Duncombe Hill Green FOI Request on Maintenance Obligations

This post relates to the ongoing and undecided planning application DC/191/111251 - a part of green space previously open to all [and supported in writing by Damien Egan’s response on the matter recently].
Whilst recent Tree Preservation Orders are obviously of use, I thought it reasonable to request from Lewisham’s Greenscene Officers [Peter Maynard and Vince Buchanan] to provide me, as a Lewisham resident, with a copy of any historic contract in which the London Borough of Lewisham agreed to maintain the ‘Green’ in its entirety in order to support an objection to the current development by the new legal and private owner of part of the ‘Green’, which is attempting to exclude the public from a publicly accessible green space.

Unfortunately, Damien Egan’s response addressed Lewisham Council’s legal ownership matters, but did not address Lewisham’s contractual obligations at law to maintain the ‘Green’ at all.

Kindly post any relevant comments on the following and any suggestions on positive, next steps.

Dear Peter Maynard/Vince Buchanan,

I’m sure that both of you are aware on the ongoing situation with this site.

I request from Lewisham’s Greenscene Department a copy of the London Borough of Lewisham’s original contract/agreement with any previous, private landowner of the Duncombe Hill Green site in which London Borough of Lewisham agreed to an ongoing acceptance to maintain the area of the ‘Green’, which has recently been enclosed to exclude public access by the current legal owners and now subject to Planning application DC/19/111251.

Given the immediate concerns of this protracted Planning application from the current, legal owners of part of the site to develop, then I request your response within a reasonable timescale by end of day, Monday, 8th July 2019 prior to my applying for the same information under a Freedom of Information request to the London Borough of Lewisham.

If I have contacted the wrong department for this information, then kindly provide the full contact details of the relevant department by end of day, 4th July 2019.

Yours faithfully,

Mr Austen Jones

Catford resident

It’s going to be interesting to read if anyone can add to the legal debate here. I hope so and would love to read and respond, but I doubt it.
I am the ongoing Chair of Ravensbourne Park Gardens, SE6 [a park volunteer group I set up in September 2014]. For those who don’t know where we are - about 150 metres from Blythe Hill Fields’ most depressing entrance/exit and linked via a single road [Montacute Road].
As such, I appreciate that Duncombe Hill ‘Green’ is, effectively, a green space ‘stepping stone’ to be preserved towards a pedestrian/cycling link Forest Hill.
TPO’s on their own won’t save this site in my view.
However, outlining legal proof of Lewisham Council’s contractual agreement with a private landowner to maintain an open, green space with a previous, legal owner will assist in great measure.
Surely, this is something on which all of us can agree?

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