Local residents and businesses have formed a new group to create a neighbourhood plan for the Rotherhithe and Surrey Docks area.

The aim of the Rotherhithe and Surrey Docks Neighbourhood Planning Forum is to provide an organisation where local residents and businesses can plan the economic, social and environmental development of the Rotherhithe and Surrey Docks area.

The neighbourhood forum has applied to Southwark Council to be recognised as a designated body under the Localism Act.

“This would be a major step forward for local people both council tenants and residents along with businesses to ensure that the local community benefit from the developments currently being planned for the area,” said chair Pauline Adenwalla.

Vice-chair Brian Hodge added: “We have seen a considerable amount of development in the area without the promised community benefits being delivered. Key to the future of the area is affordable housing and jobs not just jobs in retail although they are important the nature of retail is changing so some of the focus needs to be on the provision of other jobs. There is still a lot of development to come and our aim is to give all the local community a major say.”

The neighbourhood forum says that it will be working over the next year to involve as many local people as possible and will hold its first AGM in 2014 when recognised as the formal neighbourhood planning forum for the area.

Anyone interested in getting involved can contact the forum by emailing [email protected]

Sublime Magazine Center for Sustainability

Local controversy is mounting over the future of the former Rotherhithe Library and civic centre in Albion Street.

This week Southwark’s cabinet approved in principle plans to develop new council homes on the site – a move supported by the Rotherhithe Area Housing Forum whose chairman Barry Duckett addressed the meeting in support of the plans.


However there is a rival proposal from Sublime Magazine to turn the building into a ‘centre for sustainability and social enterprise.

Sublime claims that the centre will lead  research into renewable energy, environmental design and the delivery of education on sustainable practices. It will promote local skills and manufacture, support social enterprise and media-training activities for local young people.

Sublime’s proposal has been branded as “awful” by Cllr Richard Livingstone, cabinet member for resources, who tweeted:

An e-petition calling on the council to consider the sustainability centre plan has so far attracted 236 signatures. It must reach 500 to force the cabinet to consider their request.

Workspace Group has announced a £51 million deal for the sale of seven acres of land at the Biscuit Factory in Bermondsey to the Duke of Westminster’s Grosvenor  Britain & Ireland company.

The deal relates to seven acres of the 11-acre site. Workspace obtained planning consent in May 2013 for 800 new homes  together with new business space.

Grosvenor already owns a three acres site at the nearby former Southwark College campus in Keetons Road which was sold by the new LeSoCo college earlier this year.

Peter Vernon, chief executive of Grosvenor Britain & Ireland, said:   “This is a very exciting opportunity for Grosvenor to help transform two currently underused sites in a vibrant London location, through a mix of new homes, community facilities, public spaces, and retail links complemented by Workspace’s innovative business hub.

“In addition to owning and managing great places in central London, our team has delivered large scale place-making projects across the UK for many years.

“We have exciting community developments in Barton, Oxford; Springside, Edinburgh; Liverpool and in Cambridge.   This site in Bermondsey is an opportunity to use these skills to build and manage much needed housing for London too.”

Grosvenor Britain & Ireland says it will now consider the two sites together before consulting the local community on its development plans.

Under the terms of the Biscuit Factory agreement with Grosvenor, Workspace will receive £51 million in cash. £48 million will be payable on a phased basis as vacant possession is achieved on the 7 acres of land being sold for the residential redevelopment.

Full vacant possession is expected to be achieved by January 2016. A further £3 million in cash will be payable on completion of each stage of the redevelopment.

Grosvenor will  construct for Workspace a new commercial building (with 47,000 sq ft of net lettable space) at an estimated cost of £11 million, on the land retained by Workspace. This increases the amount of business space at the Biscuit Factory  to 270,000 sq.ft.

Grosvenor will also be responsible for all required infrastructure improvements, including landscaping and the creation of a community park on a further 1 acre of the site being sold to Grosvenor.

“This is another milestone for Workspace in its redevelopment activity,” said Jamie Hopkins, chief executive officer of Workspace Group.

“We are delighted to have a partner of the calibre and track record of Grosvenor to take forward the residential component of the redevelopment.

“Once completed this will be a thriving residential and business location, providing Southwark with its largest hub for small and growing businesses. This partnership will deliver significant value for our shareholders and considerable benefit to the local community.

“London has the opportunity to become the entrepreneurial capital of the world.  It is important that we continue to redevelop sites like this across London, that will attract people and businesses who are looking to live and work in dynamic locations with good transport links at the centre of the city.”

This week Southwark’s cabinet approved the latest version of the planning policy document for Canada Water, revised to take into account the pending redevelopment of Harmsworth Quays.

Once approved by council assembly the document will be subject to an examination in public before it is formally adopted.<

“The principal reason for the revisions to the Area Action Plan is the relocation of the Daily Mail Group print works from Harmsworth Quays, making a very substantial area of land available for redevelopment,” said Cllr Fiona Colley, cabinet member for regeneration.

“Our vision is to prioritise non-residential uses on the site, in particular education uses including the opportunity for a new campus for King’s College London. This vision was strongly supported in the consultation on the proposals.

“Southwark Council owns the freehold of the Harmsworth Quays site and so, alongside the changes to the AAP, officers in the regeneration team are working closely with King’s College and British Land (who have acquired the Daily Mail Group’s lease on the site).

“We hope to come back to cabinet within the next few months to agree a process for developing a masterplan for the area which meets the vision as set out in the AAP revisions.”

Southwark Council is to spend £250,000 on works at Seven Islands Leisure Centre to create a new base for police officers formerly based at Rotherhithe Police Station.

The cash comes from saving the council has made on its rent bill by buying the freehold of its Tooley Street headquarters.

From a newly published council report:

Rotherhithe Police Station is scheduled for closure and disposal. The council has offered part of Seven Islands Leisure Centre as a neighbourhood policing team base for the North East cluster. The MPS have confirmed that this is operationally useful and their property team have carried out a site visit and are working with officers to the most feasible use of the site. Whilst this is still in the early stage, the estimated cost to the council of the work needed to bring this into use as a police base is in the region of £250,000.
Architects have been commissioned to undertake a feasibility survey at the leisure centre site that considers the MPS operational requirements. This will be completed by early October 2013 and will establish estimated costs and options for the site. The cost of the feasibility survey is £8,000 and is included in the £250,000 estimated project costs for the police station.
The same report reveals that the council plans to spend £40,000 on closed circuit television at Greenland Quay:
Close [sic] Circuit Television (CCTV) at Greenland Quay – As part of the CCTV refresh programme two redeployable cameras were due to be sited at this location. This area has experienced high volumes of robbery and snatch incidents over the last 12 months. The funding will enable us to provide three fixed zoom public space surveillance cameras and operational connection to the councils CCTV operational control room. Re-deployable cameras are not a suitable option here due to the lighting columns. A design specification will be

Southwark Council’s planning committee this week approved King’s College London’s application to build 770 new student bedspaces, affordable homes, a health centre and retail space on the site of the Mulberry Business Park at Canada Water.

King’s College has already publicly expressed an interest in providing a brand new campus  at the adjacent Harmsworth Quays  when the Daily Mail printworks leaves the site.

The approved development will provide four blocks of buildings of between four and nine storeys, made up of 770 student bedrooms with related living/kitchen and communal spaces; 33 affordable homes; 610sqm retail uses and a new health centre. Also granted for the site is 75sqm area of retail or alternate non-residential institutional use, 4,490sqm offices, associated car parking, cycle parking and landscaped public realm as well as new vehicular and pedestrian access. Of the 33 affordable homes, 23 will be social rented, 10 intermediate.

Councillor Peter John, Leader of Southwark Council, said: “King’s College is an internationally renowned and respected university of great standing and I welcome them to an exciting part of the borough, this can only add to the progress made as part of the Area Action Plan, including the new super-library, new homes and public space.

“Last night’s decision supports the council’s aspirations to create a vibrant town centre for Canada Water and opens doors to the potential for a new campus in the adjacent Harmsworth Quays area. I look forward to what the students will bring to the area and hope that they will make it their permanent home in years to come.”

As well as the student accommodation, the agreement includes spaces for learning, places to shop, new cycle parking, play areas for children and landscaping.

Rotherhithe New Road consultation document - Downloads - Southwark Council

Southwark Council is holding a consultation to receive residents and key stakeholder’s comments regarding proposals to improve road safety and pedestrian accessibility at the Rotherhithe New Road / Hawkstone Road roundabout.

Background

This scheme was identified due to the high number of recorded collisions at the roundabout, many of which were attributed to excessive vehicle speeds and involved pedestrians and pedal cyclists. A large amount of correspondence was also received from residents and local schools expressing concerns at the poor pedestrian environment and accessibility issues for pedestrians. The overall objectives of this scheme are to improve road safety, reduce vehicle speeds and to enhance conditions for pedestrians and cyclists. 

Download the Rotherhithe New Road consultation document

Closing date for responses: 11 September.

Simon Hughes MP and local anti-supersewer campaigners have criticised Thames Water’s application to Ofwat to increase customers’ bills.

The net impact would result in a single, one-off additional cost of about £29 per household in 2014/15.

However, the company is is recommending to Ofwat that the additional cost is spread over more than one year.

Stuart Siddall, Chief Financial Officer of Thames Water said: “Ofwat resets price limits for each water company every five years, most recently in 2009, based on the best information available at the time.  Then, during the five year period, almost all changes to costs and revenues, whether upwards or downwards, are up to us to manage. These include the costs of dealing with severe weather, changes to financing, employment, energy and chemical costs, business rates and tax.

“However, at the beginning of a five year period there are always a small number of potentially significant costs and revenues that can be clearly identified but not quantified.  These are set out at the time of the price review and either the company or Ofwat can seek an adjustment, upwards or downwards, once the actual costs and revenues are known.  That is what we are doing now.”

Mr Siddall added: “These significant costs could not be quantified at the beginning of the current pricing period, and their scale is unique to Thames Water’s operations, project commitments and catchment area. Increasing prices is never good news, which is why the company and its shareholders are encouraging Ofwat to adapt its regulatory mechanism to allow the impact of the price increase to be spread over more than one year to avoid a spike in bills for our customers.”

Simon Hughes MP said: “Thames Water’s request to increase water prices to pay for the Thames Tideway Tunnel is totally unacceptable and I implore Ofwat to reject this request on behalf of all Thames Water customers.

“Thames Water customers should not be expected to pay a huge amount towards the tunnel, given that in the years immediately before making this request, it had assets of billions of pounds which they have paid in dividends to their shareholders.

“I am continuing to call on the government to review the cost benefit of the tunnel currently being proposed and to see if it is the best and best value solution for London’s waste. I will be presenting the case for a different solution and different financing at the inquiry which begins next month.”

In a statement, the Save Your Riverside campaign group which is fighting the proposal to use Chambers Wharf for the superseder, said: “And so it starts – the flow of money down the drain that is the super-sewer, it is interesting to note that they haven’t gone for the full £80 they claim is needed for the £4 billion sewer, so there are bound to be further attempts by Thames Water to hike their bills still higher. What is really infuriating is that this crazy waste of money will not even do the job intended as a Defra minister admitted in the Lords on July 24 that the tunnel on its own is not enough and we will also need sustainable drainage systems, which themselves will require financing no doubt mostly from consumers.

“It is good that the water regulator Ofwat is reported as being ready to challenge this proposed increase and to demand it be justified. Ofwat must use its power to stop this waste of money pushing the vulnerable in society into water poverty, while Thames Water’s investors reap the benefits. The credibility of the regulator itself is now on the line – can Ofwat prove it is an independent watchdog prepared to use its teeth on behalf of water consumers, or is it the pampered poodle on a Thames Water lead that many people suspect?

“There is no longer time pressure either to rush through this little thought out solution, as the EU recently said that they wouldn’t hold us to the fines for not cleaning the river Thames by 2020 – as long as we can show effective solutions are being looked at. Also this is no longer simply a water rate payer issue, given the super sewer is now deemed a national infrastructure project.

“Although the government is trying to attract private investment, the fact that after many months of discussions there is still no announcement of a funding package for the tunnel, indicates how difficult it is finding it to attract private capital for the tunnel. Not only are Thames Water’s customers facing an initial £29 increase in their water bills to pay for the tunnel, there is every risk that all taxpayers will end up footing a massive bill for this ill-conceived project.”

After a tortuous late-night sitting on Tuesday evening, councillors rejected plans to add 56 rooms to the  Mansion Wharf student accommodation block in a 5-storey extension.

Southwark planning sub-committee B resolved that the extension would be overbearing and have an unacceptable impact on residents of the neighbouring Orchard House.

Mansion Wharf, formerly Landale House, was originally a section house for police officers at the adjacent Rotherhithe Police Station.

Southwark’s planning sub-committee B has rejected plans to turn an off-licence in Southwark Park Road into a kebab shop.

Councillors decided that the kebab shop would have a detrimental impact on residential amenity due to noise and smells.

The committee was also concerned about the proximity of the proposed kebab shop to the Harris Academy Bermondsey girls’ secondary school.

Cllr Jeff Hook gave an impassioned speech arguing against the sale of “low quality” food to young people.