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Tag: The Greyhound

Join the new Greyhound’s enewsletter group

The new Greyhound is all set to be opened in October under the ownership of the Antic Group. A competition is currently being run for a design to decorate the rear exterior wall of the pub. When the pub is opened the tiles which once graced the side entrance to the pub willl be incorporated into the interior of the pub itself and the two greyhounds which once stood on either side of the entrance to the pub will be reinstated.

If you want to join the  enewsletter mailing list for the Antic group, send an email to  fi@antic-ltd.com    A contact button will shortly appear on the Antic website for further information. www.antic-ltd.com

Don’t panic! The Greyhound isn’t going to be renamed the Ravensbourne Arms

According to an article in this week’s South London Press, the Greyhound at Cobb’s Corner is going to renamed the Ravnsbourne Arms. Quoting the new owner Max Alderman, the newspaper says ” We will rename this one the Ravensbourne Arms, with it being so near to the river of that name.”

As the above quote suggests, the SLP has got this wrong. The Coach and Horses in Lewisham (run by the same owner) is going to be renamed as the Ravensbourne Arms. The Greyhound will remain as the Greyhound when it reopens later this year.

The SLP is normally an accurate guide to local affairs. A case of  understaffing and the pressures of running a local paper is surely to blame here!

Public art competition at Greyhound development- an update

The developers of the Greyhound site in Sydenham have incorporated in their plans a bespoke design and installation of a piece of public art to cover the north elevation wall of the refurbished Greyhound pub. This wall will form one side of a public walkway from Spring Hill to the public space around the pub.

A competition to design the public artwork is being organised by the Sydenham Arts Festival (Visual Arts Team) in association with the Sydenham Society.

“Registrations to enter the competition continue to flow in but there are still two weeks left before the registration closing date if it has slipped your mind. Just email your details by 22 December to receive your competition brief to greyhoundpubwalldesign@hotmail.co.uk

 You don’t need to be an artist to enter. The winning design might be completely “off the wall”  (sorry couldn’t resist that). With this year’s Turner Prize being awarded to a “sound installation” by artist Susan Philipsz http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2010/dec/06/turner-prize-winner-susan-philipsz?intcmp=239 the Greyhound competition judging panel will have to keep their eyes and ears open.

 The final date for competition entries is 9 January. So you will have nearly three weeks during the Christmas and New Year’s break to get those creative juices flowing. The sound of art – a “Great Escape” from “The Sound of Music”! Any other puns welcome…….”

 

The design competition is open to anyone who lives or works or studies within 2km of the pub, in other words, local people, artists, designers, family and friends. This area includes all of Sydenham and most of Forest Hill, Penge & Crystal Palace.

Each entrant may submit up to three entries.

The final date for registration to enter the competition is 22nd December 2010. The final date for entries to the competition is 9th January 2011. The winning design will be chosen by a judging panel by January 31 2011.

Individuals wishing to participate in the competition should register with the organising team either via email to greyhoundpubwalldesign@hotmail.co.uk or  in writing to The Greyhound Pub Wall Design Competition, c/o The Kirkdale Bookshop, 272 Kirkdale, Sydenham SE26 4RS  before 22nd December 2010, by giving the following information:

  • Name
  • local address (a residential, business or education address located within 2km of the Greyhound pub)
  • home address, if different from above
  • telephone contact details
  • email contact details, if available.

Entrants will be provided with a numbered entry pack and detailed instructions. A maximum of three entries will be permitted per entrant or group. Schools may submit up to 10 entries. Participation as an individual does not disqualify you from also entering as part of a team or school entry.

There is no prize but the winner will have the honour of their design being enjoyed by the public for many years to come.

The Greyhound site – Work Begins!

Building is now underway on the key Greyhound site at Cobbs Corner. The work entail the refurbishment (and partial demolition to the rear) of the Greyhound public house, the construction of two apartment blocks containing 40 residential units, with commercial units on the ground floor, and the restoration of the Spring Hill building (including removal of the existing pitched roof and the addition of a second storey).

In total the amount of commercial floorspace is 9,43sq m, of which the pub comprises 2,86sq m. The former drinking corridor (which some residents may remember) is one of the elements of the pub scheduled for demolition but the tiles have been stored and will be reinstated in the refurbished pub; in addition, there will be new stone greyhounds on plinths to replace those which disappeared some years ago, together with the construction of a new public space adjacent to the pub which will include hard and soft landscaping.

The residential mix will be:

  • 12 one-bedroom
  • 11 two-bedroom and
  • 17 three bedroom units
  • 14 of the units will be affordable housing

The ground floor will have three units and meet SEHLP standards for adaption to accommodate wheelchair occupiers, being 1 one-bedroom flat and 2 two-bedroom flats. Eleven car parking spaces will be provided; four for residents, two commercial parking spaces, one disabled parking space and four parking spaces for car club use. There will be provision of a motorcycle parking area and cycle parking facilities for a minimum of 56 bicycles.

The full planning report is on Lewisham’s web site.

The Greyhound lives

At a recent meeting of the Mayor and Cabinet, the Mayor took the decision to grant Conservation Area status to the area around Cobbs Corner that includes the Greyhound public house. It was also agreed that both Silverdale sorting office and the Greyhound should be added to the local list of buildings of historic or architectural importance.

There are notices from Lewisham’s Planning Services pinned to the hoarding protecting the pub, warning that it is an offence to demolish a building in a conservation area without written consent.
Although this is excellent news the pub is still at risk so do sign the petition in Kirkdale Bookshop and other shops in Sydenham Road. The petition will form part of the objection the Sydenham Society will make to any application to demolish the Greyhound.

Gavin Stamp, renowned architectural historian, author and television presenter, gives his views on the importance of the Greyhound.

Councillor Chris Best, Sydenham and Cabinet Member for Community Services, has also explained why she feels the Greyhound and its surroundings are so important. She also gives some background information and useful links.

Other articles on the Greyhound are here and here, with a short history of the pub here. You can also read about the campaign by our neighbours in Southend Village who are trying to save two of their pubs.

The Greyhound

At last a planning proposal for the Greyhound – that will keep the pub. The developer has made available a photomontage of the plans and a model will shortly be available for all to see at the Kirkdale Bookshop.

On 13 August last year the Greyhound closed with the threat of demolition hanging over the pub. The Sydenham Society had been alerted just a month earlier to the imminent closure and, with the help of the Kirkdale Bookshop, was able to run a quick and vigorous campaign with press and local BBC and ITN news coverage. Within three weeks 1,500 people had signed a petition opposing demolition, indicating the strength of feeling about the potential loss of one of Sydenham’s oldest landmarks. At the same time the Society discussed with local councillors and council conservation officers ideas for a Conservation Area radiating from Cobbs Corner, and presented a fully worked-up plan with details of the local history to support the arguments. Local councillors were supportive and, in early September, the Mayor, Sir Steve Bullock, took the decision to grant the area Conservation Area status. The Greyhound was also locally listed. Since the beginning of 2008 the new developers have been in discussion with Lewisham’s planning officers. In August members of the Society were invited to meet 6a Architects (the developer’s chosen architectural practice) and dp9 (the developer’s planning consultants) and were shown a model of the proposed scheme.

Our initial response was to welcome the imaginative ideas being put forward for such an important town centre site. We did make some critical comments and were advised by the architects that these would be taken into consideration before the planning application was submitted to Lewisham Council. The Society has treated the privileged information confidentially, as was requested. However, the planning application is now being formally submitted to the council and the period of public consultation is beginning. The developer has made available a photomontage of the plans and we are pleased to have been allowed to reproduce this (see below). A model of the proposed scheme will shortly be available for all to see at the Kirkdale Bookshop.