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PROBE INTO IMPACT OF HIGH SERVICE CHARGES
By Kumail Jaffer Local Democracy Reporter
CITY HALL will launch a probe into how high service charges are impacting London’s housing crisis, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) can reveal.
The Greater London Authority (GLA) has reached out to members of the London Housing Panel to start work on a research document looking at service charges in relation to the affordability of new homes across London.
Last year the Mayor of London was told to take action to cap service charges after a London Assembly Housing Committee report found the average household in the capital was paying out £3,912 every year.
More than a third of housing stock in London – 36.1 per cent – is leasehold, meaning property owners are liable to pay service charges imposed by freeholders. Londoners are more than twice as likely as the rest of the country to be leaseholders.
Now the 15 members of the London Housing Panel, which is funded by the GLA and Trust for London, have been asked for their initial feedback on the “cost and implications of service charges across all housing tenures”, according to an email seen by the LDRS.
Reporting to a Senior Policy Officer from Housing & Land at the GLA, the engagement session was billed as an “early stage conversation” ahead of a wider research piece, which has the potential to inform policy decisions in future.
Members were told that the “GLA is aware that high service charges may leave existing and prospective tenants and leaseholders struggling to afford homes, including affordable homes, and that, where it is expensive to provide services, developers and providers may be wary of building homes, because they’re concerned high service charges will dampen demand for the homes”.
The email added: “Given this, the GLA plans to do some work to better understand service charges for homes in London, including how they vary by tenure and type of home, the extent to which they’ve increased in recent years, and the main factors that determine service charges.
“At this meeting, officers would welcome Working Group members’ insights on service charges, including advice on data that GLA could use for this work.”
City Hall sources confirmed they are starting to look at the impact of service charges on both affordability and delivery of homes “as part of routine, ongoing work to get homes delivered, in particular genuinely affordable homes”.
They stressed that the investigation is still at a very early stage.
The Mayor of London has set up a Service Charges Charter, a voluntary agreement which sets out commitments that housing providers are expected to comply with in order to improve the experience of leaseholders with service charges
Green Party London Assembly Member Zoe Garbett, who was the Housing Committee Chair until last month, said: “Unaffordable housing is a core driver of poverty, social need and displacement in London.
“I’ve heard horror stories from people living in housing associations unable to pay increasing service charges as well as shared owners and leaseholders.
“People shouldn’t have to worry about skyrocketing service charges, which does nothing but line the pockets of landlords and developers. I welcome City Hall’s probe into service charges and I really hope that action is taken quickly so people don’t have to suffer.”
Hina Bokhari, who leads the Liberal Democrat group on the London Assembly, added: “Millions of tenants and leaseholders across London have been hit with sky-
rocketing, opaque service charges in the years following the pandemic.
“While the cost of living has risen, and some increase in costs can be expected, the lack of transparency surrounding these charges has left many Londoners feeling helpless. That’s why the Mayor should name and shame freeholders and management companies who fail to fully disclose and justify these costs.
“It is also time for us to finally do away with the unfair fleecehold system in favour of commonhold; the Mayor should write to the Government urging them to finally put an end to this feudal rental system.”
Assembly Members have previously raised concerns that Shared Ownership homes –which are considered affordable housing – are no longer in reach for many due to uncapped service charges.
Lord Bailey, the City Hall Conservatives Housing spokesman, said: “I welcome a longoverdue investigation into service charges, and I hope desperately that this investigation actually has some teeth. This isn’t about being harsh on landlords or freeholders, but rather is about ensuring a fair market for leaseholders and freeholders alike.
“As someone who has lived in a shared ownership property, who has paid these exorbitant charges and who knows how the service charges so often make a property impossible to afford or indeed sell, I know
what this investigation will mean to those trapped in a similar predicament. But it is for that reason that the investigation must have tangible outcomes, and must not be another vague promise to those struggling to afford their housing costs in London which later turns out to just be political mist.”
Sue Philips, founder of Shared Ownership Resources, said: “Problems with shared ownership service charges are widely acknowledged. The Housing Ombudsman reports that service charges comprise the third most common source of complaints from shared owners.
“And a survey carried out by the Shared Ownership Council found that nearly half of their respondents are unlikely to recommend shared ownership, with service charges being a significant factor. Consequently, Shared Ownership Resources welcomes the City Hall probe into ballooning service charges paid by Londoners, and calls upon the Mayor to ensure that words lead to meaningful action.”
The issue of leasehold reform – which Londoners are uniquely exposed to compared to other UK regions – ultimately lies with the Government.
The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act became law in 2024, but many provisions are yet to be enforced.
The Government has announced, through the Draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill, that service charges will be made more transparent for leaseholders, while ground rent will be capped at £250 a year and all new leasehold flats will be banned.
Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook MP said on Wednesday (April 29): “I am determined in particular to quickly switch on measures in the 2024 Act to standardise and drive up the transparency of service charges; to introduce permitted buildings insurance fees that are fair; and to rebalance the legal costs regime and remove barriers that may deter leaseholders from challenging their landlord.”
Harry Scoffin, housing campaigner and founder of Free Leaseholders, added: “Londoners are being looted over leasehold service charges, as reflected in collapsing resale values of flats for those able to sell at all.
“City Hall must not listen to the disinformation campaign of the vested interests who want to ignore systemic service charge abuse and stand up to central government after the housing minister announced that the ban on new leasehold flats will not come into force until the next Parliament.”
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JOSÉ PIZARRO CELEBRATES FIFTEEN YEARS ON BERMONDSEY STREET
By Myfanwy Fleming-Jones
FIFTEEN YEARS after opening his first Bermondsey Street restaurants, celebrated Spanish chef José Pizarro is marking the milestone with multiple celebrations running between their opening dates - 15 May to 15 December.
After moving to the UK 27 years ago, the chef has gone on to open six restaurants across the country, three of which are a hub for food lovers on Bermondsey Street.
“London has truly become my home, and I feel incredibly proud and grateful for everything this city has given me, the chance to grow, to build something of my own, and to share the food and culture I love,” says Jose.
He is now marking the 15 year anniversary of his two oldest restaurants, José Tapas Bar and Pizarro, both known for their lively atmospheres, traditional Spanish cooking and warm hospitality.
How to celebrate
Diners can join the celebrations by feasting from the classics menu, striding through the Tapas Mile across Bermondsey Street, or by enjoying 15% off at José’s Pantry.
The Tapas Mile will take diners through three kitchens on Bermondsey Street, reviving classic dishes from the past 15 years alongside some new additions inspired by
Home Ownership
today.
“One street, three kitchens, and a journey through the dishes that have been with us since the beginning,” Jose said.
“Enjoy a caña and a tapa in each spot as you move along, discovering signature dishes, classic favourites, and special moments along the way. It’s a celebration of sharing, of Bermondsey Street, and of everything we’ve built here together over the past 15 years.”
At the centre of the celebrations is the return of the Bermondsey Bomba, one of the chef’s most iconic dishes, served at its original 2011 price. Jose described the dish as “crispy, rich, and iconic”, adding: “It is a dish that has always meant a lot to me.”
The birth of the restaurants
“When I opened José, it was very simple. A small bar, a few dishes, and a lot of heart. Then came Pizarro, and step by step things started to grow, becoming what it is today, something far beyond what I ever imagined, built with time, care, and so many people along the way.
“Bermondsey Street has always been at the centre of it all. It has changed so much over the years, and I feel very lucky to have grown with it. What we have built here has always been about people, our teams, our guests, our producers, and the neighbourhood around us. Without them, none of this would exist.”
Despite the success, Jose says the journey
has not always been easy.
“Behind all this, there is something else that is not always seen. This journey has never been easy. There have been moments of doubt, difficult days, long nights, and times when things did not go as planned. But those moments make the good ones even more special.”
José Pizarro
Alongside his restaurants, Jose has published several Spanish cookbooks, become a familiar face on television, and expanded internationally with the opening of a restaurant in Abu Dhabi in 2023. In 2024, he opened Lolo on Bermondsey Street, named after his childhood nickname.
“For me, this is a moment to look back, but also to look forward,” he said. “I feel as excited now as I did at the beginning, maybe even more.”
José Pizarro has three locations across South London, with opening hours varying for each location, but typically falling between 12:00pm - 10:15pm Monday to Saturday and 12:00pm - 9:00pm on Sundays.
While José Tapas Bar operates on a walkin basis and does not take reservations, booking ahead is recommended for the other restaurants and group bookings. Menu prices typically range from £5 to £38, with dishes changing regularly to reflect the best seasonal ingredients available.
LOCATIONS:
• José Tapas Bar, 104 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3UB
• Pizarro Restaurant, 194 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3TQ
• Lolo by José Pizarro, 102 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3UB
EXCLUSIVE
By Rich Brann
EIGHT MODULAR homes expected to open at the start of the year are still empty four months after their original opening ceremony.
Construction is continuing at the site and developers have expressed their further irritation with Thames Water’s inability to complete the site’s connection, which has now taken many months.
The News reported on the site’s original opening in January along with the failure of the homes, donated by Hill Group to the borough, to open more than two months later - with the modular, low-cost homes intended to help support Southwark’s increasing homeless population.
A spokesperson for the Hill Group said: “It is frustrating that, despite formally handing over the modular homes to Southwark Council in December 2025, Thames Water has been unable to complete the water connection for these homes - progress has been slower than expected.
“Thames Water recently carried out a traffic survey and is expected to propose the next steps, which will then be submitted to Southwark Council for approval.”
They added: “The pace of delivery has been disappointing - these delays mean that people in urgent need of a safe and secure home are unable to move into properties that are otherwise complete and ready.
“We remain committed to resolving this as quickly as possible so these much-needed homes can be occupied without further delay.”
A Thames Water van parked opposite the homes. Credit: Rich Brann
At the time of the original reporting of the homes’ failure to open, Southwark Council assured readers that significant progress had been made in taking Thames Water to task following a meeting between stakeholders.
Cllr Helen Dennis said at the time: “Now that Thames Water have moved forward with their work we should be able to offer an approximate completion date very soon so that these muchneeded homes can be occupied.”
However, new images from the site appear to show construction continuing, with rubble, construction equipment and a large hole dug into ground barely two metres from residents’ front doors.
No timeline has been given on when the homes might open or why Thames Water has so far failed to connect the homes so long after their intended opening date.
There are more than 20,000 households waiting for council accommodation in
WATER THE HELL IS GOING ON?
New modular homes in Bermondsey still empty four months after opening ceremony
Southwark, with more than 4000 households in temporary accommodation and a 77% rise in children being homeless between 2021 and 2025.
Southwark Council has previously expressed interest in increasing their usage of modular homes across the borough in an effort to support residents through the housing crisis, with the homes being ideally quicker to build and cheaper to install, being built off-site and shipped in.
In theory, modular homes of this type ought to be installed and available in as little as two months- this initial trial, however, has led to
the opening of the homes taking triple that time.
A spokesperson for Southwark Council said: “There have been some delays in completion of the SoloHaus homes on Leroy Street due to difficulties that Thames Water experienced in establishing a water connection.
“Although this work was completed, it caused knock-on effects and knocked back our initial estimates - everyone involved is working flat out to complete the project as soon as possible.”
Thames Water did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Expansion of school’s food bank
By Romilly Schulte
A PECKHAM school that has been running a food bank for pupils and their families for just two months is now hoping to expand its pantry to help the wider community.
Kamla Tirvengadum, pastoral lead at Oliver Goldsmith Primary School, who runs the service, has decided to extend the Oli G Pantry into a community food bank service, even for people without children enrolled there, after parents told her of neighbours and friends in financial hardship.
The school ‘soft-launched’ a food bank system at the beginning of this year’s Easter holidays, where struggling families in the school network could pick up free non-perishables and household essentials, like anti-bac wipes and nappies.
Kamla said: “We’ve noticed a change since the pandemic. Parents are being moved around in temporary
accommodation since we have parents who are refugees or asylum seekers.
Children come to us and say that their parents are struggling.
“Even with our free school holiday programmes, we have an influx of external communities, and we open up our facilities for those children even if they are not pupils.
“We are a community school and we pride ourselves on that.”
She said that the primary school worked closely with Skyway Charity, who were able to raise money and provide funds to start up the food bank, but they are still reaching out to corporations who could help out with the pantry’s continuation and expansion.
“They are really behind us on this pantry, they back us financially and do some of the shopping. It’s been a godsend,” said Kamla, adding that “expansion was always on the agenda, but by the response that we have had, we are looking to start earlier for the
summer break.”
Families with no recourse to public funds get essential bundles for free in the bi-weekly service, and better-off families can give two pounds to get six items.
There are six other food banks in the SE15 area which covers Peckham, with Southwark having the third-highest number of banks in London, behind Lewisham and Croydon.
But, Kamla described how their parents may try to access other local food banks, but they are strained and oversubscribed - she also said how people feel securer asking for help within the familiar school environment.
“We already subsidise as much as we can,” she said, detailing their offerings of free after-school clubs and free school trips.
“Anyone who may be interested in the upcoming service, whether in helping out or receiving aid can email Kamla at ktirvengadum@olivergoldsmith. southwark.sch.uk”
© LDRS
© Rich Brann
Increased construction visible at the site
Construction continuing at the modular homes
Cllr Helen Dennis, Cabinet Member for New Homes & Sustainable Development at Southwark Council
Oli G Pantry
BATTERSEA JAZZ FESTIVAL IS BACK FOR THE FIFTH YEAR ACROSS TEN DAYS THIS JUNE
By Evie Flynn
A TEN-DAY jazz festival is returning to Battersea and Clapham this June – featuring everything from a jazz ballet performance to a closing party on a barge.
Running from 3 – 13 June, the Battersea Jazz Festival will take over venues across SW11 and SW9 with a packed programme celebrating both national and international jazz talent.
The festivities will open with a unique jazz ballet at the Clapham Grand on Wednesday 3 June, for a jazz ballet reinterpretation of Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet.
Festival founder Hugo Jennings will lead his Big Band alongside with E33 Dance Company for the unique performance, with American jazz tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton also appearing.
The following evening, QOW Trio will perform at The Landor Space in Clapham North, before the Deschanel Gordon Trio and The Dukes take to the stage at St Mary’s Church Battersea on Saturday 6 June.
St Mary’s Battersea will also host Scott Hamilton and Nat Steele on Sunday 7 June for an evening of swing and straight-ahead jazz.
On Monday 8 June, a jam session featuring Gabrielle Stravelli will take place aboard Battersea Barge – the floating
Running from 3 – 13 June, the Battersea Jazz Festival will take over venues across SW11 and SW9
bar on the Thames near Battersea Power Station.
Later in the festival, Jim Davison Quartet will appear at The Landor Space on 11 June, while Emily Masser and the Alex
Clarke Quintet will perform at Arches Lane Theatre on 12 June, before the festival wraps up with a closing party back on the barge on Saturday 13 June.
Founded in 2022, by pianist, singer and
conductor Hugo Jennings, the festival is marking its fifth year with new branding and the opportunity to buy a ‘festival pass’ – which allows unlimited access to all the events.
When: Various events from Wednesday 3 – Saturday 13 June
Where: Venues across SW11 and SW9
Tickets: Tickets are £20 and can be booked in advance on the website or bought on the door. Alternatively, a Festival Pass for unlimited access to gigs can be purchased for £72.
FULL PROGRAMME OF EVENTS:
June 3: Romeo and Juliet and Swing –The Clapham Grand June 4: QOW Trio – The Landor Space
June 5: Genevieve Namazzi Quartet –St. Mary’s Battersea
June 6: Deschanel Gordon Trio –St Mary’s Battersea
June 6: The Dukes – St. Mary’s Battersea
June 7: Scott Hamilton & Nat Steele –St. Mary’s Battersea
June 8: Jam session featuring Gabrielle Stravelli – Battersea Barge
June 11: Jim Davison Quartet –The Landor Space
June 12: Emily Masser – Alex Clarke Quintet – Arches Lane Theatre
June 13: Closing Party at Battersea Barge
Emily Masser –Alex Clarke Quintet
Genevieve Namazzi Quartet
LIGHTS CAMERA ACTION! BEHIND THE SCENES AT SANDS FILMS –ROTHERHITHE’S CINEMATIC ICON
By Myfanwy Fleming-Jones
A LITTLE way down an unassuming cobbled street, in what was once a derelict Georgian warehouse in Rotherhithe, stands a local cinematic legend.
Sands Films – a small independent film studio in Rotherhithe’s St Marychurch Street – has been operating since 1975, and in that time has produced numerous films. And, furthermore, gained a reputation as a renowned costumier.
Showing me around the premises, Olivier Stockman, longtime co-owner and director of Sands Films, points out a sketch of a costume for the upcoming Batman movie, before taking me into a large stock room packed with period clothing. I ask him what films the
company has provided costumes for.
“All of them,” he said.
He added: “I’m not showing off, but almost every film - every period drama - has had costumes from us.”
These films include such recent hits as Hamnet (2025), timeless productions like Les Misérables (2012), and the Leonardo Di Caprio and Daniel Day Lewis classic Gangs of New York (2002).
The studio was also responsible for producing the BAFTA and Oscarnominated Little Dorrit (1987), featuring Miriam Margoyles, whose voice appears in the studio’s latest film; The Man With The Plan.
Aside from its costume workshop and storage room, Sands Films boasts a studio-stage, where performances, book talks, and the like can be recorded
and livestreamed; a non-profit picture research library, containing meticulously curated images of historical fashion from a number of regions; a cinema, and a music room.
As Olivier told us that Sands Films was set up to be somewhere that has everything you need to make film or TV, all in one place.
“The film industry is full of specialists and specialism - people are developing their career within very niche thingsand although they may all wish to make films or TV series or whatever, at the end of the day, they’re so specialised that none of them on their own can make a film,” he explained.
“The point about Sands Films as a small, very independent film studio was that it was possible to make a film here
without reaching out to outside, in a completely self-supporting, self-funded way, which is how all those films have been made here.
“And that makes the popularity of Sands Films, so it has attracted a number of people, in a very organic way, to work here and to settle here like myself - I came in as a young man and I never left.”
Despite Sands Films’ success, however, its building retains a cosy and friendly character, not having changed significantly since its inception in 1975. Yet one would be mistaken to think that it existed merely to provide entertainment - as Olivier explained, filmmaking is about much more.
“In our society now, there is a sort of implication that art and culture is apolitical. That is not true,” he
elaborated.
“Art and culture has always been a political act, because anything in a society between people has a political dimension.
“Every artist, one way or another, exists within a social and therefore political structure, and so …ultimately has to have a political position.”
An awareness of what Olivier deems the political nature of art is evident in Sands Film’s newest film, ‘The Man With The Plan’, which is inspired by the message behind the 1942 Beveridge Report, which set the foundations of the welfare state.
This �ilm is now being screened at its cinema club throughout May and early June, for times and more information visit sands�ilms.eventive.org
Four men charged after Old Kent Road murder of Aurelio Mejia
By Evie Flynn
FOUR MEN have now been charged in connection with the murder of 26-year-old Aurelio Mejia, after he was stabbed to death outside a nightclub off the Old Kent Road in April.
Police were called in the early hours of Monday 6 April to reports of a disturbance outside a nightclub venue on Ruby Street (SE15), on the South Bermondsey side of the Old Kent Road.
Aurelio was found with stab
wounds and despite the best efforts of paramedics, he sadly died at the scene.
Last week the Met said that 23-yearold Nairol Messa, of Sedgehill Road, Bellingham had been charged with murder and possession of a knife. He was due appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
THREE OTHERS HAVE ALREADY BEEN CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH THIS CASE:
Christian Perez, 19, of Lewisham Road, Lewisham, has been charged with murder
and possession of a knife.
Enyeris Medina, 23, of Councillor Street, Southwark, has been charged with murder, possession of a knife and two counts of grievous bodily harm.
Brittany Henaro Campo, 22, of Sedgehill Road, Bellingham, has been charged with conspiracy to commit Section 18 grievous bodily harm. Perez, Medina and Campo are also due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court for a pre-trial and preparation for hearing on Friday 3 July.
Aurelio’s next-of-kin continue to be supported by specialist officers.
Aurelio Mejia
The Sands building in Rotherhithe
PECKHAM MP MIATTA FAHNBULLEH BACKING BURNHAM AND SLAMS STARMER AFTER RESIGNATION
Her decision to step down as a Minister came from her constituency conversations, she said
EXCLUSIVE
By Rich Brann
MP FOR Peckham Miatta Fahnbulleh has voiced her support for Andy Burnham and criticised both PM Keir Starmer and the slow pace of government following her resignation last week.
Fahnbulleh was the first of Starmer’s ministers to resign, sparking a wave of further resignations and threats of challenge to Keir Starmer’s leadership as Prime Minister from former Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. Her decision to be the first to resign had, as a result, considerable knock-on consequences.
In an interview with us this week Fahnbulleh explained how the move that may have triggered the downfall of the UK’s national government all came from the streets of Southwark.
She said: “Coming out of the local election I had had hundreds and hundreds of conversations, and at the end of that process I was really clear in my head about where a lot of my constituents are.
“The message on the doorsteps was really clear and resounding – they did not have trust or confidence in Starmer.”
The local elections were a disaster for Labour, with the party losing more than 1,500 seats and control of stronghold South London councils in the form of Lewisham, Southwark and Lambeth.
Fahnbulleh allegedly spoke with Starmer to raise her concerns about the election results, with the Prime Minister’s attitude being the last straw for the Peckham MP, who just elected in 2024.
She said: “The Prime Minister was not listening - or at least his tone of voice and body language and response suggested he wasn’t hearing the message that not just me, but many of my colleagues were conveying.
“By resigning, I just felt like I needed to say my piece.”
‘He [Burnham] has shown in Manchester a really interesting model for how you drive change’
Fahnbulleh has since voiced strong support for Andy Burnham as a replacement for Starmer as leader and Prime Minister.
She told us: “Do I think he’s Prime Minister material and do I think he would make a good leader?
“Absolutely - he is our most popular politician… he’s shown in Manchester a real interesting model for how you drive change.”
But Fahnbulleh also cautioned that nothing was certain unless Burnham wins the Makersfield by-election after Josh Simons resigned to make way for Burnham’s return to being an MP, which would allow him to challenge the Prime Minister.
Plenty of other factors contributed to Fahnbulleh’s decision to resign, with strain caused by the government’s previous policy on winter fuel payments, disability benefit cuts, and immigration reforms under Starmer.
The local elections were a tipping
She also revealed a plan for surgery hubs in each of the wards, with the aim that people don’t need to travel more than 15 minutes to see their MP. Although critics, who heard her pledge to open a constituency office unlike her precessor in Peckham, Harriet Harman, are likely to see the move as a way to dodge the pledge.
Fahnbulleh said: “Now that I’m a backbencher, it means I can spend more time in the office rather than in the department or in Parliament.
“People shouldn’t come to me – I should come to people.”
Canvassing in Peckham during the local elections only revealed the depths of popular dissatisfaction with the national government, with Fahnbulleh maintaining that Labour ran a strong campaign regardless.
point, though, for her decision to call
point, though, for her decision to call for Starmer to go. Fahnbulleh clarified: “If we don’t get this right, we usher in a Reform government.
“Given our proportion of migrants as a community, that is unconscionable… I couldn’t not put my head above the parapet.”
“Given our proportion of migrants as I couldn’t not put my head above the
In her previous position at the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, Fahnbulleh held up her expansion of the Warm Homes Discount to millions more households as her key achievement among others.
Net Zero, Fahnbulleh held up her expansion of the Warm Homes Discount to millions more households as her key
She has since been Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and Minister for Devolution, Faith, and Communities.
Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and Minister for Devolution, Faith, and Communities.
We have previously reported on the lack of a permanent constituency office in Peckham, with Fahnbulleh now stating that a ‘rotating office’ will be the model going forward for her constituency.
stating that a ‘rotating office’ will be the model going forward for her constituency.
She said: “There was a really positive offer about the set of things that if elected again the council would doour candidates gave their hearts and souls to the campaign… they were being punished by people’s anger and frustration with the national
elected again the council would doour candidates gave their hearts and being punished by people’s anger and frustration with the national
Fahnbulleh’s time in government at the heart of power was described positively, though the pace of action she called ‘treacly’ and the intense bureaucracy in Whitehall was an obvious pain point. She called for large-scale reforms, saying: “We need to massively break up the central state… there’s a whole industry of meetings and consultations and policy documents and I would just strip a whole load of it out. People are hugely impatient for change and if you can even get moving on an idea, it’s a minimum of six months before you can even get
Fahnbulleh’s time in government at the heart of power was pace of action she called ‘treacly’ and the intense bureaucracy in Whitehall was an obvious pain point. She called for large-scale massively break up the central state… there’s a whole industry of meetings and consultations and policy documents and I would just strip a whole load of for change and if you can even get moving on an idea, it’s a minimum of six months before you can even get close to it going anywhere.”
The future remains unclear as to
The future remains unclear as to whether Andy Burnham might include Fahnbulleh in a potential Cabinet if he seizes power.
potential Cabinet if he
Miatta Fahnbulleh speaking in the House of Commons
EX-LABOUR COUNCILLOR IS ELECTED LEADER OF THE LAMBETH GREENS
By Rich Brann
MARTIN ABRAMS has officially been announced as the elected leader of the Lambeth Green Party.
Abrams, councillor for Streatham Hill East, will play a significant role in shaping the future of Lambeth’s politics after his party became the largest party in the South London borough.
Ciara Alleyne and Natalie Kane, councillors for Herne Hill and Loughborough Junction, and Brixton Acre respectively, have been elected as the Deputy Leaders of the Group.
Martin Abrams, Leader of Lambeth Green Group, said: “I am deeply honoured to have been elected as Leader of Lambeth Green Group - the people of Lambeth have voted for change, and we have a mandate to deliver it.
“This is one of the most dynamic,
But there are already two by-elections coming up
By Ruby Gregory Local Democracy Reporter
TWO BY-ELECTIONS have been triggered for Streatham St Leonard’s ward and Clapham Park ward within the London Borough of Lambeth.
Following the May 7 elections, the Green Party has become the largest political group in Lambeth, with the Labour Party suffering a major defeat and losing control of the council for the first time in two decades.
Despite being the largest political group in Lambeth, the Greens don’t hold a majority because 32 seats are needed.
Joanna Eaves became Clapham Park’s first Green councillor but has had to resign due to ill health. A notice of casual vacancy for Clapham Park ward was published on Lambeth Council’s website on Monday May 18.
Ms Eaves said: “I’ve always believed that politics is about getting out there and listening to residents, doing things, and helping people.
“I was honoured to have been voted
diverse communities in the world - it is also one of the most unequal...in power, we will fight every day to make this a borough where everyone has a decent home, and a fun and fulfilling life.
Abrams had previously resigned from Labour in August 2025 before officially defecting to the Greens in September,
in as Clapham Park’s first Green councillor, but due to my ill health, I now won’t be able to do the job justice. As a result, I’ve taken the difficult decision to resign.”
Cllr Verity McGivern and Cllr Martin Tiedemann from Lambeth Labour also represent Clapham Park ward.
Saiqa Ali, who won a seat as a councillor for Streatham St Leonard’s ward, has decided not to take up her seat. She had been a Green Party candidate but was suspended before the election took place but it was too late to change her nomination. Her suspension came after she allegedly shared a series of antiSemitic posts on social media. She had apologised “for any offence or distress caused to anyone by my social media posts”, adding that it was not her intention.
A Lambeth Green Party spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that Ali was suspended by the national Green party before the election, and was not a member of
slamming the previously-dominant party’s stance on the Gaza conflict as well as making accusations of a culture of internal bullying. It follows another former Labour councillor, James McAsh in neighbouring Southwark, defecting to the Greens before being re-elected and subsequently
Conservatives take back control of Wandsworth with spending review
By Charlotte Lillywhite Local Democracy Reporter
A CONSERVATIVE-LED administration is preparing to take charge of Wandsworth Council, after dramatic local election results saw the end of Labour’s one term in control of the authority.
While the council moved to no overall control it has a Conservative minority that has now made arrangements to govern – with the group one seat shy of the 30 needed to win a majority.
It is the largest single group on the authority, with 29 seats – up seven on the 22 seats it secured in 2022. Labour has 28 seats, down seven from the 35 seats it won at the last election.
The group has agreed a confidence and supply arrangement in principle with Independent councillor Malcolm Grimston, who kept his seat as the mostbacked candidate with 4,081 votes.
The agreement means Councillor Grimston will support the Conservatives on key votes needed for the council to keep functioning – including the annual
budget and votes of no confidence.
Councillor Grimston has represented the borough’s West Hill ward since 1994 – first as a Conservative before leaving the party in 2014, then sitting as an Independent. He will remain an Independent and will not hold any cabinet position. The arrangement will be reviewed annually.
The Conservatives have launched spending and constitutional reviews of the authority, It will look at all spending across the authority, including major projects and future borrowing plans, to find where immediate savings could be made.
No new staff will be recruited while the review is under way, except in exceptional circumstances. The constitutional review will explore how the council could operate in a more open, transparent and effective way. Any proposed constitutional changes will be considered by a cross-party committee before being taken forward.
Incoming Tory Council Leader Aled Richards-Jones said the priority of the new administration is a “well-run council that delivers for every resident”.
“I look forward to setting out the full programme at the council’s first ordinary meeting in July, and to working constructively with all councillors to deliver it.”
The results were ultimately bitterly disappointing for Labour and a far cry from 2022, when the party won control of the former Tory stronghold for the first time since 1978 – ending 44 years of Conservative control.
The Conservatives still failed to secure a majority in what was once known as Margaret Thatcher’s favourite council, at the forefront of the former Tory leader’s Right to Buy scheme and the privatisation of local services.
The Tories gained two seats from Labour in St Mary’s and West Putney, along with a seat each in Trinity, Wandle and Battersea Park.
Although the Greens did not manage to win any seats, the party took votes from the other main parties – particularly in Tooting Bec and Tooting Broadway, where the Green candidates followed the three Labour winners in each ward by a small number of votes.
the Lambeth Green Group.
Two Green Party candidates were arrested on suspicion of stirring up racial hatred online in April. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson told the LDRS the two women remain on bail while enquiries continue.
Ms Ali had won the local seat alongside Green Party candidates, Scott Ainslie who is the former leader of the Lambeth Green Group, and Dr Alice Weavers.
Ms Ali’s name remained as a candidate for the Green Party on ballot papers because the election nomination deadline had passed and could not be changed due to electoral law.
In a statement, Ms Ali said: “I unequivocally reject anti-Semitism in all its forms. My comments were rooted in concern for the humanitarian situation in the Middle East, and I remain committed to speaking with care, responsibility and respect for everyone.”
After winning her seat in the election, Ms Ali would have sat as an independent councillor but she chose
crowned as the local Green leader.
Abrams also paid tribute to former Green leader and former actor Scott Ainslie, who had led the group going into the local elections and whose leadership had led to a steady increase in Green councillors on Lambeth Council since 2014.
not to take up her seat.
A notice of casual vacancy for Streatham St Leonard’s ward appeared on Lambeth Council’s website last Thursday May 14.
The two by-elections must take place within 35 working days of the notices first being published on the council’s website.
With Ms Ali not taking up her seat and Cllr Eaves resigning, there are currently 27 Green councillors in Lambeth, with Labour following closely behind with 26 councillors while the Lib Dems have eight. Lambeth is one of several London boroughs that has no outright majority following the May 7 elections. Because there is no overall control, no single party can govern the borough alone.
As they are the largest party in the borough, the Greens will either need to form a coalition with another political party at the council or will need to garner votes from opposition councillors on a case-by-case basis when it comes to passing budgets or new policies.
Natalie Kane, Lambeth Greens coDeputy Leader, said: “Since last summer, the membership of the Green Party has grown exponentially. We now have almost 3,000 members, who were the core of an unprecedented campaignpeople from every background have come out to fight for change.”
Tories based their manifesto on reining in Labour’s borrowing and spending plans, protecting core services and funding more police officers. The party also pledged to give more renters a chance to own their homes.
Cllr Martin Abrams
Cllr Aled Richards-Jones
LEARN ABOUT THE REMARKABLE HISTORY OF ST JOHN’S
By Evie Flynn
ST John’s Church in Walworth will be hosting a free Parish History Day on Saturday 6 June – bringing together local historians, archive material and stories and memories from local residents.
The Grade II Anglican church was built on farmland in 1859 on an area that had previously been home to the Lock Hospital – today it stands in on Larcom Street off the Walworth Road behind Walworth Town Hall. Lock hospitals originally treated lepers, but later specialised in the treatment of venereal diseases.
Father Ben, the vicar of St. John’s Church, was inspired to create the event after discovering the rich history of Walworth and “how many stories this neighbourhood holds”.
The event, which is free for anyone to attend, will display historic photographs and archive material of the church’s history, a talk from local historians and a space for residents to add their own memories to the archives.
There will also be afternoon tea, a ‘singa-long’, and a chance to meet new people from Walworth and wider South London.
Father Ben said: “Walworth has changed enormously over the years. Families who have lived here for generations, people who have arrived more recently, markets, estates, regeneration, migration, churches, schools and communities – all have shaped this part of London we call home.”
“One of the things we’ve been reflecting on as a church is how places like St John’s
© Stephen Craven
can help create spaces where people listen to one another’s stories and feel a shared sense of belonging.
HISTORY OF THE CHURCH:
St. John’s Church was built after major population growth in the first half of the nineteenth century, where over 1,700 new churches were built in England and Wales.
A new parish, called St. John the Evangelist in Lock’s Fields, Newington, was created to cater for the growing number of people. In June 1858, the church appealed
to the public for voluntary donations towards the building of the parish’s first church.
Enough money was raised for St. John’s, which was built by local architect Henry Jarvis in a just over a year. It was consecrated by the Bishop of London in a ceremony on 28 June 1860.
The parish originally catered for a population of 10,000 – and the final design was complete with a cow-shed and surrounded by fields and small gardens.
The church was built in the ‘Early English’
1900 – a three-storey building down the road from the church with gym facilities, and a large meeting hall.
The Bedford Institute was used for gymnastics, cycling, weight-lifting, football, cricket and a host of other sports. It also provided a base for lectures, concert and dances.
Inside the church today
style of architecture, with a 75 ft long and 55 ft high organ.
One notable vicar in the church’s history was Reverend Arthur Jephson, who held the post for 15 years from 1893 – 1908, making it his mission to ‘serve all the people of the area’.
Rev. Jephson encourgaed young men in to participate in sports arranged by church officials, rather than spending their leisure time in local pubs and music-halls.
This need for recreational space led to the building of the Bedford Institute in
Today, the same building is known as the St John’s Centre and still hosts a range of recreational activities for local schools and community groups. The hall can be rented out for private events, including birthday parties, weddings, meetings and fitness classes.
Anyone is welcome to attend the Parish History Day, whether you have lived in Walworth for decades or have just arrived. The day will also be used to gather community ideas about the future of the outdoor courtyard space and how it can be made more welcoming for local residents.
When: Saturday 6 June 12:00 – 17:00
Address: St John’s Church, Larcom Street, SE17 1NQ
You can register attendance on EventBrite or visit www.stjohnswalworth.co.uk
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Thinking about having a baby?
By Oluwaseun Labisi, Development Consultant Midwife for Public Health
If you’re thinking about having a baby, there are simple things you can do now to support a healthy pregnancy.
V itamins and supplements
Firstly, have you started taking supplements? Supplements like folic acid and vitamin D can help you have a healthy pregnancy and baby. Try to take folic acid daily 3 months before you get pregnant and vitamin D as soon as you start actively trying for a baby.
A healthy diet
Food matters as well. A healthy, balanced diet helps you stay well and supports your baby. Aim for whole grains, healthy fats and protein. Also try to keep your caffeine intake to below 200mg a day. That is about two mugs of instant coffee.
Cutting out alcohol
Did you know, there is no safe level of alcohol to drink during pregnancy? Stopping alcohol can help you get pregnant and lowers the risk of pregnancy complications.
Managing your mental health and wellbeing
If you are planning a pregnancy and managing your mental health, support is available. If you take medication, speak to a health professional before making any changes. You are not alone.
Scan the QR code for more advice
COUNCIL TO PUSH AHEAD WITH WEST DULWICH CYCLE LANE AND ZEBRA CROSSINGS SCHEME – DESPITE A ‘LEGAL CHALLENGE’ FROM ANTI-LTN GROUP
Battle lines are drawn but both groups are in favour of the zebra crossings
EXCLUSIVE
By Evie Flynn
LAMBETH COUNCIL has said it is in the ‘public interest’ to install a two-way cycle lane and five zebra crossings on Rosendale Road in West Dulwich, after the longanticipated scheme was met with a legal challenge from an anti-LTN group.
The West Dulwich Action Group (WDAG) reportedly issued a legal challenge against Lambeth Council in April in a bid to halt the construction of a cycle lane, arguing that it would increase traffic congestion and pollution.
The planned cycle track would run between the A205 South Circular and Park Hall Road as part of the Brockwell Park to Gypsy Hill route – and implement five zebra crossings along the journey.
While WDAG have said they are only challenging the cycle lane, the traffic order covers both the cycle lane and the zebra crossings, effectively making the crossings “collateral damage” if the challenge succeeds.
The campaign group have said that the single scheme combines multiple elements – a cycle lane, zebra crossings and wider road changes – into one scheme. This means it is not possible for them to challenge specific safety concerns in
isolation.
In response, over 100 parents and children from Solve the School Run Rosendale gathered in protest in West Dulwich last month – with many saying they had waited years for the safety improvements and that the scheme should go ahead.
“We cycle this part of Rosendale Road every day to go to school,” said Zoe Rippon, a mother of two children, aged 10 and 7, who both attend Rosendale Primary School.
She said: “The road is far too dangerous to cycle on, so we go on the pavement. But there are so many people using it at the same time – pedestrians and kids scooting and cycling, it feels dangerous for everyone.
“We’re often shouted at for cycling on the pavement, which can be distressing for the kids, especially when they don’t have a choice and always cycle very carefully.”
Solve the School Run Rosendale have been running bike buses along the busy road for years in an attempt to improve safety measures for their children.
Phase 1 of the scheme between Brockwell Park and Turney Road was completed in 2023 and work was due to begin on Phase 2 back in March.
Lambeth Council said the decision to extend the ‘Healthy Route’ along Rosendale Road was made after “careful
consideration” and several years of community engagement.
In a letter sent to West Dulwich residents, the council confirmed it intends to “robustly defend” the legal challenge to the scheme and cited a ‘public interest’ case for pressing ahead with the proposals.
The dispute follows a previous legal victory for WDAG in February 2025, when the group successfully challenged Lambeth Council’s installation of a Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) in West Dulwich after a High Court hearing.
The ‘Heathy Route’ cycle scheme on Rosendale Road is unrelated to the LTNs – which the council were forced to scrap –but the group raises the same concerns around congestion, pollution and the impact on surrounding roads.
WDAG told us that they held a community meeting at the local Chatsworth Baptist Church and invited all concerned parties to ‘listen, discuss and collaborate on the proposed cycle track’ – including ‘concerns around design safety and the legal challenge that has now been brought.’
A spokesperson for the group said: “We welcome the zebra crossings – this is something the whole community has been asking for for over ten years. However, the bi-directional cycle track as currently designed raises serious safety concerns for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers alike.
“Bi-directional cycle lanes are not
recommended for roads with frontage on both sides, and there is no comparable precedent in London. This makes Rosendale Road a live experiment, at significant public cost. We want to work with the newly elected council members to find a solution that genuinely works for everyone.”
The group made it clear in their communication to neighbours that “WDAG fully supports zebra crossings, and residents have been asking for safer crossings on Rosendale Road and other busy routes for many years, well before this scheme.”
They added: “Improving safety for children and all road users is something WDAG, as part of the wider community, not only firmly believes in but, together with residents, has been actively lobbying for.”
However, parents and children from nearby schools expressed concerns that the legal challenge will stall not only the cycle lane, but also the zebra crossings. They came out in support of the scheme in a ‘Save Our Zebras rally’, dressing up as zebras and taking to the streets before the school run.
“We’ve been waiting for years for these safety measures,” said local resident Emily Marsh. “We want to show support for the bike lane and the zebra crossings.
“I want it to be safe to bring my kids
here. Instead we have to dodge speeding cars and navigate blocked crossings. We’ve been holding termly bike buses for years to show our support, so we’re really disappointed that it still hasn’t been built.”
Stacey Young, a mother of four and former Green Party councillor for West Dulwich, said she was knocked down by a car last year on Rosendale Road, whilst walking to school with her 8-year-old son – which she took place at the site of one of the planned zebra crossings.
Campaigners also warn that the outcome of the legal challenge could have wider consequences beyond West Dulwich.
“Children are exposed to stress and danger on their way to school everyday,” said Claire McDonald, co-founder of Solve The School Run.
“We hold our children’s hands tight in the face of speeding traffic and near misses.
But there’s no easy way for families to take councils to court about this daily danger.
“However, traffic orders designed by professionals to improve public safety can be delayed or blocked by these legal challenges.”
Lambeth Council were approached for comment but had not replied at time of publication. The council is currently under no overall control after Labour lost its majority to the Green Party, who on their own don’t have enough seats to run the council.
© Becky Mursell Photography
The planned cycle track would run between the A205 South Circular and Park Hall Road. The green line shows the cycle lane completed in 2023. The yellow line shows the cycle lane which was due to start in March 2026.
Celebrating inclusion and independence
Beer festival returning to Dulwich Hamlet
By Evie Flynn
LOCAL BREWERS will descend on Dulwich Hamlet’s ground when the stands will open from Thursday May 21 to Saturday May 23 for a celebration of frothy ales and ‘proper’ ciders.
The Dulwich Beer Festival run by the South East London brand of Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is returning to the club this week after well over a thousand people came to it last year.
Admission is just £3 for nonmembers and free for CAMRA members, which includes an event programme and re-usable glasses.
There will be over 50 cask ales and 25 ciders and perries on offer, plus hot and cold food on offer for dinner.
And the prices are pretty fair, with pints ranging between £4 – £5. You can also get samples, order half pints or a third of a pint.
The best part of the day is that punters can enjoy their drinks on the stands at the Champion Hill Stadium. Since 1985, consuming alcohol on the terraces has been banned during English football matches.
So while Dulwich Hamlet FC fans can always have a pre or post match beer, enjoying one during a game in the stands is usually forbidden.
CAMRA is an organisation that for champions ‘real ale’ that continues to ferment in the cask from which they are serbed – rather than low flavour beers.
A local brewery, Hand & Marigold, Bermondsey Street, was recently named by CAMRA’s South East London branch as the overall winner of the branch Pub of the Year 2026. Eric Campfield, member of CAMRA South East London and the organiser of the annual festival, said: “This is our third year – the last two have been financially and socially successful so its a win win.
“We look to welcoming the public and our members on the day. Come down to enjoy the drinks and food in the sun.”
Date: Thursday 21 – Saturday 24
May
Times: The festival runs from 12pm – 10:30pm with last orders at 10pm each day
Address: Dulwich Hamlet Football Club, Champion Hill Stadium, Dog Kennel Hill, East Dulwich, SE22 8BD
Tickets: £3 for non-members, free for members
Learn more about CAMRA’s South East London branch at sel.camra.org. uk
THE KING VISITED GUY’S HOSPITAL AS PART OF ITS 300TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS
By Evie Flynn
THE KING had a tour of the facilities and visited the Cancer Centre at Guy’s Hospital last week to mark the 300th anniversary of the hospital.
His Majesty met patients and staff as part of the celebrations – which also mark 10 years of the Cancer Centre being open.
He talked with patients undergoing treatment in the Chemotherapy Village and visited the King’s College Innovation Hub where scientists and clinicians are working to spearhead the latest cancer research and clinical trials.
He was given a demonstration of the latest robotic assisted surgical system by Professor Ben Challacombe – as most cancer surgery at Guy’s and St Thomas’ is now carried out using the technology.
The Trust has the largest robotic surgery programme in the UK and performs hundreds of operations every year.
His Majesty also heard from researchers about projects to develop a
new type of immunotherapy treatment for breast cancer and the use of AI to guide drug discovery.
After the tour, the King joined hospital staff and King’s College London representatives in the Welcome Village to unveil a plaque to commemorate the visit and mark Guy’s Hospital’s 300th anniversary.
The hospital’s amazing work today is all thanks to the work of local bookseller and philanthropist Thomas Guy, who gave his name to the hospital in 1725.
Guy was a governor at St Thomas’s Hospital from 1704. At the time it was one of just two hospitals in London, along with St Bartholomew’s in the City of London, which had survived Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries in 1536. The 18th century was a different era of medical care; since treatment had to be paid for, most people stayed at home and were cared for by hired nurses or family members.
In the 1720s St Thomas’s Hospital wouldn’t treat patients with long-term or incurable conditions, or those who were mentally ill. After a concerned
physician pointed this out to Guy, the philanthropist got to work establishing a new hospital which would cater to those patients who weren’t admitted by St Thomas’s.
Guy successfully arranged to lease land next to St. Thomas’s – which back then stood where Guy’s Hospital is today – on the south side of St Thomas’s Street for a new ward.
It opened its doors in 1725 with a stated mission to care for “the indigent and the wretched who should be discharged from other hospitals as incurable”.
Controversially, the man who would go on to found the hospital we know today as Guy’s made his riches profiting off the British Empire.
Thomas Guy bought up government debt issued to sailors which he swapped for shares in the South Sea Company, a British joint-stock company involved in transporting tens of thousands of enslaved Africans to colonies in the Americas between 1710 and 1720.
Today we rightly condemn those who profited off the slave trade throughout
history and now a panel next to his statue outside the hospital addresses the source of Guy’s wealth.
Dame Amanda Pritchard, Chief Executive at Guy’s and St Thomas’, said:
“This visit from The King meant a huge amount to our patients and staff. His Majesty brings real insight and empathy to what our patients are going through due to his own cancer journey.
“For our staff, who work so hard and care so deeply, visits like this bring much deserved recognition for what they do, each and every day.
“We are incredibly proud that Guy’s Hospital has been serving our communities for 300 years now and days like today add to that rich history.”
Sir Simon Hughes, the Liberal Democrat MP for Bermondsey, which includes Guy’s, between 1983 and 2015, said representing the hospital in Parliament for 32 years was a “privilege”. He paid tribute to the “most skilled and often lovely consultants, doctors, nurses, chaplains, and people in a hundred other professions and jobs – the care, the love, the expertise – and above all the loyalty.”
Champion Hill, the home of Dulwich Hamlet FC
STRIKE ACTION TO SAVE ‘ONLY’ DAY CENTRE FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH DEMENTIA
The existing services in Crystal Palace could be moving to West Norwood
By Ruby Gregory Local Democracy Reporter
STAFF WORKING at Lambeth’s only dedicated day care centre for people living with dementia have begun their first day of strike action as they battle to protect jobs and stop the site from closing.
Unison members from the Day Centre on the Central Hill Estate in Crystal Palace began strike action on Thursday morning (May 14) after a vote to strike saw a 90 per cent turnout.
Current carers and those who have used the service in the past, as well as members from the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) and some of the borough’s Green councillors took to the picket line to show their support for striking Unison members.
Lambeth Council intends to move existing services at the day centre in Crystal Palace to Aspire Wellbeing Centre in West Norwood, a nearby organisation which currently works with adults with learning difficulties.
Cllr David Bridson, then-Cabinet Member for Healthier Communities, previously said the building at Central Hill had fallen into “significant disrepair” and attendance had dropped.
However an anonymous staff member told the Local Democracy
Reporting Service (LDRS) on Thursday that referrals have been closed for the past 18 months which has resulted in a reduced attendance.
Speaking from the picket line, they said: “[The day centre] is a valuable, dementia-friendly building and we want it to remain open. We want our referrals to be reopened because they’ve been closed for 18 months now, which has reduced the [number of] people that attend.
“We had about 50-odd people on our books, it’s gone down to about 24 now, and that’s because no referrals are coming in. We’ve got the space to grow the service again and the reason why they [the council] were keeping it on hold is they didn’t want to open it up to new people because when we move into the new building it would be quite confusing for them.”
Concerns have also been raised over the proposed new venue for the service, which is set to be in a “single room” which backs onto an open car park.
The staff member said: “Throughout this consultation, we’ve asked things about the new place that we’re supposed to move into. Where we’ve [currently] got a whole building, we’ve been allocated one room at Aspire.
“The only door to come in and out of our one room opens up onto an active car park and that is one of our big
safety issues. We’re so concerned that it hasn’t even been considered, it’s an active car park with an open gate.”
They added: “When you’re supporting people with dementia who routinely want to leave the building and go home, they only have to slip out of that door which has been done many times.
“That’s why we’ve got a very specialist alarm system here, but if there’s no alarm system and they go out that door, they’re into an active car park where buses are manoeuvring around this small car park and the gates are constantly open. That is a big red flag and is alarm bells for us.”
A council spokesperson previously told the LDRS a “small number” of job roles could be at risk because of the proposed changes, but added they were looking at redeployment opportunities within adult social care services.
The staff member told our reporter people are in fear of losing their jobs because there are only three posts available at the new venue for the six current workers. Other workers who are set to lose their jobs include a cook, a manager and a facilities officer.
They added: “We want our referral list opened, we want the building to stay and we want the staffing to stay – those are the things that we really want. This is all for the sake of the
people who use our service.
“It’s so important that people who live with dementia have something like this and their families have something like this, where people know they can leave their mum or dad or uncle. They know they’re safe for the day. They know they can then relax and get on with their day.”
According to a report from the Alzheimer’s Society, there are currently estimated to be 982,000 people with dementia in the UK, but more than a third of people with the condition do not have a diagnosis.
The number is expected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040.
Simon Hannah, joint branch secretary of Lambeth Unison, said: “Lambeth Council have run down this service to save money which is a crying shame for the people of Lambeth.
“It is the only dedicated day centre for people with dementia where their carers can also get some respite from 24/7 care. Staff are dedicated to helping local residents and want to save jobs and ensure a quality service. Management needs to come to the table with realistic alternatives that ensure the local service is sustainable.”
The LDRS understands Unison members could take part in further strike action towards the end of the month.
A Lambeth Council spokesperson
previously told the LDRS: “The council recognises the important role day activities has for our Lambeth Adult Social Care service users and their families, across the borough as a whole.
“It is important to note the Lambeth dementia day service is not being closed. The provision is being relocated and there will continue to be a borough-wide dementia day service; which will operate from the Aspire Wellbeing Centre in West Norwood, rather than from its current site at Central Hill.”
They said the service will be available for all Lambeth residents who require a dementia day service, and there will be no reduction in the current service offer to those people who are currently attending it. They said transport will be provided where needed.
The spokesperson added: “There has been considerable engagement and consultation held during the period of the day services review over the past year, and leading up to the start of the formal staff consultation from February 11, 2026.
“Alongside service users and carers this has included regular discussion with staff and with trade union representatives. We have continued to offer trade union colleagues time and the opportunity to discuss with us further.”
Unison members from the Day Centre on the Central Hill Estate have begun strike action to protect jobs and save the site from closure
By Cristina Trujillo
LEWISHAM IS currently London’s murder capital, with more homicides than any other borough in 2025.
Our data investigation, factoring in the most up-to-date statistics from the Metropolitan Police (MPS), can reveal that detectives are investigating eleven killings in Lewisham alone in 2025, despite figures showing that in the same year, homicides in London were at a 10-year low.
Lewisham’s 2025 homicides are the highest on record, doubling between 2015 and 2025. With the number of homicides increasing in Lewisham by exactly 120% since 2015, no other London borough saw such a big rise over the last 10 years.
Southwark and Lambeth have been similarly affected with eight homicides each in 2025, while other boroughs reported between zero and six. In Lambeth and Southwark, homicides rose 100% between 2015 and 2025, from 4 to 8, with 26 boroughs seeing homicides go down or stay the same.
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said that nothing was more important to the Mayor than keeping Londoners safe and that the reduction in homicides in London over the last decade was due to City Hall being tough on crime and its causes.
They said: “This approach includes investing in intervention and prevention work led by London’s Violence Reduction Unit - the first in England.
“At the same time, the Mayor has more than doubled investment in policing to help boost police numbers and relentlessly target the worst offenders and criminal gangs.
“But Sadiq is clear that one death will always be one too many. That’s why he will continue to do all he can to invest in the police and provide positive opportunities for young Londoners, building on this significant progress and continue making London safer for everyone.”
Martin Cosser founded knife crime charity Charlie’s Promise after his son, Charlie, was murdered by a habitual knife-carrier in West Sussex.
He said: “While it is encouraging that overall homicide numbers in London fell significantly in 2025, the reality for families affected by knife crime is that every statistic represents a devastated family and a life cut short.”
The Metropolitan Police recorded 11 homicides in Lewisham in 2025, although only nine victims are publicly confirmed.
Those are Charlie Prodromou, Hien Thi Vu, Ayowale Aledejana, Brian Hunt, Junior Ryan Coleman, Sanchini Thompson, Messiah Robb, John Temitope Onetufo and Myles Meyjes.
Forty-six-year-old Myles Meyjes was killed in an aggravated burglary in
LEWISHAM LONDON’S MURDER CAPITAL
February 2025, with Jamal MorganSalih charged with murder in January of this year and Romar McDermott charged in March.
Paul Tallant, 43, of Eltham, was convicted of the manslaughter of 63-year-old Charlie Prodromou following an attack on 1 March 2025 and sentenced to 10 and a half years in jail in December.
Hai Van Nguyen was jailed for life in December after killing his wife, mother-of-three Hien Thi Vu in April 2025.
Twenty-six-year-old Ayowale Aledejana was stabbed and a couple have charged with his murder in August 2025. The same month, Vasile Iosebica murdered 87-year-old Brian Hunt in August.
Junior Ryan Coleman, 43, was reported missing in August 2025, with Daniel Watkis charged with murder after his body was found in a derelict building.
Twenty-seven-year-old Sanchini Thompson and 20-year-old Messiah Robb were both stabbed in October 2025, with 23-year-old John Temitope Onetufo stabbed in December.
Mr Cosser told us how he viewed the underlying causes of Lewisham’s homicide problem. “In my view, boroughs become hotspots because of a combination of factors rather than one simple cause,” he said.
“Poverty, social deprivation, school
exclusions, trauma, family breakdown, drug dealing, county lines activity, and the lack of positive opportunities for young people all play a role.
“When children grow up feeling unsafe, unsupported, or with little hope for the future, they are more vulnerable to exploitation and more likely to carry knives out of fear or for status.”
The Green Party’s recent surge in popularity saw them win 40 of 54 seats in Lewisham on the May 7 local election, ending Labour’s 16-year dominance.
Although there was no overall control in the council between 2006 and 2010, Labour also ran the council from 1971 to 2006.
Tauseef Anwar, who defected from the Labour Party to the Green Party in March, said: “Generally, in 2025, we see a slight decline in homicide, but in Lewisham, it’s pretty much steady.
“One thing is we need to be clear, regardless of what political affiliation we have, big cities always have these issues and they’re not going to be totally wiped out.
“But there is so much a local council can do in a partnership with local police, local community safety groups, and early interventions.”
Mr Cosser confirmed: “For the families who have lost loved ones, and for those living in communities where violence remains a daily concern,
there is still a huge amount of work to do.”
In the council’s 2019 violence reduction strategy, councillor Joani Reid addressed the problem while promoting a new Violence Reduction Board, stating: “It breaks all of our hearts when we hear about the tragic attacks that have too often left children and young adults losing their lives.”
Meanwhile, councillor Juliet
Campbell emphasised deepening relationships with third parties, charities and government groups in a 2024 council strategy:
“We will improve how we engage with communities by building on existing partnerships and codeveloping bespoke interventions with communities based on need.”
The Metropolitan Police Service and Lewisham Council were approached for comment.
Bunsik open first restaurant in South London
By Tom Appleby
BUNSIK, THE street food brand behind the viral Korean corndog trend, will opened a new site in Brixton last week .
Bunsik already has seven sites in London, but this is the first that is south of the river.
The new location at 490 Brixton Road SW9 8EQ, at what was formerly Holland & Barrett.
Since it launched in 2021, the Korean street food brand has led the online corndog trend, which has garnered millions of views on TikTok and Instagram.
The chain is renowned for its signature, customisable molten cheese pulls with mozzarella and chicken fillings, optional sugar sprinklings and a choice of sauces.
The other items on the menu include tteokbokki (chewy rice cakes in spicy
gochujang sauce), kimbap, Korean fried chicken and cup bap rice bowls. Halal meat is used across the menu and there are also options for vegetarians. Founder, Jae Cho, said: “Expanding into South London is an important step for us, and Brixton felt like the right place to do that.
“It’s an area with a strong identity, a lot of energy, and a real connection between food and culture, which aligns closely with how Bunsik operates.”
Lewisham, Hai Van Nguyen, Junior Ryan Coleman (Credit: Metropolitan Police)
Liam Shrivastava - the new Mayor of Lewisham
By Romilly Schulte
DEMAND HAS soared this year at a ‘baby bank’ in Greenwich, where 40 per cent of kids are living in poverty, according to Trust for London data.
Mama2Mama works like a food bank, but for providing free baby essentials like clothes, toys and cots for families feeling the pinch of mounting living costs.
Across London, one in three children are living in poverty - and the rate is even higher in Greenwich, where Mama2Mama has reported an 150 per cent increase in demand for support.
Expressing her concerns, founder and CEO Zuzana Fratikova said: “So many people are at crisis point –we get between five and ten new referrals every day. These are families who can’t afford to heat their homes, women fleeing domestic abuse, and working parents. All at a time when the cost of everything is going up.
“I’ve heard stories of parents rationing nappies and washing disposable ones. A mother even called me from a hospital delivery room just as she was about to give birth.”
With over 50 families receiving weekly support, the charity collects donations of new and pre-loved children’s essentials from across Greenwich, Bexley and Lewisham.
The bank particularly aids lowincome families who struggle to manage and may have to choose between heating and eating, despite many coming from households where both parents work full-time.
With a new hub opening this summer on Pett Street in Woolwich, the team also connects parents with parenting programmes, employability advice, and health referrals.
Mama2Mama stocks the shelves
DEMAND NEARLY DOUBLES AT OUR BABY BANK
thanks to donations, grants and profits from its cafe, with Greenwich housing association L&Q recently funding ‘bedtime packs’ with two £10,000 grants.
Matt Corbett, Director of L&Q Foundation, said: “When we asked our local residents where support was needed most, the answer was clear: support for low-income families and children. There’s nothing quite like this in Greenwich or Bexley, and that’s precisely why
Plans for 205 homes on New Eltham sports club
By Cameron Blackshaw Local Democracy Reporter
PLANS TO build 205 homes on the site of a sports club in New Eltham have been updated following discussions between the developer and Greenwich Council.
Conservative ward councillors in Eltham have promised to fight against the development.
Housing developer Sigma Strategic Land wants to build on green land currently occupied by STC Sports Club.
The proposal would transform the 9.4 acre site—which is surrounded by homes and contains three football pitches—into a new residential neighbourhood with properties ranging from one-bedroom apartments to fourbedroom houses.
To offset the loss of the sports club, Sigma has committed to a £4million Section 106 package. This money will be used to improve and deliver new facilities across Greenwich, particularly in areas where a shortfall has been identified. According to Sigma there is a surplus of such facilities in New Eltham.
Greenwich Council first received the planning application last summer, but Sigma has recently updated its 205home plans following discussions with the council’s planning department.
The key change has been the design of the development’s central flat blocks.
Most of the changes are aesthetic and involve using different construction materials. Their layouts are practically the same and still contain the same number and type of apartments.
The new design of the replacement clubhouse for Kings Bowls Club has been altered to allow for a second entrance, and parking for the club has been heavily reduced to allow for an improved, larger area for surface water to drain away.
Integrated bin stores have been added to the front gardens of all houses and parking courts have been reduced in size. A turning head has been added for delivery drivers at the north of the site, removing the need for delivery vans to circulate through the whole development to turn.
The three Conservative councillors who represent Eltham Town and Avery Hill have confirmed they will be speaking against the proposal when it goes to Greenwich Council’s Planning Board.
Cllr Charlie Davis said: “The proposals to develop over 200 homes on the site of the STC sports ground are wholly inappropriate for Metropolitan Open Land.
“The facilities are well used by the
we’re committed to supporting Mama2Mama.”
Fratikova said that sleep was essential for children’s development, and that these packs will provide pyjamas, cots, blankets and teddies for 200 kids in Greenwich and Bexley.
The founder grew up in a children’s home in Slovenia and began the bank on Mother’s Day in 2021 after seeing the turmoil that Covid was putting families through.
“There is so much to think about when you have a baby. Are they eating enough? Are they getting enough sleep? Add in the stress of finances and it can become too much to bear”, she said.
Highlighting Greenwich’s spirit of solidarity, she added: “As costs begin to creep up again, the pressure on households is growing. With more behind us, we’ll be able to help more little ones, because every child deserves a good night’s sleep. Every
donation, no matter how big or small, makes a difference.”
Mama2Mama was named winner of two categories at the Best of Royal Greenwich Business Awards 2026: Business of the Year and Social Impact.
The bank welcomes donations of baby clothes, nappies, toiletries and equipment.
More information on donating, volunteering or receiving support can be found at mama2mama.org.uk
community and allowing the scheme to go ahead would set a dangerous precedent for our area given the abundance of green space.
“We know there is a desperate need for more homes in London, but the focus should instead be on brownfield sites and gentle density in town centres.
When this scheme finally reaches the Planning Board, the three of us all plan to speak against it alongside the community.”
what’s on
Stella Cardew: Painting for Pleasure
Stella Cardew is preparing to hang Painting for Pleasure, her latest exhibition of new artworks for her annual show at Jeannie Avent Gallery, writes Michael Holland.
Aged 97, Stella plans her day from when she first wakes up: ‘I orientate myself and then decide if I’m going to spend the day in “Adventure Mode” or “Face Up To Life Mode”’.
The day will always start with coffee, made while she sings a song she remembers from long ago (If I Was A Blackbird), before breakfast and then sketching, drawing, or painting. ‘I always listen to classical music while I work,’ she says. ‘Something long like a Beethoven piece played by a quartet that I can lose myself in.’
Her motivation comes from ‘the pleasure of drawing and painting and the challenge of seeing if you can make an attractive picture.’
Inspiration often comes from her garden, where she can sit out and look at the flora and fauna, which means birds, butterflies, and flowers can
ABSTRACT ART BY THE THAMES
Overlooking the Thames, Firepit Gallery provides a vibrant space where artistic talent meets inclusive practices. A hidden gem just minutes away from North Greenwich tube station, this relatively new contemporary art venue currently showcases the work of 40 artists in their latest exhibition, The Abstract Condition, writes Eugenia Sestini.
This uplifting show includes artists from a wide range of backgrounds and identities – the gallery wanted to reflect the richness of the community through a variety of experiences (welcoming in particular neurodivergent, Black and global majority, disabled, LGBTQIA+, and working-class background artists). Visitors can access the gallery for free and will have the opportunity to acquire original artworks directly from the artists, with prices ranging from £40 to £2000. It provides the perfect opportunity to discover emerging talent in South London.
Founder and managing director Marcus Jake says it is all about giving people opportunity and realising there is a real need in the community for a space like this. This cultural hub runs as a non-profit, without charging artists for an application fee or a hanging fee.
“It is quite a rare opportunity,” says Backgroundcamel, a South London-based artist with northeast roots and a penchant for abstract geometry. He hopes that his contribution to the exhibition will give people some inspiration and joy and chance to puzzle over in the abstract. Jamie Munhowen adds, “As an artist you have to be okay with getting lots of noes.” Which is why she was especially attracted to this gallery which prioritizes diversity and new artists. Her painting immortalises her trip to Korea and the best soup she ever had. Multidisciplinary artist Zoe Ford praises Firepit’s community-led experience and
points out that not all galleries support up-and-coming artists, which makes this a special opportunity for both artists and visitors. Zoe’s works in the exhibition (a mixed-media piece and a clay sculpture) both revolve around the theme of healing, inspired by her own health struggles and her journey towards wellbeing. Agnieszka Lokaj also connects art to healing – the joy of following her passion and doing something tangible. Her work celebrates resilience, especially focusing on Female Rugby players. She also echoes the other artists in praising the gallery as a place that wants to support artists.
I was also captivated by a piece from graffiti artist Curtis Donovan, a painting framed with the works of William Morris, both his drawing and his writing.
This exhibition explores the beauty and complexity of the human condition, and will stay with you for days after your visit.
To see their work and that of another 35 artists, head over to North Greenwich – if you want to feel uplifted and discover new talent, do not miss The Abstract Condition.
Running until 27th June 2026
For more information visit: https://www.�irepit.art/current-exhibitions/ the-abstract-condition
Meet the Gods and Goddesses of Olympus Academy
Deep beneath Waterloo, in the labyrinthine tunnels of The Vaults, Ancient Grease crashes onto the stage in a riot of camp, chaos, and unapologetic smut, writes Luigia Minichiello.
This unofficial parody of Grease takes the leather-jacketed teens of Rydell High and hurls them headfirst onto Mount Olympus, transforming them into gods, mortals, and mythological misfits in a gleefully irreverent queer musical romp.
often be found in her art.
She is also inspired by ‘the creative urge,’ she emphasises. ‘So I might look for objects around me, and sometimes from life stories.’ Stories that could involve Yoko Ono being her tenant in the 60s, or partying with Allan Ginsberg…
Stella has a somewhat avant-garde background through her late husband Cornelius Cardew, and through her art that sometimes dwells in the vicinity of the abstract, so a still life could be connected to other things, depending on their light, colour, and shade. Angels appear at least once at every exhibition. And every exhibition sells out. Perhaps the oldest and grandest of artists still painting and exhibiting in Southwark, Stella Cardew is a still force to be reckoned with.
Jeannie Avent Gallery, 14 Northcross Road, London, SE22 9EU from 20th - 27th May. Thurs - Sun 11am - 5pm.
Website: https://waltercardew.wixsite. com/stella-cardew
The show opens with Twisted Fate Radio, dripping in gold outfits, welcoming us all to Olympus Academy. Acting as DJs of destiny, they guide the characters through the twists and turns of fate and set the tone for what’s to come.
Ancient Grease is far less interested in nostalgia than dismantling the original. The familiar story of love, identity, and teenage rebellion is reimagined with a decidedly adult twist as the characters navigate divine drama, lust, rivalry, and plenty of tongue-in-cheek innuendo.
For me, though, there was simply too much obvious lewdness. I enjoy a nudge and a wink, but here the jokes and actions were often rammed down your throat (excuse the pun) rather than allowed to build. A bit more restraint might have made them funnier. At times, it felt as if a sexy action or quick queer gag had been dropped in just to keep attention rather than letting the comedy develop.
At two hours, the show also felt long, especially on the narrow wooden benches of The Vaults. The production tries to squeeze in most of the original songs with new, riskier lyrics, but I found myself losing interest during the first half. The rest of the audience, however,
seemed to lap it up.
Thankfully, the second half picked up pace. As the cast prepared for the Olympus Orgy, the show leaned more into energetic ensemble dancing and physical comedy rather than endless innuendo. One of the best moments came when the entire audience joined in for a chaotic hand jive. The iconic songs still land well too, especially “ Greased Lightnin’!”
A standout was Aphrodite (Rizzo), delivering a strong solo with stunning vocals and serious stage presence. However, the goddess of love deserved a much better costume. What looked like a cheap pink skirt, nude bra, bruised legs, and flashes of gusset felt more like passing a pint glass around than divine glamour.
The cast threw themselves
wholeheartedly into the madness, and Hera landed one of the show’s funniest moments during a brilliantly staged fight scene.
The Vaults have long championed bold, alternative theatre, and Ancient Grease fits right in - loud, chaotic, and deliberately filthy.
Written by Lady Aria Gray. Directed by Dan Wye.
Their Pay What You Can tickets also help keep theatre accessible. This isn’t Grease as you remember it; it’s ruder and outrageous, and for many in the audience, that’s clearly the point.
The Vaults, Launcelot Street, SE1 until May 31st.
Booking and full details: https://www. thevaults.london/ancient-grease
Photo by Flavia Fraser-Cannon
THE UK’S ONLY GLUTEN AND DAIRY-FREE FOOD FESTIVAL
The Free From Festival will be heading to Woolwich Works on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 May – showcasing gluten and dairy free products in the only festival of its kind. The event will feature brands from all across the UK and offer attendees to sample foods ‘without having to worry about whether you can eat them.’
There will also be refined sugar-free and other free from options available. Tickets are available for the morning and afternoon session across both days and
each session lasts for 3 hours and 15 minutes.
Date: Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 May
Time: 11:00 and 14:25 on Saturday or 10:00 and 13:45 on Sunday Address: The Fireworks Factory, 11 No. 1 Street, Royal Arsenal, London, SE18 6HD
Tickets: £17 per ticket Book here: https://www.woolwich.works/ events/free-from-festival-2026#datesand-times
TAKE PART
IN A
‘MYSTERY MISSION’ AT ELTHAM PALACE AND GARDENS
Eltham Palace and Gardens will be hosting a unique family challenge – to take part in a top secret mission – every day until 31 May. The mystery mission challenges families to find a top-secret message that has gone missing in the grounds, before it falls into the wrong hands.
Participants need to follow a trail, track down the clues and solve them to uncover a secret message. There will also be a mysterious
The Greenwich Dog Show is returning to the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College on Sunday 24 May – with an expanded competition and more prizes on offer. The free event is returning with a series of competition categories, craft stalls, food and drink stalls and a bar. Each category has space for 30 dogs and spots can
be reserved on their website. Categories include: waggiest tail, prettiest bitch, handsome hound, glorious golden oldie, cutest pup, best unique feature, best Baroque, best rescue dog, best trick and best in show. All profits from the event go towards Greenwich Foundation for the Old Royal Naval College to conserve and protect the site.
Date: Sunday 24 May
Time: 9:30 – 18:00
Address: Old Royal Naval College, London SE10 9NN
Tickets: The event is free to attend but due to crowds, the team have introduced a ticket system this year. Book here: https://ornc.org/whats-on/ greenwich-dog-show/
secret agent roaming the site who can help teams in their quest.
Dates: 23 May – 31 May
Time: Running from 10:00 to 17:00
Address: Eltham Palace and Gardens, Court Rd, London SE9 5NP
Tickets: The challenge is included in tickets to the Palace, which cost £17.70 for adults and £10.90 for children
WOOLWICH SINGERS SPRING CONCERT:
A community singing group Woolwich Singers will be performing an evening of old and new songs as their regular home in the Tramshed on Friday 22 May. Their Spring Concert is ‘dedicated to love’ and will provide an opportunity for the audience to sing along. There will also be a raffle and a chance to enjoy a drink or sweet treat at the Tramshed bar. Woolwich Singers meet up at Tramshed every Wednesday evening. They are always welcoming new voices,
so if you are interested please get in touch by email: contact@ woolwichsingers.co.uk or visit http://www.woolwichsingers. co.uk/ There are no auditions and no singing experience is needed.
Date: Friday 22 May
Time: 7pm
Address: Tramshed, 51-53 Woolwich New Road, London, SE18 6ES
Tickets: £10 per ticket and £7 concessions. Book here: https:// www.tramshed.org/woolwichsingers-spring-concert
History
HOW BERMONDSEY KIDS HAD A GOOD TIME BEFORE IPADS AND TV
The dirty, smoky factories, so despised by Victorian philanthropists, became a huge resource for youngsters, and sometimes even their playground
By Debra Gosling
WELL IT’S nice and warm so I’ve escaped to the park, the place that brings back happy childhood memories. Let’s hit the nostalgia button…
Throughout its history, Bermondsey’s children have made their own entertainment. There wasn’t always the choice of green, open spaces, but living in such an industrial setting, there was much to intrigue and amuse them.
The dirty, smoky factories, so despised by Victorian philanthropists, became a huge resource for youngsters, and sometimes even their playground. Scraped knees, broken bones and lockjaw from rusty cans and discarded metal – today’s health and safety brigade would have a fit!
Before redevelopment, the streets were awash with back alleys and little courts where kids could safely play. Most of the neighbours were friends or relatives, who sat at the front door to chat as they kept an eye on the little ‘uns. Most kids happily spent a large part of their time out on the street, in the air, come rain or shine – much healthier than today’s generation.
For the older ones their days were spent exploring and collecting factory waste – bits of material, strips of leather, wood and metal were all discarded and readily available in the streets. Besides this there were the ‘forbidden’ areas of the docks and riverside, which had so much to entice kids (some to a watery doom) with its steam boats and lighters floating by.
For the boys, hitching a ride on the back of a horse and cart was an integral part of their youth. Of course the carman would be unaware of his stowaways until someone shouted
“look behind you, guv’nor!”. Naughty boys.
For those not content with horse power, orange boxes, string and a few purloined ball bearings produced scooters and go-carts. The girls did not miss out – a long rope, usually someone’s clothes line, could be stretched across a dead-end and the whole street’s kids could be counted in to a skipping game.
Looped over a lamppost and tied, it became a swing to sit on and talk beneath the soft gaslight in the evenings. One of the girls would throw her coat across to make a nice padded seat.
‘Two balls’ was played on any wall they could find available. It drove the neighbours mad, as all they could hear was the thump, thump on their parlour wall – worse if it was a leather football!
Allygobs, or ‘five stones’ consisted of five stone cubes and a lump of chalk, which was thrown in the air. The aim
was to pick up a stone before catching the chalk on the back of the hand. Then you picked up two, then three and so on. The ante was upped by having to catch all of them on the back of the hand, which only the most skilled could accomplish (or those with bigger hands).
One game that was very competitive was ‘Tip it’. A stick was balanced on the edge of a kerb then someone would tip it into the air by hitting it with another stick before whacking it for all they were worth. Whoever got it furthest away was the winner.
All the jam factories had plenty of spare jars, which were useful for all sorts, especially for holding tadpoles but once they started growing legs it was away to the river or the lake with them. The girls became princesses on the grass with daisy chain crowns. Down the shop for a bottle of lemonade and a lolly, and once it had gone, down the park and the stick became a game
of ‘Picksy up Dropsy’. Placing a stick on the floor, the roundabout was started and as it whizzed round the aim was to pick up the stick whilst holding on to the handles, then drop something else to pick up. No doubt after all that confectionery and fizzy drinks someone was ill before teatime!
Lolly sticks were so useful – digging up all the moss between the paving stones was fun for some while more imaginative kids wove the sticks into a make-do boomerang and buzzed it all over the place. Duck!
As the leaves turned to burnished shades of red and gold, a sure sign that autumn had arrived was when all the kids could be found out searching for conkers beneath the trees. Once they had stuffed their pockets with them it was off home to soak them in vinegar, then into the oven to bake nice and hard. A neatly-drilled hole and a piece of string later, and it was out on the streets to become the conker
champion!
Of course there were other less frenetic activities. Blowing bubbles – these rainbow-coloured orbs of air never failed to enchant. One Bermondsey boy who owned a proper bubble pipe told his younger friends that the bubbles held fairies and they would all stand there, eyes tipped to the sky looking for the little winged being in the bubble. What a precious moment.
When the weather proved too cold for outdoor activities there were simple pastimes, such as stamp collecting, polishing up pennies and reading, not to mention the swapping of bubblegum and cigarette cards.
The magic of childhood was so simple and pleasing back then – but in later years commercial toy production took hold and all those home-made items were used for firewood; a great shame – but at least they had a purpose right until the bitter end.
Blowing Bubbles. Copyright Mary Gosling 1990
All-y in-Skipping. Copyright Mary Gosling 1991
Lollysticks at Dawn. Copyright Debra Gosling 2001
F A ALBIN & SONS
DAVID WHITE
Deceased
Pursuant to the Trustee Act 1925
anyone with a claim against or an in-
terest in the Estate of the deceased, late of 23 Macaulay Square, London, SW4 0RP, who died on 09/05/2025, must send written details to the address below by 23/07/2026, after which the Estate will be distributed with regard only to claims and interests notified.
Gibson Young Solicitors LLP
1 & 2 Crescent Stables, 139 Upper Richmond Road, London, SW15 2TN.
VILIANA GEORGIEVA DANOVA Deceased
Pursuant to the Trustee Act 1925 anyone with a claim against or an interest in the Estate of the deceased, late of Parkview Nursing Home, 1-3 Eversley Road, Upper Norwood, London, SE19 3PY, who died on 05/08/2025, must send written details to the address below by 23/07/2026, after which the Estate will be distributed with regard only to claims and interests notified. Judge & Priestley LLP, Justin House, 6 West Street, Bromley, BR1 1JN. Ref: EMC/CROS048/0001
LICENSING ACT 2003
NOTICE OF APPPLICATION FOR FULL VARIATION OF PREMISES LICENCE
NOTICE IS GIVEN THAT GR Food Limited t/a KFC have applied to the London Borough of Lewisham for a Variation of Premises Licence on Tuesday 19th May 2026 for KFC, 52 London Road, London, SE23 3HF. The premises licence currently authorises the restaurant to provide late-night refreshment from 23:00 till 04:00 every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The proposed variation is to extend the licensable hours to 05:00 every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. In addition, the premises licence currently allows the restaurant to provide late-night refreshment from 03:00 till 04:00 every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday via Delivery only. The proposed variation is to amend the Condition to “On Thursdays to Saturdays, the provision of late-night refreshment will be deliveries only between 03:00 and 05:00”. The application & register can be viewed during office hours at: Licensing Services, London Borough of Lewisham, Licensing Authority, Holbeach Office, 9 Holbeach Road, SE6 4TW. Anyone wishing to oppose the application must give notice in writing to the above address or by email to licensing@lewisham.gov.uk by 16th June 2026. Should representation be received a public hearing will be held.
NOTE: It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly to make a false statement in connection with an application. A person is liable to an unlimited fine on conviction should such a false statement be made.
Dated: 19th May 2026 Shoosmiths LLP
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. DATED: 13 MAY 2026.
LICENSING ACT 2003
APPLICATION FOR VARIATION OF PREMISES LICENCE
Name of applicant: AKILAN VAHEESH Premises: A W Foodhall, 8 Wilton Road, London, SE2 9RH Licensable Activities: To extend the hours for the sale of alcohol for consumption off the premises 06:00 to 02:00. Licensing authority Licensing Partnership (Bexley) Sevenoaks Council, , PO BOX 182, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1GP, licensing@sevenoaks.gov.uk or http://pa.sevenoaks.gov.uk/online-licensing Any person or responsible authority may make representations to the above address no later than 11th June 2026. Any representations must be in writing. It is an offence knowingly or recklessly to make a false statement in connection with an application. The offence is punishable on summary conviction by a fine of any amount.
Transport for London Public Notice
ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984
THE A205 GLA ROAD (UPPER RICHMOND ROAD/ UPPER RICHMOND ROAD WEST, LONDON BOROUGHS OF RICHMOND UPON THAMES AND WANDSWORTH) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF STOPPING) ORDER 2026
1. Transport for London in consultation with the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames hereby gives notice that it intends to make the above named Traffic Order under section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 for the purpose specified in paragraph 2. The effect of the Order is summarised in paragraph 3.
2. The purpose of the Order is to enable drainage works to take place on the A205 GLA Road – Upper Richmond Road/ Upper Richmond Road West in the London Boroughs of Richmond upon Thames and Wandsworth.
3. The effect of the Order will be to prohibit any vehicle from:
(1) stopping on the A205 Upper Richmond Road/ Upper Richmond Road West between its junctions with Grosvenor Gardens and Vine Road;
(2) stopping on Sutherland Gardens between its junction with Upper Richmond Road West and the extended common building line of Nos.1 and 3 Sutherland Gardens;
(3) stopping on Priests Bridge between its junction with Upper Richmond Road West and the extended north-western building line of Nos.12 Priests Bridge;
(4) stopping on Leconfield Avenue between its junction with Upper Richmond Road and the extended south-eastern building line of No.2 Leconfield Avenue.
Works will be phased as such that not all restrictions may apply at any one time.
The Order will be effective between the dates of 8th June 2026 and 8th November 2026 every night 8:00 PM to 5:00 AM 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 traffic signs.
4. The prohibitions will not apply in respect of:
(1) any vehicle being used for the purposes of those works or for fire 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.
Dated this 22nd day of May 2026
Matt Standell
Performance & Planning Manager, Transport for London Palestra, 197 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NJ
Transport for London Public Notice
ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984
THE A4 GLA ROAD (BROMPTON ROAD, ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF STOPPING) ORDER 2026
1. Transport for London hereby gives notice that it has made the above named Traffic Order under section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 for the purpose specified in paragraph 2. The effect of the Order is summarised in paragraph 3.
2. The purpose of the Order is to enable telecommunications works to take place on the A4 GLA Road – Brompton Road in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
3. The effect of the Order will be to prohibit any vehicle from stopping in the Loading bay outside Nos.134 to 136 Brompton Road.
The Order will be effective between 7:00 PM on 22nd May 2026 and 6:00 AM on 23rd May 2026 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 traffic signs.
4. The prohibitions will not apply in respect of:
(1) any vehicle being used for the purposes of those works or for fire 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.
Dated this 22nd day of May 2026
Paul Matthews
Co-ordination Manager, Transport for London Palestra, 197 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NJ
1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to enable new water connection works, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth has made an Order the effect of which will be to temporarily prohibit vehicles from entering or proceeding in that length of Stonhouse Street which lies between a point 2.5 metres south-east of the north-western boundary
2.
and vice versa.
3. The Order will come into force at on 26 May 2026 and continue in force for a maximum duration of one month, to allow for contingencies, or until the works have been completed whichever is the sooner.
Dated 22 May 2026 Ben Stevens Highway Network Manager
LONDON BOROUGH
1.
Notice of application for a Premises Licence.
Notice is hereby given that GrassRoots Padel Ltd has applied to Wandsworth Council for a new premises licence at Wimbledon Park Sports and Athletic Track, Wimbledon Park Road, SW19 7HX for (LICENSABLE ACTIVITIES)
Sale of alcohol (on sales) – Mon to Sun, 11:00–23:00
Regulated Entertainment (plays, films, indoor sporting events, live music, recorded music, performance of dance) – Mon to Sun, 09:00–22:00
Any person who wishes to make a representation in relation to this application must give notice in writing by 5th June 2026 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.
LICENSING ACT 2003
APPLICATION FOR GRANT OF PREMISES LICENCE
Kutka 888 Ltd has applied to the London Borough of Lambeth for the grant of a Premises Licence, in respect of the following premises: Gochu-K Korean Street Food, 252 Coldharbour Lane, London, SW9 8SE which would authorise the following licensable activities:
Sale of alcohol (on and off license)
Monday to Sunday from 11:00am until 22:30
The record of this application may be inspected during normal office hours by an appointment at the Licensing Section, London Borough of Lambeth Town Hall, Basement Room B08 & B09, 1 Brixton Hill, London, SW2 1RW, or via the licensing authority’s website, at www.lambeth.gov.uk/licensing
A responsible authority or any other person may make representation to the licensing authority in respect of this application.
Representations must be made in writing, either by post to the above address, or by email to licensing@lambeth.gov.uk and must be received no later than 08.06.2026
It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with a licensing application, and the maximum fine for which a person is liable on summary conviction for that offence shall not exceed level 5 on the standard scale (£5,000).
LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH
ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14
TEMPORARY TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS – KENWYN ROAD
1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to enable water main repair and maintenance works, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth has made an Order, the effect of which will be to temporarily prohibit vehicles from entering or proceeding in that length of Kenwyn Road which lies between the common boundary of Nos. 36 and 38 Kenwyn Road and the common boundary of Nos. 42 and 44 Kenwyn Road.
2. Alternative routes for affected vehicles will be available via Kenwyn Road, St Luke’s Avenue, Clapham High Street, Tremadoc Road, and Kenwyn Road, or via Kenwyn Road, Tremadoc Road, Clapham High Street, Stonhouse Street, Cresset Street, Clapham Manor Street, Clapham High Street, St Luke’s Avenue and Kenwyn Road.
3. The Order will come into force on 25 May 2026 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 will take 3 weeks to complete.
Dated 22 May 2026 Ben Stevens Highway Network Manager
Notice of Application to apply for a Premises Licence made under the Licensing Act 2003
Please take notice that
Name of Applicant: BUTECO DO DUDA WIMBLEDON LIMITED have made application to the London Borough of Merton to apply for a New Premises Licence in respect of:
Full name postal address of the premises: BUTECO DO DUDA WIMBLEDON, Merton Abbey Mills, 10 Watermill Way, London, SW19 2RD
The application is as follows:
For: Supply of Alcohol-On & Off the Premises: Regulated Entertainment – Plays, Films, Live Music, Recorded Music, Performance of Dance, anything of a similar description to Live Music, Recorded Music, Performance of Dance: LateNight Refreshment-Both Indoors & Outdoors:
Monday to Sunday – 1000hrs to 0200hrs Late-Night Refreshment 23:00hrs to 02:30hrs
A register of all applications made with the London Borough of Merton is maintained by: LICENSING SECTION, LONDON BOROUGH OF MERTON, 2ND FLOOR, CIVIC CENTRE, LONDON ROAD, MORDEN, SURREY, SM4 5DX
A record of this application may be inspected by appointment at Merton Civic Centre. Please email licensing@merton.gov.uk or telephone 020 8545 3969.
It is open to any interested party to make representations about the likely effect of the application on the promotion of the licensing objectives. Representations must be made in writing to the Licensing Section at the office or email address above and be received by the Merton’s Licensing Section within a period of 28 days starting the day after the date shown below.
Note: It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly to make a false statement in connection with an application. A person guilty of such offence is liable on summary conviction to a fine.
Date application given to the Council: 13th May 2026
Section 17 Licensing Act 2003
Premises Licence Application
On May 14th 2026 Derwent London Member Services Limited applied to Westminster City Council for a new premises licence at 10th floor, 25 Baker Street, London, W1U 8EQ
The application seeks to permit the sale by retail of alcohol from 12:00 until 20:30 Monday to Friday.
The premises shall not be open to the public.
Any person who wishes to make a representation in relation to this application must give notice in writing of their representation by June 11th 2026 stating the grounds for making that representation to: Licensing Service, Westminster City Hall, 64 Victoria Street, London SW1E 5QP. The Licensing Authority must receive representations by the date given above and will have regard to any such representation in considering the application.
The application can be viewed online by following the link to the public register at www.westminster.gov.uk/Licensing
It is an offence, under section 158 of the Licensing Act 2003, liable on conviction to an unlimited fine, to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with this application.
DSW Group Consultants to the licensed trade 0203 900 2510 admin@dswgroup.co.uk
LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH
ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14
TEMPORARY TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS – BEEHIVE PLACE
1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to enable new water connection works, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth has made an Order the effect of which will be to temporarily prohibit vehicles from entering or proceeding in that length of Beehive Place which lies between the northeastern flank wall of Nos. 21 to 25 Beehive Place, and the south-western boundary of No. 19 Beehive Place.
2. The Order will come into force at on 26 May 2026 and continue in force for a maximum duration of one 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 take 4 days to complete.
Notice of Application for a New Premises Licence Under Section 17 of the Licensing Act 2003.
Notice is hereby given that Blackheath Super Store Ltd have applied to the London Borough of Lewisham Council for a new premises licence for Best One, 11 Tranquil Vale, Blackheath, London SE3 0BU to permit the sale of alcohol for consumption off the premises from 00.00 (midnight) to 23.59 daily all week. The address of the Licensing Authority where the register is kept and the application may be inspected during normal business hours is the Safer Communities Service (Licensing), Licensing Team, 4th Floor Laurence House (West End) 1 Catford Road, London SE6 4RU or on the Council`s website: www.lewisham.gov.uk
Email: licensing@lewisham.gov.uk
Any representations by any other person or responsible authority must be received in writing by the Licensing Authority by 11th June 2026 stating the nature and grounds for making such representation. It is an offence under Section 158 of the Licensing Act 2003 to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with an application. The maximum fine on summary conviction for this offence is an unlimited fine.
LICENSING ACT 2003
APPLICATION FOR GRANT OF PREMISES LICENCE
Grace & Skye Ltd has applied to the London Borough of Lambeth for the grant of a Premises Licence, in respect of the following premises: Unit 9 Bessemer Park, 250 Milkwood Road, London, SE24 0HG which would authorise the following licensable activities:
Supply of Alcohol (On & Off Sales): Monday to Sunday, 08:00 to 23:00
• Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 08:0023:00
The record of this application may be inspected during normal office hours by an appointment at the Licensing Section, London Borough of Lambeth Town Hall, Basement Room B08 & B09, 1 Brixton Hill, London, SW2 1RW, or via the licensing authority’s website, at www.lambeth.gov.uk/licensing
A responsible authority or any other person may make representation to the licensing authority in respect of this application.
Representations must be made in writing, either by post to the above address, or by email to licensing@lambeth.gov.uk and must be received no later than 15.06.2026
It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with a licensing application, and the maximum fine for which a person is liable on summary conviction for that offence shall not exceed level 5 on the standard scale (£5,000).
LICENSING ACT 2003
SPECIAL TREATMENT LICENSING NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR NEW LICENCE
NOTICE IS GIVEN THAT: Jordan Daley has applied to the London Borough of Lambeth for a SPECIAL TREATMENT LICENCE, to carry out the following treatments: Massage, pressotherapy, light therapy at premise: Recovery Cave, Grapple Zone Clinic, 91 Westminster Bridge Road, SE1 7HR
The record of this application may be inspected during normal office hours by an appointment at the Licensing Section, London Borough of Lambeth Town Hall, Basement Room B08 & B09, 1 Brixton Hill, London, SW2 1RW, or via the licensing authority’s website, at www.lambeth.gov.uk/licensing
A responsible authority or any other person may make representation to the licensing authority in respect of this application.
Representations must be made in writing, either by post to the above address, or by email to licensing@lambeth.gov.uk and must be received no later than 21.06.2026
It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with a licensing application, and the maximum fine for which a person is liable on summary conviction for that offence shall not exceed level 5 on the standard scale (£5,000).
To place a notice in this paper and online, please email hello@cm‐media.co.uk or call us on 020 7232 1639 Deadline is 3pm Wednesday View all public notices and our archive at www.southlondon.co.uk/category/public‐notices/
Dated 22 May 2026
Ben Stevens Highway Network Manager
PUBLIC NOTICE LICENSING ACT 2003
To whom it may concern:
We (1) Lollipop Events Ltd do hereby give notice that we have applied to the Licensing Authority at The London Borough of Bromley for (a new) (2) Premises Licence at: (3) Flamingo Park outdoor terraced area, Sidcup By Pass, Chislehurst, BR7 6HL and known as (4)Cray Wanderers Football Club
The application is to: - (5) Host Chislehurst Rocks family fun day and music festival on one day per year for three years including, sale of alcohol, live and recorded music and the performance of dance. From 11:00 to 21:30
Any person wishing to make representations to this application may do so by writing, stating the grounds of objection to: Licensing, London Borough of Bromley, Churchill Court, 2 Westmoreland Road, Bromley BR1 1AS. Representations may also be sent via email to licensing@bromley.gov.uk not later than Date (6): 10th June 2026
Representations received after this date cannot be considered. All representations MUST BE IN WRITING
A copy of the application can be viewed at the Licensing Authority’s address during normal office hours by appointment; or on the Council’s website: www.bromley.gov.uk (search applications).
It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with this application, the maximum fine on summary of conviction is currently unlimited.
Signed R Harte Applicant / on behalf of the applicant Dated 14th May 2026
LICENSING ACT 2003
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR A PREMISES LICENCE
Take notice that I: Bottlecave Ltd have made an application to Lewisham Council acting as the Licensing Authority, for a New Premises Licence in respect of 20 Sydenham Road, London, SE26 5QW
The details of the application are as follows: The supply of alcohol for consumption OFF the premises from 09:00 to 23:00 Monday to Sunday The supply of alcohol for consumption ON the premises from 11:00 to 21:30 Monday to Sunday
The application and the Licensing Authority’s public register can be inspected at: Lewisham Council, Safer Communities Service, 4th Floor Laurence House, 1 Catford Road, London, SE6 4RU by appointment between Monday to Friday (except on public holidays) and between the hours of 9.00 am to 4.00 pm; or at www.lewisham.gov.uk
The last date by which responsible authorities or other persons may make representations to the Licensing Authority in relation to this application is: 14/06/2026
Any representations must be made in writing to the above address or by emailing licensing@lewisham.gov.uk
It is an offence knowingly or recklessly to make a false statement in connection with an application and the maximum fine for which a person is liable on summary conviction is unlimited.
BOROUGH OF LAMBETH
LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH
Notice Under The Town and Country Planning Acts
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Council is considering applications as set out below under the following categories;
ADV = ADVERTISEMENT CONSENT
FUL = FULL PLANNING PERMISSION
LB = LISTED BUILDING CONSENT
VOC = VARIATION OF CONDITIONS
Written representations should be made within three weeks of the date of this advertisement to the Director of Planning, PO Box 80771, London, SW2 9QQ. 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.
472 -
26/01355/ADV
165 Gleneldon Mews London Lambeth SW16 2AZ Refurbishment of the property, involving conversion of ground floor (Use Class E) into two separated units with new entrance door, and the installation of 3 side windows, together with extension and conversion of the first floor to provide 2 -bed residential unit (Use Class C3), including erection of a gable roof extension incorporating roof lights, plus installation of an external staircase for new entrance door, a rear terrace with privacy screen, the provision of cycle stands and refuse storage. 26/01350/FUL
Telephone
(Please note: The reference number for this Advertisement Consent application is 26/01320/ADV but there is also an associated application for Full Planning Permission related to these works with reference number: 26/01319/FUL) 26/01320/ADV North Street Mews London SW4 0HF Variation of condition 2 (Approved plans) of planning permission ref : 22/02927/FUL (Change of use from vacant commercial units (Use Class B2 / E.g) to 9 new residential units (Use Class C3) and associated works, hard and soft landscaping) granted on 11/04/2024.
Variation sought : - Inclusion of existing windows in the approved drawings - Single bedroom added to Unit 2. - A meter room added into the bin store area.
- Internal alterations to Units 2, 3, 5 - 9, 14 and 19.
- Change of first floor terrace to Unit 7 to a winter garden.
- Increase in height of boundary wall between the Site and 101 North Street by 0.6m. 26/01271/VOC
Upper Ground London SE1 9PZ Change of use of the ground-floor unit at the north-west corner of 76 Upper Ground to incorporate Use Classes E(d) and E(e) alongside existing Use Classes E(a) and E(b), including an alteration to the permitted hours of operation.
26/01334/FUL
13 Lansdowne Way London SW8 1HL Alterations to the shopfront and erection of a single storey rear extension. (Retrospective) 26/01373/FUL
20 Atherfold Road London SW9 9LW Replacement of single-glazed timber sash and timber & uPVC casement windows, front and back, with double-glazed timber sash and timber & uPVC casement windows. 26/01086/FUL 452 - 456 Brixton Road London SW9 8EA Refurbishment and alteration of existing shop front including installation of a new glazed panel in place of existing fire door (left hand side). 26/01354/FUL
St Matthews Church Brixton Hill London Lambeth SW2 1JF Erection of temporary railings around the area to the north of the church building to secure the staircases and basement level entrance area. 26/01381/FUL
25 Lydon Road London SW4 0HP Erection of a rear extension at second floor level, including the replacement of the terrace balustrade and erection of 2 linked rear dormer windows extension, together with the installation of 3 roof lights to the front roofslope.
26/01384/FUL
266 - 270 Brixton Hill London SW2 1HP Replacement of plant on the east elevation of existing Sainsburys store. 26/01178/FUL
14 St Mary's Gardens London Lambeth SE11 4UD Erection of a single storey outbuilding. 26/01305/FUL
58, 60 And 62 Atherfold Road London SW9 9LW Replacement of all existing front & rear windows with white double glazed timber sash and casement windows (58A, 58B, 60A, 60B, 62A, 62B). 26/01298/FUL
52, 54 And 56 Atherfold Road London SW9 9LW Replacement of all existing front & rear windows with white double glazed timber sash and casement windows.
For No.52B, No.54 A&B, No.56B Atherfold Road only. 26/01299/FUL
64, 66 And 68 Atherfold Road London SW9 9LW Replacement of all existing front & rear windows with white double glazed timber sash and casement windows.
For No.64 A&B, No.66 A&B,No.68 A only. 26/01300/FUL
49 Lansdowne Gardens London Lambeth SW8 2EL Erection of a single-storey side extension to replace the existing garage, together with associated external alterations and internal alterations to a Grade II listed dwelling. Including: replacement of uPVC windows with timber sash windows; installation of conservation rooflights; repair and upgrade of flat roofs including replacement of asphalt with lead and parapet upgrades; replacement of uPVC gutters and downpipes with cast iron; repointing in lime mortar; internal alterations including minor reconfiguration of layout; addition of an a/c unit and other associated external alterations. (Please note: The reference number for this Listed Building Consent application is 26/01395/LB but there is also an associated application for Full Planning Permission related to these works with reference number: 26/01004/FUL). 26/01395/LB
75 Knatchbull Road London Lambeth SE5 9QU Demolition of conservatory and installation of french doors with sidelights to the rear extension; the installation of veranda to the front elevation; the provision of cycle and metal bin storage; the replacement of fence panels with timber fence panels on retained posts including new access gate to rear garden; the replacement of the side gate for a like for like wooden gate; the installation of a side metal railing fence, and landscaping to rear garden. 26/01117/FUL
44A Portland Grove London Lambeth SW8 1JG Erection of a single storey ground floor rear/side infill extension. 26/01351/FUL
279 Rosendale Road London SE24 9EJ Variation of conditions 2 (Approved Plans), 3 (Construction Environmental Management Plan), 4 (contamination), 5 (sustainable design and construction), 6 (sustainability statement), 7 (overheating assessment), 8 (water saving), 9 (surface water drainage), 11(materials), 12 (external construction detailing), 13 (acoustic impact), 14 (glazing and mechanical ventilation), 15 (noise levels), 16 (sound insulation), 17 (sound insulation), 18 (landscaping), 19 (green roofs/walls), 20 (above ground planting), 21 (above ground planting), 22 (Fire Strategy, 25 (Urban Greening Factor) and 31 (Secured by Design) of planning permission 22/03635/FUL (Retention and restoration of front facade; demolition of buildings behind; the erection of a part two, four and five-storey building to provide 23 residential dwellings, commercial space on the ground floor [Use Class E(e) or E(f)], communal amenity space, cycle parking, and hard and soft landscaping; and other associated development.), granted on 19.12.2023.
Variations sought:
Amendments to ensure the approved development can be delivered in a practical, compliant and viable manner following detailed technical review and progression towards implementation. The changes principally relate to buildability, fire safety, accessibility, updated servicing arrangements, refinement of layouts, revised roof plant and lift overrun arrangements, updated landscaping, drainage and sustainability measures, together with minor elevational and material amendments. Variations to conditions are sought to reflect the amended drawings and updated technical information submitted with this application, while retaining the overall scale, design approach and policy compliance of the approved scheme. 26/01295/VOC
Restormel House Chester Way London SE11 4UU Replacement of existing timber windows and doors with new slimline double glazed timber units. 26/01310/FUL
1 Highland Road London Lambeth SE19 1DP Erection of a single storey ground floor rear extension and reconfiguration of the property to retain two self contained residential units. 26/00950/FUL 44 Orlando Road London Lambeth SW4 0LF Excavation/extension to the basement with front/rear lightwells including staircases and metal railings, erection of a three-storey side extension, erection of a single storey ground floor rear and side infill extension, together with erection of two rear dormers and one front roof light, plus the installation of a timber gate to the front elevation. 26/01214/FUL
Dated 22/05/2026
Rob Bristow
Director - Planning and Sustainability
Growth and Environment Directorate
1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth, intends to make The Lambeth (Free Parking Places, Loading Places and Waiting, Loading and Stopping Restrictions) (Amendment No. **) Order 202* and The Lambeth (ChargedFor Parking Places) (Amendment No. **) Order 202* under sections 6, 45, 46, 49 and 124 of and Part IV of Schedule 9 to the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, as amended.
2. The general effect of the Free Parking Places, Loading Places and Waiting, Loading and Stopping Restrictions Order would be to extend timed waiting restrictions in certain lengths of the streets specified in Schedule 1 to this Notice.
3. The general effect of the Charged-For Parking Places Order would be to reduce in length:(a) the Residents Permit Parking Place adjacent No. 14 Southwell Road; (b) the Shared Use, Permit or Charged-For, Parking Places in the lengths of streets specified in Schedule 2 to this Notice.
4. The Orders are necessary to reduce the lengths of certain Parking Places to facilitate the installation of vehicle crossover points.
5. If you have any enquiries, please telephone Lambeth Council’s Parking Design Team on 020 7926 6799 or email cpzconsultation@lambeth.gov.uk
6. A copy of each of the proposed Orders and other documents giving detailed particulars about them are available for inspection online at: https://streets.appyway.com/lambeth or www.lambeth.gov.uk/traffic-management-orders and at the offices of Lambeth Council’s Parking, Network Management & Fleet, 3rd Floor, Civic Centre, 6 Brixton Hill, London SW2 1EG, between 9.30 am and 4.30 pm on Mondays to Fridays, except on bank or public holidays. To arrange inspection please email trafficorders@lambeth.gov.uk.
7. All objections and other representations relating to the proposed Order must be made in writing and all objections must specify the grounds on which they are made (quoting reference “188 Vehicle Crossovers – Batch 9”), and can be made using our consultation portal at https://streets.appyway.com/lambeth or sent by post to Parking, Network Management & Fleet, London Borough of Lambeth PO Box 80771, London, SW2 9QQ or by email to TMOReps@lambeth.gov.uk within 21 days from the date on which this Notice is published. Any objection may be communicated to, or seen by, other persons who may have an interest in this matter.
Dated 22 May 2026
Ben Stevens Highways Network Manager
SCHEDULE 1
Angles Road, adjacent No. 95 Sunnyhill Road; Babington Road, adjacent No. 85; Madeira Road, adjacent No. 72; Pendennis Road, adjacent No. 100; Southwell Road, adjacent No. 14; Thirlmere Road, adjacent No. 16
SCHEDULE 2
Angles Road, adjacent No. 95 Sunnyhill Road; Babington Road, adjacent No. 85; Madeira Road, adjacent No. 72; Pendennis Road, adjacent No. 100; Thirlmere Road, adjacent No. 16
LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH REMOVAL OF PARKING PLACES IN VARIOUS ROADS
(This notice is about proposals to remove certain parking places to enable the installation of vehicle crossover points.)
1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth, intends to make The Lambeth (Free Parking Places, Loading Places and Waiting, Loading and Stopping Restrictions) (Amendment No. **) Order 202* and The Lambeth (ChargedFor Parking Places) (Amendment No. **) Order 202* under sections 6, 45, 46, 49 and 124 of and Part IV of Schedule 9 to the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, as amended.
2. The general effect of the Free Parking Places, Loading Places and Waiting, Loading and Stopping Restrictions Order would be to extend timed waiting restrictions in certain lengths of the streets specified in the Schedule to this Notice.
3. The general effect of the Charged-For Parking Places Order would be to reduce in length the Shared Use, Permit or Charged-For Parking Places in the lengths of the streets specified in the Schedule to this Notice.
4. The Orders are necessary to reduce the lengths of certain Parking Places to facilitate the installation of vehicle crossover points.
5. If you have any enquiries, please telephone Lambeth Council’s Parking Design Team on 020 7926 6799 or email cpzconsultation@lambeth.gov.uk
6. A copy of each of the proposed Orders and other documents giving detailed particulars about them are available for inspection online at: https://streets.appyway.com/lambeth or www.lambeth gov uk/traffic-management-orders and at the offices of Lambeth Council’s Parking, Network Management & Fleet, 3rd Floor, Civic Centre, 6 Brixton Hill, London SW2 1EG, between 9.30 am and 4.30 pm on Mondays to Fridays, except on bank or public holidays. To arrange inspection please email trafficorders@lambeth.gov.uk.
7. All objections and other representations relating to the proposed Order must be made in writing and all objections must specify the grounds on which they are made (quoting reference “189 Vehicle Crossovers – Batch 8”), and can be made using our consultation portal at https://streets.appyway.com/lambeth or sent by post to Parking, Network Management & Fleet, London Borough of Lambeth, PO Box 80771, London, SW2 9QQ or by email to TMOReps@lambeth.gov.uk within 21 days from the date on which this Notice is published. Any objection may be communicated to, or seen by, other persons who may have an interest in this matter.
Dated 22 May 2026
Ben Stevens Highways Network Manager SCHEDULE
Ivyday Grove, adjacent No. 26; Mount Ephraim Lane, adjacent No. 41; Turney Road, adjacent No. 18.
PUBLIC NOTICE LICENSING ACT 2003
To whom it may concern:
I / We Vinay Naik do hereby give notice that we have applied to the Licensing Authority at The London Borough of Bromley for (a new) Premises Licence at: 40b, The Walnuts, Orpington, BR6 0TW
The application is to:
Casual dining venue offering alcoholic/nonalcoholic beverages, food service, entertainment activities, and live sports screening.
Proposed License hours:
Sunday - Thursday: 08:00 - 23:30 Friday - Saturday: 08:00 - 00:30
Any person wishing to make representations to this application may do so by writing, stating the grounds of objection to: Licensing, London Borough of Bromley, Churchill Court, 2 Westmoreland Road, Bromley BR1 1AS. Representations may also be sent via email to licensing@bromley.gov.uk not later than Date: 10th June 2026
Representations received after this date cannot be considered. All representations MUST BE IN WRITING
A copy of the application can be viewed at the Licensing Authority’s address during normal office hours by appointment; or on the Council’s website: www.bromley.gov.uk (search applications). It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with this application, the maximum fine on summary of conviction is currently unlimited.
Signed Vinay Naik Applicant / on behalf of the applicant
Dated 14th May 2026
3.
1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to enable water utility maintenance and repair works, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth intends to make an Order the effect of which would be to temporarily prohibit vehicles from entering or proceeding in that length of Knatchbull Road which lies between the common
APPLICATION FOR PREMISES LICENCE UNDER THE LICENSING ACT 2003 *
Statement of the relevant licensable activities which it is proposed will be carried on or from the premises:
Sale Of Alcohol ( On and Off License _ –Monday to Sunday from 10:00 Am Until 22:00
Name of Applicant: Opan Café Ltd
Full postal address of premises: Opan Café 204 London Road London, CR0 2TE
Postal address of local authority where register of applications is kept for general viewing: London Borough of Croydon, Sustainable Communities Department, Licensing Team, 3rd Floor, Zone B, Bernard Weatherill House, 8 Mint Walk, Croydon, CR0 1EA
Application details can be viewed upon appointment at Access Croydon Reception, Bernard Weatherill House, between 9 a.m. & 3.45 p.m., Monday to Friday (except bank holidays), or online via www.croydon.gov.uk
If you wish to make any representations in relation to this application, please do so in writing, within 28 days from the date of this notice to: Sustainable Communities Department, Licensing Team, 3rd Floor, Zone B, Bernard Weatherill House, 8 Mint Walk, Croydon, CR0 1EA Or email Licensing@croydon.gov.uk
It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with an application. The maximum fine on summary conviction for such an offence is unlimited.
Date of this notice:14/05/2026
Notice of application for a Premises Licence.
Notice is hereby given that ROMEO BR LTD has applied to Wandsworth Council for a new premises licence at Nami Sushi Bar, Unit 9 Tooting Market, 21-23 Tooting High Street, London, SW17 0RH for Sale of Alcohol –Consumption On & Off the Premises – Monday to Sunday - 10:00hrs to 23:00hrs
Any person who wishes to make a representation in relation to this application must give notice in writing by 17th June 2026 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
LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH
Notice Under The Local Government Act 1972 s.123 (2A) (as amended)
Notice of intention to dispose of Open Space NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to Section 123 (2A) of the Local Government Act 1972 (the Act) that the Mayor and Burgesses of
The London Borough of Lambeth (hereinafter called the Council) intends to grant a lease for a term of up to ten years of Norwood Park Kiosk, 4 Salter’s Hill, West Norwood, London, SE19 1DZ.
The site will used as a café.
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 TEMPORARY TRAFFIC AND PARKING RESTRICTIONS IN CONNECTION WITH BROCKWELL LIVE EVENT 2026 – BROCKWELL PARK Notice is hereby given that further to the Notices published 24 April 2026, 1 May 2026 and 15 May 2026 there were added the following restrictions to the following lengths of streets.
1. Extend the hours of operation of Resident Parking Places and Waiting Restrictions to 9.00 am to 9.00 pm in Burbage Road, between its junctions with Half Moon Lane and Giant Arches Road; Half Moon Lane, between Norwood Road and Holmdene Avenue.
2. Suspension of Charged-For Parking Places in Burbage Road, between its junctions with Half Moon Lane and Giant Arches Road; Half Moon Lane, between Norwood Road and Holmdene Avenue; Warmington Road; Winterbrook Road.
3. For the words Rollscourt Road there were substituted Rollscourt Avenue.
Dated May 2026 Ben Stevens Highway Network Manager
LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH
Notice Under The Local Government Act 1972 s.123 (2A) (as amended)
Notice of intention to dispose of Open Space NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to Section 123 (2A) of the Local Government Act 1972 (the Act) that the Mayor and Burgesses of The London Borough of Lambeth (hereinafter called the Council) intends to grant a lease for a term of up to twelve years of the Woodlands Café, Clapham Common, The Avenue, SW4 9AZ. The site will used as a café.
A plan showing the location of the area of the land to be leased in line with the above proposal may be viewed at Lambeth Town Hall, 1 Brixton Hill, London SW2 1RW Any objections to this proposal must be made in writing by 12th June 2026 to the Assistant Director of Valuation & Strategic Assets, Regeneration, Property & Assets, London Borough of Lambeth, P.O. Box 80771, London, SW2 9QQ or via email to VASA@lambeth.gov.uk
A plan showing the location of the area of the land to be leased in line with the above proposal may be viewed at Lambeth Town Hall, 1 Brixton Hill, London SW2 1RW
Any objections to this proposal must be made in writing by 12th June 2026 to the Assistant Director of Valuation & Strategic Assets, Regeneration, Property & Assets, London Borough of Lambeth, P.O. Box 80771, London, SW2 9QQ or via email to VASA@lambeth.gov.uk
LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH
Notice Under The Local Government Act 1972 s.123 (2A) (as amended)
Notice of intention to dispose of Open Space NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to Section 123 (2A) of the Local Government Act 1972 (the Act) that the Mayor and Burgesses of The London Borough of Lambeth (hereinafter called the Council) intends to grant a lease for a term of up to 10 years of the Vauxhall Park Former Storage Building, Vauxhall Park, Fentiman Road, London, SW8 1PU. The site will used as a Nursery.
A plan showing the location of the area of the land to be leased in line with the above proposal may be viewed at Lambeth Town Hall, 1 Brixton Hill, London SW2 1RW
Any objections to this proposal must be made in writing by 12th June 2026 to the Assistant Director of Valuation & Strategic Assets, Regeneration, Property & Assets, London Borough of Lambeth, P.O. Box 80771, London, SW2 9QQ or via email to VASA@lambeth.gov.uk
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By Graham Hardcastle at Headingley
SURREY HEAD coach Gareth Batty said it was a “surprise” that his side were “comprehensively beaten” as Yorkshire completed a notable innings and 127-run Rothesay County Championship victory by claiming their last five wickets just before lunch on day four at Headingley on Monday.
Surrey started the day on 83-5 in their second innings, trailing by 199, and they quickly lost overnight duo Dom Sibley for 34 and left-handed Josh Blake for nineteen.
From there, the writing was on the wall as Surrey, bowled out for 155, slipped to their first defeat in six Division One matches this season.
Yorkshire claimed 23 points for their second win in six, with Surrey taking only two points.
This was also Surrey’s first innings defeat in the Championship since late May 2024, when they were beaten by Hampshire at the Utilita Bowl.
Sibley was actually dropped at leg slip in the day’s first full over off Jack White before he edged departing Australian Test quick Jhye Richardson to second slip in the next, where Harry Brook took a sharp catch going to his left.
White then trapped Blake lbw pushing forwards, leaving Surrey at 90-7 in the 32nd over, the day’s third full over.
And shortly afterwards, he bowled Jordan Clark with one that shot through low. In fairness to Clark, he could do little about it. White finished with three for 27 from eleven overs.
Sean Abbott and Matthew Fisher added a consolatory 25 for the ninth wicket, and the latter was even struck a nasty blow to the helmet by a Matthew Revis bouncer. Two balls later, he edged the same bowler to first slip - 120-9.
Abbott, 33 not out, and last man Dan Worrall added 35 more before the latter had his off-stump uprooted by George Hill, who struck for the first time in the innings and the fifth time in the match.
This was the last game of Richardson’s early-season overseas spell with Yorkshire. He took a wicket in each innings.
SURREY SENT PACKING BEFORE LUNCH
By James Lockett
THE LONDON Olympians head coach Riq Ayub believes the side are “heading in the right direction” after they responded to an opening-day defeat with consecutive victories on the road to move to 2-1 for the year ahead of their first home game of the campaign.
After suffering a tough loss away to divisional rivals East Kent Mavericks in their season opener, the O’s bounced back in emphatic fashion with a 25-0 shutout win over the Essex Tridents before following it up with another impressive performance against long-time rivals Kent Exiles.
The latest victory came in Orpington, where the Olympians secured a 31-14 win in what was expected to be one of their toughest match-ups of the early season.
The two sides know each other well
After first-innings centuries for Adam Lyth (141) and captain Jonny Bairstow (120) underpinned Yorkshire’s 486 all out, this was a real team effort with the ball from the hosts, who bounced back impressively from defeat against Warwickshire at Edgbaston last week. While Yorkshire have now won two, lost two and drawn two, Surrey have won one, lost one and drawn four. Surrey - bowled out for 204 and 155 in reply to 486 - just had no one who could match the excellence of Lyth and Bairstow with the bat and the ruthlessness of their seamers with the
ball.
Abbott was their top-scorer in both innings from number nine, having posted 56 in the first innings.
“We wasted opportunities in the game to make it harder for Yorkshire. Credit to them, they took their opportunities, and we were comprehensively beaten,” Batty said.
“It has surprised me, purely because we prepared pretty well and we obviously don’t play to make some of the mistakes that we did. It’s always a surprise when you get beaten as well as that.
“It’s a bit of a shot across the bow to us.
By Ben Kosky at The Kia Oval
SURREY SKIPPER Kira Chathli returned to the side with her highest score of this year’s Metro Bank One Day Cup to secure victory against Lancashire at The Kia Oval last weekend.
Chathli, who sat out the previous Tuesday’s win over Essex, struck an unbeaten 88 from 101 balls, while Australian all-rounder Maitlan Brown signed off her stint at Surrey with 62 from 74 as the pair added 134 from 154 for the fifth wicket.
Earlier, Brown’s efforts of 3-46 with the ball – in tandem with leg-spinner Dani Gregory’s 3-42 – helped restrict the visitors to 246-9, built around Eve Jones’ third halfcentury of the tournament.
The Lancashire opener top-scored with 69, sharing a partnership of 70 from 86 with Grace Johnson, but it was not enough to stave off the holders’ third consecutive defeat.
“Our openers did a great job, to be honest, they swung the momentum early and it really set us up nicely,” Brown said. “Losing a couple of wickets meant the momentum swung in their favour so it was really important for Kira and I to focus on a partnership, look to build and take it as deep as we could.
“Kira did so well with the bat. We tried not to feel the pressure, we had so much time and we knew if we could stay in, it’s a great wicket and outfield here.
“It’s part of being a professional sportsperson that you have to look in the mirror and realise where you’ve got things wrong and you make corrections.
That’s our job even when we win.
“Sometimes that distance between games is a good thing and sometimes a bad thing. In this instance, at the end of a six-game block, it’s not a bad thing that we can regroup and go again in two or three weeks.“
Both counties now turn their attentions to the start of the Vitality Blast on Friday.
Surrey face Lancashire Lightning at The Kia Oval (6.30pm).
their lead to 9-0 by half-time.
“It was definitely nice to finish off my stint at Surrey with a win and I’m super proud of the girls. My main goal was to come off the field knowing I’d had fun and found joy in the day and it’s pretty cool to succeed in that.
“I’ve honestly had a great time and I’m super grateful to the group. I’m definitely going to miss them – we’ve got so many talented players and I can’t wait to watch them from afar and cheer them on back home.
“The girls are on a really exciting trajectory. I’m looking forward to seeing what they do the rest of the season and hopefully I can come back again next year.”
Surrey are next in One Day Cup action against The Blaze in Beckenham on Saturday, June 13 (10.30am).
from previous battles in the Premiership, while the Olympians coaching staff has also been strengthened this season by coach Nanna Pratt, who previously spent several years with the Exiles before returning to the maroon and white.
Having started the season with three consecutive games on the road, the
Olympians knew another physical test awaited them and the game quickly developed into a fiercely contested encounter.
The O’s defence delivered two huge early stops which allowed Owen Tuthill to open the scoring with a field-goal, before the visitors gradually extended
Kent responded strongly after the break with a touchdown to close the gap, but the Olympians immediately swung momentum back in their favour when Babs Falode returned the ensuing kickoff the length of the field for a touchdown on the very next play.
Angel Garcia also produced one of the standout moments of the afternoon on defence with a pick return of more than 50 yards, as the Olympians pulled away to secure a comfortable 31-14 victory.
That result followed an equally dominant display the previous week against Essex, where quarter-back Brandon Fields led the offence effectively and the defence recorded interceptions through Garcia and Malachi Slue, while Scott O’Donnell added a fumble recovery in the shutout win.
The Olympians now sit second in the division behind East Kent Mavericks and will finally kick off their home campaign
after opening the season with three straight away fixtures.
“I think we’re heading in the right direction and I’m proud of how the team has responded following the loss against the Mavericks,” Ayub said.
“We’ve since put together two very strong performances and shown what this group can be capable of on both sides of the ball.“At the same time, there’s still a great deal of work to do if we want to achieve our ultimate goal of winning a championship and we can’t afford to take our foot off the gas as our home fixtures begin.”
The Olympians return to action this Sunday when they host Essex Tridents at Blackheath Rugby Club in the return fixture, with the club encouraging local people to come down, support the team and enjoy a family-friendly day of high-quality American football in south London. The contest at Blackheath Rugby Club (SE9 6TE) starts at 2pm
Photo by Allan McKenzie/SWPix
Jack White celebrates the dismissal of Josh Blake
The visitors scramble for possession
BLUES BOSS: HATO BE TO A PENALTY
Chelsea denied as Antoine Semenyo wins FA Cup for City
By Paul Green at Wembley
CALUM MCFARLANE felt Chelsea were denied a penalty in their 1-0 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley and added his side “gave everything” to try to bring the trophy back to West London.
Interim Blues boss McFarlane had few complaints about Chelsea’s defending for City’s winning goal from Antoine Semenyo.
The January arrival from Bournemouth settled the tie with a deft flick midway through the second half to close another opportunity for the Pensioners to secure European football next season.
McFarlane now has two Premier League games against Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday and Sunderland next Sunday to avoid the embarrassment of missing out on continental action.
And although his under-performing charges did compete well with City for long periods, ultimately they were undone by Semeyo’s moment of magic.
Asked if more could have been done to prevent the goal, McFarlane replied: “Not personally for me. We hold the line really well.
“Semenyo goes into an offside position, the ball is meant for him.
“Bernardo [Silva] is trying to slide Semenyo in, [Erling] Haaland reads it, gets onto the ball, we make him play an awkward right-foot cross under pressure, Semenyo finishes from outside the line of the front post under pressure.
“For me it is a one in a hundred goal. It is a really low executed goal so for me no, there isn’t much we can do in that moment to defend it better.”
Chelsea had a couple of decent penalty shouts ignored by referee Darren England and VAR, notably when Jorrel Hato went to ground under a challenge from Abdukodir Khusanov.
It was the second week in a row the Blues had been denied a spot-kick following the previous weekend’s 1-1 draw against Liverpool at Anfield which saw no VAR involvement following a tackle by Jeremie Frimpong on Joao Pedro.
McFarlane added: “I thought it was an evenly matched game. Both teams had moments of control. Both teams had momentum at different times.
Dons chief expects busy summer
By Shane Stapleton
AFC WIMBLEDON director of football Craig Cope is expecting “a fairly big window” of summer business as strengthening the Dons’ defence is one of the main priorities.
Johnnie Jackson’s side secured League One football for next season after winning 1-0 at Wigan Athletic on the second-last weekend of the 2025-26 campaign.
Cope revealed they had set a points target of 48 ahead of their first season back in the third tier. Jackson’s side finished on 53 points.
The Dons have taken up year options to extend the deals of Kai Jennings, Aron Sasu, Myles Hippolyte and Jake Reeves.
Cope and Jackson had a shorter window to prepare for their return to League One as their season extended to the play-off final win against Walsall on May 26 last year.
“With the experience we have in the league now and the players out of contract and leaving the football club, we know where we would like to
recruit,” Cope said. “There's going to be some defenders coming in for definite. This window, as things stand, is going to be a fairly big window in terms of incomings and potentially some outgoings.
“We've set out how we want to play, which won't change too much from what we're doing currently. We're just trying to look to evolve it. We know what type of player and profile we want to evolve to, but it will still be a Wimbledon team out on that pitch every week, regardless of how we make slight tactical changes to how we're going to play.”
Wimbledon have offered new deals to Calum Maycock, Steve Seddon and Harry Sidwell.
Cope added: “We hope to have an answer sooner rather than later on those, and we hope we can move forward either way with those. I think there's a desire from the players to get something done and to stay at Wimbledon. They've thoroughly enjoyed their time here, and there's obviously a desire from the Club to deliver that as well.”
“They are two really good sides. I’ve got a lot of respect for Manchester City and what they’ve done over their last period of success, so congratulations to them first.
“It was a disappointing result but a very evenly matched game. In terms of the penalty incidents I thought they are tough calls but for me the Jorrel Hato and Khusanov collision in the box is a penalty.
“Jorrel gets in front and it is a collision
in the back. If that is anywhere else on the pitch it is a foul, very similar to last week at Liverpool with Joao Pedro and Frimpong,
“I said that was a penalty as well so sometimes you get them, sometimes you don’t.”
Despite the defeat and the growing fear Chelsea might miss out on European football, McFarlane still believes there are plenty of positives for next season, with
The January signing from AFC Bournemouth sends the winner past Robert Sanchez
former Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso set to be announced soon as the latest SW6 gaffer.
“It’s a really talented group,” explained the interim coach.
“There is lots of quality in that group. The fight and heart has been questioned at times, but the last two performances I don’t think you can question that.
“They gave everything today to try and win that trophy for the club.”
Jenkinson departs Hayes Lane
By John Kelly
BROMLEY HAVE confirmed that former Arsenal defender Carl Jenkinson will leave the club this summer as the Ravens announced their retained list following their historic promotion to League One. Jenkinson, 34, joined on a free transfer in September 2024 but injuries restricted him to just sixteen league appearances, eleven of which were starts.
His last appearance was in a 1-1 draw at Grimsby in March.
Skipper Byron Webster, who won the Football League Trophy, National League play-offs and League Two title during his six years at Hayes Lane, also departs this summer.
The club have triggered one-year options on Grant Smith, Ashley Charles, Omar Sowunmi, Corey Whitely and Marcus Ifill. Dillon Addai, George Evans and Freddie Taylor will also stay at Bromley.
The Ravens continue talks with Jude Arthurs and Idris Odutayo.
© David Klein/Sportimage
Carl Jenkinson, left, on his last Bromley appearance
By John Kelly
MILLWALL HAVE taken up an option to extend Ryan Leonard’s deal for a further twelve months as the Lions announced their retained list after the conclusion of the 2025-26 season.
Danny McNamara is leaving SE16 after twelve years, and the club confirmed that Joe Bryan, Wes Harding and Massimo Luongo would also be departing this summer.
Millwall are continuing contract talks with Billy Mitchell, Joel Coleman and Ronnie Sandford.
Loanees Anthony Patterson, Will Smallbone, Thierno Ballo and Tommy Watson have returned to their parent clubs.
Leonard fell short of triggering another year based on appearances this season, but his camp always felt the Lions would take up the option.
A source close to Leonard told this paper that the player was “chuffed and relieved” to have another twelve months at The Den. Millwall had until this Saturday to exercise the option.
Leonard joined the Lions from Sheffield United initially as a midfielder in the summer of 2018. He became a valuable versatile member of the squad, playing in the centre of defence, number ten and right wing-back. Leonard, who turns 34 on May 24, has been a right-back in recent seasons and with McNamara departing will be providing competition in that position next season.
Leonard knows his minutes could be limited in 2026-27 but he spoke to boss Alex Neil this week and there was a clear understanding of his future role.
Left-back Bryan, 32, joined Millwall on a free transfer in the summer of 2023. He made 90 appearances for the club and scored three goals. Injuries limited the former Fulham defender to 21 appearances this season. Harding, 29, was a free-transfer signing from Rotherham United in the summer of 2023. He played 45 games for the club and scored three goals.
LIONS RELEASE RETAINED LIST
Neil: ‘We’ll be back’
By Will Scott
ALEX NEIL insisted Millwall will be back after falling short in the play-off semi-finals against Hull City.
The Lions were beaten 2-0 at The Den in the second leg on Monday, May 11, three days after a goalless first leg at the MKM Stadium.
Mohamed Belloumi struck after halftime, then Joe Gelhardt doubled the visitors’ lead following a quick counterattack.
The defeat brought Millwall’s season to an end and extended the club’s wait for a first second-tier play-off final appearance.
Still, the campaign marked significant progress for the Lions, who reached the second-tier play-offs for the first time since 2002 and secured their highest finish at the level since 1994 after placing third.
Club take up option on Lenny as senior players released
Millwall also confirmed their retained list
George Beaumont, Elias Mansor, Caleb Redhead and Harry Taylor have had options triggered to stay.
Archie Kirby, Jayden Tektas, Jaydon Thomas-Smith, Sacha Tsugita Vieira and Freddie Freedman have all been offered professional contracts.
Despite the disappointment, Neil backed Millwall to challenge again next season.
“It feels sore just now,” Neil told MillwallTV. “You feel as if, naturally, you’ve let people down. That’s the overriding emotion. I’m not going to shy away from that.
“Maybe on a bit of reflection, I’ll feel a little bit different, but certainly at the moment, when you’ve got so many people’s futures and so many people’s careers and that in your hands and you’re trying to nurture and develop and help and all that sort of stuff, it’s not a nice feeling when you fall short.
“But we’ll come back. I’ve got no doubts about that.”
Neil added: “We don’t know what’s going to happen with the squad across the summer and different things. I’m sure there’ll be a lot of interest in our players and different bits like that.
“This is not the time to talk about that, but we’re certainly going to have to regroup as a team and take what’s happened today on the chin. Let’s see where we land come the start of next season, and let’s get after it again.”
Cambridge would ‘love’ Adam Mayor return
By Will Scott
CAMBRIDGE UNITED director of football Mark Bonner revealed the club would “love” to re-sign Adam Mayor after the winger impressed during a season-long loan spell with the U’s.
Mayor, 21, joined Cambridge and former Millwall boss Neil Harris last summer and played a key role in their promotion campaign, making 34 appearances in all competitions and scoring three goals as the club secured an immediate return to League One with a third-placed finish.
The winger returned to SE16 after Cambridge’s final game of the season on May 2, but Bonner admitted the club are keen to bring him back ahead of the upcoming campaign.
“Adam is a really good example of one that we’d love to add,” Bonner told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire’s The U’s Show.
“He’s young, he’s of high-asset
value, and he could go again because he’s only 22.
“So he’s one we’d love to try to add, but at the same time, there will be a lot of people interested in him.
“We’ll have to see whether we can add him or not.”
Mayor joined Millwall from Morecambe in January 2024 and made four Championship appearances off the bench during his first campaign at The Den.
He suffered a hamstring injury that summer, which ruled him out of most of the first half of the 2024-25 season.
Alex Neil handed Mayor his first senior start for the Lions in an FA Cup Third Round tie against Dagenham & Redbridge in January, before the winger joined League Two side Bromley on loan later that month, where he made seventeen league appearances.
Mayor made one appearance for Millwall last season, replacing Joe Bryan at left-back at half-time in a 2-0 EFL Cup win over Coventry City.
Luongo, 33, joined on a free transfer from Ipswich Town last summer and made eleven appearances before a cruciate ligament injury ended his season in October.
in the academy.
Frankie Baker, Jaiden CelestineCharles, Ben Drake, Jet Dyer, Dean Forbes and Oliver Whitby have been released.
In the under-18s, Caspar Lindner, Harvey Whiteman, William Wright and Kane Dixon have been released.
Ryan Leonard made 28 appearances in all competitions this season.
Photo by Robbie Hoad/Every Second Media
Photo by Malcolm Fell/Focus Images Limited
Adam Mayor in action for Cambridge United
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EAGLES BOSS REVEALS FINAL DAY PLANS
Palace face Arsenal three days before first-ever European final
By John Kelly
CRYSTAL PALACE boss Oliver
Glasner has explained why he won’t heavily rotate his side for their last Premier League game of the season against Arsenal despite the Eagles’ Europa Conference League final taking place just three days later.
Palace face Mikel Arteta’s Gunners at Selhurst Park on Sunday before travelling to Leipzig to take on Spanish La Liga side Rayo Vallecano the following Wednesday.
There is little for either side to play for on the final day of the Premier League campaign. Palace can finish between fourteenth and sixteenth. Arteta’s side were confirmed as this season’s champions after Manchester City could only draw 1-1 at Bournemouth on Tuesday evening.
Glasner was asked about his plans for the Arsenal clash after last weekend’s 2-2 draw at Brentford.
“I was travelling a lot because I watched Vallecano in Valencia on Thursday, so I had many hours on a plane and in a hotel, and I thought about it,” Glasner said. “I want to stop this talking.
“So we won’t rotate a lot. Yes, we will maybe make more and earlier substitutions, maybe after 60, 70
minutes latest, maybe one or two at half-time if that’s possible, but everything else we won’t do.”
Glasner is dealing with potential injury problems. Chadi Riad and Chris Richards picked up knocks against the Bees, the latter hobbling off after coming on in the 61st minute.
Another centre-back, Maxence Lacroix, also had an issue but Glasner was positive the trio would be fit for the final.
"I think Riad is no issue, just cramping,” Glasner said. “Maxence, I think is not a problem. Chris, I don't know, I think his ankle is quite swollen so let's see. We have one week until the Arsenal game and ten days until the final so I think he will be available."
Adam Wharton scored his first goal for Palace to put the side 2-1 up at the Gtech Community Stadium after Dango Ouattara had levelled following Ismaila Sarr’s opener.
Ouattara scored a second equaliser with two minutes left.
Glasner added: “We played midweek, Brentford only play weekends, it was a fantastic performance and I'm really pleased with the mentality of this group. We want to keep our standard high against Arsenal. We have to manage the minutes and this is how we will go into the last ten days."
By Will Scott
BOYHOOD MILLWALL fan Danny McNamara will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of June.
McNamara, 27, spent twelve years with the Lions, making 166 firstteam appearances.
Born in Sidcup, McNamara joined the Lions’ academy as a fifteen-yearold and, after working his way up through the age groups, signed his first professional deal in 2017.
Gary Rowett handed McNamara his debut in the FA Cup against Boreham Wood in January 2021 before he made his league debut against Bournemouth three days later.
The former Irish under-21 international made fifteen appearances last season before a serious knee injury in January ended his campaign.
He made seventeen appearances in all competitions after returning to fitness last November. He confirmed on Instagram last week that he would leave the club this summer.
“After twelve unforgettable years, the time has come for me to say goodbye to Millwall FC,” he wrote.
“From joining the club at fifteen years old, to having the privilege of pulling on the shirt and representing the team I’ve supported all my life, it’s been a journey I could only ever have dreamed of. To play for my club has been one of the greatest honours of my life and something I will forever be proud of.
“I want to say a huge thank you to the chairman, all of the coaching staff, my team-mates past and present, and everyone behind the scenes who have helped and supported me throughout my time here. Most importantly, thank you to the fans. Your support, passion and loyalty make this club truly special, and I’ve loved every minute of being part of it.
“Millwall FC will always hold a very special place in my heart, and I’ll always be grateful for the memories, friendships and experiences I leave with.
“Once a Lion, always a Lion. Love youse.”
© Focus Images Limited/Ben Peters