Regeneration Begins

Making a real difference in SE15

Nunhead and Peckham Rye has been directly and indirectly affected by the massive regeneration project in Peckham, to the north of Rye Lane, which was awarded a £60 million single renewal budget (SRB) grant for a seven year programme to run from 1995 to 2002.

At the time it was to be the biggest scheme of its kind in Europe, attracting millions of pounds of additional funding. To run the project the Peckham Partnership was formed. It included private, public and voluntary sector partners.

The scheme was focused on housing, but its other aims included reducing local unemployment improving opportunity, reviving an ailing town centre and making the area safer and more attractive.

Peckham Programme came into being to support the continued regeneration of the whole of SE15. The drive to improve the quality of life for all residents saw several projects come to fruition in addition to the redevelopment of the five estates.

A new town square was created and the award winning Will Alsop designed library put central Peckham back on the map.

In Bellenden, the housing led renewal scheme gave grants for new roofs and railings for many of the privately owned houses in multiple occupation that are prevalent in the area. The improvements smartened up the area and attracted new young professionals followed by niche shops, bars and restaurants.

Nationally renowned artists or designers, such as Anthony Gormley, Tom Phillips and Zandra Rhodes designed street furniture as part of the Bellenden project.

Future Nunhead and Peckham Rye

Over the next few years SE15 will see a great deal of physical change. In the shorter term, we need some quick fixes that will make an immediate impact on the environment.

There is no denying the challenges involved in helping to fully regenerate the Nunhead and Peckham Rye Community Council area. To do this we need to enhance the physical appearance of the neighbourhood, foster the best possible life chances for people living or growing up in Peckham and harness the strength and creativity of our community for the course of the journey.

We want the residents of SE15 to have a clean, safe, attractive environment with quality buildings, open spaces, arts and leisure facilities and pockets of local interest. We want modern new transport links. From small neighbourhood quick fix greening schemes to the major redevelopment of the centre of Peckham and some 2,000 new homes by 2016 we will work with the community to transform our space.

Short term changes

Peckham Programme is a junction box for all the departments and organisations that look after safety and the quality of the local environment.

This includes providing support for the Cleaner, Greener, Safer (CGS) programme and working with partners and the community to help reduce crime and the fear of crime. Many of these are residents' proposals. Each small thing makes a big difference for those residents who have asked for the improvement.

A safer town centre

Like many shopping areas, Rye Lane attracts crimes such as theft. Smaller independent businesses without security floorwalkers are often vulnerable to shoplifting and antisocial behaviour.

Peckham Programme has issued 134 town centre businesses with alert boxes connecting them to each other and the community safety team. More businesses are signing up every day.

There is similar support for the night-time economy with two-way radios for take away shops and cab offices. In summer 2006 Pub and Club Watch was set up for owners, landlords and licensees to keep in touch with each other and tackle issues they have in common.

Medium term

As well as keeping on top of day-to-day maintenance and gradual improvements to the local environment, we are committed to bringing about real change and keeping residents involved at every stage.

Wooddene

Wooddene estate on Queens Road has been demolished and is being 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 into London from the South East and Europe and the aim is a planet friendly building with visual impact.

Both Wooddene on Queens Road and the rail stations are gateways to SE15 so improving them will have the same first impression as a smartly painted front door.

Station improvements

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.

There is a proposal to open up the area in front of the station and transform it into a piazza. Read Peckham Rye Station: the Case for Change (pdf 1.73 Mb) to find out more about the proposed project to improve the station and its local environment (report produced July 2008).

Queens Road station will also get a facelift.

Smarter streets

Some £1.2 million is being spent in Astbury Road and Colls Road to spruce up the area, with new garden walls, windows and roofs for houses where there are low income households.

Two areas, Nunhead Lane and Evelina Road and Meeting House Lane, have £450,000 each earmarked for improvements from smarter shop fronts to new paving to public art. The consultations with residents on how to spend the money kicked off in 2008.

Arts and sports facilities

We're working with the London University of the Arts to build the Peckham Pier, an exhibition space on the town square. We're looking at building a multiuse games area in Melon Road next to the Pulse with basketball and five a side football.

Long term

There are big changes coming to Peckham and Nunhead. We need to grasp new opportunities while preserving our heritage and character.

There are between 8 and 12 sites earmarked for possible development in SE15. Much of this space will be used for housing as our share of government targets.

In addition the Aylesham centre will be redeveloped into a bigger and better shopping area. Area 10, better known as the old Whitten Timber yard, will be redeveloped as an events and entertainment complex, thus completing the transformation of the town square into our cultural quarter.

Other changes, including new health provision, will come about through Future Peckham: Peckham Area Action Plan. This plan will change the face of the town centre and your experience of the area.

Contact us

Peckham Programme
Tel: 020 7525 1021
getinvolvedinpeckham@southwark.gov.uk
9 Blenheim Grove
SE15 4QS