Category Archives: Politics

Boris Johnson ducks Tory question on how Canada Water residents will benefit from development

Posted on by

boris johnson

Conservative Party London Assembly member Andrew Boff tabled this question to the Mayor:

What would be the main benefits to local residents of the new Opportunity Area that is proposed for Canada Water in the London Plan?

Boris Johnson replied:

Canada Water was previously an Intensification Area. Its redesignation as an Opportunity Area is to reflect the significant amount of development that has taken place there in recent years and to plan strategically for its continued growth.  As well as new residential and retail development, there is also the potential to develop a new science cluster by King’s College.  

Judge for yourself whether that response is an adequate answer to Mr Boff’s question about benefits to residents…

Blue Anchor Library closed for seven weeks

Posted on by

A few weeks ago we reported on plans to refurbish Blue Anchor Library.

What the council didn’t say back then was that a seven-week shutdown would be necessary for the work to be completed.

Blue Anchor Library – Southwark Council.

Blue Anchor Library is going to be refurbished during March/April 2014 to install self service technology and to improve the layout and facilities in the library.

The library will be closed for these essential building works from 7pm on Tuesday 11 March to Sunday 27 April inclusive.

Blue Anchor Library will reopen at 9am on Monday 28 April.

The nearest library to Blue Anchor is Canada Water.

You can use your Southwark Council library card at any Southwark library and items on loan can be renewed online or by calling 020 7525 2000. You can return items to any other Southwark library or by taking them to the My Southwark Customer Service Point at 11 Market Place SE16, where there will be a returns box.

 

Thank you for your support and sorry for any inconvenience caused during the refurbishment. We look forward to bringing you your new and improved library in April.

210 bottles seized from Costcutter at the Blue during inspection by trading standards and HMRC

Posted on by

The 24-hour Costcutter store in Southwark Park Road is facing a review of its premises licence after officers from Southwark Council’s trading standards department and HM Revenue & Customs seized 210 bottles of alcohol.

During the inspection on 31 January officers found dozens of bottles  where no duty had been paid and/or the product was counterfeit:

  • 126 bottles of Smirnoff vodka (70cl)
  • 10 bottles of Smirnoff vodka (1 Litre)
  • 17 bottles of Famous Grouse Whisky (70cl)
  • 18 bottles of Bells whisky (70cl)
  • 31 bottles of Glens vodka (70cl) also identified as counterfeit
  • 8 bottles of High Commissioner whisky (70cl)
  • 24 bottles of wine (70cl)

Read more about the irregularities found during the inspection on the council’s licensing register.

Old Bermondsey town hall affordable housing cash to be spent in Dulwich

Posted on by

Bermondsey Municipal OficesAffordable housing cash provided by the developers of the old Bermondsey municipal offices in Spa Road is to be spent in Camberwell, Peckham and Dulwich following a decision of the planning committee on Tuesday night.

Around £500,000 from the Spa Road development of luxury flats (marketed as Bath House Lofts) and a smaller scheme off Bermondsey Street will be spent creating six homes in under-used space on existing estates.

Some of the money is being spent 3.5 miles from Bermondsey in the far south of the borough.

“One is perturbed that the money is not being spent closer to where the receipts are being generated in Bermondsey,” said  Nick Stanton, Lib Dem councillor for Riverside ward.

“It’s particularly ironic that the council is selling off Bermondsey town hall, didn’t get an on-site affordable housing contribution from the deal and is now spending the money away from Bermondsey.”

Planning committee chair Nick Dolezal (Labour) was unapologetic: “This is compliant with Labour group policy to provide homes using receipts in this particular way.”

The map below shows the old Bermondsey town hall and the four sites where the money will be spent.


View Bath House Lofts in a larger map

A lido in Southwark Park?

Posted on by

park lido photo

Photo by victoriapeckham

Last week Southwark Liberal Democrats published their manifesto for the borough elections to be held in May this year.

From the policy paper published alongside the manifesto:

Southwark Liberal Democrats have long supported a refurbishment of Seven Islands Leisure Centre. A Liberal Democrat administration will make this happen, but go further than the current plans by providing a new outdoor lido pool in the heart of Southwark Park.

Rotherhithe New Road ‘crack house’ shut down

Posted on by

A crack house in Bermondsey has been closed down by Southwark Council and the Metropolitan Police after residents raised concerns about drug use and antisocial behaviour.

The property, located in Tissington Court, was closed down under Section 2 of the Antisocial Behaviour Act 2003 after it was found to be used in connection with the unlawful use, production and supply of a Class A controlled drug. A catalogue of complaints from residents was lodged to the police and the council about drug use in children’s playing areas, noise, human waste and abandoned drug paraphernalia and vandalism in the quiet residential block .

After several warnings and offers of support from Southwark Council, a closure order was  obtained in November 2013.

Following this the council obtained a Possession Order from the County Court to permanently evict the tenant from his home, which will now be made available to a more deserving homeseeker.

Southwark Council, who has recently reshaped its services to improve the ways it deals with antisocial behaviour complaints, has issued almost 80 closure orders, in partnership with the police, in the last five years, five of which have been obtained this year alone.

Councillor Richard Livingstone, cabinet member for community safety, said: “The residents of Tissington Court were made to endure an awful campaign of criminality and disturbances at the hands of one resident and his associates.

“By taking out this closure order and subsequently evicting this tenant, we want a clear message to be sent that we will not stand for crime and anti social behaviour on our estates.

“I would like to thank the residents of Tissington Court for reporting the crimes. Without their full support this issue would have persisted and many more would have been made to feel vulnerable and intimated in their homes. To anyone else experiencing serious antisocial behaviour in their community, please do come forward for support in resolving the issue.”

Canada Water Library: one million visits

Posted on by

Canada Water Library has received its one millionth visit since opening its doors to the public on 28 November 2011.

Southwark Council is celebrating this special milestone with a day long programme of events and activities for everyone to enjoy on Saturday 15 March . Activities will include a family storytime session, live theatre in the library’s Culture Space and a children’s craft session.

As one of Southwark’s newest libraries, Canada Water has won numerous architectural accolades including a Civic Trust Special Award in September 2013, with the judges praising the building as “an iconic community asset”.

 

Cllr Peter John, leader of Southwark Council said: “This really is a massive milestone for us, Canada Water Library has become a central part of the local area since 2011, and such high visitor numbers are proof of what a worthy investment it was. While other councils have been closing libraries, Southwark has been investing in them, and I think reaching on

Canada Water Library
Photo: Tim Cocker

e million visits on top of this is a fantastic achievement.”

Cllr Veronica Ward, cabinet member for culture, leisure, libraries and sport said: “Canada Water Library has been such an important addition to Southwark’s libraries. Not only are we incredibly pleased at how successful it has become as a focus point for the local community, but in particular it is great to see such high numbers of young people using the facilities. The wonderful programme at the culture space especially has played a huge part in this, so a big thank you to all involved.”

Blue Anchor Library to be spruced up

Posted on by

Blue Anchor library in Bermondsey is being refurbished this spring, with self-service book issuing and return facilities and an improved layout.

Cllr Veronica Ward, Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport, Libraries and Volunteering said: “It is so important for us to do all we can to support all of our libraries by not only keeping them open as we have pledged, but also investing in them to ensure local residents can get the most out of them.”

“While many of our larger libraries in Southwark have been going from strength to strength in recent years, we also want to pay tribute to the wonderful work done in some of our smaller ones such as the beautiful library in Kingswood House and thelibraries at Nunhead and of course Blue Anchor.

 

“They are a much loved feature of their local communities and we want to do all we can to ensure their future.”