We are a London Living Wage employer
DO YOU HAVE A STORY for our news team? Call 0207 231 5258 You can WhatsApp us on 07494 070 863.
LOSS OF BOTH POLICE STATIONS COULD BE ‘TERRIFYING’ SAYS COUNCILLOR
By Harrison Galliven Local Democracy Reporter
MERTON COUNCILLORS have warned that the borough’s reputation as one of London’s safest could be at risk if either Wimbledon or Mitcham police stations were closed.
Labour Councillor Gill Manly warned the council chamber: “Losing either station would put that safety at risk; losing both is potentially terrifying.”
In an extraordinary council meeting on September 17, councillors debated the future of the borough’s remaining police stations, both of which have had the threat of total closure hanging over them for years. The debate comes a month after the Met Police confirmed plans to close the front counters at both stations, as part of cost cutting that will see 18 front counters lost.
Recent figures show over 900 crimes are reported in person at Wimbledon and Mitcham stations a year. Merton is also a relative outlier among London boroughs in having more than one police station.
Councillors across the chamber highlighted concerns over local access to policing, rising crime, and the impact on vulnerable residents. Councillor
Edith Macauley led the Labour motion calling for continued campaigning, an urgent update from the Met on its estates strategy, and a push for front desk usage data to be published.
She said: “It is of paramount importance that both Wimbledon and Mitcham police stations are kept open and accessible to our communities.”
Cllr Macauley also argued that closing either station would “undermine community policing” and warned that for many residents “the next closest station in Sutton will simply not be an option”.
While Merton is consistently ranked as one of the safest boroughs in London alongside Richmond and Sutton, recent figures underline the stakes. Shoplifting in Merton is up 46% in the past year, sexual offences up 15%, and drug possession up 8%. Officers spent 14,492 hours policing outside the borough in the first half of 2025 – a 58% rise from the previous year
– leaving fewer officers on local streets. Labour criticised the Liberal Democrats for focusing on Wimbledon while claiming they have been neglecting Mitcham. Cllr Macauley said: “The Lib Dems claim that they care about policing. They campaign for Wimbledon, but what about Mitcham? Until recently, there has been no mention of it from them. That tells you everything about their priorities.”
However, Lib Dem councillors defended their record. Wimbledon MP Paul Kohler said: “The Mayor of London and the Met have conducted three consultations that brought the future of Wimbledon and Mitcham police stations into question. Merton Lib Dems formally responded on each occasion, unlike Labour and the Conservatives.”
Raynes Park Councillor Victoria Wilson added: “With shoplifting and other crime rising locally and fewer officers on our streets, now is the worst possible time to cut local policing. Labour knew these plans were coming but chose to stay silent. Merton Liberal Democrats will not.”
Both the Lib Dems and the smaller Conservative group also highlighted the role of Labour Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan in the recent scaling back of faceto-face policing. Lib Dem Councillor and London Assembly Member Hina Bokhari said the motion “ignores the biggest player, the Mayor of London, who is responsible for these cuts”.
She said she had received nearly 1,000 emails about this issue, including a large
number from police officers who she said “know that the Mayor was behind this decision.” She added: “It starts with closing the front counter and ends with the whole station being shut next.” Councillor Nick McLean of the Conservatives said Labour Assembly Members had supported the Mayor’s budget that created a £260m shortfall. He argued Labour were now campaigning against the very cuts they had helped enable.
Throughout the meeting, Labour councillors highlighted ongoing efforts to protect local policing, including petitions to Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley. They also cited investment in safer neighbourhood teams and the borough’s CCTV network.
Martin, Ann Gravesen Finance: Em Zeki - Tel: 0779 883 3758 Subscriptions/Announcements: Katie Boyd
& Editorial Director: Kevin Quinn
Community Matters Media has been running independent newspapers since 1987, and now boasts the weeklies: South London Weekly, Southwark News and Greenwich & Lewisham Weekender, as well as the lifestyle magazines The South Londoner and Bermondsey Biscuit & Rotherhithe Docker
You can view all our content on www.southlondon.co.uk and sign up to newsletters to stay informed about news, lifestyle & events, people, sport and history.
We believe in community and in balanced, independent and responsible journalism. As a south London business, we also work to support fellow local businesses. A dedicated team of staff work tirelessly to cover as much of what is going on as possible and strive to ensure that community-led, independent newspapers can survive and excel in a market dominated by national and multinational media groups.
Paul Kohler (left) campaigning to save Wimbledon Police Station. (credit: Lib Dems)
Ever wondered why is there a large steel box on the Elephant and Castle roundabout?
By Evie Flynn
THE LARGE steel box on the Elephant and Castle roundabout is a Cold Warera memorial to scientific pioneer Michael Faraday and was once designed to shine with violet light.
The Michael Faraday memorial and substation is a grade II listed sculpture to commemorate the chemist and physicist Faraday (1791-1867), who lived locally for the first five years of his life.
It serves an important function and houses a London Underground electrical substation, which is needed to power
the Northern and Bakerloo lines at the neighbouring Tube station.
The memorial was designed by architect Rodney Gordon and built in 1961 to celebrate Michael Faraday’s ground breaking work in electricity and magnetism. Gordon had just graduated from the Architectural Association School.
But, the final steel design came after a number of intriguing but ultimately abandoned proposals.
Gordon originally designed an inverted glass pyramid which would allow drivers and pedestrians to see the inner workings of the substation.
The glass exterior would have allowed a flashing violet light, created from mercury rectifiers.
However, worried about vandalism and distracting passing motorists on the busy gyratory, the design was scrapped. The chosen design, a stainless steel box, was even originally planned to float over a moat.
Faraday’s local connections are remembered on a plaque embedded on the floor, which reads: “This stainless steel sculpture commemorates Michael Faraday (1791-1867) English chemist and physicist know for his research into electricity and
magnetism who lived locally.”
Faraday’s parents moved to Elephant and Castle from Westmoreland in the North West of England in 1786. They lived in Newington Butts, an area that included what is now Elephant and Castle, until 1796, when Faraday was five.
Faraday invented the electric motor, transformer and generator. The applications of his discoveries were immense, from trains and computers, to satellites and mobile phones. Anything electrical uses the principles that Faraday discovered.
The memorial was given Grade II listed
status in June 1996, but plans in the early 2000s to redevelop the Elephant and Castle roundabout meant it was at risk of being moved.
The structure was also inaccessible to the public for many years, who couldn’t get to it safely in the middle of the roundabout.
Rodney Gordon returned his attention to the structure he created fifty years later. In a YouTube video, published in 2007, Rodney said: “My first job was to work on a new project for the Elephant and Castle - I designed it in 1958 to 1959 and now I’ve come back to dealing with it at the end of my career.
“It is very fashionable to kick your architects who designed in the ‘60s and say ‘look at the terrible things they built’ but things move so fast these days, you’re out of fashion within a couple of years.
“English Heritage have decided it was an iconic building of sorts, but the trouble is people didn’t know what it was and they need the site for the new development and they have to bring it down.”
Rodney Gordon was also responsible for the now demolished Tricorn Centre in Portsmouth and the Trinity Centre, Gateshead, also demolished.
Instead of being moved to a new site near Walworth Road, the memorial stayed put after the development project changed their plans to keep the roundabout.
Last year, campaigners from the C20 Society, a group protecting modern architecture, urged that the memorial was “looking in need of some care and conservation.”
“We’d urge TfL to consult with specialists to ensure the correct approaches are taken to ongoing conservation and maintenance.”
A C20 spokesperson said that there have been no updates yet.
PARENTS ‘RELIEVED’ AFTER SUCCESS OF CAMPAIGN FOR A LOLLIPOP PERSON ON BUSY SCHOOL CROSSING
By Issy Clarke
A CAMPAIGN by parents and teachers at Charles Dickens Primary School in Borough for a lollipop person to monitor a ‘dangerous’ crossing has been a success.
Members of the school community, supported by local MP Neil Coyle, had been calling on the police and the council to implement safety measures on Great Suffolk Street, after a little girl was injured on the zebra crossing earlier this summer.
Southwark Council has responded by appointing a lollipop person, Ron, to help children cross the road safely. He had been formerly been the lollipop man at Charlotte Sharman Primary School in Elephant & Castle, which recently closed due to a fall in pupil numbers.
Nine-year-old Amber Foster was hospitalised after she was injured in an accident involving a cyclist on 10 June, as she was coming out of school.
The cyclist – aged 17- was also taken to hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries. The incident was not treated as a police matter.
Amber’s mum Danielle said the installation of the lollipop person was a “silver lining that has come from everything that we are still going through after the accident.”
She added that parents at the school had expressed their relief to her that the measures had been put in place. “Other parents do seem more relieved. It seems more controlled there now.
“Amber has been quite jumpy and quite anxious about going into school – we have seen a bit of a change in her,” Danielle continued. “But we’re pleased anyway that the campaign was successful, because we weren’t sure that it would be.”
Co-Head of Charles Dickens Primary School, Nicola Jacobs, who supported the campaign for a lollipop person, said she was “delighted” that the council
had listened to campaigners’ concerns.
“Following the terrible incident last term, we are absolutely delighted that Southwark Council has listened to our concerns and appointed a school crossing patrol officer,” she said.
“This officer, Ron, is already a familiar face to our families who use this busy crossing on their way to and from school, and having his help to cross the road safely has transformed their school commute.”
Neil Coyle, the MP for Bermondsey and Rotherhithe, said: “I hope Amber and her friends, family and the whole Charles Dickens team are delighted with their successful campaign.
“It’s great that the children will feel safer with the new crossing guard. I hope cyclists slow down, but I’m also grateful to the council for listening and acting so fast on this issue.”
Southwark Council was contacted for comment.
ROTHERHITHE SHED NEEDS YOUR HELP TO KEEP ITS DOORS OPEN
EXCLUSIVE
By Evie Flynn
THE ROTHERHITHE Shed has for the past eleven years helped isolated people come together to make props, repair and upcycle items, but is in desperate need of funding. It has been open two afternoons a week, but the Shed is now operating just one afternoon due to financial constraints.
This much-loved community project is appealing to the public for just £6,000 to run for a term and is looking for potential funders for support to bring back a second weekly session that was recently cut due to funding shortfalls.
It gives older people the tools, access and space to work on do-it-yourself projects and provides a vital space for people to build friendships, all for free.
The Shed is a collaborative initiative between local charities London Bubble Theatre and Time & Talents and has welcomed over 200 people through its doors. It’s open to both men and women aged 55 and over, catering to all abilities, with full disability access.
Alan Clarke-Wilson, a regular and one of the driving forces behind the current fundraising effort, said: “We recognise what an important part of people’s life it is, more than what you could ever think.”
“People here have had such a wide range of life experiences. We’ve got lorry drivers, window cleaners, teachers, engineers. That’s what gives it its strength.”
“It’s not what we make or build or fix,” another member reflected. “It’s the value of people having somewhere to come, where they can feel comfortable, share space with others, and just be part of something. This place is diverse and relaxed.”
As well as personal projects, group workshops range from theatrical set building for the London Bubble Theatre.
They recently enhanced a mobility scooter into a Christmas sleigh to deliver gifts to sheltered housing.
The attendees become experts in various up-cycling structures, such as a yellow submarine and currently a Stephenson’s Rocket” also built from a mobility scooter. Some items are even sourced sustainably, fully repaired and donated to charity shops in the area to be sold.
Originally it was part of the Men’s Shed movement, a concept imported from Australia. However, the Rotherhithe Shed has embraced inclusivity from the outset. Today, around 30% of attendees are women.
Ray, a regular member, described how the Rotherhithe Shed has transformed his weekly schedule: “I only have limited mobility in one arm, so when you make something, or design something, you get a sense that you’ve achieved something. You feel part of a team and a community.”
The sessions are facilitated by paid staff members from both organisations, who are vital to keep the workspace safe and provide technical support and guidance.
For safety, sessions are restricted to fifteen attendees, but with opening hours half what they used to be, sessions are oversubscribed, and a booking system has had to be put in place to help manage reduced capacity fairly. This has upset some members who miss the workshop’s open access setup.
“People have such diverse talents,” Helen Archer said. “But when you can only have fifteen people, it waters those talents down.”
Lucy Bradshaw, London Bubble Theatre’s Co-CEO, confirmed the challenge about space limitations: “We have more people wanting to come on a Thursday than we can accommodate. It wouldn’t be safe, as there are only so many people who can safely work in that size of space.”
The impact of The Rotherhithe Shed
stretches far and wide in the south east London community. Lucy’s co-CEO at the London Bubble Theatre, Marie Vickers, explained: “This is the only free Shed in the area, and we therefore attract members from Southwark and beyond. All our projects are free to take part in, meaning that we reach people who wouldn’t normally be able to access creative activities.”
The Rotherhithe Shed has featured in short documentaries, showcased work at Southwark Park Galleries and celebrated ‘10 Years of Men’s Sheds’ at Parliament in 2024.
London Bubble Theatre on Elephant Lane, where the shed is based, is a small charity which promotes equal access to arts and culture, catering to the wellbeing needs of children, young people and older adults.
Marie added: “We are working
really hard to fundraise and keep our community projects running, because we know how much of a lifeline they are to our members.
“We know that some people only leave their houses to come to The Rotherhithe Shed each week. Sadly, the funding situation means that we have had to reduce our services according to what we can afford and the people who feel that most are the more vulnerable members of the community.”
Both London Bubble and nearby Time & Talents rely on grants and funding to run. However, arts and culture is experiencing reduced government funding, so they are forced to make cuts just to stay open, but not at their desired capability.
“It’s really frustrating being in the charity sector at the moment,’ said Lucy. “There is money out there, but how do
you tap into it?
“There are so many really great organisations trying to access what is a diminishing pot of grant funding. Individual giving can make a huge difference to charities like ours, supporting us to keep spaces like the Rotherhithe Shed open.”
Ray added: “It helps people who are maybe just sitting at home doing nothing. So that’s why it’s good to have a place like this, it deserves the funding that it needs.”
Their £6,000 target means they can reinstate Monday sessions for a term while the charities continue to seek more funding from larger governing bodies and philanthropists.
To make a donation, please visit: www.crowdfunder.co.uk click on the explore tab and search for Rotherhithe Shed.
Alan Clarke Wilson
ELEPHANT MARKET MOVES TO CASTLE SQUARE
By Rebecca Healy
ELEPHANT MARKET has now moved to its new home in Castle Square, opposite Elephant and Castle Station.
The Market will now run every Saturday and Sunday from 12-5pm, nestled within Castle Square’s array of thriving independent businesses.
Started by Real Food Markets and supported by Get Living, the market contains a mix of over 20, independent traders selling a selection of food and crafts. From small-batch desserts to handmade jewellery, its organisers say there is something for every taste and interest.
Traders to pitch up at the market over the last few weeks include jewellery by The Hatton, founded by graduates from Central St Martin's, candles from the family-owned brand Amber Hue, the Frenchie - known for the best duck burgers in London - and premium beef biltong vendors Boss Biltong.
The move has been described as “an important step in the area’s regeneration”
By Issy Clarke
THE RSCPA have highlighted the plight of three-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier Betty, after three people have been handed ten-year bans on owning animals.
Betty collapsed at a flat in Ferdinand Drive, Peckham, the week before being taken to an animal hospital by her owners Rosanne Penfold and Gareth Fitton. Thankfully, she is now in the care of a loving new owner.
Shane Dixon, 44, from Peckham, told the court he had been looking after the dog for his neighbour after she moved out of the area to live in Essex.
His ex-neighbours Rosanne Penfold and Gareth Fitton, both of Brightwell Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, pleaded guilty to two offences under the Act and were handed 16-week prison sentences which were suspended for 12 months. They appeared for sentencing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on September 2. Dixon pleaded guilty to failing to address Betty’s emaciation and was given a 14-week sentence, suspended for 12 months, and he was told to complete 100 hours of unpaid work.
The RSPCA inspector told the hearing that she went to collect Betty from Blue Cross Animal Hospital in Pimlico last
March after the dog collapsed at a flat in Peckham, a week before.
She described Betty as “very thin”, with her ribs, spine and hips easily visible, while the fur on her lower legs was stained in urine.
A vet at the hospital who examined the three-year-old dog said Betty was suffering with muscle wastage and scored her one out of nine in a body condition rating – considered to be a state of emaciation.
Betty also had a wound on her tail that had scabbed over and she was suffering from ulcers on her feet and overgrown nails.
The vet said: “Betty’s suffering could have been avoided by providing proper care for her, including food and water, as well as clean accommodation. She should have been taken to a vet to be checked if there were any concerns about her health.”
The court heard that Penfold and Fitton had left the dog in the care of Dixon, who was Penfold’s neighbour, after she left South London to live in Essex. But Dixon claimed he only went “occasionally” to the property to let Betty and some other dogs out and he said he was being blamed for the situation.
In mitigation the court was told that Penfold suffered from disabilities and had been the victim of domestic abuse. Fitton and Dixon were said to be remorseful about their actions.
All three defendants will each have to pay a contribution to costs of £650 and victim surcharges of £154.
Betty has since made a good recovery in the care of the RSPCA and has been rehomed to a loving new owner. Speaking after the sentencing, the inspector said: “Whatever arrangement was made to care for Betty was neglected so badly that she collapsed at this flat and required hospital treatment.
“The defendants had failed in their duty of care for the dog, but thankfully Betty (pictured now) has recovered and the story has a happy ending, as she is doing so well in her new home.”
as the market joins other independent food and retail businesses at Castle Square, such as the Caribbean restaurants Original Caribbean Spice and Kaieteur Kitchen.
Fabiola Ladino, owner of Colombian ceramics Fabs Ceramics, said: “It was really nice, the change, because it makes me feel more protected at that site.
“There were a lot of new people around and my old customers were looking for me and saw me there.
“The new location outside the station is very strategic for us. Once they open the shopping centre, can you imagine all the people who are going to be there?”
Food offerings also include Borough Cheese Company, French artisan bakery Bread and Macaroon, Rocks Oysters, duck burgers by The Frenchie. There are also artisans such as Colombian ceramics by Fabs Ceramics, handmade fused glass and jewellery by Kiln Jewels.
Elephant Market is at Castle Square, every Saturday and Sunday from 12-5pm. Follow the market on Instagram.
By Modupe Omitola
THE GERMAN beer festival Oktoberfest will be held for the last time at Mercato Metropolitano this weekend.
From Friday 26th September to Sunday 28th September, German Kraft Brewery will host the eighth of the free London Kraft Oktoberfest at the Elephant and Castle venue.
Mercato Metropolitano will vacate the premises next year as construction of the 900-home Borough Triangle development will begin.
Co-founder of German Kraft Brewery Felix Bollen said: “Oktoberfest has
always been about more than novelty costumes and drinking.
“We wanted to show Londoners the true beer garden spirit and give them a chance to experience a great community atmosphere, all while keeping sustainability and care for the environment in mind.”
German Kraft has been brewing onsite in Elephant & Castle Mercato Metropolitano since 2017. Their beer is made according to the Reinheitsgebot purity law of 1516, a regulation that originated in Bavaria that dictated that German beer must be made with only water, barley and hops.
They will be joined by guest breweries from south London and elsewhere including: Sambrook’s, Wandsworth; Anspach & Hobday, Bermondsey; Mondo Brewing, Battersea; and Riegele, Bavaria. A stein (litre) of German-style beer will range between £13.00 and £15.00 while pints will be between £6.10 and £7.00 depending on style and ABV. Discounts on German Kraft beers at £10.00 a stein and £5.00 a pint can be pre-bought online on eventbrite. co.uk. There will also be non-alcoholic options and traditional pretzels and sausages available.
Additional reporting Modupe Omitola
067_BB_Big Draw-Festival
By Kumail Jaffer
Local Democracy Reporter
SIR SADIQ Khan has been urged to “come clean” over whether he was involved in suppressing taxpayerfunded research that showed Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) do not reduce car use.
Transport for London (TfL) decided not to publish the Travel and Places study after it found that LTNs did not encourage commuters to drive less, it emerged on Wednesday September 17.
The schemes, backed by the Mayor of London on numerous occasions, have led to an increase in cycling, according to the University of Westminster’s Active Travel Academy, but failed to “show a significant association between the proportion of LTN roads and minutes of past-week car use”.
Emails between TfL and the institution, first revealed by The Times, saw one researcher saying the findings were “a bit underwhelming” and offered to create a “suitably contextualised and caveated summary” that TfL could publish.
On Wednesday TfL said the data “didn’t offer sufficient new insights to justify further investment in continuing the survey”. As the Chair of the TfL Board, Sir Sadiq has now been asked to reveal whether he was involved in suppressing the research.
City Hall Conservatives transport spokesman Keith Prince told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “Sadiq Khan has spent years telling us LTNs cut traffic use and now it turns out covered-up data suggests otherwise. He needs to correct the record, immediately.
“The Mayor is the Chair of the TfL Board. He needs to come clean on whether he ordered this cover-up. If he did not then he must pledge a full investigation so he can tell Londoners exactly who did. If it was, in fact, his decision then Londoners will rightly see that as an utter disgrace.”
Neil Garratt, his fellow Tory London Assembly Member, said: “LTNs don’t reduce car use. That’s what TfL research found, so they quietly deleted it.
MAYOR TOLD TO “COME CLEAN” OVER LTNs
TfL 'suppressed report showing LTNs don’t cut car use'
“TfL paid University of Westminster £82,000 to research the impact of LTNs on car use. But when they didn’t like the results, asked them to stop work and refused to publish the report. 4,500 Londoners spent time answering a survey about their travel habits but their efforts were thrown away because the results weren’t what TfL or the Mayor wanted to hear.”
In 2023, the Mayor said LTNs are a “longstanding tool to reduce through traffic in neighbourhoods and provide a better environment for walking and cycling, to reduce traffic and road danger, tackle the climate crisis and improve air quality”.
A year later, he confirmed he was “supportive of the important benefits that LTNs provide, including safer streets, enabling people to walk or cycle more,
reducing car use and reducing crime”.
In March 2024 Sir Sadiq spoke out against an LTN for the first time, saying one in Streatham Wells was “causing huge problems”.
He added: “I was in touch with Lambeth Council to see what my team can do to resolve the issue and so we’ve asked the council to look at it urgently in relation to the consequences of a very wellintentioned LTN.”
A spokesperson for TfL said: “We are committed to supporting high-quality research that helps us understand how our policies and programmes are working. This particular study was initially funded to explore the impacts of LTNs but following a review of the second year’s findings, we concluded that the data didn’t offer sufficient new insights to justify further investment in continuing the survey.
“We remain confident that LTNs can reduce traffic levels in the area, making streets safer and enabling more walking and cycling.”
The Mayor’s office was contacted for comment but had not responded at the time of publication.
PM will face questions if next year’s local elections don’t go well, says Dulwich MP Hayes
By Issy Clarke
KEIR STARMER could have less than a year to prove himself and will face questions about his future if next May’s local elections don’t go well for Labour, the MP for Dulwich has suggested.
In a warning shot to the embattled Prime Minister, Helen Hayes hinted that Starmer’s political future could hinge on Labour having a successful run in next summer’s local elections, in which all 32 London boroughs will be up for grabs.
Asked by the BBC’s Westminster Hour programme on Sunday about the significance of next year’s local elections for Keir Starmer’s future as Labour leader, Hayes said: “Without a doubt we have really important elections in May. If those elections don’t go well, I think that will be the time to ask questions.”
Pressed on what kind of questions
she was referring to, Hayes replied:
“Questions about the nature of the leadership and whether things really can continue as they are.
“But we’re not at that point now.”
Her comments were made after a bruising political fortnight for the Prime Minister, who has faced criticism from the left of the Labour Party over the resignation of his deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and for his handling of the sacking of former US ambassador Peter Mandelson.
Hayes continued that she was “devastated” about Mandelson, who was fired after a slew of emails revealing the extent of his friendship with child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were published.
She said: “I spend a lot of my time as Chair of the Education Select Committee thinking about children, thinking about safeguarding, thinking about questions of abuse and how we support victims,
and I think there was a failure to centre the victims of Jeffrey Epstein within that judgement.”
Echoing questions raised by the Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch during PMQs on Wednesday, September 10 surrounding the extent of Keir Starmer’s knowledge of Mandelson’s association with Epstein, Hayes continued: “I share the view he shouldn’t have been appointed. I share concerns about what was known, I think it’s important that we understand what was known and by whom in that appointment process.”
Downing Street has stressed that Starmer only learned of the emails on Wednesday, September 10, and acted promptly to sack Mandelson.
Hayes also stated that the government’s unpopularity was because the party had failed to “weave the change that we are delivering into a coherent story that people understand.”
A controversial LTN installed in Dulwich
MAYOR SADIQ KHAN'S MANIFESTO PLEDGES EXAMINED
16 months after he was elected for a third term in office
By Kumail Jaffer
Local Democracy Reporter
THE MAYOR of London is on track to deliver the “vast majority” of his 146 manifesto commitments by 2028, his senior team members have claimed – but what has he failed to deliver on so far?
Sir Sadiq Khan’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Chief Finance Officer and Head of Delivery claimed 20 of the pledges made ahead of last year’s elections have already been complete.
But they admitted there are a “small number which will be more challenging and we are not wholly confident on yet” – including vows on police numbers, freezing Transport for London (TfL) fares and electrifying London’s bus fleet.
During a session with the London Assembly Budget and Performance Committee, the progress on a number of the Mayor’s pledges were scrutinised, 16 months after he was elected for a third term in office in May 2024.
At the start of the session, Richard Watts, the Deputy Chief of Staff for the Greater London Authority (GLA), told members: “Given the financial circumstances we find ourselves in, we are very satisfied.”
MAYOR’S 2024 MANIFESTO PLEDGES EXAMINED
BUILD 40,000 NEW COUNCIL HOMES BY THE END OF THE DECADE
According to City Hall data, 3,690 council houses were completed in 2024/25.
While it represented the highest figure since 2018/19, it doesn’t bode well for the aim of 40,000 new council homes between 2024 and 2028.
Jamilla Hinds-Brough, the Mayoral Head of Delivery at the GLA, insisted the Mayor was “confident that this target is on track to be delivered” but admitted the “conditions for housebuilding in London are incredibly difficult”.
Last week Deputy Mayor for Housing Tom Copley took aim at the Building Safety Regulator as a key factor in the delay in new affordable housing.
UNBLOCK AFFORDABLE HOUSEBUILDING BY CREATING NEW LAND ASSEMBLY ZONES (LAZS) AND MAYORAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS (MDCS)
Seen as a way to help fix London’s housing crisis by making development easier, the Mayor has moved forward with plans to set up a Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) by January 1, 2026 to enable him to regenerate Oxford Street.
He has yet to officially implement a Land Assembly Zone (LAZ).
Mr Watts suggested that the former is a “very powerful tool but they are also expensive”, meaning that City Hall is taking a precaution-led approach when looking to set up one.
“This work is motoring on alongside government at the moment and we are making some progress,” he added.
“Given the scale of London’s housing crisis, there will be areas that these kind of powers will be useful – but I will not foreshadow anything as we work through it with government.
"A lot of this also comes down to wider government investment.”
There are currently two MDCs within London, both set up by former Mayors.
One is for Old Oak Common to allow the HS2 station site to be developed, while the other is for the Olympic Park area in Stratford, set up to allow the area’s transformation.
END ROUGH SLEEPING BY 2030
The number of rough sleepers on London’s streets between April 2024 and March 2025 was 3,028, according to the Combined Homelessness and Information Network – up 27 per cent on the previous year.
Asked if the Mayor was still on track to hit this pledge, Ms Hinds-Brough admitted that “ending rough sleeping isn’t something we can do from City Hall” and that work was needed “across all tiers of government”.
In May, Sir Sadiq launched his Rough Sleeping Plan of Action, vowing to end the “trauma” of people who have to be sleeping on the streets before they can access support.
Success would be seeing no individual repeatedly coming back to the streets after accessing services provided by councils.
There seems a long way to go with this one.
WORK WITH A LABOUR GOVERNMENT TO PUT AN EXTRA 1,300 NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICE OFFICERS AND PCSOS ON THE STREETS
With the Met announcing cuts across the board – including the controversial proposal to shut 18 of London’s 37 accessible police station front counters –the Mayor’s team admitted that putting extra officers on the streets could prove difficult.
“It’s too early to know whether we’re going to hit this,” Mr Watts told the London Assembly, as officials were told the number of officers has reduced by 1,400 since May 2024.
“What you are right to identify is that the current financial settlement for the Met isn’t sufficient. The Mayor is continuing to do whatever he can to put extra resources into the police. This is one of the more challenging ones anyway. We continue to strongly lobby for the funding we need.”
He suggested the move to shut front counters could free up officers currently “tied up behind desks” to operate in neighbourhood policing teams. However, Assembly Members said that would breach another promise in the manifesto – maintaining a 24/7 police counter in every borough of London.
Liberal Democrat Assembly Member Gareth Roberts told the LDRS: “We heard from his own senior aide that the promise was never even tested to see if it was deliverable, and now it won’t happen.
“The Mayor has known for months that police front counters were on the chopping block, but has said nothing about it, preferring conversations behind closed doors and refusing to admit his U-turn.”
DELIVER A 100 PER CENT ZEROEMISSION BUS FLEET BY 2030 AND AIR POLLUTION FILTERS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS
Ms Hinds-Brough said that the ability to fund the electrification of London’s buses will depend on TFL’s business planning proposals this year, which will “determine our ability to meet the target”.
Mr Watts said that without any action, a 100 per cent zero-emission fleet will naturally be achieved by 2034 as buses go out of service and are naturally replaced. He said the Mayor was keen to be proactive and push TfL to bring the target forward.
Brent and Harrow Assembly Member Krupesh Hirani noted that the 28 bus, which was originally an electric vehicle, is now diesel powered – though he was told that happens when bus operators are
replaced on short notice and operate with whatever fleet they have.
Officials also said that the air pollution filter rollout was underway – eight have been installed, with another 55 by the end of October, and 200 by Spring 2026 as part of a pilot scheme. This looks like one that’s largely on course to be achieved.
GET TO 40,000 ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING POINTS IN LONDON
Officials said progress is “on track” to achieve this, and there are around 26,000 charging points in the capitals for electric vehicle use.
FREEZE TFL FARES UNTIL AT LEAST 2025 and for as long as economic conditions allow
Tube and train fares in London rose by 4.6 per cent in March after ministers ordered the Mayor to increase ticket prices in line with the national rail network, so this one effectively fell at the first hurdle.
Sir Sadiq has reportedly been told by the government to hike commuter costs by the RPI rate of inflation –currently 4.3 per cent – plus one per cent in each of 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029.
Officials were unable to say whether this would be a standard requirement going forward, suggesting that the Mayor will make his decision on fare rates on an annual basis at the usual time.
Following the meeting, Tory Assembly Member Neil Garratt told the LDRS: “As Mayor Khan enters his last years in office, his past promises are catching up with him. He promised 1,300 extra police at last year’s election, but he’s actually cut 1,400. He promised 3,000 affordable houses per year, last year he managed about 500.
“His Net Zero plan calls for 2.2 million homes converted to a heat pump in five years, but it’ll take an absurd 1,700 years at the speed it’s going.
“When he’s challenged, everything is someone else’s fault but as a Mayor nearly 10 years in office, who else is to blame for the promises he’s made and his failure to achieve them? Londoners deserve better.”
The new electric 358 bus shown charging at Crystal Palace bus station (Permission for use by all LDRS partners)
Sir Keir Starmer and Sadiq Khan pose for pictures
Sadiq Khan with the Met Police
© Transport for London
© Met Police
Noah Vickers
GLEAMING £450M OFFICE BLOCK TO STAND BY THE THAMES AT SOUTH BANK
By Issy Clarke
AN EMPTY building site on the South Bank worth £450 million has been purchased by a developer, who plans to transform it into an 11-storey office block overlooking the River Thames.
The tower will dwarf the humble Anchor Inn, where Samuel Pepys famously sat as he watched the Great Fire of London unfold in 1666.
In contrast to the Elizabethan watering hole, the modern office tower will be covered in floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto the river, while 18 balconies spread across the exterior will offer a gasp of fresh air.
The building will contain 250,000 sq feet of office space and 15,000 square ft have been earmarked for shops, cafés and restaurants.
The 1.41 acre site is next to the old Financial Times building at One Southwark Bridge Road which was vacated by the newspaper group in 2019 and has stood vacant ever since.
A building which stood on the land was demolished by the previous developer Landsec, who obtained planning consent for the new tower before the site was sold to its new owners, development and asset manager Stanhope and investment fund manager Cheyne Capital.
Construction work is set to begin in 2026 and will take around two years.
'Man shot by two masked men after a night out in Peckham'
By Kevin Quinn
DETECTIVES ARE appealing for information after a man was shot by two masked men following a night out with friends in Peckham.
Police were called to Cossall Walk at 3:14am on Sunday, 3 August following reports of a group of men fighting and the sound of gun shots.
Officers attended and searched the local area - however the group had dispersed.
Hours later a man in his 20s selfpresented to a hospital in south east London with wounds likely to be caused by a bullet. Thankfully, his condition was not life-threatening or life-changing.
Become a DIY demon
Launching this October, Flower Skills, an established construction training company in Charlton, is launching a unique new DIY training course in south-east London.
In just 1 day you can nail the skills to put up a shelf, cut and fit plasterboard, prepare a wall for decoration and become power tool savvy. All learners are welcome, from absolute beginners to those wanting to improve their knowledge and skills. Each course is limited to 8 students so you get plenty of time and support from the tutor and all the materials and use of equipment is included in the price.
Students who have already completed the course come away feeling confident and tooled up with new essential DIY skills!
“I loved this DIY course. I feel empowered and much more confident in repairing small jobs around my house. The staff are friendly, and my tutor, Marc, was fantastic and knowledgeable. I would definitely recommend it.” Carmen
“A must have skill for EVERYONE especially those who get bullied by tradesmen. I learnt so much.
Tutors were fantastic with real life experience. Venue was great with loads of equipment.” Azuke Mark, MD for Flower Skills, is pleased to be offering this new course to the wider public, “It’s been our ambition to support more learners to be competent in construction. We have been preparing students for the construction industry for the last 20 years but we haven’t had a general access DIY course before. These new courses are our first direct to the individual courses we have launched and we are excited to see students leave at the end of the day feeling they have the power!”
Find out more and book your place: diy.flowerskills.com and with more courses coming in the future, it’s worth signing up to the mailing list.
Earlier that evening, the victim had been drinking in a pub in Peckham and when he left the venue in the early hours of Sunday morning, he made the short walk to Cossall Walk, where he then sat with friends on a bench.
A short time later, it was reported that two masked men came from behind him and fired two shots at the group, hitting the victim. The two suspects fled the scene, with one making off towards Rye Lane, Peckham.
Detective Constable Hollie Kiteley, from the Met’s Specialist Crime team, said: “We are appealing for information after a man was shot following a night out with friends in Peckham.
“Having completed extensive CCTV enquiries and spoken to those who live in and around the area, we are now turning to the public for help.
“This was an awful incident, so I would urge anyone who may know something to come forward. Were you near Cossall Walk that evening?
"Did you see the incident, or were you in the area?
“There should be no place for gun crime in our neighbourhoods and we can’t allow this level of violence. Help us take these criminals off our streets.”
Anyone who can help is asked to call police on 101, quoting CAD: 1301/03AUG. If you wish to remain anonymous you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111
Always handing money to tradesmen with that nagging feeling you could have done it yourself? Well, we have the course for you! Learning how to take control of essential DIY in your own home
Cossall Walk
By Harrison Galliven Local Democracy Reporter
ALLOTMENT HOLDERS have said they were blindsided after Croydon Council cut down four mature apple trees on a long-standing plot without the leaseholders’ permission, citing a rule that residents say was never properly communicated.
The apple trees at Pampisford Road allotments in Purley, one of six councilowned sites across the borough, were felled by the council in June, leaving only stumps and a damaged polytunnel behind. The elderly couple who had cared for the plot for more than 15 years have since given it up, telling fellow plot holders they were “devastated” and that they will not renew their lease.
They were felled due to a rule around trees needing to be less than two metres tall. Jo Booth, Chair of the Croydon Federation of Allotment and Garden Societies (CFAGS), said that plot holders were never given the six months’ notice required for new rules and that many were unaware the tree regulation even existed. She noted that the felled apple trees are just some of the many trees over two metres tall across Pampisford Road allotments, which has around 120 plots.
The rule, introduced in 2024, states: “Trees in the allotments must be suitable for small spaces with shallow root systems and should always be maintained at a maximum height of two metres.”
It adds that the council reserves the right to remove any tree if deemed necessary to preserve the allotment or if it is not properly maintained. In the council’s email sent to the plot holders after the trees were cut, they cited their impact on the “cultivable area of the plot” and their encroachment onto the path, as justification.
However, Jo and other allotment users feel the rule is often applied at random, given the number of trees exceeding two metres on the allotment site, and believe it was not properly communicated to them. She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “If you have had a plot for a very long time, you don’t refer back to the rules. This is why a council has to give us six months’ notice if there is any change to a rule, and they should also give you an explanation of this rule, depending on what it is.”
CROYDON ALLOTMENT TREE RULE SPARKS ANGER
Jo added that the enforcement was not only heavy-handed but left the ground unusable. “Nobody is going to be able to cultivate this area now because it is full of tree stumps. They have left it uncultivable.”
Labour’s candidate for Croydon Mayor, Rowenna Davis, has been working with CFAGS and first highlighted the issue online. She told the LDRS: “Cutting down trees on our allotments is a crazy waste of taxpayers’ money.
“Croydon Council is bankrupt; why on Earth waste money on this? We need more trees in Croydon, not fewer. The plot holders have my sympathy and full support.”
Cllr Davis’ original post has since sparked heated debate online, with some local Conservatives defending the enforcement of the two-metre rule. Coulsdon Town councillor Mario Creatura commented that the limit is
applied across all Croydon allotments to ensure plots remain usable for everyone. He added that only trees that are overgrown, unsafe, or reducing cultivable space are removed, and that this is done to preserve the allotments for all residents. However, others have been more sympathetic to the plot holders, taking the view that the council should have informed them.
‘LITERALLY FALLING APART’
Beyond the apple trees, plot users told the LDRS that Pampisford Road allotments are in need of wider attention. Jo highlighted one of the site’s locker sheds, which has a gaping hole in the ceiling, as an example of disrepair on the site. “It’s literally falling apart,” said Jo. Plot Manager Lorna Collier, who has been cultivating her plot for 16 years, told the LDRS that the shed is among several site structures in need of renovation.
Residents to vote on whether they want their Victorian homes flattened
By Ruby Gregory Local Democracy Reporter
A group of South London residents are being asked for their views on plans which could see their Victorian homes flattened and replaced with hundreds of new flats.
On Monday, September 29, a resident ballot will launch as part of Hyde Housing’s regeneration proposals for Bellevue Gardens Mansions in Clapham Road, Lambeth.
Hyde Housing’s proposals include the demolition of 62 homes, which date back to 1839, so it can build up to 450 new flats. Under the plans, Hyde Housing would also build a new, pedestrianised street as well as a new nursery and shops and cafés.
The housing association has said
at least 50per cent of the homes delivered will be social rent, and has pledged that every current Bellevue Gardens resident will have the right to move into a new flat if there’s a ‘yes’ vote for regeneration.
Subject to the ballot returning with a ‘yes’, Hyde Housing has said it will compensate residents for having to move with a “one-off home loss payment” of £15,000 and promised that residents will move into a new flat with the same number of bedrooms they have now.
Hyde Housing has also said rent will stay the same as it is now, but will increase annually in line with inflation. As part of its landlord offer to Bellevue Mansions leaseholders, Hyde Housing has said it will buy their homes at full market value with an
additional 10per cent compensation.
Hyde Housing has said leaseholders who are interested in buying a home as part of the new development can either do this through shared ownership or an open market purchase. Those who don’t want to move into the new development can move “permanently” into another Hyde Housing property in Lambeth or elsewhere.
Hyde Housing has said tenants will be able to move “directly” from their current home into a new one as construction has been proposed in phases. The resident ballot will open at 5pm on September 29 and will run until Thursday, October 23 at 5pm. Residents are expected to find out the outcome of the vote on Thursday, October 30.
They are also raising funds for a new café, although it is unclear whether the council will grant permission.
She told the LDRS: “We have a nice multicultural allotment here and were trying to improve accessibility, but the
council just come along and ruin it for us. I must spend at least 20 hours a month here, and I’m still working.” Croydon Council was approached for comment, but did not respond in time for publication.
Jo Booth is the current chair of the Croydon Federation of Allotment and Garden Societies CFAGS), a voluntary organisation founded to promote and protect allotments in the borough
Lorna Collier (left) and Maria Scott (right) are trying to make the allotment more accessible
GREEK-STYLE SCULPTURES IN SOUTHWARK PARKWHICH SURVIVED SIX WW2 BOMBS - TO BE RESTORED
By Issy Clarke
TWO GREEK-STYLE sculptures nestled within the foliage of Southwark Park are about to undergo a restoration to ensure they can survive for another 100 years.
The statues – known as caryatids – depict two female figures donning classical costumes. Both balance the prow of a ship on their head, complete with a winged female figure at the bow, in a nod to Rotherhithe’s rich maritime heritage.
They were created in 1897 by celebrated architect Henry Poole and once stood outside the doorway of Rotherhithe Town Hall on Neptune Street, a grand Victorian civic building later converted into a library in 1905. Miraculously, the sculptures survived World War Two when the library was bombed six times, leaving it so badly damaged that the decision
was taken after the war to pull it down altogether.
The statues were rescued from demolition and, against all odds, found a surprising new home on the brutalist Heygate Estate off New Kent Road in 1974.
When that estate was demolished in 2011, the statues were moved for a second time to their current spot in Southwark Park, supported by the Friends of Southwark Park.
Now, more than a century after they were carved, the caryatids will be painstakingly restored so they once again resemble their Victorian grandeur.
Conservators will clean the statues and repair missing features to the face, head and arms, modelling details in wax before recreating them in stone. Joints will be repointed, and the bases excavated and refilled with stone chippings to improve drainage and protect the sculptures.
Young people from local schools will be encouraged to get involved with the restoration too, bringing their miraculous history to the next generation.
• English as a Second Language (ESOL)
• Digital skills
• Maths
• Teaching Assistant skills
• Gardening
• Sewing and Embroidery
• Wellbeing
• Arts and Crafts
➢ 40% of all GCSE grades at 9 -7
➢ 25% of all GCSE grades at 9 -8
➢ Exceptional extra -curricular offer
Open Events 2025
Monday, 6th October (9:00 -10:00) Book your visit today.
Tuesday, 7th October (9:00 -10:00)
Monday, 13th October (9:00 -10:00)
Tuesday, 14th October (9:00 -10:00)
22 NEWS
By Ben Lynch Local Democracy Reporter
WORK ON a new cycleway running through a Central London ward is expected to start next month with a completion date given of February 2026..
Cycleway 43 (Section B), as it is known, is to be installed along George Street between Edgware Road and Gloucester Place in Marylebone. Cllr Max Sullivan, Cabinet Member for Streets at Westminster City Council, said the changes “will make it a safer environment for all road users”.
The three Conservative Marylebone ward councillors have however described the scheme as a “badly designed and poorly thought-out proposal”, with concerns including the impact on congestion and how it will fit in with the planned pedestrianisation of Oxford Street.
Costed at around £1.5million the cycleway is proposed by Westminster City Council in partnership with Transport for London (TfL). It will include a range of upgrades geared towards improving the environment for pedestrians and cyclists, from reallocating kerbside space and widening footways to the segregated cycle lane.
Approval for a new cycleway running between Bayswater Road and Gloucester Place was approved by the council in December 2021. According to a report the route underwent further public consultation in 2023, in response to which George Street was chosen as the best option to introduce the cycle lane.
The report states the design is “fully in line with national cycle infrastructure guidance” and that the surrounding area has a relatively low car ownership rate at 28 per cent.
A Stage One consultation was carried out for six weeks from May 15 to June 25 in 2023, which received 1,400 responses. Overall 60 per cent of respondents were in-favour of the scheme, though this dropped to 29 per cent when considering Marylebone and Hyde Park ward responses only.
‘Serious concerns’
A Traffic Management Order (TMO) consultation was carried out this summer on a more local level, which received 153 responses. The majority of the representations, which are detailed in a document online, oppose the installation of the cycle lane.
One person wrote they “cannot think of anything more ludicrous than this proposal”, adding: “In all this promotion
By Charlotte Lillywhite Local Democracy Reporter
A COUPLE hope to turn the shell of an empty boat on the River Thames into a thriving community hub with creativity at its heart.
Emese Farkas, 31, and Bryan Vaughan, 41, are appealing to the public to crowdfund
£380,000 to transform the gutted boat at Town End Pier, in Kingston, into a buzzing destination that breathes new life into the riverside.
Bry, who runs music label Paper Garden Records, and Em, who owns bakery Em for Macaron, have combined their passions to design a space that brings people together and encourages
CYCLEWAY FUNDING APPROVAL GETS MIXED RESPONSE
of cyclists, there is no control over their behaviour and until that is addressed, pandering to them is at the cost of motorists and pedestrians.”
Another wrote: “As a regular cyclist on George Street, I feel there is absolutely no need for a cycle lane. Furthermore, the large reduction in the number of residents’ parking bays is unacceptable when there are already too few residents’ parking bays available in the neighbourhood and the cost of off street parking is punitive.”
The Marylebone Association was also among those to submit a representation raising concerns, as were the local councillors, Barbara Arzymanow, Ian Rowley and Karen Scarborough.
In a joint submission, the trio wrote they have “serious concerns” about the proposal. They include the running of the consultation during the school holidays and the potential impacts on
the flow of traffic and congestion.
On the planned pedestrianisation of Oxford Street and how this may affect George Street, the councillors wrote: “It is wasteful of council tax paying residents not to adopt a joined-up approach and take into account the Mayor of London’s traffic plans. Marylebone will almost certainly take the brunt of displaced traffic when Oxford Street is closed to all vehicles, so it is particularly important to Marylebone residents.”
“The Marylebone Councillors cannot support this badly designed and poorly thought-out proposal,” they wrote. “If the Cabinet Member was confident about these proposals short cuts would not have been made. For example, we note not all the information was provided at the time of the consultation launch and excluding parents at the school on the corner of Bryanston Square and George Street also raises questions.”
‘Safer environment for all road users’
Dr Mark Smithies, Coordinator at Westminster Cycling Campaign, said: “Westminster has been behind the curve in providing safe cycleways with protection from motor traffic. The result is hostile streets where many people, especially women, children and less confident riders, wouldn’t consider cycling.
“So at Westminster Cycling Campaign we’re really excited about Cycleway 43 – it will include cycle tracks on George Street that are physically separated from the road, where many more people could feel safe to get out and ride. We expect to see many more people able to make trips to school, work, shops and just for fun on this healthy form of transport.”
Cllr Sullivan said: “This council was elected on a platform of making walking and cycling safer and more pleasant.
“We value the feedback of Westminster residents, the majority of whom supported this scheme in consultation. Regardless of whether residents supported it or not, all feedback has been carefully considered and used to improve the final design.
“Safer pedestrian crossings and the protected cycle track will make it a safer environment for all road users. For motor vehicles, there will be no changes to movements or access on George Street, and the resulting street width will be similar to many other twoway streets in Central London, including Mortimer Street.”
The implementation of Section A of Cycleway 43, which is to run between Bayswater Road and Edgware Road in the Hyde Park ward, was approved in July. Work on Section B is expected to begin in October with the hope it will be completed by February 2026.
their creativity. The soon-to-be-married pair, who live in Surbiton, want the floating café, named The Place to BE, to become a community hub which welcomes everyone and platforms local artists, musicians and independent businesses.
Bry said they want to build community spirit by making the venue a destination that celebrates what Kingston has to offer – “not just a stopping point between the outskirts and Central London”. He said: “Part of the reason we wanted to get so ingrained with the Kingston cultural backdrop is we very much see this place not as ours but as something for the community at large.
It’s that too, but it’s a place where people can really talk with one another, feel like they’re part of what’s happening in Kingston as a whole.
“We know it can be challenging up and down the river, especially during winter time, but we very much want to work closely with other businesses that are around right now, Kingston Council, Kingston First, Kingston University and all these other partners so we can feel like… it’s a place that’s here for everyone and it’s a place they can call their own.”
menus from guest chefs for limited times.
The venue would host a variety of entertainment and experiences, including live music, comedy, cinema nights, board games, art showings and more. It would offer talks, workshops and crafting sessions, from bread and macaron making to gardening and needlework, along with wellness activities – including meditation, yoga and sound baths. It could also be hired privately for parties, weddings, content creation and other occasions.
turnover-based model. They also have permission from the council for their plans.
The couple are speaking to investors and have launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise £125,000 to get the project afloat, with a deadline for pledges of October 29. The funds would allow them to complete essential construction works and equip the kitchen to launch as a takeaway café next spring.
But they need £380,000 in total to turn their dream into a reality. Reaching this goal would mean they could fully furnish and equip the venue, open the lower deck, build a stage and roof deck, host events and offer space to other creatives. “At this level, it’s not just a café,” they Couple
“It’s not just a café where people come.
The couple are dedicated to sustainability and would offer seasonal dishes and drinks with organic ingredients from local farmers at The Place to BE. It would also have special
Bry and Em already have an agreement with family-run business Turks Launches, which owns boats in Kingston, to rent the boat using a
BLACKFRIARS CYCLEWAY PAUSED OVER FLOATING BUS STOP CONCERNS
By Ben Lynch
Local Democracy Reporter
WORK ON a new cycleway connecting Blackfriars to the City has been paused until further guidance on floating bus stops is published.
The City of London Corporation, which has been progressing the plans for the Aldgate to Blackfriars cycleway, took the decision earlier this week after concerns were raised about the risks floating bus stops pose to the visually impaired. Also known as bus stop bypasses, they involve a cycle lane running between a bus stop and the pavement to allow cyclists to continue riding while passengers board or alight.
Cycling groups have argued they are key to reducing road danger and improving cycling safety. Others, such as the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and National Federation of the Blind of the UK (NFBUK), have however raised concerns about the danger to people with visual impairments having to cross a cycle path to catch a bus.
Tesfai Berhane, who is blind, recently told MyLondon the prospect of crossing a
community hub
said. “It’s a floating festival of creativity, joy and shared purpose.”
The couple hope the boat will be their flagship venue as they plan to expand across the globe with similar floating venues in other countries over the next decade.
Em said they would like to expand to “raise more and more awareness of how you can live a more sustainable life, how you can connect more to yourself and to others around you, how you can be less online and have so much fun and so many valuable, meaningful moments with others not on your phone, not on the internet”.
cycle lane to get to the bus stop is “fearful”.
“I’ve been to St Thomas’s Hospital in London where there’s a floating bus stop and the cyclists ignore it,” he said. “It was so scary, and that was even with someone there to help me. A normal bus stop is much easier as I’m able to judge where the kerb is.”
A spokesperson for Transport for London (TfL) previously said floating bus stops “are an important part of delivering safer and more inclusive cycling infrastructure, and improving road safety”, adding: “People cycling must follow the rules of the road and stop at zebra crossings and we are working on measures to increase awareness of bus stop bypasses among cyclists.”
The Corporation’s Streets and Walkways Sub-committee approved the Aldgate to Blackfriars cycleway in October 2024. The designs included two-way protected cycle lanes on Queen Victoria Street as well as floating bus stops.
A public consultation found the majority of respondents (79 per cent) “expressed a positive view” of the plans, with 18 per cent making negative representations. Concerns had been
raised about the proposed inclusion of the floating bus stops though, and in June this year committee members held a briefing with a range of stakeholders on the matter.
According to an officer report: “Organisations representing blind people called for the delivery of bus stop bypasses to be stopped or deferred until new guidance is published and a fully inclusive solution identified. In contrast, other groups, including those representing disabled people who use a cycle as a mobility aid, expressed support for progressing with the delivery of the cycleway without delay.”
An assessment of the cycleway found there are negative impacts but that they do not constitute unlawful discrimination, the report continued, and so the proposal is deemed to be justified. Officers did, however, recommend members defer the project until updated guidance on floating bus stops is published in early 2026.
This had been requested at the June meeting by RNIB, with NFBUK reportedly against their inclusion full stop.
London Cycling Campaign (LCC), Living Streets and Wheels for Wellbeing
(WfW) opposed deferral due to the safety benefits associated with the bypasses.
The RNIB’s submission to the Corporation, seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), called for a halt to bus stop designs that “require blind people to cross bike lanes to reach their bus”.
It continued to note that in a recent survey of more than 1,000 blind and partially sighted people it was made clear that floating bus stops put them “at a substantial disadvantage in comparison to a person who does not have sight loss”.
In recommending the cycleway be halted, officers wrote: “DfT [Department for Transport] and TfL are reviewing and updating their guidance on bus stop bypasses. This option would pause the project until the guidance is published which is expected to be in early 2026. The cycleway project will then proceed in line with guidance.”
Another consideration noted in the report is that TfL is providing funds for the project. If the floating bus stops were removed completely, this would mean the scheme would not meet TfL’s requirements for providing protected cycle lanes in locations experiencing
above a certain level of traffic. In turn, this would make it unlikely that future TfL funding would be forthcoming. Introducing the paper at this week’s meeting, Bruce McVean, Assistant Director, Policy and Projects at the Corporation, said: “Waiting for this guidance will ensure that the designs are compliant and avoid abortive design work. It will also ensure that designs are informed by ours, Active Travel England’s and TfL’s engagement with groups representing the needs of different street users.
“Once the new guidance is published the design will be reviewed against this and updated as required and will then be brought back to this committee for approval in due course.”
Deputy Marianne Fredericks attempted to ask officers whether the British Standard regulation had been followed in the scheme’s design, a concern raised by some of those who made representations.
Chair Deputy John Edwards however said such questions are not necessary at this stage given the recommendation is to defer the scheme. The sub-committee moved straight to a vote and approved the officers’ recommendation.
Aldgate to Blackfriars cycleway.
The couple’s fundraiser can be found on the Kickstarter website.
Bry and Em outside the boat at Town End Pier, in Kingston and above the boat that they want to convert.
what’s on
FAMOUS NAMES ARE THROWN ABOUT LIKE CONFETTI
THE LEGEND of Tallulah Bankhead precedes this play; not so much the lives of Henry Willson and Billy Haines whose secrets are opened up for all to see in Michael McKeever's The Code, writes Michael Holland... The play opens in Haines' luxurious Hollywood apartment with Bankhead (Tracie Bennett) talking of catching gonorrhoea from a top actor, and Haines (John Partridge) reminding her it was from another star... The scene is set for bitchy, straight-talking, shooting from the hip words that hurt.
The time is post-war when the House Committee on Un-American Activities focussed on the Hollywood film industry, seeking out communists but using the powers to 'clean up' what some in power thought of as 'indecent and degenerate'. What that really meant was the LGBTQ+ community, who had been quite open but now had to close the doors on their closets or do what the studio bosses said and marry someone from the opposite sex.
Tallulah Bankhead, coming from a wealthy family, wasn't bothered that the studios didn't like her outrageous behaviour. She described herself as 'ambisextrous' and had many public affairs, but it was very different for gay men.
Billy Haines left his successful film career because he would not bow down to Louis B. Mayer, the head of
As they discuss the move, talent agent Henry Willson
notoriously 'discovered' beautiful young men and promised
them stardom, while using them for his sexual wants. He tells Haines that 'with a good face, a good director and 200 takes, anyone can be an actor'. Now the room was full of suave and svelte gay men and an increasingly
A fractured post-war Europe in a powerhouse new play
THE LAND of the Living, opens on a hesitation. Ruth (Juliet Stevenson) stumbles over her words, circling a question posed by a man from her past, Older Thomas (Tom Wlaschiha). We do not hear the question, but as the play unfolds it is revealed as the inexhaustible one: who am I, and where do I come from, writes Emily Driver....
For Thomas, that question is freighted with a uniquely brutal inheritance. Back in war-torn Bavaria, we learn with Ruth, a UN relief worker, that as a boy he was torn from his family by the Nazis and chosen as one of their so-called ‘special children’, marked out for repatriation by virtue of possessing Aryan traits.
Ruth and her fellow humanitarian workers seek to return him to his family and restore some order on an Eastern Europe in disarray and its millions of displaced peoples. It is the murky, morally equivocal nature of these missionary methods which Lan forces under a microscope. When Ruth is confronted decades later by the man that she both cared for and handled as cargo,
it is no wonder her words get caught in her throat.
Juliet Stevenson gives a performance of tensile strength: taut, pained, and self-aware. Yet it is the younger Thomas, (played on Thursday night by Artie Wilkinson Hunt) who provides the evening's most piercing note. He moves through degrees of unadulterated rage, grief and vulnerability with a kaleidoscopic adeptness that recall only the rarest child performances, such as that of Owen Cooper in Netflix’s Adolescence.
Lan’s supporting characters are more schematic: the brash, tongue-incheek American soldier who longs to escape that ‘hell-hole’ continent, or the blubbering, unworldly aid workers. These types gesture towards the diverse, international efforts of postwar Europe, but remain silhouettes compared to the density of Ruth and Thomas’s moral entanglement.
All of these performances are facilitated by Miriam Beuther’s powerfully suggestive set design in the Dorfman Theatre. On stage, we find the cosy
trappings of domestic order – a kitchen, drawing room, piano, bookshelves. Beyond the kitchen, lurks the wild and unmasterable Bavarian woods. Beneath the floorboards, lie confidential war files – the conspiracies and secrets on which lives were tentatively rebuilt after the war. Together, Lan and Beuther stage history not as backdrop but as sediment: layered, unstable, and prone to fissure. The Land of the Living is a drippingly dark, confrontational and cacophonous play. If sometimes it errs on the side of density – with its shifting temporalities and chorus of languages – it nevertheless manages to achieve a rare moral seriousness. And if it leaves us unsettled, it is because the questions that are posed – of memory, complicity, and ownership – do not yield easily to answers.
Dorfman Theatre, National Theatre, South Bank. London,SE1 9PX until November 1st. Booking and full details: https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/ productions/the-land-of-the-living/ review
drunk Tallulah. Now the conversation heated up.
Famous names were thrown about like confetti and landed like concrete, big stars' darkest secrets revealedNames I won't mention in print just in case...
As the drink flowed the revelations became more sordid. These - apparent - friends dug up dirt and flung it in each other's faces. The young starlet, used as a ball in their game of verbal tennis, had to decide whether to sell his soul or not. It was a telling moment, and the set with the cracked Hollywoodland sign surrounding it now showed its relevance as we checked our programmes to see that it was Ethan Cheek who cleverly designed it. The Code was that you had to play Hollywood's game or get out. Sleep with who you want but don't let the public know. It is about deciding if you want to rake in the dollars or hold on to your integrity. But you can't have both. For a wordy, one room play it is amazingly engrossing. I was mesmerised by the characters and their portrayals by actors who had to be at the top of their game.
Southwark Playhouse Elephant, 1 Dante Pl, London, SE11 4RX until 11th October.
Booking and full details: https:// southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/ productions/the-code/
MGM who wanted him to deny his homosexuality. He became an eminent interior designer but now, with the government crackdown, he was planning to leave the town he once loved.
(Nick Blakely) and his latest find Chad Manford (Solomon Davy), call in for drinks. Willson
Photo by Steve Gregson
Photo by Manuel Harlan
New Biz Grants: Empowering Southwark’s Black and Global Majority Small Business owners
Southwark’s social economy is brimming with passion, creativity, and potential. Yet many charities, social enterprises, and grassroots business owners earning under £10,000 a year struggle to access the funding and support they need to grow and sustain their work.
That’s why we are offering you the opportunity to join, Starting Up, Starting Out, a bold programme empowering local communities by providing vital financial and practical support to emerging organisations.
Through this initiative, 80 Black and Global Majority-led organisations and individuals earning less than £10k per year (from their business), will receive a £500 grant, hands-on training, and expert 121 mentorship designed to strengthen leadership skills, build capacity, and ensure longterm financial resilience.
To apply, go to www.doitnownow.com/southwark
Alongside training, the programme fosters peer networking opportunities, encouraging collaboration and collective problem-solving among local leaders. By the end of the four-month journey, each participant will leave with a clear plan to strengthen their organisation and grow with confidence.
Applications are open now, with recruitment running until 23
The initiative is delivered by Do it Now Now (DiNN), a award winning Black and Global Majority community-focused business training organisation that has supported thousands of organisations across the UK and around the world. “This programme is about giving local leaders the resources and skills they need to thrive,” says Bayo Adelaja, CEO of Do it Now Now. If you are ready to grow your organisation, strengthen your impact, and take
the next step on your journey, now is the time to apply.
Don’t miss out on an opportunity to invest in your business potential. Apply today: www.doitnownow.com/southwark
What do others say about Starting Up, Starting Out?
“The content was challenging, informative, relevant and actionable to my business. Overall it felt like doing an MBA.” - Folora
“The most important thing I've learnt is that my market is so much bigger
than I initially anticipated! There are so many different angles that I come from to make the impact that I wish to make through my social enterprise.” - Christiane
“As a founder, I am much more confident in my offering, in terms of what value to place on it when we go to market.” - Liz
This could be everything you have been looking for, apply todaywww.doitnownow. com/southwark
November 2025, first come first served.
Notice of application for a Premises Licence.
Notice is hereby given that Houssam El Kadi has applied to Richmond Council for a new of a premises license at Sahtain Café, 41 Heath Road, Twickenham, TW1 4AW for selling alcohol on Monday to Thursday from 8:00am until 5:00pm then on weekend from 8:00am until 10:00pm.
Any person who wishes to make a representation in relation to this application must give notice in writing by 12 October 2025 stating the grounds for making said representation to: Richmond 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 Richmond 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.richmond.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.
GEMMA ALMA MOSES
Deceased
Pursuant to the Trustee Act 1925 anyone having a claim against or an interest in the Estate of the deceased, late of 29 Carew Road, Thornton Heath, CR7 7RF, who died on 05/04/2024, must send written particulars to the address below by 27/11/2025, after which date the Estate will be distributed having regard only to claims and interests notified.
c/o Pishon Gold Solicitors, 1 Bromley Lane, Chislehurst, BR7 6LH. Ref: adk/moses/1066.24
Deceased
Pursuant to the Trustee Act 1925
anyone having a claim against or an interest in the Estate of the deceased, late of 44 Howard Road, London, SE25 5BY, who died on 01/06/2024, must send written particulars to the address below by 27/11/2025, after which date the Estate will be distributed having regard only to claims and interests notified.
Faiza Khalid c/o Premier Solicitors, Premier House, Lurke Street, Bedford, MK40 3HU. Ref: GKR/FK2/KYR7/1
APPLICATION FOR A PREMISES LICENCE
Notice is hereby given that on 15th September 2025, BBD Wholesale UK Ltd of 163 London Road, Kingston Upon Thames, KT2 6NU applied to the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Licensing Authority for a Premises Licence under the Licensing Act 2003. The proposed licensable activities are:
• Online sale of alcohol by retail for consumption off the premises from 09:00 to 18:00 Monday to Sunday.
• Delivery of alcohol within 7 days of order
The licence is sought for a permanent duration.
Any responsible authority or other person wishing to make representations about this application must do so in writing to: Licensing Team, Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, Guildhall 2, High Street, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 1EU or by email to: licensing@kingston.gov.uk
Representations must be received no later than 13th October 2025 (28 days from the day after the application was submitted).
A record of the application and the statutory register of the Licensing Authority may be inspected at the above address during normal office hours or online at www.kingston.gov.uk/licensing
It is an offence under section 158 of the Licensing Act 2003 knowingly or recklessly to make a false statement in or in connection with this application.
London Borough of Lewisham
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has issued a report following its investigation of a complaint about Lewisham Council regarding housing.
The Ombudsman found that there had been fault on the part of the Council, and this had caused injustice to the complainant. Lewisham Council has agreed to take action which the Ombudsman regards as providing a satisfactory remedy for the complaint.
The Council must now consider the report and tell the Ombudsman within three months what it proposes to do.
Copies of the report will be available for public inspection free of charge during normal office hours at Laurence House, 1 Catford Road, SE6 4RU for three weeks starting on Friday, September 26th 2025
Anyone is entitled to take copies of the report or extracts from it.
LICENSING ACT 2003
APPLICATION FOR GRANT OF PREMISES LICENCE
Mr Vishal Vadgama & Mrs Janki Vadgama has applied to the London Borough of Lambeth for the grant of a Premises Licence, in respect of the following premises:
Another Planet Play Ltd, 524-528 Streatham High Road, SW16 3QF which would authorise the following licensable activities: Supply of alcohol during business opening hours of Monday - Sunday, 10am - 6pm.
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 14/10/25.
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
APPLICATION FOR GRANT OF PREMISES LICENCE
MR ELSWORTH RECORDEAVOUR JONES has applied to the London Borough of Lambeth for the grant of a Premises Licence, in respect of the following premises: 876 Caribbean Restaurant, 133 Landor Road, LONDON, SW9 9JD which would authorise the following licensable activities: Alcohol consumption 11am-11pm Monday to Friday
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 24/09/25.
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 Special Treatment Licensing
Notice of application for new licence
Applicant name : Tashana Cuffy Mcnish Trading name: Faded Skin
Full address: Parkhall business centre, 40 Martell Rd, Unit C1.01, Norwood, SE21 8EN
Applicant seeks to authorise the following licence: Special treatment licence
Example of special treatments: Tashana will be offering the following treatments, hydrodermabrasion, microdermabrasion, microneedling, LED Light therapy, High Frequency, Superficial chemical peels, Herbal peels
What will be included in the services: the services will include cleansing along with the necessary steps depending on the client's treatment of choice. For example, a treatment like microneedling would include a double cleanse steam, extractions, disinfection, micro needling, LED light therapy and a homecare kit
Opening times: Mon - Sat: 9am-9pm
Any person wishing to make representations on this application may do so in writing to: Licensing Team, London Borough of Lambeth, Third Floor, Civic Centre, 6 Brixton Hill, Brixton, London, SW2 1EG or via email to foodhealthandsafety@lambeth.gov.uk, within 28 days from the date of this notice. Persons objecting to the grant of a licence must be prepared to attend in person at a public hearing before a committee of the Council. Letters of objection will be sent to the applicant inviting comments.
Date of notice: September 26th 2025
LICENSING ACT 2003
APPLICATION TO GRANT A PREMISES LICENCE
TAKE NOTICE THAT WE Mimoza Ltd
Premises name: Balkanika
Premises address: 230 High Street Bromley BR1 1PQ do hereby give notice that we have applied to the Licensing Authority at The London Borough of Bromley for a new of a Premises Licence submitted on this date: 22/09/2025
Proposed licensable activities: Sale by retail of alcohol for consumption off the premises Monday-Sunday 10:00-20:00
This is a new application for the grant of a Premises Licence
All representations must be received within 28 days after the date of application. Any person wishing to make representations to this application may do so by writing, stating the grounds of objection, to: Licensing, Civic Centre, Churchill Court, 2 Westmoreland Road, Bromley BR1 1AS. Representations may also be sent via email to licensing@bromley.gov.uk
A copy of the application can be viewed at the Licensing Authority’s address during normal office hours by an appointment; or viewed 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: Nedyalko Gyubelev Date: 22/09/2025
LICENSING ACT 2003 APPLICATION TO VARY PREMISES LICENCE
Notice is hereby given that Greene King Brewing & Retailing Limited has applied in respect of Paxton 255 Gypsy Road West Dulwich SE27 9QY for an application to vary the premises licence under the Licensing Act 2003 to permit the following: 1. Vary opening hours to start at 0900 on each day (currently 1100 Monday to Saturday and 1200 Sunday); closing hour of the premises remains unchanged. 2. Vary hours for sale of alcohol to commence at 0900 on each day of the week (currently 1100 Monday to Saturday and 1200 Sunday). 3. Vary hours for commencement of regulated entertainment to start at 0900 on each day of the week (currently 1100 Monday to Saturday and 1200 Sunday). 4. Vary terminal hour for live music to 0030 Monday to Thursday; 0200 Friday and Saturday; 2330 Sunday (currently 2300). 5. Vary the terminal hour for the provision of Late Night Refreshment on Friday and Saturday to 0200 (currently 0100). 6. To replace the current schedule of conditions with an updated set of conditions that include CCTV, door security, incident log, noise management, dispersal plan, management of external areas, provision of contact details, capacity, vulnerable person, underage sale and access to premises by children. Please refer to the application for full details.The record of this application may be inspected during normal officer hours by an appointment at the Licensing Section, London Borough of Lambeth, 3rd Floor, Civic Centre, 6 Brixton Hill, London, SW2 1E, 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 20 October 2025.
It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with this application.
Persons will be liable on summary conviction to an unlimited fine. TLT Solicitors
APPLICATION FOR A PREMISES LICENCE
Take notice that A & R RETAILER LTD have made an application to Lewisham Council acting as the Licensing Authority, for a New Premises Licence in respect of A & R RETAILER LTD, 20-22 Dartmouth Road, Forest Hill, London SE23 3XU to sell or supply of alcohol between the following hours: Monday to Sunday, Start 06:00 Finish 23:30
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 22 October 2025
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.
Notice of application for a Premises Licence. Notice is hereby given that AK PIZZA LONDON LTD has applied to Richmond Council for a new premises licence at Caprinos Pizza East Sheen, 160 Upper Richmond Road West, East Sheen, London, SW14 8AW for Late Night Refreshments – Monday to Thursday – 2300 hours to 0300 hours and Friday to Sunday –2300 hours to 0400 hours
Any person who wishes to make a representation in relation to this application must give notice in writing by 22nd October 2025 stating the grounds for making said representation to: Richmond 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 Richmond 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.
You’d want to know if someone was applying for an ALCOHOL LICENCE near you, right?
The Public Notice Portal is a free to use, online service that will tell you who is applying for what and where. Plus, if you register, we’ll tell you about any plans for your community before it’s too late.
JOAN MARY MAPLE
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
Written representations should be made within three weeks of the date of this advertisement to the Director of Planning, PO Box 734, Winchester SO23 5DG. Any comments made are open to inspection by the public and in the event of an appeal may be referred to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. Confidential comments cannot be taken into account in determining an application.
Application plans can be viewed online at www.lambeth.gov.uk/searchplanningapps – search using the reference number at the end of each application listing.
4 Durand Gardens London SW9 0PP Replacement of existing windows and doors with like-for-like replacement windows and doors. 25/01930/FUL
376 Wandsworth Road London SW8 4TE Remedial repairs (Flat A) at the rear of the property involving the removal and replacement of dry rot affected floor and ceiling joists, wall plates and associated timbers on a like-for-like basis. 25/02901/LB
82 Elm Park London SW2 2UA Replacement of existing front elevation windows and door with timber framed double glazed windows and timber door; replacement of existing rear elevation windows and doors with uPVC framed double glazed windows and door, and timber framed double glazed windows and door. 25/02393/FUL
1 Fontaine Road London Lambeth SW16 3PB Alteration to street-facing entrance and creation of gable-fronted porch faced in brick. Single-storey rear extension and side infill. Minor alterations to existing rear-facing windows and provision of an additional rooflight in the existing flat roof, including the installation of an AC unit to the rear and solar panels to the front elevation. 25/02876/FUL
13 Lansdowne Way London Lambeth SW8 1HL Retrospective planning permission for alterations to the shopfront and rear single-storey extension 25/02925/FUL Graphite Square London SE11 5EE Installation of fascia and projecting signage, new ventilation lourve and alteration to existing entrance.
(Please note: The reference number for this Advertisement Consent application is 25/02897/ADV but there is also an associated application for Full Planning Permission related to these works with reference number: 25/02896/FUL). 25/02897/ADV
Land Off Chapel Road London SE27 0SP Erection of two-storey building to provide a self-storage facility (Use Class B8), associated parking and landscaping. 25/02646/FUL 1 Stockwell Green London SW9 9JF Erection of scaffold to the building on all three sides and: -Repair damaged brickwork and lead to elevation and repoint areas where pointing has failed -Repair and repaint rear walls and wooden window frames -Repair lead flashing above ground floor curved window and repair where necessary; repaint wooden window -Removal
(Please note: The reference number for this Listed Building Consent application is 25/02728/LB, but there is also an associated application for Full Planning Permission related to these works with reference number: 25/02727/FUL) 25/02728/LB
Dated this Friday 26 September 2025
Transport for London Public Notice
ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 THE A3220 AND A3212 GLA ROADS (BATTERSEA BRIDGE ROAD, BATTERSEA BRIDGE AND CHEYNE WALK, LONDON BOROUGH OF WANDSWORTH AND ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON & CHELSEA) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC & STOPPING AND SUSPENSION OF BUS LANE) ORDER 2025
1. Transport for London, in consultation with the London Borough of Wandsworth and Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, hereby gives notice that it intends to make the above named Trafc Order under section 14(1) of the Road Trafc Regulation Act 1984 for the purpose specied in paragraph 2. The effect of the Order is summarised in paragraph 3.
2. The purpose of the Order is to enable carriageway resurfacing and crane works to take place on Battersea Bridge Road, Battersea Bridge, Cheyne Walk and Chelsea Embankment.
3. The effect of the Order will be to prohibit any vehicle from:
(1) entering, exiting or proceeding in a westerly direction on the A3220 Cheyne Walk between its junctions with Chelsea Embankment and Milman’s Street;
(2) entering, exiting or proceeding in an easterly direction on the A3220 Cheyne Walk between its junctions with Old Church Street and Milman’s Street;
(3) stopping on A3220 Cheyne Walk between its junctions with Danvers Street and Milman’s Street;
(4) entering, exiting, proceeding or stopping on Beaufort Street between the vehicular access to Kingsley House and Burleigh House, Beaufort Street and Cheyne Walk
(5) entering, exiting or proceeding in a south-westerly direction on Cremorne Road between its junctions with Edith Grove and Lotts Road;
(6) entering, exiting, proceeding or stopping on A3220 Battersea Bridge Road between its junctions with Battersea Park Road and Cheyne Walk;
(7) entering, exiting, proceeding or stopping on Parkgate Road between its junctions with Battersea Bridge Road and Radstock Street;
(8) entering, exiting, proceeding or stopping on Howie Street between its junctions with Battersea Bridge Road and Radstock Street;
(9) entering, exiting, proceeding or stopping on Surrey Lane between its junction with Battersea Bridge Road and Bridge Lane;
(10) entering, exiting, proceeding or stopping on Prince of Wales Drive between its junctions with Battersea Bridge Road and Rosenau Crescent;
(11) entering, exiting, proceeding or stopping on Bridge Lane between its junctions with Battersea Bridge Road and Shuttleworth Road;
(12) stopping in the permit holders and pay at machine Bay outside No.18 Bridge Lane;
(13) stopping on Kersley Street between its junctions with Battersea Bridge Road and Kersley Mews;
(14) stopping on Battersea Church Road between its junction with Battersea Bridge Road and the extended south-western building line of No. 5 Battersea Church Road;
(15) entering, exiting, proceeding or stopping on Petworth Street between its junction with Battersea Bridge Road and Watford Close;
(16) stopping on Rosenau Crescent between its junctions with Battersea Bridge Road and Prince of Wales Drive;
(17) stopping on Cambridge Road between its junctions with Battersea Bridge Road and Foxmore Street;
(18) stopping on Colestown Street between its junctions with Battersea Bridge Road and Stanmer Street;
(19) turning right from Kersley Street onto Battersea Bridge Road;
(20) turning right from Colestown Street onto Battersea Bridge Road
Works will be phased as such that not all restrictions may apply at any one time.
The Order will also:
Permit all vehicles to use the north-westbound bus lane on Battersea Bridge Road between its junctions with Colestown Street and Rosenau Crescent.
Permit two-way operations on Colestown Street between its junctions with Stanmer Street and Battersea Bridge Road.
Permit two-way operations on Kersley Street between its junctions with Kersley Mews and Battersea Bridge Road.
Permit all vehicles to turn right from Queenstown Road into Battersea Bridge Road.
Permit all vehicles to turn right from Latchmere Road into Battersea Park Road.
The Order will be effective between 5th October 2025 and 26th April 2026 every night from 8:00 PM to 5:30 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 trafc signs.
4. The prohibitions will not apply in respect of:
(1) any vehicle being used for the purposes of those works or for re brigade, ambulance or police purposes; (2) anything done with the permission or at the direction of a police constable in uniform or a person authorised by Transport for London.
5. At such times as the prohibitions are in force alternative routes will be indicated by trafc signs via: [For Battersea Bridge Road] Battersea Bridge Road southbound, Prince of Wales Drive, Albert Bridge Road, Battersea Park Road, Queenstown Road, Chelsea Bridge, Chelsea Embankment to normal route of travel OR Cheyne Walk, Cremorne Road, King’s Road, Lower Sloane Street, Chelsea Bridge Road, Queenstown Road, Battersea Park Road to normal route of travel. [For Cheyne Walk] Chelsea Embankment eastbound, Cheyne Walk, Cremorne Road, King’s Road, Lower Sloane Street, Chelsea Bridge Road, Queenstown Road, Battersea Park Road to normal route of travel OR Parkgate Road, Albert Bridge Road, Battersea Bridge Road southbound, Prince of Wales Drive, Albert Bridge Road, Battersea Park Road, Queenstown Road, Chelsea Bridge, Chelsea Embankment to normal route of travel.
Dated this 26th day of September 2025
Andrew Ulph
Co-ordination Manager
Transport for London, Palestra, 197 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NJ
LONDON BOROUGH OF LEWISHAM TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT ORDER
The Lewisham (Free Parking Places, Loading Places and Waiting, Loading and Stopping Restrictions) (Consolidation) (Amendment No *) Order 202*
The Lewisham (Charged for Parking Places) (Consolidation) (Amendment No *) Order 202*
1. NOTICE IS GIVEN The Council of the London Borough of Lewisham proposes to make the above Traffic Regulation Orders under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (as amended).
2. The effect of these proposals will be to:- (a) introduce mandatory disabled on-street parking places in the locations specified and described in Schedule 1 to this Notice. Each parking place will be 6.6m in length and approximately 2m in width and, unless otherwise specified, will be on the carriageway; (b) introduce no waiting at any time (double yellow line restrictions) on the length of road specified in Schedule 2 to this Notice; (c) revoke the disabled on-street parking place in: (i) Effingham Road – outside No.64; (ii) High Level Drive –east side, on the side of No.15 (Echelon Bay); (iii) Waters Road – 2 bays, outside No.42 and Outside No.46;
3. Where a new restriction has been proposed in this Notice, any existing restrictions will be replaced, unless otherwise specified. –
4. Copies of the draft Order plans and Statement of the Council’s Reasons for proposing to make the Order and documents giving more detailed particulars may be obtained by emailing a request to trafficorders@lewisham.gov.uk quoting reference ‘PTO 1093’ or can be inspected during normal office hours on Mondays to Fridays at the office of Lewisham Transport Policy & Development, 4th Floor Laurence House, 1 Catford Road, London SE6 4RU.
5. Any objection or other representations relating to the proposed traffic orders and parallel crossing must be made in writing and all objections must specify the grounds on which they are made and must be emailed to: trafficorders@lewisham.gov.uk or posted to Lewisham Transport Policy & Development, 4th Floor Laurence House, 1 Catford Road, London SE6 4RU, quoting reference PTO 1093 to arrive not later than 28 days from the date of publication of this notice. Any objection may be communicated to other persons who may be affected.
6. All written representations received concerning Traffic Regulation Orders are public documents that may be inspected by any person on demand.
Schedule 1 (Disabled On-Street Parking Places)
1. Abbotshall Road – on the east side, outside of No.51; 2. Avon Road – on the north side, outside of No.3; 3. Beachborough Road – on the east side, outside of No.18; 4. Brockley Rise – on the east side, outside of No.158; 5 Chalsey Road – on the south side, outside of No.38; 6. Ghent Street – partly on the footway, on the north side, outside of No.15/17; 7. High Level Drive – on the east side: (i)outside of No.22 and (ii) on the side No.14; 8. Horncastle Road – partly on the footway, on the south side, outside of No.4E; 9. Launcelot Road – on the footway, south side, across the boundary of buildings 73-83; 10. Limes Grove – on the north side, outside of No.23; 11. Lushington Road – north side, opposite Watergate School and across Hedge Walk; 12. Nelgarde Road –on the west side, outside of No.1; 13. Penberth Road – on the west side, outside of No.44; 14. Pendragon Road – on the footway, on the north side, outside of No.29; 15. Pepys Road – on the east side outside of No.35; 16. Riddons Road – on the footway, on the east side, outside of No.103; 17. Shroffold Road – on the footway, south side, outside of No.136; 18. Tatnell Road – partly on the footway, on the south side, outside of No.37; 19. Thornsbeach Road – on the east side, outside of No.95/99; 20. Tressillian Road – on the west side, outside of No. 98; 21. Waters Road – partly on the footway, south side, (i) across the boundary of No.44/46 and (ii) across the boundary of No.42/44; 22. Wrigglesworth Street –on the north side, across the boundary of No. 41/ 43; 23. Wynell Road – on the south side, across the boundary of No.30/32.
Schedule 2 (No Waiting at Any Time) Lushington Road – north side, 8.6m in length across Hedge Walk, from a point 10.5m west of the western property boundary line of No.47.
Dated 26th September 2025.
Zahur Khan, Director Public Realm, Laurence House, 1 Catford Road, London SE6 4RU
LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH
ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14
TEMPORARY TRAFFIC AND PARKING RESTRICTIONS –MOUNT EPHRAIM LANE
1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to enable Thames Water to carry out repair and maintenance works, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth intends to make an Order the effect of which would be to temporarily ban vehicles from entering that length of Mount Ephraim Lane which lies between Woodfield Avenue and the rear property boundary of No. 55 Woodfield Avenue.
2. The ban would only apply at such times and to such extent as shall be indicated by the placing of the appropriate traffic signs.
3. The Order will come into force on 6 October 2025 and continue in force for a maximum duration of 3 months (to allow for contingencies) or until the works have been completed whichever is the sooner. In practice, it is anticipated that the works would take place between 6 and 17 October 2025, but if the works cannot be carried out or completed during that time then the Order may have effect at subsequent times within the maximum period of 3 months.
26 September 2025
Ben Stevens Highway Network Manager
LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH
ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14
TEMPORARY TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS –WESTMINSTER BRIDGE ROAD
1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to enable Network Rail to carry out a bridge investigation, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth, subject to the agreement of Transport for London, intend to make an Order the effect of which would be to temporarily suspend that length of the westbound Westminster Bridge Road bus lane which lies between No. 129 Westminster Bridge Road and Station Approach.
2. The ban would only apply at such times and to such extent as shall be indicated by the placing of the appropriate traffic signs.
3. The Order would come into force on 6 October 2025 and would continue for a maximum duration of 1 month (to allow for contingencies) or until the works have been completed, whichever is the earlier. In practice, it is anticipated that the Order would only have effect from 6 to 10 October 2025 but if the works cannot be carried out or completed during that time then the Order may also have effect on subsequent dates within the maximum period of 1 month.
Dated 26 September 2025 Ben Stevens Highways Network Manager
LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH
ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984, SECTION 14
TEMPORARY TRAFFIC AND PARKING RESTRICTIONS, HARPENDEN ROAD
1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to enable Thames Water to carry out surveys for zonal metering, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth intends to make an Order the effect of which would be to temporarily ban vehicles from entering that length of Harpenden Road from its junction with Norwood Road for a distance of 8.00 metres.
2. Alternative routes for affected vehicles would be available via Ulverstone Road, Ullswater Road and Norwood Road and viceversa.
3. The ban would only apply at such times and to such extent as shall be indicated by the placing of the appropriate traffic signs.
4. The Order will come into force on 13 October 2025 and continue in force for a maximum duration of 1 month (to allow for contingencies) or until the works have been completed whichever is the sooner. In practice, it is anticipated that the works would take 1 day to complete.
Dated 26 September 2025 Ben Stevens Highway Network Manager
LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH
ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984, SECTION 14
TEMPORARY TRAFFIC AND PARKING RESTRICTIONS, ABBEVILLE ROAD
LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH
ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 – SECTION 14
TEMPORARY TRAFFIC AND PARKING RESTRICTIONS
PALACE ROAD AND DAYSBROOK ROAD
1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to enable upgrade works to be carried out on Palace Road, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth have made an Order the effect of which will be to temporarily ban vehicles from entering or waiting (including waiting for the purpose of loading or unloading a vehicle) in; (a) (Phases 1&2) that length of Palace Road which lies between Lambourne Court and the north western kerb-line of Daysbrook Road; (b) (Phase 3) that length of Daysbrook Road which lies between Palace Road and a point 16 metres south west on Daysbrook Road.
2. Alternative routes will be available for affected vehicles via; (Phases 1&2) Hillside Road, Wavertree Road and Daysbrook Road, and vice versa, (Phase 3) Wavertree Road and Hillside Road and vice versa.
3. The bans will only apply at such times and to such extent as shall be indicated by the placing of the appropriate traffic signs.
4. The Order will come into force on 29 September 2025 and will continue for a maximum duration of 6 months or until the works have been completed whichever is the sooner. In practice, it is anticipated that the works will take place in 3 phases from 29 September 2025, (Phases 1 & 2, respectively estimated for 1 week and 2 weeks, will maintain access between Daysbrook Road and the north western arm of Palace Road via the use of temporary traffic lights. Phase 3 will see the area in Phase 3 fully closed but for less than one day). If the works cannot be carried out or completed during that time, then the Order may also have effect on subsequent dates within the maximum period of 6 months.
Dated 26 September 2025 Ben Stevens Highway Network Manager
LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14 TEMPORARY TRAFFIC AND PARKING RESTRICTIONS –CARLISLE LANE
1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to enable Network Rail to carry out a bridge inspection, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth intends to make an Order the effect of which would be to temporarily ban vehicles from entering that length of Carlisle Lane which lies between Westminster Bridge Road and the north western property boundary of Canterbury House.
2. Alternative routes for affected vehicles would be available (for vehicles) via Westminster Bridge Road, Lambeth Palace Road and Royal Street, and (for cyclists and pedestrians) via Centaur Street, Hercules Road and Westminster Bridge Road.
3. The ban would only apply at such times and to such extent as shall be indicated by the placing of the appropriate traffic signs.
4. The Order will come into force on 6 November 2024 and continue in force for a maximum duration of 1 month (to allow for contingencies) or until the works have been completed whichever is the sooner. In practice, it is anticipated that the works would take place between 6 and 7 November 2025 but if the works cannot be carried out or completed during that time then the Order may have effect at subsequent times within the maximum period of 1 month.
Dated 26th September 2025 Ben Stevens Highway Network Manager LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14 TEMPORARY TRAFFIC, PARKING, STOPPING, WAITING AND LOADING RESTRICTIONS – WOODLAND ROAD
1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to enable UK Power Networks to carry out maintenance, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth, subject to the agreement of The London Borough of Croydon, intends to make an Order the effect of which would be to temporarily;
(a) ban vehicles from entering that length of Woodland Road which lies between Westow Hill and the northern property boundary of No. 57 Westow Hill; (b) ban any vehicle from waiting (including waiting for the purposes of loading and unloading a vehicle) at any time, in that length of Woodland Road which lies between the northern property boundary of No. 3 Woodland Road and the southern property boundaries of Nos. 55 and 57 Westow Hill.
2. An alternative route for affected vehicles would be available via Woodland Road, Camden Hill Road, Gipsy Hill and Westow Hill.
3. Whenever the ban referred to in paragraph 1(a) above applies, the one-way system in Woodland Road between Westow Hill and Camden Hill Road would be temporarily suspended to allow access to and egress from that length of road.
4. Whenever the ban referred to in paragraph 1(a) above applies, the one-way system in Camden Hill Road between Woodland Road and Beardell Road would be temporarily suspended to allow access to and egress from that length of road.
5. The one-way systems would only apply at such times and to such extent as shall be indicated by the placing of the appropriate traffic signs.
6. The Order would come into force on 6 October 2025 and would continue in force for a maximum duration of 1 month (to allow for contingencies) or until the works have been completed whichever is the sooner. In practice, it is anticipated that the works would take place between 6 October and 10 October 2025, but if the
1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to enable Thames Water to carry out repair and maintenance works, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth intends to make an Order the effect of which would be to temporarily ban vehicles from entering a length of approximately 25 metres of Abbeville Road that lies between Nos. 88 and 94.
2. Alternative routes for affected vehicles would be available via Caldervale Road, Elms Crescent and Franconia Road and vice versa.
3. The ban would only apply at such times and to such extent as shall be indicated by the placing of the appropriate traffic signs.
4. The Order will come into force on 13 October 2025 and continue in force for a maximum duration of 2 months (to allow for contingencies) or until the works have been completed whichever is the sooner. In practice, it is anticipated that the works would take 3 weeks to complete.
Dated 26 September 2025 Ben Stevens Highway Network Manager
LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH
ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984, SECTION 14
TEMPORARY TRAFFIC AND PARKING RESTRICTIONS, WANDSWORTH ROAD
1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to facilitate statutory utility works, the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth, subject to the agreement of Transport for London (TfL) intends to make an Order the effect of which would be to temporarily suspend the north-eastern bus lane in that length of Wandsworth Road that lies between No. 550 and its junction with Silverthorne Road.
2. The ban would only apply at such times and to such extent as shall be indicated by the placing of the appropriate traffic signs.
3. The Order would come into force on 13 October 2025 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.
Dated 26 September 2025 Ben Stevens Highway Network Manager
Matt Beard in charge of
TRIBUTES POUR IN AFTER DEATH OF MATT BEARD
Former Millwall Lionesses boss passes away at 47
By John Kelly
MILLWALL LIONESSES said they were “deeply saddened” as they joined the outpouring of tributes following the death of their former manager, Matt Beard.
Beard’s passing at the age of 47 was announced by Women’s Super League side Liverpool last weekend.
Beard guided Liverpool to two WSL titles in 2013 and 2014.
Beard started his managerial career with the Lionesses, leading them to the Women’s Premier League Southern Division tittle and promotion to the top flight in 2008-09.
"Everybody at the club is deeply saddened by the passing of former Lionesses manager, Matt Beard,” the Lionesses said in a statement.
"We send all our love and support to his family, friends and colleagues across the many clubs he managed at this very difficult time."
Beard returned to Liverpool for a second spell and led them to the 2021-22 Women’s Championship and back into the top tier.
He was named the WSL manager of the season in 2013 and 2024.
Beard and his wife, Deb, had two children. Deb posted a message on social
King of Camberwell rescues Hamlet
By John Kelly
NYREN CLUNIS struck in stoppage-time to rescue a 1-1 draw for Dulwich Hamlet in the Isthmian League Premier Division at Cheshunt last weekend.
Danny Mills went through on goal early on but shot wide before Sol Baugh’s effort was blocked and cleared just before the break.
Early in the second half, Mills turned and shot but the hosts scrambled the ball away.
Cheshunt went in front in the 49th minute when Dulwich failed to clear and Sam Granville beat goalkeeper Tony Bull.
Bull made a crucial save with his legs ten minutes later as the Hamlet were almost caught as they were chasing an equaliser.
Bull saved again to keep Mark Dacey’s side in it before Baugh’s attempt was blocked on the line.
With time almost up, Clunis controlled the ball in the box before turning and firing past former Dulwich goalkeeper Preston Edwards and into the top corner for his first goal since his return to the club in the summer.
Dulwich are fourth in the table with sixteen points from seven games and a game in hand on the sides above them.
They have a mouth-watering clash against leaders Brentwood Town at Champion Hill this Saturday when they can close the gap to three points with a win. Kick-off is 3pm.
media. It read: “It is with great sadness that our beautiful Matthew Beard has passed away tonight [Saturday] at 7.28pm. He is a loving husband, father, son, brother and uncle. He was the most amazing, caring man who was loved by anyone who had the pleasure to meet him.
“All of our family kindly ask for time to grieve in peace at his loss. We will love you forever, you absolute legend.”
Beard - whose older brother Mark played for Millwall - also had spells at Chelsea, Boston Breakers, West Ham and Bristol City.
His last job was at Burnley. He was appointed last June but resigned two months later. The Clarets' Women's National League match against West Brom was postponed.
Liverpool’s WSL game at Aston Villa scheduled for Sunday was also postponed.
There was a minute's silence before kickoff in all WSL and WSL2 games on Sunday.
Liverpool said: “Liverpool Football Club is deeply shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of former LFC Women manager Matt Beard. The thoughts of everyone at the club are with Matt’s family and friends at this devastating time.
“Matt was not only an extremely committed and successful manager, he was also a person of real integrity and
warmth, who will always be remembered with genuine fondness by everyone he worked with at the club.”
In a statement on X, the WSL posted:
“Everyone at WSL Football extends its deepest sympathies to the family, friends and loved ones of Matt Beard following news of his passing. Matt played an instrumental role in the growth of women’s football and will be missed by everyone associated with the game.”
Beard was hugely well regarded around the game, with tributes continuing to pour in this week.
Former Chelsea boss and current United States manager Emma Hayes posted on social media: "Can't quite compute this. Absolutely one of the best humans. Always available for a chat, one of the good guys. A champion in the women's game and a top bloke. So gutted for his family."
LMA Chief Executive Richard Bevan said:
"Matt was a true champion of women's football and dedicated his early career to advancing the game on its path to professionalisation.
"He played an integral role in the development of players, coaches, and the wider game as one of the most active managers in women's football over the past fifteen years, achieving success at some of the biggest clubs in the game."
FESTOS FIREWORKS
By John Kelly
FESTOS KAMARA scored all four goals for Fisher in their 4-1 win against Sutton Common Rovers in the second qualifying round of the FA Vase at St Paul’s.
Kamara struck in the nineteenth, 59th, 66th and 93rd minutes for Ajay Ashanike’s side.
Sean Lyle had put the Combined Counties League leaders in front. The first round proper fixtures will take place the weekend of October 14.
The Fish are back in SCEFL Premier Division action this Saturday when they face Larkfield & New Hythe aiming to improve their eighth place in the table. Kick-off in Rotherhithe (SE16 6NT) is at 3pm.
Surrey add Indian spinner for title decider
By Sports Reporter
SURREY HAVE added Indian spinner Rahul Chahar to their squad for the decisive final round of the 2025 County Championship.
The Three Feathers trail Nottinghamshire by four points and must beat Hampshire at the Utilita Bowl to have any chance of a fourth successive
title. The 26-year-old leg-spin bowler plays for Rajasthan in the Ranji Trophy and has represented India seven times in whiteball cricket.
Chahar has taken 87 wickets in 24 firstclass matches at an average of 26.12, with best match figures of 9/148.
His IPL journey started at Rising Pune Supergiants, but it was at Mumbai
Indians where his career really took off. He was a key part the MI team that won the 2019 and 2020 IPL tournaments. He was bought by Punjab Kings in 2022 and spent this IPL season with the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Hampshire recently signed Indian spinner Washington Sundar for the final two fixtures of the year. Surrey are currently missing spin
options Will Jacks and Cam Steel who are both ruled out due to injury.
On signing, Chahar said: “I’m excited to join Surrey for this week’s match. I’m coming here to have an impact and help the team in their final match of the season.”
“Adding Rahul to the squad gives us another spin option at the Utilita Bowl,” Alec Stewart said.
“We always knew that we would be missing players for the final period of the season and try to plan accordingly given the potential surfaces and the opposition we’re playing.
“We had originally earmarked for Sai Kishore to return for the latter stages of the season but he unfortunately has a finger injury resulting in an operation has meant he was unavailable.”
Liverpool in 2024
Festos Kamara scores his fourth goal
Nyren Clunis (in green) beats former Dulwich stopper Preston Edwards
BOSS HAS NO INTEREST IN TABLE AS PALACE EXTEND RUN
By John Kelly
OLIVER GLASNER said he wasn’t looking at the Premier League table after Crystal Palace stretched their unbeaten run to seventeen games in all competitions with their 2-1 win against West Ham United at London Stadium last weekend.
Jean-Philippe Mateta put the Eagles in front in the 37th minute before Jarrod Bowen levelled three minutes after the break.
Palace defender Chris Richards cleared Lucas Paqueta’s effort off the line and Kyle Walker-Peters then missed two opportunities for the hosts.
That proved costly for the troubled Hammers as Tyrick Mitchell fired home a brilliant volley for the winner in the 68th minute.
Palace moved into the Champions League spots before later results pushed them down to fifth.
Palace’s unbeaten run will face a stern test when Liverpool visit Selhurst Park on Saturday.
“I never look at the table, especially in September,” Glasner said.
“I can remember even what happened last year: eight games starting the Premier League without a win. Three draws, five defeats. We were always looking at our performance, so we never got nervous in the whole club.
“Of course, now it feels a little bit
more relaxed, but on the other side, everybody who knows me, I'm never relaxed – it's always about improving our game. The better we will perform, the more we will progress, the better we will be at the end of the season.
“This is the only thing we are talking about.
“It was a deserved win. We know of T Mitchell. We have to be careful because we are really in a great run. Maybe the only criticism is that we didn't kill the game when we could kill it. This is a little bit the story of this season until now. On the other side, it's good, we're still unbeaten, we have the second away win, so it's all on track.
“I also told the players that when I watch our game, I see many, many
positive things, but I still see a lot of potential we have – so it’s good. Now, it's looking forward to one week of training, the first [full] week of training with this squad, and preparing for the Liverpool game.” Palace have maintained their form from last season, despite losing FA Cup match-winner Eberechi Eze to Arsenal.
Glasner said: “I praise them so often, I can just repeat it. I think this is the result of our good results, not just for two weeks, but really for months now. The players believe in what we are doing. Football is a game of momentum. I've seen not so many games where it's 90 or 100 minutes always just going into one direction,
EXCLUSIVE
By Will Scott
RAFIQ LAMPTEY has signed a new, long-term contract with Millwall, with Alex Neil saying he was set to be on the periphery of the first-team squad before he suffered a knee injury.
The nineteen-year-old midfielder joined Neil's squad for their weeklong training camp in Murcia in July and made several friendly appearances.
Lamptey suffered an injury at the beginning of the season that has ruled him out for an indefinite period of time.
He joined the under-21s in the summer of 2024 after a short trial spell and was a regular for Kevin Nugent's side throughout the 202425 season. He previously spent time at Watford's Academy, Kinetic Academy, and Harrow Borough in Step Four.
Neil told this paper that Lamptey had impressed him in pre-season.
"I feel for Raf, he had to go and get
especially when we play away here at West Ham.
“Then it's just keep calm, defend well, and this is what we're doing really well for months now. It's not so easy to create chances against us, and then we will create chances again. It can be transitions, we move the ball very well in possession, especially into the final third. We found our tens great, but this is what we will work on, improve our game in the final third, taking right decisions. This decisionmaking, these clinical passes, this is now what we will hopefully improve.
“It's still the start of the season, so I think we had a good start, and now we will keep working to get better and better.”
an operation on his knee," Neil said. "In pre-season, he was certainly one that we earmarked that was going to potentially be on the periphery of the squad and certainly help us in certain games. He would've certainly featured the other night against Palace.
"He did particularly well in preseason, and I was really, really pleased with him. Hence, the reason why we've obviously extended his contract.
"Now we just need him to get fit and then try to get them back involved."
EXCLUSIVE
By Will Scott
MILLWALL
ACADEMY director Scott
Fitzgerald said he was delighted five second-year scholars signed professional contracts with the club, and opened up on how the improved pathway to the first team has helped retain talent.
George Beaumont, Elias Mansor, Dean Forbes, Oliver Whitby, and Harry Taylor all committed their futures to the club in August after featuring for both the under18s and the under-21s last season.
Whitby and Mansor are central midfielders, Forbes and Taylor operate at centre-back, while Beaumont joined the academy playing on the wing, but now plays at full-back.
Fitzgerald told this paper he was pleased they came through.
"As you go through the age groups, it gets harder and harder for the guys," Fitzgerald said. "We end up taking fewer players and fewer players because there's only so many boys who are going to make it.
"For us to get five professionals from the under-eighteens group last year, we are very pleased with that. It's the next step for those guys.
"We've had Elias just go away with his country [Afghanistan], for the main squad, so that's a huge achievement for him, but also for the club.
"The owner and [director of football] Steve [Gallen], see that the academy is an integral part of the football club, which is really pleasing, and that also then brings pressure that we've got to produce players."
The Lions' pathway from the academy to the first team has strengthened in recent years, with Millwall academy product Romain Esse becoming the club's record sale to Crystal Palace in January, just over two years after he made his first-team debut.
Alex Neil has handed first-team debuts to several under-21s, including Ra'ees Bangura-Williams, Sheldon Kendall, and Jack Howland - and several academy players interviewed by this paper have been encouraged by increasing opportunities in the senior side.
"It's been huge," Fitzgerald said. "It's been really encouraging for us to be able to get the players over with the first team.
"The under-21s have trained next to the first team for ten years. So that's not a new thing. It's a fantastic opportunity.
"I always talk about how we want to be the club that gives the players the opportunity, but then it's up to the player. By being on the same site, almost on
Esse in action against Blackburn
‘IT’S
BEEN HUGE’
Millwall’s academy director Scott Fitzgerald opens up on how improved pathway to first team has helped retain talent
the next pitch to the first team, there are opportunities every single day for our young players to get in front of the manager. But once they're over there, then it's up to them."
Many of Millwall’s most talented under21s have joined the academy later on in their careers following short trial spells, including Bangura-Williams and Rafiq Lamptey.
Fitzgerald outlined how the Lions identify potential trialists.
“Firstly, it depends on what we've already got inside the building,” Fitzgerald said.
“That will most probably be the first bit.
“But we're constantly contacted by
agents, other clubs, and contacts that we've got. Then it's about doing our due diligence on those players, finding out what they're like, not just on the pitch, but off the pitch. Will they fit in with what we're trying to achieve and our environment?
“So if we get down to that, then it's an invite in. Again, then it's down to the player. They have an opportunity to train with the under-21s, and if they do well enough, then they'll feature in a game.”
The Lions still place importance on recruiting players at a young age, with Esse and Jack Howland having been in the academy since their pre-teen years. But they are competing in arguably the most
Frey feels ‘home’ after new deal
By John Kelly
QUEENS PARK Rangers striker
Michael Frey said “this is home” after signing a new contract with the R’s.
Swiss forward Frey, 31, was QPR’s top-scorer last season with nine goals.
Frey joined the Hoops from Royal Antwerp in January 2024 and has scored ten goals in 41 appearances.
QPR initially triggered a contract extension in his deal at the end of the season.
The club didn’t disclose the length of his new deal.
"I feel very good, I feel happiness. I
feel like this is home, it's like family now," Frey said. ”There have been tough times, fighting relegation, but also we have had very, very good days, beautiful days where we played very nice football.
"We have stayed two seasons in the league and now this season, maybe we want to have a bit more, but we have to work very hard for it."
Meanwhile, Julien Stephan’s side made it three consecutive Championship wins as Harvey Vale scored the only goal at Loftus Road last weekend to end Stoke City’s perfect away record.
The 22-year-old former Chelsea
youngster beat Potters goalkeeper Viktor Johansson with a left-footed curling shot into the far corner for his first Championship goal.
QPR have picked up nine points from nine since losing 7-1 at Coventry City.
Stephan said: ”In the season you have some good moments and bad moments and that was a bad moment.
"It's finished now and we learned a lot. Now we have won three in a row, that is [also] finished and we have to be focused on the next games." They travel to Hillsborough to face Sheffield Wednesday this Saturday at 3pm.
competitive area in England.
“South London, being a hotbed of talent, it's never changed,” Fitzgerald said. “As long as I've been here, it's always been a bit of a bum fight to try and get the players.
“I think in the last ten years, with the introduction of the EPPP [Elite Player Performance Plan] and the funding and the amount of money that now goes into recruitment, it's definitely become harder.
“Clubs have invested heavily in recruitment, not just the south London clubs that we're contesting with, it's London and nationally. You've got Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool. They're all looking in London,
and especially in south London.”
Fitzgerald discussed how the club retains promising youngsters amid interest from other sides.
"It's going to be an ongoing process, and there's always a lot of noise outside of the club," Fitzgerald said. "There's always going to be players who want to leave you, no matter what you do.
"But it's about us creating a pathway, which I feel that we've done, and the player and parent buying into what we're trying to do. I think we can obviously demonstrate the successes that we've had, and I'm fully confident that there'll be future successes within that."
By John Kelly
JOHNNIE JACKSON said he was “loving watching this team play” after AFC Wimbledon came from behind for the second consecutive game to claim three League One points at Doncaster Rovers.
After Owen Bailey put the hosts in front early in the second half, Ryan Johnson and Myles Hippolyte scored in the last 20 minutes to give the Dons their fifth win in nine games in their first season back in the third tier.
“I'm just excited for the games at
the minute, I'm loving watching this team play, I'm loving their mentality, their work ethic, their attitude and also the football that we're playing too,” Jackson said. Wimbledon, who are ninth, play eighteenth-place Wycombe Wanderers at the earlier time of 12.30pm this Saturday at Plough Lane.
Jackson said: “That won't be an easy game. I know they haven't had the start that they wanted, they’ve had a change of manager - that's going to be a really tough test coming. But we'll prepare properly for that and we'll get a clean week to do it.”
Romain
Rovers
George Beaumont, Elias Mansor, Dean Forbes, Oliver Whitby, and Harry Taylor
SouthLondonWeekly. Community matters
Sport INSIDE
TRIBUTES POUR IN AFTER DEATH OF MATT
Addicks boss challenges match-winner Tanto
By John Kelly
NEIL’S YOUNG LIONS SHOW BITE
Injury-ravaged Millwall scrap out three wins in opening six - despite being youngest side in the league
By Will Scott
ALEX NEIL hailed Millwall’s resilience after his injury-ravaged side managed to scrap out three wins in their first six league games, despite missing ten firstteam players.
The Lions started the season with a mostly full strength side away at Norwich City, winning their first game at Carrow Road in 57 years, but in the past month and a half have had their strength whittled away by knocks and long-term injuries.
Despite the absences, Neil’s side have put together a strong run of form, beating Sheffield United away from home and holding rivals Charlton to a 1-1 draw at The Valley.
The one blemish on the Lions’ copybook was their home record, as they lost their first two league games at The Den to Middlesbrough and Wrexham, but they righted the ship by scrapping out a 1-0 win against Watford on Tuesday, September 22.
Millwall now sit tenth in the Championship with ten points, level on points with sixthplaced Coventry City and two points off second-placed Stoke City.
Neil thinks his side have not reached their peak yet.
“I think that's probably the best thing that we can take from the first six games for ourselves is the fact that we've won 50 per cent of our games,” Neil said. “Which is not easy to do at any level.
“I think you could see the performance at Norwich when we had a lot of our players fit. I thought we were outstanding, certainly in the second half.
“It's been more challenging for me in terms of finding a way for us to win games and be more competitive and try and get up the league.
“But the lads have done brilliantly, they really have, but a lot of them have not got a lot of experience at the level.
“A lot of them have been relied upon to maybe play different positions than what they're used to because we’re having to fill gaps in spaces, particularly in the middle of the pitch. I'm delighted with how they've attacked it.”
Impressively, Millwall have been competing with what Neil said was on average the youngest side in the league, a reversal of where they were last season.
“It was actually one of the staff members was saying to me that, apparently, last year, I think the first game against Watford, we were the oldest team in the league,” Neil said. “Over the last few games, that was before tonight, by the way, so I don't know if it's maybe changed, but I think our average age was the youngest in the league.
“What it shows you is how much we've sort of developed and changed and went down the route of bringing young, promising players in and giving them an opportunity and a chance and all that sort of stuff.
“From that perspective, really pleasing, especially the fact that we're still winning games while we're doing it, because that's always the biggest challenge, isn't it? It's easy to go young. It's not easy to go young and win, and develop and all that sort of stuff. So, yeah, really pleased.”
CHARLTON ATHLETIC boss Nathan Jones said he was “proud” of Isaac Olaofe after his last-minute winner against Sheffield United last weekend - and challenged him to provide more “game-changing” moments to claim his starting place.
Former Millwall striker Olaofe has made five appearances in the Championship after his £1.5million move from Stockport County in the summer, all of them from the bench.
He came on in 79th minute to replace Tyreece Campbell at Bramall Lane and finished a cross from James Bree for the only goal of the game and his first Addicks goal.
It was a sixth league defeat in a row from the start of the season for the Blades, in Chris Wilder’s first game of his third spell in charge.
Olaofe has had to be patient for his chances, with fellow summer signing Charlie Kelman, as well Campbell and Miles Leaburn for competition up front.
Jones explained how Olaofe can get more game-time.
“Exactly what he has done today - goals, energy, running ability, gamechanging,” Jones said. “That is it. He will get opportunities.
“You have to understand that we can only play eleven players and we’ve got competition in every position now, so there are arguments for everyone.
“Joe Rankin-Costello came here to play. So did Harvey Knibbs, Tanto Oloafe and Rob Apter. We’ve got competition from behind that and people who have done well for me, [such as] Karoy Anderson. Ibby Fullah is pushing at the door and he is training off the charts.
“The competition and levels had to go up at this club and they have, significantly. If people want to stay in the team, or get in the team, then they have to be consistent every day.
“That will do him the world of good and I’m really proud of him, because he’s had to be patient. He’s come on late and been frustrated. He was one of the main men at Stockport and he thought, ‘I’m coming here to play’. No, you’re coming here to be a Championship player and help Charlton Athletic be the best we can be.
“If he wants more minutes, then keep doing that. It is hard to leave you out.”
Charlton host Blackburn Rovers this Saturday at 3pm.
Tristan Crama celebrates Millwall’s 1-0 win over Watford
