Peckham has been discovered by artists and actors. Now a new rail link is opening the gates of opportunity even wider, says Liz Hoggard 6 Dec 2012, Evening Standard + Independent
Peckham Library won the Stirling Prize for architecture in 2000
From December 2012, once-humble Peckham will gain a direct link to the Docklands, thanks to the opening of a new Overground spur. Peckham Rye, a Victorian Grade II-listed station, is on the new "Ginger line" extension from Surrey Quays to Clapham Junction and will become within a 60-minute commute of two million jobs in the capital. The station is undergoing a £10 million facelift that will include a new square and shops.
"It will be fascinating to see historic buildings emerge from centuries of grime and it will make it easy for us to see how London has evolved from a rural village to the cosmopolitan inner city it is today," says Eileen Conn, co-ordinator of residents group www.peckhamvision.org.
Read moreEvening Standard Homes & Property 18 April 2012 By Ruth Bloomfield
South-east London has always drawn the short straw when it comes to transport links — until now. From December a new train line will launch, bringing with it the promise of gentrification and house price rises. Peckham Rye, until now best known as the home of Del Boy and Rodney Trotter, will be a key beneficiary of the second phase of the East London Line extension, which will link Surrey Quays and Clapham Junction. Not only will Peckham get a direct link to Docklands, but its notoriously grotty railway station is set for a £10m facelift. The work also include a new public square in front of the station, full of shops and restaurants. “Peckham Rye Station is a beautiful Victorian Grade II-listed building, but it’s hidden away from view behind a tatty shopping mall,” said Councillor Fiona Colley, Southwark’s regeneration chief.
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Read moreMetro 12th January 2012 by Jo Eccles of Sourcing Property
…The area has spent the past couple of decades trying to distance itself from the Trotter’s dubious legacy, and in large part has succeeded...with a mix of trendy, independent bars, cafes and shops … There must be something in the air as Peckham is a hotbed of artistic talent with countless galleries and studios… Convenience is just one of the factors attracting buyers to Bellenden in their droves. Peckham is very close to central London and has become very cool … Read Metro
The Times 25th November 2011 by Susan Emmett: Regeneration, new transport links, eclectic architecture and housing that is reasonably priced— welcome to SE15. Architecture may not be the first thing that springs to mind when you think of Peckham, but it should be. This corner of southeast London, known to outsiders mostly for its high levels of poverty and crime, has recently been made a conservation area. Read The Times online in Life with pictures if you have a Times subscription
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Read moreTom Dyckhoff guardian.co.uk, Friday 23 September 2011
What's going for it? I Heart Peckham, said the well-wishing Post-it notes on Rye Lane after the riots. Yes, people love Peckham. And why not? True, it still has its tricky patches, fried chicken joints, and the high street ain't all that. But it's got another side: adorable streets and a sturdy, hard-to-faze community. The close proximity of art schools in Camberwell and New Cross has brought in a new breed: the arties, and not far behind, the aspirant middle classes, not seen around these parts for some time. Followed, in turn, by pop-up bars and, now, dinky delis serving grilled artichokes. You can see why. This suburb has good bone structure: great housing, good schools, brilliant train connections (central London's only 10 minutes away), even lovely green space at the common. Plus its reputation ensures it's still pretty cheap
The case against Give it five years and it'll be like Clapham. Crime and gangs a serious problem. It's all right, but it's still just Peckham. Read Guardian
Evening Standard Homes & Property 20 October 2010: Our property expert Anthea Masey finds Del Boy’s old stomping ground has culture and residents ready to rock Today, Peckham is a bustling multicultural melting pot of a neighbour-hood... Only a few yards away from the crowds along the main shopping street, Rye Lane, there are quiet streets of charming Victorian houses clustered around Bellenden Road. This is the area made famous by the arts-led Bellenden renewal scheme, a £12 million, 10-year improvement project promoted by the local council with the active participation of local residents.
Read moreTimes Online 19 Feb 2010: Exciting new developments are breathing new life into this neglected area of London... The SE15 postcode has several enclaves, such as Bellenden in the streets around Bellenden Road. "It thinks of itself as East Dulwich," says one local estate agent. "It has street upon street of lovely Victorian houses with gardens and a shopping parade." Read Times Online
A once-reviled corner of Peckham has gone arty . . . and boomed. Christopher Middleton marvels at a triumph of rebranding telegraph.co.uk/property 12 Oct 2002
Five years ago, Bellenden didn't exist. It was just the bit of Peckham you went through when you were taking a short cut to Dulwich. Now, though, in the best traditions of gentrification, this hitherto unidentified splodge of Victorian houses has been given not only a new face, but - for the first time ever - a name.