At last night’s Bermondsey & Old Southwark hustings, five of the parliamentary candidates were asked whether they’d support a full review of the Thames Tideway Tunnel ‘supersewer’ project by an incoming government.
Hear what they had to say at the 1 hour 24 minute mark in the YouTube audio recording below.
Boris Johnson says there are “no plans” to extend the cycle hire scheme – despite recent comments by his cycling commissioner who said he had been holding discussions with Southwark Council about bringing bike hire to more of the borough,
The Mayor’s remarks – in a written answer to a question tabled by Labour’s Val Shawcross AM – will come as a disappointment to those hoping to see red bikes on the Rotherhithe peninsula in the near future.
Cycle Hire in Rotherhithe
Question No: 2015/1057
Valerie Shawcross
I have been contacted by residents in Rotherhithe who are keen to see the cycle hire scheme expanded on Rotherhithe peninsula particularly near the riverfront as there currently are no cycle hire facilities in this vicinity. Please can this be considered?
Written response from the Mayor
As explained in MQ 2014 /3442, there are no plans to expand the scheme outside of the current footprint at this time.
The main focus for the Cycle Hire scheme, at present, is to identify locations for more ‘intensification’ sites with our borough partners within the existing footprint of the scheme. By increasing the density of docking points, particularly in Central London, users will have greater opportunity to hire and dock bikes and the redistribution operation will be more efficient.
This said, I view the scheme as an expanding programme and TfL is more than happy to look at suggested sites and areas, subject to a range of criteria that must be met for docking station installation. These include topography, operational considerations and future funding.
Both boroughs and private landowners who are interested in Santander Cycle docking stations are encouraged to contact TfL. Duncan Robertson, Business Development Manager, is the first point of contact and can provide assistance on issues of funding, site locations, and other ways TfL can help.
TfL remains engaged with all London boroughs regarding intensification and any possible future expansion.
Surrey Docks councillor Lisa Rajan will join thousands of other runners in the London Marathon this Sunday.
The marathon route passes through the borough starting at Lower Road and works its way around the Rotherhithe peninsula and Bermondsey before heading over Tower Bridge into the City.
But not content with completing the course in regular sports gear, Cllr Rajan has chosen to run the 26-mile course dressed as super-hero Wonder Woman.
The Liberal Democrat councillor is raising money for the Reverse Rett charity, which funds research into the devastating rare condition Rett Syndrome, and has already raised over £1,250 for the cause. Further donations are still welcome and can be made online at: https://www.justgiving.com/lisarajan4/
“For the second year running, I am dusting off my favourite Wonder Woman outfit and embarrassing myself in front of Southwark residents,” said Cllr Rajan.
“I’m not looking to break any speed records but I do hope at least to make it to the finish line ahead of any rhinos or bananas!
“This year I’m running it for a brilliant charity called ReverseRett.
“They fund research into the devastating rare condition Rett Syndrome, which causes severe mental and physical disability in young girls around their first birthday.
“I’m hoping to raise as much as I can to make a small difference to families living with Rett.”
Next Tuesday (28 April) is decision day for the future of The Clipper pub on Rotherhithe Street.
Councillors are likely to approve plans to knock down the 1934 pub and replace it with a four-storey block of flats.
Objectors to the proposal include the South East London Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) who say:
We strongly oppose the above application as many pubs have already been lost in the area. In fact, according to our records only fifteen now remain open out of forty three that we have listed for Rotherhithe. Four of these closures including the Clipper have been in the last four years.
The applicant claims that because there are other pubs nearby, including the Ship York, the Orange Bull, and the Blacksmiths Arms, the loss of the Clipper will not adversely affect community facilities in the area. Yet, the Ship York has already closed (November 2014) and the Orange Bull is subject to a planning application to demolish it. The applicant’s argument, therefore, holds little weight, and, in fact, the loss of Ship York and the threat to the Orange Bull makes it all the more important that the Council recognises the importance of retaining the Clipper.
This catastrophic loss of both community facilities and heritage buildings has been recognised Nationally in paragraph 70 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), regionally in the Mayor of London’s draft London Plan paragraph 4.48A and now locally in Policy DM27 of the draft New Southwark Plan.
The CAMRA letter continues:
It is time to say no to further pub closures in this area to ensure that facilities are protected for both current and future residents . The Clipper is a purpose built public house from the interwar period which adds both variety and interest to the streetscape and while not listed could still reasonable be considered to be a non-designated heritage asset. We feel that its closure and demolition would go against current planning policies as it results in both the loss of a valued community facility and heritage asset.
However, in their report to councillors, Southwark planning officers say:
In the view of Officers, there is little evidence that this public house has recently served as a valued community facility. Whilst several letters have been received from local residents, very few of these object in principle to the loss of the public house itself. CAMRA have objected to its loss but there is no evidence provided with its objection that the public house has served as a valued facility in this case. There have been no attempts to secure the premises as an Asset of Community Value. Coupled with these factors, an existing public house (the Blacksmith Arms) is conveniently located very close to the site providing a similar use for the community. Whilst needing to guard against the loss of public houses where it is clear they offer a valued facility, this does not appear to be the case in this instance. The replacement retail class facility will also provide an, albeit different, local service for the surrounding area. Taking all these factors into consideration, it is concluded on this issue, that the loss of the public house will not result in any significant harm to the overall provision of local facilities and services in this area.
There’s more on the history of The Clipper on Andie Byrnes’s blog.
The final decision will be made by Southwark’s planning sub-committee B on Tuesday 28 April at 7pm at 160 Tooley Street SE1.
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg visited the Blue on Tuesday in support of Simon Hughes’s campaign to be re-elected as MP for Bermondsey & Old Southwark.
After a brief visit to Elephant & Castle the pair – accompanied by the national media circus in the Lib Dem ‘battle bus’ – visited Hughes’s office at the Blue.
Campaigning with the legend that is @simonhughes this morning. Fantastic champion for Bermondsey and Old Southwark. pic.twitter.com/BKhMlCWQ7k
— Nick Clegg (@nick_clegg) April 14, 2015
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:
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.
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.
Labour leader Ed Miliband visited the Silverlock Hall in Rotherhithe on Thursday for a Q&A session introduced by local prospective parliamentary candidate Neil Coyle.
The invited audience included a mix of party members, supporters, community activists and first time voters.
Miliband spent nearly an hour fielding questions on a wide range of topics including housing, support for carers, policing in Rotherhithe, the Aylesbury Estate redevelopment and the prospect of a Labour-Lib Dem coalition.
After the main Q&A we had the opportunity to interview the Labour leader – look out for articles over on the SE1 website very soon covering Miliband’s response to questions about overseas investors buying property in Southwark, the Bakerloo line extension, disruption at London Bridge Station and how he feels about the prospect of Neil Coyle unseating Simon Hughes.
Barry Duckett asks Ed Miliband about policing in Rotherhithe. Cop shop is moving to Portakabins at Seven Islands. pic.twitter.com/h837zsg5nB
— London SE16 (@se16) March 26, 2015
Ed Miliband greeted in SE16 by Tories? in Alex Salmond masks pic.twitter.com/9BZqrMbs9Z
— London SE16 (@se16) March 26, 2015
Ed Miliband refuses to rule out going into coalition with Nick Clegg in response to Q from Rotherhithe audience pic.twitter.com/oH3diaGNZ6
— London SE16 (@se16) March 26, 2015