Sorry for not giving prominence to this before, but thanks to monkeycat for highlighting these plans for the development of the snooker hall on Camberwell New Road (caution: large PDF download). It also gives a history of previous applications for that site. I’m sure something is going to be granted sooner rather than later, and it will be the biggest transformation of the centre since *shudder* Butterfly Walk.
So with plans for the centre, and South Camberwell getting a little love in the shape of changes to Denmark Hill, what’s going on in the North?
Work has begun on improvements to Chumleigh Gardens; there are new play areas, ‘playable landscaping’ (whatever that means), and a newly refurbished cafe on the way. Chumleigh Gardens is a lovely location to have breakfast in summer, so a decent cafe to go with it will be great.
The five companies shortlisted for the larger Burgess Park development held a ‘speed-dating’ event recently, in which they briefly met local community representatives to hear their ideas and aims.
A page on the Southwark Council website shows the order of the task ahead of them; Burgess Park, at 50 hectares, is receiving £6m in investment — marginally more than Potter’s Field Park (£3m for 1.5 hectares), and substantially less than Mile End Park (£40m for 36 hectares). Quite an eye-opener, although it does, at least, manage our expectations for what can be achieved.
I’d like to see a running/cycling track put all around the perimeter of the park (at least the side to the east of Wells Way), better lighting, and better entrances. And, it goes without saying, a zoo (although seeing the available budget, that may just have to consist of a rabbit hutch).
If you’re a Facebook user, there’s a Burgess Park page with all the latest news; if you’re not, then you’re not well catered for at all.
Update: Out of three possible options to extend the Bakerloo line, Burgess Park is in the favoured two. Camberwell Green, however, looks unlikely to benefit.