Sunday 17 August 2008

Can you fix it or use it?


This unloved bit of land which runs parallel to Deptford High Street from the railway station is intended to be the next step in the revitalisation of the town centre. On the left you see the carriage ramp which is a protected structure, being the only one in the country. It was the original route by which carriages (as in horse and cart, not railway) gained access to the elevated platform of the station, and can still be seen from the London-bound platform if you walk towards the front of the platform and peer through the undergrowth. The plan is that the ramp and its arches will eventually form part of the Cathedral Group's redevelopment project, with the arches being refurbished to house commercial units and the square becoming a public area full of cafes, shops and a market.


Until this actually happens, however, the intention is to make the space suitable for use, and start using it to host events in collaboration with the Deptford Project cafe and local businesses.
At the heart is a 20m by 24m area which is intended to become Deptford's new home for creative events such as performances, music entertainment, puppet shows, poetry readings and film screenings. The Deptford Project is looking for local companies to tender for the project to improve this space through either seating, lighting, or weather protection, and there is funding available for each aspect of this work.
Once the space is fixed, local businesses, organisations or individuals will be invited to bid for the use of the space for events or activities that will attract visitors from outside the area, and promote the values of Deptford to a wider audience.

If you have ideas for how this space could be improved, or used, then you need to get working on them and submit your bid by 25th October 2008. For full details contact Rebecca

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