30 years ago, Southwark Council was locked in dispute with the London Docklands Development Corporation about the future of South Dock and Greenland Dock.
Earlier this year we highlighted a short clip of South Dock from the Thames News archive, but now the full report as broadcast in January 1985 has been published on YouTube by Fremantle Media, owners of the archive:
The Swedish Church in London announced this week that it has finally completed the sale of the disused Swedish Seamen’s Church in Lower Road.
Read the announcement in Swedish or see an automated English translation.
The buyer has not been disclosed.
The church building was listed by the Government at the end of last year.
The date has been set for the Bermondsey Carnival on Saturday 4 July.
Now the application process for traders is open.
From the letter to potential traders:
Opportunities are available for commercial traders, catering concessions, charities, community organisations, fun concessions and even for local individuals through our Rumble in the Jumble area.
The application form is also online.
Grosvenor – owners of much of the biscuit factory and former college sites – have given 30 15-year-old fruit trees to Southwark Park, and planted these at the end of last month with Friends of Southwark Park and Bede House Association.
They have been planted near to the path in from the Lower Road gate.
The trees will provide shade for users of the park watching activities on the new athletics track.
The Blue Bermondsey Business Improvement District, local landowner Grosvenor and the London Borough of Southwark have launched a new online survey map which asks local businesses, residents and visitors for their views on the neighbourhood and its future development.
Accessible at bluebermondsey.commonplace.is, all you have to do is click on any location on the area map, add your comments and select what you would like to see more of in the Blue Bermondsey area.
BID manager and local businessman Russell Dryden said: “The appeal of the Commonplace survey is that it is so easy to use and will give all in the neighbourhood an opportunity to air their views.
“We can then use this vital input to assist local businesses in improving business growth to create more employment opportunities and working with the council to influence future planning, will contribute to making our area more prosperous for all.”
Katherine Rodgers of Grosvenor said: “We know that being new to Bermondsey means we have a lot to learn, and so we’re looking forward to hearing what the community loves, likes or even dislikes about the area to help inform what we do here.”
South Bermondsey councillor Leo Pollak added: “We are all excited to see this unique survey up and running.
“Unlike other consultations, everyone’s comments and ideas can be seen and the input collected will influence the future direction of the BID, as well as the council’s approach to the high street and market place, so it’s important we all have our say.
“I would encourage everyone who cares about the future of our area to add their comments and to encourage their friends and neighbours to do so as well.”
To add your comments, or simply see what others are saying about the Blue Bermondsey neighbourhood, visit bluebermondsey.commonplace.is
From today, Surrey Quays Shopping Centre will be open till 7pm Monday to Saturday.
The new hours are:
Tesco Extra keeps different hours to the rest of the centre, and is no longer a 24-hour store.
According to Tesco.com the current hours are Monday-Friday 6am-1am; Saturday 6am-midnight; Sunday 11am-5pm.
We’ve twice written about the red crane on this website – firstly when Southwark Council revealed plans to redevelop the site with Hollybrook Homes and extend the Thames Path.
Then we reported the suggestion by council leader Peter John that parts of the crane could be turned into an artwork.
Now a campaign to save the Scotch derrick has been launched – and so far the petition on change.org has attracted nearly 140 signatures.
There is a much fuller account of the crane’s history on Andie Byrnes’ Rotherhithe Blog.
The 2015 London Marathon takes place on Sunday 26 April.
Each year the event has a considerable impact on transport around the Rotherhithe peninsula.
This year’s road closure leaflet has now been published.
Labour’s shadow secretary of state for work and pensions Rachel Reeves visited Rotherhithe on Monday as the general election campaign got under way.
She met Linda and Jan on the Canada Estate to learn how they have been affected by the so-called bedroom tax (described by the Government as the removal of the ‘spare room subsidy’).
Rachel also met representatives of Southwark Foodbank (run by Pecan) and Southwark Citizens Advice Bureaux.
Neil Coyle – Labour’s candidate in Bermondsey & Old Southwark – said: “We have a Lib Dem MP who voted for the bedroom tax eight times and has said he’s happy to have worked for the Tories in the coalition.
“The bedroom tax has hit thousands of people like Linda and only Labour is committed to abolishing it if we win the election on 7 May.”
Each meeting of Bermondsey & Rotherhithe Community Council chooses a formal question to ask of the leader of Southwark Council or one of the cabinet members.
This was the question agreed at the recent transport-themed meeting:
Can the cabinet member for regeneration, planning and transport set out what steps the council is taking to improve traffic flow at the Rotherhithe tunnel on Lower Road and to ensure the C10 and 381 bus routes better serve the Rotherhithe peninsula? Can he also explain what steps he is taking to lobby Transport for London (TfL) on these issues?
Last week the reply from Cllr Mark Williams was published:
Officers are working with TfL to develop plans for Lower Road in order to deliver the measures identified in the Area Action Plan as well as the proposed Cycle Superhighway (CS4).
Proposals to remove the Lower Road gyratory will be brought to public consultation later this year. TfL are also due to re-start design work on CS4 in the autumn and this will include proposals to address congestion at the tunnel roundabout.
The council also expects TfL to conduct a comprehensive review of the local bus network as a result of proposed development at Canada Water, which together with the removal of the gyratory will result in significant alterations to bus routing through the area. As part of this work we are calling on TfL to increase the number of bus services in the area.
Finally, the council has requested that TfL develop mitigating measures in response to the proposed tolling of the Blackwall Tunnel and the proposed Silvertown Tunnel. We are concerned that TfL’s proposals at Blackwall and Silvertown will worsen traffic levels and air pollution in Rotherhithe, and we will continue to press TfL on this issue.
Look out for a separate news item about the council’s concerns about TfL’s plans at Blackwall and Silvertown.