Southwark News - March 27th 2025

MILLWALL NEWS

Issue 1730

Est: 1987

50p

March 27 2025

southwarknews.co.uk

Crunch time for plan for three huge towers in Elephant

BRYAN ADDRESSES MILLWALL FUTURE See Page 22

HAVING A BALL IN WATERLOO See page 16

TALL ORDER See page 4

‘HOUSING OFFER TOO LOW’ SAYS PROTESTING CAMPAIGNERS See page 4

SIR SIMON HUGHES MAKING WAVES AT PUBLIC INQUIRY

2 NEWS Contents NEWS Pages 2-16 OPINION Pages 18-19 ARTS Pages 20-21

EDUCATION SECRETARY BRIDGET PHILLIPSON SAYS CLOSING PRIMARY SCHOOLS OFFERS ‘OPPORTUNITIES TO THINK CREATIVELY’ Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson gave a speech at Mulberry Academy Shoreditch.

By Noah Vickers

Local Democracy Reporter

EVENTS Page 22 MOTHER’S DAY MESSAGES Page 23 CLASSIFIED Page 24 PUBLIC NOTICES Pages 25-28 SPORT Pages 29-32

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LONDON’S FALLING birth rate and the rising number of schools closing across the capital could present positive “opportunities to think creatively” about other forms of provision for children, the Education Secretary has said.

In an interview with the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Bridget Phillipson admitted that the demographic trend was “already starting to present challenges for local councils” but suggested it could also free up buildings to provide other educational services for young Londoners.

According to London Councils, there was a reduction of 27,490 live births across the capital between 2012 and 2022 – with the change being felt especially in the city’s inner boroughs like Southwark. It is thought to be due to London’s lack of affordable family housing – which has pushed parents outside the city or discouraged them from having children altogether.

In the last four years, six primary schools in Southwark have been forced to close their doors due to a drop in demand for places.

London Councils warned last month that lower demand for pupil places is already affecting schools’ budgets, as funding is allocated on a per-pupil basis. While the Education Secretary acknowledged this concern – and said measures in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill would help address this – she also spoke positively about the situation.

“I believe there are opportunities to think creatively about how we use the school estate,” Ms Phillipson said.

“For example, our plans to open more nurseries within primary schools, using the spare space which is opening up because of the shift that we’re seeing around demographic changes.

“Alongside that, I know that lots of parents have to fight really hard to get the support that they need for children with SEND [special

educational needs and disabilities], and again I think that [with] the space that is opening up, we need to think about how we can use that to create the provision that is required for children with SEND too.”

In Southwark the council is developing a capital plan to expand SEN provision, which once finalised could see at least two of the closed four school buildings they own being re-purposed as a special school between 2025 and 2030.

The other two church-run schools in Southwark are being used for other purposes rather than lying empty.

The topic arose as the Education Secretary defended her proposed reforms to academies, which include giving councils the right to MILLWALL NEWS

Issue 1729

Editor: Kevin Quinn Reporters: Isabel Ramirez; Issy Clarke, Evie Flynn Sports Editor: John Kelly Sports reporter: Will Scott Arts Correspondent: Michael Holland Digital Transformation Editor: Katherine Johnston Media Partnerships: Anthony Phillips Advertising: Clarry Frewin Design: Dan Martin, Ann Gravesen Finance: Em Zeki - Tel: 0779 883 3758 em@cm-media.co.uk Subscriptions/Announcements: Katie Boyd Managing & Commercial Director: Chris Mullany Managing & Editorial Director: Kevin Quinn Published weekly on a Thursday at: Community Matters Media Ltd 1 Bermondsey Square, London SE1 3UN. News and Sport: 020 7231 5258 Advertising: 020 7232 1639 News: news@southwarknews.co.uk Advertising: hello@cm-media.co.uk Printed by Iliffe Print. Tel: 01223 656500 www.iliffeprint.co.uk

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‘ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN’ COOPS WHY ARE CLOSED SCHOOLS LEFT EMPTY?

Our teenage reporter Our questions prices at the new Walworth Walworth Town hall

SMARTPHONE CULL See page 13

See page 22

EXCLUSIVE

See page 6

WORLD WAR TWO VETERAN TURNS 100

EXCLUSIVE See page 16

Bermondsey school spearheading ban has had parents quote the European Convention on Human Rights to them See page 4

See page 4

See page 4

object to any decisions by academies about their ‘published admission number’, or capacity per year.

The Tories’ shadow education minister Neil O’Brien has argued that the move will “rightly leave school leaders nervous about pupils being ‘shared out’ from good schools to prop up failing schools”.

Asked whether the change will stop highperforming schools from growing their pupil numbers, even if they want to, Ms Phillipson denied this.

“No, it won’t,” she said. “What we need to do is to work together to ensure that across every school, we have higher standards.”

Despite the minister’s insistence on this point however, her own department’s impact

assessment has acknowledged that the reform could in some cases “limit the ability of popular schools to grow”.

The LDRS also asked Ms Phillipson about the fact that while primary school children across London currently enjoy free school lunches, thanks to a policy introduced by mayor Sir Sadiq Khan in 2023, the same is not true across the rest of the country.

“Mayors have powers that they can choose to exercise, and the Mayor of London has taken the decision around how he uses the resources he has available,” she said.

Rather than introduce free school meals nationally, Labour has promised to introduce free breakfast clubs in every school. But in what appeared to be a hint that the Government could eventually consider a national version of Sir Sadiq’s scheme, Ms Phillipson added: “We’ll of course look at the evidence that emerges from that, in terms of impact, as you would expect.”

The Education Secretary earlier this week welcomed an interim report from a panel of experts reviewing how the national curriculum should be changed.

The panel said it had “heard concerns that [GCSE] exams – coupled with the volume of content needing to be covered and their use in accountability measures – can lead to ‘teaching to the test’”, and said its members “will consider carefully whether there are opportunities to reduce the overall volume of assessment” at GCSE level.

Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott responded to the report by saying that the “soft bigotry of low expectations is back” and warning that qualifications would be “less rigorous and less credible”.

Ms Phillipson told the LDRS: “The curriculum assessment review will build on the best evidence that’s out there around how we drive up standards – a knowledge-rich curriculum that is broad and allows every child to thrive.

“GCSEs and exam-based assessment are here to stay. What the panel wants to look at in the months to come is how we ensure that we maintain the rigour of the GCSE system, but get the balance right.”

The Southwark News is proud to be the only independent, paid for newspaper in London Southwark News started life as the Bermondsey News in 1987, as an A-4 photocopied sheet of paper and rapidly grew to cover the entire borough and the surrounding area. As the borough grew, so did the newspaper.

It is owned and run by Chris Mullany and Kevin Quinn.

Former reporters for Southwark News, they bought the title in 2002, after the founder Dave Clark died suddenly from cancer four years earlier.

A dedicated team of staff work tirelessly to cover as much of what is going on as possible and strive to ensure that a community-led, independent newspaper can survive and excel in a market dominated by national and multinational media groups.

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NEWS 3

By Evie Flynn THE SUNDAY Times have released their annual Sunday Times Best Places to Live Guide, a list of seventy-two locations around the UK.

Two locations in south east London have made it onto the list: East Dulwich (SE22) and Telegraph Hill (SE14).

Saffron Walden in Essex has been crowned the best place to live in the UK and Walthamstow as the best in London. Apart from the winners, the locations are not ranked but published in alphabetical order.

We spoke to the chief judges behind the list, Tim Palmer, a property journalist who has been involved in the judgement process since 2016. He said that “south east London is where the interesting stuff is happening now...it’s absolutely the best of the London experience which you can’t get in the ‘traditionally posh’ areas.”

When assessing London, The Sunday Times judges are looking for somewhere exciting with things to do, but also places where families can be happy, taking into account parks, schools, and communities.

EAST DULWICH - WHY IT BEAT ITS MORE AFFLUENT NEIGHBOUR:

East Dulwich was praised by the judges for its deeply-rooted community spirit, which is one of the key factors in the judging process. How much people actually like living there makes up a big part of the score on ‘community’. The judges visit all locations and speak to the residents before naming it on the list.

When asked about East Dulwich’s appearance on the list rather than Dulwich village, Tim said that it’s “a little bit less grand, a little bit more affordable, and the very poshest areas don’t always have the best community spirit.”

Tim said that alongside its cheaper rent and house prices when compared to Dulwich Village, it boasts numerous independent cafes and 76 acres of Dulwich Park. It is also located in close proximity to Peckham “when a dose of urban energy is required”.

TELEGRAPH HILL MAKES THE LIST FOR BEING EVER SO TRANQUIL:

Telegraph Hill, bordered by Nunhead and Brockley, was also named on the list and is described as an ‘urban

THESE SOUTH EAST LONDON LOCATIONS HAVE BEEN NAMED ON THE SUNDAY TIMES BEST PLACES TO LIVE LIST Do you live in one of the best locations in the UK?

Lordship Lane East Dulwich

Telegraph Hill Upper Park hamlet’.

It has highly regarded state schools, a community centre and the two beautiful parks offering panoramic views on London. The Sunday Times say that it there’s “blissfully not a lot else” to do in Telegraph Hill, and is described as a “tranquil part of London”.

We questioned Tim about the transport links to Telegraph Hill and Dulwich, as neither have a Tube station.

Tim made a good point, he said that sometimes “a tube station might be a disadvantage. Ibn that people are living there not because they want to live there, but because they want to be somewhere else”.

Tim says that the main aim of this The Sunday Times list is to “celebrate places, highlight how good they are and give credit to the people who make the place”.

He says that the judging panel aims to “make sure the list has something for everyone on it”. Yet, he also emphasises

that it is a judgement call and is not a definitive list.

The Sunday Times love feedback and welcome debate and discussion as an inevitable result of this list.

SMITHFIELD

The tension rose by each minute Arts

Page 20

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4 NEWS

HOUSING CAMPAIGNERS CALL ON COUNCILLORS TO REJECT BOROUGH TRIANGLE REDEVELOPMENT

By Issy Clarke

HOUSING CAMPAIGNERS took to the streets once more last Thursday to urge councillors to oppose a planning application to redevelop the Borough Triangle.

It comes days before a decision is expected on the Berkeley Homes proposal to build almost 900 properties on the site between Newington Causeway and Borough Road, which could be made at a planning committee on 26 March.

Protestors from Southwark Housing and Planning Emergency - SHAPE gathered outside Southwark Council’s Tooley Street offices and called on members to reject the scheme, which contains 35 per cent homes set at affordable rent and 25 per cent at social rent.

Southwark Council’s planning policy requires new developments to contain a minimum 35 per cent affordable housing, ‘subject to viability’.

Earlier this month, more than 600 people marched through Peckham to campaign against the Berkeley Homes redevelopment of the Aylesham Centre, after the developer reduced the proportion of affordable homes on the site from 35 per cent to 12 per

SHAPE demonstration on 1 March with over 600 people cent.

Last week, Peckham MP Miatta Fahnbulleh joined the chorus of voices opposing the present planning application, warning if the developer failed to increase the affordable housing supply it would find “this community united in opposition – and me by their side.”

Berkeley Homes previously submitted plans to transform the Borough Triangle in 2022, which

Locals ponder origins of mysterious sculpture in Peckham

By Issy Clarke

The art installation, which appeared in a tucked away corner of William Griggs Garden off Bellenden Road on Monday night and has since been taken down, depicted a generic tower block with a twist - it has an ATM screen.

One Peckham resident compared the sculpture to the “off-the-shelf towers you see springing up around King’s Cross or Elephant and Castle”.

She added the ATM made the sculpture look as if “one could quite literally cash out from the building itself”.

Local WhatsApp groups have been rife with speculation about the possible origins of the tower block, with some theorising it could be by Banksy - although the true artist is still a mystery.

present Institute of Optometry site which Berkeley purchased last year.

The developer has said it hopes to keep Mercato Metropolitano on the site, adding it had been engaged in “constructive conversations” with the market.

Campaigners also highlighted British Land’s planning application to build 4,000 new homes on the Canada Water Masterplan, of which the developer originally promised 35 per

Pop-up shop with groceries for a fiver to open in Walworth this April

By Isabel Ramirez A POP-UP pantry offering affordable food shops for just £5 is launching in Walworth this April.

Peckham Pantry, which has been providing low-cost, healthy food since 2019, is expanding with three new temporary locations to help more people access essential groceries without breaking the bank.

Last year alone, the pantry saw up to 15,000 shops take place, proving the high demand for affordable food in the community.

The first of the shops opens on Tuesday, April 15, at the Rachel Leigh Community Hall, 32 Andrews Walk, Walworth SE17 3JQ. For just £5, shoppers can fill their baskets with fresh fruit, vegetables and store cupboard staples worth at least £15—offering a major boost to households struggling with the cost of living.

Shahid Mughal, Head of Food Services & Finance, explained: “Given our operational experience of running both the Southwark Foodbank and Peckham Pantry, we are proposing a pathway to transition from reliance on food banks to a more sustainable pantry model that offers a more dignified and financially viable alternative for communities.

“Our flagship store on Peckham Park Road is now offering support from Thames Reach for members on Thursdays from 10am-4pm. Plus, we have a steering group that organises

© Peckham Pantry

LOCALS WERE left puzzled after a mysterious sculpture appeared overnight in a park in Peckham.

included proposals to demolish Mercato Metropolitano and build 838 homes across buildings ranging up to 46 storeys in height.

However the developer was forced back to the drawing board after council planning officers said the scheme was ‘too tall’ and fell foul of fire safety rules.

Under the present plans submitted in July last year, the tallest building would be 44 storeys, located on the

cent would be set at affordable rents.

Objectors fear that the offering of affordable housing will be substantially less after a viability report from January revealed that currently, the scheme would only be profitable with less than 10 per cent of affordable housing.

Councillor Helen Dennis, Cabinet Member for New Homes and Sustainable Development, said: “Southwark Council is focused on delivering the affordable housing that our residents need and we are proud that to date, 22% of all social rent homes started in London this year, have been started in Southwark.

“Our planning policies clearly set out what we expect from developers in our borough and as a result of these, we have secured huge investment into a new Northern Line entrance and ticket hall at Elephant & Castle, a new Leisure Centre soon to be opened at Canada Water, and over £20m for investment in Neighbourhoods via our Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).

“The Borough Triangle application is live and a decision will be made by Planning Committee later this month.

All of the documents relating to that application are available through our online planning register.”

events, and meetings and even produced a cookbook. We are looking forward to being part of the change in Southwark on how we deliver food to those affected by the cost of living.”

From April 1, 2025, the cost of a shop at Peckham Pantry will rise from £4.50 to £5. This will be the first price increase since 2020, ensuring the service remains sustainable while continuing to provide great value for money.

To mark the launch of the Walworth pop-up, community members and representatives from Southwark will be in attendance, along with a few surprises for those joining on opening day.

Reserve your place and be part of the movement for affordable food in

Southwark by registering via Eventbrite.

OPENING TIMES

Peckham Pantry, 49-53 Peckham Park Road – Tuesdays 10am-4pm, Wednesdays 9am-4pm, Thursdays 10am-7pm, Fridays 9am-4pm and Saturdays 9am-3pm St.Luke’s, Chandlers Way – Wednesdays 11am-2pm

Rachel Leigh Community Hall, 32 Andrews Walk – Tuesdays 10am3pm (from 15 April 2025)

NEWS 5

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6 NEWS

SUPPORT GROWS FOR A TOURIST TAX

South London teens swap lives with small town USA students on new TV series

By Noah Vickers

Local Democracy Reporter

© Waterford_Man

more tourists.

“What would be unfair, I think, is if money was raised and was spent elsewhere, and people not seeing the benefits of the moneys being raised locally or regionally – so it’s really important to give that reassurance to the sector, because they’ve had a tough few years, particularly postpandemic.

“If we can reassure the sector that we can work on a scheme that benefits inward tourism, it benefits more tourists to come, I think they’d be supportive of it as well.”

Mr Mahfouz replied: “Thank you, mayor, for that reassurance, and clearly if it works well in places like Paris and New York City, it could work here.”

At October’s Centre for London conference, local politicians from each of London’s major political parties gave their backing to a tourist tax.

Kim Taylor-Smith, the Tory deputy leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council, said the idea was a “no brainer”, while City Hall’s Lib Dem group leader Hina Bokhari said she was “very supportive” of it.

However, UKHospitality, a trade body representing the sector, said additional taxes would be “extremely damaging”.

The Government has been approached for comment.

Bassam Mahfouz, Labour assembly member for Ealing and Hillingdon

© London Assembly

Similar charges already exist in several European cities, like Paris, Berlin and Amsterdam, and are typically added to a traveller’s hotel bill at the end of their stay.

In England, no local authority has the power – without permission from the Government – to directly impose a straightforward tourist tax, though Manchester and Liverpool city councils have introduced a form of tourism levy via a legal workaround.

The mayor told the Local Democracy Reporting Service in October last year that he was “happy to look into” whether a charge on overnight stays for travellers could work for London. He said he would be “following the evidence”, after the idea was discussed at the Centre for London think tank’s annual conference.

But in a shift in tone this week, Sir Sadiq expressed his support for the idea, after being publicly asked about it at City Hall by a Labour ally.

Speaking at Mayor’s Question Time on Thursday, London Assembly member Bassam Mahfouz listed Tokyo, Lisbon, Barcelona, Prague and New York City as places which already have tourist taxes.

“Isn’t it about time that London has the power to do the same thing?”, the Labour member for Ealing and Hillingdon asked.

Sir Sadiq said: “The thing about those cities is, many of us visit them, and don’t really mind paying the extra few euros, in relation to a tourism levy.

“I think the Government should be looking at giving us the powers to have an accommodation levy. But my promise to the hotels and AirBnbs and so forth is the money would be used to improve the environment around that, to encourage

© Channel 4

SIR SADIQ Khan has voiced his support for a London ‘tourist tax’ in a move which could eventually see overnight visitors charged extra for every night they spend in the capital.

Transport for London is searching for 25 young transport-lovers to record PA announcements

If you are aged between 5 and 16 you can enter the competition

By Evie Flynn

TRANSPORT FOR London (TfL) is searching for 25 transport enthusiasts, aged between 5 and 16 to record the special 25th anniversary PA announcements and get an exclusive behind-thescenes tour.

TfL are on the hunt for transport ‘superfans’ who want to share their love for London’s transport network. Those chosen will make their mark and share their stories with millions of people

across the city.

To enter the draw, participants need to explain in 100 words or less why they are a ‘superfan’ of a particularly mode of transport. This could be anything, from a specific Overground line, a particular bus route, or even the Cable Car. There will be 25 winners, who will be chosen by the staff of each service.

Alongside the announcement, winners will also get an exclusive behind-thescenes tour which is unavailable to the public. The tour will relate to the favourite mode of transport the winner

has chosen. For example, bus fans can explore bus depots or train-lovers can choose a Tube or rail station and learn the secrets of how TfL keeps London moving every day. Participants will also get a ‘goodie bag’ which 25th anniversary merchandise, including an iconic poster.

This opportunity is part of TfL’s wider 25th anniversary celebrations. This kicked off with a line-up of buskers at Liverpool Street station and collections of posters highlighting milestones from over the years.

London’s Transport Commissioner, Andy Lord said that “It’s vital that London is a place where all children can grow up healthy and happy… with milestones from the last 25 years, such as free travel for young people, helping to promote equal opportunities.”

The closing date for this competition is Wednesday 23rd April. For further information and entry details, visit the TfL Travel for Life website.

All entries must be sent to TfLSuperFansComp@tfl.gov.uk

By Isabel Ramirez A GROUP of diverse South London teens have swapped lives with kids in rural Arkansas, USA, for a new Channel 4 documentary series.

School Swap: UK to USA follows seven students from Elmgreen School in Tulse Hill as they venture 4,500 miles to small town America, where they will spend three weeks immersing themselves in a culture a world away from their own.

During their stay, they attend Mena High School, in America’s bible belt.

Whilst they navigate the challenges of being in a staunchly conservative, mainly white school, the American teens get to experience life in south London, which the show introduces as ‘one of the most diverse areas of the UK’.

In rural Arkansas, host families battle culture shock and home sickness before the UK students learn about the town’s racist past the hard way, leaving the group questioning their safety.

Not only do the British young people have to cope with being away from home for longer than they ever have, there are also difficult moments along the way.

Instances of casual racism at school remind the Brixton kids of how different the two places are - among other things.

For instance, one American student Waylon, a keen hunter, has hardly put down his suitcase at the exchange family’s house before he freely mentions he has ‘six guns at home.’

The next episode on Tuesday on Channel 4 at 8pm. Catch up on the first two episodes on Channel 4 online now.

A boost for biodiversity With Canada Water’s green and blue spaces coming to life as wildlife wakes up from winter, we take a look at some of the work going on to give nature a helping hand across the development.

London is known around the world for the quality of it public green spaces, which cover almost 20% of the capital1. British Land are proud to extend that tradition as they build the capital’s first new town centre in a generation.

Twelve acres of new open spaces make up 35% of the overall development area, providing people with room to relax, play and connect with the natural world, and wildlife with habitats in which to thrive. With the world facing a biodiversity crisis that many view as a just as big a threat as climate change2, this work is a vital part of building a sustainable neighbourhood.

Canada Dock Over several years British Land have partnered with Townshend Landscape Architects alongside the London Wildlife Trust to develop the vision for Canada Dock. They also engaged with Southwark Council, local schools, accessibility groups, the Surrey Docks Angling Club and ecology groups, plus the people who live and work in Canada Water, to develop a project that won the Canada Dock team the award for Planning for the Natural Environment in the Planning Awards in 2023.

Seven new wetland islands and three habitats for wildlife, including reed beds, wet woodland and meadow, have been installed. Native flowering plants and trees have been carefully selected and planted to attract species including dragonflies, kingfishers and frogs, while the 1km of new shoreline created provides ideal nesting locations for ducks, swans and other birds. British Land are grateful for the input from London Borough of Southwark’s Harbour Master, who advised on landscape design to aid the flow of water through the Albion Channel and restore water levels in the dock.

During the construction works, temporary nesting areas were created for Canada Dock’s birds. With the help of charity the Swan Sanctuary, these have now been moved to nearby Greenland Dock to continue the project of improving the historic docks as havens for biodiversity and places where local people can get close to nature.

Traversing the dock, a 170-metre boardwalk known as Rafter Walk enables people to get close to the wildlife without disturbing it.

A dipping pond opening in early summer will allow people to explore the dock’s aquatic life, providing a space for educational purposes, meaning children are able to learn about the natural environment and experience it firsthand.

A cormorant and black-headed gulls sun themselves on a temporary nesting area

Contact us:

canadawater.co.uk

team@canadawater.co.uk

A tufted duck enjoys the new environment in Canada Dock

Dock Office Gardens In September 2024 Dock Office Gardens was completed between the Grade II-listed Dock Office, Canada Water Leisure Centre, Three Deal Porters and Dock Shed. We’ve planted more than 90 species of plants, including exotic ferns, in a space inspired by Victorian botanic gardens. You can read more about this by scanning the QR code at the bottom of this page.

Paper Garden At this space next to the TEDI-London campus, British Land’s community partners Global Generation work to connect people with the natural world, gardening organically, creating healthy soil ecologies and planting for wildlife. Through their Generator programme, Global Generation are teaching the next generation how to protect and preserve their natural habitat, and the importance of these spaces in cities such as London.

Future spaces Across the development, British Land have already planted more than 270 trees, with a commitment to plant hundreds more. A new 3.5-acre park next to the Printworks building will incorporate woodland, meadow, dry garden, open lawn and shaded areas, to encourage a diverse local ecology. Green walking and cycling routes will connect these open spaces to the blue and green spaces surrounding Canada Water, such as Southwark Park and Russia Dock Woodland. These routes will also function as biodiversity corridors, enabling a rich ecosystem to permeate through the development.

Work undertaken with ecology experts Greengage to monitor the impact of British Land’s plans for nature found the development was on track to create 28% biodiversity net gain for hedgerows and habitats. This is way ahead of the 10% planning requirement and could rise to 60% for habitats over future phases.

1. www.london.gov.uk

2. WWF Living Planet Report 2024

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8 NEWS

FOUR SANTANDER BRANCHES ACROSS SOUTH LONDON ARE AMONG ALMOST 100 TO CLOSE THIS SUMMER

By Isabel Ramirez

FOUR BRANCHES of Santander are due to close this summer, as the bank plans to close almost 100 UK branches.

Santander has announced plans to update its branch network from June 2025 to better serve the changing needs of its customers.

The Surrey Quays branch, based in the Shopping Centre on Redriff Road, is one of 95 branches that will close.

Other London branches to shut will include Brixton, North End Croydon, Edgware Road, Eltham, Finchley, Greenford, Hackney, Holloway, Kilburn, Ruislip, Sidcup, and Tottenham.

They cite a rapid movement of the majority of customers choosing to do their banking digitally as a reason behind the closures.

These locations will be covered by new Santander Community Bankers providing face-to-face money management and general support for customers, visiting local communities weekly, as well as attending local Banking Hubs.

As well as the planned closures, the bank will be changing the format of a number of branches to include 18 counter-free and 36 reduced hours branches, alongside its 290 full-service

F.A.A.

branches and five Work Cafés.

The bank is also investing in more Work Cafés, with two new Work Cafés recently opened, and an additional site to be announced shortly.

The Work Café concept, which Santander is rolling out globally, provides a hub for local communities and businesses, including co-working space, superfast WiFi and dedicated event space - which can be accessed for free by customers and non-customers alike.

In addition to the bank’s Work Cafés, it has invested tens of millions of pounds in a branch investment programme over the last two years, refurbishing 99 branches, with a further 50 branches due to be completed over the coming year.

The newly refurbished branches include a digital self-serve room providing customers with privacy as well as the space to talk to specific teams, and access online banking.

Approximately 750 colleagues would be placed at risk of redundancy if the proposals proceed after consultation with the unions has been completed.

Support will be provided to those impacted colleagues, including assistance in finding redeployment roles within the bank, access to specialist outplacement support, and dedicated wellbeing support.

A spokesperson for Santander UK, said: “As customer behaviour changes, we are ensuring that our branches remain fit for the future. Our new combination of fullservice branches, alongside Work Cafés, counter-free branches and reduced hours branches, aims to provide the right balance between digital banking and face-to-face money management and guidance.

“As a business, we must move with customers and balance our investment across all the places where we interact with customers, to deliver the very best for them now and in the future.

“Closing a branch is always a very difficult decision and we spend a great deal of time assessing where and when we do this and how to minimise the impact it may have on our customers.

However, we believe that the introduction of our new Community Bankers and the exciting plans we have for our remaining network of 349 branches and Work Cafés, alongside the rapid and innovative improvements to our award-winning mobile banking app, will provide the right balance of digital banking and human interaction when required.”

Following the changes, 93% of the UK population will continue to be within 10 miles of a Santander branch. All Santander current and business account holders can also bank using one of over

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11,000 Post Office branches nationwide and 112 Banking Hubs. Closing branches are all within one mile of the nearest Post Office.

To support the changes, Santander will be proactively contacting all potentially vulnerable customers by phone and will assist those customers of closing branches to find other ways to bank that best suit their needs, including help to find alternative branches and

access digital, telephone and Post Office banking services.

A dedicated phone number is available to provide customers with help and information on the closures (0330 678 2469).

Santander also remains committed to Cash Access UK and is present in the Banking Hubs across the UK, contributing towards the setting up and expansion of new Banking Hubs.

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NEWS 9

EX LIB DEM WILLIAM HOUNGBO DEFECTS TO LABOUR EXCLUSIVE

A FORMER Liberal Democrat councillor for London Bridge and West Bermondsey who served as the vice-chair of the London Liberal Democrats has defected to Labour.

The defection of William Houngbo, who was a councillor from 2018 to 2022, was announced by Cllr Kieron Williams at a Southwark Council meeting on March 19.

He lost his seat to Labour in 2022.

In a letter announcing his decision, Houngbo said it has been a “difficult decision” adding: “I have been a member of the Liberal Democrats for

15 years but feel that the commitment to inclusion and representation is tokenistic and the party has a long way to go to understand the diverse community in Southwark and our capital city in particular.

“I believe that the lack of community connection and the failure to engage locally is one of the key reasons that the Liberal Democrats are in decline in Southwark and other urban areas.

“I look forward to supporting the hard work of Southwark Labour and am grateful to everyone for the warm welcome into my new Labour family.”

London Bridge and West Bermondsey, previously one of five Liberal Democrat wards, went to Labour in the most recent 2022 local elections after a hard-fought campaign.

Houngbo’s defection comes as the Labour government faces criticism over its crackdown on sickness benefits. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a sweeping overhaul of the welfare system, which will make it harder for people with less severe conditions to claim disability payments.

Houngbo continued: “I am also impressed with the local Labour councillors, particularly Emily Hickson and Sam Dalton in London Bridge and West Bermondsey. I am keen to work with them to support their campaign to provide new security doors for the whole of the St Saviour’s estate for example but believe they set a strong example for the good work local councillors can deliver!

“Southwark Council faces many challenges but I know it is under strong stewardship in a Labour team that sheltered our borough from the worst cuts of the last 14 years and ensured a strong commitment to environmental improvements, community cohesion and building the homes our community needs.”

Reacting, MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark Neil Coyle said: “I’m proud to continue welcoming many former Lib Dems into my local Labour Party, and especially glad that William is joining my team.

“We work hard for the whole community and William recognises that and wants to work with us. He’s been a senior Lib Dem for many years including in their Londonwide

leadership team but knows they’re in decline in Southwark with the Greens in second place now.

“I hope to support William going forward and I’m glad he’ll be working with me and Labour councillors to get the best for our community and borough.”

Chair of the Southwark Liberal Democrats Richard Wingfield said: “The Liberal Democrats will continue to stand up for Southwark residents being let down by this failing Labour Council, who are London’s worst landlord.

“We look forward to winning more Liberal Democrat seats at next year’s local elections and holding Labour to account for their appalling record on housing, crime and the environment.”

develop the Aylesham Centre, a 1980s shopping centre on Rye Lane, into a mixed-use housing and retail development.

The massive drop in the affordable homes offer shocked local residents who have taken to the streets in protest.

Southwark Council’s policy requires

new developments to provide a minimum of 35 per cent affordable housing with an additional goal of 50 per cent – both of which are subject to viability assessments run by the council and developer.

Berkeley Homes said the revised plans were due to “rising costs, exacerbated by the length of the planning process”.

“Developers like Berkeley have the chance to shape Peckham’s future in a way that strengthens the community rather than replacing it” said Fahnbulleh.

“This prospect can be both financially viable for developers and sustainable for Peckham—but it requires listening, adapting, and working with, not against, the needs of local people.

“There should be homes built on the Aylesham site, and developers have an opportunity to get this right. If they come forward with a proposal that genuinely addresses local housing need and strengthens the fabric of Peckham, and I will be their strongest champion.

“But fail to listen, and they will find this community united in opposition – and me by their side.”

She continued: “Somewhere in Peckham, a child will wake up

tomorrow morning in a room that isn’t theirs, because they and their family are living in temporary accommodation.

“For many of those children, their accommodation will be overcrowded and in poor condition, they will get ready for school in small spaces shared with siblings, and when they return from school, they will have no space to play and no quiet corner for homework- just an overcrowded space that might serve as a bedroom, a study, and a living space all at once.

“This is the daily reality for too many children in Peckham, growing up in overcrowded conditions, caught between rising rents and an everdistant promise of a stable home.

70% of my casework is about housing: families moving from one short-term let to another, people waiting years for a place to call home.

“Southwark Council is one of the biggest builders of new houses in the country. But years of poor investment and policy by the previous Conservative government has stifled house building in this country, with the result being that there are 18,000 people on Southwark’s housing waiting list—many of them children.

That’s the scale of the crisis.”

© Met Police

By Issy Clarke

Left to Right: Council leader Kieron Williams, new Labour Party member William Houngbo and MP Neil Coyle

MP comes out against redevelopment with just 12 per cent affordable homes offer in Peckham EXCLUSIVE

By Issy Clarke PECKHAM MP Miatta Fahnbulleh has come out against the redevelopment of the Aylesham Centre, which is promising just 12 per cent affordable homes, saying it “falls far short” of what the area needs.

In December, developer Berkeley Homes, announced it would be lowering the proportion of affordable homes on the site to 12 per cent down from 35 per cent. This revision means that out of 877 homes, 77 will be set at affordable rent.

It has been dubbed Peckham’s biggest redevelopment project for a generation.

Fahnbulleh, who was elected last July, said new homes were needed on the site but that these should “address local housing need”.

She warned that if the developers failed to listen they “will find this community united in opposition – and me by their side.”

“We need homes and we need them now” she said.

“But they must be the right homes:

affordable, secure, and designed for the people who already call this place home. Berkeley Homes’ planning application for the Aylesham Centre falls far short of what Peckham requires.”

Her intervention comes as the council is consulting on a planning application submitted by Berkeley Homes to

10 NEWS

TOWNHOUSE WORTH £4.5M UP FOR GRABS

By Isabel Ramirez A FIVE-STOREY Georgian townhouse in Borough, plus £250,000 in cash, is up for grabs in the latest Omaze prize draw supporting The King’s Trust.

The winner of the Omaze Million Pound House Draw will take ownership of the historic four-bedroom home, which boasts views of The Shard from

Zack Polanski, Green member of the London Assembly

its award-winning garden.

The property is mortgage-free, with all stamp duty and legal fees covered, and comes fully furnished with interiors worth £150,000. The winner can choose to live in the house, rent it out for an estimated £8,000-£10,000 per month, or sell it to become an instant multimillionaire.

Located on Park Street right near Borough Market, the townhouse

features original Georgian architecture combined with modern design elements. Highlights include a bespoke kitchen, formal dining room, multiple reception areas, and a sunroom extension.

The home also retains historic charm, with a “Take Courage” ghost sign on its exterior, a nod to its past as part of the former Anchor Brewery.

Outside, the professionally designed

garden features an office studio, fire pit, seating areas, and an aromatic herb garden. Designed by Chelsea Flower Show Gold winners, it offers a tranquil retreat with The Shard as a backdrop.

Funds from the draw will support The King’s Trust, a charity helping young people from disadvantaged backgrounds develop skills and access job opportunities. Omaze has pledged a minimum donation of £1 million to the

charity, following a previous partnership in 2021 that raised £500,000.

Entries for the draw close on 27 April 2025 for online submissions and 29 April 2025 for postal entries. An early bird cash prize of £500,000 is also available for those who enter by 13 April 2025 (online) or 15 April 2025 (postal).

Full details can be found at omaze.co.uk.

Over 18s and UK residents only.

By Noah Vickers

around, and making sure a healthy and sustainable diet is the default.”

Sir Sadiq said there was a need to be “a bit careful about taking away people’s choices”. But Mr Polanski interjected by saying that the change would in fact be “enabling people to have more choice and those choices are going to be cheaper for people, healthier for people and better for the planet too”.

The mayor said he was “very happy” for the assembly member to raise the canteen suggestion with City Hall’s chief officer, Mary Harpley, adding: “What I’m not in favour of is not giving people choice, and I think what we’ve tried to do is to promote plant-based options, but also to allow people to have choice.”

Mr Polanski claimed Sir Sadiq was “outsourcing responsibility” over the issue.

“You’re the Mayor of London,” he said. “I’d love to talk to you for instance about free school meals and how we can be making those plantbased by default.”

That suggestion elicited groans from other assembly members, but Mr Polanski continued: “This is the very

first option though, it’s just City Hall’s canteen… Would you show climate leadership and talk to the contractor and say ‘climate leadership would be plant-based by default in City Hall’, to show good example?”

Sir Sadiq repeated his position that the canteen already has “a good balance” of options, and said that making an option the default “often leads to that being the only option available”.

Responding to Mr Polanski’s point that the vegan menu options should be made more prominently visible than those containing meat, the mayor added: “Is he suggesting assembly members haven’t got enough common sense to know when there’s plant-based foods in the cafeteria? If he’s suggesting they’ve not got common sense, he should say that.”

The exchange was brought to a close as the Assembly’s Green group had begun to run out of its allotted amount of time to speak.

Assembly chairman Andrew Boff concluded the discussion: “Thank you to the assembly member for really getting to the meat of the matter.”

CALLS FOR MAYOR TO MAKE FREE SCHOOL MEALS VEGAN BY DEFAULT Local Democracy Reporter

© London Assembly

SIR SADIQ Khan faced calls on Thursday to make his free school meal programme “plant-based by default” as a way of “showing climate leadership”.

The question came up as the mayor was asked at a public meeting by Zack Polanski, deputy leader of the Green Party, whether he would first consider making changes to the City Hall’s own canteen menu.

“I’d love to have the conversation with you about how we do this all over London, but I want to start with the most local place possible, which is the canteen just behind me,” said Mr Polanski during the monthly Mayor’s Question Time session.

“Would you consider working with the contractor to make sure that our canteen at City Hall is plant-based by default? What I mean by that is the first thing on the menu is vegan or plant-based, that it’s the biggest font, that it’s the most attractive option.

“People can still have meat and dairy if they wish – but they ask for it – so we’re just flipping it the other way

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12 NEWS

THEATRE COMPANY OFFERING ‘PAY WHAT YOU CAN’ PERFORMANCES IN CAMBERWELL

Those who need it can see the performance for as little as £1

The New Rep Theatre rehearsals

A GROUP graduates from the highly prestigious Italia Conti are embarking on a plan to make repertory theatre ‘accessible, affordable and current’ by offering performances on a ‘pay what you can’ basis at the Golden Goose Theatre in Camberwell

a night at the theatre” and create something that also supports and nourishes the community, not just actors.

The idea for the company started after David and his cohort graduated from Italia Conti in July 2024 and found the job market in the creative industry “incredibly difficult”.

He had a fascination with the craft and technique of “old repertory style theatre” but is often inaccessible or

The Shard becomes UK’s ‘tallest timepiece’

The Shard becomes London’s new clock for the night

By Evie Flynn WITH THE clocks going forward next Sunday 30th March, the Shard changes it’s spectacular hourly light show to mark the occasion.

A FREE Easter event including face painting and storytelling is coming to Castle Square next month (Friday 18 April).

The Shard describes this as the “firstof-its-kind Timepiece” when the top 20 storeys will illuminate nearly 600 energy-efficient LED units. The lights are controlled by an expert team of technicians who programme the show.

The Shard, constructed in 2012, is already London’s tallest building, towering over 1,000ft above sea level.

However, it takes on a spectacular new role next week to mark the start of British Summer Time.

The Shard “aims to create a legacy for London through a truly unique display.. solidifying its place in the London skyline and becoming an enduring symbol of the city.”

expensive.

He reminisced that he was sat in a beer garden with his friends and “just had this idea..why don’t we just do this ourselves?”. David and his team then spent the next months building upon his vision of brining repertory theatre to life so that “more and more people can have access to these stories and experiences”.

Most of the graduates in the company are performing the plays alongside

working full-time jobs, which David says is “by no means an easy feat”.

The New Rep are constantly developing their approach and model and are currently looking at ways to establish workshops and opportunities to grow outreach within the community.

The ‘pay what you can Fridays’ mean you can see the performance for as little as £1. Tickets are available on Eventbrite

Two-day festival coming to Burgess Park to celebrate end of Ramadan

By Isabel Ramirez THOUSANDS OF people are set to come together in Burgess Park this weekend for a vibrant two-day festival marking the end of Ramadan.

Now in its 20th year, the muchloved event is a key part of London’s Eid in the Park celebrations, bringing the community together for prayer, festivities, and plenty of food.

The festival will take place on Sunday 30 and Monday 31 March, kicking off both mornings with a joint prayer at 10am.

From there, families can enjoy a range of activities, including henna painting, arts and crafts, and a bouncy castle for children. A variety of food stalls will also be serving up delicious dishes throughout the day.

The event will be held on the East Lawn side of Burgess Park, accessible via Old Kent Road. Visitors are encouraged to bring a prayer mat and picnic blanket to fully enjoy the celebrations.

Everyone is welcome to join in and celebrate this special occasion together.

Anyone wanting to take part is advised to bring a prayer mat and a picnic blanket.

It will take place on the East Lawn side of Burgess Park, accessible via Old Kent Road.

© Southwark Muslim Forum

It will change the display every hour starting at sunset, around 18:12pm and running until 1am.

Visible for up to 40 miles, the light show can be seen from numerous iconic landmarks such as Tower Bridge, the London Eye and so many rooftop bars and restaurants. If you are further away, it can even be seen as far as Greenwich Park, Harrow on the Hill, and Richmond Park.

By Issy Clarke

There will be a range of familyfriendly activities including face-painting, performances from local dance schools and even captivating storytelling by the Easter Wizard himself.

Adults and kids alike will be invited to take part in interactive dance workshops and even bid to win prizes from Castle Square traders.

All are invited to join the fun which will start at 11am and finish at 5pm at 40 Elephant Road, SE17 1EU.

By Evie Flynn

The New Rep Theatre Company is a group of 19 graduates, whose next production is The Importance of Being Earnest running until March 29, and the Friday performance will be on a “pay what you can basis”.

This theatre at the back of the Golden Goose pub at 146 Camberwell New Road (ten minutes walk from Oval Station) is between Brixton and Camberwell is relatively new to the fringe scene. Tickets for The Importance of Being Earnest on other nights are very reasonably priced at £15 (£8 concession).

David Knight, the company’s Artistic Director, said that he wants The New Rep Theatre to offer “more than just

Easter event coming to Castle Square

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NEWS 15

AN EXTENDED BAKERLOO LINE WOULD SEE MORE TRAINS RUNNING EVERY TWO MINUTES

By Robert Firth Local Democracy Reporter BAKERLOO LINE trains could run every two minutes under Transport for London plans to upgrade and extend the Tube route.

Southwark Council Leader Kieron Williams

© Back the Bakerloo

The proposals, which depend on government funding, would allow 27 trains per hour to run on the line, seven more than the current 20.

On Thursday (March 20), four Labour London council leaders renewed their calls for the government to commit cash to deliver the upgrade and extension of the 119-year-old Underground route.

The leaders of Southwark, Lewisham, Brent and Westminster councils said Chancellor Rachel Reeves should commit to deliver the transport project in the upcoming 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy and secure initial funding for the scheme in the Spending Review, both expected in June.

Councillor Kieron Williams, Leader of Southwark Council, said: “The time has come for the Bakerloo line upgrade and extension – a shovel-ready project that would unlock thousands of new homes along the line and bring a national economic growth boost of £1.5 billion, creating thousands of jobs across the UK supply chain.”

Brenda Dacres, Mayor of Lewisham, said: “For too long South East London has been excluded from the world-class London Underground network and the benefits of being a well-connected inner London borough.

“With Lewisham wages nearly 40 per cent lower on average than neighbouring boroughs, the Bakerloo line extension would be a game-changer for unlocking

The current Bakerloo line fleet is 53 years old

Brenda Dacres, mayor of Lewisham, said the Bakerloo line extension would ‘unlock growth’ inclusive growth and opportunities not just in the South East, but across the UK.” The first phase of the proposed extension—which TfL is currently conducting feasibility studies for—would see new Tube stations at the Old Kent Road and Burgess Park in Southwark.

The line would then continue South East to New Cross Gate and Lewisham.

The second phase would take the Bakerloo line beyond Lewisham to Hayes and Beckenham Junction. The existing

National Rail line would be incorporated into the London Underground network and Ladywell, Catford Bridge and Lower Sydenham stations would be converted into Tube stations.

As part of the planned revamp of the London Underground route, the Bakerloo line’s 53-year-old trains would be replaced. The current fleet is 16 years past its estimated lifespan and the trains are the oldest in regular passenger service in Britain.

The planned upgrade would support 150,000 jobs in Goole, East Yorkshire— where the new trains would be built.

Around 107,000 new homes are predicted to be built around the new Tube stations in London, if the project goes ahead. The scheme is expected to add £1.5 billion to the UK economy every year.

Councillor Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council, said without the government’s commitment, the Bakerloo

Millennium Bridge’s £3.5m make-over delayed by a year as too few firms bid for contract

By Ben Lynch Local Democracy Reporter A £3.5 million refurbishment of the Millennium Bridge expected to begin by this spring has been pushed back to next year.

The City Bridge Foundation, which owns the Central London crossing, said the delay is due to a ‘lower than expected number of responses’ to its tender for a

contractor to carry out the works.

The Foundation has chosen to retender for the project, which will see the bridge’s deck resurfaced, a retensioning of the suspension cables and its steelwork repainted.

The original tender, which closed in January, gave an estimated start date of February 10, with the contract to last six months. A spokesperson for the City Bridge Foundation however clarified

work was expected to begin by the spring.

The tender detailed how the works were to consist of three key elements: resurfacing the aluminium desk to improve slip resistance; repainting the steelwork; and retensioning the suspension cables, which the tender stated ‘has not been completed before and will restore the profile of the central span following the initial relaxation of the cables and abutments’.

The City Bridge Foundation wrote disruption of the crossing should be minimised, though that it would be for contractors to pitch how this would be achieved.

“Contractors are encouraged to explore alternative solutions and approaches to maximise the time that the bridge can remain in operation during the project,” the tender stated. “Details of alternative solutions should be included separately as

line was ‘at risk of total failure’. Out of the ageing Underground line’s current 25 stations, 10 fall in Brent.

Councillor Adam Hug, Leader of Westminster City Council, said: “The Bakerloo line upgrade and extension is vital to London and the UK’s drive for inclusive growth and to tackle the housing crisis. It would also mean improving air quality by taking 20,000 car journeys off the road each day, supporting inclusive growth across London.” part of your submission.”

A contract value was estimated as between £2.75m and £3.5m. The City Bridge Foundation has however since told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that the works are not expected to begin now until 2026.

A spokesperson said: “Earlier this year, we went out to tender for a contractor to carry out refurbishment work on Millennium Bridge. Due to a lower than expected number of responses, we have taken the decision to retender for the work, splitting the bridge redecking and painting and the retensioning of the cables that support the bridge into two separate briefs.

“This means we won’t now be in a position to begin the refurbishment work until next year. We will make a further announcement in due course.”

The Millennium Bridge was opened in June 2000, linking St Paul’s Cathedral with the Tate Modern Gallery on the south side of the Thames. It was quickly closed due to excessive swaying, earning it the nickname the ‘wobbly bridge’.

Following works to stabilise the crossing it was reopened in February 2002.

The City Bridge Foundation is a 900-year-old charity which looks after five Thames crossings: Tower, London, Southwark, Millennium and Blackfriars.

Its sole trustee is the City of London Corporation, and elected members sit on the foundation’s board.

16 NEWS

AUTHORITY IN CHARGE OF THE THAMES IS AS ‘UNACCOUNTABLE AS UZBEKISTAN’, SAYS FORMER MP HUGHES

Sir Simon Hughes

Tom was hit with a £1,300 river works license for his balcony. Inset; The view of the rubbish-filled river from Tom’s balcony

By Issy Clarke THE AUTHORITY that runs the River Thames is as ‘unaccountable as Uzbekistan’, according to former Bermondsey MP Simon Hughes.

A public inquiry which ended last Friday has shed light on the archaic system run by the Port of London Authority (PLA), which has no regulator or ombudsman and is governed by a selfappointed board of its own members.

Uzbeikstan is an authoritarian state where there is no free press and it is illegal to criticise the government.

The PLA is both the “policeman and the court”, said Hughes, who gave evidence at the inquiry, with powers to determine the charge as well as the outcome.

“It appoints the majority of trustees itself. That does not belong in a democratic UK in 2025 - that is the sign of an undemocratic regime like Uzbekistan” he told the inquiry.

The PLA’s charging system has seen residents living in flats with balconies overlooking the river hit with fees of up to £10,000, with some paying more per square metre than their entire flats

are worth. One of the changes the PLA wants to make is to its charging system.

One resident, Tom, who lives in New Concordia Wharf in St Saviour’s Dock, told the News his balcony charge had “more than tripled” since he first moved in ten years ago, from £400 a year to £1,300.

He said the part of the river his balcony, which is the same size as your average sofa, overlooks is “full of years and years of detritus” such as abandoned shopping trollies, bar stools and building scraps.

He added the PLA gave “inconsistent” reasons for the annual increase in the river works license, a charge levied on fixed structures on the Thames.

“One year it was because they said operator costs had gone up. Another time it was because of inflation. A third time it was because the property valuations had gone up.”

The PLA submitted a Harbour Revision Order (HRO) in 2020, allowing it to amend the 1965 Act of Parliament by which it controls the Thames. The PLA has said the HRO is intended to “modernise” the way it manages the river - however river residents have labelled it a power grab.

It is seeking further powers to end leases early “in the interests of the safe navigation of the Thames”, remove liability for board members and end the practice of sending yearly reports to Parliament.

The PLA argues it is the only trust port which is required to submit an annual report to Parliament.

It also wants to make it a criminal offence for boat-owners to moor their vessels against the bank unless they have a license.

The changes would affect the 17 London boroughs which the Thames runs through or alongside.

“The PLA act like a ruthless private landlord but at the same time they are the statutory authority of the river and are free to make criminal offences” said Nick Lacey, who has owned private moorings in Tower Bridge since 1983.

He also owns moorings in Rotherhithe, and said a few years ago the PLA pulled the boats tied up there out of the river bed “without warning or explanation” - which they were legally allowed to do as the harbour authority.

“As a private company the PLA are determined to make as much money as they can from their land holdings - but

they are completely unaccountable” he said.

Meanwhile, the HRO contained no provisions about improving the quality of the filthy Thames - in part caused by boats which get their license from the PLA. Between 2020 and 2023, the equivalent of 29,000 Olympic sized swimming pools in sewage was pumped into the river by Thames Water.

A spokesperson for the PLA said: “The Port of London is the UK’s biggest port and busiest inland waterway.

For six years we have been seeking to modernise the 60-year-old Port of London Act under which we operate.

“Our proposals are not about apartments with balconies overhanging the river, but about strengthening measures to keep ships, people, and the environment safe, and to improve public transparency in decision making on developments affecting the river.

“We are seeking updates to improve availability of navigation lighting, so boats move safely on the river; to ensure grab chains and escape ladders are installed where they are needed; and to secure powers to intervene if static boats are found to be overcrowded.

“We are also seeking to update the system for licenses permitting works and dredging on the river which will enable public representations - similar to planning applications - for the first time and expand the right of appeal.”

The spokesperson said the PLA was the only trust port required to present an annual report to Parliament, and that there was an existing arbitration regime to handle disputes on license fees. They added third parties could also appeal to the Department for Transport and seek a judicial review against the PLA. The spokesperson said balcony charges averaged around £950 per year plus VAT, making up around 0.3 per cent of the PLA’s overall revenue, the majority of which comes from charges on the over 50 million tonnes of cargo it handles annually.

They continued: “We are committed to a fair and reasonable approach, reflecting market rates and practices elsewhere in the residential property sector. To that end, we have written to the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and invited them to review our approach and make any recommendations for setting fees in the future.”

18 OPINION

Comment ‘We welcomed a Lib Dem in the Labour fold’

P

OLITICS CAN be divisive and partisan, so I was delighted to welcome a former Southwark Lib Dem councillor into my Labour team this week.

I look forward to working with William Houngbo, who was recently vice-chair of the London Liberal Democrats but says they are losing their way in our city and losing touch in Southwark where the Lib Dems have been replaced by the Greens in most of the borough.

William believes that I and my local Labour team, especially in London Bridge and West Bermondsey (where he was a councillor previously), work harder and do more to engage with the whole community. He is very welcome in my team and I’ll always go beyond party politics to get results for our community.

Nationally, of course the Liberal

Democrats are reprioritising their approach and strategy to try and defend the rural and shire parliamentary seats they won from the Conservatives last July, so it is no shock that they are withdrawing further from the capital and areas like Southwark.

My local party has over a thousand members and includes many former Lib Dems. I welcome all new members who share Labour values and want to work with me for better results for our whole community.

One of the reasons I go out every week with local volunteers is to be as open and accessible to local people as possible and I encourage anyone interested in being more involved in our community, or joining in my work, to get in touch or come and meet me for a chat.

It is a good to time to talk, or join

'We are working to bring down your energy bills’

A

S SPRING emerges, I’m under no illusions as to how tough the winter months have been for some in Peckham

The legacy of the last Conservative Government is millions of families living in cold, poorly insulated homes facing sky-high energy bills.

No one should have to make the choices that many families have been forced to make - cutting back on food, going without heating, rationing hot water- just to stay afloat. I know that we must act now to make sure that next winter is different. We must take decisive action to bring down energy bills permanently.

That is what we are determined to do.

This month we announced that we are accelerating the Warm Homes Plan, which is delivering targeted schemes focused on those who need help upgrading their homes the most. This includes rolling out grants to insulate homes, install heat pumps, and fit solar panels.

These upgrades could help families save hundreds off their bills. Proper insulation will keep the warmth in without racking up huge bills. A new heat pump will replace old, inefficient boilers, helping households benefit from cleaner, more secure energy. Solar panels will generate electricity, easing financial pressure month after month.

Peckham is part of this national effort to improve five million of the

from

Westminster

NEIL COYLE

MP for Bermondsey & Old Southwark like William, as my Party continues to fix public services and the public finances after 14 years of damage.

NHS waiting lists were at record highs last July, but have fallen for the last five months in a row under Labour stewardship. The Mental Health Bill will be in the Commons soon and I’m keen to talk to anyone with experience of the failing system including carers, family members and professionals. Overhauling the current framework is essential given the problems I’ve witnessed as your

MP but also over the years in my own family given my mum’s ill health.

Policing numbers will be rising and powers increasing under Government plans to tackle antisocial behaviour too. And Labour also has the most ambitious targets for housing for decades – with 1.5 million new homes planned. Housing is the number one priority in Southwark and Ministers can learn from our council which has the biggest homebuilding plans in the country.

I was pleased to show off our

community to Commonwealth counterparts last week, with a Senator from Canada and MPs from Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Malta visiting Southwark. They came to see my local operation, office and team and to have discussions with councillors, some time seeing me campaign and meeting local people, but were most impressed with visiting St James’ Primary School and hearing from local children. As ever, our children and grandchildren are our future but also our most impressive asset!

MIATTA FAHNBULLEH

MP for Peckham

worst-off homes, ensuring those struggling most aren’t left behind.

Last month we made the important announcement that we are consulting on proposals which would allow nearly 3 million more families, including almost one million more households with children, to get money of their energy bills next winter through the Warm Home Discount.

This will provide critical support to

consumers to ensure that they receive Government help with energy bills.

And this is just the beginning.

The road ahead is clear – we need to go further. Massive investment in renewable energy which will provide homegrown energy across Great Britain, retrofitting homes will ensure that no one is trapped in cold, expensive, and inefficient housing.

As Labour works to drive up

living standards, we must ensure that warm, affordable homes are the foundation of that ambition.

This is about delivering real, lasting change. I know how many people in Peckham need to see warmer homes and lower bills, ensuring that families in Peckham can look ahead to next winter with hope. I am working hard to make that a reality for the people of Peckham.

OPINION 19

A seismic moment in Peckham’s history

T

he decision by MP for Peckham Miatta Fahnbulleh to come out against the current planning application to transform the Aylesham Centre into a housing development points to just how pivotal it has become to Peckham’s future.

In doing so, she joined Rye Lane’s Labour councillors, who shared a letter with residents last year calling for 50 per cent affordable housing to be included in the development, better safeguards for small businesses forced to vacate the demolished Aylesham Centre and more green space.

Since then, the stakes have ratcheted up even further. In December, Berkeley Homes slashed the proportion of affordable housing from 35 to 12 per cent, reducing the number of affordable homes on the site from 270 to 77.

The developer’s decision has been matched by an escalation of the community opposition to the scheme: earlier this month, more than 600 protestors from Southwark Housing and Planning Emergency (SHAPE) took to the streets of Peckham, calling on councillors to reject the planning application.

Fahnbulleh’s decision to wade into the debate represents an act of political courage: Labour has made housebuilding one of its defining missions in government, setting itself the ambitious target of constructing 1.5 million new homes by the end of this parliament.

The need for more housing is particularly acute in Southwark, where there are more than 18,000 people currently on the waiting list for social housing. But what use are new homes if local people can’t afford to live in them?

In a statement exclusively shared with the News, Fahnbulleh said: “There should be homes built on the Aylesham site, and developers have an opportunity to get this right. If they come forward with a proposal that genuinely addresses local housing need and strengthens the fabric of Peckham, and I will be their strongest champion. But fail to listen, and they will find this community united in opposition – and me by their side.”

Her intervention captures the essence of the community opposition to the Aylesham redevelopment.

Everyone involved with the campaign - from Fahnbulleh to the activists from SHAPE who regularly pound the streets calling on councillors to reject Berkeley’s planning application - want to see new homes built on the site.

The issue many of them have is against redevelopment that prioritises private housing at the expense of Peckham’s historical character, the needs of its community and one that fails to provide social amenities and public space.

If the plans go ahead, it would be a seismic moment in Peckham’s history. The area’s architectural character, sometimes described as having a ‘village feel,’ would take on an entirely new identity if huge tower blocks are allowed to rise up among the low-rise terraced houses. The influx of thousands of new residents, including the very wealthy, would also mean an irreversible demographic shift.

Southwark Council’s planning committee will either approve or reject the plans imminently, with consultation ending on April 3. While they are not whipped by the party, Labour councillors will surely feel pressure from the higher echelons of the party and council to wave these plans through. After all, many would YOLLY AD 130mm x 146mm H_Nobleed.pdf 1 residents 13/03/2025 argue the borough needsW social housing at any cost. Yet will ask10:11 if what may eventually be built is really worth that cost.

CRYPTIC PUZZLE Clues Across

1 Encourage it to be in a nice mess (6) 7 I’ll take ninety-nine with it being outside the law (7) 8 Heading it back and getting the bird about it (7) 9 Smart to give voice about the start of the trend (5) 10 Buildings that were standing before Sion was in ruins (9) 12 But do deer lay eggs? (3) 13 Therefore it comes back to the monster (4) 15 Stopped talking because he felt parched (5,2) 17 See a different form of relaxation (4) 19 Bring back a dish of gold dust and make a pile (3) 21 Those who cheat have a sort of wildness about what is right (9) 22 The girl to entertain at Christmas (5) 23 Tending to run back and croon (7) 24 Journeys along a back street to make it complicated inside (7) 25 Return the bribe and put down the drink (6)

Clues Down

1 Multiply in the fold (8) 2 In which a policeman can get himself into hot water? (6) 3 Chatter about the weight following a trite exchange (7) 4 The high quality of the group (5) 5 Performing an exacting part (6) 6 The animal for men only (4) 7 There are ones among the Sikhs, for examp1e, who belong to another Asian country (11) 11 Company of the French body of law (4) 13 Though possibly looking milky, there’s nothing to lap up (4) 14 Look at the view with vision (8) 16 Urged on to endure (7) 18 Spanish Communist has a feast (6) 20 The dangers of misplacing small pincers (6) 21 Keels over to look smooth (6) 22 Cast out the pets (4)

QUICK PUZZLE Clues Across

1 Followed (6) 7 Movement of cars in streets (7) 8 Valet (7) 9 Bias (5) 10 Day (9) 12 Expression of affirmation (3) 13 Annoys (4) 15 Brought into harmony (7) 17 Apparatus (4) 19 Ocean (3) 21 Conceivably possible (9) 22 One who suffers loss (5) 23 Wandering (7) 24 Idiots (7) 25 Words spoken in undertone (6)

1 Financially supporting (8) 2 Firm (6) 3 Simplest (7) 4 Common flower (5) 5 Occurrence (6) 6 Tax (4) 7 Association of workers (5,6) 11 In the vicinity of (4) 13 Notion (4) 14 Noiseless periods (8) 16 Inhabitants of Greenland (7) 18 Reply (6) 20 Stayed (6) 21 Instruct (5) 22 Be deficient (4)

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Clues Down

CRYPTIC

Across: 4 Bronze 8 Pimpled 9 Padded 10 Depressed 11 Flee 13 Stops 14 Garrets 16 0versee 18 Merit 19 Next 21 Anecdotal 22 Opaque 23 Readily 24 Radial Down: 1 Directive 2 Spare part 3 Least 5 Read 6 Nodule 7 Eddies 9 Pedal 11 Freeholds 12 Ethically 15 Seine 16 On tour 17 Expand 20 Acted 21 Aura

QUICK PUZZLE design: seeing-things.co.uk

Across: Shirks 8 Expands 9 Sparta 10 Readjusts 11 Else 13 Stole 14 Delayed 16 Aniseed 18 Snout 19 Stop 21 Recessing 22 Elixir 23 Spilled 24 Theses Down: 1 Expectant 2 Handclasp 3 Odium 5 Hops 6 Rarely 7 Stared 9 Steer 11 Earnestly 12 Sequences 15 Never 16 Ascent 17 Iodine 20 Heaps 21 Rise

20 ARTS

what’s on

The tension rose by each minute

THE BEST part about this very American play about Sidney Poitier is that it is written by a very London playwright from Lewisham, writes Michael Holland.

Ryan Calais Cameron has been writing this labour of love for many years and put in many hours of research and watching films to ensure Retrograde captured the true essence of Poitier and his struggle within the confines of a business meeting the actor had with a dubious business lawyer and a writer friend, Bobby(Oliver Johnstone).

So, ultimately, Retrograde is not about whether Poitier would sign his reputation and life away but about the centuries of racism, slavery, white supremacy and black people in

A DRACULA TO DIE FOR

America having to ‘know their place’.

These big points are made just subtlely, a look, a pause, a phrase. At one point I thought Poitier(Ivanno Jeremiah) was going to slap Mr Parks(Stanley Townsend) in an action replay of the famous slap from In the Heat of the Night, which I know would have raised a great cheer from the audience.

The tension rose by each minute of the ninety. As each new revelation was drip-fed in we learnt something new about Poitier, the lawyer and American society in the late 50s. As the play went on we loved Sidney more and White America less. I felt the theatre getting ready to scream ‘NO!’ when the pen was poised over the dotted line.

Ivanno Jeremiah once again brings

© Marc Brenner

Poitier to life and Amit Sharma is back to direct after their successful run at Kiln Theatre.

Retrograde is a history lesson, perhaps one that was never taught in American schools but one that is being

© Matt Crockett

designated bloodsucker role that much easier as he left vein-drained bodies all over Whitby.

But my favourite was Dianne Pilkington doubling-up as Doctor Westfeldt and her beetle-eating patient Renfield, making her the Number One in quick costume changes. Towards the denouement, her conversions were receiving rousing cheers for their hilarity and inventiveness.

This version by Steve Rosen and Gordon Greenberg(who directs this production superbly, dragging out laughs from every way possible) is loosely based on Bram Stoker’s book.

Very loosely. Most of our time is spent in a mental asylum in Whitby, which affords more humour than the Count’s no-fun, one-way-ticket-toDead castle.

The way each character is portrayed

is fantastic: Harker is the Q in LGBTQ, Mina is man-hungry, Dracula does not wear capes to swish for nothing, and Pilkington confirms the old cliché of psychiatrists becoming as mad as their patients. It is farce, it is panto, it is everything you want it to be for a night of matchless comedy. This is a Dracula I’d die for.

I couldn’t see a connection with the opening music. Perhaps the cheesey hip-hop was Transylvanian…

Menier Chocolate Factory, 4 O’Meara Street, London, SE1 1TE until 3rd May. Times: Tue – Sat 7:30pm | Sat & Sun 3pm.

Tickets: £35 - £49.50.

Booking and full details: https://www.menierchocolatefactory. com/tickets/

Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbuty Avenue until 14th June.

Tickets: £25 - £90.

Booking: https://nimaxtheatres.com/ shows/retrograde/

A gateway to Mary Wolstencraft

MARY AND the Hyenas tries to tell the tale of Mary Wolstencraft, one of the first feminist writers whose unconventional life and thoughts caused a stir in 18th-century Britain.

Maureen Lennon’s play, however, creates more questions than answers, writes Michael Holland.

A COMEDY Dracula that is billed as channeling the spirit of RuPaul, Monty Python, and Mel Brooks! What’s not to like, writes Michael Holland.

We enter to the pounding bass of Eurotrash hip-hop. I wondered if there was a connection. If not, why subject us to such torture?

The four Vampire Hunters appear and state their case, and within a minute, I was laughing out loud.

When athecamp AF Dracula made his entrance through a Stars in Your Eyes haze, the whole theatre was in hysterics.

The scene for Dracula - A Comedy of Terrors was set, and it was covered in gore and laughter. It was garish Gothic from start to finish, replete with visual gags, noise gags, verbal gags; nowhere in the field of human drama has a water spray done so much with so little: graveyard fog, dry ice entrances, North Sea storms were all made real with the fine-mist spray.

Charlie Stemp showed himself the master of the one raised eyebrow; Sebastian Torkia the tyrant of the torturous accent, Safeena Ladha was going down on ships while contemplating the same with meek and mild Estate Agent Jonathan Harker, and James Daly in the title role was lizarding all over the lounge and making almost everyone in the theatre fall for him, which made his

confirmed as truth and fact today. It is played, seemingly, for laughs, with great gags aplenty flying about between the three, gags that would give Neil Simon a run for his dollars. I’m not sure if this dilutes the message.

But that is a good thing because now I will be reading all about this woman whose name I barely knew before seeing this production. A woman who wrote novels, books (her most famous being A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.

Wolstencraft taught, argued her corner with powerful men, and witnessed royal beheadings in the French Revolution!

This last piece of information was skimmed through in a matter of seconds on the stage but explained to me in detail by the woman who had convinced me to see this play, a woman with her own unconventional life and thoughts who happens to be an expert on all things Wolstencraft.

Which was very handy when I needed bits filled in on Lennon’s rollercoaster ride through Wolstencraft’s life that never stopped for the facts to settle.

We see her battling injustices while other women do not; fighting against being told to ‘Be a good girl’, demanding equal rights for women, and the right to inherit.

Her mother had told her she was an unwanted child, so Laura Elsworthy plays Mary with a permanent angry face. She hardly mellows when teaching young women to think for themselves; but when your life is a constant war with patriarchal

confines it must be hard to raise a smile.

As the years and place are flashed up on the stage a short skit would be performed depicting what had happened there and then. We journey from London to the north, to Ireland and to France, with the whole evening punctuated by music in the style of 80s synth(written by Lennon and Billy Nomates), which gave it a Rock Follies vibe whenever Mary and the Hyenas broke into song but did little to further the story. In fact, the tunes distracted from it but that is not the fault of the wonderful Hyenas who sang and took the roles of everyone who passed through Mary’s life: Kate Hampson, Elexi Walker, Beth Crame, Kat Johns-Burke and Ainy Medina.

Overall, this is a worthy production that comes from a good place - Maureen Lennon related to Wolstencraft’s struggle as a woman writer - but this show is far from the full story of such a strong woman who had to cut out her very own and unique path in life. It is, though, a gateway play to stronger texts and information about this trailblazing woman.

My education continued on the journey home as I posed questions that my theatre companion answered - I have had my first lesson in Mary Wolstencraft. And if you don’t know her or her work, I suggest you begin yours here.

Wilton’s Music Hall, 1 Graces Alley, London, E1 8JB until 29th March.

Tickets: £13.50-£28 (£11-£25.50 Concession) Box Office: 0207 7702 2789 / https:// wiltons.org.uk/

Arts

This unique production transports audiences to the grand halls of Pemberley, where Mr. Darcy’s infamous ball is in full swing. Whether you’re an Austen purist or someone who prefers their period dramas with a side of debauchery, this show promises an evening filled with laughter, dancing, and delightful disorder.

As soon as I saw the words Punch Drunk associated with the production I knew I was in for a night to remember.

Upon arrival, guests are led through a long hall into the reception bar lounge, where live musicians set the scene and cocktails flow freely. Many audience members embraced the theme, dressing to the nines—with more than a few exquisite Mr. Darcy lookalikes gracing the room. Those familiar with The Vaults venue came prepared in comfortable shoes, expecting the usual cold, dark, and uneven flooring.

However, I can safely assure you— there’s no need to worry this time. So, dust off your glad rags and your best ‘ones and twos’ and prepare for a night of high-energy merriment.

The seating in the main hall is divided by class: Paupers, Middle Class, Upper

Class, Aristocrats, and, of course, the most prestigious seat at the table of Lady Catherine de Bourgh. I did wonder where us media mortals would be placed! No matter where you sit, the action is unmissable, as the five-strong cast scrambles to portray twenty different characters, cartwheeling onto the stage in a chaotic retelling of this British classic.

The pace is frantic, the costume changes are fast and furious, and the entire production gleefully abandons any notion of respectable theatre.

Naturally, drinks are encouraged throughout the performance, with servants on hand to deliver them to your seat. The show is a rollercoaster of fun-filled gags, as the cast races through chapters of the novel—often discarding those deemed uneventful. The tale of eligible bachelors and five unmarried daughters becomes a brilliant farce, with the actors determined to stay true to the beloved source material— avoiding any cousin marriages!

Despite the raucous nature of the performance, the actors showcase their true theatrical prowess in moments of genuine sincerity, providing balance to all the absurdity. And then, of course, comes the moment—the recreation of that wet-shirt scene that made Colin Firth a household name, with a lucky few audience members getting involved. This is Pride and Prejudice as

© Guy Bell

A BOOZY, BRILLIANTLY BONKERS AUSTEN PARODY

PLIED AND Prejudice is a riotous, immersive theatrical experience that takes Jane Austen’s beloved novel and infuses it with unbridled energy, chaotic comedy, and copious amounts of liquor, writes Luigia Minichiello...

ARTS 21

the BBC would never dare to present it.

The immersive element—essentially pantomime moments—adds to the hilarity. At one point, the audience is asked to suggest a name for a character and enthusiastically shout it whenever he is mentioned. The result?

A 120-minute cavalcade of comedy, packed with plenty of hoots and hollers.

And what’s a grand wedding without a party? At the show’s end, the audience

is led back into the bar lounge, where the cast encourages everyone to learn a traditional dance. There are ample Instagram opportunities, including a cash-grab machine and themed photo areas.

Ultimately, if you’re looking for a jolly good giggle with friends, celebrating a special occasion, or simply indulging in a classic drama with its tongue firmly in its cheek, Plied and Prejudice is the perfect night out. While it certainly

caters to the All Bar One/Simmons crowd, it’s a smart and playful way to introduce younger audiences to the theatre. So, raise your glass, loosen your corset, and immerse yourself in a delightfully disorderly evening of love, laughter, and libations!

I TOOK myself off to the hallowed galleries and rooms of the old Deptford Town Hall, now part of Goldsmiths University, to meet with Neil Bradley and talk about his latest book, Kitchen Sink Dharma, writes Michael Holland.

exhausting, yet rewarding, few months for me, which I thank my dad for inspiring.

He was always really interested in my writing, even if he often couldn’t make head nor tail of any of the stuff I wrote!’

I wondered if there was a theme to the poems. ‘There’s no real theme as such. Naturally, with my first poem coming on the eve of Lockdown, the pandemic influenced a lot of my early poems but I eventually broke away from that and simply started writing about the things that were happening to me there and then; the things I was observing on public transport or whilst sitting drinking coffee in a café…

The most important thing for me was that my poetry should be accessible, especially for those who have either no real experience of reading poetry or, very much like me, who come from a background where poetry was definitely not for the likes of them.’

I began reading my copy on the way home on public transport and found it very accessible, very readable. I wanted to read one out to the people in the train carriage, give my own open mic performance on the train. This one especially resonated: Conspiracy Merchant I think it’s all a conspiracy My friend said Even though for weeks At the start He was sick in bed And his mother died from it The virus, the covid You’ll be telling me next That a man didn’t land On the moon, I said

Even though my dad made me watch it Got me up out of bed.

The last poem in the book is a tribute to his dad, and brings the poetry part to its conclusion; after that is a selection of songs(Neil taught himself to play the piano during lockdown, which led on to the songwriting).

‘Most of the poems are very me,’ reveals Neil. ‘They’re all very flippant, or matterof-fact, and are very much based on my somewhat “out-of-kilter” view of the world. Others, I think, are really poignant’ I asked if poetry was a big shift away from writing a regular column in one of the nation’s earliest fanzines - The Lion Roars - The Millwall mag that once had a readership of thousands before it faded out when up against podcasts and too many copycat publications. He answered simply, ‘Not that much different, to be honest.’

And that seemed to be a good place to finish talking to a man who has created an alter-ego (Brad) where he can be a poet, a painter, a playwright, a novelist and a blogger without hiding behind it.

The Vaults, Launcelot St, London SE1 7AD until May 18th.

Booking and Full Details: www.pliedandprejudice.com

Poems from the Kitchen Sink and Beyond

It is vastly different from his last book, Four Funerals and a Wedding, that told the story of his family and growing up in and around the Old Kent Road. This is a book of poetry, The book begins with COVID-19, literally and metaphorically. It is the title of the poem and actually the first one Neil wrote, ‘in anger’, he says, ‘during the week leading up to the first lockdown’.

Five years on, that single poem became many poems, along with unfinished plays, novels and songs that filled up more and more space at home.

Neil’s father died in recent months and pushed a button, ‘I was determined to get to grips with all my outstanding writing projects, if only to free up space on my computer, as well as typing up the reams of writing I’d accumulated in notebooks over the years.’

In that self-proclaimed mission he found ‘hundreds of thousands of words which have never seen the light of day, many of which I can’t even remember writing!’

All those words, all those ‘worksin-progress’ will now be finished and published as Neil finds himself in ‘a rich seam of writing form’. A follow-up memoir and a novel, ‘My Dead Girlfriend’, which he has been working on for the last five or six years, should all be ready for publication in the next few months.

‘All in all,’ says the writer, ‘it’s been an

Kitchen Sink Dharma (Poetry and Songs), along with his memoir, Four Funerals and a Wedding (Journeys in Creative and Life Writing), is available from Amazon.co.uk priced £10.00.

You can also view the work of Brad the Artist at The Long Pond, 110 Westmount Road, Eltham, London SE9 1UT and at the Capital Art Gallery, 13 Well Hall Parade, Eltham, London SE9 6SP Neil’s podcast, The Likes of Us (dedicated to Working-Class Life, Art, Politics and Culture), is available via Apple podcasts and all other podcast outlets.

22 EVENTS

Events

© Alex Brenner

Heading south - our pick of upcoming spring events

The Jay Rayner Sextet at Woolwich Works

The Littlest Yak

As a man who came of age in the 1980s, restaurant critic, MasterChef judge and jazz pianist Jay Rayner has long been fascinated by the chart hits from that decade, which weren’t just jazz inflected but had jazz in their very bones. Making their debut at Woolwich Works, Jay leads a sextet of topflight musicians to celebrate the greatest of those ’80s songs, with new arrangements of tracks by Sade, Matt Bianco, Working Week, Everything But The Girl, Paul Weller, Sting and much more. The sextet sees Pat Gordon-Smith, voice; Dave Lewis, sax; Robert Rickenberg, bass; Chris Cobbson, guitar; Sophie Alloway, drums. Get your jazz on with the Jay Rayner Sextet. Box-shouldered jacket and big hair optional.

On the tip of the top of a mountain all snowy, where the ice-swirling, toe-curling blizzards were blowy, in a herd full of huddling yaks, big and small, lived Gertie… the littlest yak of them all. Gertie is the littlest yak in her whole herd, and she’s feeling stuck in her smallness, she wants to grow up and have bigness and tallness. But when it turns out that there are some things that only Gertie can do, might she come to see that she’s perfect, just the way she is? This musical adaptation of the award-winning children’s book will delight audiences young and old at The Albany with beautiful puppets, catchy tunes and an uplifting tale of self-acceptance for all the family.

Date: Thursday 3 April 2025, 7:30pm. Tickets: From £18 Woolwich Works, The Fireworks Factory, 11 No 1 St, Royal Arsenal, SE18 6HD www.woolwich.works/events/jay-rayner-sextet

Date: Sunday 30 March 2025, 1pm and 3pm. Tickets: £9.50 The Albany, Douglas Way, SE8 4AG www.thealbany.org.uk/shows/the-littlest-yak

Bach to Baby Easter Family Concert

Teach Rex: The T-rex Show

Come and join Bach to Baby this Easter Holiday for a specially designed programme of classical music for all ages. Bach to Baby creates concerts for the whole family to enjoy together. Featuring outstanding musicians and exhilarating performances in inspiring venues right on your doorstep. The programme for this concert date will be announced shortly, but Bach to Baby programming always ranges from Bach and Barber to Chopin and Shostakovich. Feel the benefits of classical music as a whole family.

Get up close and personal with life-like dinosaurs and let Teach Rex take you on an immersive, prehistoric journey into the anatomy of the most amazing creatures that have ever roamed our planet at Blackheath Halls this April. This interactive, theatrical show has been developed by a team of educational experts and plunges audiences into an awe-inspiring prehistoric world, creating a whole new learning experience and an interactive show like never seen before. The show is recommended for those aged 3 years old and over, and their families.

Date: Sunday 6 April 2025, 3pm Tickets: £16 adults, includes two children for free Christ Church, Trafalgar Road, SE10 9EQ www.bachtobaby.com/greenwich-music-concerts-for-baby-and-family

opens Pirates ional at Nat e Maritim Museum

Date: Sunday 13 April 2025, 11am. Tickets: £12 adults, £12 under 16s, £42 family ticket Blackheath Halls, 23 Lee Road, Blackheath, SE3 9RQ www.blackheathhalls.com/whats-on/teach-rex-t-rex-show

Heroic rascals or violent criminals? Discover the truth behind pirate life in a major new exhibition at the National Maritime Museum. Pirates traces the changing depictions of pirates through the ages and reveals the brutal reality behind the fiction. The exhibition explores the perception of piracy in popular culture – from comical characters like Captain Pugwash and Captain Hook to anti-heroes like Long John Silver and Captain Jack Sparrow – and examines why the idea of a pirate’s life still fascinates us today. While often portrayed as swashbuckling scoundrels, the real history of pirates is far more complex. Pirates follows the global history of piracy from the South China Sea to the coast of North Africa and explores the issues of modern piracy facing seafarers today. The exhibition illuminates real-life figures, including Edward “Blackbeard” Teach, William Kidd, Anne Bonny and Mary Read, and reflects on how perceptions of pirates, both past and present, are shifting. The exhibition is recommended for those aged 7 years old and over.

Dates: Saturday 29 March 2025 to Sunday 4 January 2026 Tickets: £15 adults, £11.25 student, £7.50 child National Maritime Museum, Romney Road, SE10 9NF www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/national-maritime-museum/pirates

Wot’s the Firk

in A

nswer???

The Fox and Fi rkin has launch weekly pub qu ed a brand ne hosted ever y iz, Wot’s the Firkin Answer w M in “questions onday. Quizzers will take ?? ?, , ever created” games and the best music part .O ro find out. You’ f which, you’ll have to show und ll ha up to ve th e chance to win voucher and a a £5 ca an evening of sh jackpot, so grab your m 0 bar general ates fo got to be in it knowledge testing. You’ve r to win it, as th ey say.

Date: Every M onday, 7:30pm Tickets: £2 The Fox an 316 Lewisham d Firkin, High Street, SE13 6JZ foxfirkin.com

MOTHER’S DAY 23

MOTHER’S DAY MESSAGES To the best Mum in the world happy Mother’s Day - Lots of love Eddie King

A Big Happy Mother’s Day Lauren Baker to the bestest mum in the world, we love you to the moon and beyond and all the stars in the sky, have a wonderful day, all our love Lily-Rose and Teddy  xxxxxxxxxxxxx  A Big Happy Mother’s Day to Chrissie Baker, the Bestest Mum and Nan and Stepmom we could ever ask for, have the bestest day we love you all the world Lauren Johnboy Katie Lily-Rose Teddy Brooke-Lyn Josie Jamie jnr and the Viking  xxxxxxxxxx 

Mum, We all love you and appreciate everything you do for us.

Happy Mother’s Day, Love Lisa, Billy, Dennis and Michael xx

Send us your Family Announcement Announcements must be placed by 4pm on the Tuesday before that week’s publication Email: hello@cm-media.co.uk

Happy heavenly Mother’s Day to our wonderful Mum, taken from our eyes, never from our hearts, missed so much, Rita, John, David, Alan, Tony, Gary and Debby xxx

Thinking of you Nannie Annie Gallivan This Mother’s Day. You are always in our hearts & thoughts Until we meet again.

Lots of Love From Your Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren.

As you would say Nan See you later. xxxxxx xxxxxxx A Kiss from all of us Happy Mother’s Day Mummy (Katie) Thank you for all you do for us Lots of Love From Your Boy’s Zenas & Nexus xx

Happy Mother’s Day Mummy (Joanne) Thank you for all you do for us Lots of Love Ben, Olly, Rose, Freddie & Belle xxxxx Happy mother’s day xx Lots of love The Beehan’s (Emma and Steve) JAYNE KIDDEY. Happy Mother’s Day. Hope you have a great day.

Love from Josh and Jess.

XXXX XXXX

Mum, Happy Mother’s Day, thanks for everything that you do for us.

We love you!

Lots of Love Jamie, Tayla, Charlie & Alfie xxxx

To Mum, Happy Mother’s Day Thank you for everything you do for us.

Love you always.

Maisie & Bella girl xxx

Happy Mother’s Day Mum/Nanny Maggie!

Have a lovely Mother’s Day Lots of love Danielle, Freddie, Arabella & Poppy xxxxx

Happy Mother’s Day Mum (Chelsea Duffin) Have the best day.

Love you, Ivy-Rose xxx

To my Mum Mary Buckingham, love ya, and all the mums at Parkside Lodge. Wishing you all a Happy Mother’s Day. Love Jackie and Tony xx

To our lovely mummy Danielle, Wishing you a very happy Mother’s Day! Lots of love from, Freddie, Arabella and Poppy xxx

Chris Osborne happy heavenly Mother’s Day love and miss you every day, love your children, Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren. xxx Happy Mother’s Day, Love Lillie, H, & Reg xxx

To the best Mum in the world Joanne White, Happy Mother’s Day. We love you lots, Love Teddy & Tilly-May xxx

Happy Mother’s Day to my wonderful Mum. Love you so much - you are simply the best. Thank you for always being there. Love you, Chris xxx Happy Mother’s day Maggie Boyd, Have the best day.

Love always, Liam, Bobby & Katie xxx Happy Mother’s Day (Vicky Clarke) We love you.

Megan, Ron & Pops xxx

Happy Heavenly Mother’s Day Maggie Duffin!

The Best Mum/Nan there was.

We love and miss you always.

Joanne, Kelly, Chelsea & kids xxx

24 CLASSIFIED CLASSIFIED AND COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD

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PUBLIC NOTICES 25

Thursday, March 27th 2025

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 SECTION 14(1) (DRUMMOND ROAD)

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 SECTION 14(1) (LOWER ROAD)

(TEMPORARY PARKING SUSPENSION)

(TEMPORARY RESTRICTION OF TRAFFIC)

1.

The Council of the London Borough of Southwark hereby gives notice that, to enable construction works, it has made an order, to implement the following restrictions in part of the above named road.

2.

The effect of the order:Suspension of two parking bays outside the Biscuit Factory, at the junction with the site entrance, the two bays closest to the site entrance will be suspended.

3.

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

4.

The restriction will come into force on the 28th of March 2025 and may be in force for upto 18 months.

5.

For information relating to this notice please contact TTMO@southwark.gov.uk

Dated this 27th of March 2025 Ian Law Traffic Manager London Borough of Southwark Network Management Traded Services Environment and Leisure 160 Tooley Street PO Box 64529 London SE1 5LX Ref: TTO/DR2 LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 SECTION 14(1) (LAVINGTON STREET, NEWINGTON CAUSEWAY/BOROUGH ROAD, MELBOURNE GROVE) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC) 1.

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

2.

Whilst the works are in progress, or whilst the authorised traffic signs/road markings are displayed, no person shall cause any vehicle to enter, proceed, stop, wait, load or unload at any time in: (2a) Lavington Street, between Southwark Street and No’s 25 (2b) Newington Causeway, ban the right turn from Newington Causeway into Borough Road (2c) Melbourne Grove, at it’s junction with Grove Vale for 30m south (cyclists)

1. The Council of the London Borough of Southwark hereby gives notice that to continue the operation of a mandatory bus lane, it has made an order under section 14 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, the effect of which is to prohibit certain categories of vehicular traffic from entering part of the above named road as detailed in the schedule to this notice.

2. Except as provided in Article 3 of this order, no person shall cause a vehicle to be in a bus lane in a length of road specified in an item in column (2) of the table in the Schedule during the times specified in that item in column (3) of that item unless that vehicle is proceeding in the direction specified in column (4) of that item and is of a type specified in column (5) of that item.

3. Exemptions - bus lane.

3.1 The controls specified in Article 2 do not apply so as to prevent a vehicle being in a bus lane if and for as long as necessary(a) to enable a person to get on or off the vehicle; or (b) taxis and motorcycles to use the bus lane between Ann Moss Way and Culling Road (c) to enable goods to be loaded on to or unloaded from the vehicle; if and in so far as the activity is not prohibited by the provisions of any other Order.

3.2 The controls specified in Article 2 do not apply in respect of a vehicle which is being used for a purpose which is within an exemption to a restriction or prohibition imposed by any other Order or which is permitted by any other Order.

3.3 The controls specified in Article 2 do not apply in respect of a vehicle crossing a bus lane to get to or from any road adjacent to the bus lane or any vehicular access to premises adjacent to the bus lane.

3.4 The controls specified in Article 2 do not apply in respect of a vehicle being in a bus lane if the vehicle is being used:(a) in the service of a local authority for the purpose of collecting refuse; (b) for the purposes of the provision of a universal postal service (as defined in the Postal Services Act 2011e) provided the vehicle bears the livery of a universal service provider (as defined in the aforementioned Act); (c) in connection with the removal of any obstruction to traffic; (d) in connection with the maintenance, improvement or reconstruction of any road; (e) in connection with the maintenance, improvement or construction of any street furniture including bus stop infrastructure; (f) in connection with any building operation or demolition; (g) in connection with the laying, erection, alteration or repair in or near the bus lane of any sewer or of any main, pipe or apparatus for the supply of gas, water or electricity, or of any electronic communications network (as defined in section 32 of the Communications Act 2003f), providing the vehicle cannot be used for that purpose without being in the bus lane and in so far as the activity is not prohibited by the provisions of any other Order.

3.5 The controls specified in Article 2 do not apply in respect of a vehicle being in a bus lane: (a) so as to avoid an accident; (b) to allow a person to get or give help in consequence of an accident or emergency or otherwise take action for public safety; (c) to such an extent and for such a time as is needed to comply with any requirement resulting from works or an emergency in any part of the road adjoining the bus lane; (d) if it is being used for ambulance, fire brigade or police purposes.

3.

The alternative routes for affected traffic will be (2a) as indicated by the signs displayed (2b) Newington Causeway, St Georges Road, Westminster Bridge Road, Borough Road (2c) (cyclists) Derwent Grove, East Dulwich Grove

4.

The existing ‘one-way’ working in Ewer Street, located between Lavington Street and Union Street, will be made ‘two-way’ for access and egress purposes for item (2a)

4.

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

5.

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

4. Definitions and Interpretation (a) "carriageway" has the same meaning as in section 329(1) of the Highways Act 1980b; (b) “Council” means the Council of the London Borough of Southwark; (c) “bus”, “local bus”, "traffic lane", “contra-flow” and “with-flow lane” have the meanings given in Schedule 1 to the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016c; (d) "bus lane" means a traffic lane on a length of road which is specified in column (2) in the table in the Schedule below and in respect of which traffic signs are in place indicating the controls specified in this Order; (e) "enactment” means any enactment, whether public general or local, and includes any order, byelaw, rule, regulation, scheme or other instrument having effect by virtue of an enactment; (f) “kerb-line” means the imaginary line which is the projection of the line formed by the edge of the carriageway of a street; (g) “times of operation” means in relation to a bus lane specified in an item in column (3) of the table

6.

The closure will be in operation on the following dates: (2a) 4th – 6th April and back up dates 11th – 13th April (2b) 7th – 9th April (2c) 10th April – 20th May

5. This order under section 14(1) Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 will be in place for up to 18 months, until the 28th of May 2026.

7.

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

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

Dated this 27th March 2025

Dated this 27th March 2025

Ian Law Traffic Manager, London Borough of Southwark, Network Management, Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth 160 Tooley Street, PO Box 64529, London, SE1 5LX Ref: (2a) LBSCR13887/NTS (2b) SLD0081380551-030/Thamesmeter-r (2c) 03267560/Conway

Ian Law Traffic Manager, London Borough of Southwark, Network Management, Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth 160 Tooley Street, PO Box 64529, London, SE1 5LX Ref: LBSLR11a

To place a notice in this paper and online, please email em@cm‐media.co.uk or call: 020 7232 1639

Deadline is 3pm on Wednesday

View all weekly and archive public notices at www.southlondon.co.uk/category/public‐notices/

26 PUBLIC NOTICES

Thursday, March 27th 2025

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK TOWN & COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1990 (as amended) PLANNING (LISTED BUILDINGS AND CONSERVATION AREAS) ACT 1990 (as amended) The planning applications listed below can be viewed on the planning register at https://planning.southwark.gov.uk/online-applications/ You can use facilities at your local library or 'My Southwark Service Points' to access the website.

How to comment on this application: You should submit your comments via the above link. Comments received will be made available for public viewing on the website. All personal information will be removed except your postal address. Online comments submitted without an email address will not be acknowledged and those marked 'confidential' will not be considered. Written comments can be submitted to; Southwark Council, Chief executive's department, Planning division, Development Management, PO Box 64529, London SE1 5LX. Reason for publicity. The applications are advertised for the reasons identified by the following codes: AFFECT - development affecting character or appearance of a nearby conservation area; OR development affecting setting of a nearby listed building(s); DEP - departure from the development plan; EIA - environmental impact assessment (these applications are accompanied by an environmental statement a copy of which may be obtained from the Council - there will be a charge for the copy); MAJ - major planning application; STDCA - development within a conservation area; STDLB - works to or within the site of a listed building; 33 EAST DULWICH GROVE LONDON SOUTHWARK SE22 8PW (Ref: 25/AP/0254) Installation of external plant equipment with enclosures and associated enabling works within the rear curtilage of the property.

Reason(s) for publicity: STDLB (Contact: Sean Gomes 020 7525 0666) 30 GRACES MEWS LONDON SOUTHWARK SE5 8JF (Ref: 25/AP/0483) Construction of a residential outbuilding (small pottery studio and bike store) in garden, connected to the main dwelling at the roof.

(Within: Camberwell Grove Conservation Area Camberwell Grove Conservation Area CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: James Holmes 020 7525 0803) 1-9 NEWCOMEN STREET LONDON SOUTHWARK SE1 1YR (Ref: 25/AP/0591) Redevelopment of existing buildings, including partial-demolition and retention of front facades of nos. 4-9, retention and excavation of basement, construction of four storey (plus rooftop plant) replacement building comprising of laboratory/life sciences (Use Class E.g.ii) including roof terrace, landscaping, cycle parking, refuse storage, relocation of UKPN sub-station and associated works. (Within: Borough High Street CA) Reason(s) for publicity: MAJ MAJ (Contact: Zaib Khan 020 7525 0311) 1-9 NEWCOMEN STREET LONDON SOUTHWARK SE1 1YR (Ref: 25/AP/0591) Redevelopment of existing buildings, including partial-demolition and retention of front facades of nos. 4-9, retention and excavation of basement, construction of four storey (plus rooftop plant) replacement building comprising of laboratory/life sciences (Use Class E.g.ii) including roof terrace, landscaping, cycle parking, refuse storage, relocation of UKPN sub-station and associated works. (Within: Borough High Street CA) Reason(s) for publicity: MAJ MAJ (Contact: Zaib Khan 020 7525 0311) 115 TURNEY ROAD LONDON SOUTHWARK SE21 7JB (Ref: 25/AP/0606) Construction of a ground floor rear extension.

(Within: Dulwich Village CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Samuel Hepworth 020 7525 5465) LAND TO REAR OF 10 & 11 SARTOR ROAD LONDON SOUTHWARK SE15 3BB (Ref: 25/AP/0593)

Construction of a two-storey dwellinghouse with plant equipment at roof level (solar panels and air source heat pump). Associated works include landscaping and provision of bike/bin storage. Reason(s) for publicity: (Contact: Sean Gomes 020 7525 0666) CAMBERWELL POLICE STATION 9 WREN ROAD LONDON SOUTHWARK SE5 8QP (Ref: 25/AP/0697) Listed Building Consent for installation of advertisements incl. 1no. externally applied vinyl logo and 1no. fixed display board sign.

(Within: Camberwell Green CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDLB (Contact: Anna Poulose 020 7525 3174) INLINK UNIT OUTSIDE GEORGE THE MARTYR CHURCH BOROUGH HIGH STREET SOUTHWARK (Ref: 25/AP/0700) Proposed removal of an existing InLink Unit, and the deployment of a replacement Street Hub 3 unit. (Within: Borough High Street CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Alex Lambert 020 7525 1353) 19 DRUCE ROAD LONDON SOUTHWARK SE21 7DW (Ref: 25/AP/0689) Construction of L-shaped rear dormer extension, including 4no. roof windows. (Within: Dulwich Village Dulwich Village CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: James Holmes 020 7525 0803) 24 MARSHALSEA ROAD LONDON SOUTHWARK SE1 1HF (Ref: 25/AP/0688) Replacement of all windows/stable doors, replacement front door, removal of sloping roof to rear and squaring up of building at third floor level, construction of a roof extension and roof terrace at fourth floor. (Within: Liberty of the Mint Liberty of the Mint CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Glenn Ruane 020 7525 5840) 159 TURNEY ROAD LONDON SOUTHWARK SE21 7JU (Ref: 25/AP/0745) Demolition of 2no. existing single-storey rear extensions and construction of 2no. replacement single-storey rear extensions.

(Within: Dulwich Village Dulwich Village CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Susherrie Suki 020 7525 0646) WILLIAM BOOTH TRAINING COLLEGE CHAMPION PARK LONDON SOUTHWARK SE5 8BQ (Ref: 25/AP/0705) Assembly Hall, (B.17) new door to roof west

turret (Within: Camberwell Grove Conservation Area CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Rosie Poser 020 7525 7924) 90 CASINO AVENUE LONDON SOUTHWARK SE24 9PL (Ref: 25/AP/0599) Alterations to the rear elevation by the inclusion of two new windows and sliding, folding doors and the removal of the window to the ground floor side elevation (Within: Sunray Estate CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Ibrahim Azam 020 7525 2876)

accommodation, with addition of 2no. rooflights to rear roof slope. (Within: Holly Grove Holly Grove CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Agneta Kabele 020 7525 3148) Dated: 25 Mar 2025 - comments to be received within 21 days of this date (or 14 days for Permission in Principle, 30 days for EIA development).

STEPHEN PLATTS - Director of Planning and Growth

MAUDSLEY HOSPITAL DENMARK HILL LONDON SOUTHWARK SE5 8AA (Ref: 25/AP/0473) Refurbishments of control room, exam room and tech room. A replacement chiller in the existing roof plant area, air condensing units and the addition of an air handling unit. (Within: Camberwell Grove Conservation Area CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Emily Williams 020 7525 1249) 2 IVYDALE ROAD LONDON SOUTHWARK SE15 3BS (Ref: 25/AP/0725) Dormer extension to rear roof slope and rear outrigger comprising 2 bedrooms and 1 shower room, 3 roof windows proposed to front roof slope. Ridge of house to be raised by no more than 500mm. (Within: Nunhead Cemetry CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Ibrahim Azam 020 7525 2876) 93 BURBAGE ROAD LONDON SOUTHWARK SE24 9HD (Ref: 25/AP/0777) Demolition of existing single-storey extensions and construction of 1no. single-storey rear extension and 1no. two-storey side extension.

Construction of rear dormer extension with 1no. rooflight. (Within: Dulwich Village CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Ibrahim Azam 020 7525 2876) 14A GROVE PARK LONDON SOUTHWARK SE5 8LR (Ref: 25/AP/0562) Demolition of the existing building (retaining the existing single storey facade of the building) and its replacement with a new part single/part two storey dwelling with basement and a replacement garden room within the rear garden. (Within: Camberwell Grove Conservation Area CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Glenn Ruane 020 7525 5840) 27 ELM GROVE LONDON SOUTHWARK SE15 5DB (Ref: 25/AP/0791) Conversion of loft space to habitable

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PUBLIC NOTICES 27

Thursday, March 27th 2025

Notice of Application to Vary a Premises Licence made under Section 34 of the Licensing Act 2003 Please take notice that I / we Pempeople Inc Ltd & The Livesey Exchange Ltd have made application to Southwark Council to vary the Premises Licence in respect of LEX2 Livesey Exchange, 567 Old Kent Road, London, SE1 5EW The proposed variation is as follows: Change of operational times for licensable activities Days

Start time

Finish time

The retail sale of alcohol:

Monday to Wednesday Thursday & Sunday Friday & Saturday

06:00 06:00 06:00

01:00 04:00 05:00

The provision of regulated entertainment:

Monday to Wednesday Thursday & Sunday Friday & Saturday

06:00 06:00 06:00

01:00 04:00 05:00

The provision of late night refreshment:

Monday to Wednesday Thursday & Sunday Friday & Saturday

23:00 23:00 23:00

01:00 04:00 05:00

Opening hours:

Monday to Wednesday Thursday & Sunday Friday & Saturday

06:00 06:00 06:00

01:00 04:00 05:00

A register of all applications made within the Southwark area is maintained by: The Licensing Service, Hub 1, 3rd Floor, 160 Tooley Street, London, SE1 2QH A record of this application may be inspected by visiting the office during normal office hours by appointment on 020 7525 2000; details are also available on our website at http://app.southwark.gov.uk/licensing/licenseregister.asp It is open to any interested party to make representations about the likely effect of the application on the promotion of the licensing objectives. Representations must be made in writing to the Licensing Service at the office address given above (or by email via licensing@southwark.gov.uk) and be received by the Service within a period of 28 days starting the day after the date shown below.

Note: It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with an application. A person guilty of such offence is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

Date of application: 17th March 2025

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK HORSELYDOWN LANE The London Borough of Southwark (Charged-for parking places) (Horselydown Lane) Order 2025 The London Borough of Southwark (Free parking places and Waiting restrictions) (Horselydown Lane) Order 2025 1. Southwark Council hereby GIVES NOTICE that on 27 March 2025 it has made the above Orders under sections 6, 45, 46, 49 and 124 of and Part IV of Schedule 9 to the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, as amended.

2. The effects of the Orders in HORSELYDOWN LANE (within existing Controlled Parking Zone ‘G’), are to: (a) south-east side o/s Nos. 32 and 34 Horselydown Lane relocate an existing CPZ ‘G’ permit holders’ only parking place south-westward by 1.5 metres; (b) south-east side o/s Nos. 34 and 36 Horselydown Lane remove one existing electric vehicle only recharging bay, and increase the size of another existing electric vehicle only recharging bay to 12.5 metres (note that two existing recharging points would be replaced with a single recharging point serving two vehicles at any one time, and relocated from the footway to a build-out in the carriageway within the electric vehicle only recharging bay; and (c) amend existing waiting restrictions by (i) replacing 49 metres of timed waiting restrictions (single yellow lines) with ‘at any time’ waiting restrictions (double yellow lines ‘DYLs’) on the north-west side between its junction with Queen Elizabeth Street and its junction with Gainsford Street, and (ii) on the south-east side removing a total of 3 metres of existing ‘DYLs’ o/s Nos. 34 and 36 Horselydown Lane to accommodate the parking changes.

3. Copies of the Orders, which will come into force on 31 March 2025, and of all other relevant documents are available for inspection at Highways, Southwark Council, Environment, Sustainability & Leisure, 3rd floor hub 2, 160 Tooley Street, London SE1 2QH, by appointment only. E-mail traffic.orders@southwark.gov.uk or call 077 3132 4742 for booking details.

4. Any person desiring to question the validity of the Order/s, or of any provision contained therein, on the grounds that it is not within the relevant powers of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 or that any of the relevant requirements thereof or of any relevant regulations made thereunder has not been complied with in relation to the Order/s may, within six weeks of the date on which the Order was made, make application for the purpose to the High Court.

Dated 27 March 2025 Steven Grayer Interim Head of Service - Highways, Environment, Sustainability & Leisure

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 SECTION 14(1) (UPLAND ROAD, MOUNT ADON PARK)

BOOKABLE PERMIT LOADING PLACES - WALWORTH ROAD

(TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC) 1.

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

2.

Whilst the works are in progress, or whilst the authorised traffic signs/road markings are displayed, no person shall cause any vehicle to enter, proceed, stop, wait, load or unload at any time in: (2a) Upland Road, southside lane of carriageway at it’s junction with Lordship Lane (2b) Mount Adon Park, at it’s junction with Lordship Lane

3.

The alternative routes for affected traffic will be (2a) & (2b) as indicated by the signs displayed

4.

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

5.

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

6.

The closure will be in operation on the following dates: (2a) 7th – 22nd March (2b) 22nd April – 12th May

7.

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

Dated this 27th March 2025 Ian Law Traffic Manager, London Borough of Southwark, Network Management, Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth 160 Tooley Street, PO Box 64529, London, SE1 5LX Ref: (2a) UPLANDRD (2b) MOUNTADONPK

The London Borough of Southwark (Bookable permit loading places) (No. 1) Order 2025 1. Southwark Council hereby GIVES NOTICE that on 27 March 2025 it has made the above Order under sections 6, 45, 46, 49 and 124 of and Part IV of Schedule 9 to the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, as amended.

2. The general effects of the Order, with the intention of improving the availability and turnover of kerbside loading (at times and locations of peak demand), are:(a) to revoke The London Borough of Southwark (Dynamic loading places) (No. 2) Experimental Traffic Order 2023, which in effect removes the 5 trialled bookable ‘permit loading places’ in WALWORTH ROAD; (b) to provide a new type of loading facility on the highway – which may be pre-booked and charged (currently the charge will be £0.00 per permit, for any class of permitted vehicle), online or via a software application, by the user (an ‘authorised permit-holder’) in respect of a specific vehicle, location and time period; (c) to make provision for the application for and grant of permits in respect of certain vehicles for the purpose of permitting waiting, only when loading, and for loading and unloading in designated bookable ‘permit loading places’, or where applicable, by virtue of an exception to waiting or waiting and loading restrictions, whilst those permits remain valid, and to set the terms and conditions of use and charges for those permits; (d) to amend the provisions of the London Borough of Southwark (Free Parking Places, Loading Places and Waiting, Loading and Stopping Restrictions) (Map-based) Order 2021, so as to provide an exception to waiting or waiting and loading restrictions at certain locations and at certain times in relation to authorised permit-holders’ vehicles – known as ‘bookable permit loading places’; and (e) to designate new bookable permit loading places, replacing existing loading places, for the use of authorised permit-holders’ only at all times, at the following locations (note that all measurements are in metres and are approximate):(i) WALWORTH ROAD north-east side, from a point 55.5 metres south-east of the south-eastern kerbline of Browning Street south-eastward for a distance of 6.5 metres; (ii) WALWORTH ROAD north-east side, from a point 62 metres south-east of the south-eastern kerbline of Browning Street south-eastward for a distance of 6.5 metres; (iii) WALWORTH ROAD north-east side, from a point 68.5 metres south-east of the south-eastern kerbline of Browning Street south-eastward for a distance of 6.5 metres; (iv) WALWORTH ROAD south-west side, from a point 18 metres south-east of the south-eastern kerbline of Manor Place south-eastward for a distance of 7 metres; and (v) WALWORTH ROAD south-west side, from a point 25 metres south-east of the south-eastern kerbline of Manor Place south-eastward for a distance of 14 metres.

3. Permits for the use of bookable permit loading places (currently the charge will be £0.00 per permit, for any class of permitted vehicle), or for exception to waiting or waiting and loading restrictions in relation to authorised permit-holders’ vehicles shall be granted with validity periods of either 15 minutes, 30 minutes or 1 hour, subject to availability.

4. Copies of the Order, which will come into force on 31 March 2025, and of all other relevant documents are available for inspection at Highways, Southwark Council, Environment, Sustainability & Leisure, 3rd floor hub 2, 160 Tooley Street, London SE1 2QH, by appointment only. E-mail traffic.orders@southwark.gov.uk or call 077 3132 4742 for booking details.

5. Any person desiring to question the validity of the Order, or of any provision contained therein, on the grounds that it is not within the relevant powers of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 or that any of the relevant requirements thereof or of any relevant regulations made thereunder has not been complied with in relation to the Order may, within six weeks of the date on which the Order was made, make application for the purpose to the High Court.

Dated 27 March 2025 Steven Grayer Interim Head of Service - Highways, Environment, Sustainability & Leisure

To place a public notice, please email em@cm‐media.co.uk or call 020 7232 1639 Deadline is 3pm on Wednesdays

28 PUBLIC NOTICES

Thursday, March 27th 2025

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK

BOOKABLE PERMIT LOADING PLACES – GOOSE GREEN

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 SECTION 14(1) (HARPER ROAD, SURREY QUAYS ROAD, PECKHAM RYE, SNOWSFIELDS)

The London Borough of Southwark (Bookable permit loading places) (No. 2) Order 2025 1. Southwark Council hereby GIVES NOTICE that on 27 March 2025 it has made the above Order under sections 6, 45, 46, 49 and 124 of and Part IV of Schedule 9 to the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, as amended.

2. The general effects of the Order, with the intention of improving the availability and turnover of kerbside loading (at times and locations of peak demand), would be:(a) to designate new inset bookable permit loading places, replacing an existing loading place in GROVE VALE, for the use of authorised permit-holders’ only at all times, at the following locations (note that all measurements are in metres and are approximate):(i) south-west side, from a point 2.5 metres north-west of the north-western kerb-line of Railway Rise north-westward for a distance of 10.5 metres; and (ii) south-west side opposite its junction with Vale End, from a point 13 metres north-west of the northwestern kerb-line of Railway Rise north-westward for a distance of 10.5 metres; and (b) to amend the provisions of the London Borough of Southwark (Free Parking Places, Loading Places and Waiting, Loading and Stopping Restrictions) (Map-based) Order 2021, so as to replace an existing loading place in GROVE VALE. 3. Permits for the use of bookable permit loading places (currently the charge will be £0.00 per permit, for any class of permitted vehicle), or for exception to waiting or waiting and loading restrictions in relation to authorised permit-holders’ vehicles, will be granted with validity periods of either 15 minutes, 30 minutes or 1 hour, subject to availability.

4. Copies of the Order, which will come into force on 31 March 2025, and of all other relevant documents are available for inspection at Highways, Southwark Council, Environment, Sustainability & Leisure, 3rd floor hub 2, 160 Tooley Street, London SE1 2QH, by appointment only. E-mail traffic.orders@southwark.gov.uk or call 077 3132 4742 for booking details.

5. Any person desiring to question the validity of the Order, or of any provision contained therein, on the grounds that it is not within the relevant powers of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 or that any of the relevant requirements thereof or of any relevant regulations made thereunder has not been complied with in relation to the Order may, within six weeks of the date on which the Order was made, make application for the purpose to the High Court.

Dated 27 March 2025 Steven Grayer Interim Head of Service - Highways, Environment, Sustainability & Leisure

(TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC) 1.

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

2.

Whilst the works are in progress, or whilst the authorised traffic signs/road markings are displayed, no person shall cause any vehicle to enter, proceed, stop, wait, load or unload at any time in: (2a) Harper Road, between New Kent Road and County Street.

(2b) Surrey Quays Road, at it’s junction with Deal Porters Way. (2c) Peckham Rye, between Whorlton Road and Scylla Road (2d) Snowsfields, at it’s junction with Kipling Street

3.

The alternative routes for affected traffic will be (2a) New Kent Road, Great Dover Street, Borough High Street, Harper Road (2b) Surrey Quays Road, Lower Road, Brunel Road, Salter Road, Redriff Road, Lower Road, Bush Road, Rotherhithe Old Road (2c) Nunhead Lane, Consort Road, Heaton Road, Rye Lane, Peckham Rye. East Dulwich Road, Peckham Rye (2d) as indicated by the signs displayed

4.

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

5.

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

6.

The closure will be in operation on the following dates: (2a) 28th April – 7th May (2b) 12th – 13th April with back up dates of 19th – 20th April and 10th – 11th May (2c) 12th – 13th April, with back up dates of the 10th – 11th May (2d) 12th – 13th April, with back up dates of 19th – 20th April

7.

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

Dated this 27th March 2025

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK RUSKIN WALK PERMANENT ‘ONE-WAY’ TRAFFIC OPERATION The London Borough of Southwark (Prescribed routes) (Ruskin Walk) Traffic Order 2025 1. Southwark Council hereby GIVES NOTICE that on 27 March 2025 it has made the above Order under sections 6 and 124 of and Part IV of Schedule 9 to the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, as amended.

2. The effects of the Order would be to implement on a permanent basis:(a) ‘one-way’ north-westbound traffic operation, except pedal cycles, in that part of RUSKIN WALK which lies between a point 36.5 metres north-west of the north-western kerb-line of Half Moon Lane and the south-eastern kerb-line of Herne Hill; and (b) ‘no entry’, except pedal cycles, for vehicles proceeding in HERNE HILL at its junction with Ruskin Walk.

NOTE: Measurements are in metres and are approximate.

The amended ‘no motor vehicles’ restriction mentioned above will be operational ‘at any time’ and all days of the week. Exemptions will be provided for vehicles used for refuse collections and for emergency services vehicles only. The restrictions will be indicated by traffic signs and feature moveable bollards.

3. Copies of the Order, which will come into force on 31 March 2025, and of all other relevant documents are available for inspection at Highways, Southwark Council, Environment, Sustainability & Leisure, 3rd floor hub 2, 160 Tooley Street, London SE1 2QH, by appointment only. E-mail traffic.orders@southwark.gov.uk or call 077 3132 4742 for booking details.

Ian Law Traffic Manager, London Borough of Southwark, Network Management, Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth 160 Tooley Street, PO Box 64529, London, SE1 5LX Ref: (2a) DM04145-1/thameswater (2b) LBSCR13822-1/LBSCR13822NTS/re-ad (2c) LBSCR138402/ LBSCR13840-3/re-ad (2d) LBSCR14004-1 LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 SECTION 14(1) (EVELINA ROAD, CHELTENHAM ROAD, SURREY ROAD) TEMPORARY WAITING AND LOADING RESTRICTIONS AND PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC 1.

The Council of the London Borough of Southwark hereby gives notice, that, because of works by Thames Water works and SGN, it intends, to make an order, the effect of which would be to introduce ‘at any time’ waiting and loading restrictions and prohibit vehicles in part of the above named road.

2.

Whilst the restriction is in place, and whilst the authorised traffic signs/road markings are displayed, no person shall cause any vehicle to wait, including waiting for the purpose of loading and unloading at any time in: (a) Evelina Road, between No’s 43 (near junction of St Marys Road) and No’s 61 at any time’ waiting and loading restrictions will be introduced on both sides of the carriageway (north and south side) (b) Cheltenham Road, between No’s 80 (at it’s junction with Hichisson Road) and No’s 112 at any time’ waiting and loading restrictions will be introduced on both sides of the carriageway (north and south side) (c) Surrey Road, between No’s 74 (at it’s junction of Cheltenham Road) and No’s 64 at any time’ waiting and loading restrictions will be introduced on both sides of the carriageway (north and south side)

4. Any person desiring to question the validity of the Order, or of any provision contained therein, on the grounds that it is not within the relevant powers of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 or that any of the relevant requirements thereof or of any relevant regulations made thereunder has not been complied with in relation to the Order may, within six weeks of the date on which the Order was made, make application for the purpose to the High Court.

Dated 27 March 2025 Steven Grayer Interim Head of Service - Highways, Environment, Sustainability & Leisure

Notice of Application for a Premises Licence made under Section 17 of the Licensing Act 2003 Please take notice that I / we Bermondsey Tracks Ltd Have made application to Southwark Council for a new Premises Licence in respect of Bermondsey Tracks Land & Arches East of Bermondsey Trading Estate, bounded by Jarrow Road & Bolina Road SE16 3LL The relevant licensable activities and proposed times to be carried on, or on from the premises are Days

Start time

Finish time

Monday to Friday Saturday Sunday

17:00 10:00 10:00

22:00 22:00 22:00

The provision of regulated entertainment:

Monday to Friday Saturday Sunday

17:00 12:00 11:00

22:00 22:00 22:00

Opening hours:

Monday to Friday Saturday Sunday

16:00 10:00 10:00

22:30 22:30 22:30

The sale of alcohol:

A register of all applications made within the Southwark area is maintained by: The Licensing Service, Hub 1, 3rd Floor, 160 Tooley Street, London, SE1 2QH A record of this application may be inspected by visiting the office during normal office hours by appointment on 020 7525 2000; details are also available on our website at http://app.southwark.gov.uk/licensing/licenseregister.asp It is open to any interested party to make representations about the likely effect of the application on the promotion of the licensing objectives. Representations must be made in writing to the Licensing Service at the office address given above (or by email via licensing@southwark.gov.uk) and be received by the Service within a period of 28 days starting the day after the date shown below.

Note: It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with an application. A person guilty of such offence is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

Date of application: 18th March 2025

3.

An alternative route is not applicable.

4.

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

5.

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

6.

The restriction will come into force between (2a) 14th – 17th April (2b) 14th – 17th April

7.

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

Dated this 27th March 2025 Ian Law Traffic Manager London Borough of Southwark Network Management Environment, Neighbourhoods and Growth 160 Tooley Street PO Box 64529 London SE1 5LX 160 Tooley Street, PO Box 64529 London SE1 5LX Ref: (2a) SLS0081387343-0045Thames (2b) 2647017-00493SGN

To place a public notice, please email em@cm‐media.co.uk or call 020 7232 1639 Deadline is 3pm on Wednesdays

SPORT 29

Donald Macaulay just before heading in the equaliser Inset; The travelling Fish faithful

By John Kelly PROMOTION-CHASING FISHER had to settle for a point as they came from behind to draw 1-1 in the SCEFL Premier Division derby against Stansfeld at The Artic Stadium last weekend.

Mayowa Olufeko gave the Stans the lead in the 25th minute before Donald Macaulay’s equaliser fourteen minutes from time in front of a 130 attendance.

Fisher were missing midfielder Charles Yiadom-Konadu and left-back Ed Sata, with Omotunmise Akanni starting on the wing as Jake Lovell dropped into midfield.

Tyron Mbuenimo went to right-back and captain Jack Gibbons played left-back.

Ange Djadja headed wide from ArmaniJordan Martin’s corner from the Fish’s first chance of the game ten minutes in.

It was a scrappy game on a hilly, rough pitch and there were no real clear-cut chances until a free-kick landed in the visitors’ penalty area and Olufeko was unmarked on the edge of six-yard box to head past Isaac Ogunseri as Fisher players began the inquisition into those man he was.

Fisher were clearly missing YiadomKonadu’s creative spark against a side over 20 points behind them in the table.

Courtney Barrington needed treatment for a knock to his ankle late in the half before Lovell had an effort blocked and Martin forced a save from Albert Penny with a long-range shot.

Fisher pushed play more towards the Stansfeld box after the break without creating clear opportunities. Jacob Katonia was introduced on the hour to replace Barrington who was struggling Photo by Rob Avis

Hamlet struggle to get out of the woods

Surrey sign Aussie all-rounder Harris

By Sports Reporter

SURREY HAVE signed Australian international Grace Harris for their inaugural Women’s Vitality Blast 2025 campaign.

By John Kelly DULWICH HAMLET were beaten 1-0 by Dover Athletic in the Isthmian League Premier Division last weekend as they struggle to mathematically secure their survival against relegation.

Luca Cocoracchio scored the only goal in the twelfth minute.

Bradley Quinton’s side are nine points clear of the relegation zone with six games left. They host leaders Dartford at Champion Hill this Saturday.

Meanwhile, Dulwich Hamlet Women’s Capital Women’s Cup semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur has been moved.

The tie was originally scheduled for April 20 (Easter Sunday) but will now be at Champion Hill on Sunday, April 6.

with that injury.

Halim Bakre came on for talisman Kesna Clarke who was affected by a broken finger, with Katonia going to centreforward.

But there was another blow for Ajay Ashanike’s side when Katonia was brought down and needed treatment for a suspected cracked rib. He was later brought to hospital. That foul led to the leveller, as Stans goalkeeper Penny tipped Martin’s

Dulwich’s Ben Mason wins a header

free-kick onto the crossbar and Macaulay nodded the loose ball over the line.

Dan Flemming came on up front as Fisher pushed for a winner.

And it almost came when there was a mad sequence of blocked shots in 90-second spell, with the Stans throwing their bodies on the line to protect their goal.

With runaway duo, leaders Faversham and VCD Athletic in second, separated by a point in the race for the title and only automatic promotion spot, there are three play-off spots up for grabs. It is looking like that is realistically between four teams, with the Fish in sixth place, ten points ahead of seventh-place Erith & Belvedere.

Fisher can further strengthen their playoff claims with three points against bottom side Lordswood at St Paul’s this Saturday (March 29). Kick-off in Rotherhithe (SE16 6NT) is at 3pm.

The Aussie all-rounder becomes the first overseas women’s player to represent the club in the new era of women’s cricket. Harris will join up with the squad ahead of Surrey’s first Vitality Blast home game against Hampshire on June 5 at the Kia Oval.

This first fully-professional international signing falls hand in hand with what is set to be a historic summer of cricket with the Three Feathers and will be available until the end of the T20 competition.

The right-handed all-rounder is renowned for her fast-scoring, power-hitting with an ability to score all round the wicket. Her innovative approach to batting and shot selection has seen her score over 4,500 T20 runs, a career best of 136 not out, and 51 WIT20 caps.

Harris has been a part of several

major franchise tournaments, representing UP Warriorz since their inaugural WPL season, London Spirit in The Hundred, and both Melbourne Renegades and Brisbane Heat in the WBBL. Harris said: “I can’t wait to take to the pitch with the team at Surrey and the Kia Oval. The Club has shown a strong commitment to the women’s side and I know the team have been preparing hard over the winter.

“I’m really looking forward to contributing to the team and making the most of my time with them.”

Emma Calvert, Surrey’s Director of Women’s Cricket, added: “We are incredibly excited to be able to announce Grace as our first overseas signing for our newly professional Surrey women’s team.

“Grace brings international and franchise experience which we believe will really add value to our squad both on and off the pitch. She plays exactly the style of cricket we look to play and I can’t wait to see her wearing the three feathers at the Kia Oval this summer.”

Photo by Dave Anderson

FISH DROP POINTS IN DERBY

Dubois camp target Chisora

By John Kelly PROMOTER FRANK Warren says Derek Chisora is the mandatory challenger for Daniel Dubois’ IBF world heavyweight title.

Chisora, 41, defeated Otto Wallin on points in Manchester in February to leave his record at 36-13.

Dubois was supposed to be fighting Joseph Parker in Riyadh earlier this month but pulled out late on due to illness.

Dubois wants to fight unified champion Oleksandr Usyk but the Ukrainian is down for a mandatory defence of his WBO title against Parker.

“Chisora is [the IBF mandatory challenger],” Warren said.

“He won it in his last fight and everyone knew what the fight was going to be for. He is the mandatory to our man, Dangerous Dan, so that’s the position he’s in.”

Chisora has fought all the main men at heavyweight, including Usyk, Parker (twice), Tyson Fury (three times), Dillian Whyte (twice) and former world champion Vitali Klitschko. He went the full twelve rounds with all of them but never managed to get over the line.

There are suggestions Chisora - who is promoted by Eddie Hearn - will retire after his 50th fight.

Warren added: “He wants a big fight to go out on. Eddie and I have had a couple of chats and in due course will let people know our views on what we’ll do.

“We both have been involved in his career, he started off with me, been with me a long time, was with me for the last few fights.

“We want to deliver that 50th fight.

I want to work something between us that we both walk him out.”

Millwall Liv to fight another day

By Myles Thornton at St Paul’s

LIV MCGREGOR SCORED a late equaliser as Millwall Lionesses and Newhaven Ladies played out an exciting 2-2 draw in the L&SERWFL Premier Division at St Paul’s last weekend.

Millwall manager Ted Jones kept the same line-up as the one that started in the 10-0 win against Haywards Heath Town the previous weekend.

In the fourth minute, Maisie Joyce scored her fourth goal in the last two games as she capitalised after Elise Jennings’ shot had been saved.

Newhaven equalised through Dani Parfitt just before half-time.

The second half saw Millwall dominate possession, but it was Newhaven that struck first against the run of play, with Chloe Winchester netting their second goal.

In a thrilling finish, Ciara Watling found Jennings who crossed for McGregor to convert and rescue a point.

Millwall will aim to extend their unbeaten streak to three games this Sunday when they face Saltdean United at Hill Park at 2pm.

30 SPORT EXCLUSIVE

By Will Scott LUKE CUNDLE could not have had a better start to his Millwall career.

Only a day after his move from Wolverhampton Wanderers was officially announced, the number ten was thrust into the starting line up against Queens Park Rangers at The Den on February 1, and soon showed why the Lions fought to secure his signature.

Just 25 minutes into his debut, George Saville crashed a header off the crossbar. For a moment, both sides froze as the ball bounced straight into the six-yard box with Hoops goalkeeper Paul Nardi prone on the ground.

QPR centre-back Morgan Fox, not fully sensing the danger, moved to clear the ball but did not react quickly enough - Cundle ghosted in front of him and nodded the ball into the empty net. 2-1 Millwall, three points in the bag.

The 22-year-old has since become indispensable to Alex Neil, - starting nine out of the next ten games, before finally getting a breather against Stoke City on March 15.

It is a far cry from how the season started for Cundle. After three successful loan spells at Championship clubs Swansea City, Plymouth Argyle and Stoke City, the ex-Warrington youth player returned to Wolves, looking to add to his seven senior appearances that included two Premier League starts in the 2021-22 season.

Instead, Cundle found game time hard to come by - making the matchday squad on four occasions but never being brought off the bench.

Come January, Cundle thought it was time to leave.

“I just thought it was time for me to move on at Wolves,” Cundle said. “I’d been there for a long, long time and I just started feeling that it wasn’t to be at Wolves.

“I obviously wanted to move on and come back to the Championship and play football. I spoke with the manager here and I had a really good chat with him and it was going to be nowhere else really. I wanted to come here.

“He doesn’t just say things you want to hear. I felt like it was all truthful what he was saying and that’s a big part for me. For a manager and a player relationship, trust and honesty is the best way forward.”

Cundle has enjoyed working with

ALEX NEIL WON ME OVER

January signing Luke Cundle on how the gaffer convinced him to join Millwall, what he’s been fined for and his goals for the season

Neil so far.

“He’s really detailed,” Cundle said.

“So when you go out onto the pitch, every one of us knows what we’re doing, with and without the ball.

“He’s very clear and very open in how he comes across. I think that’s good for the players as well. There’s no fifty-

fifties in your head, you know what you’re doing, it makes it a lot easier for you.

“This break gives him the time to get some more ideas across, because obviously every game has been Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Wednesday.”

Luke Cundle in action against Watford on March 8 Cundle has also enjoyed integrating into a squad that has a strong leadership group at its core.

“We’ve got a nice mixture to be honest,” Cundle. “There’s a lot of senior heads in the group which lead the group every day, timings and stuff like this. It’s just little things around the

Millwall boss: ‘it’s quite an exciting time’ to be a fan EXCLUSIVE

By Will Scott ALEX NEIL believes it is “quite an exciting time” to be a Millwall fan as the club makes significant investments on and off the pitch.

Last month, Millwall announced that they had completed the freehold purchase of their training ground Calmont Road, paving the way for them to begin work on upgrading the facilities.

The club also has plans to improve The Den. The announcement came shortly after the January transfer window slammed shut, during which the Lions made eight signings—seven of whom are on permanent deals.

Neil feels the club’s investment in both the squad and its infrastructure has laid the foundation for future success.

“What it shows is [club owner] Jimmy’s [Berylson] plan and strategy for the club in terms of what he wants to do,” Neil said.

“I did have an input in terms of the logistics to make sure there’s a good flow for the team, to make sure that everything that we need as a squad and what the football club needs going forward is put in place in the building.

You don’t want to do the building and then think, oh we should have had this, or we could have done that. It’s important that we get a good flow for that and it all works.

“What it shows is the commitment that Jimmy’s got to Millwall. The fact

that he’s bought the training ground, he’s improving the training ground, he’s investing in the squad. I said this just at the end of the transfer window, I think it’s quite an exciting time at the moment to be a Millwall fan.

“We’ve got some work to do in the summer, which we hope goes well. But as we know windows are different aren’t they. I think we had a really good January window. I’m hoping we have another really good one in the summer, but nothing’s ever sort of confirmed. You might have five top targets or whatever and land one or four, or zero. We will obviously put our best foot forward in terms of what we’re trying to do and hope that we can do what we want and what we need going forward.

“Then from there, what we have done

already is: a style of play has started to be developed a bit more than where it was. Saturday was our youngest team that’s been fielded this season, I believe the average age was 24.1. We had more possession in the game and won again, which is nice.

“There’s been huge improvements and things that we will make massive strides in. I think improvements to the training ground are necessary, improvements to The Den which Jimmy’s planning on doing is necessary.

“I think a little bit of tweaking of the squad is necessary as well and I think we’re making inroads. So there’s loads going on at the one time. How quickly that will all gel and come together, obviously will remain to be seen but I think we’ve not done a bad job so far.”

training ground, which you probably don’t see from the outside, but that all helps. I’ve just enjoyed my first couple of months here, meeting the lads and getting to know them all.”

Part of the dressing room culture is fines for infractions - and Cundle has fallen afoul of the rules a few times.

“There’s all sorts of fines in that changing room,” Cundle said. “It goes across me sometimes, but if I have a fine you just pay it.

“There’s all sorts of stupid ones. If you drink anything but water in the changing room, it’s a fine. That baffled me, but like I said, I pick things up on the job so you’ve just got to kind of look around and see what people are getting fined for and just do it your own way.”

Cundle has managed to avoid an initiation ceremony so far.

“To be honest, they don’t do it here,” Cundle said. “I think you only do it if it’s a pre-season get together. So I got away with that one to be honest.”

When asked if he would sing a song in pre-season, Cundle joked: “Nah, too long in then. That’s my excuse. I’ll be six months in.”

Cundle has become one of the most reliable names on the team sheet over the past two months, but playing so many games started to affect him before the break.

“I think the break came at a good time for me personally,” Cundle said.

“Going from playing no games at the start of the season to playing near enough every game.

“I thought the last few weeks, it took a toll on me. I felt it in the game and I wasn’t where I wanted to be, the standards I’m normally at. The break came at a good time and hopefully now I’m refreshed and I’m ready to go.”

With eight games left in the season, and the Lions six points off the play-off spots, Cundle wants to stay in the hunt without putting too much pressure on himself or his team.

“For the team [our goal] is can we keep our season alive as much as possible,” Cundle said. “Obviously it’s six points, but six points is a lot. But also in the same breath it’s not because within a week in the Championship we can pick it up and get there. So I think we will try and take it game by game really.

“Personally, like I said, I feel like my levels have dropped off a bit in the recent weeks, so I’ll probably just try and get back to those levels and try and score goals and help the team win games.”

SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP

Sunderland VS

Millwall Saturday, March 29 (15:00 pm) Possible Millwall starting XI: 4-2-3-1 Jensen; Crama, Tanganga, Cooper, Bryan; De Norre, Mitchell; Connolly, Cundle, Emakhu; Coburn Last meeting: Sky Bet Championship (November 23, 2024): Millwall 1-1 Sunderland (Azeez 90+3’) (Connolly 10) Match odds: Sunderland 13/20 Draw 11/4 Millwall 17/4

SPORT 31

NEIL: WE CERTAINLY HAVE NO FEAR

EXCLUSIVE

By Will Scott ALEX NEIL insisted Millwall had “no fear” heading into their trip to fourth-placed Sunderland this Saturday, the side the Scotsman guided back to the Championship in the 2021-22 season.

Sunderland have been challenging for automatic promotion all season, but have stumbled of late - losing 3-0 to Coventry City before the international break, a result that meant they had only won twice in their past six.

It is a run of form that has the Black Cats eleven points off second-place Burnley, and Regis Le Bris’ side head into this weekend’s fixture needing all three points if they want to keep their automatic promotion hopes alive.

Neil is hoping to disrupt those ambitions.

“It’s a great challenge for us,” Neil said. “They’ve had a great season. The Stadium of Light is a really difficult place to go, only Hull have won there this season. That just shows the task that we’ve got on our hands. But our away form has been very good.

“We certainly have no fear going into any of the games, and there’ll be more of an expectation, certainly from the home fans, for them to bounce back from Coventry. I think it’s a great game for us.”

Neil was appointed Sunderland boss on February 11, 2022, and led the Black Cats back up to the Championship by beating Wycombe Wanderers in the League One play-off final.

When asked if his prior experience at Sunderland gave him an advantage heading into the tie, Neil said: “Probably more so when I initially left. I think less so now. A lot of the players have changed over as well. They’re a few years older than what they were then when I had them.

“I do understand the Stadium of Light, I understand the club, I understand the expectation of the fans. I loved my time there. We managed to get promotion, which they’ve been trying to do for five or six seasons at that point. I think it was a successful period for them and for me. I got the job done that I was

Alex Neil took charge of Sunderland for six months, leading the Black Cats to promotion from League One hired to do.”

Despite their recent slip, Sunderland still boast a fearsome home record.

They have only lost once at The Stadium of Light all season - a 1-0 loss to Hull City on February 22, courtesy of an Anthony Patterson own goal.

The Black Cats nearly doubled their home losses when they went 1-0 down

Alex Neil expects trip to Stadium of Light to be ‘a great challenge’ and wants to take the game to his former club

to Preston North End on March 11, and required an 86th minute Romaine Mundle equaliser to escape with a point.

When asked if Hull provided a blueprint for how to win at The Stadium of Light, Neil said: “It depends on your players and your team doesn’t it? Hull may well be set up brilliantly to do that.

Bryan: Alex Neil is one of the best coaches I’ve worked with EXCLUSIVE

By Will Scott JOE BRYAN called Alex Neil one of the best managers he has worked with in his career, and said “the match prep is second to none” ahead of Millwall’s trip to Sunderland on Saturday, March 29.

Neil was appointed Lions boss on December 30 and has overseen eight wins, four draws and six losses, while integrating eight January signings.

The Scotsman has previously guided Norwich City to the Premier League in 2015 and won the League One play-off final as Sunderland manager.

Bryan has previously worked with a number of successful head coaches, including Lucien Favre, Marco Silva, Scott Parker and Claudio Ranieri, but considers Neil to be one of the best he has played under.

“We’ve had a lot of time on the pitch recently in terms of matches,” Bryan said. “So having time on the training pitch to push across some ideas, maybe to work on some structures that we’ve struggled to break down when we’ve played against them, things like that, I think is very important.

“In terms of the manager, he’s incredibly detail-oriented. The match prep is second to none. He’s probably up there with some of the best managers I’ve worked with. I think that is exactly what a lot of the players here needed. I think having a definite structure and a plan has helped us.”

Neil’s appointment on the cusp of the new year stabilised the Lions’ form who had one win in nine at the time.

Millwall are now six points off the play-off spots with eight games left in the season, although although Bryan is keeping his expectations in check heading into the business end of the

campaign.

“I think there’s no pressure on us really,” Bryan said. “We’ve got some big away games and we’ve got some winnable home games.

If we want to do anything and to sneak in there. We’ve got to probably, I know it’s cheesy and it’s cliche, but just go to Sunderland on Saturday and try and win and then if we win that one we’ll look to the next one.

I don’t think there’s any big plan of if we win this one and then we can take a draw here. No, we just have to try and win every single game now and then see where that lands us.

“I don’t think anyone’s putting a huge amount of pressure on us. We’ve hit that 50 point mark, which is always the first goal. The sooner you hit that in the season, the higher up the table you look.

To have done that by the break, now we’ve eight games to go and attack the top six spots. We’ll have a go.”

“I watched a game the other day, it was a bit of an error, the lad in the front area ducks, Patterson doesn’t expect it and it ends up getting in the back of the net.

“But I think there’s been other teams that have gone there and done well. Preston recently went and did well. Mundle puts one in off the far stanchion in the 86th minute to get an

equaliser.

“There’s varying ways to try and win the game, but I think for us we’ll do it in the manner which suits our players and we’ll go and try and play as well as we can. If we can do that, our away form has been really good and we’ll go there with confidence that we can try and get something.”

Millwall forward handed first international cap

By Will Scott RA’EES BANGURA-WILLIAMS made his international debut for the England Elite League Squad, formerly the under-20s, on Friday, March 21, marking another milestone in his remarkable breakout season.

The 20-year-old came off the bench in the 72nd minute of England’s 1-1 draw with Portugal, replacing Millwall’s club-record sale Romain Esse. He also featured in the Young Lions’ 2-2 draw with Switzerland on Monday, March 24, entering the game on the hour mark.

It was Bangura-Williams’ first England call-up, another first in what has been a breakthrough season for the forward.

Just two seasons ago, he was playing for non-league side

Tooting & Mitcham. BanguraWilliams was called up from the under-21s in January and scored on his debut - coming on late in the FA Cup against Dagenham & Redbridge. He has gone on to make thirteen appearances, assisting three goals.

Three other Lions were also in action during the international break. Mihailo Ivanovic featured in both of Serbia under-21s fixtures - a 3-1 loss to Georgia and a 2-0 win against Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Daniel Kelly started as the Scotland under-21s beat Republic of Ireland 2-0. He did not feature in Scotland’s 6-1 loss to Iceland.

George Saville started in both of Northern Ireland’s friendlies - a 1-1 draw with Switzerland and a 5-1 loss to Sweden.

Joe Bryan

INSIDE

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FISH DROP POINTS IN DERBY

JOE BRYAN ADDRESSES MILLWALL FUTURE Defender would ‘absolutely’ like to stay another year but is relaxed about his future

EXCLUSIVE

By Will Scott JOE BRYAN said he would “absolutely” like to be at Millwall next season, with the left-back’s contract due to expire at the end of the season and the Lions holding an option to extend the deal.

Bryan, 31, joined Millwall on a free transfer in 2023 following his release from Fulham, and after an injury-hit first campaign in south-east London has become one of the first names on the team sheet this season - making 40 appearances in all competitions, the third-most in the squad.

With the Lions heading into the business end of the season, Bryan is not thinking about his contractual situation yet.

“I haven’t really given it a second thought,” Bryan told our paper. “I’ve got an agent that takes care of that.

“I like playing here, I’m fit, I’m healthy,

I’ve proved my fitness. We’ll see what happens. Like I said, I’m enjoying playing here and if there’s another year there for me, I’ll be happy. If not, I’ll be happy and play somewhere else.”

When asked if he would like to stay at Millwall, Bryan said “Yeah, absolutely.”

Bryan was sidelined by various groin injuries in the 2023-24 campaign, but has proven his fitness this season, starting 33 out of the Lions’ 38 league games.

“I’ve kind of struggled in the past with injuries and the question marks were there at the beginning of season over whether I could play games again regularly and I think I’ve answered those,” Bryan said.

“I don’t know how many I’ve played this year, but I’d probably be up there in terms of minutes played for the squad. I’d always rather play Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday than be on the training pitch because games are what we all started playing football for. The

matches are what we enjoy the most.”

Bryan has still found Millwall’s relentless fixture list challenging at times - the ex-Fulham defender played 21 games in 84 days, an average of a game every four days.

“There was a period over Christmas, we went to Sheffield Wednesday away and then there was a game after that where we played four or five games in fifteen days and I was exhausted and I couldn’t move,” Bryan said.

“Then Stoke just before the break, again we played Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday and I was exhausted.

My legs were not quite there, but as a defender, you can kind of revert to type and just go: alright, I’m not going to get anything going forward today, I’m going to sit in my slot and make sure that I’m defensively solid.”

“It’s just about using your experience and understanding that my body can’t charge around like I used to at a hundred miles an hour every single

game. You have to manage your running and manage your intensity and kind of play a bit more of a game with it.”

Bryan was named in the EFL Championship’s top five performers of the week before the international break for his performance in Millwall’s 1-0 win against Stoke City, but said he paid little attention to personal accolades at this stage of his career.

“Things like that, I don’t really take any notice of anymore,” Bryan said.

“When I was younger I was very excited. Football’s very fickle. I could be awful this week and I’ll be written off the week after. So that’s the way football works. So I never get too high and never get too low.

“I think I’ve settled into a nice kind of solid base of form. But again, I don’t really think about it too much. I just put on my boots on a Saturday and try to keep a clean sheet and play better than the player I’m playing against.”

PAGE 29

Lenny could be back for Sunderland EXCLUSIVE

By Will Scott RYAN LEONARD is in contention to make Millwall’s match-day squad for their trip to Sunderland on Saturday, March 29, Lions boss Alex Neil told our paper.

Leonard, 32, has been sidelined with a calf injury since coming off in the second half of Millwall’s 2-2 draw with Cardiff City on January 21.

“He played in the under-21s on Friday, played 45 minutes, no problems,” Neil said. “Trained with us yesterday, so it’s just a case of keep building Lenny up.

“I don’t think he’ll be that long. Will he be ready for this weekend? Maybe, but I think it may be a little bit of a stretch. He could well be involved in the squad. Certainly in the next game, I don’t see why he couldn’t play.”

George Honeyman, who suffered a groin injury in the Lions’ 2-0 loss to Leeds United on March 12, is close to returning.

“George has made decent progress so we’ll see what happens with George today,” Neil said. “That’ll determine whether he’ll train with the squad maybe Thursday, Friday.”

Neither Femi Azeez nor Macaulay Langstaff will play a part in the tie - Azeez limped off against Leeds with a hamstring injury and will not be ready to train for another week, while Langstaff has not played since February 1.

“Macaulay trained with us yesterday but didn’t do the full session,” Neil said. “So he will probably be more of a slow burner coming back…next week I’d like to think he should be in full training.”

Ryan Leonard limps off against Cardiff City THE RECYCLED PAPER CONTENT OF UK NEWSPAPERS IN 2014 WAS 83.5%