I also went along to our ward Safer Neighbourhood police meeting to raise serious concern about the area around Bermondsey tube station. It seems to have become a location for street drinking, begging and littering instead of the proud entrance to our area it should be. The police team agreed this as their priority for the next six weeks, our panel chair (another marvellous local resident) is writing to the Borough Commander and I am also raising the matter with the council.
London Assembly member Val Shawcross recently tabled this question to Mayor of London Boris Johnson:
I understand that the C10 has a problem due to traffic in the Rotherhithe area and are working with the operator to resolve it. Can you provide details of what the problem is and what is being done to resolve it?
Boris Johnson replied:
Approximately 6 per cent of trips did not serve the Rotherhithe peninsula in the 12 weeks from 24 May to 15 August 2014 as a result of congestion along Jamaica Road and the Rotherhithe Tunnel area.
To address this, and overall reliability issues, the operator of route C10 (Abellio) and TfL are planning a more robust schedule that is expected to be introduced by the end of the year.
In the meantime, TfL has stressed the importance to the operator of managing the route effectively.
The campaign to honour two of Bermondsey’s leading socialists has received a boost from an unlikely quarter … the Duke of Westminster’s property firm Grosvenor.
Southwark Council says that it is in early discussions with the owners of Surrey Quays Shopping Centre and Harmsworth Quays over plans for a new leisure centre at Canada Water.
In the meantime the council says it will carry out ‘essential repairs and maintenance’ at the existing Seven Islands Leisure Centre.
“I’m delighted that we are in early discussions with British Land about providing a new leisure offer as part of their emerging plans for the area,” said Cllr Barrie Hargrove, cabinet member for public health, parks and leisure.
“It is also fantastic to be able to announce these improvement works for the existing centre. I’m sure it will all be an exciting prospect for residents in the area, especially as we look to introduce free gym and swim access for local people.”
This week a Southwark Council planning sub-committee approved plans to rebuild the athletics facilities at Southwark Park.
“It was great to see planning permission granted for the reinstatement of the athletics track and field at Southwark Park this week,” said Cllr Barrie Hargrove, cabinet member for public health, parks and leisure.
“This is the first phase in an exciting project that will allow us for the first time in many years to deliver a full programme of athletics activities in Southwark – including track and field events such as sprinting, triple jump and javelin.
“I’m sure it will be welcomed by users of the park, budding athletes and local schools from all over the borough.”
Each year, Southwark’s five community councils award thousands of pounds in funding to local environmental improvement projects. This scheme is known as Cleaner Greener Safer and in the next year £1.8 million is available across the borough.
Projects can be put forward by individuals or community groups with innovative ideas to improve their areas to make their communities cleaner, greener or safer.
To mark the launch of the 2015/16 funding round, Surrey Docks Farm hosted a special event on Saturday.
Surrey Docks Farm has been awarded almost £150,000 towards improvements since the CGS programme first began in 2003. Visitors to the farm saw work in progress on the latest project, awarded this year, to install solar panels on two of the farm buildings. The solar panels will become a renewable energy source for the farm and ensure the site is more environmentally responsible through green energy production.
Cllr Darren Merrill, cabinet member for environment, recycling, community safety and volunteering, said: “I’m delighted to be launching the Cleaner Greener Safer capital programme for 2015/16. Since 2003, a total of £30,393,000 has been awarded to 1,966 projects in Southwark with 1,585 now completed. It’s great that so many people care for their communities and want to make the areas they live and work in the best they can be. I am pleased we can continue to help them achieve this through this initiative.”
Gary Jones, Surrey Docks Farm manager said, “Surrey Docks Farm has benefitted enormously from grants awarded by Southwark’s Cleaner Greener Safer programme. Through the programme we have been able to open up Riverside Walk to create a direct link to the farm and a pleasurable place for residents and visitors to stroll along. CGS funding has also benefitted our Bloomin’ Southwark project, which enables us to take our horticultural expertise into the local community encouraging people to make use of their outdoor spaces for growing and greening.”
From new play opportunities and sports facilities, to community gardens and food growing projects, the programme has supported healthier lifestyles and helped revitalise communities. Fencing and lighting projects have created safer environments and problem spaces prone to anti-social behaviour have been transformed with imaginative designs to enhance the areas.
Anyone can apply for a Cleaner Greener Safer grant either as an individual or a group, but you must live or work in the community council area where you are proposing the scheme. Ideas for the CGS capital programme must demonstrate that they will make an area cleaner, greener or safer with a permanent, physical improvement and all projects are subject to permissions being granted, e.g. planning, listed building, Highway Authority etc.
The closing date for entries is Friday 7 November 2014 and successful applications will be announced at community council meetings in January and February 2015.
The Arch Climbing Wall has announced that it has found a new home within the Biscuit Factory complex as the redevelopment of the site draws near.
“With the original Biscuit Factory site, we were able to bring a new level of indoor bouldering to London and the South,” said Fred Stone, director of The Arch Climbing Wall.
“With Building One, we’re looking forward to doing the same again, only this time in a long term home, combining new climbing facilities unlike anything else, with an updated design style and atmosphere that will recapture some of the history of the building.
“Each of the new climbing centre builds so far has been a learning experience, and we’re looking forward to putting it all together here. This year has been an exciting one for all of us, and there are still lots of good things to come.”
Mayor of London Boris Johnson and Transport for London commissioner Sir Peter Hendy will next week be asked to consider making Bermondsey Tube Station on the Jubilee line a zone 1/2 boundary station.
Since it opened 15 years ago, Bermondsey Station has been in zone 2.
Next week Boris Johnson and Peter Hendy will appear before the London Assembly to field questions on transport topics. Among the written questions submitted by assembly members is one from Liberal Democrat AM (and former Southwark councillor) Caroline Pidgeon:
Given you have authorised the rezoning of Stratford station to Zone 2/3, will you consider rezoning Bermondsey and Kennington to become Zone 1/2 stations?
In fact, plans are already in hand to rezone Kennington in connection with the proposed Battersea extension of the Northern line. Which just leaves the Bermondsey question unresolved.
Watch this space for the response from Johnson and Hendy when it is published later this month.
Eight fire engines and 58 firefighters and officers tackled a fire at the rear of the What!!! Stores shop on Surrey Quays Road on Wednesday lunchtime.
According to the London Fire Brigade, three gas cylinders are believed to have exploded and there are reports of more cylinders involved in the blaze. There are no reports of any injures at this stage.
Firefighters from East Greenwich, Dockhead, Old Kent Road, Deptford, Peckham, Whitechapel, New Cross and Lewisham fire stations were sent to the scene.
The smoke was visible from a large part of south-east and central London.
Surrey Quays Road and Canada Street were shut to traffic.
What!!! Stores is the discount hardware shop next to the former Harmsworth Quays printing works.
London Assembly member Val Shawcross recently tabled this question to Mayor of London Boris Johnson:
