Streatham Common Rookery closed until further notice

Following a request from the Police, SCoop (the Streatham Common Co-operative) has been asked to close the Rookery Gardens and car park at the top of Streatham Common until further notice.

In a statement, Richard Payne SCoop's director said: "We are obviously disappointed not to be able to keep the Gardens open, but this is perhaps not surprising in the current circumstances.  In recent days the Rookery has been an extremely popular destination, and given the size of the park it is now not possible to keep everyone safe."

The most necessary staff will be kept on site to maintain the gardens and there will be additional patrols during the day to keep an eye on the site.

All events in the park have been cancelled for the foreseeable future.

Staff are continuing to be paid

Community groups fear loss of Streatham Common Lodge

Local parents have set up a petition to try and prevent the loss of the The Lodge at the top of Streatham Common for use by community groups, including the Forest School, which runs each Monday to help children to experience and nurture the natural environment.

The Forest School group has been running at the Lodge every Monday since April 2013. Children play outdoors in all weathers in a safe environment. They have craft and cooking activities, play in the wooded area at the top of the common, help with conservation work and pursue other outdoor activities under the supervision of the parents.

Streatham Common Co-op to debate council's huge cuts to parks budget

The Streatham Common Co-operative / SCCoop will be debating the huge council cuts coming to parks budgets next year on Thursday 8th October.  

Residents are being invited to hear about the options from 2016 when SCCoop takes on Streatham Common, and highlight the services matter most.

The event will also be SCCoop's AGM and takes place from 7.30pm – 9.30pm at The Hideaway, 2 Empire Mews, Streatham, SW16 2BF

There will also be an update on how feedback from the last AGM was used.

Elections will take place on the night. If you are interested in standing for election to the Board, and application pack can be found here. You need to send your completed nomination form by Wednesday 30th September. here

You can book your free tickets for the AGM here

The proposed agenda is available here

Petition to bring Streatham railway services back into public hands

Commuters from Streatham's railway stations are understandably sick and tired of the poor service they receive.

We have launched a petition today, calling for:

1. The Management of London Bridge Station to come back under TfL

2. Southern, Southeastern and Thameslink franchises to come back into public ownership

The Green Party is the only party calling for the railways to come back into public hands, with Labour still supporting the right of private companies to bid for rail franchises.

You can sign the petition here.

Friday Fun: An apology to Streatham Conservatives

We feel we should apologise to Streatham Conservatives, who after seeing this picture, believed that fracking had begun on Streatham Common (see this tweet).

They have been discussing it excitedly on twitter.

However we can happily confirm there is in fact no fracking rig on the Common (although we should add that it would be visible from a 4 x 4 driving along the road by the side of the Common).

It is true that a Conservative Government has issued a licence which would permit exploratory fracking in the South of Streatham. It is also true that the Government is currently consulting on a licence that would cover the rest of Streatham. We are also aware that there is significant support among Conservatives for fracking locally. However, for this to happen several consents need to be obtained, including permission from Lambeth Council (which is why we have launched this petition asking Lambeth to identify the powers that it has in order to oppose it).

The original picture is of some of us standing on Streatham Common. But as Streatham Conservatives have now astutely deduced after trawling the internet, the fracking rig isn't actually there on the Common. It was added to illustrate the potential impact on the area in the event fracking went ahead.

We should point out that no other residents have been in touch to ask where the fracking rig is. Nevertheless, we understand that the absence of an actual rig on the Common will be a disappointment to Streatham Conservatives.

To cheer them up here are some other pictures we took while we were there at the Common a few weeks ago.

(More info on fracking and a link to the petition here)

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(We also stopped by the new Leisure Centre opposite the Common to highlight the low pay of employees there where we bumped into council leader Lib Peck. Sadly, she didn't stick around for a photo).

Streatham Community Garden BBQ and harvesting workshop - 4th and 18th August

There has been lots going on at the Streatham Common Community Garden. Over 250 visitors came on the Rookery Centenary weekend including many families and lots of people who had never been to the garden before, and the official opening of the Heritage Fruit Garden last Tuesday was also well-attended

There are two more events coming up:

Annual Summer BBQ, Sunday 4 August, 12-4pm

The community will be taking it easy in the garden this Sunday and cooking up a feast. Local people are invited to come along, bring your friends and food to share.

Harvesting Workshop for Families, Sunday 18 August, 10.30am-12pm

The community garden will be hosting a Summer Harvesting Workshop as part of Streatham Food Festival. This will be a chance for families to discover what's ready in the garden at the peak of Summer and how long it's taken to grow, learn how to recognise when a crop is ready, and have a go at harvesting.

A local chef will be creating a seasonal dish using the produce in the Demonstration Tent on Streatham Green on Sunday from 3-4pm so if you can't make the workshop you can go along to taste the harvest and get some ideas to try at home. (Workshop places are limited so email Charlotte at streathamcommunitygarden (at) gmail.com to reserve your place).

Streatham Common Community Garden Spring activities

Streatham Common Community Garden has a number of spring workshops and activities coming up.

Edible hedge workshop - noon this Sunday 10th March

The community garden is all set to put in a new 'edible' hedge in the woodland garden area at the bottom of the site featuring hazel, blackthorn, elder and more. As part of this, there will be a free workshop this Sunday 10 March, 12-4pm on hedge planting, including going through different species that make a good hedge, encourage wildlife and yield crops, plus the tools and techniques for effective planting.

Fruit growing workshops, Sun 17 & 24 March

The top section of the site is being turned into a heritage fruit garden with apples, pears, figs and more (thanks to funding from Streatham Action's Active Streatham OLF Project). The area has now been cleared and fruit trees delivered, so planting is set to begin on Sun 17 March in the first of two workshops led by fruit expert Paul Richens:

- 10am-3pm, 17 March - introduction to fruit growing, setting up posts and wire frameworks for cordons, fans and espaliers

- 10am-3pm, 24 March - introduction to fruit growing, successful planting and siting of fruit trees and bushes, attaching to supports

There are a few places left for each workshop, available on a first-come, first-served. To register, email streathamcommunitygarden (at) gmail.com with your name, number and email, saying which workshop you want to attend. Refreshments and lunch are being provided. Workshops are free but donations are appreciated.


Big seed sowing session - Sun 7 Apr

Streatham Common Kite Day has been postponed until the summer due to the Common being so wet.  Instead of getting involved in Kite Day on 7 April, there will be a big seed sowing session. All are welcome, and participants are invited to bring along budding young gardeners and any spare seeds, especially unusual and heritage varieties.

Community gardening - every Sun, 12-4pm (except Easter)

From now until winter there will be community gardening every Sunday 12-4pm (except Easter Sunday). There is always a range of jobs to suit all - from digging to sowing to making tea. 

You can find the Community Garden through the door in the wall at the bottom of the Rookery. There are tools and gloves, but if you can bring your own (especially gloves), please do. Wear sturdy footwear and clothes suitable for gardening and weather-appropriate. Kids are welcome, as long as they're closely supervised. Sign in on arrival. All abilities welcome!

Streatham Common Kite Day rescheduled for 16th June

The 15th Streatham Common Kite Day which was due to be held on 7th April 2013 from 11.00am to 5.00pm has been postponed.  It will now take place on 16th June.

Due to circumstances completely beyond the organisers control – namely the terrible wet winter weather – the Common has become heavily waterlogged and it was not believed that the ground will be sufficiently dry for Kite day to take place.

The Kite Day Committee however says that it will still feature:

• Brighton Kite Fliers – with their large display kites
• Team Spectrum – with their sensational kite displays to music
• Cascade Kite Displays – Kevin and Janet and their large display kites

The Highwaymen will have their stall and will be selling kites and anything kite related.

The Lambeth Sustainable Travel team are providing a free Dr Bike service – so you can bring your bike for a free bike fix and have a chat about sustainable travel options and support. 

Food and other non-kite things will include:

• Ishmael’s Mother - original Asian cooking
• FoodBums - vegetarian chilli
• hog roast
• real coffee stall
• pancakes
• burgers, hot dogs, ice cream
• bouncy castle
• face painting

More info at the Streatham Common Kite Day website here

Centenary of the Streatham Common Rookery - public meeting Thurs 17th January

In July 2013, the Rookery Garden at the top of Streatham Hill (on Streatham Common) will be 100 years old.

The Friends of Streatham Common and the Streatham Community Garden are working with Lambeth Council to celebrate the anniversary and are inviting local people to be involved.

It follows the petition, now signed by almost 600 local people, to restore the Rookery after years of underinvestment. The petition also calls for the Rookery to be maintained permanently at a standard that befits its Grade II listed status and obtain Green Flag status to help protect it for the longer term.

The Friends of Streatham Common has been working with the council to put together a plan to restore the Rookery, raise its profile within the council, and look for external funding and help where appropriate.

Local people are being invited to come and hear about the plans at a public meeting in the school hall at Immanuel and St Andrew School starting at 6.30pm (for 7.00pm) next Thursday 17th January. They are also being asked to consider how they can be involved.

You can just turm up, or if you want to get more information contact friendsofstreathamcommon (at) gmail.com or visit the website.

Fireworks on Streatham Common - 2nd November

This year's fireworks display on Streatham Common will take place on Friday 2 November, (and not the usual 5th November of previous years).

The event is free and opens at 4.00pm. There will be a funfair, roaming entertainers (including stilt walkers, fire dancers) and craft and food stalls. The 20-minute display with music takes place at 8.00pm.

Lambeth Council is not allowing sparklers, fireworks for personal use or Chinese lanterns at the event. They are also asking people to travel by foot or public transport as there will be no parking around the Common.

There is more information here on the Lambeth Website

Meeting about changes in management of Streatham Common - 24th October

There will be an open meeting next Wednesday 24th October for local people to put their questions about who should manage Streatham Common, which is being facilitated by the Friends of Streatham Common.

The issue has arisen as a result of Lambeth's 'co-op' policy, in which it is transferring its services and assets away from council control in varying degrees. Lambeth's co-op approach has come under significant fire recently, for being a front for budget cuts, a form of privatisation and not providing enough resourcing for the groups who might be involved.

There are already concerns about the state of the Streatham Common Rookery and the years of under-investment, with a petition for further investment in it being recently launched.

The meeting will take place at 8.00pm in the Sainsbury's cafe opposite Streatham Common.

The options for managing Streatham Common that are being discussed include:

- Giving Friends' groups more say over spending priorities,

- Transferring management of the whole Common to an independent trust

- Something in-between involving schools and other local groups.

The meeting is being advertised as a chance to put views and ask questions to councillors and council officers. This say Friends of Streatham Common, will help the group understand local opinion and make sure they support the right options and don’t end up with a solution that nobody wants, or see opportunities missed that are taken up by other parks and open spaces.

The meeting is open to anyone and refreshments will be provided

For further information you can email: friendsofstreathamcommon (at) gmail.com

Streatham Common Community Garden is one year old!

Streatham Community Garden is one year old, and all volunteers and helpers are being invited to a community BBQ this Sunday 16 September (12-4pm).

As might be expected, plans are afoot about how some of the harvest can be turned into tasty cooked food, but attenders are also being encouraged to bring along a contribution - especially if its home-grown - and something to drink.

Streatham Community Garden can be found through the door in the wall at the bottom of the Rookery. People will be gathering from around 10.30am for those who want to turn up early to help with odd jobs and preparations for the celebration.

In the meantime Streatham Common Community Garden continues to be open for community gardening every Sunday 12-4pm, and will continue to be until the weather turns bad!

There are a few more events and activities planned for the coming weeks:

12pm, Sunday 30 Sept - soil workshop by Groundwork London: covering soil testing, contamination, and growing on contaminated soil using raised beds

1pm, Sunday 21 Oct - building bee and bug boxes: a great one for families, and to help give pollinating insects somewhere to keep cosy over the winter months!

If you have expertise you can share with others at the garden, or ideas for activities, you can email streathamcommunitygarden (at) gmail.com, visit the Facebook page or Tweet.

Water buts and self-watering demo at Streatham Community Garden

Streatham Community Garden (located next to the Rookery at the top of Streatham Common) is holding a demo of self watering containers and water buts this Sunday, 29th July.

The demonstration starts at 1pm - a useful guide for hot and dry periods, and if you're going on holiday. Plus they'll be setting up our water butts (and showing you how) with help from Iain Boulton from Lambeth Council. You can also get tips on what you can plant now. If you can, those coming are also asked to bring: plastic bottles; a shallow, watertight tray; an old towel/tea-towel; small bag of sand.

Streatham Community Garden is open for community gardening every Sunday 12-4pm until the end of August.

With the new hot weather, they are also in real need of more helpers to assist with weeding, watering, planting out, and harvesting so do go along. You can turn up anytime between 12-4pm, and do as much or as little as you fancy.

You'll find them through the door in the wall at the bottom of the Rookery. You can drop by any time 12-4pm any Sunday. They have tools and gardening gloves, but if you can bring your own (especially gloves), please do in case they run short. Wear sturdy footwear and clothes that are suitable for gardening and weather-appropriate. Kids are welcome.