Bermondsey businesses balloted on Blue BID proposal

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Businesses around the Blue are currently taking part in a ballot on the formation of a business improvement district (BID) for the area.

Southwark already has several BIDs including Team London Bridge and Better Bankside. They are funded by a levy on business rates and provide a way for local firms to work together to improve and promote their locality as a place to do business.

The Blue Bermondsey BID ballot closes on 3 July and the result will be announced the next day.

The proposed BID would span the SE1/SE16 border and stretch from Monnow Road in the west to Raymouth Road in the east.

Clements Road would form the northern boundary with the BID stretching south to encompass the City of London Academy.

Full details of the proposal are now available online.

NY comes to SE16: plans for Centre for Urban Science and Progress at Canada Water

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As part of London Technology Week, Mayor of London Boris Johnson has revealed that King’s College London and the University of Warwick are working with Bloomberg Associates, the Mayor of London’s Office and Southwark Council to advance the goal of establishing a CUSP London, a branch of New York University’s Centre for Urban Science and Progress, to be based at Canada Water from 2018.

CUSP London will bring together researchers, businesses, local authorities and government agencies to apply urban science in improving public health and wellbeing.

This international partnership will train a new generation of postgraduate and PHD level urban scientists with the skills and knowledge to benefit London and other major UK and international cities.

Once fully operational the new centre at Canada Water will accommodate over 100 researchers and 500 students.

The Mayor has recently designated Canada Water as an ‘opportunity area‘ while King’s College is likely to create a new campus on part of the Harmsworth Quays site alongside its proposed student residences at the Mulberry Business Park.

Rotherhithe Festival and Surrey Docks Farm among Civic Award recipients

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Surrey Docks Farm and the organisers of the Rotherhithe Festival were among those honoured at this year’s Southwark Civic Awards.

The awards were presented last Saturday at Southwark Cathedral.

Cllr Sunil Chopra, the new Mayor of Southwark, said: “The civic awards are a chance to honour the incredible work being done every day across the borough by people who ask for no compensation, reward or recognition.

“I would like to congratulate all this year’s recipients and thank them again for their tireless service to our communities.”

Surrey Docks Farm received the lifetime achievement award.

The honorary liberty of the old metropolitan borough of Bermondsey was bestowed on the Rotherhithe Festival Group in recognition of its longstanding commitment to bringing people together at the annual event on King George’s Field.

Eddie Langdown, group scout leader of the 16th Bermondsey Scout Group based at the Manor Methodist Church, was also granted the honorary liberty of the old metropolitan borough of Bermondsey.

The same honour was granted to Bill Hickson, treasurer of the Links Community Centre.

Ben Manning, a resident of the Barnards House sheltered housing scheme, received a letter of commendation in recognition of his gardening activities and other support for his neighbours.

Canada Water Library approaches one millionth loan

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Following the one millionth visit earlier this year, Canada Water Library is running a competition to mark the library’s one millionth loan.

“Canada Water Library really has gone from strength to strength since opening in November 2011, so we are delighted to be able to mark this milestone so soon after our millionth visit,” said Cllr Dora Dixon-Fyle, cabinet member for adult care, arts and culture.

 

To celebrate the lucky member who borrows the millionth item will win a £100 book token, free tickets to a Culture Space show, a golden library card that allows free DVD and CD loans for a year, tea for two in the Café and the library’s top 10 issued fiction books.

New chair for Bermondsey & Rotherhithe Community Council

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At last night’s council assembly Cllr Bill Williams was named chairman of Bermondsey & Rotherhithe Community Council.

Cllr Williams is one of the new Labour councillors elected last month in Rotherhithe ward.

The community council’s next meeting is on Monday 21 July.

Meetings of the community council are for residents of Riverside, Grange, South Bermondsey, Rotherhithe and Surrey Docks ward, as well as the northern half of Livesey ward.

BT broadband meeting “positive and productive” says council leader

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Labour leader of Southwark Council Peter John and London Assembly member Val Shawcross this week met BT Openreach in what they described as a “positive and productive meeting” to discuss bringing superfast broadband to Rotherhithe.

At the meeting Peter John and Val Shawcross restated the need for an improved broadband service in the Rotherhithe peninsula.

According to Southwark Labour, BT is “actively reviewing the business case” for bringing super fast broadband to Rotherhithe.

“We promised to bring superfast broadband to Rotherhithe during the local election campaign and we remain determined to do this,” said Cllr Peter John.

“After a positive and productive meeting with BT I am confident that we will be able to progress this issue andensure that residents in Rotherhithe have access to superfast broadband.”

Val Shawcross, London Assembly member for Southwark and Lambeth, added: “I have been campaigning on this issue for many months now and the amount of correspondence I have had from frustrated Rotherhithe residents demonstrates the demand for better internet services in the area.

“Rotherhithe suffers unacceptably slow broadband speeds compared to the rest of London. The fact the council are backing the campaign to solve this problem has encouraged BT to take our concerns more seriously.

 

“I urge all Rotherhithe residents to complete an Openreach ‘expression of interest’ form online to make sure BT are fully convinced of this demand.”

Last week local campaigners published their own proposal for a new community-owned social enterprise to bring high-speed broadband to the area.

Is a community-owned social enterprise the answer to Rotherhithe’s broadband woes?

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The Rotherhithe Broadband Group has lauched its Broadband Blueprint for Rotherhithe (PDF).

The Blueprint is the result of several months of exploration of the widespread anger and frustration at the poor broadband speeds and poor stability in the area. The document was revealed at tonight’s Canada Water Consultative Forum meeting.

The Rotherhithe Broadband Group has been looking at why the broadband service to Rotherhithe is so poor and what can be done to improve it.

They said:

We have met with BT and been in contact with Virgin Media to assess what the main providers can do and to understand better the reasons for the poor broadband speeds.

We believe the problem lies with the providers of infrastructure rather than the ISPs. BT as main provider must urgently upgrade their provision to Rotherhithe. However the Group has concluded that a community-owned and -managed broadband infrastructure could deliver a better solution faster and cheaper. Such a solution would future-proof the infrastructure by providing superfast fibre to the home rather than relying on the existing copper wire system.

The Broadband Group is currently completing a feasibility study into the details of our solution. So far it shows that local investment would be better spent on a local solution rather than paid to the major provider. Locally-owned and managed infrastructure would aid the area’s regeneration, maintain the competitiveness of the area and encourage new businesses to consider Rotherhithe a place for long-term investment.

In launching the Broadband Blueprint for Rotherhithe, the group calls on the London Borough of Southwark to support us to find the necessary investment. We call on local councillors and other politicians to come behind the plan and offer their public endorsement of our blueprint. We are looking for partners of all kinds to help us make Rotherhithe a great place to get online. We invite community members with specialist skills such as legal experience or marketing expertise to join the planning group as we develop this project further. If you want to stay in touch with developments, register your details at www.energise16.co.uk and we will send you regular updates.

Pauline Adenwalla –  chair of the Canada Water Consultative Forum who chaired the working group – said: “Once again the community has shown that it has the skills and knowledge to provide community based solutions to address the issue of the local infrastructure.”

Mark Parker who convened the group said: “For years, the issue of broadband has dogged residents and small business owners in Rotherhithe.

“Now we have a chance to turn the experience round and deliver a service fit for the 21st century.”