On one of the local Facebook groups there has been some discussion of the latest as regards the Capitol becoming a branch of Gambado’s. The latest there is that a manager in Superdrug had told a commenter that squatters had occupied the site and Gambado’s has thrown in the towel and abandoned any hope of completing the conversion from pub to children’s play area. Work seemed to have started when I walked past a couple of days ago, so this is posted with a health warning, but I felt it worth sharing none the less.
(I was going to post this on the existing Capitol thread but that doesn’t seem to be open to replies.)
I know they recently covered the doors to stop people looking inside, but it was always a bit strange why Gambado went for this site where there’s no car parking where other sites they own have adequate parking for kids and parents.
Two hours free parking behind Sainsbury’s and lots of public transport connections as well as being close to many homes. This seems more sensible than their previous location in Lower Sydenham which was some distance from public transport and quite far from most homes.
I am actually in touch with the owner so I’ve asked him about this directly, and I am happy to report that this is just one of those rumours.
Yes, there had been squatters (as probably happens in many empty buildings) but it has been sorted and the site is already being stripped out (as planned) and they are still hoping to open later in the year.
As for the parking issue, it is good to see that we are planning local destinations that do not require increasing parking. There is no need to drive to Forest Hill with all the public transport options already here, and this also means we are more likely to see more people walking past the other shops and cafes on our high street, not bypassing them in a car, so I think of this as a positive rather than a negative.
When our kids were young we were forced to drive to the Gambado site in Beckenham (terrible for parking) and I really hated it. If I could have walked to a local site, it would have been so much better.
The proof will be in the pudding. Will they manage to attract the middle class parents who use Beckenham by getting them on a bus that stops outside Gambado or take the risk of the 2 hour free parking at Sainsbury’s to use it or will they attract a new clientele that uses public transport to reach the venue?
I speak from some experience here as the Lordship Lane Estate until Covid had a play area in their tenants hall on weekday mornings, the majority were car owning parents who attended.
Don’t get me wrong, less use of cars is welcome, but they have to look at the target audience for those who can afford to attend.
The good thing about Sainsbury’s parking is that you have to use the app for free parking (except Sunday) and then if you are likely to be for more than 2 hours you can top up from your phone. This gives car driving parents the flexibility to continue on to Horniman or a local restaurant after play time.
But the Capitol is the perfect location for public and private transport options.
The existing nurseries have always attracted a large number of driving parents, the sort that want the spot RIGHT outside. But thankfully cycling to drop off and pick up seems to be the thing at the moment.
I don’t imagine the idea of parking in Sainsburys then the faff of getting across to the Capitol appeals to some, and can see many a dangerous dash across the road between the crossings for those who “don’t have the time” to walk to one.