WESTCOMBE NEWS

June 1999 Issue 6

Inside this Issue

Tide Turns For Greenwich Yacht Club

The tide has turned for Greenwich Yacht club which is now set to

see in the millennium from its new premises at Peartree Wharf

alongside the New Millennium Village.

The Club, founded in 1908, with more than 200 members, will be

the first river - based recreational facility established on the New

Millennium Village site. It expects to move from its existing

premises off River Way, Greenwich, to a new Clubhouse on

Peartree Wharf by the end of the year.

Club Commodore, Norman Crawford, said "For the past couple

of years it has been a question of anchoring and hoping in the

middle of the massive Millennium building site. Our main access

road on River Way has been dug up, and half of our boatyard and

our workshop and lockers have been demolished to make way for

the development. When we lifted our boats into the water last

month, we had to hire an extra long crane to lift our craft over the

new riverside walkway that is still being built. But we have

persevered and now our members are looking forward to seeing

in the Millennium from our new premises."

"We have had strong support from Greenwich councillors and

English Partnerships, who are in charge of the Millennium Village

development, because they appreciate how important it is to work

in partnership with the Borough’s only river based sailing club on

the Thames."

Greenwich Yacht Club is a non-profit making club run entirely by

its own members. Mr. Crawford said, "We were founded by

Greenwich water men and people who worked on the River as a

boating club for ordinary people. We still have that non stuck-up

atmosphere and we want to keep it that way. Our pleasure is in

boating and good company, so we welcome anyone who shares

this outlook and we look forward to being a lively part of the New

Millennium Village. "The move to our new premises alongside

this exciting development opens up new opportunities. We already

host professionally recognised sailing classes and we hope to

develop wider educational and river related activities in our new

premises. To boost this side of our activities, our members will be

considering whether to seek charitable status to make the most of

the recreational activity on the Thames that our Club provides.

"Later this month we shall be putting the draft terms of a new 25

year lease for our new premises to our members. Once that has

been agreed we will be ready to move in time for the Millennium."

Spectacular views for new club

Architects Frankl and Luty of London, received planning

permission for the Greenwich Yacht Club last October. They are

designing boat building sheds, a cafe and classrooms that will

surround a yard open to the Thames. The plans are for the

clubhouse to be built on an existing jetty situated out in the river,

with a pontoon and slipway allowing access at low water. The

position will afford spectacular views from the bar and terraces of

the Millennium Dome and the Thames barrier.

What can be done?

61 Westcombe Park Road.

For the past nine months the Environment Committee has attempted to come up with

some answers about 61 Westcombe Park Road. Since then Westcombe News has

received a number of letters from local residents expressing concern about this

property. At the end of May, there was still no sign of repair work beginning. The

premises are, though, somewhat more secure than was the case earlier this year.

Councillor Alex Grant, Vanbrugh Ward, has been asking council officers about the

property and there is still nothing positive to report. Except for reasons of

environmental health, the council has no powers at its disposal to force the owner to

repair it. The owner is probably lying low, waiting for his insurance claim to be

accepted.

Any illegal action such as the possibility of an insurance scam can only be resolved

in the courts. It would not be a council matter. The only action the council can take,

regardless of how bad the condition of the property becomes, is to order the owner

to restore the property to its original state. The only good news among this frustrating

inaction is that the council will not accept any revised application that might propose

the demolition of the building.

Another property standing empty under similarly mysterious circumstances and

owned by the same person is the old Nurses’ Home in St. John’s Park. This property

is at present inadequately supported by scaffolding at the front and rear and has

recently had its roof removed following a fire. The Old Nurses’ Home lies open to

the elements and decay. It is not in the Vanbrugh Ward, and outside the Westcombe

Society area, but Councillor Grant has said he would pass on the Society’s concerns

to the Blackheath Ward Councillor Rhodri Harris.

We will continue to update you through Westcombe News about the sorry state of

affairs surrounding these two properties.