Shrewsbury Park Residents' Association

Winter 2010 Newsletter

29^th January 2010 

Dear fellow resident,

On behalf of the Committee welcome to this Newsletter, which is my first as your new Chair of the Association.  A warm welcome also to all new residents of the Estate.

Firstly, I am sure you will join me in sending thanks to the former Chair and Secretary, Len and Jean Newland, who have both faithfully served the Association for many years.  Len has kindly offered to continue to be a committee member with responsibility for the Shrewsbury Park Residents’ Association’s Neighbourhood Watch Scheme. 

Covered in this Newsletter: 

Ø  Shrewsbury Park Estate’s 75^th Birthday

Ø  Residents’ Association Website

Ø  Shrub Bed Maintenance and Hedges

Ø  Wheelie Bins

Ø  Former Fire Station Mast

Ø  Neighbourhood Watch Update

Ø  Royal Borough of Greenwich 

Shrewsbury Park Estate’s 75^th Birthday 

The Laing Estate was constructed over several years, generally accepted as being 1934-1936.  Taking the midpoint, the Shrewsbury Park Estate is 75 this year.  

The Association would like to mark the event.  If you have any suggestions please let me know.  It has been suggested that we invite a representative of Laing’s to visit us. 

It would be useful to know of any original residents on the Estate.  These residents may like to be involved with any event that is organised.  Perhaps you would be kind enough to let me know. 

Residents’ Association Website 

The development of the Resident’s Association’s website is progressing very well.  Go-live is on track for March/April.  We hope you will like the 1930’s look and feel of it which carries through to the Associations’ stationery and printed matter.  The web address for the Residents’ Association is www.spera.org.uk.   Visitors to this web address will see currently a ‘site under construction’ page. 

If any residents have old photos or other similar historic documents relating to the Estate, for inclusion as content on the website, please let me know.  My contact details are at the end of the Newsletter.  Any items will be carefully scanned and returned to you.  The website will also link to other useful sites, for example, companies able to repair the stained glass panels to the front doors or suppliers of original style garage doors.   If you have any suggestions for the website content, please send to webmaster@spera.org.uk.

 My thanks to the Committee for their input to the website so far and in particular Alex Hayesmore, Secretary, for his invaluable contribution. 

Shrub Bed Maintenance and Hedges 

Greenwich Council is responsible for the road-side shrub beds and greens.  The Association continues to liaise with the Council to improve their maintenance.  We have requested that one Council department be responsible for maintenance rather than the current two and more frequent maintenance visits.   The Association has requested that the overall height of the road-side shrubs be reduced to around 4 feet to improve visibility for pedestrians and drivers and to reduce the sense of enclosure, particularly after dark, that can be off putting, particularly to older residents.  However, we have also requested that specimen shrubs, for example, the clipped yews in Bushmoor Crescent be maintained at their existing height. 

The Association has emphasised how much the shrubs and trees are valued and appreciated by residents, and the contribution that the greenery makes to the Estate’s unique qualities and property values. 

The Council has planted a number of new trees this planting season at the Association’s request and free of charge. 

Residents are requested to maintain the privet hedges at the front of the properties at around 3 feet in height as per the deeds, and cut back to the pavement line, as this helps to keep the Estate looking well kept.  Privet is very tolerant to hard pruning into old wood if it has become overgrown.  If you’re unsure how to tackle an overgrown privet or you have a query on hedge maintenance, please contact me. 

Wheelie Bins 

Residents are kindly requested to store bins to the rear of the house, or behind the side gate or in garages, as they make excellent ‘ladders’ for scaling side gates and garages.

Former Fire Station Mast 

The Association continues to oppose plans, currently with Greenwich Council, to replace antennas to the communications mast adjacent to the Fire Station.  The grounds for opposition are: 

• harm to health and the cumulative effect of all the antennas;
• harm to the visual amenity of the Conservation Area and Grade II Listed former Fire Station;
• lack of appropriate consultation;
• that the mast should have been removed when the Fire Station was converted to residential use.

Three members of the committee attended the Council planning meeting.  However, the item was postponed because of consultation concerns.  The item will be re-heard at a later date.  Residents are requested to write to Greenwich Council before 15^th February to oppose the plans, quoting reference numbers 09/0334/F & 09/0335/C.  Please email the Planning Department at Greenwich Council: janet.stewart@greenwich.gov.uk or write to Janet Stewart at 5^th Floor Crown Building, 48 Woolwich New Road, SE18 6HQ. 

If you want to know more about the issue before writing in, committee member, Chris Higgs, is happy to discuss it with you on 07869-284177. 

Neighbourhood Watch Update 

There has been a change of Police Officers looking after the Shooters Hill ward.  Thanks to the outgoing team of Sergeant Dale Openshaw, PCs Cliff Graham and Maria Packer and welcome to Sgt Barry Edge, PC Fiona Genovese and PCSO Kevin Denney and team. 

The most significant recent events in the area have been: 

• the arrest of a couple pushing a pram in Mereworth Drive.  Their pram contained 40 tools for breaking and entering.  They have been charged and are awaiting trial;
• the thieves responsible for the spate of burglaries on the Hill before Christmas have been caught;
• there were a total of 240 stop and searches over this period.

The Shooters Hill Safer Neighbourhood Team will be holding surgeries at Shrewsbury House.  The first surgery took place on 20^th January.  They will be held every third Wednesday of the month, between 3.30 and 4.30pm.  You are welcome to come along to meet the local police team and to share concerns or offer suggestions about policing of the area. 

You may also telephone the safer Neighbourhood Team on 020 8649 3540 or email ShootersHill.SNT@met.police.uk.  In case of emergency always dial 999.  To report crime, please contact 0300 123 1212. 

If you would like to contact the Association’s Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator or if you would like to be added to the Residents Association’s Neighbourhood Watch circulation list please ring Len Newland on 8854 4423 or email him at lennienew@ntlworld.com. 

Residents are reminded that although “white van men” may at times be helpful in removing junk from your front garden, they will also remove, without asking, items you may have left out that you want to keep.  Please take note! 

Some sad news 

It is with sadness that I inform you of the deaths of several longstanding Association Members.  Elsie King of Bushmoor Crescent sadly passed away in May.  Elsie was the widow of Charlie King, who was editor of the Kentish Independent.  Elsie had lived on the Estate since 1955 and was 89 when she died.  I served on the Committee with Elsie for several years. 

Miss Marr and Mr Slaney, also both of Bushmoor Crescent, have recently passed way.  Both were original residents of the Estate.  Our thoughts go out to their loved ones. 

Royal Borough of Greenwich 

The borough of Greenwich is to become a Royal Borough in 2012, to coincide with Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee year.  Greenwich will join a select group of Royal Boroughs; Kensington & Chelsea, Kingston and Windsor & Maidenhead.  Greenwich has been honoured because of the historical links between the Borough and the Royal Family and because of Greenwich's global significance as the home of the Prime Meridian, Greenwich Mean Time and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

This provides much needed recognition of the Borough’s heritage including Conservation Areas like ours.  The Association will be writing to the Council to request that items like street name plates and lamp columns receive attention in keeping with the borough’s standing and be replaced with superior types as recent replacements are lacking in the style department and far removed from the original items’ qualities. 

The Association also wishes to install some heritage oak posts at the entrances to the Estate, machined to match the existing Art Deco style of posts to the houses.  It is hoped that given the borough’s upcoming Royal standing, the Council will look more favourably upon this type of request than it has in the past.  These would be installed incrementally, as funds permitted. 

With kind regards, 

Robert Million

Chair, Shrewsbury Park Residents’ Association