Help Save The Romany Scout Site..under threat from Developer Post Reply

[SaveTheRomany*Mums]

Dear All , we just wanted to post our call to action from the local community to help us save The Romany scout site on Lyford Road...Thanks

Save the Romany Scout Site
Join the fight to help us save The Romany Scout site on Lyford Road from being torn down and stop another nail being hammered into the coffin of our community.
The Romany site is under serious threat. Magdalen Park Lawn Tennis Club (the owners) are refusing to renew the Scouts lease/use despite their absolute right for renewal and MPLT plans to sell this amazing community asset land off to a local property developer who wants to build a vast, modern private nursery with on-site parking.
The Romany Scout site has been home to Wandsworth 1st Scouts and guides groups since 1962 . They offer the rare opportunity for our local children & teenagers to be Cubs, Scouts, Adventure Scouts, Girl Guides & Brownies to meet weekly, to camp, orienteer safely outside.
There is a daily community Playgroup run by mums for local mums and toddlers which has been there for 36 years , Wandsworth’s only Twins Group, A Trefoil Club and a Ballroom Dancing Group to name a few.
The Romany is part of Wandsworth & Earlsfield’s heritage - beloved and used by people of every age in our community from a few days old to 80+ years old for the last 50 + years
Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of visiting or using The Romany site are always in awe of this oasis of extensive grounds rich in wildlife from newts , bats, woodpeckers and stag beetles and birds.
Our Children, families and our community will lose a piece of the heart and history of Wandsworth & Earlsfield. Do not let this happen. Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.. For updates on how you can get involved to save this amazing community asset from destruction; Please follow us on twitter, instagram, facebook @savetheromany or email us at savetheromany@gmail.com for updates on our campaign

Thank you...

[PPmummy]

This is just awful news. Anyone who has used the site will know how very special it is and a how rare it is to find in London. It provides a crucial service to so many people in our community (from all ages and walks of life) and this proposed development would be a crime. Think we all need to get behind this campaign to save something that makes Wandsworth so unique..

[Bewler]

It will be a bitter shame to lose this unique site to a developer. I've so enjoyed taking my children to the playhouse playgroup - there is nowhere else like it in wandsworth. Are the playhouse staff and admin team
involving the local council? Perhaps mr Kahn would seize an opportunity to get back in favour with local parents after all the disappointment of reception place allocations!! Let's hope all the local residents are duly boycotting the tennis club in protest. They must be horrified at the thought of a nursery on that road.... Can anyone persuade mark Owen to write a "save the Romany" ballard? Perhaps he can rustle up some pop stars for a fundraising concert!

[kcai]

This is a real shame. If people don't fight this, the community is going to lose a real asset. The site is used by a lot of people (Scouts, the playgroup, and I've been to multiple birthday parties hosted at the hut) and also hosts fireworks in November.

One of the draws of the place is the greenery and mini "wilderness" which is so lovely to have in the middle of London. It's not a huge site, so if someone develops it, that greenery will disappear (as will the bees and birds who call it home...). Not to mention increased traffic in the area.

This isn't a NIMBY from my point of view - I rent rather than own and am (reluctantly) moving out of the area quite soon. But both my children went to the playgroup at the Romany Hut and both thrived there. It would be a real shame for people in this area to lose this place. Children of all ages are going to lose out bigtime - toddlers all the way up to bigger kids who can't use the Romany for Scouts anymore.

I really hope people get talking about this and it isn't swept under the carpet. I know it's been Tweeted - is there any way Nappy Valley/Annabel can Tweet this as well? I just think it would be an awful shame for future generations to lose all the neat things that are hosted at the Romany hut

[Gillak]

It would be a huge shame to the local community if we lost this to yet more development. My children attend the playgroup and it has been a real saviour for me having several children in close succession - the first real sense of "community" I have felt since moving to the area. Really hope it doesn't get lost.

[nancyshaw220]

I can't believe such a tranquil heaven for local families is under threat, first 1 o'clock clubs, now Playgroups! Magdalen Park Lawn Tennis Club have lost their marbles if they think it is possible & sensible to sell the land off to a greedy developer - this land means so much more to locals, no price should ever be put on the value of our children's ability to play freely in such a great space. Playhouse Playgroup attracts lots of local Wandsworth families for its uniqueness, in particular it's fantastic playground that the children absolutely love to play in.
As a local Mum I have found Playhouse Playgroup a wonderful place to meet local mums, Lisa & Liza who run the Playgroup are absolutely fantastic with the children & parents - it is such an important asset to the local community we must save The Romany Scout Hut & secure the future for Playhouse Playgroup.
Please let us all know how we can help! Thank you.

[OolonColluphid]

This is scandalous! What a greedy lot the tennis club are. Check their official line on their website (mpltc.org.uk). Dreadful and so NIMBY about the poor bowls club when they're trying to do the same across the road in the Romany.
Nice money making venture! except they were gifted the land which is under restricted covenant - so this sort of thing couldn't happen.

But I guess every greedy property developer worth his salt gets round those things - eventually. Slip through an innocuous looking planning proposal for something that broadly fits the bill - like a fee paying nursery (tick box), children (tick box), make it eco (grass roof, tick box), offer to pay all the objectors off by rebuilding their facilities or paying their leases etc (tick box), try and secure access to the site for your bigger plan (tick box). Think of the lovely prime land for residential development...

I only hope Wandsworth Council see what they're up to? Do the council know about this I wonder? Maybe those involved should write to their Councillors. Or Sadiq Khan the MP. He's a great help on local issues.

The Council put a protection order on it as a valuable asset for the community. It also It has a covenant on it that means it can only be used for leisure and sport. Since when has a high fee private nursery been for the community or for leisure and sport? Who could afford their fees? Not the community who rely on Playhouse Playgroup and Twins Club.

What about the Scouts and the Cubs? What will they do? They've been there for years and the outdoor space is what they need for camping and survival training. The wildlife and trees are incredible. It is so rare in inner city London and there will be none of it left very soon.

Are the tennis club mad or just plain greedy? I hope the Council support Playgroup, Scouts and all the other clubs that use it. I hope the tennis club back off or we'll have to boycott their tennis lessons!

Greedy property developer back off! Tennis club back off.

[Eire~mama]

I am devastated to hear this news , The tennis club must have NO idea how important The Romany site is to the local community and will face a bitter fight if they are really planning on evicitng the scouts, or try to sell the Romany site to a greedy developer and god help the developer and his plans !

When I first moved to the area as a young new mother I knew no one .. New house , new baby , difficult toddler , husband travelled a lot, I was suffering from postnatal depression and I was very lonely , isolated and overwhelmed , a neighbour told me about the playgroup which I joined and I can honestly say that the Playgroup saved me , I instantly became part of a wonderful caring community of local mums , I made wonderful friends who supported me through some difficult times and we remain friends to this day . My sons made their first friends at Playgroup and they all went on to attend Beatrix potter together, they returned together to attend cubs at The Romany and when they all left primary school they contined to attend the Romany as Scouts which they always loved . Those friendships continued with friends they had made at 18 + months at Playgroup to being teenagers at Scouts. I popped into the playgroup last year and inside was the usual chattering gang of young local mothers and toddlers buzzing around and I was thrilled for them they had each other! What a loss for local mothers that this could disappear for them , a vital daily support network

The continuity within our community that The Romany site provides is invaluable and utterly irreplaceable and we cannot and will NOT allow it to disappear forever to private development and ownership

[mamabel]

This is terrible news- all the activities at the scout hut serve our local children & provide them with a sense of community- where the next generation learn important life skills to become kind, sharing members of our future community

[EK7]

This is terrible news. My children have also attended playhouse and have loved every minute of. It is such a warm friendly place. It would be so sad if future children in the community could not enjoy it for many years to come. Definitely up for helping to save it in anyway I can......

[Annabel (admin)]

Hi
If you'd like me to I can set up a petition?

Let me know and I'll see what my wonderful web developers can do!

[Annabel (admin)]

Hi
I've created a petition here...

http://www.nappyvalleynet.com/petition- ... scout-hut/

Let me know if you want this publicised.

It may be that I'm not being helpful by creating it, but if it is something that you want then I'll mention it in the weekly email (to 20k local mums) and as much tweeting and sharing of it as you can do would be ace.

Thanks!

A

[Annabel (admin)]

Hi Romany Scout Hut People

I can see from your FB group (here's a link for everyone else...)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/642713295809319/

that I *think* you want me to publicise this but please email me on annabel@nappyvalleynet.com so I know for sure!

I don't want there to be multiple petitions as that can get confusing!

[louisatroy]

I attended playhouse Playgroup with all three of my kids. I can honestly say I think it kind of saved my life from the horrendous loneliness of raising small kids.

It gave me somewhere to go when I had just moved to the area. It gave me friendly faces when I knew none. It has given me friends that I still have.

You can't put a price on places like this. This is where communities are built. The decision makers should not under estimate that it is hard for women to connect when they have little babies - things change when you start nursery/school but until then the days can seem long, bleak and depressingly lonely. If we lose these connection points within our communities, there will be other costs that the community has to pick up later.

I owe Playhouse Playgroup a wonderful foundation into Wandsworth for both me and my kids. I'll do what I can to back it. Not for me anymore, but for those other mums and future mums out there.

[TartanClan4]

I've been involved with Playhouse Playgroup for the past 8years. Playhouse is a wonderful place for children and mums to come together. The children play in a safe, fun environment while the mums form new friendships and an invaluable support network. This is especially true for me. Although we had been living in Earlsfield for 2 years (having moved here from SA), it was only after becoming involved at Playhouse that I truly felt part of a community. We have made many happy memories at The Romany apart from Playgroup. Birthday parties, the Scouts firework displays, Arty Party sessions during the holidays. It would be awful if this lovely oasis and community asset was taken away.