The hot topic of Forest Hill needs an answer from me. After weeks of reading the debates on http://www.se23.com/, attending the briefing session by the station and putting aside the pamphlet of 3 choices that has been sitting on my in tray, I have made my decision.The council having already made the sensible choice (half the forum have just fainted at this point) of doing away with the 2 Victorian brick blocks that make up Louise House and the old pools, the choice is down to basic economics - if you want more facilities, you gotta pay for it - and that means flats. In light of the fact that I think we deserve the very best facilities we can get, that means how many flats do I want?
And I have to say I have changed my mind. My initial thought was to go for the multi- residential option. In my mind, Forest Hill could do with more modern housing by the station to rejuvenate the town centre. There are quite a few developments going on, but I think we need a few to build enough of a presence to attract younger professional types - and with them the shops and diversity that the area so desperately wants.
So why did I change my mind? Well the payback didn't work for me. Additional housing would pay for a link between the pool and the library (why would you want that?); a larger community space - good, but there are several already in the area; and a larger retail space - well given the number of shuttered shops, I struggle to see us needing them. But also the additional housing dwarfed the pools and I would like to see a set of pools that we the residents could be really proud of and that would stand out as a real asset in our community - so it's Option 2 for me.
Lets hope the council don't procrastinate as much as the rest of us and get on and build us the damn things!
