Thanks for sharing this, @HopCroftForum, and welcome to the forum.
I see the designated area of your plan covers most (but not all) of Honor Oak. I’m sure many of our members here will be interested to see an update after the launch on Saturday. Hope it goes well, good luck.
hello everyone
Just to let you know, our consultation day for your feedback on the draft neighbourhood plan will be on saturday 26th November at the Rivoli Ballroom from 11am - 3pm. We will kick off with a presentation about the plan, from the planning consultants, followed by a drop in session (11.30-3p,) for people to visit the stalls focusing on the different policy areas to give your feedback. Dont miss out on the opportunity to comment. Whether you live, work or regularly visit any part of the area, your views count. info here: http://croftonhonoroakpark.neighbourhood.space/event/consultation-on-draft-plan/?instance_id=55. many thanks
Hi, a link to the plan itself (or one that works on mobile, as the link in the first message doesn’t seem to have it) would be good as not everyone will be able to attend a meeting and may prefer to comment via email - I know I would. Thanks in advance 
PLAN DOCUMENTS ALL HERE:
http://croftonhonoroakpark.neighbourhood.space/publications/.
However, also hoping by end of next week to circulate link to online survey for those who cannot visit in person… till then…
Great. Thanks!
Houses to be built on green space next to Honor Oak Park station? Let @HopCroftForum know what you think of their plan in this survey:
Personally it’s a firm “no thanks” from me.
One Tree Hill and its surrounding green land are beautiful and precious, defining the character of the area and differentiating it from other parts of Lewisham.
I’m also concerned that the opinions of people next to the proposed housing will not be considered due to the somewhat peculiar boundaries of the “HopCroft” area, which seems to exclude a large part of Honor Oak (anything West of the station) from this consultation. Could you comment on this, @HopCroftForum?
Definitely a ‘no’ from me re HOP station but as someone not considered part of HOP despite being really close to the station (wrong side of the tracks) i imagine I’ll not get a say. But my favourite thing about HOP is coming out of the station and seeu g the wonderful view of one tree hill. We’re already at risk of losing some of that view with the proposed cemetery changes but houses there would be awful. Would rather transform that land into a wildlife garden to replace the wildlife ruined by the cemetery. Where can we see the full plan and does this group actually have any sway?
As for their sway, this is from the HopCroft homepage:
Specifically on housing:
The HopCroft referendum is planned for Summer 2017
Hi all
I will try my best to answer some of the questions:
if you live, work, or frequent the area within the boundary and see it as your neighoburhood, your views and thoughts and ideas are all welcome.
If you have approval or objectiions, you are strongly recommended to complete the online survey. https://hopcroftforum.stickyworld.com/room/presentation?roomid=7#page/home or you can download the form and return by email to hopcroftforum@gmail.com. Its VERY IMPORTANT all views are captured by this consultation in this way, as we need to present the feedback to the planning authority and include into our statement of consultation for examination. the links to the surveys can be found from the home page here: http://croftonhonoroakpark.neighbourhood.space/
Please read the policy very carefully before jumping to conclusions. There are infact two policies relating to this site. One is the allocation (which is more definitive) and one is recognising that we’ve heard rumours its to be developed anyway. and therefore we want to ensure if the authority let it go through, that it reinstates the nature corridor, currently ruined for ‘operational purposes’. The ground is now hardstanding, underpinned by concrete base due to slippage into the tracks. so it can never fully revert back to woodland, for example. There are advantages and disadvantages for having this policy and for removing it.
There are other options to also consider for this that can be added into the plan instead.
in any case, its a complex site, and better discussed in person rather than by this medium, therefore strongly advise as many as possible to come to the final consultation event on the 14th of January to discuss it properly. Details here: http://croftonhonoroakpark.neighbourhood.space/event/last-chance-hopcroft-consultation/?instance_id=57
Finally, this is not the referendum. This is a consultation on the draft. We want to ensure the final version reflects as much feedback as possible. This final version will be formally submitted. There is then a statutory consultation an eventual referendum run by the council for a yes/no vote on the whole plan, and that wont be till end of summer next year and the earliest. So encourage everyone to complete the survey and feed back now so that the final version includes/reflects what we all want for our neighbourhood, irrespective on postcode, street name, virtual, official, administrative, or perceived neighbourhood boundary you think you fall on!
p.s There is also a prize draw for submitting a consultation feedback response…! so please be encouraged to do so. No problem waiting till the 14th of Jan to find out more. We will have hard copies of the form then.
signing out for the hols. Have a lovely Christmas everyone. See you on the 14th.
I had a good look at the area next to the station today, and I imagine any developer would want to put flats there which would completely destroy the sense of space you get when you look that way. My husband totally didn’t get what I was on about but honestly one of my favourite things about the area is that it doesn’t feel completely built up. I would be really sad to see flats there. Also, any access road to there would be in a really awkward place when it comes to getting to the station, I imagine you’d have to move the pedestrian crossing for it to work. And finally, you’d have to have permit parking on that road or else it would be a nightmare for people who lived there.
I’m not able to make the meeting on the 14th but I will fill in the survey.
Ok I’ve just read the section in the plan in more detail, and I’m even more angry about it now! It’s currently a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation, and yes, Network Rail might have spoiled that, but surely our neighbourhood should be campaigning to RESTORE it to that, not handing it over to developers to make it even less natural. With all of the sections in the plan about access to green space and air quality I’m depressed that this plan automatically assumes housing is the way to go. I hope fellow HOPers will join me in fighting against this.
pLUS if family homes are built here, these families will not be close enough to any of the local schools to get in, apart from Francesca Cabrini which as a Catholic school is not suitable for everyone. So where’s the plan for that?
Actually, that’s a thought, if there is going to be something built here, why not a new school, the ones we have are bursting at the seams.
Could not agree more though in fact it was the responsibility of Southwark Council that the trees were removed from there due to illegal dumping. Network Rail had little choice as the weight of the embankment was crumpling the station platform - in re-profiling the cutting they had to remove the trees. They did make assurances, at the time, that the intention was to let nature return.
I also disagree that we actually need more housing in the area, without looking at whether local services can take extra capacity. The trains are packed, there are no places in the primary schools (unless you are willing to go to a catholic school when you’re not Catholic), the doctors surgeries are heaving, the roads are chocker.
Who gets to vote on the referendum?
Only the people in Crofton Park Ward.
Ridiculous that those of us that will be impacted on new houses here don’t get a vote, we shall have to wait until planning applications are made. I plan to make a big noise about this one.
Can you tell I’m angry? And who are these neighbourhood forum people? On their website it doesn’t have any details of individuals who are coming up with these plans.
Minutes from their AGM in July 2015 name the steering committee:
Chair - Cllr Pauline Morrison
Vice Chair – Ann Dunton
Secretariat – Roger Stoker
Communications – Emily Pemberton / Milly Douglas
Engagement – Esme Yuill
Project manager – Kay Pallaris
Finance co-ordinator - Arif Marali
Planning advisor – Helen Keen
Happy New Year all
Here’s link to the feedback survey.
http://croftonhonoroakpark.neighbourhood.space/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/N-Plan-Feedback-Survey-Form_FINAL-LR.pdf
Please complete and return to crofton park library, or come along and submit on 14th Jan at consultation event and you can find out more then. After all, this is the point of a consultation, to capture both agreements and disagreements. The plan may well change if more people disagree!! All these views are valid and must be documented via the formal consultation survey so the plan can be updated accordingly.
Please also note that many different ideas came from many different residents from across the area and now collated into the draft plan. No one member is solely responsible, so no need for such hostility. Please also remember that over 4500 households with an SE23 postcode do exist in the boundary.
See you on 14th, info about event can be found by this link: http://us10.campaign-archive2.com/?u=7bf852c4c744e857e2b8a76de&id=b2070795ea
cheers
Unfortunately those most affected by the loss of green space around their houses will be denied a final say in these plans (at the referendum stage) due to the way the HopCroft plan has been crafted. I fully understand their anger.
So it is up to the rest of us in SE23 who fall within the arbitrary HopCroft zone to speak on their behalf. I’m out of the country so cannot attend on the 14th but I hope many Honor Oak residents will do so to ensure the precious remaining green space in our corner of London is not concreted over.
And we should stop talking about development as if it’s an inevitability. As @fran points out, the effect on school places, hospital beds and transport infrastructure is crippling. These services are not scaling linearly and immediately with London’s population growth. Building more houses is something that needs to be weighed carefully against the side effects.
The plan as a PDF