Protected status for St Norbert allotments

Cllr Johnson has sent us the answer he received from Council officers in response to his question about the allotments on St Norbert Road, which were recently put up for sale. From this exchange, it appears that the allotments, which are the only ones in Telegraph Hill ward, will be preserved.

Question

Following the announcement that privately-owned land at the St Norberts allotments site has been put up for sale, will the council do everything in its power to ensure this important community asset and designated Site of Importance for Nature Conservation is properly safeguarded for the future?

Reply 

The St. Norbert Road allotments are designated as ‘Urban Green Space’ and are part of a wider designated ‘Site of Nature Conservation Importance’. As such they are protected by adopted Core Strategy Policy 12 ‘Open Space and Environmental Assets’.

The core strategy policy sets out to protect the character and amenity of open space (part a) and maintain and improve publicly accessible open spaces, nature reserves and allotments (part c). The Core Strategy is part of the development plan for Lewisham and as Section 38 (6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act (2004) makes clear, the determination of planning applications must be made in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

The intent of Core Strategy policy 12 will therefore be an important consideration when considering any future planning application for this site.

In addition the evidence from the ‘Lewisham Leisure and Open Space Study’ published May 2010 shows that the St. Norbert Road allotments were the only allotments in Telegraph Hill Ward and that the borough had a shortage of allotments with a waiting list of those who wished to take up an allotment.

These are material considerations and will be taken into account when and if a planning application for development is received.