Free one-day conference
Saturday 21 October 2023
10am to 4pm
Lewisham College, Lewisham Way, SE4 1UT
Free entry, all welcome!
Brockley Conservation Area was designated by Lewisham Council in September 1973 (see ‘Background’ section below for more details). 2023 therefore marks the 50th anniversary of this landmark.
Building on our successful 2017 Design and Innovation Conference, Brockley Society is pleased to host another one day conference that will examine how the conservation area has evolved during its first 50 years, and the priorities and challenges it faces in the future.
The event will consider a variety of perspectives including the encouragement of community involvement, awareness and education in shaping the environment. It will aim to consider all aspects of the local environment: buildings, trees, green spaces and the public realm.
The event will provide a wealth of information for anybody at all interested in the role conservation areas play in safeguarding designated urban environments during challenging times.
AGENDA
(NB: some times may change. View as a PDF here)
09:30 Registration, tea and coffee
09:55 Housekeeping announcements
10:00 Councillor Stephen Penfold (Brockley Ward & Housing Select Committee Chair) opens the conference
10:05 Session 1: How We Got Here
Clare Cowen – Chair of Brockley Society
Welcome and opening remarks
Nicholas Taylor – The campaign for the conservation movement nationally and its implementation in Lewisham
Nicholas Taylor’s 1973 book The Village in the City played an important role nationally in the discussions which underlay the campaign for conservation: rehabilitation not demolition. His role as a councillor was also vital in setting up Lewisham’s conservation areas, specifically in Brockley.
www.brockleysociety.org.uk/shop
John Moreland – The campaign to establish a conservation area in Brockley
First chair of Brockley Society. In 1972-3 John photographed nearly 300 Victorian houses in the campaign to designate Brockley Conservation Area.
www.johnmoreland.co.uk /landscapeurbandesign
Gillian Heywood MBE – Protecting the Brockley Conservation Area once designated
President of Brockley Society. Gillian was involved in battles to protect the conservation area against unwanted developments as well as government, London and local policies threatening it.
11:00 BREAK
Free tea & coffee, available all day. Donations welcome.
11:15 Session 2: Achievements & Exemplar Projects
Robert Barker – Stolon Studio
The Rusty House, 18 Ashby Road, SE4 1PX
Harriet Saddington – Harriet Saddington Ltd
69c Tressillian Road Extension, SE4 1YA
www.linkedin.com/in/harriet-saddington-4032b883
X/Twitter: @harrisaddington
Hannah Campbell – Hannah Campbell Design
1836 Coach House
www.hannahcampbelldesign.co.uk
Rhys Cannon – Gruff Architects
8a Tyrwhitt Road, SE4 1QG
12:15 LUNCH
Free tea and coffee, sandwiches for a donation. Street food stalls available at Brockley Market in the adjacent college car park. Or bring your own picnic.
13:15 Session 3: Current Concerns
Jens Cole – DC Design / Brockley Society’s planning group
Energy Efficiency & Heritage Conservation
David John – Historic England / Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
Heritage at risk and the future – a personal view
www.historicengland.org.uk www.spab.org.uk
Robert Prewett – Prewett Bizley
Retrofit / Passivhaus Case Studies
Anna-Maria Cahalane – Co-founder, Fourth Reserve Foundation
Brockley Green and Gorne Wood – how history played a part in protection from development
14:15 BREAK
Free tea & coffee, available all day. Donations welcome
14:30 Session 4: Community Involvement – Ways Forward
Nick Patton – Blackheath Society, Trustee/Management Committee
The challenge of large developments beyond the CA boundaries
Malcolm Bacchus – Chair, Telegraph Hill Society
The changing face of community involvement: a reflection
www.telegraphhillsociety.co.uk
X/Twitter: @MalcolmBacchus
Annabel McLaren – Outgoing Chair of Sydenham Society
Sydenham town centre – 10 years since the Portas Pilot
X/Twitter: @SydenhamSociety
Paul Thornton – Vice Chair, London Forum of Amenity and Civic Societies
A London-wide perspective
X/Twitter: @London_Forum
Clare Cowen – Chair of Brockley Society
Closing remarks
16:00 Conference ends
The conference is free and open to all.
Book your place now!
Background:
The Brockley Conservation Area was first designated in 1973. In 2005 Lewisham Council produced a ‘Character Appraisal’ of the Brockley Conservation Area. This fascinating and informative resource describes and assesses both the history and the built environment of the area. It provides a clear rationale for having made the designation, and the ongoing efforts to preserve the character of the area.
You can view and download the 3 parts of the document here:
- View ‘Brockley Character Appraisal’ Part 1
- View ‘Brockley Character Appraisal’ Part 2
- View ‘Brockley Character Appraisal’ Part 3
Also, in 2007 a ‘Supplementary Planning Document’ was published which summarised the requirements of any structural property redevelopment within the area.
