GASHOLDER
The Council's response to the gasholder petition is on page 76 of the following: http://committees.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/documents/g4783/Public%20reports%20pack%2031st-Oct-2018%2019.00%20Council.pdf?T=10
we are thinking about our next move
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ARCHIVE ISSUES
GAUF - the Greenwich Archive Users Forum are still in discussion on this dreadful issue with the Council and with the Greenwich Heritage Trust.
Tomorrow - 25th October - the Council's Regeneration Scrutiny Panel is discussing a report on the planned arts centre to replace the Heritage Centre and Archive. GAUF members are going along with questions themselves.
(Council scrutiny panels are made up of backbench councillors so that they can question the Cabinet and officers about decisions they have made. Members of the public are encouraged to go along and submit questions on issues to be raised.)
Next Wednesday, 31st, is rhe full Council meeting. GAUF members and others have put down questions to be answered by the Coincil about the closure of the archive and future plans.
Campaigners - looking at the legal background - note the following
Local planning authorities should maintain or have access to a historic environment record. This should contain up-to-date evidence about the historic environment in their area and be used to:
a) assess the significance of heritage assets and the contribution they make to their environment; and
b) predict the likelihood that currently unidentified heritage assets, particularly sites of historic and archaeological interest, will be discovered in the future.
Local planning authorities should make information about the historic environment, gathered as part of policy-making or development management, publicly accessible.
INDUSTRIAL SITES BEING CLOSED DOWN AND 'REGENERATED'
There are several planning applications coming in for sites in Charlton and else where
FLINT GLASS WHARF
This is a Charlton riverside site apparently on the site of the Johnson and Jorgensen glass works, This was founded by two Norwegians who came to England to sell Arctic products in 1884. They became involved with Scandinavian glass works' interests. They imported glass bottles and then built their factory at the end of Herringham Road needing 300 octagon piles of concrete to build. Bottles were then imported from Scandinavia. They became the biggest producer of phials in Europe made with tubular glass imported from Germany. They also made glass tableware in the 1930s and along with United Glass made the majority of wine glasses used in pubs and hotels. In the 1960 they began plastic moulding and made bottle closures. In the 1960s they opened a big new factory and by 1970s were the biggest manufacturers of glass ampoules in Europe. However their big warehouse was expensive to manage. The factory closed in 1981 and the 1920s buildings demolished.
Cory - although we have no information about closure or a planning application we understand that Cory have decided to focus on their river site in Gravesend, making 6 redundancies. The barge yard is really the last gasp of Greenwich's traditional riverside industries,
Wlliam Cory had a coal business from 1838. Off Charlton they moored Atlas, a disused salvage vessel, used as a floating coal berth and known locally as 'The Derrick'. A second Derrick was built in 1865 as did another Atlas. In 1893 Atlas III was built in Newcastle and remained in use until 1902. The barge works here was set up in 1873. Cory Environmental operate their lighterage business from here. There are two dry docks servicing their tug fleet which is made up of six vessels regularly engaged in the transportation of waste. They include twin screw tug Regain, the first lighterage tug to be built for use on the Thames in 30 years.
Rockwell. The Rockwell development in Anchor and Hope Lane, on the VIP Trading Estate site is now with the Mayor - Greenwich having refused planning consent for development, so someone else is going to make sure the developers get their way. At the back of the site is the line of the Glenton
Railway which ran from the Valley to the River. We understand there are still some rails extant,
Glenton's Sand and Ballast Railway.
This railway was built in 1840 by entrepreneur and developer Lewis Glenton. It ran from sand pits in the Charlton Football Ground area to the river. Later British Ropes took over the northern portion to move flax and hemp from the river to their works, and some remains of the railway remain on that site.
Morden Wharf - this is the very large site on the Peninsula alongside the Blackwall Tunnel Approach - all those red pipes. This was a complex industrial site - so no detail but to remind people that part of the site was the glucose refinery demolished a few years back. A new preliminary and exploratory approach to the Council wants to demolish Thames Bank House - the large office block alongside Morden Wharf Road and to have a 'residential led' application
Siemens sites - a large development by U&I on what were Siemens buildings. The buildings were granted Immunity from Listing by the Government - no consultation, obviously. There have beeb attempts to reverse this ..but "we've not had much luck so far....the case for listing the early range was reasonably strong …………...but the arguments didn't work.... still, they could be put forward again, in spite of the immunity from listing. It's a pity that the current proposals intend demolishing more extensively, .......................there are obvious arguments about the local importance of Siemens, about demolition in conservation areas, etc, but I suspect they will carry little weight".
Spray Street and Woolwich Market. The indoor market has now been listed. See Darryl's piece https://853london.com/2018/10/17/spray-street-demolitions-woolwich-public-market-gets-grade-ii-listed-status-from-historic-england/
all these extracts about industries from Edith Streets blog https://edithsstreets.blogspot.com
PLUMSTEAD
Our Plumstead correspondent tells us that the former Weaver mineral water factory at 64 Plumstead High Street is being 'hacked about, presumably to allow large vehicles and/or equipment through the arch. Huge chunks of it were removed using a drill'. They are asking the Council to take enforcement action.
The Plumstead Station footbridge. A decision, on what could have resulted in the demolition of the Victorian footbridge at Plumstead Railway Station, was delayed by four weeks at the Planning Board. A temporary stay of execution was decided following requests for deferral from residents (including a GIHS member), Positive Plumstead Project, Glyndon and Plumstead ward councillors, in addition to many detailed questions from the Woolwich and Thamesmead Area Planning Committee. This provides a short time frame for a further site visit, wider sharing of documents and consideration of alternative designs that could allow both step-free access and retention of the existing footbridge. Representatives from Network Rail reported that the bridge is in very good condition.
CONFERENCES
Association of British Transport Museums & London Museum of Water & Steam seminar on Operating and Conserving Historic Industrial & Transport Collections at the London Museum of Water & Steam 21st November 2018
This event provides an opportunity to hear more about the new document and hear case studies illustrating the issues faced by those conserving and operating and industrial transport collections. Speakers include Paul & Joyce Jefford, case study contributors to the Guidelines, Christopher Binks from the National Railway Museum and Efstathios Tsolis who as part of the International Railway Heritage Consultancy helped compile the new document.
Tickets for the event cost £25. Register using Eventbrite
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/abtem-late-autumn-seminar-operating-and-conserving-historic-industrial-transport-collections-tickets-51195219279 and then pay for the ticket by using the link: https://lmws.digitickets.co.uk/tickets/ For further information please contact Tim Bryan (ABTEM Chairman)
Thames Estuary Partnership TEP Annual Forum 2018 The Thames 2050: Fit for the future? The aim of the conference is to give a comprehensive briefing across key areas of interest and relevance happening across the Thames Estuary that are of importance to our stakeholders and audience. As the title suggests, we want to explore how we can make the Thames fit for the future in 2050. Wednesday 14 November 15 Hatfields
Docklands History Group. The Group has organised a seminar for new researchers that will take place on Saturday 24th November. This has been organised by a group of undergraduate and graduate researchers and will give an opportunity for them to share the results of the work. This will be the second annual seminar for new researchers and will feature a range of topics broadly within four subject-areas as follows: Exploring Archive Material; Managing the Thames and Supporting Leisure; The importance of the Thames in the First World War; and Dockside Communities and Port Labour. Tickets for the seminar cost £10 and can be booked through Eventbrite.
