We'll publish the latest news about the Longton Nursery Allotments Association site in Sydenham on this page, including wildlife updates, requests for help in keeping our communal areas in good order, AGM info and so on.
2024 - Volunteer Work Weekends
We are running volunteer work days on the first weekend of the month for the next couple of months which means we are having our first Weekend Work Party this Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd March from 10am - 2pm and we have lots of various tasks to be getting on with.
Dates for the Diary
Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd March 2024
Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th April 2024
Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th May 2024 – (May Day Holiday Monday 6th May 2024)
Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd June 2024
Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th July 2024
There is also a list of jobs that we can all be getting on with if you can't make the weekends but would like to volunteer some time in the week. Check out the boards.
Dates for the Diary
Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd March 2024
Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th April 2024
Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th May 2024 – (May Day Holiday Monday 6th May 2024)
Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd June 2024
Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th July 2024
There is also a list of jobs that we can all be getting on with if you can't make the weekends but would like to volunteer some time in the week. Check out the boards.
Frogs in the spotlight
We had a wonderful site visit from Emily and Emily of the charity Froglife. LNAA members learnt how to identify the most common kinds of amphibians and reptiles that we're likely to encounter on the allotment site. Our large pond and bog is absolutely teeming with newts, and frogs utilise the pond each spring to lay large amounts of spawn, so it is fantastic that we now know a little bit more about their behaviour and how we can continue to help them. It’s amazing to think that only 1 in 50 of eggs spawned will make it to froglet stage! We had a most enjoyable afternoon and more information about the work that Froglife do can be found at https://www.froglife.org/
Froglife have made a brief film about their work, and specifically the T.O.A.D project, featuring the LNAA site. You can watch it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ4CCAsCzvg&feature=youtu.be
Pictures by Emily Robinson, Froglife
Froglife have made a brief film about their work, and specifically the T.O.A.D project, featuring the LNAA site. You can watch it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ4CCAsCzvg&feature=youtu.be
Pictures by Emily Robinson, Froglife
AGM and other updates
ATTN ALL LNAA MEMBERS!
KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR EMAILS CONFIRMING THE DATE OF THE LNAA AGM
DATE, LOCATION AND AGENDA TBC
ITEMS FOR AGENDA CAN BE SENT TO [email protected]
Recent updates:
KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR EMAILS CONFIRMING THE DATE OF THE LNAA AGM
DATE, LOCATION AND AGENDA TBC
ITEMS FOR AGENDA CAN BE SENT TO [email protected]
Recent updates:
- Please read the newsletters (sent by email to members) and if you are able to lend a hand with any of the site jobs listed please email the Secretary at the address above.
- There are a number of sheds, greenhouses and other structures on the site that are in a poor or damaged condition. Our Tenancy Agreement requires plot-holders to keep these in good repair, properly glazed in the case of greenhouses and safe so please carry out any remedial works as soon as possible and before the winter sets in if there are any on your plot. We have wood preservative stored in the metal cupboard in the communal shed if you need any.
- There’s a pile of wood chippings (new delivery every month or so) available to plot-holders for paths etc outside the Churchley Road gate. There is compost and plenty of manure available at the Markwell Close end of the site - get it while you can!
- The Management Committee has applied for further funding from the Lewisham Mayors Greening fund for central path repairs - we will update members if we are successful and if/when the work will be carried out
- The composting toilet is now fully operational
We're the best in Lewisham!
Longton Nursery was named the borough's Best Allotment Site at the latest Lewisham Self-Managed Allotments Association annual awards evening. We picked up the Jayne Cobbold cup at the Sydenham Centre after a vote on the night. Rachel (plot 19b) won the site's Best Newcomer award and narrowly missed out on first prize in the category for the whole borough. Stephen and Graham on plot 6 won the Best Plot on site award.
The Longton Nursery Management Committee thanks everyone on the site for all their hard work in making it the best in the borough, as well as the LSMAA team who organised the awards event, Cllr Sophie McGeevor who presented the prizes and Lewisham's allotments officer Peter Maynard.
The Longton Nursery Management Committee thanks everyone on the site for all their hard work in making it the best in the borough, as well as the LSMAA team who organised the awards event, Cllr Sophie McGeevor who presented the prizes and Lewisham's allotments officer Peter Maynard.
Dates for your diary
The LNAA AGM date tbc - Check your in-box (and spam)!
Mayor's Greening Fund
The association has applied for a number of items from the Mayor of Lewisham's Greening Fund 2021.
Management Committee will add further updates as and when more info is available.
Management Committee will add further updates as and when more info is available.
Planning application rejected again
Plans for two four-bedroom detached houses on land next to 5 Churchley Road have been rejected on appeal. This follows the previous refusal for a block of flats on the site, which cuts into Longton Nursery at the Churchley Road end. The appeal inspector Rory MacLeod concluded: “There would be benefits arising from the provision of two additional homes on a small site in a sustainable location that has the potential to be built out quickly, and in enhancements to Churchley Road. However, these benefits would be substantially outweighed by the harm to the character of the area, to the oak tree and to biodiversity.“
Reporting on the impact of the homes on our site, he said: “Their proximity to the boundaries with the allotments, siting on higher ground and massing would result in a considerable and conspicuous built presence and overlooking of the adjacent open space.” He added that the harm identified by the original appeal inspector in relation to “a considerable and negative effect on the amenity value of the allotments and on their valued character” had not been overcome. Mr MacLeod was particularly concerned about the potential damage the building work would cause to the protected oak tree on the development site as well as on biodiversity in the area, which is in part the result of the presence of the tree.
May 2019
Reporting on the impact of the homes on our site, he said: “Their proximity to the boundaries with the allotments, siting on higher ground and massing would result in a considerable and conspicuous built presence and overlooking of the adjacent open space.” He added that the harm identified by the original appeal inspector in relation to “a considerable and negative effect on the amenity value of the allotments and on their valued character” had not been overcome. Mr MacLeod was particularly concerned about the potential damage the building work would cause to the protected oak tree on the development site as well as on biodiversity in the area, which is in part the result of the presence of the tree.
May 2019
B&Q donates wood preservative
B&Q's Community Re-use Scheme has come up trumps for us and on top of donating some decking boards to the association, they've also given us a few gallons of top quality Ronseal Fence Life wood preservative. It's for general use around the site and can be used to keep sheds, fences, new path edging, new and old wooden furniture and so on in good order. You can find it in the communal shed if you want to make use of it. Thanks to B&Q for their generosity!
Planning application rejected
The latest planning application to build homes on the garden at No 5 Churchley Road has been rejected by Lewisham planners.
Our members and neighbours worked long and hard in campaigning against the plan, this time for two detached four-bedroomed houses on a plot that sits within the boundary of the allotments, with plots on three sides. We claimed the homes would have a detrimental effect on the site, the large oak tree covered by a Tree Preservations Order and the biodiversity of the area, as well as impacting the wider amenity value for our neighbours.
In refusing the application, the council said the development ‘would have an adverse impact upon the open nature and character of the existing area’, ‘would lead to the demise of the [oak] tree in the foreseeable future due to the significant root loss and canopy reduction’ and that ‘insufficient details have been submitted to demonstrate that the proposed development would not impact detrimentally upon biodiversity in the area, including protected species’.
The council’s decision follows the earlier rejection of a block of flats on the plot, a refusal that was upheld by the Government planning inspector on appeal. The LNAA committee would like to thank all those members and neighbours who attended meetings, carried out research, wrote the objection documents, liaised with the council and did so much more to get to this point. During the research we discovered that we have at least four different species of bat using the site to forage! We’d also like to thank all those councillors who opposed the plan and who, in doing so, recognised the value that green space brings to our urban inner city borough.
The developers may appeal the decision, in which case we'll be ready to lodge our objections.
November 2018
Our members and neighbours worked long and hard in campaigning against the plan, this time for two detached four-bedroomed houses on a plot that sits within the boundary of the allotments, with plots on three sides. We claimed the homes would have a detrimental effect on the site, the large oak tree covered by a Tree Preservations Order and the biodiversity of the area, as well as impacting the wider amenity value for our neighbours.
In refusing the application, the council said the development ‘would have an adverse impact upon the open nature and character of the existing area’, ‘would lead to the demise of the [oak] tree in the foreseeable future due to the significant root loss and canopy reduction’ and that ‘insufficient details have been submitted to demonstrate that the proposed development would not impact detrimentally upon biodiversity in the area, including protected species’.
The council’s decision follows the earlier rejection of a block of flats on the plot, a refusal that was upheld by the Government planning inspector on appeal. The LNAA committee would like to thank all those members and neighbours who attended meetings, carried out research, wrote the objection documents, liaised with the council and did so much more to get to this point. During the research we discovered that we have at least four different species of bat using the site to forage! We’d also like to thank all those councillors who opposed the plan and who, in doing so, recognised the value that green space brings to our urban inner city borough.
The developers may appeal the decision, in which case we'll be ready to lodge our objections.
November 2018
Well done to our award winners!
Congratulations to the winners from Longton Nursery at this year's Lewisham Self-Managed Allotments Association awards. Rob on 17 picked up the award for the best plot on the site and Tim and Emma (plot 18a) celebrated as best newcomers. A big well done to Sue who won the Best Allotment Photo prize (and takes many of the photos for this site and our Instagram account). The annual awards were held on 6 October at Prendergast School in Brockley and new Lewisham Mayor Damien Egan handed out the prizes to the award winners.
The pictures below from left show Damien Egan with Rob's daughters Rose and Eve, Sue's winning photo and prize, a table laden with nominees for the most impressive vegetable award and all the prizes lined up ahead of the presentation.
October 2018
The pictures below from left show Damien Egan with Rob's daughters Rose and Eve, Sue's winning photo and prize, a table laden with nominees for the most impressive vegetable award and all the prizes lined up ahead of the presentation.
October 2018
Follow us on Instagram
If you've got an Instagram account, you can now follow the comings and goings at Longton Nursery on the photo social media app. Just search for the account @lnallotmentsse26 and you'll find a wealth of great pictures of fruit and veg, our events, flowers and wildlife. Even if you don't have an account you can see the pictures here.
How we can help our hedgehogs
Members turned up to an excellent talk on hedgehogs given by Emma Pooley of London Wildlife Trust's Urban Urchins project at the Grove Centre in Jews Walk. She gave us lots of useful information on how we can help encourage hedgehogs on the allotments - read the details here - and report sightings to help build a map of where they live in London. The food and drinks were great too!
Be safe on the site
Following Lewisham Council allotments officer's recent site visit, we've been asked to remind all LNAA members that children are welcome on the site but, according to the terms of the Tenancy Agreement, they must be properly supervised by a responsible adult at all times. In particular, children must be accompanied by an adult while around the pond.
We urge you, your family and/or visitors to the site to take care while working on and enjoying the allotments during the coming growing season.
We urge you, your family and/or visitors to the site to take care while working on and enjoying the allotments during the coming growing season.
Caterpillars and biting insects!
There are a few health and safety issues that the LNAA Committee would like you to be aware of on the site currently:
- The Oak Processionary Caterpillar has been present in the south of England and London in particular and although this seems to be mostly affecting areas in SW London, several cases of infestation were reported in Lewisham and Croydon boroughs last year. We're in the vicinity of a large veteran Oak tree, so please be aware of this if you see any particularly hairy caterpillars. They are toxic and can cause a nasty rash. Info can be found on the BBC website and also the Forestry Commission.
- Finally, with the weather warming up please take care working on your plots during May and June as the Blandford Fly is present on the site. It can cause an unpleasant reaction if you're bitten and it's advisable to wear insect repellent.
Celebrate our 2017 winners
We may not have won the Best Site cup this year (well done to Knapmill Allotments for taking the title) but the Lewisham Self-Managed Allotments Association social was very enjoyable. Congratulations go to Nigel (plot 30) who won Best Plot at LNAA and narrowly missed out on first prize in the category for the whole borough, and Anna (plot 15) who won Best Newcomer (LNAA).
5 Churchley Road planning appeal dismissed
The planning appeal for the development of a large block of 6 flats in the garden at 5 Churchley Road (development ref: DC/16/095900) has been dismissed by Planning Inspector Tim Wood, who visited the site in January 2017.
The detrimental effect of the proposals on the allotments features strongly in his dismissal of the appeal, and credit goes to all members who work hard to maintain their plots and who are committed to ensuring the secure future of the Longton Nursery Allotments site as a valuable resource and local amenity.
Thanks also go to those individual members who generously gave their time and professional skills to help put together the objection and comments for the Planning Inspectorate. The details of the Inspectors decision can be seen in the pdf below.
The detrimental effect of the proposals on the allotments features strongly in his dismissal of the appeal, and credit goes to all members who work hard to maintain their plots and who are committed to ensuring the secure future of the Longton Nursery Allotments site as a valuable resource and local amenity.
Thanks also go to those individual members who generously gave their time and professional skills to help put together the objection and comments for the Planning Inspectorate. The details of the Inspectors decision can be seen in the pdf below.
planning-appeal.pdf | |
File Size: | 141 kb |
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