Category Archives: Politics

Bermondsey tube: should it be given zone 1 / 2 boundary status?

Posted on by

The question of whether Bermondsey Underground Station should be in zone 2, zone 1 (or both) comes up from time to time.

The controversy has been revived by Liberal Democrat London Assembly member Caroline Pidgeon who has tabled this question to Mayor of London Boris Johnson.

Given the locations of the recent East London stations to be rezoned as zone 2/3 stations, will you look again at rezoning Bermondsey as a zone 1/2 station? It can not be right that Bermondsey is in the same zone as Stratford.

The Mayor’s response is due to be published on Monday night.

We’ll let you know what he says.

Last time the question was asked, he said that the change would result in “significant costs“

Mayflower Community Hall demolition controversy aired at council meeting

Posted on by

Plans to redevelop the Mayflower Community Hall in Neptune Street were discussed at Southwark’s overview & scrutiny committee on Monday night.

Members of the Mayflower Estate Tenants’ & Residents’ Association are furious that they learned on Twitter of plans to knock down their hall as part of a new housing development.

Cllr Richard Livingstone, cabinet member for housing management, apologised to the TRA for the breakdown in communication.

Watch the full exchange on video:

Brunel Bridge – update from Boris Johnson

Posted on by

 

Labour London Assembly member (and directly elected mayor of Tower Hamlets) John Biggs tabled a formal question to Mayor of London Boris Johnson seeking an update on the proposed ‘Brunel Bridge’ for pedestrians and cyclists which could be built to link Rotherhithe with Canary Wharf.

Boris Johnson’s reply was published on Monday evening:

TfL is providing financial and other support to the work being undertaken by Sustrans to develop plans for a new pedestrian and cycle bridge between Canary Wharf and Rotherhithe.

The work suggests that there is a positive case for better crossings in this area. It has found that a bridge would deliver benefits by encouraging walking and cycling trips, and provide an alternative to the busy Jubilee line between Canada Water and Canary Wharf.

There are some significant challenges that a bridge here would need to overcome, including meeting the needs of shipping and connecting into the existing walking and cycling networks on either side. Further work will be required to investigate these issues.

TfL expects to receive the outputs of this work shortly. Next steps will be considered with key stakeholders, including the opportunities that exist for funding, construction and ongoing maintenance.

£7.80 return ferry fare from Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf ‘not unduly high’ says Boris

Posted on by

IF

Mayor of London Boris Johnson has said that the recent increase in the return fare on the ferry between Nelson Dock and Canary Wharf from £5.94 to £7.80 – a hike of 31 per cent – is “not unduly high”.

Liberal Democrat London Assembly member Caroline Pidgeon tabled this question to the Mayor:

Last month I asked about the Oyster pricing of the Hilton Ferry crossing. Your answer did not address the main point of the question – that the introduction of zoning has resulted in the price of a return on the ferry increasing by 31% and now stands at £7.80. Do you agree that this is a very high price for a short ferry crossing?

Boris Johnson replied:

The RB4 river crossing between Doubletree Docklands and Canary Wharf is operated on a commercial basis by MBNA Thames Clippers, on behalf of the Doubletree London Docklands Hotel.

The move to a zone-based fare structure by MBNA Thames Clippers has led to some fares increasing. The fares changes have standardised fares and made all trips compatible with the Oyster readers that are now available for use at all River Bus piers, a significant improvement for customers.

The return crossing between Doubletree Docklands and Canary Wharf has seen the biggest of these increases. The change brings the fare for this crossing into line with other River Bus crossings in the area, such as the short trip from Greenwich Pier to Masthouse Terrace Pier.

The return ticket has been removed for this trip; it was anomalous within the old fare structure and would be even more so under the new standardised zone system. The majority of passengers use this crossing not for a return journey, but for a one-way trip. A single fare has increased by only 12 pence under the new structure. For those passengers that do wish to make this trip regularly in both directions, season tickets are available that will reduce their average daily return fare to as little as £3.00.

Many fares have been reduced under the new system, particularly in the eastern zone, where some single fares have fallen by almost 40 per cent. Within this context, I do not feel that the specific fare increase you mention is unduly high, and I am confident that the overall fare structure changes will provide a net benefit to River Bus passengers.

Canada Water: council paves the way for British Land deal

Posted on by

Pages from 16 11 12 Combined HY results slides

On Tuesday Southwark’s cabinet agreed the basis of an agreement with British Land for the redevelopment of Surrey Quays Shopping Centre and Harmsworth Quays.

In his foreword to the cabinet report, Cllr Mark Williams, cabinet member for regeneration and new homes, wrote:  “Canada Water represents an enormous opportunity for the local community and Southwark as a whole. This report sets out the approach we will take to achieve the requirements we set out last year. These include a mechanism to achieve 35% affordable homes irrespective of viability under the statutory planning system. We will also secure a new leisure centre to replace the sub standard facility at Seven Islands.

“The council is also committed to retaining a long term interest in the town centre and the key to this will be retaining the freehold interest and maximising returns from the development for the benefit of Southwark’s residents. It is important to recognise that this will be a truly mixed use scheme with significant jobs generated for local people not only during the construction phase but also in the long term. As part of the mix of uses we welcome the opportunity to bring a world class higher education offer and the opportunities this will bring in relation to business development, training and economic activity.

“The scheme provides an opportunity to be at the vanguard of our plans for sustainable transport including cycling and pedestrian links to the rest of Southwark and beyond and a reduction in a reliance on cars. The highest quality architecture, urban realm and energy efficiency will be at the heart of the scheme creating a world class town centre to meet the needs of our residents. We will also explore how to set up a London Living Wage Zone at Canada Water; where everyone working in the masterplan area is paid at least the LLW. Details for how this might be achieved will be included in the final agreement.”

Emma Cariaga, British Land’s project director for the Canada Water Masterplan, said: “We have an exceptional opportunity at Canada Water to create an exciting new town centre which will bring jobs to the area, alongside new homes, restaurants and accessible open space.

“We remain committed to working with both Southwark Council and the local community throughout the development of the masterplan, and beyond”

Listen to the full audio of the cabinet agenda item on Canada Water:

Read the full cabinet report and appendices.

Neil Coyle warns of police cuts and highlights drugs crisis in Rotherhithe

Posted on by

Neil Coyle MP has told Parliament that Southwark Police were  “unable or under-resourced” to tackle a problem with drug dealing and heroin use on an estate in Rotherhithe.

Speaking in a Commons debate on policing on Wednesday evening, he said that his constituents are “very concerned about the prospect of a 25 to 40 per cent further cut to resources”.

He went on to describe “the rise of the visible use and sale of class A drugs” in central London.

“In Rotherhithe in particular – at Tissington Court – residents felt that the police were either unable or under-resourced to be able to tackle regular heroin use and sale within a block,” said Mr Coyle.

“Families felt unable to send their children up and down the stairwell because of the use of heroin in that stairwell and the impact of use – including the avoiding of barrels on the stairs during the day.

“It took an incredible amount of time get that issue resolved, and a concerted effort on my part with the Rotherhithe councillors who took the issue to the police with the local tenants’ association.”

More on the future location of Canada Water’s leisure centre

Posted on by

Last week the vexed question of where a new leisure centre to replace Seven Islands should be located was the topic of a further lengthy session at Southwark’s overview & scrutiny committee.

Cllr Mark Williams (cabinet member for regeneration and new homes) and Jon Abbott (head of regeneration north) gave a presentation on the various options, including refurbishment or rebuilding on the Seven Islands site.

Watch it in full here: