Last week plans were announced that left Peckham’s Copeland Park and famous Bussey Building with an uncertain future.
However, the proposed development of 11 luxury apartments, an additional 2 storeys and 8 retail units in the Bussey corridor and courtyard has been halted due to widespread public disapproval.
Located on 133 Rye Lane and housed within the Copeland Park Industrial Park, the 120 year old multipurpose arts space is home the CLF Art Café, Rooftop Cinema Club and Rye Wax vinyl shop alongside 60 studio spaces utilised by freelancers, small businesses and faith groups.
The versatile multi-level warehouse has become a local hotspot and nationally respected arts venue hosting everything from club nights to theatre performances.
The building was saved from demolition plans to become a TFL tram depot in 2010 through local campaigning and is now protected, falling under the Peckham conservation area. Appendix B: Southwark Plan proposals sites states that:
'Mixed-use development should be centred around the retention of the historic Bussey Building (identified on our local list) and should include new public realm improvements to provide space for new residents, workers and visitors. Part of the site lies within the Rye Lane Peckham conservation area, and development on this site should conserve and enhance its heritage setting.
In the past few years a number of creative industries have appeared on the site and in the Bussey building. There is opportunity to build on this and create a new cultural and creative quarter for Peckham to attract visitors from outside the area.'
Do you want some luxury flats you can't afford or a thriving creative community? #SaveBusseyhttps://t.co/lNkqTRqM6ipic.twitter.com/SLvq53JE01
— Rooftop Film Club (@rooftopfilmclub) November 14, 2015
Mikey Smith, founder of the CLF café told Time Out that these latest development plans would have a significant impact on Peckham’s community:
‘It would kill Peckham’s creative scene because the precedent would be set that money is being valued over creativity. Projects like the Bussey have put so much creativity into the area, so for that to have to move somewhere else entirely would be a massive loss.
People used to have to leave Peckham to go out – now they can stay around the area, but it’s getting to the situation where they’re going to have to leave again because there’s nothing here. It cuts out the heart of any community.’
The change.org petition states that it could be accountable for the loss of up to 700 jobs, claiming that the ‘scheme was conceived and designed without discussion or consultation with any of the directly affected parties such as The CLF / Bussey and Copeland Park’.
They believe that the introduction of residential apartments at 133 Rye Lane is ‘fundamentally wrong and will stop Peckham’s creative and cultural rise dead in its tracks’ and that it marks ‘the on-set of full-blown gentrification’ in Peckham – what do you think?