mews in tarmac Brockley’s mews are an integral part of the character of the Conservation Area. We view black tarmac as inappropriate and believe […]
9 June 2018 Brockley Society is aware of the installation of gates at the northern end of Ashby Mews and has advised initiating mews residents (frontagers) that: retrospective planning application is needed otherwise LB Lewisham will start enforcement action as the gate is too high even though the Mews is privately owned, all mews frontagers along the whole length should have been consulted a management strategy should have been agreed to ensure free access is maintained for pedestrians as well as delivery and emergency vehicles Despite this advice being given to the organising mews residents it seems to have fallen on deaf ears, as earlier this week the northern end of the mews access lane was resurfaced with black tarmacadam. As this destroys the rural character that is such a unique characteristic of the Conservation Area (CA), the Society has escalated its concern via Ward Councillors so as to extend the […]
(This article appeared in the June 2016 Newsletter) Special architectural and historic interest Because of its special architectural and historic interest, Brockley Conservation Area was designated by the council in 1973 and extended in 1991, 1993 and 2005. Building of this speculatively-developed Victorian suburb began in the 1830s. Most houses were built in the second half of the 19th century, with southern parts completed in the 1900s. The special character comes from the variety of architectural styles and detail, the leafiness of gardens and trees, and the distinctive street layout. Distinctive detailing includes stucco capitals and window surrounds, tile paths, terracotta details and spacious front gardens. Post-war buildings exist almost entirely as a result of bomb destruction during the war. Large houses were requisitioned by the government for families made homeless by bombing and the council later bought up properties falling into dereliction, which explains the large number of council properties […]
Brockley Society Open Meeting: Tuesday 14 April 2015, 7.30pm, Brockley Social Club, 240 Brockley Road, SE4 2SU. We are campaigning to improve the look of Brockley’s shopfronts and signs. We would like Lewisham Way, Brockley Cross and Brockley Road to look inviting, encouraging all who pass through to shop there. Click here to download a copy of the Brockley Society’s Shop Front Design Guide exploring how better design and a few subtle changes can improve the appearance and ambience of Brockley.
The narrow site at 180 Brockley Road has been home to Brockley Motors since 1960. Prior to that it was the site of the Ritz, a cinema open between 1913 and 1954 under various names including the Brockley Picture House, the Giralda and the Palladium. The site is currently the subject of a major planning application to redevelop. New proposals will create 25 new apartments, with units for shops or cafes on the ground floor facing Brockley Road. We think that the developer, McDonald Egan, and his architect have consulted well with local people including groups such as the Brockley Society and Brockley Cross Action Group. They have listened well, and come up with a scheme that could work for this site. The new retail units should offer Brockleys shopping centre a chance to expand. The design is contemporary but sympathetic, and uses high quality materials and brickwork. In […]
We think that Friendly Street is lovely. There is an incredibly well preserved set of early Victorian terraces on the west side of the road, which are wonderful and we also happen to think that our local public houses are treasures worth preserving. We were therefore very sad to see that a ‘not-so-friendly’ developer, who has been busy converting the Crown and Sceptre pub into flats, had started to remove the beautiful original tiles from the front of the building. Knowing that part of the planning consent for this development required the exterior of the building to remain as its existing appearance, we approached the foreman who informed us that the tiles had to be removed “otherwise it would still look like a pub!” The next day all of the tiles had gone completely. To cut a long story short, and after a good deal of communication with […]