Earlier this week Corbett’s Wharf on Bermondsey Wall East was declared to be part of a conservation area.
By coincidence, the owners of the Thames News (ITV regional news) archive have just published this report from November 1982 of a protest at Corbett’s Wharf by Peter Tatchell – then Bermondsey Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate – against the London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC).
Well worth a watch.
Southwark’s planning committee has given the green light to plans to extend the Edward III’s Rotherhithe Conservation Area to include all of Bermondsey Wall East.
The council consulted local residents on the proposed extension two and a half years ago but nothing further happened until this summer when Labour and Liberal Democrat members of Bermondsey & Rotherhithe Community Council unanimously passed a motion calling on the planning department to take action.
Key buildings such as the former Old Justice pub (now known as the Winnicott), Angel Wharf and Corbetts Wharf will be brought into the scope of the existing conservation area which covers the area around the Edward III manor house.
Listen to audio of Southwark’s design and conservation manager Michael Tsoukaris addressing planning committee:
Southwark Council has confirmed that it will stage the usual 5 November fireworks display in Southwark Park – and it will remain free of charge – but this year for the first time visitors will need to book a ticket in advance.
Cllr Ian Wingfield, cabinet member for business, employment and culture, said:
We know how popular this event has become in recent years, with the number of people attending increasing by 175% since 2012. While that is fantastic for the borough, our utmost priority is to ensure the fireworks remain a safe event for all. 33,000 attended last year’s event, with thousands more waiting to get in the park as the display began. That is why this year we have decided to ticket the event to help us manage crowds. Tickets will be free but will need to be secured online in advance.
We want as many people as possible to enjoy the show safely and I’m sure all attending this great community and family event will recognise the hard work being done to ensure this is the case.
Tickets for this year’s fireworks will be available at www.southwark.gov.uk/fireworks
Neighbouring Lambeth Council has this year cancelled its fireworks display after an unsuccessful experiment with ticketing last year.
Last week Southwark’s cabinet approved the revised Canada Water Area Action Plan to take into account the pending redevelopment of Harmsworth Quays.
Listen to the audio below and read the related documents.
Southwark’s cross-party overview & scrutiny committee spent nearly two hours debating the future location of a leisure centre to replace the current Seven Islands centre on Monday night.
The meeting followed last month’s decision by regeneration boss Cllr Mark Williams to designate a strip of land to the west of the current Surrey Quays Shopping Centre car park – next to a realigned Deal Porters Way – as the preferred location for a new leisure centre.
The committee heard from Pauline Adenwalla of the Canada Water Consultative Forum as well as Lower Road resident Tom Holder and Catherine Whitaker of the newly formed Canada Water West Action Group.
Cllr Mark Williams and council officers Jon Abbott and Tara Quinn also addressed the committee.
The council will consult local residents on the proposals during the autumn.
You can watch the whole session online, courtesy of the Southwark scrutiny team.
Part one:
Part two:
If you have a garden or window box in Bermondsey (Grange, Riverside and South Bermondsey wards) you are eligible to enter the Bermondsey in Bloom competition.
Details at www.salmoncentre.org/bloom2015
Canon Ted Roberts – vicar of St James’s and St Anne’s churches in Bermondsey during the 1980s – has died aged 86.
Adrian Greenwood, licensed reader at St James’s, has written a tribute which can be read here.
‘Cool your coals’ is the advice from firefighters as a bag of hot coals was to blame for a garden shed blaze on Timber Pond Road in Rotherhithe on Wednesday morning.
The brigade believes that coals used in a barbecue on Tuesday were bagged up while still hot and when the owner woke up he saw his shed alight. The fire completely destroyed the shed and nearby fencing. It also spread to a neighbouring fence and partly damaged another shed.
“Fires involving barbecues don’t only come during cooking but long after you’ve polished off the bangers and burgers,” said aLondon Fire Brigade spokesperson.
“It’s important that you cool your coals and ash before you dispose of them. Also make sure the barbecue is cool before you try to move it.”
The brigade was called at 9.01am and the fire was under control by 9.50am. Fire crews from Dockhead, Old Kent Road, Deptford and New Cross fire stations attended the scene.
Southwark Council’s cabinet has agreed to launch a formal consultation on the expansion of Rotherhithe Primary School in Rotherhithe New Road from two to three forms of entry.
The expansion is to be part-financed by community infrastructure levy (CIL) payments from the major developments at Canada Water.
An extract from the cabinet report discussed on Tuesday:
An analysis of existing application and enrolment trends, as well as pupil projections and recent engagement with the developers has evidenced a need for additional provision in the Rotherhithe peninsular area.
To this end, we have engaged with schools in the area and have ascertained that Rotherhithe Primary School would be suitable for expansion – presently, the school is a 2FE school housed in a variety of buildings that are in a state of poor repair.
A rebuild of the school – full or partial – would allow us to be able to expand the school to contribute to meeting the needs of the new communities anticipated by the Canada Water development.
Therefore, Cabinet approval is sought to proceed to formal consultation for the expansion of the school from 2FE (60 pupils per year group) to 3FE (90).
The school will temporarily expand for 2015-2016, and 2016-2017, with a target for permanent expansion of September 2018.
The school was rated “Good” by Ofsted when inspected in 2014. This would be financed in part by the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) deriving from the Canada Water development on the peninsula.