Who?
My name is James. I have lived in the area since 2009. I have two children and I was the weekday carer for both of them for about 10 years in total, whilst juggling a career as a self employed photographer.
Since 2023, I have been litterpicking the area around Bell Green, often with my two school-age children.
We litterpicked on the way to school, on the way back from school and sometimes after school.
We tackled the bushes at the edge of Sainsburys car park, the borders around the Gas Holder site and the land around Orchard and Pear Tree court. We found litter that was hidden away under bushes and bagged it. In two years, we collected over 1000 bags of litter.
Why?
Why did we do this? The main reason was to find a way to distract the kids on the way to ‘I don’t want to go to school’. We would set off a bit earlier and spend some time cleaning up around the kids’ school.
Once we started picking up litter, it was eye-opening. Many people see litter around them so much that they become immune to it. They accept it and stop noticing it. But suddenly people were seeing these two kids running around with litter pickers, practically fighting over a discarded can, in their school uniforms. And we kept the streets cleaner for more of the day.
After about 6-9 months of repeated cleaning of pavements, behind walls, on green spaces and privately owned land, the litter began to decline. Locations that were previously a dead cert for litter were suddenly clear. The tide seemed to be turning. And with it we were starting to understand where the litter was accumulating and where it was coming from. But tackling some of those problems depends on Lewisham Council…
Gas Holder Loss
Bell Green has seen a far bit of change over the years, but the loss of the gas holders was probably the most pivotal moment that inspired me to try to change the area I live in for the better.
I went to the meetings. I wrote the emails. I learned a lot about Gas Holders and the gas industry. I even started travelling around to photograph them before and during demolition. I saw them as increasingly rare landmarks, a rare surviving ‘pair’ and a fairly fine example of Victorian architecture.
Despite the first planning application, to demolish them for an Aldi store, being rejected, and Lewisham Council then designating them as locally listed, the council approved their demolition. Without any application for an alternative use in existence. We ended up with years of fenced off, derelict land.
Direct Action
When the Gas Holders were lost, I was involved in more meetings, to create a Neighbourhood Forum with the promise of being able to create a neighbourhood plan to direct future development, aware that redevelopment of the retail park would come at some point. I would rather see a well thought out scheme that creates a neighbourhood, than a random collection of whatever developers chuck at the site.
After years of meetings and a successful local referendum, Lewisham Council rejected the application. They claimed the area being applied for was too large and set out a far smaller area, the retail park and some houses to the north and south. This meant most members of the group were now ineligible to make it valid.
Feeling quite fed up of trying to play the game and just ending up feeling frustrated, again, I started to focus on direct action. Litter. But not just clearing litter. I wanted to answer the questions as to why it is there and find solutions.
Which is why I am now trying to change the environment into something people want to look after.
It feels like Lewisham Council has abandoned Bell Green and seems happy to allow the neglect to continue unchallenged. It’s time to gain their attention.
