CR-October 2010

Once again I find myself returning to this subject. In my last report I mentioned that Taylor Wimpey had put their substantial land holding of 73 acres in Riddlesdown up for sale. Despite our attempts in partnership with the City of London and Riddlesdown Collegiate, to buy a key ten-acre plot in Mitchley Woods, all the land was sold to a single investment company. We understand the price paid was £525,000 plus VAT – well beyond our reach. However, within a few weeks the new owners placed several sections of the land on the market to be sold at auction.

The four acres of land along Honister Heights was sub-divided into 14 small plots but only six were offered for auction. Other sections of land for sale were a two-acre plot off Mitchley Avenue and two plots of ten and four acres either side of Dunmail Drive. The Committee met to discuss a possible bid for the ten-acre plot of woodland adjacent to Dunmail Drive.

On examination of the legal documentation the Committee concluded that the plot was being sold without a right of access from Dunmail Drive or Mitchley Avenue. This would make it difficult to maintain the land to a safe standard for people to walk though it.

The Committee also discussed the agreement concerning overage payable to Taylor Wimpey and how this might be triggered, should we manage to negotiate access, leaving the RRA liable for further payments. The overage is 25% of any uplift in value of the site arising from the granting of planning permission for any non-agricultural uses. The Committee, therefore, took the decision not to bid at this auction. However, at the auction, Riddlesdown Collegiate purchased a plot of land running from the school boundary, adjacent to the school gate, to the corner of Honister Heights. Two smaller plots along Honister Heights were also sold, post auction, to two private individuals; the remaining plots were left unsold. The small two-acre plot off Mitchley Avenue was also sold, but the RRA is confident that the new owner of this land will continue to ensure its Green Belt status.

The two large plots adjacent to Dunmail Drive, including the one we were interested in, did not reach their reserve price. With a reserve set at £50,000, coupled with legal fees, potential access costs and possible overage payments, the final price for this ten-acre site might have exceeded £70,000. The current situation is that over 40 private investors now own around 100 acres of Green Belt land. At a subsequent meeting of the Association, the Committee took the view that to continue in our attempt to purchase what would be a relatively small single plot of land within this large and very over-priced land bank was no longer our best option. The RRA Committee took the decision that given the current position, the best way to protect our Green Belt land with our limited resources was to ensure that all landowners fully complied with all Green Belt and ancient woodland legislation.

An example of this was demonstrated at the recent auction; the Committee believed that the description of the land offered for sale in the catalogue was misleading. As a result, a letter from Croydon Council was read out at the auction prior to bidding. This explained to potential bidders a number of fundamental and crucial planning matters, the absence of which painted a very misleading picture in regard to the development potential of these plots. We believe that this information provided to potential bidders resulted in many of the plots remaining unsold. The Association is currently reviewing all areas of Green Belt protection, including tree protection orders, rights of way, and the use of an Article 4 within the Green Belt to remove the entitlement to undertake development that would ordinarily not require planning permission.

In 2013, the farmer’s lease on the two large farm fields off Mitchley Avenue and Mitchley Hill expires. The Association will need to be in a position to challenge any potential application for any change of status to this land from its current agricultural use. I would again remind residents that it has now been more than four years since the land owned by Mitchley Wood Estate Trust was put up for sale. Despite these initial sales, all the land still firmly remains Green Belt and little has changed.

However, with speculators having now invested more than £1m to buy land, the Association needs to review its future strategy. We believe that a proactive protection and enforcement policy is now the most effective way to protect the Green Belt and ancient woodlands of Riddlesdown. This strategy will require the Association, from time to time, to seek and engage professional advice and legal opinion relating to land legislation. The fighting fund so generously given by residents will now, as necessary and appropriate, be used to support this new RRA strategy to protect the Green Belt land of Riddlesdown.

However I would add that the RRA would not rule out a possible future bid for land should conditions be right. To this end the Association will continue to work closely with other interested partners including the Corporation of London, Croydon Parks, Riddlesdown Collegiate, local friendly land holders, local Councillors, MPs, Croydon Council Planning, and other local Residents’ Associations.

Since our formation in 1937, the Association has on many occasions needed to defend the open and pleasant aspect of Riddlesdown and, with your help, we will continue to do so. Thank you all for your continuing support in this matter.

NETWORK RAIL

Phil, our Planning Officer, will be reporting the reasons for the work recently carried out by Network Rail on their land by the bridge in Lower Barn Road.

However, whilst this work might be for perfectly legitimate reasons, the Association has concerns about the way Network Rail manages the trackside environment. Increasingly, we are seeing the enthusiastic removal of trees and the installation of trackside equipment without any attempt to consider the impact on residents or the environment. Whilst the work might be essential and necessary for operational reasons, just a little more time spent on proactive communications might make all the difference. It is not sensible for the RRA and residents to always be asking the most obvious questions after the event. I recently obtained a copy of the 1938 Riddlesdown Recorder and sadly it appears little has changed. I quote: ‘Complaint was also made of the apparent indiscriminate felling and lopping of trees on the railway embankment. Mr Smart (Train Services) agreed that such action was to be deplored and promised to have enquiries made to ascertain who was responsible and to ensure that unnecessary interference with trees was prevented in the future.’ The Association will be seeking an early meeting with Network Rail to pursue the issue of improved communication.

NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICE PANEL

The Panel represents the views of residents on local policing issues by identifying local concerns, setting priorities and reviewing the outcomes. At its June meeting, the panel once again identified burglary and motor vehicle crime as two of its priorities. In addition to this, Child Safety was identified as a top priority, this to include increased patrols on the buses during the rest of the school term and in the local parks and the town centre during the school holidays. The Panel also discussed the lack of police vehicles assigned to the local Safer Neighbourhood Teams; six wards now have to share one vehicle. The Panel unanimously expressed their total dissatisfaction with this current position.

FUNDAY

I think this year’s Fun Day was the most successful ever, with close to 1000 people enjoying a picnic on the Downs and relaxing to the cool sounds of a great jazz band.

I must admit to feeling just a little apprehensive when at 10am on the Sunday morning, the wind was blowing and there was more than a hint of drizzle in the air. By midday, the weather started to improve but I was still concerned that people would stay away. Then just like a scene from a film the great British public, determined to enjoy the day irrespective of the weather, came in their hundreds. To reward them, the sun started to shine and the whole day was just brilliant. If you are not convinced, take a look at this year’s Fun Day pictures on our website, not to mention those on pages 22 and 23 in this issue, and check the next issue of the Recorder for the 2011 date.

Brian Longman