South London Weekly - May 10th 2024

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sixth formers take their mp to task on school visit

Page 2-15

CounCil ColleC ts £30m in pCns

By Charlotte Lillywhite Local Democracy Reporter

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The sTreeTs in richmond where the most drivers got caught breaking parking and traffic rules last year have been revealed, with one street catching out motorists more than 5,200 times. Richmond Council collected nearly £30million from slapping motorists with Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) in the last six years, a Freedom of Information Request (FOI) revealed.

The council responded to a FOI request from the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), which showed it handed out a total of 579,034 PCNs from the financial years 2018/19 to 2023/24. The figure has steadily increased since the council issued 74,025 PCNs in 2020/21 to 116,811 PCNs in 2023/24.

PCNs are issued to drivers who have been seen allegedly breaking parking or traffic restrictions. The council enforces these restrictions using patrolling civil enforcement officers and CCTV cameras.

Data provided by the council also revealed the top 10 streets where the most PCNs were

handed out in 2023/24.

The STReeTS aND NumBeR of PCNS aRe LiSTeD BeLoW:

1. Upper Sunbury Road junction with Lower Sunbury Road: 5,254 PCNs

2. The Green, Richmond: 4,022 PCNs

3. Kew Green, Kew: 3,460 PCNs

4. Sheen Road, Richmond: 2,882 PCNs

5. Burtons Road eastwards from Seymour Road: 2,338 PCNs

6. Heath Road bus lane, Twickenham: 2,250 PCNs

7. Lower Teddington Road junction with Normansfield Avenue: 2,110 PCNs

8. Old Deer Park car park, Richmond: 2,086 PCNs

9. The Embankment, Twickenham: 1,793 PCNs

10. Lion Road junction with Grove Avenue, Twickenham: 1,761 PCNs

Four of these streets featured in the top 10 streets where the most PCNs were issued in every year from 2018/19 to 2023/24. These were The Green, Richmond, Sheen Road, Richmond, The Embankment, Twickenham,

and Kew Green, Kew.

The council collected £5.5m from handing out PCNs in 2023/24. Overall, it generated £29.2m in revenue from issuing PCNs from 2018/19 to 2023/24.

1. 2018/19: £4.7m

2. 2019/20: £4.4m

3. 2020/21: £3.8m

4. 2021/22: £4.8m

5. 2022/23: £6m

6. 2023/24: £5.5m

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1. 2018/19: 96,935 PCNs

2. 2019/20: 82,799 PCNs

3. 2020/21: 74,025 PCNs

4. 2021/22: 95,415 PCNs

5. 2022/23: 113,049 PCNs

6. 2023/24: 116,811 PCNs

All income generated from PCNs goes into the council’s parking account, which is required by law to be spent on transportrelated projects – including highways improvements and maintenance.

The council approved plans in February to replace the two parking enforcement contracts currently held separately by Richmond and Wandsworth with a single contract. A new contractor will deliver the service from August 1, after the current contracts end in July.

The contract will be held jointly by Richmond and Wandsworth councils for five years, with the option to extend it for another two years. While one company will deliver the service, civil enforcement officers will follow individual council policies and separate financial accounting processes.

A report by council officers said the changes will lead to ‘reduced contract management costs for both boroughs’ to make full use of the shared staffing arrangement the authority holds with Wandsworth. It added the council aims to provide a ‘seamless transition with no disruption to service levels’.

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exCLuSive

By Isabel Ramirez

a bermondsey pub has been saved from being boarded up after a nearby brewery stepped in to take over.

St James of Bermondsey, a pub on St James’ Road is now under the management of Anspach & Hobday, one of the breweries on the beer mile.

The venue is owned by Stonegate, one of the thousands of pubs they acquired when they bought EI in 2020.

As a result of this deal, they became the UK’s largest pub group - and subsequently fell into a mountain of debt (£2.2bn).

After taking over St James of Bermondsey four years ago, Stonegate had been running it as their own business. But recently they were forced to search for new tenants as the pub was ‘failing.’

John Hobday, co-owner of the company that has taken on the lease, said: “It was quite successful - but recently this site has suffered.

“A week before it was due to be boarded up, we stepped in and took over the lease.

“It would have been closed from the beginning of February if we hadn’t.”

Anspach & Hobday has been operating as a popular brewery in the area for ten years, working with pubs and at their site.

But Jack added that whilst it is positive news that a pub has been ‘saved’, there are some restrictions.

As a brewery, they have their own beers they were hoping to sell, but being

Bermondsey Brewery steps in to stop puB from BeinG Boarded up

part of a big pubco they have to pick from the list on offer.

Jack expressed his disappointment, commenting: “When you’ve got an area that’s famous for beer - and you’re only 100 metres away from the beer mile - it’s a shame to be restricted against selling local beers.”

This includes their best-selling stout, London Black, which Jack called, ‘Bermondsey’s answer to Guinness.’ They added that they would be keeping the pub warm temporarily whilst Stonegate looked for new tenants. New manager Simon, who used to manage Marquis of Wellington, said

of Bermondsey. The strong business community here in Bermondsey is battling against the national trend of decline and showing how a thriving local economy can keep struggling businesses open.

The new team at St

they had given it a ‘new lease of life’, adding: “We’re excited to welcome the community back into this local pub.”

After visiting the pub under new management, Cllr Rachel Bentley commented: “I am delighted to see Anspach & Hobday, a successful local business, take on the treasured St James

“However, after years of this disastrous Conservative Government wrecking local economies, small businesses need as much support as possible. That’s why the Liberal Democrats would scrap business rates and replace it with a new, fairer levy that can help business boom and high streets flourish.”

We asked Stonegate what had gone wrong with this site specifically, but they did not respond at the time of going to press.

They will be hosting a Cask Ale event to celebrate at the end of May when for a whole week, beers will be ‘buy one get the other for £1.’

Look out on their Instagram @ stjamespubse16 for more information.

James of Bermondsey

lower road: CyCleway sCheme was only meant to Be a ‘temporary fix’

exCLuSive

By Isabel Ramirez

TransporT for london (Tfl) has claimed that the controversial Lower Road cycleway design was a ‘temporary fix’ due to cutbacks.

After being called down there last Friday, May 3, by the local MP Neil Coyle, following outrage amongst residents and councillors, TfL confirmed that the design was ‘not their original plan.’

The original plans, consulted on by Southwark Council in 2019, were paused during the pandemic because of funding issues. Reportedly, they would have cost over £10m.

That scheme would have used some of the pavement for cycle lanes and removed traffic islands - meaning the road would have been wider in places.

A TfL spokesperson explained: “The longer-term scheme for the Lower Road section includes the removal of the traffic gyratory system around Surrey Quays to provide two-way working along Lower Road, removal of central reservations and traffic islands and a re-imagining of the

road space to include kerb-segregated cycle lanes and wider footways where needed.”

This current design, which has been the source of endless complaints around its safety and traffic since it opened in March, was developed to ‘fill the gap.’ It cost £2.8m.

TfL said they had offered the money to the council to restart a different design solution, but this would be ‘subject to affordability.’

At the meeting, MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark Neil Coyle, expressed concern that neither representatives for TfL nor Southwark were aware of every accident that had occurred on Lower Road since the new cycleway opened.

A TfL spokesperson said they were not aware that more than two collisions had occurred, as brought up by councillors in the meeting, ‘as they had not been recorded on the national or London reporting system,’ nor had anyone reported them to the council.

MP Neil Coyle said: “It is shocking that neither TfL nor the council appears to be coordinating with the police, ambulance services, the local community or even using their own cameras to ensure they are

By Herbie Russell

bermondsey drivers say huge potholes are “busting up” their cars, causing lengthy detours and forcing council pay-outs.

A local business owner said he’d had £2,000 in compensation from Southwark Council but would still rather they “just got fixed”.

Residents say cracks and divots on St James’s Road and under the bridge on Southwark Park Road are particularly troublesome.

Southwark Council claims to “prioritise” potholes on high streets like Southwark Park Road but failed to respond to this paper’s request for comment.

Daniele Lucia, a local business owner, said: “A lot of our guys have had damage to their vehicles because of them and we’ve managed to get the council to pay for it.”

His company gets long-term unemployed people and offenders work in the rail, hospitality and cleaning industries and his employees are often on the road.

He added: “If a vehicle is damaged and the tyre is blown at night, it’s very difficult to get it fixed quickly enough that they don’t miss their shift.

“Some of our guys avoid Southwark Park Road altogether but that can add twenty minutes onto journeys.

I’d rather the council just got them fixed!”

The meeting at Lower Road on Friday May 3 rd

aware of all incidents on the route.

“It’s ridiculous that they are telling local people to email in if they get run over.”

Commenting on the choice to scrap the original plans, MP Neil Coyle said: “It is unacceptable that Transport for London and the council admit they did not put safety first and rushed a scheme without examining its full impact and allowed changes to be implemented without adequate systems in place to monitor accidents affected by the new road layout.”

TfL and Southwark did commit to

niGhtmare Bermondsey potholes are forCinG CounCil into payouts

Katie Boyd, a Bermondsey resident who drives to work, said: “They bust up your tyres! It’s a nightmare!

“I’ve got a black box on my car and my insurance always thinks I’ve had a crash because the potholes are so bad.

“The car I’m driving is really low so I’ve damaged my car before. It’s just annoying that you’ve got to try and dodge them!”

Southwark Council says it prioritises potholes and other road defects depending on the risk of injury or damage they pose.

Road repair teams should repair ‘serious safety risks’ within two hours, ‘high risks’ in 24 hours, ‘medium risk’ in seven days and ‘moderate risk’ within 28 days.

making some improvements, given the concerns raised by the local community, such as around traffic congestion.

The TfL representative explained that they had made some adjustments to the signal timings along the corridor to optimise them and reduce queuing.

There are also plans for further improvements at the Plough Way junction ‘in the coming months’ to install a technology which will ‘avoid traffic being stopped unnecessarily’ if pedestrians press the wait button, but cross before the green

person is displayed.

MP Neil Coyle said their proposed improvements were ‘welcome news’ but added that he fears a ‘major accident or fatality’ will occur before the necessary measures are taken.

A Southwark Council spokesperson added: “As with all highway improvement schemes, we have commissioned an independent road safety audit of the cycleway to identify any issues that may put road users at risk. The results of the review will be available in due course.”

What is happening with Surrey Quays Shopping Centre?

exCLuSive

By Isabel Ramirez

surrey Quays shopping Centre will not be demolished until the new Tesco is built, British Land confirms.

The Canada Water Masterplan is well underway, with phase one of the project nearly complete.

Part of the plan will involve knocking down the Surrey Quays Shopping Centre and building a new town centre.

Despite news that The Range would be closing this month, British Land revealed that the shopping centre itself is not due to be demolished for ‘several years.’

A British Land spokesperson said: “To ensure the continuity of trade in the area, the final demolition of the shopping centre will not occur until the new Tesco Extra is completed.

“This is unlikely to be ready until late 2028-2029.”

However, they added that some sections ‘may be closed before others.’

Why iS The RaNGe CLoSiNG?

The Range took the lease at Surrey Quays Shopping Centre in 2018.

According to British Land, a condition of the lease was that it could be ended ‘at any point’ by either side as long as enough notice was given.

They were served a notice to leave by British Land and are due to close on Sunday 19 May.

WiLL oTheR BuSiNeSSeS Be SeRveD a NoTiCe To Leave?

British Land told us that ‘no similar notices are planned.’ They added that no businesses will be offered ‘definite’ re-sites meaning none of the shops are guaranteed to return.

However, over one million square feet of retail space is being created as a result of

this development.

British Land said they would work with all their occupiers to understand their future plans.

WhaT WiLL RePLaCe The RaNGe?

The developer said the unit would be ‘refitted’ with leisure facilities and restaurants ‘by the Autumn.’

“At the heart of our proposals is creating a space that is useable and accessible, with opportunities for enrichment for all members of the community.”

They said details of what will be on offer will be ‘provided soon.’

WhaT iS PhaSe oNe aND WheN WiLL iT Be ComPLeTe?

Phase one of the masterplan began construction in 2021 and is due to be completed in late 2024. Already complete is the

iT iNCLuDeS:

PLoT a1 - The CaR PaRk By The DoCk offiCeS (oPPoSiTe CaNaDa WaTeR STaTioN)

∙ 35-storey residential tower with 186 homes

∙ Workspace (118,000 sq ft)

∙ Eating, drinking and shopping space (10,000 sq ft)

PLoT a2

∙ New leisure centre (55,000 sqft)

∙ Workspace (182,000 sq ft)

∙ Eating, drinking, and shopping space (10,000 sq ft)

PLoT k1 - oN RoBeRTS CLoSe

∙ 79 ‘affordable homes’

∙ The New Paper Garden: a circular economy building – and the largest Cordwood construction in the UK.

∙ TEDI-London - higher education provider for future engineers

dulwiCh festival top piCks 10-19 may

anoTher paCked programme of events returns to Se21 and Se22 this year, as Dulwich Festival brings you everything from music and pub walks to fairs and the artists’ Open house

That Peckham Boy by Kenny imafidon

Kenny Imafidon lived a double life – a talented student with a side hustle dealing on the Peckham streets – until he found

himself accused of a murder he didn’t commit. That Peckham Boy. Growing up, Getting Out and Giving Back is his story and a real-life manifesto to create positive change for those on the fringes of society.

Ticket: £12, Friday 10 May, 7pm to 8pm MCT, Alleyn’s School, Townley Road, SE22 8SU

Family Street art and Sketch Walk

Explore the murals of the Dulwich Outdoor Gallery. Bring your sketchbooks along for an option to stop and draw as you learn

how this project came about, who painted these street art masterpieces and how they are linked to classical paintings at Dulwich Picture Gallery.

Tickets: £10, concession: £6

Saturday 11 May, 1pm to 2.30pm

Meet outside East Dulwich Picturehouse, 116a Lordship Lane, SE22 8HD

empireworld with sathnam sanghera

Join Sunday Times bestselling author Sathnam Sanghera talking about Empireworld, an account of Britain’s imperial past in all its ambiguity.

Ticket: £12, Saturday 11 May, 3pm to 4pm

The Auditorium, Dulwich College, Dulwich Common, SE21 7LD

How to Be the Grown-up by Dr Martha Deiros Collado

Dr Martha Deiros Collado, a child psychologist with over 20 years of experience, talking about How to be the Grown-up, offers an empowering musthave toolkit for all parents tackling the many modern-day challenges of raising children.

Ticket: £12, Saturday 11 May, 5pm to 6pm

The Old Library, Dulwich College, Dulwich Common, SE21 7LD

Social Radicals Walk

Duncan Bowie will discuss the lives and politics of some of the radicals and socialists who have lived and been politically active in Dulwich Village: some known, some unknown, some just eccentric. The walk starts from Village Books in Calton Avenue and ends at West Dulwich Station and will last around 90 minutes, ending in coffee and a chat for those who would like to talk

more.

Tickets: £7, concession: £4

Sunday 12 May, 10.30am to 12.00pm

Meet at Village Books, 1D Calton Avenue, SE21 7DE

an evening with ella Mills

Join Ella Mills talking about her latest, bestselling cookbook, Healthy Made Simple, which is full of recipes to make healthy eating easy.

Ticket: £15, 16 May 2024, 7pm to 8pm

The Vaughan Williams Auditorium, JAGS, East Dulwich Grove, SE22 8TE

Big Fish Little Fish

The original family ravers Big Fish Little Fish come to Kingswood Arts, where the DJ will bring the banging tunes from acid house onwards. Party together on a dancefloor with bubbles, balloons and foam – topped off by the parachute dance. Enjoy Nifty Natty craft tables and refreshments at the licensed bar, too.

Tickets: £12, concession: £9 Saturday 18 May, 3pm to 4.30pm Kingswood Arts, Seeley Drive, SE21 8QN

discover the history of our East Dulwich pubs. Drinks not included!

Tickets: £7, concession: £4

Sunday 19 May, 5pm to 6.30pm

Meet outside The Plough, 381 Lordship Lane, SE22 8JJ

an afternoon with Cathy newman

an afternoon with Cathy newman

Join Channel 4 news presenter, Cathy Newman, discussing her book, The Ladder, which brings together inspiration and advice from some of the world’s most influential women.

Ticket: £12, Saturday 18 May, 5pm to 6pm

The Great Hall, Alleyn’s School, Townley Road, SE22 8SU

east Dulwich Pub History Walk

Ever wondered the story behind your favourite boozer? Join Ian McInnes to

Free family-friendly fairs

Free family-friendly fairs

Dulwich Park Fair has been running since 2007 and this year will be at the start of the Dulwich Festival. It is a free outdoor, familyfriendly event that includes Vauxhall City Farm, Punch and Judy, the Magician, a Maypole, interactive performances and a dog show – and much more.

Sunday 12 May, 12pm to 5pm

Dulwich Park, College Road, SE21 7BQ West Dulwich Spring Fair will celebrate the best of the area. There will be an arts and crafts market on Rosendale Road showcasing local artists, and a street food market on Croxted Road, plus other free activities.

Saturday 18 May, 10am to 4pm Croxted, Park Hall and Rosendale Road From bouncy castles and a beer tent, handmade children’s clothing and homemade cakes, to designer jewellery and local photography, the Goose Green Fair will bring together the essence of SE22 for another year.

Sunday 19 May, 11am to 5pm Goose Green, East Dulwich Road SE22 9AU

see our Guide To The fesTival in our laTesT souTh londoner maGazine: https://issuu.com/ communitymattersmedia/docs/south_ londoner_april_2024

See the full line-up and book tickets online: dulwichfestival.co.uk

Eliza Frost

Dr Martha Deiros Collado

Big Fish Little Fish

C kham protestors B lo C k asylum seeker C oa C h

By Isabel Ramirez

Three people have been charged following a protest to prevent a coach from taking a group of asylum seekers to Bibby Stockholm barge.

In total 44 people, who were against the action due to ‘human rights’ concerns, were arrested on Thursday 2 May outside the Best Western Hotel in Peckham.

Police claimed ‘a number of their officers were assaulted’ after protestors blocked the road and the tyres of the coach were ‘deflated.’

On Tuesday, May 7, a Met Police spokesperson confirmed three have been charged with ‘obstruction of the highway’ whilst the other 42 people have been bailed. One was not part of the protest group.

The coach was supposed to take a group of asylum seekers to the vessel but it never did.

Bibby Stockholm is a site, moored in Dorset, that the government is using to house people waiting for asylum applications to be approved.

Since last August, there have been various problems associated with the barge - including outbreaks of diseases and even one death, reportedly by suicide.

One of the asylum seekers told us they had tried to appeal the Home Office action, but their reasons were ‘rejected.’

The man, who volunteers at the Southwark Asylum Centre teaching English, explained he had lived at the hotel for the last seven months and felt ‘part of the community.’

He told us: “We were told we had to go unless we gave a reason we could not. We tried to but the appeal was rejected. I teach English here. I feel part of the community.”

Beer festival at Dulwich Hamlet

By Herbie Russell

loCal brewers will serve frothy ales and ‘proper’ ciders at the Dulwich Beer Festival this month.

Hosted at Dulwich Hamlet FC’s Champion Hill Stadium, visitors can choose from 50 real ales and 25 ciders and perries, from Thursday, May 23 to Saturday, May 25.

Organisers have enlisted local brewers like Brixton-based Anspach and Hobday to bring their wares along.

But national wholesaler Flying Ferkin is also providing 50 per cent of the beers, meaning visitors can sample drinks you won’t find in south London pubs.

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), which has helped organise the festival, has assured this paper it will serve “proper ciders - not Magners and Strongbow”.

Visitors can look forward to another rare pleasure - a drink in the stadium’s stands. Since 1985, consuming alcohol on the terraces has been banned during English football matches.

So while Dulwich Hamlet FC fans can always have a drop at pitch level, enjoying a beer in the stands is usually forbidden. Hot and cold food will be on offer and discounts are available to CAMRA members.

The Dulwich Beer Festival will take place from 12pm to 10.30pm from May 23 to May 25. Admission costs £5 and £3 for CAMRA members.

The event is taking place at Dulwich Hamlet Football Club, Champion Hill Stadium, Edgar Rail Way, SE22.

Reacting to how many people had turned up to support them, he added: “It’s surprising everyone turned up like this.

“It’s nice that people really care.”

The Home Office condemned the protest as ‘intimidatory and aggressive.’ They said the action was part of their commitment to significantly reducing the use of hotels for asylum seekers, ‘to reduce costs on the taxpayer.’

They added that they had now closed 150 asylum-seeker hotels. “We have returned 150 hotels to local communities and we work closely with accommodation providers to manage the exit process in a way which limits the impact on local authorities and asylum seekers,” the spokesperson said.

Following events on the day, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said: “It saddens me greatly to say that a number of officers have been assaulted in the course of their duty following an incident in Peckham today where they sought to uphold the law ...Thankfully I’m glad that none of those are seriously hurt.” Peckham Road was re-opened later that day.

Council claims Home Office

‘did not notify them’ of action

souThwark CounCil claims the Home Office ‘did not notify them’ ahead of plans to take a group of asylum seekers to Bibby Stockholm.

Cllr Natasha Ennin, Southwark Council member for community safety said the events caused ‘considerable disruption and distress to local residents and businesses.’

She said they were ‘deeply disappointed’ they were not told in advance. “We are deeply disappointed there was no communication about these plans from the Home Office, which meant no arrangements could be put in place in advance to help mitigate the impact.

“It is especially concerning this lack of communication came on polling day, one of the most important features of local democracy, and one of the busiest days in the local government calendar.

“I am grateful to the Council officers who, on hearing of the events, attended the scene to support the wider emergency services response to the incident, including traffic management and to clear and clean the highways and pavements to help make the area safe

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan added: “There was one arrest for a racially aggravated public order offence. They were not part of the protest group.”

Lime bikes were believed to be under the coach’s wheels to stop it from moving.

for drivers and pedestrians.”

Commenting on the Home Office action itself, Deputy Council Leader Cllr Jasmine Ali, added: “There are serious and legitimate concerns about how people seeking asylum are treated in the UK.

“In Southwark, welcoming refugees from all over the world has made us the Borough we are today. We are committed to the Borough of Sanctuary principles and our councillors, officers, community and voluntary partners will continue to support our impacted sanctuary seekers in whatever way we can.

“That includes making sure that anyone seeking sanctuary gets the right support they need. I am proud that Southwark Council supports all communities in the borough, regardless of their immigration status, all of whom deserve to be treated fairly, with dignity and respect.”

The Home Office referred us back to its previous statement condemned the protest as ‘intimidatory and aggressive. and said the action was ‘a routine relocation,’ so did not have to inform the council.

Officers came in force after a day-long protest with crowds sitting on the ground around the coach.

Talking us on the morning of the protest, a protestor said: “We’re here in solidarity as this is against human rights. You can’t just ship people off.”

BaBy reindeer: all the plaCes in southeast london where the netflix hit was filmed

By Isabel Ramirez

Ba B y Rein Dee R , the latest netflix hit to take the world by storm, was partially filmed in southeast London.

The popular series follows comedian Richard Gadd, under the pseudonym Donny Dunn, as he recounts his real-life experience of being stalked by an obsessed fan ‘Martha.’

It has been number one on the UK Netflix top ten since it premiered on April 11.

As well as being filmed in Edinburgh, a bulk of it took place in southeast London, at the following locations:

BRoCkWeLL PaRk

In a scene used in the series trailer, Donny is seen sitting on a park bench at Brockwell Park.

The park, located between Herne Hill and Tulse Hill, also featured in last year’s award-winning film, Rye Lane, which was also filmed in similar spots.

RoyaL vauxhaLL TaveRN

This pub features in episode 3 when Donny goes on a date with Teri, a trans woman he meets on an app.

Here we see him on edge, as Martha’s harassment gets too much and he fears being found out for lying to Teri.

PeCkham LiBeRaL CLuB

Also in Episode 3, Teri comes to see Donny’s show and he’s heckled by Martha. According to Location Collective, this working men’s club has been used for other series such as Grantchester, Humans and The Capture, as well as featuring heavily in Elton John’s biopic Rocketman.

GReeNWiCh maGiSTRaTeS’ CouRT Greenwich Magistrates’ Court is both the court where Martha eventually gets sentenced and the police station where a desperate Donny has a series of increasingly surreal interactions with an unhelpful officer (played by Thomas Coombes.)

RivoLi BaLLRoom, BRoCkLey

It pops up in ‘Baby Reindeer’ in a scene where Donny falls apart on stage before an audience of unsympathetic

punters.

Another popular filming location, this venue has popped up in everything from ‘Killing Eve’ to ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’.

eLeCTRiC aveNue, BRixToN Struggling to make it big, Donny is depressed after his comedy fails to land.

He is seen walking around Electric Avenue looking miserable.

man Jailed for homophoBiC

attaCk after BlaCk pride

By Herbie Russell

a man has been jailed for a homophobic attack against two men in Brixton after a Black Pride event.

Jabbard Mabounda, of Brixton, left the victims with injuries requiring hospital treatment, on August 19, 2023.

The 31-year-old was jailed for twelve months at Inner London Crown Court on Monday, April 22.

Both men had been waiting for a bus on Brixton Road after attending a Black Pride event when they were attacked.

Investigating `qofficer Detective

Inspector Pete Thompson from Brixton said: “This was a vicious, homophobic attack committed against two men who were simply waiting at a bus stop. Mabounda is a violent person who has rightly been imprisoned for what he did.

“I commend the men who were assaulted for their bravery throughout the investigation.”

PC Andy De Santis, who supported the victims following their ordeal, was praised for his work.

One victim wrote in a letter: “He [PC De Santis] has consistently checked on my emotional well-being and provided contacts for victim support. His dedication has gone above and

© Met Police

beyond, and I believe he exemplifies the kind of support that is needed in such cases.”

DI Thompson added: “Tackling hate crime is a priority for the

Metropolitan Police and we are committed to bringing perpetrators to justice. Homophobia has no place in our society and it will not be tolerated in any form.”

Appeal: Man ‘threatened to stab passengers’

By Herbie Russell

a pensioner and a 25-yearold woman were among those targeted in a series of terrifying attacks on south london trains and stations throughout april.

British Transport Police believe three terrifying incidents that took place last month are connected and have now released a CCTV image, pictured, of a man they want to identify.

The first robbery took place on a train from London Bridge station at around 7.10pm on Tuesday, April 9, when a 52-year-old man was approached by another, unknown man, who asked for the time.

The attacker then indicated he was carrying a knife and demanded his phone. The victim handed it over before attempting to get it back but the assailant repeatedly hit him in the head and ran off the train.

The next day (Wednesday, April 10) at around 3.10pm, a 72-year-old man was on a static train on Platform 11 at London Bridge station.

A man approached him and snatched his phone before threatening to stab him when he tried to grab it back. The assailant then ran down the carriages and off the train.

On Thursday, April 11, at around 3.10pm, a 25-year-old woman was on a train from Honor Oak Park to Clapham Junction. A man walking along the carriages approached her and asked for the time before demanding her phone,

earpods and case, threatening to stab her if she did not comply. She handed over her belongings over and the man left the train at Crystal Palace.

Officers say the man in the CCTV image he could have information that will help the ongoing investigation, and have urged him or anyone who can identify him, to get in touch.

Anyone who recognises the man is asked to contact BTP by texting 61016, or by calling 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference 504 of 11 April.

Information can also be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

© British Transport Police

Jailed: Jabbard Mabounda Police would like to speak to this person in connection with three incidents

Join us during May halfterm for an enchanting programme bursting with captivating performances, vibrant experiences and free activities for everyone. From an electrifying hip-hop musical to whimsical tales of adventure, there's something for everyone in this exciting lineup.

Embark on an unforgettable journey with the BAC Beatbox Academy’s award-winning Pied Piper: A Hip-Hop Family Musical. Set in the eve of a mayoral election, this raucous musical re-imagining of the medieval fairy tale follows the kids of Hamelin as they face a music ban and a serious rat problem. Featuring a hugely talented cast of beatboxers, musicians and special guest performances from the local community, this show is a must-see for the whole family.

spring Family Fun at the southbank Centre SPRING

If the great outdoors is more your thing, embrace the joy of unexpected adventures with Grand Soft Day. Explore the excitement of the wind, rain, frost and much more in this curious and charming new show that celebrates the wonder of the world around us. Combining physical storytelling, live music, and colourful wellies, this highly imaginative and beautiful work celebrates the magic of the everyday – a heartwarming tale that will leave you smiling.

We have plenty of unforgettable experiences to keep everyone entertained without breaking the bank. Venture out on an interactive and colourful adventure with the Mish Mash Family Trail across our site. Then, join us for a free outdoor performance at The Mughal Miniatures Dance Party, featuring pop-up pictures and a lively DJ set.

May half-term

Book now for our May half-term Spring Family Fun programme – a vibrant celebration of art, music, and togetherness that promises fun for the whole family.

Find out more

 Pied Piper BAC Photo: Ali Wright

 The Mughal Miniatures Dance Party Photo: Simon Richardson

 A Grand Soft Day Photo: Anita Murphy

By Harrison Galliven

Local Democracy Reporter

sTormzy has opened a new football centre in Croydon, close to where he grew up, and it’s also fitted out with a recording studio and gaming hub.

The Brit Award-winning rapper has taken over the Selhurst Sports Arena to launch Merky FC HQ, in collaboration with Adidas. The recently refurbished arena will allow football to be played on high-quality 3G pitches and act as a community space for Croydon’s creatives.

Announcing the launch on X Stormzy said: “We all know there’s not enough spaces for young people to hang out, so I teamed up with Adidas to create this football centre near where I grew up in Croydon. I’ve wanted to do this for a long, long time and now there’s a community space that everyone in the area will be able to use and benefit from.”

Stormzy added: “#Merky FC HQ is for you to play, create, and collaborate all under one roof, so sign up come down, and do your own thing, this space is yours. Croydon we are open.”

Alongside its football offering, the facility on Selhurst’s Dagnall Park Road includes a recording studio, EA Sports-sponsored gaming hub, and multipurpose rooms. The state-of-theart clubhouse replaces the previous pre-fabricated changing rooms that sat alongside the pitches.

Stormzy said: “If you just provide a space, an opportunity or you just light a spark in someone, you don’t know where or what that person goes on to be. To me it’s about sowing a seed, which sounds like a parable, a bit like a fairytale, but I don’t think people understand how powerful it is and how valuable it is.”

In a statement announcing the launch, commercial partners Adidas said: “The addition of the music studio will allow for a bolstered offering to aspiring local artists to record as well as a space for all other multimedia uses, including podcasts and gaming events.”

The facility, which backs onto the

famous Brit School campus, will continue to host community and school events throughout the year. Previous users of the site include Crystal Palace’s youth academy and the London Warriors American Football team.

Selhurst Sports Arena is managed by Communities First Foundation, who aim to empower London communities through access to sport, training, and

Kidbrooke primary school set to close

s tormzy launChes Brand new multi-use Community Centre

employment support. The new facility will also provide new employment opportunities for coaches and community workers in the area.

Stormzy, real name Michael Omari, was born in Thornton Heath, just minutes away from the new facility. His active community presence under his #Merky brand has also seen him become the co-owner of AFC Croydon Athletic, alongside fellow Croydonian

By Joe Coughlan Local Democracy Reporter

plans To close a primary school in Greenwich look set to be approved as pupil numbers plummet.

Holy Family Catholic Primary School in Kidbrooke has been recommended for closure by council officers ahead of a formal decision next week.

Greenwich Council documents for a cabinet meeting on May 9 state that running the school was no longer financially viable, with a projected deficit of £362,000 by the summer of 2025, increasing to over half a million by the next March. The school would close from August 31 this year, having not seen a full school roll since 2018.

Council officers said in their report that the school only had 128 pupils enrolled out of a possible 210, adding that just seven families had chosen the school as their first preference for the upcoming school year. They said that from March to April this year, 47 pupils were thought to have transferred to other schools.

The report said: “The proposal to close Holy Family RC Primary School is deemed necessary because the school has, over an extended period, been unable to recruit sufficient pupils to ensure its long-term viability, with this long-established trend unlikely to alter in the foreseeable future.”

It added: “If no action is taken, the school

and Crystal Palace alumni Wilfred Zaha.

The rapper also began offering financial support for Black students wanting to study at Cambridge University. In 2022, he launched #MerkyFC (Football Careers) to support those from underrepresented groups seeking employment in the sports industry.

As a result, more than 60 people of

has no capacity to recover its financial deficit, and this will undermine its ability to deliver the curriculum effectively and undermine the quality of provision for pupils.”

The council announced the school was being considered for closure in January this year. The news was followed by a consultation with residents, with 121 people out of 157 respondents not supporting the proposed closure. Officers said in their report that the authority reviewed the options available to continue running the school in response to the overwhelming opposition but no viable alternatives could be found.

Charlie Davis, Conservative parliamentary candidate for Eltham and Chislehurst, sent a written letter to the Archdiocese of Southwark, the body responsible for the school, and Greenwich Council leader Anthony Okereke on the proposed closure. He claimed that several parents had stated concerns on the level of engagement carried out by the bodies before the decision was put forward.

The council said in response that two stages of the consultation process on the closure had been carried out since the announcement. It added that a primary special educational needs and disability school was being considered on the site of Holy Family Kidbrooke, but no decision had been made and discussions were in very early stages.

Black heritage have been placed in roles across multiple brands in the football industry since 2022. Croydon Council awarded Stormzy the Freedom of the Borough in 2023.

The launch has garnered positive responses from fans, clubs, and decision-makers alike. On X, Croydon Central MP Sarah Jones said: “All the love for Stormzy for loving Croydon as much as we all do.”

Documents said if the closure goes ahead, parents of pupils still attending the school will be invited to express preferences for alternative schools with vacancies in the relevant year groups. They also said there were a total of 250 vacancies between reception and Year 6 for Catholic primary schools within a two mile radius of Holy Family.

A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Southwark told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Delivering highquality Catholic education for the children in our Archdiocese is our priority. Unfortunately, the falling birth rates in London are having an impact on admissions for all schools and Catholic schools are not immune.”

The spokesperson said the archdiocese would always do what it could to increase applications to its schools, but Holy Family Kidbrooke was still operating at just over half its capacity despite this. They said the trend had impacted both the school budget and the experience of pupils.

They said: “While the consultation is ongoing, rest assured the priority for the school will be to continue to deliver the best education for the pupils.”

Holy Family Catholic Primary School was rated as ‘Requires Improvement’ in its latest Ofsted inspection from June 2022. The decision on whether the primary school will be closed will be discussed at a cabinet meeting on May 9.

school is situated on Tudway Road in Kidbrooke.

Stormzy was born in Thornton Heath, just minutes from the new facility

© Rene Passet

mayor khan ClinChes third term as lamBeth and southwark BaCks laBour

By Herbie Russell

LaBOUR’S SaDiQ Khan has clinched a historic third term as Mayor with victory over Conservative rival Susan Hall.

He won nine out of fourteen constituencies including Lambeth & Southwark, seeing two gains from the Tories.

The results mean London is set to remain firmly in Labour’s hands with Mr Khan winning 1,088,225 votes to Hall’s 811,518.

Labour’s Marina Ahmad won a second term as GLA Member for Lambeth & Southwark with 48.7 per cent of the vote.

She was followed by Claire Sheppard from the Greens (20.2 per cent), Chris French from the Liberal Democrats (12.7 per cent) and the Conservatives’ Christine Wallace (12.1 per cent).

The London-wide voter turnout this year was 40.5 per cent – down 1.5 per cent on 2021, according to election organisers.

Sources said to be ‘Westminster insiders’ were briefing the press about the possibility of an unexpected Tory win on Friday, May 3, a day before the results. Early figures had shown turnout down in traditionally Labour areas and up in some Tory-dominated boroughs.

Any Labour fears were quickly dispelled when the party effectively proclaimed victory at around 2pm on saturday - even with half the constituencies still to declare.

Len Duvall, the GLA’s Labour group leader, had said: “I think the trends are there. I think this looks like Sadiq has crossed the line and has got a third term.”

Mr Khan won constituencies including Lambeth & Southwark, Barnet &

Camden, City of London & East, Merton & Wandsworth, Greenwich & Lewisham, Enfield & Haringey and North East - all of which voted Labour in 2021.

He gained West Central from the Conservatives, with a 5.2 per cent swing to Labour from the Conservatives, and South West from the Tories with a 2.7 per cent swing.

Ms Hall held the outer London boroughs of Havering & Redbridge,

Croydon & Sutton, Bexley & Bromley, Ealing & Hillingdon and Brent & Harrow.

The Liberal Democrats edged the Green Party to third, while Reform UK’s candidate Howard Cox finished fifth with 3.2 per cent of the overall vote.

The initial results appear to show that areas of London that have trended away from the Conservatives in the last two decades have continued moving towards Labour.

Mr Khan and Ms Hall repeatedly clashed throughout the campaign, fighting amid concerns about transport issues, knife crime, and Gaza protests.

Labour leader Keir Starmer said: “Sadiq Khan was absolutely the right candidate.

“He has got two terms of delivery behind him and I am confident that he has got another term of delivery in front of him.”

GLA Member for Lambeth and Southwark Marina Ahmad

London mayor Sadiq Khan

Cost of Living

Many residents are struggling with increases in the cost of living. You may be eligible for support that you are not claiming. Below are things you can do to help reduce your costs and increase your income. You can find more on our website: www.lambeth.gov.uk/costofliving

Cost of living support available now

Check to make sure you’re not missing out on benefits

Up to 7 million people in the UK are eligible for benefits but not claiming them. Use a benefits calculator to see whether you are one of them: https://www.gov.uk/benefitscalculators

Get help with food costs

There are many places in Lambeth where you can access food in a crisis or a sit-down meal at a community centre. The Lambeth Larder website has a directory of the support available: https://www.lambethlarder.org/

Lambeth Council and local charities are here to help during the cost of living crisis.

Get

There are also local benefits that can help you with paying council tax and housing costs. You can find out whether you are eligible on our website: www.lambeth.gov.uk/ extra-support

For further information visit our website lambeth.gov.uk/ costofliving

Improve the energy efficiency of your home and apply for discounts

You can register for an appointment with Groundwork, who work in partnership with the council. They can provide advice on decreasing your energy bills and improving the energy efficiency of your home: https://london.greendoctors.org. uk/

Seek debt advice

Lambeth Council has agreed a £10 million package of vital support for those hit hardest by the cost of living crisis.

We can help you with:

If you’re currently in debt, we’d recommend you speak with one of the boroughs advice agencies: www.lambeth.gov.uk/getbenefits-advice

• Council tax support and rebates

• Access to benefits and grants

help with health costs

The NHS provides support for those on a low income who require health treatments that are usually paid for, including prescriptions, dental and eye treatments as well as transport to appointments. More details: bit.ly/low-income-scheme

You can also contact StepChange on 0800 138 1111.

• Making your home energy efficient, reducing your bills

• Access to Foodbanks and low-cost food

• Emergency Support Scheme - support for residents in an emergency, crisis or disaster

• Job and business start-up support

• Holiday activities

The Pharmacy First scheme also supports residents in receipt of means tested benefits with free, over the counter treatments for minor ailments in 33 pharmacies in the borough. More details can be found: bit.ly/pharmacy-first

Emergency Support

Financial pressures can cause many residents anxiety, stress or depression. If you are concerned about your mental health, please speak to your local GP or health service. You can also contact Mind’s Information Line for details on support available near you by calling 0300 123 3393

The Emergency Support Scheme helps Lambeth residents that are facing hardship, a crisis, emergency, or disaster. This includes struggling to pay bills or afford food.

Visit www.lambeth.gov.uk/ESS for more information

Move to a social tariff

Social tariffs are cheaper broadband and phone packages for people claiming some benefits. Find information about the tariffs available to you on the Ofgem website: bit.ly/cheaper-packages

The council also has a range of support available to residents struggling with the cost of living. You can find out about support you might be entitled to and other information on our website: www.lambeth.gov.uk/costofliving

14 NEWS

By Herbie Russell

MiLLWaLL’S 34,000-SeaT stadium expansion is drawing closer with Lewisham Council set to extend the club’s lease of the site.

Lewisham plans to give the Championship club a 999-year lease - also paving the way for housing to be built around The Den.

Mayor Brenda Dacres and Lewisham Council’s cabinet will make a final decision at a public meeting on Wednesday, May 8, as this paper was going to press.

It all forms part of the New Bermondsey - a 30-acre redevelopment of the old industrial area which includes the ground itself.

Approved in January 2022, the 30-acre redevelopment will see 3,500 homes built in the area around The Den over the coming years.

Millwall FC is backing the redevelopment and has plans to expand its stadium and build new homes as part of it. The lease extension would help Millwall FC unlock the stadium’s land for redevelopment as part of future phases.

Lewisham Council is the freeholder of the site and Millwall FC’s current lease only lasts until 2143.

Council planners believe a 999-year lease is needed to allow a “comprehensive redevelopment” of the site.

A stadium revamp is at the heart of the New Bermondsey redevelopment. It would mean expanding the capacity from 20,000 to 34,000 with new seats being built as additional upper tiers behind the existing seating bowl.

Initial concept designs for the new stadium have seen it compared to the famous Colosseum in Rome.

The exact number of homes that could be built under the new lease is unclear but the club announced plans in 2020 to create “a vibrant new community”.

The fact the new lease will allow the construction of residential buildings -

millwall fC Closer to unloCkinG 34,000 seat stadium expansion and new homes

CGI of how the proposed hotel (to the right of Lincoln Tower) would have looked.

forbidden under the lease’s current terms - suggests new homes are planned.

The club has previously said a new public plaza and a hotel could be built.

The extended lease will also apply to the Lions Centre meaning Millwall Community Trust can continue to operate from it.

Plans for The Den’s redevelopment nearly went in a very different direction in 2016.Lewisham Council said it wanted

to take some of its land back from the club and hand it to developer Renewal.

Millwall threatened to leave the borough and the plans were scrapped the following year amid calls for Sir Steve Bullock, the borough’s mayor at the time, to step down.

The new lease agreement would suggest a new era of cooperation between the club and Lewisham Council.

“A revised lease structure has several

benefits for the council, including enabling the development of much-needed housing and provision of a new community facility,” council documents said.

“Millwall are an important and valued stakeholder in the borough, providing jobs and driving spend and commercial activity so a lease structure which supports development will in turn support the sustainability of Millwall and will further

support jobs, employment and economic activity.”

The redevelopment would benefit Millwall by providing more matchday revenue and creating new income streams through new assets.

But any development would be some years away as Millwall would still have to apply for planning permission to develop its land and rebuild The Den.

Man who tried to kill pregnant partner and her child in house fire sentenced to 22 years minimum

By Herbie Russell

a sTalker who tried to kill his pregnant ex-partner and her young daughter in a house fire has been sentenced to at least 22 years imprisonment.

Harry Owusu-Manu, 39, of New Kent Road, “refused to accept” the relationship had over and had a “misguided drive for revenge”.

He was found guilty of two counts of attempted murder, amongst other offences, following a five-week trial at the Old Bailey, on February 23.

The victim said she would “never forget the horror of that night” and that her “sense of safety and security” had changed “forever”.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years at the Old Bailey on Friday, 3 May.

Owusu-Manu’s harassment began after the relationship broke down and he started posting derogatory and Islamophobic stories on Instagram.

In the early hours of Tuesday, April 25, he visited the victim’s Battersea home and pushed a flaming doormat beneath her door.

The woman, who is deaf and was pregnant, and her young daughter, were in the flat.

London Fire Brigade treated them for smoke inhalation. Their investigators would later establish the fire had been started deliberately.

Having failed to kill his ex and her children Owusu-Manu tried to cover his tracks.

He had already spray-painted a CCTV camera black and tried to dispose of the clothes he’d worn during the fire.

Officers identified the van used by Owusu-Manu and traced his movements from his home to the victim’s address.

Detectives also found footage of his distinctive orange van arriving minutes before the fire.

Police learned this was not the first time Owusu-Manu had made the journey. He’d carried out a recce in the days leading up to the fire.

Following his arrest hours after the incident, Owusu-Manu changed his story numerous times.

He even claimed he was at her Battersea home to stop someone else starting the fire.

But dash cam footage recovered from

the van caught the moment OwusuManu visited the flat to start the blaze.

Another dash cam recording showed detectives where Owusu-Manu had attempted to dispose of the clothes he wore when starting the fire.

Owusu-Manu was arrested later on April 25, 2023, but refused to answer any questions put to him by detectives.

He was convicted of attempted murder, aggravated arson with intent to endanger life, religiously aggravated stalking and having a lock knife in a public place.

The victim said: “It was devastating that because of this man’s hatefulness I have lost so much that was dear to me. I have been deeply traumatised and can never forget the horror of that night.

“I’m just so grateful to the London Fire Brigade for rescuing us and that my children and I are alive. I truly thought that we were going to die.

“This has changed my life. Losing my lovely home and worse, my sense of security and safety is forever changed. I don’t know when I will ever feel truly safe again.”

Detective Constable Megan Gittins said: “It is no exaggeration to say Harry Owusu-Manu made his ex-partner’s life a misery with his behaviour. The victim’s home and new baby items including clothes, cot and toys were all destroyed.

“Owusu-Manu refused to accept that she did not want to be in a relationship with him anymore and set about causing her physical and mental harm. She added: “He also showed extreme disregard for the lives of other residents who could have been seriously injured by his dangerously misguided drive for revenge.

“Owusu-Manu is a terrifying example of the threat women can face for simply wanting to end a relationship.”

AFL Architects’ concept designs for a revamped stadium

Harry Owusu-Manu ‘refused to accept’ the relationship had ended

By Herbie Russell

huGe Towers rising over 40 storeys into the sky have secured planning permission in Blackfriars.

The development, 18 Blackfriars, will include a 44-storey office block, and residential blocks of 40 and 22-storeys.

The office block will be 195 metres tall, dwarfing the neighbouring One Blackfriars and South Bank Tower buildings.

Southwark councillors voted unanimously in favour of the development at a planning committee meeting on Monday, April 29.

Developer Hines will build the scheme on what is mainly a brownfield site at the

southern end of Blackfriars Bridge.

The two residential buildings will separate private residents from those in affordable and social rent homes.

The 40-storey Stamford Building will house private households with the rest in the 22-storey Paris Building.

Of the 433 new homes, 273 will be private, 104 social rent, and 56 intermediate. Intermediate are typically 80 per cent of market rates.

The two buildings will be tenure blind. This means ‘both buildings represent a high standard of design quality,’ according to planning documents.

At the planning meeting, Cllr Sam Dalton asked how the design would ensure “divisions don’t arise between affordable

residents and private residents” if the buildings were separate.

Katharine Woods, a spokesperson for planning consultancy DP9, said the children’s play space was open to all residents.

She added that there were “shared spaces throughout the development” such as a roof garden on the podium connecting the two residential buildings.

Cllr Darren Merrill asked whether there were provisions to ensure service charges do not increase so much it makes affordable rates unaffordable.

In March, a Guardian article reported residents on Lendlease’s Elephant Park development, in Elephant and Castle, had seen service charges increase by 38 per

huGe 44-storey offiCe BloCk will tower over iConiC one BlaCkfriars

cent.

A council officer highlighted a clause in the planning permission saying service charges would be capped and only subject to inflation-level increases.

The development will also provide 2,400sqm of affordable workspace to a local, ‘socially-minded’ enterprise at a peppercorn rate.

Father Lee Chantler, Rector of the nearby Christ Church Blackfriars, said his congregation’s reaction to the development ranged from “great to apathy but nobody against”.

He spoke in support of the development, saying he had “faith” in Hines’ “ genuine commitment to this community” after conversations with the developer.

Nobody spoke against the development at the meeting but some online objectors criticised the buildings’ heights.

Writing on the Southwark Council planning portal, one commenter said: ‘Towers FAR too high ... do not relate to buildings near by ... scale wrong.’

‘It will overshadow all of the very few green spaces in the vicinity,’ another wrote.

Ross Blair, Senior Managing Director and Country Head of Hines UK, said: “Our plans will transform an undeveloped piece of land, most of which has lain empty for over twenty years, into much needed new homes and first class, sustainable and techenabled offices, built around a central hub which we hope will become a brand new convening space for the local community.”

‘aBandoned estate’s rat hotel’

By Herbie Russell

raTs breedinG in a bin cupboard have turned the near-derelict aylesbury estate into a “rat hotel”, an exasperated resident claims.

Jackie Summerford, who lives on the estate in Walworth, says “disgusting” vermin running along walkways are “all different sizes” with some “as big as kittens”.

Southwark Council says it sent pest control to investigate, but we found evidence that a trash-filled cupboard is still attracting rodents.

Jackie, 65, said: “The rats are in that bin cupboard between the flats. It’s full up with stuff. There’s bedding in there so you can imagine they’re breeding in there. It’s been there for about a yearand-half.

“They’re all different sizes - big ones, little ones. One of them was as big as a kitten. It’s disgusting. This place is like a rat hotel.”

Jackie lives in a block set to be demolished as part of the Aylesbury Estate’s regeneration. Southwark Council signed off a £1.5bn deal to redevelop the vast 2,700-flat estate in

2014. Thousands of families have since vacated but the handfuls remaining have sometimes complained about a chronic rat problem.

Georgie Howell, also an Aylesbury resident, who first featured in this paper, was recently interviewed on national television about her rodent nightmare.

Jackie claims she has warned a council officer about the rubbish in the bin cupboard, reportedly left by a former resident, on multiple occasions to no avail. She also says the communal bin has sometimes been left uncollected for

so long that rubbish was spilling from the chute - again attracting rats.

Southwark Council has since cleared the chute away but the cupboard remains full of garbage.

Residents told us they were relying on their cats and, in some cases, peppermint oil to dispel the critters with little success.

A Southwark Council spokesperson said: “The pest control visited the communal areas of Calverton this morning (April 24) and have begun a treatment programme. They’re also looking into clearing the bin cupboards.”

Lefttoright; Jackie claims the bin cupboard hasn’t been cleared out in a year-and-a-half as is attracting rats

Residents say the rodents are seen legging it across the walkways

A rat spotted running around the Aylesbury Estate

18 Blackfriars has secured planning permission

residents at their ‘wits' end’ after Calls to reopen eduCational huB iGnored

By Harrison Galliven

Local Democracy Reporter

souTh norwood residents have called for Croydon Council’s help to reopen South norwood Country Park’s visitor centre nearly four years since a fire caused it to close. Despite previously making commitments to reopen the centre, volunteers now say the council is ‘ignoring’ them.

The friends of South Norwood Country Park (SNCP) have been working to reopen the centre for the past few years, as they see it as a vital community resource. In a petition attracting nearly 3000 signatories, the group said: “The longer the centre remains closed, the more damage will be done and the more it will cost to repair.”

Friend of SNCP member and South Norwood resident Lucy Hopkins told the local democracy reporting service (LDRS) of the group’s struggles to get the centre reopened. She said: “We’ve got a really engaged community around the country park and we’ve been pressuring Croydon Council for a long, long time to give us our facility back.”

Before its closure during the first lockdown of 2020, the centre hosted educational classes for nearby schools and acted as a base for conservation volunteers who worked to protect the park’s biodiversity. The centre was also home to the park’s only public toilets.

Lucy added: “From a personal point of view it’s really important. My kid’s schools are a couple of streets away and they aren’t able to do any forest schooling or any sort of meaningful outdoor learning because the facility is not there anymore.

“It was used by volunteers, like the friends of South Norwood Country Park and The Conservation Volunteers (TCV), as a base and storage space. It also acts

as a shed for the parkrun volunteers who organise the weekly 5k run.

“Before this all happened, there was an environmental garden that wasn’t being properly maintained by Croydon and we were looking to get some money together to fix it. That has now had to be put on hold.”

While lockdown meant the centre was unlikely to reopen immediately, the centre’s revival received the groundswell of support last year thanks, in part, to support from local Labour councillor

Amy Foster and Croydon Central MP

Sarah Jones’ backing.

In a tweet made last year, Jones said:

“We are really lucky to have such a wellloved green space here in Croydon. It would be wonderful to encourage people to use South Norwood Country Park from Croydon and beyond.”

Their campaign eventually caught the attention of Croydon’s Mayor, Jason Perry, who visited the site in December last year. However, according to Lucy, support from the council has waned since this promising start. She told the LDRS: “We had the meeting in December and it’s now April, we’re just not getting anywhere.”

“However, we still haven’t seen them and we’re now being ignored. We’re all volunteers and it’s just a really frustrating situation to be in.

“Now I’m just sending weekly emails, and there’s not any form of response. If I was to get some response saying there was a delay and that it is on their list that would be fine, but I’m literally just being ignored and I’ve never had a situation like this.”

A South Norwood local, who was involved in the campaign, told the LDRS how the council’s position on reopening the centre has changed over the past few years. They said the council’s initial hesitance to get involved came from a lack of time, costs and concerns over insurance matters.

After fearing the campaign had lost steam last year, Croydon Council drastically changed its tact and reengaged with the volunteers who had conducted their own local consultation on plans for the centre’s future.

He told the LDRS: “The Mayor and the officers were positive that a funding and practical solution could be put in place to proceed with repairs to the building. They said they would go away and

develop an options paper but since then nothing has happened.”

This sentiment was shared by Amy Foster, councillor for the nearby Woodside ward and the Council’s Shadow Cabinet Member for Children & Young People. She told the LDRS: “It’s disappointing that the commitment to moving this project forward we received from the Mayor has not been fulfilled and I share the team’s frustration that once again lines of communication with the Council have gone silent.

“We’ve seen across the borough how community groups can help revitalise spaces and protect vital assets and I’ve loved seeing how the pop-up Visitor Centre project has already started people together in the Park to share their views on what makes the Country Park such a special place. However, there’s no getting away from the fact that a vandalised, burned-out building makes people feel South Norwood isn’t a welcoming or cared-for community, which absolutely isn’t the case.

“Rebuilding South Norwood Country Park’s Visitor Centre gives us a positive vision for the future of this unique and well-loved nature reserve and I want

Campaigners said the centre was the 'heart' of the country park

Croydon Council to be a partner, and not a blocker, to the volunteers working to make that vision reality.”

Green Party London Assembly candidate and former warden of South Norwood Country Park, Peter Underwood. He told the LDRS how the TCV came to rely on the centre during the many hours it spent on conservation projects in the park.

He told the LDRS: “It would be great if we can get the visitor centre back open because it provides the potential for so much more volunteering, community engagement in the park and local schools. We used to do this sort of work, and it would be great if we could do it again.”

While visiting the site of the now boarded up visitors centre, one resident who lives local to the park told the LDRS they believe the council should be working with businesses to take on the running of the visitor centre. This is what has previously happened across the borough with the case of the Wandle Park Cafe.

A spokesperson for Croydon Council said: “We are committed to protecting our green spaces and investing in our parks for our residents to enjoy and lead healthier lives. We have restored a Park Ranger to South Norwood Country Park and will continue to work with the Friends of South Norwood Country Park and other residents to protect the park for the future.

“The council has been exploring options to renovate the visitor and education centre since it closed following fire damage in 2020. Works to renovate the centre were halted during 2021 due to resourcing and the council’s documented financial challenges since 2020. The Mayor and council officers met with residents at the park in February and we will continue to work with the community to get this facility restored for the benefit of locals and visitors.”

Local residents in South Norwood Country Park have been campaigning to get the visitors centre reopened following it's closure in 2020

mp confronted by sixth-form students during break-time palestine protest

By Harrison Galliven Local Democracy Reporter

The ConservaTive mp for sutton and Cheam has hit back at school-age protesters who “wanted to spend time shouting” at him and forced him to cancel a constituent surgery.

Around 80 students protested outside the gates of Greenshaw High, in Sutton, to demand Paul Scully MP calls for an end to arm sales to Israel on a visit to the school.

The protest, organised by Sutton Friends of Palestine (SFOP) and student group Greenshaw4Palestine, took place outside the school gates on Thursday, April 25. After protesting outside the school gates for more than half an hour, Mr Scully met protesters alongside the school’s Headteacher, Nick House. Mr Scully outlined his position on the Gaza conflict and rejected calls of SFOP campaigner and 19-year-old Greenshaw student Tommy Oliver to oppose arms sales in Parliament.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Mr Oliver explained the protesters waited outside the school from 11.10am until Mr Scully appeared at about 12pm. He said: “We did intend to wait for as long as it took, whether he was going to just drive past us and we’d just be able to show some visible support from Palestine or if he was actually going to come and talk to us and we could ask him to do what we want him to do.”

Mr Scully, who was visiting the school to meet politics students, eventually emerged to meet protesters before he was due to visit the Israeli embassy later that day. He told protesters he wasn’t hiding before answering questions from them.

He told the crowd: “I do believe Israel has a right to exist and has a right to self-defence but what is happening at the moment is way beyond that.”

When asked by a protester if he would say Palestine also has a right to exist and defend itself, Scully responded: “Of course Palestine has a right to exist. I have been to the West Bank, I have spoken to Palestinians there, and have spoken to Israelis that live on the other side of the Erez Crossing.”

He added: “I want to be able to get to a point where we have a proper twostate solution that includes Palestine and Israel, it’s really important but at the moment we don’t have either side that wants to get back to that.”

This response drew the ire of the protesters, who proceeded to challenge him on his decision to support arms sales to Israel. Mr Scully responded saying: “We have one the highest standards of arms sales in the world, we have a committee that looks at that in detail.

“I don’t have the information and don’t want to prejudge what that committee will do but it should keep looking at exactly that.”

Following the protest, Mr Oliver told the LDRS: “Obviously, the general gist is that he is not going to change his stance. It was not an answer to our satisfaction but [it was] expected nonetheless.”

When asked why Greenshaw students were particularly active in their support for Palestine, Mr Oliver told the LDRS: “I think it’s because we’re making sure there’s an organised group that will talk about it. At Greenshaw we have started…giving everyone a space to talk about it. Maybe that support is more passive in other schools.”

The school protest comes following an active month of pro-Palestine demonstrations in Sutton, with others taking place inside the Grennell Road school as well as a large demonstration outside of Mr Scully’s constituency office. Earlier this year, he announced he would be stepping down as an MP at the next election after nine years in the role.

When approached for comment, Mr Scully told the LDRS: “I am surprised that the protesters actually understood what my position was, having barely allowed me to punctuate the sentences of one of the more vocal protesters in particular.

“We’re all horrified about what we are seeing and reading about as the conflict continues in Gaza. I have been in the middle of a genocidal conflict in Myanmar. I have met Palestinians and Israelis in the region and continue to discuss how we can bring this complex but horrific conflict to an end.

“Israel need to take stock of the sheer number of civilian casualties. Hamas needs to release the hostages. It’s ordinary Palestinians who are bearing the brunt of this as well as the families of those still held captive.

“My main take away was not that the protesters wanted me to change my mind but that they

wanted to spend time shouting at me. Parliament has the Committee on Arms Export Control which examines the UK approach to arms sales, one of the toughest regimes in the world.

“Of course I want to see an end to the conflict but one that will last and allow a return to discussion of a two-state solution, not a blanket ceasefire call which will be ignored by both Israel and Hamas. This is about saving lives, not salving our conscience.

“As a result of the way the protest was arranged and unfolded I had to cancel a surgery based on security advice and the venue hosts, meaning that people who wanted to raise personal concerns have been unable to do so. The protest was in stark contrast with the fabulous exchanges that I had with students within Greenshaw School about a whole range of issues. It is so important that we discuss these emotive issues with respect.”

A spokesperson from Sutton Labour told the LDRS: “We support the young people from our borough, and further afield who clearly care deeply on this issue and are calling for peace from their elected officials.

“We were immensely concerned to learn that Sutton Conservatives attempted to illegally shut down previous peace vigils organised by children from our borough and believe we should be encouraging young people to voice their concerns and peacefully protest –not attacking them when they do a better job than our elected officials.

“Sutton Labour Councillors and our members have been present at each peace vigil and we have spoken of the plight of the many thousands of innocent people on all sides killed, injured or traumatised. Labour Councillors were first out to stand up for peace and justice – making our position known.”

Paul Scully met with protestors outside Greenshaw High School

© Sutton Friends of Palestine

what’s on

hilarious and heart-wrenChinG show

i would be lying if i said i didn’t find the first few minutes of alistair McDowell’s Captain amazing to be slightly disorientating, if not still very funny. But after this brief teething period, i was able to fall into step and appreciate the genius of this hilarious, heart-wrenching one man show, writes Caitlin Odell.

Setting pace from minute one, Mark Weinman morphs seamlessly into a plethora of characters, delivering bursts of rapid dialogue in different voices without so much as flinching. From the mother of his child who he meets for the first time on his shift at B&Q, to his young daughter Emily who is wise beyond her years, Weinman’s ability to shapeshift so convincingly is Captain Amazing’s best superpower. This of course, wouldn’t be possible without the excellent script, which is searingly funny whilst managing to handle a number of commonplace domestic woes without a hint of cliché.

Mark is a subdued and, seemingly, depressed man whose disillusion with reality is causing him to disassociate. His

one-note existence as boyfriend, father and husband paints him as man of simple pleasures. But every time he checks out, catapulting us into the world of Captain Amazing, we see that this is a man who feels stifled by the confines of the cards he’s been dealt in life.

An alarmingly insular existence (symbolised in his barren, cell-like flat) is totally at odds with the life he has created for himself as Captain Amazing. In between

The fine line separating victim and perpetrator has become a hallmark of many crime dramas or stories of crime. Think iTV’s Des or the current netflix sensation Baby Reindeer, writes Mary Bradshaw. These dramas aim to humanise individuals who commit awful crimes. They make for such excellent, yet uncomfortable viewing, by urging audiences to consider to what extent even the most terrifying criminals can be considered to be injured, traumatised

victims in their own right.

This oft-discussed notion of shared victimhood and all the complications that come with it is explored in Bryony Laverty’s 1998 award-winning play, Frozen. Laverty asks the audience whether we could allow for two categories: ‘crimes of evil’ and ‘crimes of illness’.

What sets Laverty’s work apart, however, is how she forces the audience to confront this question whilst keeping three characters with such contrasting

fulfilling his (ambiguous) superhero duties, he attends regular summits where he enjoys camaraderie and beerdrinking with other iconic superheroes, as well pursuing his dream of upsizing by attending property viewings.

But, as time goes on, the two worlds begin to bleed into one another. Once a place for Mark to escape to and live out the fantasy of his unrealised potential (all whilst securing gripping material for his

interests at uncomfortably close quarters. She also provides an accessible scientific backdrop of psychological expertise to guide the audience through the difficult emotional and existential journey of her central question.

What stands out in Greenwich Theatre’s production, directed by James Haddrell, is the ingenious stage design which throws together characters who would normally be kept apart.

The bulk of Frozen is monologues from the three characters. Kerrie Taylor plays Nancy, a grief-stricken, guilt-ridden mother trying to come to terms with the disappearance of her 10-year-olddaughter Rhona. The serial killer who rapes, abducts and murders Rhona (and six other young girls over a 21year period), Ralph, is played by James Bradshaw. Indra Ové is Agnetha, a selfdubbed ‘psychiatric explorer’ working on a thesis about the effect of childhood trauma on the criminal brain.

The play spans many years, beginning when Rhona first went missing and encompassing the time before and during Ralph’s imprisonment. Monologues and direct addresses give the audience no place to hide from the difficult subject matter and the high emotions of each character. We are not kept in the dark in any sense, as the house lights stay dimly lit throughout.

daughter’s bedtime stories), the world of Captain Amazing begins to consume Mark, leaving him untethered from reality. This confusion of worlds is visualised nicely as the sparse white backdrop becomes cluttered overtime with projected cartoon-like scribblings, the only thing this show could hide behind in the way of a set. But of course, it doesn’t. This brave and hugely ambitious performance from Mark Weinman captures the psyche of a

The lighting is crucial to scene changes when the set is either bathed in the warm sunshine of a spring garden or the glow of fond memories of family holidays, before transforming into the harsh white of prison cell strip lights or dimming to show the projector slides of an academic conference. These separate worlds of the three characters will soon collide, and the set design does a masterful job at illustrating this.

Alex Milledge’s set is superb. It consists of a revolving stage divided in half by a frame webbed in taut gauze. Nancy and Ralph will share this stage, acting on either side of the partition for the majority of the play. Lighting will enable the gauze to become gradually more transparent so that one character lurks in the background of the other. The pair subtly mirror actions, postures and words, too. And this production makes that blurry line between perpetrator and victim so unmistakably, visually apparent. Regardless of our personal position on whether Ralph is primarily a victim, the set works perfectly with Laverty’s script by forcing us to realise we are always closer to evil than we would like to admit. Despite this enforced confrontation of difficult truths, despite some disgustinglytitled pornographic videos, despite the talk of childhood neglect, of neural pathways, Cortisol and the Hippocampus,

vulnerable, misunderstood middle aged man whose chosen vice for the struggles of adult life, is his imagination.

Southwark Playhouse Borough, 77-85 Newington Causeway, London, SE1 6BD until 25th May. Times: Mon - Sat 8pm; Tues & Sat matinees 3.30pm. Admission: £24, £19. Booking: https://southwarkplayhouse. co.uk/productions/captain-amazing/

Frozen is punctuated by humour and a lot of tenderness.

One memorable moment, excellently acted by Kerrie Taylor, is when Nancy finally sees and holds her daughter’s remains, stored in cardboard filing boxes inside a coffin at the chapel of rest. James Bradshaw also comes into his own in his terrifying reenactment of abusive prison guards and family members, and Inda Ové intelligently embodies a mix of professionalism and empathy, delivering lectures and conducting physical and mental assessments in the prison cell. The acting is compelling throughout, yet it sometimes borders on the repetitive. Tense confrontation and academic discourse make up a large part of the play, but the performance of the surrounding moments needs to be markedly different. This would give the same variety that the set and lighting changes do. Overall, Frozen is an intense, important watch and has aged well, remaining a worthwhile addition to an ongoing debate.

Greenwich Theatre, Crooms Hill, Greenwich, SE10 8ES until 19th May.

Times: Tues - Sat 7.30pm; Sun 5pm; Sat matinees 2.30pm.

Admission: £31, £21.

Booking: https://greenwichtheatre.org.uk/

Playhouse Captain Amazing Production - Ali Wright

Heading south - our pick of upcoming events in May

2024 British Basketball Play-Off Finals

The season-ending 2024 British Basketball Playoff Finals will be returning to The O2 on Sunday 19 May 2024 for an afternoon of showstopping action on the court. The Playoff Finals will see the elite teams go head to head in the two biggest games of the UK Basketball Calendar. Grab court-side seats and get in on the action this May.

Date: Sunday 19 May 2024, doors 12:30pm. Tickets: From £29 to £189 www.theo2.co.uk/events/detail/2024-british-basketball-play-off-finals

The UK’s first free-from festival

Are you dairy or gluten-free? Do you avoid refined sugars? Head to Woolwich Works for the UK’s first Free From Festival and enjoy a foodie festival experience where you can discover and sample a wide range of delicious products – without having to worry about whether you can eat them. All products at the festival are gluten and dairy-free, with refined sugar-free and many other free-from options available, too. The treats and bakes are made by UKbased, small artisan producers. There will be chocolates and desserts, savoury snacks and street food for you to indulge in. Plus talks and demonstrations by nutritionists and industry professionals offering tips on cooking healthy, tasty free-from food.

Date: 10 May 2024, 11am to 6pm

Ticket: £10, under-12s free

The Fireworks Factory, 11 No 1 St, Royal Arsenal, SE18 6HD

www.woolwich.works/events/free-fromfestival-2

Fancy a giggle?

For a midweek evening out filled with laughter, head to Little Nan’s Bar for Your Friend & Mine’s comedy night. It promises to be a riot of fun and entertainment, so you better get ready to enjoy a series of stand-up acts by talented comedians and have a giggle with your pals.

Date: Wednesday 15 May 2024, 7pm to 9:30pm. Tickets: £3

Little Nan’s Bar, Deptford Market Yard, SE8 4BX https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ your-friend-mine-comedynight-wednesday-15th-maytickets-886039085757

Mr Toad

Wise Owl Theatre bring the high-spirited and downright ludicrous tale of Mr Toad to the stage at Greenwich Theatre this season. With Toad Hall under threat from the sly Miss Weasel, Toad’s insatiable need for speed could land him in serious trouble. The story is based on Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in the Willows and includes appearances from the story’s characters including Badger, Ratty and Mole. Heart-warming tales for the whole family.

Dates: Thursday 30 May to Saturday 1 June 2024. Tickets: £19 Crooms Hill, SE10 8ES. greenwichtheatre.org.uk/events/mr-toad

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Showcasing their final performance on BA (Hons) Musical Theatre at Trinity Laban, third-year students perform The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at The Albany. An eclectic group of six tweens vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home life, the cast spell their way through a series of could-be madeup words hoping to never hear the “ding” of the bell that signals a spelling mistake. Six spellers enter; one speller leaves… at least the losers get a juice box.

Dates: Friday 24 May and Saturday 25 May 2024, 2:30pm and 7pm Tickets: £10-£15, over 16s Douglas Way, SE8 4AG www.thealbany.org.uk/shows/spelling-bee

at London Craft Week

Taking place during London Craft Week, Cockpit Studios is hosting the Cockpit Craft Garden Party, which will see an afternoon of entertainment, garden-inspired refreshments and craft demonstrations in the newly redeveloped Deptford location. Be among the first to experience London’s only Craft Garden, designed by award-winning

furniture designer Sebastian Cox, and be part of the unveiling of Head Heart Hand, a new public art installation designed by Cockpit maker Amber Khokhar. Flora and fun, what more could you want?

Date: Wednesday 15 May 2024, 12pm to 4:30pm. Tickets: £15 Cockpit Deptford, 18-22 Creekside, SE8 3DZ cockpitstudios.org/whats-on/cockpit-craft-gardenparty

Amber Khokhar

© Carmen Gray

© Michael Spring Photography

what’s on

Herbie Russell

in 1977, Camberwell was rocked by a particularly depraved news story. Vandals had broken into a derelict church on Burgess Park. Once inside the crypt, they desecrated coffins, mutilated skeletons, and drove a stake through a corpse’s chest.

St George’s Church, with its Greekstyle pillars and grand portico, suffered a flurry of similar incidents in the ‘70s and ‘80s. In 1978, people broke in and played football with a 100-year-old skull after pulling skeletons from their coffins. Four years later, thieves smashed a hole in the crypt and hauled out the coffin of a deceased child in search of valuables.

For local reporters, this bizarre string of stories was gold dust. But for Camberwell residents, who had watched the grand old building deteriorate for decades, these were sad chapters in a steady decline.

The foundation stone of St George’s Church was laid on Wells Way in 1822 in what is now Burgess Park. But this building’s story begins seven years earlier, in the summer of 1815, on the bloody fields of modern-day Belgium. Napoleon, recently returned from exile on the island of Elba, was taking a final stand against the forces of the Seventh Coalition, led by the Duke of Wellington and Field Marshal Blücher. Ultimately, the combined Allied forces overwhelmed the French, forcing Napoleon to retreat and effectively ending his rule as Emperor for the final time.

The battle marked the beginning of a new era of peace after decades of warfare and established Britain as the dominant global power. The British government wanted to commemorate the victory and so followed the Church Building Act of 1818.

The legislation saw an initial £1 million - equivalent to £92 million today - invested in the construction of new churches across the country. Roughly 600 worshipful buildings were erected across the country thanks to church building acts between 1818 and 1824. But other important reasons for church building explain why a corner of Camberwell was chosen.

The Industrial Revolution had fuelled Britain’s global rise but, internally, it was pulling at the social fabric. The working classes had surged from rural areas into cities to get factory work but there weren’t enough Anglican churches to meet the demand. Politicians, having witnessed the revolutionary zeal that swept across France in 1789, hoped churches could be a moral bulwark against dissent.

The jarring demographic change happening in English cities was writ large in Camberwell. In the early 1800s, what is now Burgess Park was fast becoming a densely-populated maze of ramshackle urban dwellings.

In 1811, the Grand Surrey Canal, which ran through the area, was completed. This accelerated migration to the area as people rushed to get work on the docks and the other industries relying on its trade.

Architect Francis Bedford was

napoleon, Grave-diGGers and thieves: the twisted tale of a CamBerwell ChurCh

appointed to design St George’s Church which would sit right on the canal’s bank. He was heavily influenced by Greek revival styles, employing a Doric porto, a tower and a flat, panelled ceiling. Construction began in 1822, and took just two years, costing £16,700.

Bedford also designed St John’s, Waterloo, St Luke’s, West Norwood, and Holy Trinity Church, Newington. His influence is clearly visible in all five buildings - too much so for contemporary critics. Reviewing St John’s in 1827, The Gentleman’s Magazine commented: “After the description of St. George’s Church, Camberwell ... it will be unnecessary to go into a minute detail of the present edifice. The monotony of Mr. Bedford’s designs has already been noticed under the head of that building, as well as Trinity Church, Newington.”

Nonetheless, the new church played an important role in the community’s spiritual life. Local population expansion was so rapid that the graveyard was full by 1856 and had to be converted into a small garden that opened in 1887.

In the mid-20th century, London was hit by another wave of social and economic dislocation. But this time, the world was pulled from beneath St George’s foundations. This time, the harbinger of change was Sir Leslie Patrick Abercrombie.

A respected town planner, Abercrombie was charged with creating the County of London Plan in 1943. After the Nazi bombs of the Second World War, much of London would have to be rebuilt and made fit for the capital of a modern, democratic nation.

Abercrombie’s plan identified large parts of London that were short on open space. The overcrowded portion of Camberwell qualified for a large park to act as a green lung for the local populace. The central section of the modern-day park had already been heavily bombed with many buildings either destroyed or damaged. Over time, dilapidated houses and streets were removed and replaced with greenery and a lake, resulting in the sprawling park we have today.

So St George’s Church, Grade-II listed in 1954, became a white elephant in the middle of the park. With the congregation gone, it started losing its purpose. Poorly maintained, it became increasingly dilapidated. In 1970, it finally closed as a centre of Anglican worship due to structural problems.

Things only got worse for the oncethriving church. In the ‘70s and ‘80s, it witnessed a strange spate of burglaries and depraved criminality. By this time, the church had been taken over by the Nigerian Celestial Church of Christ.

Interviewed by the local press, about the gravediggers who’d unearthed the coffin of a young child, Secretary Peter Idowu said: “It is a disgusting thing to do. People have gone into the crypt four or five times as far as I know. We have sealed it up with concrete and I am surprised they got in.”

In 1980, the church was badly damaged by fire and locals speculated that demolition was inevitable. The vandals didn’t stop there. In 1991, a large bronze statue of Christ at the front of the church was stolen. Now known as the Burgess Park War Memorial, it had been

unveiled in 1919 to commemorate First World War casualties. Fortunately, it was found in a Brixton scrapyard a fortnight later and returned to its plinth. By this point, the congregation had joined the Trinity College Centre and was based in a building on Newent Close in Peckham. But against all odds, St George’s Church was saved. After a successful eighteen-month, £2m conversion, the original St George’s Church re-opened in 1994 as a housing co-operative. The conversion has space for 30 onebedroom units and is managed by a committee of members.

The Friends of Burgess Park are a group of volunteers dedicated to preserving the area’s heritage. In 2020, the group published an article about the St George’s Church and online comments poured in. Writing online, a woman named Eileen Fall said: ‘All my family going back to middle 1800s were married there. My sister and brother in law in 1959 by Geoffrey Beaumont. He was so drunk at the reception my father asked him to leave. He tied his cassock in a knot round his waist, jumped on his bike and went off singing.’

The huge response to the article showed that St George’s Church remains a treasure trove of memories spanning decades. While the church’s Napoleonic origins give it a sense of grandeur, its true value arguably comes from the role it has played in local lives; the weddings, the sermons and the christenings. So local people will be glad that, while London has changed and swirled around it, St George’s Church has stayed rooted to the spot.

St George’s Church, Camberwell as it its today

© Google A watercolour of St George’s Church Camberwell, by Wiliam Waller

volunteering@linkagesouthwark.org

Perfected Lien Security Interest –

Stephen William Rudman

I, a man, Stephen William Rudman, hold a perfected Lien Security Interest in and over the public indemnity insurance policy(s) and all real and moveable property of the following:

NICHOLAS STUART SLAPE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, THE CO-OPERATIVE BANK PLC, 1 Balloon Street, Manchester, M60 4EP; and

THE CO-OPERATIVE BANK PLC, 1 Balloon Street, Manchester, M60 4EP.

Lien Debtors are jointly and severally liable for the total sum certain of £51,953,600.00. Interested parties should contact Stephen William Rudman, privately, via email swr@tidc1.com

Perfected Lien Security Interest –

Stephen William Rudman

I, a man, Stephen William Rudman, hold a perfected Lien Security Interest in and over the public indemnity insurance policy(s) and all real and moveable property of the following:

JULIE-ANN HAINES, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, PRINCIPALITY BUILDING SOCIETY, Principality House, The Friary, Cardiff, CF10 3FA; and

PRINCIPALITY BUILDING SOCIETY, Principality House, The Friary, Cardiff, CF10 3FA.

Lien Debtors are jointly and severally liable for the total sum certain of £50,628,800.00. Interested parties should contact Stephen William Rudman, privately, via email swr@tidc1.com

Perfected Lien Security Interest –

Stephen William Rudman

I, a man, Stephen William Rudman, hold a perfected Lien Security Interest in and over the public indemnity insurance policy(s) and all real and moveable property of the following:

JOHN DAVID STUART, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, HSBC UK BANK PLC, 1 Centenary Square, Birmingham, B1 1HQ; and HSBC UK BANK PLC, 1 Centenary Square, Birmingham, B1 1HQ; and

ANDREW HALLIDAY, EXECUTIVE COMPLAINTS MANAGER, EXECUTIVE COMPLAINTS, RISK OPERATIONS AND COMPLAINT HANDLING UK DISTRIBUTION, WEALTH AND PERSONAL BANKING UK, HSBC UK BANK PLC, Coventry, CV3 9GW.

Lien Debtors are jointly and severally liable for the total sum certain of £121,913,600.00. Interested parties should contact Stephen William Rudman, privately, via email swr@tidc1.com

LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH

Notice Under The Town and Country Planning Acts

PUBLIC NOTICE – LICENSING APPLICATION

LICENSING ACT 2003

Take notice that on May 2nd 2024, Forsters LLP applied for a new Premises Licence pursuant to section 17 of the Licensing Act 2003 in respect of 22 Baker Street, W1U 3BW

The application seeks to permit the sale by retail of alcohol from 12:00 until 22:00 Monday to Saturday. THE PREMISES WILL NOT BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

The application can be viewed in the Licensing Register at www.westminster.gov.uk/Licensing.

Any interested party or responsible authority may make representations regarding this application in writing to: Licensing Service, Westminster City Hall, 64 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 5QP stating the grounds for that representation to be received no later than May 30th 2024.

It is an offence, liable on conviction to an unlimited fine to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with this application.

Notice of application for a Premises Licence

Notice is hereby given that Wellnergy Ltd has applied to Wandsworth Council for a new premises licence at (part of not entirely) Wimbledon Park, Home Park Rd, SW19 8AU for A time limited ONE DAY licence on the Saturday 15 June 2024 provide the sale of alcohol between the hours of 10.0021.00. The provision of regulated entertainment (Film) between the hours of 08.00 - 21.30. (Live, recorded and performance of dance) between the hours of 10.00-21.30. The Event is to promote wellbeing and positive energy both physically and mentally, with licensable activities to support and celebrate these ideals.

Any person who wishes to make a representation in relation to this application must give notice in writing by 22nd May 2024 stating the grounds for making said representation to: Wandsworth Licensing Authority, Regulatory Services Partnership (Serving Merton, Richmond and Wandsworth Councils) Merton Civic Centre, London Road, Morden, Surrey, SM4 5DX or by email: licensing@merton.gov.uk

The record of this application may be inspected Monday to Friday (except Bank Holidays) by prior appointment at the offices of Wandsworth Licensing Authority, Regulatory Services Partnership (Serving Merton, Richmond and Wandsworth Councils) Merton Civic Centre, London Road, Morden,Surrey, SM4 5DX between the hours of 10.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. Information on all new and variation applications received by the Licensing Authority can be viewed on the Council’s website www.wandsworth.gov.uk

It is an offence, under section 158 of the Licensing Act 2003, to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in or in connection with an application, punishable upon conviction by an unlimited fine.

Notice of application for a Premises Licence

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Council is considering applications as set out below under the following categories; FUL

Full Applications LB

Listed Building VOC

Variation of Condition

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Written representations should be made within three weeks of the date of this advertisement to the Director of Planning, PO Box 734, Winchester SO23 5DG. Any comments made are open to inspection by the public and in the event of an appeal may be referred to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. Confidential comments cannot be taken into account in determining an application.

Application plans can be viewed online at www.lambeth.gov.uk/searchplanningapps – search using the reference number at the end of each application listing.

1 Stannary Street London SE11 4AD Extension of mezzanine level creating additional bedroom and storage/dressing area (to Flat 25). 24/00527/LB

61 Wellfield Road London SW16 2BT Replacement of all windows with timber vertical sliding sash double glazed windows to the front and rear elevations and timber casement double glazed window to the side elevation, plus the replacement of side doors with timber doors. 24/01352/FUL Kings Avenue Primary School Kings Avenue London Lambeth SW4 8BQ Variation of Condition 2 of planning permission 23/03984/RG4 (Installation of roof mounted air source heat pumps and photovoltaic panels) granted on 08/02/2024 Variation sought: To approve the amended design proposals for PV and ASHP installations at the new +150mm roof weathering surface level. 24/01038/VOC

The Garden Museum 5 Lambeth Palace Road London SE1 7LB Removal of a section of the wall to the north boundary to create access to the Garden Museum from St Mary's Garden with the installation of an entrance gate and new railing. 24/01292/LB

20 Liston Road London SW4 0DF Installation of 2x roof lights to the front roof slope and the replacement of the rear roof lights with 2x

24/01120/FUL 356 Kennington Road London SE11 4LD Internal alterations in connection with the change of use of the first, second and third floors from commercial use (use class E) to residential (use class C3), providing 1x self-contained flat (3 bedroom). 24/01129/LB

Notice is hereby given that The Royal Hospital Chelsea Appeal Limited of Royal Hospital Chelsea, Royal Hospital Road, London SW3 4SR has applied to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea for the grant of a premises licence to permit films & sporting events (indoors) from Mon to Sun: 1000 – 2300. Plays & boxing/wrestling (in & outdoors) from Mon to Sun: 1000 – 23000. Live/recorded music, dance, late-night refreshment (in & outdoors) and sale of alcohol (on & off) from Mon to Sun: 1000 – 2400, for Royal Hospital and scheduled events usage. Hours open to the public Mon to Sun: 0000 – 2400, for the Soane Stable Yard Café Mon to Sun 0800 – 1700 and the Soane Stable Yard Inner Court Mon to Sun: 0900 – 2200 for the premises The Royal Hospital Chelsea Appeal Limited situated at Royal Hospital Chelsea, Royal Hospital Road, London SW3 4SR

A register of licensing applications can be inspected at http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/licensing or in person at Licensing Team, Council Offices, 37 Pembroke Road, London W8 6PW, Tel 020 7341 5152, by appointment with the licensing team between 10am and 4pm Monday to Friday.

Any person wishing to submit representations to our application must give notice in writing to the licensing authority at the address shown above, giving in detail the grounds of objection by Thursday 23rd May 2024

The council will not entertain representations where the writer requests that his identity remains anonymous. Copies of all representations will be included in the papers presented to the licensing subcommittee and will therefore pass into the public domain. Representations must relate to one of the four licensing objectives: the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance and the protection of children from harm. In the case of an application for a provisional statement, please note that representations will be restricted once a statement has been issued.

It is an offence liable on conviction to a fine under section 158 of The Licensing Act 2003 to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with this application.

Notice of application for a Premises Licence

Notice is hereby given that VACAL Limited has applied to Wandsworth Council for a new premises licence at Picanha Steakhouse, 219 Tooting High Street, London, SW17 0SZ for

Sale of Alcohol - On and Off the premises Monday to Sunday 10:00 to 00:00

Late Night Refreshment - On and Off the premises Monday to Sunday 23:00 to 00:30

77 Westow Hill London SE19 1TX Display of 1 externally illuminated fascia sign and 1 non-illuminated projecting signage. (Retrospective) 24/00833/ADV

The Garden Museum 5 Lambeth Palace Road London Lambeth SE1 7LB Erection of a single storey horticultural pavilion to the St Marys Garden, and the removal of a section of the wall to the north boundary to create access to the Garden Museum with the installation of an entrance gate and new railing, together with alteration to boundary wall and landscaping treatment. 24/00987/FUL

21 Hill House Road London SW16 2AQ Installation of 3no. photovoltaic panels to roof. 24/01101/FUL

Surrey County Cricket Club Kennington Oval London SE11 5SS Replacement of the four existing retractable floodlights around the cricket ground with four fixed LED floodlights in the same locations. 24/01025/FUL Land Rear 41 Stockwell Park Road London SW9 0DD Demolition of existing garages and erection of 2 storey single dwelling. 24/00937/FUL

44 Wilkinson Street London SW8 1DB Erection of a fence, shed and planters on roof terrace. (Partially retrospective) 24/01193/FUL Dated this Friday 10th May 2024

Any person who wishes to make a representation in relation to this application must give notice in writing by 29th May 2024 stating the grounds for making said representation to: Wandsworth Licensing Authority, Regulatory Services Partnership (Serving Merton, Richmond and Wandsworth Councils) Merton Civic Centre, London Road, Morden, Surrey, SM4 5DX or by email: licensing@merton.gov.uk

The record of this application may be inspected Monday to Friday (except Bank Holidays) by prior appointment at the offices of Wandsworth Licensing Authority, Regulatory Services Partnership (Serving Merton, Richmond and Wandsworth Councils) Merton Civic Centre, London Road, Morden,Surrey, SM4 5DX between the hours of 10.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. Information on all new and variation applications received by the Licensing Authority can be viewed on the Council’s website www.wandsworth.gov.uk

It is an offence, under section 158 of the Licensing Act 2003, to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in or in connection with an application, punishable upon conviction by an unlimited fine.

LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14

THE OVAL CRICKET GROUND, KENNINGTON, TEMPORARY TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS ON THE OCCASION OF CRICKET

MATCHES AND OTHER EVENTS - BOWLING GREEN STREET, CLAYTON STREET, HARLEYFORD ROAD, HARLEYFORD STREET, KENNINGTON OVAL, AND VAUXHALL STREET

1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth, in agreement with Transport for London, intend to make an Order, the general effect of which would be to temporarily:

(1) ban vehicles from entering in that length of Kennington Oval which lies between: -

(a) Harleyford Road and Vauxhall Street, except for access; and,

(b) Harleyford Street and Bowling Green Street.

(c) the southbound bus lane extending into Harleyford Street to allow for pedestrian crowd control measures to be installed.

(2) impose a one-way system for vehicles in: -

(a) Bowling Green Street, south-westward, between Magee Street and Kennington Oval.

(b) Clayton Street, north-eastward, between Kennington Oval and Pegasus Place.

(c) Kennington Oval south-eastward, between Vauxhall Street and Clayton Street; and,

(d) Kennington Oval north-westward, between Bowling Green Street and Clayton Street.

(3) ban vehicles proceeding in: -

(a) Bowling Green Street from turning left into Kennington Oval.

(b) Clayton Street from turning left into Kennington Oval.

(c) (A202) Harleyford Road from turning left into Kennington Oval.

(d) (A202) Harleyford Street from turning right into Kennington Oval.

(e) (A202) Kennington Oval from turning right into the north-east arm of Kennington Oval (adjacent to Alec Stewart Gate).

(d) (A202) Kennington Oval from turning left into the south-east arm of Kennington Oval (adjacent to Hobbs Gate).

(e) Vauxhall Street from turning right into Kennington Oval except for cycles.

(4) suspend: -

(a) the northbound and southbound bus lanes on (A202) Harleyford Street/ Kennington Oval.

(b) the Oval Station and Archbishop Tenison’s School bus stops on the north and south sides of Kennington Oval and Harleyford Street.

(c) the parking places on both sides of:(i) Kennington Oval between Harleyford Road and Clayton Street. (ii) Clayton Street, both sides, between Kennington Oval and Pegasus Place.

2. The restrictions are necessary because of the likelihood of danger to the public caused by an increase in pedestrian traffic and parked vehicles at certain times in the vicinity of The Kia Oval Cricket Ground, Kennington.

3. Alternative routes would be available for vehicles affected by the bans described in paragraph 1 above via adjacent roads as indicated by traffic signs.

4. The bans and one-way systems would only apply at such times and to such extent as shall, from time to time, be indicated by the placing of the appropriate traffic signs.

5. The Order would come into force on 20 May 2024 and will continue in force for a maximum duration of 6 months, although in practice they will only have effect on the occasion of certain cricket matches and other events at The Kia Oval Cricket Ground, Kennington. Dated 10 May 2024 Ben Stevens Highway Network Manager

LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14

TEMPORARY TRAFFIC AND PARKING RESTRICTIONS IN CONNECTION WITH THE BROCKWELL LIVE EVENTS SERIES AND THE LAMBETH COUNTRY SHOW – BROCKWELL PARK

1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth, subject to the agreement of Transport for London and the London Borough of Southwark, have made a temporary traffic order the general effect of which will be at certain times between 13th May 2024 and 16th June 2024 to:-

(a) impose one-way traffic systems for vehicles in:(i). Gubyon Avenue, in a direction towards Herne Hill; (ii). Milkwood Road, between Herne Hill/Norwood Road and Gubyon Avenue, in a direction towards Gubyon Avenue;

(iii). Milton Road, in a direction towards Railton Road; (iv). Railton Road, between Milton Road and Regent Road, in a direction towards Regent Road;

(v). Regent Road, in a direction towards Dulwich Road;

(b) ban waiting by vehicles in the streets and parts of streets specified in the Schedule to this Notice;

(c) ban vehicles from entering or waiting in that length of Railton Road which lies between Rymer Street and its southern extremity (its junction with Dulwich Road and Norwood Road);

(d) ban vehicles from entering :-

(i) Arlingford Road;

(ii) Brailsford Road;

(iii) Brockwell Park Gardens;

(e) ban vehicles (except buses) from entering :-

(i) Brixton Water Lane, between the junction of Dalberg Road and Dulwich Road and its junction with Effra Road and Tulse Hill;

(ii) Dulwich Road, between its junction with Norwood Road, Railton Road and Half Moon Lane and Regent Road;

(iii) Morval Road;

(iv) Norwood Road, between Croxted Road and its junction with Dulwich Road, Half Moon Lane and Herne Hill;

(f) ban vehicles proceeding in:-

(i). a southerly direction in Effra Road from turning right into Brixton Water Lane;

(ii) that length of Brixton Water Lane which lies between Brixton Hill and Effra Road from turning left into Effra Road;

(iii). a south-westerly direction in that length of Shardcroft Avenue, which lies between Gubyon Avenue and Kestrel Avenue from turning right into Gubyon Avenue;

(iv). a south-westerly direction in that length of Shardcroft Avenue, which lies between Gubyon Avenue and Milkwood Road from turning left into Milkwood Road;

(v). a north-easterly direction in that length of Shardcroft Avenue, which lies between Gubyon Avenue and Milkwood Road from turning left into Gubyon Avenue;

(vi). a north-easterly direction in Oborne Close from turning left into Gubyon Avenue;

(vii). a south-westerly direction in Woodquest Avenue from turning right into Gubyon Avenue;

(viii). a south-easterly direction in Railton Road from turning right into Milton Road; (ix). a south-westerly direction in the south-eastern arm of Mayall Road from turning right into Railton Road; (x). a north-easterly direction in Mumford Road from turning left into Railton Road; (xi). a south-westerly direction in Fawnbrake Avenue from turning right into Gubyon Avenue;

(g) ban vehicles proceeding in Dulwich Road from entering Regent Road;

(h) ban vehicles proceeding in Herne Hill from entering Gubyon Avenue;

(i) ban vehicles exiting the vehicular entrance to the Car Park situated at the rear of Brockwell Lido (Dulwich Road entrance) from turning right into Dulwich Road;

(j) ban vehicles proceeding in that length of Brixton Water Lane which lies between Brixton Hill and Effra Road from turning left into Effra Road;

(k) ban vehicles proceeding in Rymer Street from turning left into Dulwich Road;

(l) ban vehicles from entering the slip road which lies immediately outside Brockwell Park on the south-west side of the triangular island site situated at the junction of Norwood Road and Dulwich Road (the banned left turn from the main carriageway of Norwood Road into the main carriageway of Dulwich Road would be suspended so as to provide an alternative route for affected vehicles).

3. The order would come into force on 13th May 2024 and would continue in force until 16th June 2024 (inclusive).

4. The above-mentioned one-way traffic systems, bans, suspensions and ban on parking, waiting and loading would only apply at such times as shall be indicated by the placing or covering of traffic signs and ‘no parking cones’. They are necessary because of the likelihood of danger to the public caused by an increase in traffic and parking in the vicinity of Brockwell Park, while the Brockwell Live Events Series and the Lambeth Country Show are taking place in Brockwell Park.

Note: if it is deemed necessary in the interest of public safety there may also be traffic lane closures on Brixton Water Lane and Effra Road to enable the safe flow of pedestrians, traffic on those roads may be filtered into one lane.

5. Alternative routes would be available for vehicles affected by the one-way traffic systems and bans referred to in paragraph 1 above, via adjacent roads as indicated by traffic signs.

Dated 10th May 2024 Ben Stevens Highway Network Manager SCHEDULE

LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14

TEMPORARY TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS – STONHOUSE STREET

1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to enable works involving the operation of a crane to be carried out safely, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth, with the agreement of Transport for London have made an Order the effect of which will be to temporarily ban vehicles from entering in that length of Stonhouse Street which lies between Clapham High Street and the north-western kerb-line of the service road at the rear of Nos. 154 to 188 Clapham High Street.

2. Alternative routes for affected vehicles will be available via: (a) Clapham High Street, Clapham Manor Street and Cresset Street and vice versa; and (b) Clapham High Street, Clapham Common South Side, Long Road, Rookery Road, Clapham Common North Side, Old Town, Rectory Grove, Clapham Manor Street and Cresset Street.

3. The ban will only apply at such times and to such extent as shall be indicated by the placing and covering of the appropriate traffic signs.

4. The Order will come into force on 21st May 2024 for a maximum duration of 3 months (to allow for contingencies) or until the works have been completed, whichever is the sooner. In practice, it is anticipated that the crane operation works will be carried out on 21st May with backup dates of 18th and 25th June 2024, but if the works cannot be carried out or completed during these times, then the Order may also have effect at subsequent times within the maximum period of 3 months.

Dated 10th May 2024 Ben Stevens Highways Network Manager

LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14 TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURE – CLAPHAM MANOR STREET

1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to enable sewer repair works to be carried out, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth intend to make an Order the effect of which would be to temporarily ban vehicles from entering that length of Clapham Manor Street which lies between Nos. 167/169a Clapham Manor Street and Nos. 171/173 Clapham Manor Street.

2. Alternative routes for affected vehicles would be available via (a) Clapham High Street, Stonhouse Street and Cresset Street and vice versa; and (b)Voltaire Road, Edgeley Road and Clapham High Street.

3. The ban would only apply at such times and to such extent as shall be indicated by the placing of the appropriate traffic signs.

4. The Order would come into force on 27th May 2024 and would continue for a maximum duration of 3 months (to allow for contingencies) or until the works have been completed whichever is the sooner. In practice, it is anticipated that the works would take place between 27th May 2024 and 10th June 2024, but if the works cannot be carried out or completed during that time then the Order may have effect at subsequent times within the maximum period of 3 months.

Dated 10th May 2024 Ben Stevens Highways Network Manager

LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 – SECTION 14 TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURE ESTREHAM ROAD

1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to enable Thames Water maintenance works to be carried out, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth intend to make an Order the effect of which would be to temporarily ban vehicles from entering in that length of Estreham Road which lies between the north-eastern wall of Nos. 50 and 51 Estreham Road, and Hambro Road.

2. Alternative routes would be available for affected vehicles via (a) Streatham High Road, Guildersfield Road, Ellison Road, Kempshott Road, Streatham High Road and Natal Road; and (b) Lewin Road, Streatham High Road and Natal Road.

3. The ban would only apply at such times and to such extent as shall be indicated by the placing of the appropriate traffic signs.

4. The Order would come into force on 27th May 2024, for a maximum duration of 1 month (to allow for contingencies) or until the works have been completed, whichever is the earlier. In practice, it is anticipated that the works would take place on 27th May 2024 between the hours of 8 am and 5 pm, but if the works cannot be carried out or completed during that time then the Order may have effect at subsequent times within the maximum period of 1 month.

Dated 10th May 2024 Ben Stevens Highways Network Manager

LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 16A TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURE FOR A SPECIAL EVENTPLAY STREET DAYS BRIARWOOD ROAD

1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to enable local residents/communities to hold a special event (Play Street Day), the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth intend to make an Order the effect of which would be to ban vehicles from entering Briarwood Road (the whole length), on (i) Saturday 25th May 2024; (ii) Saturday 29th June 2024; (iii) 27th July 2024; (iv) Saturday 31st August 2024; and Saturday 28th September 2024.

2. Alternative routes would be available for affected vehicles via Abbeville Road and Crescent Lane and vice versa.

3. The bans would only apply at such times and to such extent as shall be indicated by the placing of the appropriate traffic signs on the dates specified above. In practice it is anticipated that the road would only be closed between 3 pm and 6 pm on the dates specified but if it is deemed necessary in the interest of public safety, the road may also be closed at other times on those dates.

LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14

TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURE – LEIGHAM VALE

1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to enable bridge examination works to be carried out safely, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth have made an Order the effect of which will be to temporarily ban vehicles from entering that length of Leigham Vale which lies between the south side of the southernmost railway bridge over Leigham Vale and the northwest side of the north-westernmost railway bridge over Leigham Vale.

2. The ban will only apply at such times and to such extent as shall be indicated by the placing of the appropriate traffic signs.

3.

4. The Order will come into force on 20th May 2024 and will continue in force for a maximum duration of 1 month (to allow for contingencies) or until the works have been completed whichever is the sooner. In practice it is anticipated that the works will be carried out between 10 pm on 20th May 2024 and 6 am on 21st May 2024 but if the works cannot be carried out or completed during in that time then the Order may have effect

BRIXTON WATER LANE, both sides, (a) between Effra Road/Tulse Hill and its junction with Dalberg Road, Effra Parade and Dulwich Road; and (b) between Effra Road/Tulse Hill and Crownstone Road. BROCKWELL PARK GARDENS, between Norwood Road and the common boundary of Nos. 42 and 43 Brockwell Park Gardens. CROXTED ROAD, the south side, between Norwood Road and the common boundary of Nos. 347a and 349 Croxted Road. DALBERG ROAD, both sides, between Morval Road and Dulwich Road/Brixton Water Lane. DULWICH ROAD, both sides, between Norwood Road and Spenser Road. EFFRA ROAD, both sides, between St Matthews Road and Brixton Water Lane. HERNE HILL, (a) the west and north-west sides, between Milkwood Road and Gubyon Avenue; and (b) the east and south-east sides, between Half Moon Lane and the south-western arm of Denesmead. HURST STREET, the whole road. MILKWOOD ROAD, both sides, between Herne Hill/Half Moon Lane and Gubyon Avenue. MILTON ROAD, the whole road. NORWOOD ROAD, (a) the west side, between Dulwich Road and Trinity Rise, except in the designated loading bay on Saturday 8th June 2024 and Sunday 9th June 2024 between the hours of 7am and 7pm; and (b) the east and south-east sides, between Half Moon Lane and Trinity Rise. RAILTON ROAD, both sides, between Shakespeare Road and Dulwich Road/Norwood Road. REGENT ROAD the whole road. ROSENDALE ROAD, both sides, between Norwood Road and Guernsey Grove; RYMER STREET, the whole road. SHAKESPEARE ROAD, both sides, between Dulwich Road and Mayall Road. TRINITY RISE, (a) the north-west side, (i) between Norwood Road and the common boundary of Nos. 4 and 6 Trinity Rise and (ii) between the common boundary of Nos. 90 and 92 Trinity Rise and the common boundary of Nos. 112 and 114 Trinity Rise and (b) the south-east side, (i) between Norwood Road and the common boundary of Nos. 1 and 3 Trinity Rise; and (ii) between a point opposite the common boundary of Nos. 90 and 92 Trinity Rise and the common boundary of the Holy Trinity Church and No. 53 Trinity Rise. TULSE HILL, both sides, between Brixton Water Lane and No. 37 Tulse Hill. LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984

1.

Blenheim Gardens Estate and Halliwell Road.

2. No alternative route is applicable as Blenheim Gardens is a no through road.

3. The bans and suspensions would only apply at such times and to such extent as shall be indicated by the placing and covering of the appropriate traffic signs.

4. The Order would come into force on 23rd May 2024 for a maximum duration of 3 months or until the works have been completed, whichever is the sooner. In practice, it is anticipated that the crane operation works would be carried out on 23rd and 24th May 2024 with backup dates of 30th and 31st May 2024 and 6th and 7th June 2024, but if the works cannot be carried out or completed during these times, then the Order may also have effect at subsequent times within the maximum period of 3 months.

Dated 10th May 2024 Ben Stevens Highways Network Manager

LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 – SECTION 14 TEMPORARY TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS – LAMBETH WALK

1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to enable works involving the operation of a crane to be carried out safely, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth intend to make an Order the effect of which would be to temporarily ban vehicles from entering that length of Lambeth Walk which lies between Lambeth Road and the south-eastern wall of No. 5 Lambeth Walk.

2. Alternative routes for affected vehicles would be available via (a) Lambeth Road, Kennington Road, Black Prince Road, New Port Street and Old Paradise Street; and (b) Sail Street and Juxton Street.

3. The ban would only apply at such times and to such extent as shall be indicated by the placing of the appropriate traffic signs.

4. The Order would come into force on 30th May 2024 for a maximum duration of 3 months (to allow for contingencies) or until the works have been completed, whichever is the sooner. In practice, it is anticipated that the works would be carried out on 30th May 2024 between 8 am and 6 pm with back up dates on 6th June 2024 and 13th June 2024, but if the works cannot be carried out or completed on those dates then the Order may also have effect on subsequent days within the maximum period of 3 months.

Dated 10th May 2024 Ben Stevens Highways Network Manager

1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to enable works involving the operation of a crane to be carried out safely, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth intend to make an Order the effect of which would be to temporarily ban vehicles from entering that length of South Island Place which lies between Hackford Road and a point 3.5 metres south-west of the common boundary of No. 68 South Island Place and No. 83 Clapham Road.

2. An alternative route for affected vehicles would be available via Hackford Road, Caldwell Street and Clapham Road.

3. The ban would only apply at such times and to such extent as shall be indicated by the placing of the appropriate traffic signs.

Dated 10th May 2024 Ben Stevens Highways Network Manager LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14 TEMPORARY TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS – SOUTH ISLAND PLACE

4. The Order would come into force on 24th May 2024 and continue in force for a maximum duration of 2 months (to allow for contingencies) or until the works have been completed whichever is the sooner. In practice, it is anticipated that the works would take place on 24th May 2024, with backup dates of 27th May 2024 and 29th May 2024, but if the works cannot be carried out or completed during that time then the Order may have effect at subsequent times within the maximum period of 2 months.

Dated

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Deadline is 3pm on Wednesday

Transport for London Public Notice

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984

THE A2 GLA ROAD (SHOOTERS HILL ROAD, ROYAL BOROUGH OF GREENWICH) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC) ORDER 2024

1. Transport for London in consultation with the Royal Borough of Greenwich hereby gives notice that it intends to make the above named Trafc Order under section 14(1) of the Road Trafc Regulation Act 1984 for the purpose specied in paragraph 2. The effect of the Order is summarised in paragraph 3.

2. The purpose of the Order is to enable survey and electrical install works to take place on the A2 Shooters Hill Road.

3. The effect of the Order will be to prohibit any vehicle from entering the slip road connecting Prince of Wales Road to A2 Shooters Hill Road.

The Order will be effective at certain times from 10:00 PM on 21st May 2024 to 5:00 AM on 22nd May 2024 or when the works have been completed whichever is the sooner. The prohibitions will apply only during such times and to such extent as shall from time to time be indicated by trafc signs

4. The prohibitions will not apply in respect of:

(1) any vehicle being used for the purposes of those works or for re brigade, ambulance or police purposes;

(2) anything done with the permission or at the direction of a police constable in uniform or a person authorised by Transport for London.

5. At such times as the prohibitions are in force alternative routes will be indicated by trafc signs via Prince of Wales Road to normal route of travel.

Dated this 10th day of May 2024

Claire Wright

Co-ordination and Permitting Area Manager

Transport for London Palestra, 197 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NJ

Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015 NOTICE UNDER ARTICLE 13 OF APPLICATION FOR PLANNING PERMISSION

Proposed development at: Arches 114-119, Elephant & Castle, London, SE17 1LB.

Take notice that an application is being made by: Elephant & Castle Properties Co. Limited

To the London Borough of Southwark for planning permission for:

“Change of use and remodelling of existing arches 114-119 to flexible commercial, business and service (Use Class E) and all other associated works.”

Any owner* of the land or tenant** who wishes to make representations about this application should write to Southwark Council by 29th May 2024 at the address below: Planning and Growth Department 5th Floor Hub 2 Southwark Council London PO Box 64529 London SE1P 5LX

*‘owner’ means a person having a freehold interest or a leasehold interest the unexpired term of which is not less than seven years.

**‘tenant’ means a tenant of an agricultural holding any part of which is comprised in the land.

Signed: DP9 Limited

On behalf of: Elephant & Castle Properties Co. Limited Date: 8th May 2024

Statement of owners’ rights

The grant of planning permission does not affect owners’ rights to retain or dispose of their property, unless there is some provision to the contrary in an agreement or lease.

Statement of agricultural tenants’ rights

The grant of planning permission for non-agricultural development may affect agricultural tenants’ security of tenure.

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LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 SECTION 14(1)

(PRICES STREET, FRIERN ROAD, SNOWSFIELDS, EAST LANE, GOMM ROAD, THE CUT, LINDEN GROVE, EAST LANE, GOMM ROAD, THE CUT, LINDEN GROVE (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC)

1.The Council of the London Borough of Southwark hereby gives notice that to enable various works to be carried out, it intends, to make, an order, the effect of which will be to prohibit vehicular traffic from entering part of the above named roads.

2.Whilst the works are in progress, or whilst the authorised traffic signs/road markings are displayed, no person shall cause any vehicle to enter, proceed, stop, wait, load or unload at any time in:

(a) Prices Street, at it’s junction with Bear Lane

`(b) Friern Road, between Etherow Street and Lordship Lane (c) Snowsfields, at it’s junction with St Thomas Street (d) East Lane, between Sugar Lane and Scott Lidgett Crescent (e) Gomm Road, between Southwark Park Road and Lower Road (f) The Cut, between No’s 3 and No’s 11 (g) Linden Grove, between Limes Walk and No’s 66 ‘at any time’ waiting and loading restrictions will be introduced outside and opposite on both sides of the carriageway (north and south side) (h) East Lane, between Sugar Lane and Scott Lidgett Crescent, ‘at any time’ waiting and loading restrictions will be introduced outside and opposite on both sides of the carriageway (north and south side)

3.The alternative routes for affected traffic for will be (3a) not applicable (2b) (2c) (2d) (2e) (2f) as indicated by the signs displayed (2g) not applicable

4.Exemptions will be provided in the Order to permit reasonable access to premises, so far as it is practical without interference with the execution of the said works.

5.The restrictions will not apply to any vehicle being used in connection with the said works, or for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes or anything done with the permission or at the direction of a police constable in uniform.

6.The works will be in operation for (2a) 23rd May and 27th May (2b) 30th May – 1st June (2c) 28th –30th May (2d) 27th May – 19th July (2e) 28th May – 20th July (2f) 23rd – 26th

(2g) 24th May 2024 – 23rd November 2025 (2h) 27th May – 19th July

7.Further information may be obtained by contacting Road Network Management at ttmo@southwark.gov.uk

Dated this 9th May 2024

Ian Law Traffic Manager

London Borough of Southwark Network Management Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth 160 Tooley Street PO Box 64529

London SE1 5LX

Ref: (2a) LBSCR13145-17/ LBSCR13145-18 (2b) SLS00081163019-0135 (2c) -CCTV-SNOWFIELDS (2d) BER1-EALA110-01 (2e) 8548281 (2f) 81170498/0135 (2g) TTO/lindenyellow (2h) BER1-EALA110-01

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 SECTION 14(1) (STONEY STREET)

TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC

1.The Council of the London Borough of Southwark hereby gives notice that in the interests of public safety it intends to make an order, the effect of which would be to temporarily prohibit vehicular traffic in part of the above named road.

2.Whilst the restriction is in place no person shall cause any vehicle to enter, proceed, stop, wait, load or unload in Stoney Street, between its junctions with Southwark Street and Park Street.

3.The restrictions detailed in this order do not apply to cyclists.

4.The alternative route for affected traffic will be: Borough High Street, Bedale Street, Cathedral Street, Winchester Walk and Stoney Street.

5.Exemptions may be provided in the Order to permit reasonable access to premises, so far as it is practical without interference with the execution of the said restriction.

6.The restrictions would not apply to any vehicle being used for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes or anything done with the permission or at the direction of a police constable in uniform or Southwark Council officer.

7.The prohibition of traffic will be in place from the 23rd of May 2024 until the 31st of May 2025.

8.The restriction may be lifted overnight when required for large vehicle access. The restriction is in place each day once counter terrorism equipment is placed on the street at each end of the restriction.

Dated this 9th of May 2024

Ian Law Traffic Manager Southwark Council Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth

160 Tooley Street SE1 2QH Ref: 6910

Open Morning Thursday 25 April 2024

edwards leaves hamlet for seCond time

By John Kelly

riChard riakporhe continued his relentless verbal assault on Chris Billam-Smith by insisting the Bournemouth fighter has “deteriorated” since their 2019 bout.

The pair step back into the ring together at Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park on June 15 with Walworth’s Riakporhe aiming to beat Billam-Smith for the second time.

The 2019 defeat is BillamSmith’s only one in 20 professional fights. Riakporhe has a perfect 17-0 record.

“A lot of boxing people would agree, it’s wear and tear, it’s a fact,” Riakporhe said at the launch press conference last week.

Dulwich announce retained list as preparations begin for 2024-25

By John Kelly

presTon edwards has left Dulwich Hamlet for the second time as the club kicked off their summer rebuilding ahead of a second season in the isthmian League Premier Division.

Goalkeeper Edwards, 34, rejoined the Hamlet last October but he didn’t make an appearance in the league last season.

The only two players currently retained in manager Hakan Hayrettin’s first-team squad are Danny Mills and Harrison Hatfull

Dulwich are in discussions with Ryley Scott, Anthony Jeffrey, Jerome BinnomWilliams, Luke Wanadio, Michael Chambers, Kaya Hansson, Kreshnic

Krasniqi, Sean Bonnett-Johnson, Will Lakin and Joshua Shonibare.

Edwards has been released alongside another goalkeeper, R’avan Constable, and Manny Parry, Craig BrahamBarrett, Ademola Shokunbi, Aflie Allen, Adrian Clifton, Peter Ojeman, Ayuk Tarh and Alfie Egan.

Defender Mark Ricketts, 39, retired from playing at the end of the season

Roarie Deacon also returned to Havant & Waterlooville after his loan ended

Edwards initially joined Dulwich on loan from Ebbsfleet United in 2016 before making the move permanent that year. He played 123 league games across four years during that latter spell.

Edwards helped Gavin Rose’s side

to promotion to the National League South in 2017-18 and was the firstchoice goalkeeper the following season. He left for Dartford in 2020 and also had spells at Brentwood Town, Braintree Town, Cheshunt and Potters Bar Town before returning to Champion Hill.

The club said: “Thank you for your incredible service to our football club, Preston. You’ve been with us during our darkest days and been there during our greatest.

“You and your family will always be welcome back at the Hill whenever you need us.”

They added: “Everyone at Dulwich Hamlet Football Club would like to thank those players leaving us for all their efforts whilst playing in Pink and

Blue and we wish them all the best for the rest of their careers.”

Meanwhile, Dulwich Hamlet Women are one win away from promotion from the L&SERWFL Premier Division. They trail leaders Dartford by three points but have two games in hand and a superior goal difference. The Darts have finished their campaign.

The FA Women’s National League Division 1 is tantalisingly close as Mark Dempsey’s side travel to Crawley this Sunday.

Crawley have gained only one point from 21 games this season and have a goal difference of minus-72. The game kicks off at 1.30pm at The New Defence Anderson Way (Surrey, RH6 8SP).

Dulwich end their campaign the following Sunday at Saltdean United.

Dunkley responds to England snub with sparkling knock for Stars

Sunrisers 222-9 (50 overs)

South East Stars 223-5 (47.5 overs)

South East Stars won by five wickets

By Jeremy Blackmore

sophia dunkley responded to being left out of the england squad for the upcoming series against Pakistan by hitting a sparkling 67 (89 balls) to help lead South east Stars to a commanding fivewicket victory over Sunrisers in this top-of-the-table clash in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy at northampton last weekend.

Brilliantly supported by a destructive Alice Davidson-Richards (50), the pair shared a second-wicket stand of 105 as Stars chased down 223 to win in 47.5

overs, after skipper Bryony Smith (34)

laid the foundation in a 53-run opening partnership with Tash Farrant.

Dunkley, who was told by England coach Jon Lewis to get back to playing her best cricket, hit a few aggressive boundary shots early on, but paced her innings perfectly, relying on exquisite timing and placement to keep the scoreboard ticking. After she and Davidson-Richards both departed, Phoebe Franklin was there to see her team home.

Sunrisers had failed to capitalise on winning the toss and batting first for the first time this season, losing wickets at regular intervals as they posted 222-9 with Alexa Stonehouse, Davidson-Richards and Kalea Moore each taking two wickets.

Flo Miller (30) top-scored, with several other players making starts before getting out to soft dismissals.

Extras (29) provided the second highest contribution to Sunrisers’ total, Stars conceding nineteen runs from wides.

“The wicket was quite slow and low, and you didn’t get a lot of value for shots. So it was actually quite hard,” Dunkley said. “I just had to keep in and build us as good a platform as I could. Because fours weren’t really easy to come by with big boundaries, I just had to hit nice and straight for as long as possible and grind it down really.

“Bryony and Tash have been amazing at starting the innings off for us in this competition. So when I went in it was nice to go in and have that platform and then I could just bat through the innings and kind of hold it together really.

“I think we probably gave away 20 or 30 more runs than we’d have liked. And actually, on that wicket, 222 was quite a good score. So I think kind of mixed

emotions coming off. Probably 20 more than we would have liked, but a competitive title from them and luckily we built some partnerships to get us over the line.

“We had a loss last game, but it was nice to come back and put that right and we’ve had a really strong start to the season, great momentum. One more 50-over game to come before the T20s, back at home, which will be nice.

“But yeah, really happy with how we’re tracking and hopefully get momentum going into T20s.”

The Stars were in action against Northern Diamonds on Wednesday (May 8).

Meanwhile, in the County Championship Division One, Surrey are in action against Warwickshire starting at the Kia Oval on Friday (May 10).

“We deteriorate over time, some faster than others, depending on how much damage you take. He’s always in gruelling fights, taking a lot of shots, Shane [McGuigan] always say he’s taking too many shots.

“Every shot takes its toll, I’ve seen Billam-Smith deteriorate, a lot of people would agree with me.

“I’ve seen tough guys, we believe they have the chin to take damage but once you keep knocking on the glass and get the crack, it just takes some accuracy to shatter the whole thing. I think that’s what will happen to CBS on the night.” Riakporhe has thirteen knockouts on his record but was taken the distance by BillamSmith before getting a split decision.

He said: “That’s my key attribute, like he has the attribute of having a chin and being tough, mine is power. If I land a shot he will be in trouble.

“I’m more experienced now, I know how to take people out and finish a fight off.”

Riakporhe and Billam-Smith, who won the WBO cruiserweight title by beating Lawrence Okolie last May, went face-to-face at Selhurst Park.

“Being tough helps win fights, and I’ll have to be tough again,” Billam-Smith said. “He’s got a puncher’s chance.

“I don’t know if he’ll panic, but he won’t win the fight, all he’s got is a puncher’s chance.

“Allow him to believe what he wants, if you’re asking me if I believe I have deteriorated, absolutely not. I’m getting better every day in the gym.

“Me and my team know what has to be done and what I’m capable of and where I’m at in my career.”

Photo by Duncan Palmer Photography

Riakporhe ramps up verbal assault

Preston Edwards

Richard Riakporhe

Silva wants Willian stay

By John Kelly

fulham

manaGer marco

Silva said his side weren’t clinical enough in their 0-0 draw at Brentford last weekend - and confirmed he wanted to keep winger Willian.

The Cottagers’ best chance fell to Raul Jimenez from Adama Traore's low cross but the Mexico striker missed the target.

Fulham moved up to twelfth in the table.

“We kept them really quiet, we controlled a tough attacking line. A good game from our back line and our defensive organisation from all the players, even our set-pieces,” Silva said.

“After that, with the chances that we created, we should have scored at least one goal to win the game or more than that. Unfortunately we weren't clinical enough and it's a goalless draw.

“Both teams were trying to win, it's always a game that both teams want to win because we know what it represents for our fans. Of course, for sure they saw a team fighting to win the football match and that's most important to us."

Willian is out of contract this summer and will be 36 in August.

Silva said: "Yes, I was clear in the last two months that we are happy with him and we try to renew the contract with him."

R’s finish on perfect note

By John Kelly

Queens park rangers boss Marti Cifuentes hailed a “perfect finish” as the R’s won 2-1 at Coventry City last weekend to round off 2023-24 with three wins on the spin.

Ilias Chair opened the scoring on 33 minutes before Morgan Fox bagged his first goal for QPR seven minutes later.

Mark Robins’ FA Cup semifinalists pulled a goal back through Jamie Allen seven minutes from time.

QPR finished the campaign in eighteenth place in the Championship table, six points above Birmingham City who were relegated along with Huddersfield Town on the final day.

"It was the perfect way to finish the season, especially as we played against a very good team who have been very strong this year and almost made it to the FA Cup final,” Cifuentes said.

"I am delighted for all the players. We celebrated a little bit after [the 4-0 win against] Leeds but we were aware that we wanted to finish in style.

"We wanted to deliver a good result for our supporters, to show how much they have been helping us this season, and also to have a good feeling because it is very important to keep building."

Blues Brothers

Pochettino: madueke and Jackson combination shows how Chelsea have grown

By John Kelly

mauriCio poCheTTino believes the way noni Madueke and nicolas Jackson combined in the 5-0 routing of west ham united on Sunday is an example of how his players are capable of learning from their mistakes as the Blues closed in on a european place.

Madueke set up Jackson for the fourth three minutes into the second half against David Moyes’s overwhelmed Hammers.

Cole Palmer, Conor Gallagher and Madueke had Chelsea 3-0 up at the break before Jackson struck twice in the second half to make it a rout.

Madueke and Jackson were involved in an embarrassing scuffle over who should take a penalty in the 6-0 win against Everton last month.

But the pair were outstanding at Stamford Bridge to help the Blues go seventh, two points off Newcastle United in sixth.

"The assist for Noni to Jackson, that showed we learn, that we are smart,”

Pochettino said. “The situation with the penalty against Everton, we received so much criticism, but a young team always needs to make mistakes. Always you need to feel this situation to improve.

"Today was a great action from Noni to see how the group has started to believe, how they have started to feel between them. It is always a process that takes time. It can take one month, six months or one year but the most important thing is they have started to set the principles, started to live like a group of players to create all the links to compete. I am so pleased with that.

“We are part of this process, to help them to grow, to be more mature and keep improving in every aspect. It is a massive step but it is the step we wanted to reach. Now it is to evolve in other aspects and the possibility to go with tactical evolutions and we can improve from there but without principles, it is impossible to evolve in other aspects."

Since they lost 4-1 at Liverpool and 4-2 at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers two months ago, Chelsea

have only been beaten once in twelve Premier League games.

Pochettino believes it is more the process of evolution rather than one particular turning point that explains the run.

"Who knows about football, they know the process to build a team is the most difficult thing because you need to have the knowledge and the capacity to emphasise with every single player,” Pochettino said. “They need to feel the confidence, they need to trust in us, the coaching staff and we need to create this bond together.

"Then you need to start to identify the players in different aspects, what they need in order to perform and show their quality. This process will always take time but more so with this circumstances we have had since the beginning of the season.

"It was never perfect to have all of the players at the same time, at the same level, competing and trying to improve quicker than the reality was. Then to work with the expectation. The expectation from the beginning, you

need to compete in the Premier League with a team that are preparing to come here and kill you.

"The expectation is impossible to fight. Then you need to defend yourself, afterwards you need to explain. But who knows a little bit about football, when the team is young, you need to find the confidence and that is the most difficult thing.

"I am so happy because we are so close to being in that position. After [the win against] Tottenham I told you that the way we competed is fantastic and then to keep this momentum. I think this team is growing so much, very fast now because that is the minimum standard we need if we want to compete in this league.

"The maturity of Noni, not to be selfish and give the assist. This type of thing, when they start to appear, it is a very positive thing. It was tough to arrive here but now it is like everything is going fast and it is going to be fun because we have quality."

Chelsea travel to Nottingham Forest this Saturday.

Nicolas Jackson (15) celebrates with Noni Madueke and Cole Palmer (20)

he’s a keeper - teammates pay triBute to Bialkowski/Bart

By Kiro Evans

BaRTOSZ BiaLKOWSKi’S teammates have paid tribute to his “fantastic character” as the goalkeeper made his final bow for Millwall.

The 36-year-old was not part of the matchday squad to face Swansea City but travelled with the rest of the team for the final game of the season. After the 1-0 win, Bialkowski was

treated to a final send-off on the pitch and then in the dressing room, where he is very popular among teammates. Millwall midfielder George Honeyman told our paper: “He’s just a fantastic character to have. He’s a calming influence with his charisma and that obviously comes from having such a fantastic, long career.

“He’s someone who makes you feel like when things are tough, you can look to him and he’ll have a really positive

effect on everyone.

“He’s going to be a great miss. He’s been a stalwart for the last five years and he’s beloved in the dressing room. He’s going to retire out into the sun in Spain so I think everyone is extremely jealous of him.”

Ryan Leonard said: “Where do you start with Bart? He’s an incredible goalkeeper and he’s an incredible man, on and off the pitch.

“He’s been a huge part of our

changing room for five years. We said [at the awards dinner] that it would be a strange moment when we come back into pre-season and Bart’s not sat in his place in the changing room. He sits in the corner of the changing room and he’s been there every single day.

“He’ll be a massive loss for us on the pitch and in the changing room. A brilliant goalkeeper but an even better person in my opinion, and that’s what matters most.”

Asked for any funny stories about the keeper, Leonard added: “I’m not sure there’s any I can say in the media!

“He’s someone that gives his all on the training ground, out on the pitch and he gives his all on nights out as well.

“He’s always there on nights out and things away from the football club. He’s a massive part of the group of lads. We’ll miss on the pitch, we’ll miss off the pitch and we’ll miss him on nights out.”

Grin and bury it: Skipper makes history for Bromley

By John Kelly

There were a few nonchalant steps back. He cleared his nose. He shared a little smile with the goalkeeper and raised his eyebrows in acknowledgement at whatever was said. He glanced to the referee, glanced again as the whistle went, and took four steps forward into the history of Bromley Football Club forever.

Byron Webster was the coolest man at Wembley last Sunday afternoon. He carried the weight of 132 years as if it were a butterfly that had alighted on his shoulder.

Former Millwall centre-back Webster, 37, secured a first-ever promotion to the Football League for Bromley and his third personal success in the play-offs. Bromley captain Webster even wore an EFL armband.

Andy Woodman’s Ravens defeated Solihull Moors 4-3 on penalties following a 2-2 draw after extra-time in their National League play-off final.

Leeds-born Webster was on the Yeovil Town team that won the League One play-off final in 2013 and four years later he was part of the Lions side that

won promotion to the Championship at Wembley.

Webster was asked after the game what goalkeeper Nick Hayes had said to him.

Webster explained: “He said to me, ‘I know where you’re going’.

“I thought, ‘That’s a lie because I don’t even know where I am going!’”

Bromley had led 1-0 at half-time after Michael Cheek opened the scoring four minutes before the break.

Joe Sbarra levelled three minutes into the second half but Cheek won and converted a penalty ten minutes later to edge Bromley back in front.

It took Solihull only seven minutes to equalise again through captain Jamey Osborne.

Bromley substitute Alex Kirk hit the woodwork twice as neither side could win it in 120 minutes.

Ravens goalkeeper Grant Smith gave his side an early advantage by saving Tyrese Shade’s effort before Cheek scored to make it 1-0.

Grant then pulled off his second stop to deny Joss Labadie but Nick Hayes saved Ashley Charles’ shot and Tahvon Campbell made it 1-1.

and Soihull’s

Boateng traded successful efforts to leave it at 2-2 before Jude Arthurs and Jon Benton also both held their nerve to tee up Webster for his moment of history. Webster side-footed his finished inside the right-hand post as Hayes went the other way.

Bromley were founded in 1892 and Woodman - who was best man at England boss Gareth Southgate’s wedding - has done what no Ravens manager has ever done before.

"I've been here a few times and noone wants to speak to you when you lose,” Woodman said.

"We've got heart, we're not the best team. We're the hardest grafting team and the most honest team, we've got players who will fight for each other. That showed today.

"I was alright with the penalties because I've got the best goalkeeper in the league. I knew he'd save one, maybe two and take care of business.

"This has been an unhealthy obsession for me. It was about changing history at this football club and about making sure that, when we're long gone, me, my team and my staff, we'll be forever the people that got us in the Football League."

Olufela Olomola

Nana

Coolness personified: Byron Webster preparing to take his winning kick

Bartosz Bialkowski leaves Millwall after making 169 appearances

Southwark Sport SouthLondonWeekly

Blues Brothers

paGe 26

millwall loan star Tanganga eyes Spurs spot

By John Kelly

JapheT TanGanGa is hoping to be part of ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur squad next season after his hugely successful loan at Millwall.

Tanganga, 25, proved popular with manager Neil Harris, his team-mates and Lions supporters after helping the side to comfortably avoid relegation.

Millwall were only a point and a place above the bottom three when

Harris answered the call to return after the sacking of head coach Joe Edwards with thirteen games left.

Harris instigated a remarkable turnaround, with the Lions collecting 26 points from those games, second in the form table behind promoted Ipswich Town.

Tanganga made eighteen Lions appearances, seventeen of them starts, scored his first two goals in his senior career, both under Harris, and would have played every minute of

those thirteen games had he not been sent off in the 85th minute of the 1-0 win at Swansea City on the final day.

Tanganga has a year left on his contract and spoke this week about his future.

"Yes, I am looking forward to working with Ange. Before I came out on loan to Germany, I was welcomed by him in pre-season and obviously I saw his ideas and did like them.

Everyone can see that he's very attack-minded, likes to keep the ball,

and he's doing well, so I'm looking forward to seeing his ideas and being a part of it,” Tanganga told football. london through Sky Bet.

"My focus is to build on from my spell at Millwall, with the number of games I played. you want to be in a position where you're playing week in, week out, so whether that's at Spurs or somewhere else, that is something that needs to be discussed in the future and we’ll see where we go from there."

eaGles rip reds to shreds

Oliver Glasner’s side run riot to heap pressure on Erik Ten Hag

By John Kelly

oliver Glasner wants his Crystal Palace side “stay humble” after their 4-0 hammering of Manchester United at Selhurst Park on Monday night.

Michael Olise and Jean-Philippe Mateta had the hosts 2-0 up at the break before Tyrick Mitchell added a third and Olise got his second in the 66th minute against Erik Ten Hag’s hapless side.

United’s Casemiro had two goals ruled out, the first for a foul on Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson and the second for offside.

Odsonne Edouard could have made it even worse for the visitors but he struck the woodwork in added-time.

Palace have won four and drawn one of

their last five games.

"Congrats to the team for this win, and for this 4-0 at home to ManchesterUnited,” Glasner said.

“I think the first half, we didn't really play as well as we could, so it was not that consistent. In defence we opened the middle too often and they could find the pockets and we had a little bit of a problem, but we were very efficient, so we scored very nice goals.

“But, at half-time, we made two or three adaptations, the players listened again and in the second half, we were much better and were in much more control of the game. We created a lot of chances, we scored nice goals, but we were a little bit more consistent in our basics and so it's a great win, and congrats to the team.

“Congratulations – but always stay humble. We know it is not so long ago where we struggled with relegation, just five points away, but now we've found ourselves and the players have confidence. That is what we want to read. We are doing well, but we still have a lot to improve.”

Glasner added: “This game, I think, is the first game where we didn't give the opponent more than ten shots. It was seven.

“We were very, very compact in defence and we know we have quality when we get our players in the situations to score a goal, and now we have this confidence and efficiency. Of course, it is very nice to watch.

“[The players] are playing well. We scored a goal after a throw-in against

Liverpool. We scored after a throw-in at Fulham, so it's no coincidence. We get the players in the positions and then yes, Michael Olise has a great finish.

“The second one, we maybe adjusted it three or four times, we brought Man United to the side. They are pressing and winning the ball, and it is Chris Richards or Tyrick Mitchell passing to JP Mateta, and we know we have an advantage with the pace. Then, he can show his quality, but it is always teamwork.

“[For the fourth goal] Daniel Muñoz wins the ball back against Casemiro after we lost it, so it was a lot of intensity and passion, and then Michael gets the ball and he has the quality to score the goals. But we need everybody to contribute, otherwise it wouldn't be possible to win 4-0.

“It's all credit to the character of the players, because they trusted us from the first day. They listened, they tried and they worked really hard in training and now, they get their reward."

Tyrick Mitchell, centre, scores Crystal Palace’s third

Japhet Tanganga

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