Mitchley Woods

Welcome to the October edition of the Riddlesdown Recorder.

I am sure it will come as no surprise that the one issue that continues to dominate Association business is the sale of Mitchley Woods. In the last edition of the Recorder I mentioned that our initial offer of £25,000 to buy the ancient woodland was rejected. The Association subsequently increased its offer in stages to £35,000. This offer was based on independent advice as to the value of the woodland but was also rejected.

It is at this point that the situation starts to become a little complicated and somewhat confused. A recent article in the press reported that ‘the controversial St Albans firm, Property Spy, which sells Green Belt land as a speculative investment, has been forced into a shake-up by official regulators. After a probe by the Financial Services Authority (FSA), the company has decided to stop marketing plots of rural land to the public’.

However the article suggests that a new enterprise has been set up to continue the practice. As a result of this information we contacted the land agent for the woods and the surrounding land – Vantage Land and Property Spy – only to be told that the woods had been sold. When we made enquiries in connection with the identity of the new owner we were informed it was a private individual who wanted it to walk his dog!! We also enquired as to the price and were informed it was in excess of £100,000, three times our valuation.

It is interesting to note that the fields above Mitchley Woods backing on to the school, previously for sale with Vantage Land, are now back on the market with another company called ‘In Site Land’.

One can only speculate but it would not be a surprise if the woods were also back on the market very soon. We are still very hopeful that we can buy the woodland and will continue to monitor the situation very closely. Unfortunately recent announcements by various official bodies have somewhat muddied the water on Green Belt land. It is not surprising that Green Belt land speculators are perhaps a little hesitant to put land back on the market until the Government has made its long term views on the Green Belt clear. I would like to here personally thank all those residents who have contributed to the fighting fund and reiterate that it is the Association’s intention to do all it can to buy the woodland for the community.

Tesco

Last year Tesco announced they were to demolish their Purley store and build a much larger store on the site. At the Purley & Kenley Neighbourhood Partnership in December 2006, Tesco outlined their plans and said the store would increase in size from its present 80,000 sq. ft. to around 140,000 sq.ft. Their architect outlined the scheme in broad terms.

The current site would be all car parking (ground floor) with a petrol station at the Coulsdon end. The entrance to the Tesco car park would be via a road also at the Coulsdon end of the site. The shop sales area would be on the first floor with escalator access. There would be pedestrian exits from the car park out on to the ‘Town Square’ area.

Up to 250 flats would be built on floors above the store, but how these would be configured had not been finalised. There would be limited parking for the flats – up to half of which could be ‘affordable’ for residents.

A group of eleven local Residents’ Associations met in July to consider the proposals and possible effect on Purley and the surrounding area.

Perhaps the most controversial aspect is the introduction of a new road scheme for Purley Cross.

The majority of the Associations present at the meeting believed the proposed road scheme and the growth of the Tesco store would be detrimental to Purley. However it is your opinions that are important and to that end the local Residents Associations have prepared an information leaflet and short questionnaire. Whether you are for or against the scheme, we need to know your views. Subject to agreement and printing, we hope to distribute the information leaflet and a questionnaire with this edition of the Recorder. Please take a few minutes to complete and return the questionnaire.

Riddlesdown nature trail

Two years ago I mentioned a new joint venture between the School and the Association to design and open a new community nature trail on Riddlesdown. It was hoped that the walk, with its emphasis on the environment, conservation and the management of the countryside, would encourage the schoolchildren to develop a greater sense of ownership and interest in our local Green Belt land.

The Association would like to thank local residents Karen and Martin Whitehead for their generous sponsorship of the project. The pupils of Riddlesdown have produced an extremely professional 20-page booklet complete with maps, information and work sheets. It was our intention to deliver a ‘walk booklet’ to each household in the Association with this edition of the Recorder. However an issue affecting a small section of the route has recently been brought to our attention. We are extremely hopeful of resolving the situation before Recorder delivery deadline but, if we cannot, the official opening will be delayed and the walk booklet will be delivered at a later date.

Notice board

The association is pleased to announce the sponsorship of a new community notice board on the Church Green. We apologise that the construction took so long; I would have never believed that a simple notice board could be so complicated.

Continuing on a similar theme, one of our residents, Stewart Harris, a stone mason and master carver, has offered to carve a stone plaque to commemorate the Association’s 70th anniversary. A possible location could be the corner of Buttermere and Mitchley Avenue, on the green opposite the Church. Do you have any suggestions for the design or wording?

Fun Day

At the risk of repeating myself yet again, it just gets bigger and better every year. Around 800 people enjoyed a picnic on the Downs and relaxed to the sounds of a top jazz band.

There were donkey rides, Punch and Judy, swing boats, tractor rides and so much more. If you are not convinced see the pictures later in the magazine or log on to our website and take a look at them. If you missed out on going this year, ensure you check next April’s Recorder for details and please remember the day is for everyone young and old and it is completely free, so see you there.

Committee

The Association has a small but dedicated committee of around 12 volunteers. We meet around six times a year and, as you can see from the Recorder, we deal with a very broad range of issues. Committee meetings are open to all members but we especially welcome those who wish to be involved.

Christopher Lawton, a long-standing and dedicated member of the committee, has recently moved away from the area. Christopher’s departure means we now have two vacant positions: a road steward for one half of Westfield Avenue and a footpath officer. The latter is a relatively new post for maintaining a general oversight of the many footpaths in the local area, especially those crossing Green Belt Land.

Remember the Association can only represent the community if we have a voice and the Committee is that voice. If you are interested or wish to know more, please give me a ring.