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The Rave goes on
Anthony Bottrall forward the following email to us (2005-02-18):
Dear Cllrs. Bottrall, Mayers & Bowyer
It has come to my attention that impromptu raves may have begun again at the proposed Lidl site on Clapham Road. The rave was heard by a resident on a Sunday afternoon, but I have not heard anything through my usual channels...
In response, the Police have instructed Lidl to re-seal the site - it was originally the advice of both myself and Sgt. Smith of Clapham Police that Lidl used high grade 'sytex' to board up the site (that the Partnership uses for closing up Crack Houses).
The Police have asked Lidl to get the electricity cut off again and they will be doing so next Tuesday, being also aware that I'm informing Planning with the goings-on and Lidl's response. The Police have re-iterated that it will be from proper levels of prevention that the problem will be dispelled.
A Police Officer visited the site, but they said the place appeared deserted.
We have, again, said that we will assist Lidl if they need support with their work to adequately protect the area.
I will update you after the weekend, over which I hope there are no further disturbances.
Sincerely
Dominic Busby
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Dominic Busby
Community Safety Team
2nd Floor
205 Stockwell Road
London SW9 9SLTelephone: (020) 7926 2732
14-24 Stockwell Park Crescent (Somerville Hastings House)
David Tomlinson wrote (2005-02-23):
I visited Lambeth Planning on 23 Feb and spoke to the new Case Officer, Samantha Wells tel 7926 1138. The latest applications for approval of details lie within the authority of Lambeth Planning officers, and there is no obligation on Lambeth to consult. Nevertheless the Case Officer's approach was very co-operative and open to any comments we might wish to make.
The Case Officer's view was that in several ways the original plans had been badly prepared by the then architects, with (as we protested) inconsistencies, lack of detail and inaccuracies. The developer has appointed new architects McCuster Shrey McIntosh, contact Doug McIntosh tel 7627 8102, who she felt were making a good job of sorting out these problems in a way sympathetic to the Conservation Area requirements.
There are a lot of detailed plans some of which are still subject to negotiation, particularly regards the front ground floor windows, so we both felt it best not to spend money on photocopying them but to ask the architects for copies. I have done that and Doug McIntosh is agreeable to do so.
You may remember that the issue on the front ground floor windows was that the Conservation Officer, Steve Gould, insisted that they should be round topped as on 33 SPC and not rectangular as 10 and 12 SPC (the neighbouring houses). The new architects feel the fronts should be a pastiche (i.e. a copy of) 10 and 12. Doug McIntosh tells me that this has been dragging on since November and they are meeting Lambeth on 24 Feb for a final decision. If anybody has any comments please let me [david.s.tomlinson@tomlinsons.uk.com] know as soon as possible and I'll phone the Case Officer (I have a feeling she agrees with the architects).
Assuming I get the drawings shortly I'll contact you all about viewing arrangements.
Otherwise the architect told me that work to protect the existing trees on the site will commence within a week or two and demolition of all the buildings on the site shortly thereafter. There is no timetable for construction yet, as they can't finalise contracts until everything is approved by Lambeth.
Please let me know of email addresses of anybody else you think would like this info?
On a lighter note - The Stock Well
David Savage from 29 Lorn Road wrote (2005-02-21):
I am a founder of Credits Actors Agency Ltd., and currently Chair of it's owner Credits Group, but most people here will know me as the guy who used to work at Slade Gardens Adventure Playground. I have spent all my life living in Stockwell. I went to school at Durand Primary and onto Italia Conti in Landor Road.
The subject of my e-mail is the Stock Well. On various occasions throughout my life I've had people tell me that the well for which the area is named after is on their property, usually in the basement. Also people have told me that they know the people who have the well. While I was working at Italia Conti the son of the then owner, my boss, told me it was under the boiler in Avondale Hall. As they line from the song goes ' two men say they're Jesus, one of them must be wrong '. So far, as far as I know, the well is in Groveway, Lorn Road, Stockwell Park Road, Landor Road and Stockwell Park Crescent. No one from Stockwell Green has said anything to me, which is odd because if there were a well, The well, this would probably be where it would have been. Perhaps I just don't know enough people from Stockwell Green. I have my doubts that there was any well at all, even commonal garden everyday not famous ones, because there would have been so much water flowing about anyway. Ever wondered why those houses on the Brixton Road between the petrol station and the Old White Horse aren't on the pavement but set back. It's not because they had long front gardens, it's because they used to be right on the bank of the Effra.
It's just my opinion that Stockwell was named for a very ordinary water crossing. Lets go way back to green fields and maybe some farming in the area. Running from the hill, which Landor Road now climbs, a small stream or a stock ran to join the River Effra. I remember reading that one use of the word 'well' was oldAnglo-Saxon for a fallen tree or old unhewed log. I think that at this place nowhere in particular a well fell over or was placed over the stock at the bottom of the hill. Since it was a handy place to cross and few homes got built which would be near where Stockwell green is now.
So there you go, that's my theory. My apologises if you've worked this all out for yourself before, I don't claim to be a genius. As far as I know there may be a book with all of this in. If there is all I can do is claim ignorance of such a tome. Maybe you'll find it of interest to put on your website. It's got to be better than a blank page, which shows just one hit. Oh wait was that me! Oh no I'm a Stockwell geek!