The Chair, Author at Friends of Streatham Common

Bid to repair the Cascade

The Chair News January 24, 2017May 9, 2017 1 Comment

SUPPORT SCCOOP’S HERITAGE LOTTERY FUND (HLF) BID FOR THE ROOKERY CASCADE AND ROCK GARDEN

The cascade, built in 1912, needs to be repaired and brought up to modern environmental standards. It is essential to the character of the Rookery and its Grade II listed status. Please show your support for our bid.

The Friends of Streatham Common is working with SCCoop on a bid to the HLF. The plans are not only to restore the cascade but also to refresh the adjacent Rock Garden with sustainable planting influenced by the original Edwardian planting styles for alpine rock gardens incorporating Asiatic exotics and water plants.

Stage 1 has already been submitted and Stage 2 is being prepared. Now we need your support to help make our bid successful.

By signing this petition, you demonstrate your support for the bid to the HLF so that the Rookery Cascade can flow again, the Rock Garden can be replanted and more people and children can enjoy our lovely garden.

Click here to sign the petition.

Memories:

In addition, the project group putting the bid together are looking for any memories the public may have of the cascade in particular.

Please email these, even if just a few words, to us at friendsofstreathamcommon@gmail.com.

They may then be included anonymously in the HLF Bid as part of the evidence that the public appreciate the cascade and want it to flow again.

If you are happy for them to be posted on the website please also please say so as it would be good for us all to hear what you have to say.

Biodiversity Offset

The Chair News December 17, 2013 2 Comments

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson launched an innovative biodiversity offset project on Streatham Common on 17th December 2013.

Biodiversity offsetting aims to ensure that new natural sites are created or enhanced as compensation in a measurable way for sites that undergo unavoidable damage or loss due to development.

The project will see native species of trees, shrubs and other plants planted at carefully selected areas on Streatham Common (most of which was declared Lambeth’s first ever Local Nature Reserve in April 2013). The planting – and some maintenance work – will more than offset the removal of trees necessary for the expansion of the Thameslink train depot in Selhurst and is aimed at increasing the biodiversity on the Common. The work will be overseen by the London Wildlife Trust, who will look after the new plantings until 2017. Work will begin soon but not until Lambeth Council and the Friends have agreed on the details.

Youth Facilities

The Chair News December 4, 2013 0 Comment

Last month, we held a public meeting on youth facilities on the common (one of four public meetings we held this year).

We recognise that there’s been little investment in Streatham Common facilities over the years, and some of the facilities we have are either reaching the end of their life or are already derelict. The meeting was to try to come up and prioritise ideas for regeneration.

A new group will be getting together soon to take these ideas forward, and start a wider public consultation.

You can read the minutes of the meeting here

Youth Provision Public Meeting Minutes 13Nov13

And email us or send us a note on the website if you want to get involved.

Rookery Project Update

The Chair Centenary, News October 10, 2013 0 Comment

A meeting was held on Wednesday 9th October to discuss the next steps for the Rookery Centenary project.

Following an introduction from the Chair (Richard Payne) about the latest work of the friends, Barbara Wright from the Friends gave an update on the Green Flag Award, and what that means going forward. Among many aspects discussed, the current bad state and regular unavailability of the toilets was noted as particularly important. We’ll get something up on our website about this soon.

We then heard from our Guest speaker Fiona Crumley, formerly Head Gardener, Chelsea Physic Garden and Chiswick House on volunteers and a great future for public gardens. It was interesting to hear that volunteers are really key to turning around public gardens. We heard how Chiswick was completely turned around on the back of volunteers building momentum to move from no gardeners, to one, and then to five, as public support grew as they could see the gardens improving. It was also interesting to hear that another key part to the project was creating a Trust to manage the gardens which could then bid for larger sums of money from the HLF and other sources and also generate some income from thing like weddings and filming, further increasing the project’s momentum. Pleasing to hear that we are heading down the right path with our plans for SCCoop and the HLF money we won last year.

We then heard from Sophie Hussey from the Friends and Charlotte Dove who has been recently appointed as the Project Co-ordinator about the Centenary Project and what it plans to achieve. This includes among other things the research and restoration of the White Garden.

We the spoke about the upcoming volunteer days and what work we would be focusing on initially, which in the short term includes clearing more of the ivy from the walls of the garden. We’ll also be providing a warm drink and some biscuits for the volunteer group.

If you would like to get involved in the project, please email Rookery100@streathamcommon.org

New Rookery Co-ordinator Appointed

The Chair Centenary, News October 1, 2013 0 Comment

The Friends of Streatham Common is pleased to announce that it has appointed Charlotte Dove as Project Co-ordinator to manage the delivery of the Rookery Centenary Gardens Project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The Rookery, one of the London Borough of Lambeth’s premier parks, opened formally to the public in 1913 and has obtained a prestigious Green flag Award. Because of its heritage and unique character, the garden is on English Heritage’s Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.

This is an exciting time for the historic gardens, celebrating the centenary of being open to the public this year. Following the hard work of a number committed local volunteers, the Rookery has secured lottery funding for the restoration, improvement and promotion of the gardens as well as the encouragement of volunteering.

The project co-ordinator will be responsible for ensuring the delivery of this project including the co-ordination of volunteers and liaison between Lambeth Council Park Services, the Friends of Streatham Common, contractors and other volunteers.

Please contact us if you would like to help us in any aspects of the centenary projects.

Assault on Streatham Common

The Chair News September 19, 2013 0 Comment

You may have heard the news of the incident on the Common on Monday 9 September.

Mondays incident is very unusual and because of the nature of the crime Lambeth Parks have offered to help police with the appeal for witnesses. Many local people regularly use the common and we hope that sharing this appeal will help the police with information. It is worth saying that Lambeth s Parks are safe places with very low levels of crime.

Detectives are appealing for information or witnesses to an attempted sexual assault.

The attempted sexual assault took place at approximately 1145 on Monday 9 September in Streatham Common Southside, SW16. The victim, a woman aged in her 30s, was walking from her parked car through Streatham Common Southside when a man approached her and stated that he had a knife.

He walked her into a quiet area of the common, pushed her to the ground and attempted to sexually assault her. She managed to prevent the attack and immediately called police.

Detectives are asking for the public’s help in identifying the man. He is described as a white man, approximately 5ft 6 inches to 5ft 7 inches tall and of stocky build. He has brown mousy hair and stubble. He was described as wearing gloves, a hooded black puffa-style coat, a navy jumper, white t-shirt, and black jeans.

DI Michael Murfin from the Met’s Sexual Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, said:

“Were you in or around Streatham Common Southside during the morning of Monday 9 September or in the time leading up to or after the attack and did you see a man fitting this description? He was wearing gloves and a thick puffa jacket which may have made him stand out.

“It is possible that he may have been seen in this area in the days before the attack or maybe even approached other women. If you saw him or he approached us please do get in contact with us.”

Additional local officers from Lambeth Borough are patrolling the area, if you have information please stop them and pass it on.

Anyone with information should contact the investigation team on 020 8649 2419 or alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.