The new almshouse to be built on Southwark Park Road will be named the Appleby Blue Almshouse, United St Saviour’s Charity has announced.
The new almshouse will be called Appleby Blue in recognition one of the charity’s earliest benefactors, Dorothy Appleby, and in a nod to the nearby Blue market.
Funded by the developers of luxury housing on Bankside near Tate Modern, the new almshouse will provide 57 homes in a modern, independent sheltered housing .
Martyn Craddock, CEO of United St Saviour’s, said: “The launch of Appleby Blue is a hugely exciting day for us, marking the beginning of an important new chapter in our history which has been years in the planning. Our aim is to provide exceptional housing for Southwark’s older people and to demonstrate the positive contribution that older people bring to the community and place they live. It is a true legacy for future generations and we are incredibly proud of it.”
Dorothy Appleby’s 1681 bequest “for the teaching children reading, writing, and cyphering” in Southwark is one of many historic endowments now administered by United St Saviour’s which has recently widened its remit from north Southwark to cover the whole of the modern borough.
British Land intends to use the grade II listed former Dock Offices in Surrey Quays Road as a ‘project hub’ for the Canada Water Masterplan development.
A planning application (20/AP/2466) and listed building consent application (20/AP/2467) have been submitted to the council.
Southwark Council has launched an online consultation on plans to build around 100 new homes on the site of the Red Lion Boys’ Club near Surrey Quays station.
Southwark Council is considering building new homes on top of a 1960s block in Rotherhithe New Road as part of its plan to construct thousands of new council homes across the borough.
“We have looked at a number of estates across the borough in consideration of which blocks can accommodate roof top developments, and we think Balman House may be suitable,” says the council.
“However, before we consider this further, we want to consult residents that might be affected by our thoughts.”
Plans have been revealed this week for an 18-storey tower on the St Olav’s Court / City Business Centre site next to the Rotherhithe Roundabout.
Developer Southern Grove announced that it has exchanged contracts to purchase the site which occupies a prominent location at the northern end of Lower Road, opposite the entrance to the Rotherhithe Tunnel.
The site is close to the grade II listed Norwegian Church.
Southern Grove intends to apply to Southwark Council for planning permission for an 18-storey building to be known as The Brooklyn.
The scheme – designed by architects Liftschutz Davidson Sandilands – will include 150 homes and 25,000 sq ft of office space.
Tom Slingsby, chief executive of Southern Grove, said: “The Brooklyn is a fantastic addition to this site and will provide a healthy boost to housing and commercial stock in Canada Water, which is one of the capital’s regeneration hotbeds.
“People living here really will feel like they are within striking distance of central London. They will be able to hop on the Tube and be in the City, Canary Wharf or any corner of the capital in minutes.
“Canada Water is going to be put on the map in a bold new way by the extensive regeneration that is going to take hold over the next 15 years and our own scheme will complement that effort.”
St Olav’s Court is identified in the council’s New Southwark Plan as a development site, with a requirement for re-provision of the existing office space.
The Duke of Westminster’s Grosvenor property firm confirmed this month that work will start ‘soon’ on the redevelopment of the Biscuit Factory, following the recent City Hall decision to grant planning permission.
Announcing the firm’s financial results, Grosvenor Group chief executive Mark Preston said: “…in London’s Bermondsey work will start soon on the building of over 1,500 rental homes and a secondary school, which will improve the fabric of this part of the city, delivering much-needed rental housing and creating a new investment for long-term hold”.
The Duke of Westminster and the Grosvenor family were placed at number 10 in the Sunday Times Rich List published this week, up from 14th place a year ago, with their wealth estimated at £10.295 billion.
The London Assembly transport committee has written to Transport for London in the wake of the cancellation of the Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf bridge to urge them to review and improve their business planning process, so that under-funded and undeliverable projects are not progressed as a result of unrealistic engineering proposals and low cost estimates.
The committee has also sought further detail and clarification on the proposed ferry service.
Budget projections for the bridge project soared from £120-£180 million in November 2017, to £463 million in March 2019 and now latest estimates stand at exceeding £600 million.
Navin Shah AM, chair of the Transport Committee, said:“How did TfL get its sums so wrong? This major infrastructure project is key to unlocking this part of east London in terms of active transport links, jobs and homes.
“A ferry service between Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf is a much cheaper alternative, but we have questions over its cost, frequency, commencement of the service and whether it will be free to use.”
“TfL must improve how it costs major infrastructure projects and ensure that projects of this kind have realistic costings and plans, so that Londoners are not continually disappointed time and again.”
Plans for a new cultural venue at The Blue – including a three-screen cinema – have been announced by Southwark Council and Really Local Group.
Councillors went public on the plans at the South Bermondsey Ward Forum on Monday night.
The new venue in the former Thorowgoods store will be an all-day community space with a three-screen cinema, coffee shop, bar, informal co-working spaces and a food and craft hall.
Ticket prices are intended to be affordable: £6.50 to watch a film and £13 for live events.
Preston Benson, founder of Really Local Group, said: “We are very excited to enhance the cultural infrastructure offer in a borough with an established craft and music heritage.
“Working with Southwark Council, we hope to be able to curate a new ‘cultural quarter’ for the town and secure collaboration opportunities with local independent businesses, artisans and traders.”
South Bermondsey councillor Leo Pollak, who is Southwark’s cabinet member for new homes, great estates and social regeneration, said: “After years of working to improving the mix of shops and stalls at the Blue, and intervening on the sale of Thorowgoods, we are hugely proud to have secured a three screen cinema, community events and exhibition space and an affordable food market showing the best of local producers.
“We were greatly impressed by Really Local Group’s approach, and I’m confident this will become a major new arts centre for the north of the borough, and a game-changer for the Blue.
“This not only underscores our commitment to healthy thriving high streets across the borough, but the importance of municipal interventions high streets that need a ‘curatorial’ steer while getting the tone balance and affordability right. Bring on the Summer of 2021!”
The Thorowgoods scheme is subject to approval by Southwark’s cabinet and the grant of planning permission.
