TH E LE WI S H A M L E DG E R
NEWS
O CTO B E R / N O V E M BE R 201 9
Playtower petition reaches 1,450 Residents will be given a long-awaited update this month on the stalled scheme to transform Ladywell Playtower into a three-screen Curzon cinema, Lewisham Council has said – as a petition to reopen the beleaguered building reached more than 1,450 signatures. The historic Playtower closed 15 years ago and suffered serious fire damage in 2006. It was listed as one of the top 10 most endangered buildings in England and Wales by the Victorian Society and was placed on Historic England’s register for heritage buildings at risk. In 2017 the council invited businesses and organisations to bid to restore the Playtower and received 24 expressions of interest. In November that year, it announced that a joint bid by Curzon cinemas and Bromley-based property developer Guildmore had been selected to take their scheme forward. However, since then the building has remained boarded up, with no obvious signs of progress made. Two public exhibitions scheduled for the beginning of this year were cancelled due to “unforeseen circumstances and ongoing discussions” over the site. An online petition started two months ago by the Lewisham Building Preservation Trust to bring the Playtower back into use had attracted more than 1,450 signatures as this edition of The Lewisham Ledger went to press. Signing the petition, Allan Adams said: “The council will not come clean as to why this project has stalled”, while April Neate said: “It’s awful that such a building should deteriorate. Let’s stand together to see Ladywell improved and the community served by its council.” Stephen Locke added: “Lewisham, Ladywell, Catford and the surrounding areas have lost too many historic and beautiful buildings. This one needs to be loved again by everyone.” In a report on the Playtower in 2017, the council estimated that the cost to restore the grade-II-listed building would be more than £5 million, with “at least a two-year planning and construction phase required”. It said that completion would be “no sooner than 2020”. Guildmore and Curzon’s original proposal included the provision of 19 to 21 flats, which they said would be sold at
Despite plans to turn it into a cinema, Ladywell Playtower remains boarded up PHOTO BY PETER ANTHONY GORMAN
market value in order to fund the restoration of the Playtower. But Guildmore’s website later stated that the scheme would include a “new development of 34 apartments”. Asked why the numbers differed, a spokesman for the company said the number 34 had been uploaded in error by a third-party consultant and the figure was removed. When the council chose Guildmore and Curzon to take the scheme forward, it also announced a reserve bid for the site, which it said would be offered the scheme if “adequate progress” towards the Playtower’s restoration was not made. Led by Hither Green-based developer Hillman and the team behind Peckham’s Copeland Park and Beckenham Place Mansion, the reserve scheme proposed a mixed-use cultural quarter with a similar set-up to Copeland Park, with art, leisure, education, commercial
and creative space and 20 flats at belowmarket rent. Two further schemes from Picturehouse and Goldsmiths were also shortlisted but were unsuccessful. Asked to comment on the continuing delay to the project, a Lewisham Council spokesperson said: “Ladywell Playtower is an important historic local building and our long-term plan remains to refurbish it and bring it back into use for the community. “This is taking longer than anticipated and we share residents’ desire to see the development progress. “We are working with Guildmore/ Curzon – who remain committed to the scheme – to develop viable options for the future of Ladywell Playtower and the surrounding site. We hope to be able to announce more details this month.” If you would like to sign the petition to reopen Ladywell Playtower, visit tiny.cc/playtowerpetition
Young designers' catwalk triumph Two talented teenagers from Lewisham premiered their eco-friendly fashion designs at London Fashion Week last month as part of an event for budding young designers – and were praised for creating the best outfits of the show. The Fashion Futures event was the culmination of a 12-week programme led by London-based charity Fashion Awareness Direct (FAD), which worked with 70 students this year. It goes behind the glitz and glamour of fashion design and aims to increase access for young people from a diverse range of ethnic and socioeconomic
backgrounds, particularly those who are underrepresented in the industry. Fashion Futures premiered on day one of London Fashion Week and showcased the designs of 20 finalists from the 12-week scheme. George Howie, 19,
and Maria Silva, 17, both from Lewisham, were then crowned joint winners. This year’s brief was focused on themes of sustainability and humankind’s relationship with the natural world, challenging students to consider
Lewisham's Maria Silva and George Howie are pictured second from left and fourth from right
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Sixty minutes to save the world A Brockley mum held an event that focused on tackling the climate crisis at a local level. Jessie Hunt, founder of Facebook group Plastic Free SE4, invited local activists, business owners, councillors and beekeepers to an evening called Sixty Minutes to Save the World at Brockley Social Club. The free event aimed to empower those in the packed-out room to make a difference, with a series of “lightning” talks and workshops. There was inspiration from Extinction Rebellion activists and Climate Action Lewisham; and top tips from local zero-wasters, including Anna Kokornacka and Aga Czarnota from Beetroot & Beans in Forest Hill, and Sophie Tait, author of trashplastic.com. Attendees also heard from school strikers, who took part in the global climate strike on 20 September, and from Little Art Forms, which focuses on socially engaged and collaborative arts. The workshops were led by Jenny Rosenberg from Friends of the Earth. She said: “Time to avert catastrophic climate change and the horrifying impacts it will have on our lives is fast running out. We know the solutions to climate chaos and there’s still time to act – just. But we need to work together if we’re to convince our government to act. It’s time to take climate action now.”
Little Art Forms' Grace Thompson PHOTO BY DAVID WOODMAN
the wider environmental implications of fashion design. George’s black dress delivered an ecological statement that highlighted the plight of bees and their importance to the ecosystem. He constructed it from a stunning custom-made fabric that took him 30 hours to create. Meanwhile Maria opted to showcase a series of menswear pieces channelling messages from the zero-waste movement, with designs made from repurposed old clothing and materials to keep them from going to landfill. The winners were chosen by an array of industry experts, from fashion influencer Claudia Ayuso – who has a following of 115,000 on Instagram – to representatives from FAD and companies such as ASOS. CEO and founder of FAD, Maria Alvarez, said: “Each year we’re blown away by the dedication and hard work of the students on our programme, so it comes as no surprise to us how many go on to achieve success in the industry, whether that’s securing a place at a prestigious university or getting a job with a major fashion brand.”