Lambeth Site Allocation Development Plan - Draft (SADPD for short)
Lambeth Council states that once adopted, the Site Allocations Development Plan Document (SADPD) will form part of the statutory development plan for Lambeth. Alongside the London Plan 2021, the Lambeth Local Plan 2021 (PDF 16.4MB) and the Southbank and Waterloo Neighbourhood Plan (PDF 5MB) and associated planning guidance, the SADPD will help deliver new homes and workspaces, secure benefits for communities and improve the quality of places and the environment in Lambeth.

The work to respond to the Council on Sites 18 & 19 on the behalf of the local community is conducted by the West Norwood and Tulse Hill Community Stakeholder Group. This comprises Norwood Forum, The Norwood Society, Norwood Action Group, Knollys Yard Community Group, Friends of West Norwood Station and Station to Station (local BID), as well as former members of the Norwood Planning Assembly, and individual residents.

Update 31 October 2024
Lambeth Council "submitted the Site Allocations Development Plan Document (SADPD) for independent examination to the Secretary of State, in accordance with Regulation 22 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended). A Planning Inspector will now be appointed to carry out an independent examination of the SADPD and supporting documents. 
The Notice of Submission provides further information on the examination process and where the Submission Documents can be viewed.
Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact the Planning Policy team on sadpd@lambeth.gov.uk or visit the SADPD dedicated website for updates on the examination process."
We are not aware of the Council responding in any way to the representations made by the local community in the two consultations in 2024 or of any changes being made to the draft SADPD in response to those views. We expect the examination in public by the government planning inspector to be held sometime in 2025.

Update 3 August 2024
What can you do to make a difference?
You can send in your comments by the deadline of 5pm on Tuesday 13 August, 2024.
Below are some ideas on what you might consider saying - but see before and after images and read our dedicated newsletter on this issue HERE
And scroll down to the 18 June 2024 update below to read the Stakeholder submissions.

1. Lack of any public consultation
Why, when Lambeth have previously praised the: ‘strength and willingness to engage of the West Norwood and Tulse Hill community that has been instrumental in delivering numerous successes for the area in recent years’, have Lambeth not adequately delivered on public consultation, especially as this is a plan that will change forever the heart of our community. There was not even a public exhibition.

2. Failure to protect local businesses
The council has failed to protect local businesses. There is a complete lack of recognition of the vital contribution they make to our 15min neighbourhood. They stood by the community during Covid, and our high street thrives because of its unique make-up. We have all witnessed what happens to small businesses when redevelopment occurs:

• Existing businesses have to close - where do they go, how do they survive?
• Redevelopment takes years with all that entails
• The former businesses cannot afford to return, units remain empty, and any that are filled are filled with generic chains.

• Totally out of scale buildings and a radical redesign of the heart of our town - without any community involvement
• Overshadowing and domination of the neighbouring properties, especially the eastern side of Norwood Road: 'The Broadway' from Lancaster Avenue to Chatsworth Way
• Damage to the setting of St Luke's Grade II* listed church, the West Norwood Conservation Area and West Norwood Cemetery - all important heritage assets.

Update 18 June 2024
Lambeth Council has advised today that due to a technical matter not everyone on their Planning Policy consultee database received the notification of the previously published SADPD: Proposed Submission Version under Regulation 19. Therefore the documents are now re-published pursuant to Regulation 19 to ensure all the consultees on the Council database are notified of the publication. This new Regulation 19 representation period is now open for eight weeks from today until 5pm on Tuesday 13 August 2024.  
The Counci also states: "if you previously submitted representations, you do not need to write again as part of this process. Your representations have been recorded and will be considered and submitted to the Planning Inspectorate (as previously advised) as part of the Examination process". We can confirm that we have had no response  (other than an acknowledgement) to our earlier representations.
The main Lambeth Council SADPD webpage is here.
We urge everyone who has not yet submitted their comments on the Regulation 19 version to do to so by 13 August (5pm): 

Update 15 May 2024
Members of the local stakeholder group submitted representations by the Council closing date of 5pm on Friday 3 May 2024. This group comprises: Norwood Forum, Norwood Society, Norwood Action Group, Station to Station BID, members of the former Norwood Planning Assembly, Knollys Yard Community Action Group, and local residents. 

You can read here the objections submitted by Norwood Forum, The Norwood Society, Norwood Action Group's two responses: 3 May and 13 August, and on behalf of the (former) Norwood Planning Assembly, firstly on 1 May and a second response here 7 August.

Update 26 April 2024
Some key links reposted here to go with today's special focus Norwood Forum newsletter and please read down for the full background of the campaign.

The main SADPD webpage is here, where you will find lots of information and the documents listed directly below as well.
The 'Have your say' survey can be found on this page
Lambeth Design Evidence document: Site 18: 300-346 Norwood Road SE27 (PDF 2.77MB)
Lambeth Townscape and Visual Impact Assessment document: Site 18: 300-346 Norwood Road SE27 Appendix (PDF 4.17MB)
Lambeth Daylight and Sunlight Assessment document: Daylight and Sunlight Assessment (for all sites) (PDF 44.99KB)
Lambeth Regulation 18 Consultation Report: Regulation 18 Consultation Report (for all sites) (PDF 12.19MB)

And Lambeth's current Local Plan which sets out the vision, strategic objectives and policies for development in Lambeth for the period 2020 to 2035, can be found here: Lambeth Local Plan 2021 . 

West Norwood Conservation Area

A reminder the deadline to send in your comments is 5pm, Friday 3 May

Update 23 March 2024
The Stakeholder Group wrote to the Council (22 March 2024) advising that the Group felt it could not participate in the current proposed limited consultation. The Group reiterated that it is very much pro-development, especially for the provision of (low cost) housing for local people. The reasons for not participating are:

• The proposed briefing did not accord with statements made at the Cabinet meeting (15 January 2024) that there would be further public engagement and feedback sessions to speak to residents
• The problems caused by the forthcoming elections on 2 May. Specific government advice states consultation exercises should not generally be launched during local or national election periods.
• It was proposed to hold the briefing in the absence of Councillor Danny Adilypour, who has been advised not to attend because of restrictions on activities required by the pre-election period from 19 March 2024 onwards.
• The possibility of a by-election for Knights Hill ward at the same time as the Mayor of London and London Assembly elections which would also prevent our current Knights Hill ward councillors from attending the briefing.

Update 15 March 2024
On 8 March the Council published for consultaton its "Proposed Submission Version (SADPD PSV)"; comments must be submitted within an eight week window - by 5pm on Friday 3 May 2024. The PSV is accompanied by extensive further documentation, including a document (1074 pages) setting out the Council's response to the representations made to the original version; this is more than two years after the original closing date for comments.

Later on 8 March, the Stakeholder Group received an invitation from Lambeth planning officers to attend an online briefing to enable officers "to meet online to explain the proposed approach of the SADPD PSV, the consultation process and how to respond, and answer any questions.  The aim is to help local representatives consider the material and assist them to engage with their wider membership to formulate consultation responses. As this is the final stage of consultation prior to the Examination of the document, stakeholders are invited to make comments on ‘soundness’ and legal compliance only."

They are proposing a private joint meeting with representatives of NPA, NAG, Norwood Forum and the Station to Station BID, ward councillors and Helen Hayes MP. However, the lead Cabinet Member: Councillor Danny Adilypour (Deputy Leader (Sustainable Growth and New Homes)) will not be in attendance as they say he is prevented from doing so by the pre-election period during the run up to the London Mayor/GLA elections on 2 May 2024.

The Stakeholder Group is considering its response.

Update 17 February 2024
The Stakeholder Group made oral representation to the Cabinet meeting on Monday 15 January, and you can watch and listen to the whole meeting here. The SADPD agenda item starts at min36. In responses from cabinet members, we were promised there was a 'commitment to further public engagement' as well as there would be: 'localised feedback sessions to speak to residents'. We followed up with a written submission which was widely shared with cabinet members, our councillors and our MP.
Recommendations are at 1hr 23mins and they were disappointedly agreed unamended:
1. To agree the Draft Lambeth Site Allocations Development Plan Document Proposed Submission Version at Appendix 1 and the Proposed Changes to the Policies Map at Appendix 2 for presubmission publication and submission to government for independent examination.
2. To delegate to the Director for Sustainable Growth and Opportunity (i) the preparation of all documentation to support submission to government for independent examination and (ii) (in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Sustainable Growth and New Homes) the ability to make any necessary typographical and formatting adjustments to the documents at Appendices 1 and 2. 

We were unaware with sufficient notice that the policy was to go to full Council barely one week later on Wednesday 24 January, so representation to that meeting was not possible, but we did send in our written response as a 'petition'. The report was approved without any amendment, word for word as the two recommendations detailed above. Watch the Council meeting here, or read the minutes in the same place.

We have subsequently received written response from cabinet member Councillor Danny Adilypour, Deputy Leader for Sustainable Growth and New Homes and are reviewing our options going forward - of which there remain many.

We continue to state that the community really does want to be part of the solution going forward; to deliver a plan that achieves Council objectives but also fulfils the aspirations of our thriving neighbourhood of residents and businesses.

Update 13 January 2024
2023 was a quiet time for the community campaign seeking a more inclusive involvement of the community in Lambeth Councils development plans for West Norwood and Tulse Hill - as you can scroll down and read below.

The year ended with an email on 21 December from Councillor Danny Adilypour, Deputy Leader for Sustainable Growth and New Homes, informing the West Norwood and Tulse Hill Community Stakeholder Group that the next version of the SADPD would be presented to Cabinet in January 2024 in order to authorise its publication for Regulation 19 consultation and subsequent submission to the Planning Inspectorate for independent examination.

He also advised that the report would show that Site 19 was to be removed from the SADPD, and that the boundaries of Site 18 would be redrawn and subject to changes on a tall building and to the site allocation area.

The Cabinet papers were duly published on Friday 5 January and can be read here
The Cabinet meeting is on Monday 15 January 2024 starting at 5pm. SADPD is item 6 on the Agenda and the Cabinet will reach that item at the earliest around 5.45pm.

The stakeholder group has now met and agreed oral representations to be made at the Cabinet meeting.

The SADPD submitted for approval would:

1. Formally remove Site 19, due to "significant local opposition to principle and scale of development”.
2. Amend the proposals for Site 18, due to significant local opposition to principle and scale of development, as follows:

• Site boundary amended to reduce scale of allocation to exclude existing housing at north east corner and south west corner, also ‘laundry’ site which is already under construction.
• Reduction in the number of residential units proposed. Decreased from 390-470 units to 150-170 units.
• Quantum of commercial/community floorspace including light industrial workspace, reduced from 5,000-7,000 sqm to 3,000 – 4,000 sqm to include at least 1,123 sqm GIA light industrial workspace (to achieve no net loss of existing industrial floorspace capacity).
• Additional wording proposed to clarify that a tall building will only be considered appropriate on the site if certain conditions are met e.g. public benefits are achieved.
• No significant change to other development principles.

Given Sites 18 &19 resulted in 84.2% of all comments on all of the SADPD sites, with over 3000 listed as part of the 2022 consultation, we remain strongly of the opinion that there must be targeted involvement of the West Norwood and Tulse Hill community before, not after approval for submission of the Regulation 19 document for examination.

As has been consistently stated, we are not against new development and are ready and able to play an active role in Lambeth’s development plans and policies going forward for West Norwood and Tulse Hill, including on:

• Housing targets (with a special focus on truly affordable housing), how West Norwood and Tulse Hill fits into the overall Lambeth housing targets, and what kind of numbers does Lambeth expect our neighbourhood to deliver, and within what time frame
• The planning and delivery of infrastructure (including transport) and resources to both better serve our existing community as well as support our growth
• How the community can be meaningfully involved at pre-application and application stage for new developments. Where can we learn from established best practice?
• Which Local Authorities are leading the way on ground breaking partnership working with communities on development proposals as well as strategy? How can the Kerslake report support this goal?

There is still much trust to rebuild, but we are ready to be proactive, positive partners with Lambeth, if we are given the opportunity, and we shall respectfully be asking Cabinet again for:

• The removal of Site 18 from the Council’s policy document (SADPD)
  and that
• A process of full consultation and engagement with the wider community is instigated by Lambeth to develop in partnership a holistic vision for the whole of West Norwood and Tulse Hill, including plans for Sites 18 & 19.

The community really does want to be part of the solution going forward; to deliver a plan that achieves Council objectives but also fulfils the aspirations of our thriving community of residents and businesses.

Update 13 and 14 July 2023
We wrote again asking for the promised update, not least because Norwood Forum was holding our Annual Community Review and AGM on 15 July.
Cllr Adilpour responded the following day:
'The future plans for Site 18 are still under review as I’ve asked our planning team to fully consider all of the conversations we’ve had with West Norwood residents and community stakeholders whilst considering any changes that are required.'

Update 6 April 2023
We received a short response today from Cllr Adilypour:
'This is just an initial response to let you know that council officers are currently preparing to brief me on their recent work on Site 18 and I will be in a position to share with you the current thinking in late April or early May and then arrange a walkabout and further briefing for you and other stakeholders.'

Our detailed email he was responding to covered the communities priorities going forward, both short and longer term, and also included a constructive list that included questions, as well as walkabout suggestions and complimentary discussion points. 

Update 2 March 2023
This Lambeth Bulletin specifically about SADPD Sites 18 and 19 was published.

Update 20 February 2023
The West Norwood and Tulse Hill Community Stakeholder group held a Zoom meeting to draft a response to Cllr Adilypour which was sent on 16 Feb.

We thanked him sincerely for the decisions that he has taken on Sites 18 & 19, asked to set up his promised face to face meeting to drill down into what the decisions mean going forward, and reiterating we are ready and able to work collaboratively. We await his reply.

Update 3 February 2023
Late on Friday, Councillor Danny Adilypour, Cabinet Member and Deputy Leader for Sustainable Growth and New Homes, announced by email to the West Norwood Community Stakeholder Group the following intended changes to the draft site allocations in West Norwood following consultation with the community as part of the Council’s SADPD: 

• To review the site boundary at Site 18 and
• To remove Site 19 entirely from the draft SADPD.

The Councillor's letter was also published here on the Council's Love Lambeth website:

"Dear all,
When I became the responsible Cabinet Member last summer, I committed to reviewing site 18 and 19’s allocations in the draft Site Allocations Development Plan Document (SADPD).
I’m grateful to the many residents and local businesses who I’ve spoken to since then. Whether it’s through the site visits with ward councillors, the three workshops we held in the autumn, meetings with community groups and the Station-to-Station BID, or the opportunity to have discussions around the dining room table of a resident of Knollys Road, I’ve found these conversations insightful and helpful in understanding the community’s feelings regarding these sites.
Having considered these views carefully and listened to advice from the Council's planning department, I’ve therefore asked the planning team to redraw the site boundary at Site 18 and to remove Site 19 entirely from the draft SADPD.
I have heard the concerns about the potential redevelopment of homes and businesses within the current Site 18 boundary on Norwood Road. I have therefore asked for the current boundary to be redrawn and I am making it clear that we will exclude the housing areas at the northern and southern ends of the site.
On Site 19 at Knollys Yard, some residents raised concerns about height and scale during the consultation. As I’ve made clear in my meetings with local residents, whilst a planning application may still be brought forward by a party at any time and go through due process in line with the council’s planning policies, I recognise the community’s concerns and I have therefore asked the planning team to remove Site 19 from the SADPD.
Lambeth, like the rest of London, faces an unprecedented housing crisis. The rising cost of living also means delivering new employment opportunities and building genuinely affordable new homes for local people remains our top priority. Since my appointment in May, I’ve been working to ensure that Lambeth is an attractive place to invest and that the council’s planning policy and strategic projects deliver sustainable growth for the benefit of our local communities. That goes hand-in-hand with continuing to listen to you as our residents and local businesses.
The planning team are now working on an updated policy that will revise the Site 18 boundary as outlined above. The detail of this will be made available for residents to comment on the soundness, legal compliance and the duty to cooperate of the SADPD when it is published for pre-submission (Regulation 19) consultation. This is expected to be towards the end of summer 2023, ahead of submission to the Planning Inspectorate.
All those who responded to the Regulation 18 consultation in Jan/Feb 2022 and all those on the planning policy database will be notified of the Regulation 19 publication, as well as this being published on the Council’s website and made available at the Town Hall and in all Lambeth libraries.
Following the closing date of the Regulation 19 consultation, the Council will provide the Planning Inspectorate with a schedule, which will include all representations made together with the Council’s response to those, alongside the Draft SADPD Proposed Submission Version and supporting evidence for independent examination. Residents can also express their interest in speaking at an examination hearing, which is expected to take place in late 2023 or early 2024. If you or anyone else you know would like more information or to receive future notifications on the SADPD, please email planningpolicy@lambeth.gov.uk or phone 0207 926 1704.
In the meantime, I'm grateful for the engagement I've had from you all throughout this process to date and I remain available to discuss any concerns you have. I look forward to continuing to work constructively with the community and our stakeholders, local businesses and ward councillors in the months and years ahead.

The West Norwood Community Stakeholder Group will meet as soon as possible to consider its response.

Update 19 January 2023
The Council responded to the online petition as follows:
‘The Cabinet Member acknowledges the points raised in the petition. At the present time the Cabinet Member is continuing to consider carefully the views raised by the community, and other stakeholders, on the West Norwood draft site allocations. An update on the direction of travel in relation to these site allocations will be provided in due course.’

Update 8 December 2022
Please sign the online petition here to Lambeth Council. This seeks:

• The removal of Sites 18 & 19 from the council’s policy document (SADPD) and 
• Consultation and engagement with the stakeholder groups and the wider community by the Council and for all to work in partnership to develop a holistic vision for the whole of West Norwood and Tulse Hill, including plans for Sites 18 & 19.

Update 2 December 2022
Lambeth Cabinet (5 December 2022) is to consider this report on the Kerslake Review (see also update 7 August 2022 below). The Kerslake Review report itself can also be read here.

Update 17 November 2022
The final West Norwood and Tulse Hill Community Stakeholder Group workshop with Lambeth Council was last night. It was chaired as all three have been, by Cllr Danny Adilypour. A summary of the situation will be posted here shortly.

Update 16 November 2022
Follow up questions from previous workshops with answers from Lambeth Council 16.11.2022

Update 8 November 2022
Draft notes from Lambeth from the second workshop
The Stakeholder group are reasonably happy that the content reflects the basics of what was discussed, but considers these notes dont reflect the strength of opinion in the room. Comments have been sent back for revision in the final account.

Update 28 October 2022
Norwood Action Group are holding their AGM on Thursday 24 November 2022, 7-9pm, Rosemead School, 70 Thurlow Park Road, SE21 8HZ (at junction with Lancaster Avenue). The AGM will be followed by a public meeting on Sites 18 & 19. Come along to hear the latest updates. 

Update 27 October 2022
Outcomes of first Stakeholder workshop
Lambeth slide deck
Lambeth Q&A
Lambeth notes from the workshop

Update 22 October 2022
The West Norwood Community Stakeholder Group, representing local residents and businesses: Norwood Forum, Norwood Action Group, Friends of West Norwood Station, The Norwood Society, Station to Station BID, Knollys Yard Community Group, plus Councillors from our local wards (Knights Hill (both sites are in this ward), Gipsy Hill, West Dulwich, St Martins and Streatham Hill East) were invited by Lambeth to attend three workshops. They  told us: 'These workshops will be focused on the consultation feedback in relation to the Draft SADPD for West Norwood and Tulse Hill and the possible approach to delivery for Site 18.' We were asked to collectively respond by 25 September.
To reiterate, the consensus amongst the Stakeholder Group is that both sites should be removed from the SADPD, and a proper community consultation process undertaken to collaboratively review the existing Master Plan and design a new, holistic development approach to our whole neighbourhood - including Sites 18 & 19.
With the active support of the wider community campaign members - all local residents, a response was drafted which rejected the framework for these workshops as laid out by Lambeth, and asked for a different form of workshop approach:
A Way Forward
'We would be willing to attend a meeting whose purpose it is to design an appropriate collaborative way forward. This would need to involve at a minimum double the number of people you suggest in your email (15). We would expect any relevant information to be circulated seven days before the meeting date. At present the only information being provided is in support of the Lambeth existing plans. Full data of, for example, housing needs, and the rationale for the change of the existing Tall Buildings policy would be essential.'
This was rejected by Lambeth, and following many further emails, the Stakeholder group reluctantly agreed to attend the first workshop. We were promised input into the agenda, but this did not happen. There was a forthright discussion which should have left Lambeth officers (who were predominantely from the Sustainable Growth & Opportunity Directorate) and Councillor Danny Adilypour (whose portfolio includes SADPD), under no allusions on the strength of the community's opinions on the current Sites 18 & 19 proposals. A summary of that meeting will be published shortly, but the outcome was that Lambeth have agreed to produce a list of 'pros and cons' for both sites remaining in, or being removed from, the SADPD, and this will form the basis of the agenda for the second workshop.
Councillor Danny Adilypour has confirmed he is still fully reviewing the SADPD and the inclusion of Sites 18 and 19 in this and is willing to consider all options.

If you would like to take an active role in this campaign, please email info@norwoodforum.org.

Update 26 September 2022
Due to the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, EcoWorld cancelled the workshop on the Public Realm scheduled for Monday 19 September.
Instead they have decided to merge the Public Realm and the Employment session together for 3 October.
Note there is a new venue: The Elmgreen School, Elmcourt Road, SE27 9BZ from 6pm to 7.30pm.
They advise:
If you already signed up for the Workshop on 3^rd October or 19^th September, please be assured your place at the Workshop is confirmed. If you no longer wish to attend, please let us know. If you haven’t signed up for the Workshop on the 3^rd and would like to attend, you can do so HERE.
EcoWorld's own slide show from this combined second and third workshop

Update 13 September 2022
Key learnings from the first EcoWorld workshop
EcoWorld's own slide show from their first workshop

Update as at 5 September 2022
Ecoworld are holding three workshops on different topics on the future of Knollys Yard (site 19):
Design: Saturday 10 September 2022; 10:30am-1:00pm
Public Realm: Monday 19 September 2022; 6:00pm-8:00pm
Workspace and Employment: Monday 3 October 2022; 6:00pm-7:30pm

You can book a place to attend to offer your views on the proposed development by:
Visiting their website: https://knollysyard.co.uk/
Email to: feedback@knollysyard.co.uk
Telephoning: 0800 2987 040 

Venue for all workshops: St. Martin's Scout Hut, 16-28 High Trees, Tulse Hill, SW2 3PU

Ecoworld say the workshops will not be a detailed presentation of their final proposals; they will be seeking to understand local views and feedback on what is important to you. Each will be led by an independent facilitator with members of the Knollys Yard project team on hand to hear your views on different aspects of the above topics.

Further events are promised later in the year, including a public exhibition.

Update as at 17 August 2022
Ecoworld is the proposed developer of the Network Rail owned site 19. The London Mayor has approved a £20.5m infrastructure grant to "address the viability gap affecting the proposed development. Addressing the scheme’s viability gap will provide sufficient financial assurance for the developer to progress a planning application for the site; and will enable the delivery of circa 430 homes on site, which would not have progressed without this investment." 

Ecoworld are holdng their own public consultation exercise on their proposals. They have held three "walk and talk" sessions at which residents were guided around the residential streets close to the site and given the opportunity to ask questions of Ecoworld representatives and BECG (their PR consultants); there was no presentation of any plans. They say they want to listen to ideas and the views of the local community and will be presenting proposals at a series of workshops to start in September 2022. These workshops "will provide - - - - more details about the proposed development and allow you to have your say about our proposals". Ecoworld will run further "walk and talk" sessions if there is demand. You can sign up to express an interest in these sessions here on their website and you will then be advised direct about their planned September workshops.     

Update as at 7 August 2022
Lambeth Council established the Kerslake Review of the strategic delivery of new affordable homes in Lambeth. This is an independent review aiming to boost the delivery of genuinely affordable housing in Lambeth. All interested parties were asked to submit their views by Sunday 7 August 2022. The review is due to report to the Leader of the Council, Councillor Claire Holland and the Cabinet Member for Sustainable Growth and New Homes, Councillor Danny Adilypour, in the early autumn. You can read our submission here.

Update as at 27 July 2022
The Stakeholder Group met with Cllr Danny Adilypour today. We had sent him a long list of questions gathered from discussions during Norwood Forum AGM, residents groups and the wider community. Cllr Adilypour was not in post when the SADPD process was begun. He made it plain that there is ‘no rush’ and ‘no timetable’. 
We discussed issues such as affordable housing, EcoWorld, infrastructure and the lack of community consultation.
It was confirmed that no one would receive a personal response to the comments they made as part of the recent Regulation 18 consulation process.
Each comment made by the community will be replied to in the officer report that goes to councillors and Cabinet as part of the Regulation 19 consultation process.
A series of workshops were proposed to discuss in detail the main areas of objection. We await further details on these and will share them immediately here and on social media. They are likely to happen in September and will happen in West Norwood.
In the meantime, if you are interested in joining the community campaign group, please get in touch here. We have had one meeting and plan another soon.

Update as at 9 July 2022
At our AGM and public meeting local Knight's Hill Ward councillors announced there is to be further public engagement on the Council's plans for large scale development with tall blocks at both sites 18 and 19.

There is a new Cabinet Member responsible for strategic planning: Councillor Danial Adilypour: Deputy Leader of the Council (Sustainable Growth and New Homes) and he has indicated the new approach in the answer to a Council question from Councillor Ibtisam Adem to the meeting of full Council on Wednesday 13 July 2022 (see question 17 here). 

Councillor Danial Adilypour has also agreed to meet with the stakeholder group to listen to our views on the lack of public consultation and engagement from the Council, and unsuitability of the current proposals. 

Update as at 29 March 2022:
We made representations to the Leader of Lambeth Council for sites 18 & 19 to be withdrawn from the SADPD. You can read our reasons in our original representations below. We wanted clarity on the timescale for considering the feedback received on the 14 sites across the borough.   

Our MP Helen Hayes has asked the Council to withdraw site 18 so as to allow collaborative co-design, and made representations against tall buildings at site 19. You can read Helen's statement here.  

You can read further representations:

Station to Station

Norwood Action Group

Norwood Society

Friends of Hillside Gardens

What next?
We are very concerned there is no clarity around what will happen next, so we have written to the Leader of the Council: Councillor Claire Holland to ask urgently for clarity on the time scale and processes in place to respond to our community response. From viewing the Commonplace site there is extensive opposition to both Sites 18 & 19 proposals, and this is also clear from the meetings, representations, social media, conversations and other feedback we have received from local businesses and residents. The Commonplace site alone accounted for more opposition to Sites 18 & 19 than all the other Sites put together. 
 

What is the Draft SADPD?
Lambeth Planning is consulting on 14 development sites across Lambeth, with two in West Norwood: 'Site 18' - which is the area between Lansdowne Hill and York Hill and is proposed to include an approx. 11 storey tower block, and 'Site 19', the triangle of industrial land off Knollys Road between the railway lines where three tower blocks are proposed - the highest approx. 22 storeys. This 'Plan', if agreed, will provide guidance for developers making planning applications - and MUST BE STOPPED.
Why? Because the community has not been properly consulted. This community driven campaign is not against development - we desperately need local housing for local people and the derelict land behind Texaco must be put to good use - but not like this - and not without involving the community.
Read on for more information:

How you can object to these development plans
#ConsultTheCommunity
Two things the Stakeholder Group urges you to do:
1: Email sadpd@lambeth.gov.uk to demand the removal of Site 18 and Site 19 from this consultation - reasons below
2: Email sadpd@lambeth.gov.uk with your comments on the proposals for Site 18 and Site 19 - suggestions you might use are also below

Deadline to comment
11pm on 22 February 2022

Group of Residents?
If you want support to put together a group submission, please get in touch asap here

Who are the Stakeholders?
Norwood Forum, Norwood Planning Assembly, Station to Station BID, Norwood Action Group and and local Knights Hill and Thurlow Park Councillors.

1: Why the Stakeholder group believes the two sites must be removed from the current consultation
The group have been ‘briefed’ by Lambeth Council's Development Team in a one hour meeting and that is all the public engagement that Lambeth are prepared to do.
See here the presentation that Lambeth showed the Stakeholder group at this briefing meeting, and next the questions we asked in advance of that meeting - with Lambeth's responses that were provided afterwards.
We do not consider this sufficient for such radical proposals for our neighbourhood.
We shall be campaigning vigorously to have Site 18 and Site 19 removed from this Draft for the following reasons:

• Unlike the other 12 sites, Site 18 and 19 are major developments that will profoundly impact the retail and residential heart of West Norwood and Tulse Hill – one of the five town centres recognised by Lambeth.
• No other Lambeth town centre is to be affected in the same way by these development plans, so we believe that the consultation process must also be treated differently to reflect this.
• There has been insufficient time to adequately engage the community in understanding the proposals and their long term impact
• This current approach ignores all the good practice community consultation that has previously happened, and the recognised capacity of local community organisations to deliver that level of consultation. As the 2017 Masterplan: Moving Forward: A Collaborative Approach to Delivery, describes:
  It is vital that principles of collective action, collaboration and partnership are at the heart of efforts to work towards agreed objectives and aspirations for the area. The strength and willingness to engage of the West Norwood and Tulse Hill community has been instrumental in delivering numerous successes for the area in recent years. The area is also home to a high number of organisations which have the capacity and expertise to take a lead in aspects of delivery, and which have also stated their desire and commitment to being part of future delivery.

A positive way forward
There is an established community volunteer led Neighbourhood Planning Assembly who are writing a Neighbourhood Plan. This forum should be used to develop genuinely collaborative and community driven proposals for these two sites.

2: Suggested comments - but please use your own words so every comment is different
We strongly recommend using email (as well as Lambeth's Commonplace - details below).
We believe that individual emails - each raising a single point - will be more effective.
Please get involved.

• We are not commenting on detailed planning applications so issues of construction traffic, business disruption compensation, etc, whilst relevant in the longer term, are not quite so important now.
• The exception to this is the proposed new access to Site 19. The dubious financial viability of Site 19 also comes with the risk that developers could argue away the affordable housing allocation.
• We can be emotional – talk about the substantial change this will bring to our neighbourhood and our way of life – the change to the heart of our community.
• We don’t want to see a swath of ‘developer architecture’, but an ambitious incremental development with the community as an equal partner in an exemplary approach to town centre redesign.
• We believe that incremental development (within an outline Master Plan) is the only way forward as it enables the development to reflect change in the way we live our lives.
• Nothing in these proposals reflects the changes that Covid-19 has brought to every aspect of our lives.
• We expect world class urban design that recognises West Norwood as an existing viable, successful, neighbourhood with an enviable strong sense of community.
• We welcome investment that sees the community as a partner.
• Our ‘high street’ of independent retailers, with low vacancy rates, has proven resilience backed up by statistics.
• Local businesses have emerged strongly out of the pandemic and this delicate balance requires sensitivity not broad brush stroke development.
• We recognise the desperate need for new, mixed accommodation for local people at affordable rents – but not at any cost. We want to see local homes for local people – designed in collaboration with local people.
• We expect ambitious environmental credentials for any development. 
• We have a strong identity that blends independent business with residential accommodation in heart of our community. We have reached this enviable position organically and nothing in these development proposals puts sufficient value on the sense of place that already exists. 
• These proposals do not provide adequate provision for our existing 'dirty' businesses - e.g. scaffolding companies and car repair workshops. These are essential parts of our local ecosystem that make Norwood a 15min Neighbourhood. 
• B&Q is an anchor store in West Norwood, another reason we can call ourselves a 15min Neighbourhood, we can see no specific proposals to retain this important business along with its essential parking - that is also an important asset for the rest of the shopping area.

Exemplars:
Norwich Council housing development
Barking and Dagenham artists development

More background in our News story here

How you can comment:
Views will need to be submitted by by 11pm on 22 February 2022.
You can comment in the following ways:
Commonplace Site 18
Commonplace Site 19
Email: sadpd@lambeth.gov.uk
Post: Lambeth Council, Planning Policy and Strategy, PO Box 734, Winchester, SO23 5DG
We highly recommend email.

Read all the comments on Commonplace
Follow the Conversation Proposed Site 18 – Commonplace
Follow the Conversation Proposed Site 19 – Commonplace
And this story on what a 'Like' actually means
The number of 'Agreements' is not the number of people agreeing with the proposals, but the number of people agreeing with the comments - some for, some against.

Whats next?
Please comment!
The Stakeholders are organising a community response - talking to residents groups, local faith groups etc.
If we haven't talked to your group - please get in touch! info@norwoodforum.org
The Stakeholders will also be making our own individual responses.
News regularly posted on Facebook: Norwood Forum, West Norwood Local and Tulse Hill Forum