Chambers Wharf – Southwark challenges ‘super sewer’ in ‘David and Goliath’ fight

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Cllr Peter John, Leader of Southwark Council, said today: “I can now confirm we have issued the High Court with an application for a Judicial Review into the Secretaries of State’s decision to approve plans for the super sewer in their current form, because of the devastating impact the work will have on the lives of the thousands of people who live, work and go to school around the proposed Chamber’s Wharf tunnel drive site.

“Our position was supported by the findings of the five individual planning inspectors who, after six months of hearing from experts and residents alike, concluded that using Chambers Wharf as a drive site would have very significant impacts on the lives of residents and that Abbey Mills would be a more appropriate site with far less impact. This point was ignored by the Secretaries of State who did not even consider the alternatives put forward and simply felt the need for the project outweighed our concerns about the way Chambers Wharf was being used.

“We have discussed this with legal counsel and believe we have a strong case, but we are under no illusions, we are very much David taking on Goliath. However, unlike the Secretaries of State, we can not simply ignore the devastating impact this work will have on the people living, working and going to school around Chambers Wharf and we are prepared to take this to court in order to get the best possible outcome for them.”

Barney Holbeche, chair of the Save Your Riverside residents’ campaign group, said: “It is very surprising and disappointing that ministers chose to ignore advice from the planning inspectorate and therefore go against the national policy statement on waste water which states that the tunnel should only be given consent if significant adverse impacts on health and quality of life from noise have been avoided. The credibility of the planning process is in doubt because of this decision on the tunnel and we therefore welcome the decision of Southwark Council to question the legalities of it.”

Australian ‘Men’s Shed’ movement comes to Rotherhithe

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Press picture

Rotherhithe Shed is a new project for older men based on the very successful Australian Men’s Shed movement.

Set up in partnership by London Bubble Theatre Company and Time & Talents, it aims to bring together older men to put their practical skills to good use – fixing, making, whittling, drilling, sawing and generally tinkering.

Sessions are held fortnightly on Thursday afternoons, in a well equipped workshop where participants can work together on a range of practical activities. Skilled artists and technical experts are available to support the participants, and project ideas are strongly encouraged and developed. If you have something that needs mending or maintaining, be it a wobbly chair or a squeaky bike bring it along. Or if you want to help make and paint the new sign for the shed, or just make the tea – you are welcome.

Rotherhithe Shed is a good opportunity for anyone looking for social and creative experiences, including a chance to make new friends, to experience the camaraderie of working with other men or simply putting practical skills to good use. It’s free, it’s participative, and it’s open to all. Whether you are someone with no skills or highly skilled, there is a role for you at Rotherhithe Shed.

For more information visit www.londonbubble.org.uk or call 020 72374434 and speak to Breakey or 02072325663 and speak to Devon.

‘Brunel Bridge’ Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf crossing plans to be revived by Sustrans

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Mayor of London Boris Johnson says he ‘might well’ consider supporting the construction of a bridge across the Thames for pedestrians and cyclists linking Rotherhithe with Canary Wharf.

At Mayor’s Question Time on Wednesday, Lib Dem London Assembly member Caroline Pidgeon revealed that transport charity Sustrans is to launch a competition for designs for a new bridge.

Ms Pidgeon said that a new bridge could help relieve overcrowding on the Jubilee line.

The Mayor replied: “Please tell [Sustrans] to come in as soon as possible and we’ll have a look at it … I do agree there should be a crossing in that area. Let’s see what they’re proposing.”

Tbe Mayor joked that a catapult across the Thames could be one option.

listen to ‘’Brunel Bridge’ scheme raised at London Assembly meeting’ on audioBoom

Council to demolish Albion Street ‘eyesore’ houses

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Southwark Council leader Peter John has promised to “bring an end to an eyesore” by demolishing three derelict and “pretty grotty” houses on Albion Street.

The council’s cabinet this week agreed to buy the freehold of the houses at 71, 73 and 75 Albion Street for an undisclosed sum.

In her introduction to the cabinet report, Cllr Fiona Colley wrote: “I’m delighted to bring this report today which represents the beginning of the end of the eyesore that is 71-75 Albion Street. With the purchase of the freehold of the properties we will be able to demolish these long empty, derelict homes and build brand new council homes as part of our 11,000 new council homes.

“This site will become another element of the regeneration of Albion Street with projects including more new council homes on the site of the former library and behind the school, the rebuilding and expansion of Albion School, weekly market and regular Scandinavian Markets and the creation of a new public square outside the beautiful Norwegian Church.

“I have every confidence that Albion Street is on the up!”

Boris ‘passionate’ about solving Rotherhithe broadband problem

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From a City Hall report published this week, authorising the expenditure of £20,000 on research about broadband connectivity in London (the emphasis is ours):

Investigating the state of London’s connectivity, providing recommendations to address this and then working with providers to improve the service across London is a critical and urgent piece of work. There are significant issues in important inner London locations (including large parts of the City and Westminster) and in several other locations across London (including but not limited to Rotherhithe, Barnet, Bromley, Ealing and Barking and Dagenham). These issues affect small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and residents disproportionately as big businesses can usually afford to pay for their own leased line. The Mayor is passionate about rectifying this issue as quickly as possible. This issue has also recently been highlighted by the Prime Minister.

It’s good to know that City Hall officials are taking the issue seriously.

Get involved with London Bubble’s latest theatre project

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A while ago we covered London Bubble’s new intergenerational project for 2014-15 – Hopelessly De-Voted – which explores engagement and disengagement with the political system.

There are a number of ways local residents can get involved:

Join the group of researchers and interviewers
Help to interview those people who are part of the political system – the politicians, the voters, the stylists, the media spinners.

Join London Bubble’s intergenerational drama group
Meets Thursdays, 6.30-8.30pm
A group of all ages to research and explore this topic. The testimony and information gathered during the interviews will be developed during Bubble’s weekly workshops and will form the basis of a script. This will be performed by an intergeneration community cast in March and April 2015 – the run up to the election in May.

Help transcribe an interview
If you would like to help transcribe the interviews, London Bubble would like to hear from you.

For more details on all of the above, contact Shipra Ogra at London Bubble [email protected]  or 020 2737 4434

Awards for Bermondsey & Rotherhithe volunteers at Southwark Stars event

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Volunteers for SE16-based organisations including Time & Talents, Yalding Healthy Living Centre and Big Local South Bermondsey were among those who received awards at this year’s Southwark Stars ceremony organised by Volunteer Centre Southwark.

60 people from 35 local groups were presented with Southwark Star awards by the leader of Southwark Council in recognition of their dedication.

As well as the Southwark Star awards, The Volunteer of the Year Awards recognise truly exceptional members of the community who have gone above and beyond what is expected of them to make a difference in other people’s lives; and whose volunteering has made an outstanding contribution to their community in Southwark over the last year. This year, the Volunteer of the Year Awards went to 6 highly deserving members of the community:

The Intergenerational and Older People’s Volunteering Award, presented by Eleanor Kelly, Chief Executive of Southwark Council was awarded to Louise Adnett for her volunteering at Time and Talents

Louise has been volunteering with Time and Talents as a befriender and supporting the running the Stroke Club since July 2013. Louise never forgets the little things-for example, she knows how each of the members like their tea. She befriends an older lady who had a stroke. Louise’s befriending not only provides the lady with friendship, but support when dealing with difficult circumstances. For example, the lady was hospitalised and Louise made sure the lady did not miss out on the Summer Party. When an issue arose with the lady’s wheelchair she rushed to the hospital to save the day! In the end, the lady was able to attend the party.

The Equalities Champion Award was presented to Armani Curtis by Councillor Michael Situ for his volunteering at Health Huts

Armani is an individual who has shown maturity and dedication in tackling sensitive contemporary issues. He currently volunteers at “Health Huts” within youth clubs across the borough, delivering workshops and one to one drop-ins to young people aged between 10 – 19yrs covering topics from sexual health to crime. He is a board member of Southwark’s Teenage Pregnancy unit. And he recently helped recruit a young people’s LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer) worker for the Metro Centre so that Southwark had representation.

The Keib Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Peter and Veronica Davenport by Tinku Thomas for their volunteering with Age UK.

Peter and Veronica have volunteered at their local Age UK centre for more than five years as centre workers who assist with the preparation of meals, serving refreshments and meals to service users. They are also responsible for maintaining the centre and being attentive to the needs of older people. Veronica is “attentive and caring, bringing to attention members’ upcoming birthdays and concerns”, Peter is “patient, kind and giving of himself” while both of them are “dedicated to working for the community”.

Over the past year they have managed to put in an incredible 1,820 hours of volunteering each. Their compassion towards older people can be seen in the amount of time and effort dedicated to service users.

The Walworth and Bankside Volunteer of the Year was presented to Saffron Saidi by Claire Helman, Chair of Volunteer Centre Southwark for her work with CoolTan Arts.

Saffron has been volunteering with the Mental Health and Arts charity CoolTan Arts for 3 years, taking on a wide variety of roles which benefit Walworth and Bankside.

Every week Saffron collects donated food from across London which ensure that CoolTan’s participants, many on very low budgets, have a source of free food. She also regularly volunteers at CoolTan’s events and exhibitions which provide CoolTan service users with a showcase for their artwork and a supportive space for socialising without mental health stigma. Saffron is considered to be a fantastic example of someone who “always thinks of others and goes above and beyond to provide support and care” and that she “regularly visits CoolTan participants in hospital and supports others at tribunals”.

The Bermondsey and Rotherhithe Volunteer of the Year was presented to Dianne Anderson by Councillor Kath Whittam (Councillor for Rotherhithe) for her work with Big Local.

Dianne became a member of the Big Local South Bermondsey over 3 years ago. She was instrumental in its development because her estate is made up of several different housing providers it was impossible to put together a Tenant and Resident organisation, however undeterred she set about and bring about change. She did this successfully and managed to secure funding to support events while supporting both her husband and brother in law with cancer. She is described as someone who never says ‘I can’t or “I don’t have enough time” and that she has deserves to be recognised for her “huge amount of personal bravery and an exceptional commitment to the community”.

Peter Stokes, CEO of Volunteer Centre Southwark said “Southwark is a vibrant and exciting borough, with a real sense of community, and volunteers play no small part in this. It is vitally important that we all take the time to stop and thank those people who give their time, enthusiasm and experience to support the community in the borough. The volunteers whose stories we heard as part of the Southwark Stars awards were moving and inspirational, and it was a privilege to be part of the event. But it’s also important to remember that there are thousands of others out there doing great things.”

Galleywall School could reopen as City Academy Primary

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The former Galleywall Primary School buildings in Galleywall Road could host a new primary ‘free school’ linked to the City of London Academy under plans revealed this week.

Galleywall Primary School closed in 2005 after several years in ‘special measures’. The buildings are currently being used by Southwark Park Primary School during the rebuilding of their own premises.

If approved, The City of London Primary Academy Southwark would open in September 2016 with an initial intake of 60 Reception students. It would reach its full complement of 420 students by 2023.

The Galleywall Road site is just a short walk from the existing City of London Academy secondary school on Lynton Road.

“This is a perfect site and opportunity to create a much-need new school for the Bermondsey area,” said Angela Murphy, City of London Corporation education strategy advisor.

“In partnership with our existing local schools and with Southwark Council, who own the site, we want to create an excellent school with aspirational, enterprising and adventurous values at its heart.

“It will be a community-focused school but will also provide an enriched education that exposes children to opportunities to explore the world around them.”

The ‘free school’ bid is also backed by South Bermondsey councillors and Redriff Primary, which is already part of the City of London Corporation family of schools.

Lucas Green, chair of governors of Redriff and Grange ward Labour councillor, said: “This is a unique and exciting partnership between the City of London Corporation, Southwark and existing local schools.

“If successful, the proposal will ensure that the former Galleywall site will be used for exactly what we know local people want – the provision of much-needed extra local primary school places.”

Cllr Victoria Mills, cabinet member for children and schools, said: “I am really pleased that we are able to support the proposals for another new primary school, this time in the north of the borough.

“Not only will it be hopefully a welcome new option for local parents, it will also help us to deliver our strategy to create new, permanent places and ensure our pupils continue to have the best opportunities.”

Local residents are encouraged to complete a survey at: www.cityacademyprimary.co.uk

 

 

There is a consultation event later this month for interested parents to hear more about the proposed school and have their say on the plans. 6pm-8pm Tuesday 28th October 2014  at City of London Academy (COLA), 240 Lynton Road, London SE1 5LA

 

Council considers controlled parking zone for Rotherhithe & Surrey Quays

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Southwark Council is to allocate £82,750 towards a feasibility study and consultation on setting up a controlled parking zone (CPZ) for Rotherhithe and Surrey Quays.

A controlled parking zone is an area where all parking is restricted to people who hold permits, vouchers or pay and display tickets. Around half of the borough of Southwark currently falls within a CPZ.

The funding for a CPZ study in Rotherhithe is part of a £1 million package of projects funded by section 106 contributions from developments in the area set to be approved by the council’s planning committee on Tuesday night.

Read the full council report here (PDF).

The council has a guide to how controlled parking zones work on its website.

Mayor lukewarm about bringing cycle hire to SE16

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Mayor of London Boris Johnson has indicated that his priority for the cycle hire scheme is adding more docking stations to the existing area before further expansions of the scheme into new parts of London are considered.

Labour London Assembly member Val Shawcross asked the Mayor:

What plans do you have for increasing the coverage of the cycle hire scheme south of the river? Ideally the scheme should come to Surrey Docks, Rotherhithe, go south to Camberwell and Brixton and also take in Clapham. What discussions are TfL having with Southwark and Lambeth Council respectively?

Boris Johnson replied:

The main focus for the cycle hire scheme at present is to identify locations for more ‘intensification’ sites with our borough partners within the footprint of the current 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.

The most recent expansion of the scheme includes Clapham Junction with nine docking stations at and around the station. There has also recently been three new sites built near Clapham Common Southside.

That 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 available funding.

TfL remains engaged with both Lambeth and Southwark boroughs regarding intensification and any possible future expansion.