Transforming Peckham “We went to Peckham Programme and we got £2,000 to build our community garden. Peckham Programme also put up the basic trellising with grot spot money.” Nicki Howard, Peckham resident.
Peckham Programme - making things happen
Peckham Programme is a lynchpin in the short, medium and long-term physical improvement of the area – from the ten-year area action plan for Peckham to cleaning up local grot spots.
In the 1990s Peckham won a £64m single regeneration grant – which attracted more than £150m in other funding.
By 2002, the Five Estates area had been redeveloped with new housing laid out in traditional street patterns and the density reduced from 3,000 to 2,000 homes.
In addition Peckham has a new town square and the award-winning Alsop-designed library. But it’s not just about new buildings. In Bellenden the housing-led renewal scheme smartened up the quadrant, attracted new residents, new businesses and brought about new confidence in the area.
Peckham earmarked for major change
Most significant local developments across the UK are governed by a cascade of national, regional, London-wide and borough-wide plans and constraints.
Under national government targets 10,000 new homes will have to be built across Southwark – some 2,000 in Peckham. There are eight key sites earmarked for development, mainly housing, across Peckham.
Because of its position as a transport hub Peckham has also been identified in the London Mayor’s Plan as an area that will undergo significant change so it will also have its own special ten-year plan – the Peckham Area Action Plan (PAAP).
With more new housing and a young and growing population other services need to respond. People need good transport links and enough leisure facilities. There needs to be a more diverse range of shops locally.
The long-term impact on school places, on doctors’ and dentists’ surgeries and on council services also needs to be planned for.
Transport in Peckham
We are working with Transport for London (Tfl) to consult residents and businesses about two options for the proposed route of the  Cross River Tram, which should bring the tram to Peckham by 2016.
These would see a route linking the square with the bus and rail stations. There is also discussion about building a tram depot there. Once the route has been agreed the detailed planning of this huge project can really begin.
The proposal for the Peckham tram is a vote of confidence in Peckham and will lead the way to significant regeneration in the town centre. In addition, Tfl will pump in additional investment over the next few years to pave the way for the tram.
Part of this work will be to improve pedestrian routes between different types of transport, starting in 2007 with better walking links between the bus station and Peckham Rye station.
Peckham Rye station is due to have a facelift – with the first floor windows being restored. Anti-graffiti barriers will be put up to prevent high-level graffiti. Low-level graffiti is being cleaned off as part of the new cleaning regime, which has transformed the approaches to the station.
Cleaner, Greener, Safer
Peckham Programme team also helps manage the Regeneration Capital Programme, the Cleaner, Greener, Safer (CSG) budget and the Community Fund in the area.
For the fourth year our area has been awarded £800,000 for projects that the community wants in order to make the area more attractive, improve the environment and be safer.
Projects that have just been allocated funding include:
- Transforming the old paddling pool area on Peckham Rye Common into a young people’s natural play area with water features
- An eco toilet on allotments
- New garden areas
- New play areas
We will be inviting applications for the next round of CGS money this spring.
Town centre improvements
Over the next year there will be improvements to the town square and the row of buildings at the junction of Peckham Hill Street that includes Manzes pie shop. The 18th and 19th century facades will get a smart £100,000 facelift.
Wooddene
Further down the road Wooddene estate is being demolished and replaced by 2009 with a smart, energy-efficient new development of homes to rent and buy and some commercial and community space.
The site sits on one of the main roads through London from the South East and Europe and the aim is a planet-friendly building with visual impact.
Spring cleaning
Peckham Programme works closely with the community. At the moment, residents and local business people are joining our environmental walkabouts in Peckham and Nunhead to identify blots on the landscape and to make sure they are dealt with.
For more information
Peckham Programme
Tel: 020 7525 1021
getinvolvedinpeckham@southwark.gov.uk
Sumner House
Sumner Road
Peckham
London SE15 5QS |