29th April 2021

true Hero jimi Issue 1528

Established: 1987

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Calls are mounting for Bermondsey’s Folajimi Olubunmi-Adewole to get the George Cross after dying in bid to save woman in the Thames

April 29 2021

southwarknews.co.uk

See full story on page 4

plus sixteen other candidates - See our election special pages 19-25

MILLWALL EXCLUSIVE

lenny is optimistic despite what ifs Page 38

2 NEWS

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Contents NEWS Pages 2-18 election special Pages 19-25 OPINION Page 27 property Page 28 CLASSIFIED & family announcements Page 29 Arts Page 30 history Page 31 Jobs Page 32 Public notices Pages 33-34

Southwark News, Thursday April 29 2021

New leader for Southwark Liberal Democrats

The councillor is a trained lawyer and has worked with Grenfell Tower fire victims

Dem leader, issued hours before a party meeting and vote went ahead - and before members had been informed.

Neither Cllr Johnson nor the party responded to questioning until Monday, April 26.

In his statement, Johnson said the role had been a ‘genuine privilege’ and that McCallum had his full support.

McCallum is a councillor for North Bermondsey ward and previously was a housing spokesperson for the local party and has been chief whip for three years.

A trained lawyer, he has worked with Grenfell Tower fire victims.

Cllr McCallum told the News: “I am delighted to take up the role of leader of the Southwark Liberal Democrat Group.

“This is a critical time for our borough and our residents — as we recover from the Coronavirus pandemic, tackle climate change and respond to the impact of Brexit.

“Labour is letting Southwark down.

“Since 2010, Labour have sold or demolished 3,000 council homes, while

By Katherine Johnston katherine@southwarknews.co.uk Hamish McCallum has become the new Southwark Liberal Democrat leader after Nick Johnson stood down.

Johnson, who has only been in post for a year, said the decision was due to ‘expanded work and professional’ reasons.

Last week we reported how news of his decision had been made public by his new employer in a press release describing him as ‘until recently’ Southwark Lib

the housing waiting list has grown to 15,000.

“And they have cut down over 5,500 trees while continuing to invest in gas fired boilers for estates.

“I look forward to putting forward a bold, ambitious and liberal vision in response to those challenges.

“I believe that our community must be at the heart of everything the council does and I will work with my excellent Liberal Democrat colleagues to continue holding Labour to account in the town hall and across Southwark.”

This is a critical time for our borough and our residents - as we recover from the Coronavirus pandemic, tackle climate change and respond to the impact of Brexit

Cladding scandal: amendment to bill not passed

By Kit Heren

kit@southwarknews.co.uk

SPORT Pages 35-40

Hundreds of thousands of leaseholders will continue to face massive fire safety bills while living in homes with potentially unsafe cladding, after MPs voted to block measures to ban building owners from passing on these costs this week.

During the crisis, contact us if you have a story on 07973175511 or email

Tuesday’s vote, the third on an amendment to a fire safety bill in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire, failed by 320 votes to 256 - despite a rebellion by some Conservative MPs against their own government.

But the Commons faced yet another vote on the amendment on Wednesday - after the News went to press - after the House of Lords failed to approve it again.

Conservative housing minister Christopher Pincher said the amendment was “unworkable and inappropriate” and added that it would delay even minor building works.

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Issue 1527

Editor: Kevin Quinn Deputy Editor: Katherine Johnston Reporter: Kit Heren Sports Editor: John Kelly Arts Correspondent: Michael Holland Weekender Series Editor: Laura Burgoine Media Partnerships: Anthony Phillips Sales Manager: Tammy Jukes Advertising: Clarry Frewin, Lorraine Wood, Design: Dan Martin, Aurelio Medina Finance: Em Zeki - Tel: 0779 883 3758 Subscriptions/Announcements: Katie Boyd Managing & Commercial Director: Chris Mullany Managing & Editorial Director: Kevin Quinn Published weekly on a Thursday at: Unit A202, The Biscuit Factory, Drummond Road, Bermondsey, London SE16 4DG. News and Sport: 020 7231 5258 Advertising: 020 7232 1639 News: news@southwarknews.co.uk Advertising: ads@southwarknews.co.uk Finance: em@southwarknews.co.uk Printed by Iliffe Print. Tel: 01223 656500 www.iliffeprint.co.uk

Established: 1987

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April 22 2021

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Labour shadow housing minister Sarah Jones compared the issue to a recent dispute about the renovation of Boris Johnson’s flat in 10 Downing Street.

She asked: “Does this government only care about the donors who keep the prime minister in fancy furniture, so the prime minister can spend £60,000 on curtains in No 10 while there are nurses and key workers out there facing £60,000 bills for cladding and no wealthy Tory donors to bail them out?”

We reported in February that there are nearly 30,000 people iving in homes with dangerous cladding across Southwark and Lambeth, according to Labour At least 209 high-rise buildings in both boroughs have yet to have their dangerous cladding removed. As the News has previously reported, less than half the blocks affected have seen work completed.

These figures – likely an underestimate – mean around 16,982 people in Southwark and 12,110 people in Lambeth are affected nearly four years after Grenfell.

Breaking News: Man, 60, stabbed

By Kit Heren

kit@southwarknews.co.uk A 60-year-old man is fighting for his life after being stabbed in Peckham on Tuesday, the police told the News as we were due to go to press.

Another 60-year-old was arrested for the attack on Cossall Walk, a few minutes from Queen’s Road, and is still in custody.

Colin Wingrove, the Met’s borough commander for Southwark and Lambeth, said: “Police were called at around 09:25hrs on Tuesday, 27th April to Cossall Walk, Peckham to reports of a stabbing. A 60 year old man was discovered with a stab wound and taken to hospital where he remains in a life threatening condition.

“A 60 year old man was arrested at the scene and taken into custody where he remains.”

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.

Both directors live in the borough. 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.

Follow our social media to be updated on local news

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Southwark News is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (which regulates the UK’s magazine and newspaper industry).

We abide by the Editors’ Code of Practice and are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism. If you think that we have not met those standards and want to make a complaint, please contact 0207 231 5258.

If we are unable to resolve your complaint, or if you would like more information about IPSO or the Editors’ Code, contact IPSO on 0300 123 2220 or visit www.ipso.co.uk

Southwark News, Thursday April 29 2021

www.southwarknews.co.uk/news

NEWS 3

Camberwell family donate £10,000 of gifts to King’s for saving great-grandmother’s and great-grandson’s lives

By Katherine Johnston katherine@southwarknews.co.uk A family from Camberwell has given £10,000 of thank you gifts to King’s College Hospital after a great-grandmother and her greatgrandson’s lives were saved during the pandemic.

Georgie Theobald, from Camberwell, spent Christmas 2020 at King’s in Denmark Hill when her thirteenyear-old son Freddie and 66-year-old grandmother were admitted while seriously ill with COVID-19.

Within hours both were placed on ventilators in separate intensive care units but, remarkably, they both pulled through.

She says she will never forget the kindness of the hospital’s staff during that heartbreaking Christmas.

She remembers how her grandmother began to deteriorate: “I was really worried about my Nan, as she has diabetes and was just getting worse and worse.

“After I called an ambulance, and when the paramedics were checking her over, they noticed Freddie also seemed poorly.

“He has problems with his immune system, as well as asthma, and as we discovered later in hospital, he had COVID-19 too.

“Within a few hours, they were both

on ventilators in different intensive care units.

“It was one of the worst days of my life. I spent Christmas Day with my son, praying he and my Nan would be OK. “The staff were absolutely amazing. It was such a busy time and everyone was working really long shifts with barely any time for a break.

“In spite of it all, one nurse popped in to see me on Christmas Day with a card and a little present.

“Their kindness and thoughtfulness, in the middle of a global pandemic, is something I will never forget.

“Amazingly, Nan and Freddie both recovered and are back at home. After saving their lives, as well as looking after me, I knew I had to do something to say thank you.”

Together with her family and friends, Georgie has donated over £10,000 worth of gifts and refreshments, including bottles of water, snacks, muesli bars and bubble bath, to staff at King’s including cleaners, security staff and healthcare assistants.

“I get so much pleasure from putting a smile on the faces of people who really, truly deserve it,” she said.

“I can never thank them enough for the care and support they’ve given my family, but I can give them a treat to make their time off a little bit more enjoyable. I’m not doing anything special – I just want to give something

back.”

Jane Wilson, paediatric emergency department matron at King’s College Hospital, thanked the family and their friends for their huge generosity.

“There’s no doubt that this has been one of the most challenging years we’ve ever faced, but knowing the difference we’ve made to people’s lives gives everyone a lift,” she said.

“The donations have been enjoyed by everyone who works together to improve patient care including our porters, housekeepers, receptionists, nurses, healthcare associates, and doctors.”

Dr Simon Broughton, paediatric consultant and clinical director, added: “The level of Georgie’s generosity and thoughtfulness has blown us away.

“She has demonstrated the same care that she delivers to her family every day.

“The way Georgie cares for Freddie never fails to amaze me.

“Thank you so much Georgie for all that you have done for us, we are so grateful.

Their kindness and thoughtfulness, in the middle of a global pandemic, is something I will never forget

4 NEWS

www.southwarknews.co.uk/news

Southwark News, Thursday April 29 2021

calls for hero jimi to get George cross

Heartbroken parents speak to the News

By Kit Heren kit@southwarknews.co.uk

Calls are being made for Folajimi Olubunmi-Adewole to be awarded the George Cross, after heroically diving into the River Thames and dying as he battled to save a drowning woman in the early hours of Saturday morning.

His emotional father Michael Adewola told the News: “I would like his memory to be honoured, I would appreciate it.”

Many people have suggested that Jimi, as he was known to his friends and family, should be awarded a George Cross, the highest honour for someone who is not in the army. Anyone can nominate someone for the award. The Cabinet Office reviews all recommendations and puts some forward to the Queen, who makes the awards.

Jimi’s tearful mother Olusankami Adewole called their son “a special, loving young man.” She told the News this week: “He was a very good person and had a very good heart.

“He saw the woman in the river and jumped in. He took off his jacket and jumped in. That is enough. This country should celebrate him, honour him and [give him an] award.

“Since it happened to Jimi, no one has come to the house from the government to appreciate Jimi. I think it’s very bad for us. It’s very bad. I want the government to celebrate him.”

Michael added: “Jimi was very nice, very kind, he meant everything to us. He took care of his family and everyone.”

Tragically, this is the second heroic loss the family has suffered in just three years.

Jimi’s cousin Malcolm Mide-Madariola was stabbed outside Clapham South Tube Station in 2018 aged seventeen, after defending a younger friend from two attackers. Jimi had a forearm tattoo commemorating Malcolm, described at the time as a “calm, mature boy” and “an excellent role model”.

Malcolm’s father Olumide WoleMadariola said: “Malcolm wasn’t properly appreciated at all. People told me ‘Your son did the job of the social services’, to confront two guys with knives and defend a young boy.

“People have to push the idea of an award, otherwise everything will die down and it won’t happen… Jimi was a true hero and we need to remember him.”

Both Jimi and Malcolm were students at Harris Academy Peckham. Jimi left three years ago after spending six years at the school. Principal Rebecca Hickey called him “a wonderful young man” with “beautiful manners” and hailed his “aweinspiring” bravery.

Students at the school joined in a twominute round of applause on Monday in Jimi’s honour. Staff are also planning to work with Jimi’s parents to create a physical memorial to him on the school grounds.

“We’re very keen that he is recognised as the modern hero that his act deserves,” Hickey said. “The more we think about it, the more incredible his bravery seems, the fact that he was able to see this woman and then jump in, to save a complete

Tragically this is the second heroic loss the family has suffered in just three years, as his cousin was stabbed outside Clapham South Tube Station

stranger. It shows such courage, nobility and self-sacrifice - it’s quite awe-inspiring.

“From the point of view of Harris Academy Peckham, we have such gratitude to have known him, that he was part of our community for such a long time, with such genuinely fond memories from members of staff.

“Everyone that you speak to remembers his smile. He was a bit of a cheeky chappy with a great sense of humour. You always knew when he was in the room or in the corridor.

“He had beautiful manners, would hold doors open - he had a very clear sense of who the boss was in the building. His respect towards women and people in authority was clear and that’s absolute credit to his upbringing.”

Hickey said that she visited Jimi’s parents’ Bermondsey home after the tragedy and found a group of former students there supporting them and bringing them food.

“He was a kind and very reliable student,” she added. “He was incredibly popular within the year group.”

“He used to bring in Nigerian bread, he was very proud of his cultural heritage and rightly so... He was a very generousspirited character.

“He was his own person, which you can’t always say about teenagers. I can’t

I would like his memory to be honoured. I would appreciate it

imagine he would have taken very long to decide what to do when he saw what was happening on the bridge. He would have instinctually decided how to solve the problem.”

Jimi and his friend Bernard Kosia went to help to save the woman just after midnight on April 24.

Bernard said that he and Jimi were walking home as they would normally do, just after 11.45am, when a man ran up to them and showed them a video of “a woman jumping over the bridge.”

He added: “Where we’re from in South London, we also want to make sure people are OK. We don’t want to take a video, we want to make sure they’re OK.” Bernard explained that they rang 999 to tell emergency services there was a woman struggling, as they heard her screaming: “I’m dying, I’m dying. I can’t swim, I’m dying.”

The two men then ran down to the side of the river and Bernard said: “Jimi was adamant. He didn’t think twice, he didn’t care about what was going to happen,” adding: “he said ‘Bern, I’m going to save her.’”

Bernard told interviewers that another man came and asked “can you swim?” before the man and Jimi jumped into the water.

Bernard then revealed the heartbreaking

details of what happened next, when he explained: “I just hear Jimi shouting my name ‘Bern, Bern,’ but the shout wasn’t normal it was pain.”

The lifeboats and marine police patrols were able to pull the woman and the other man out of the river alive, but Jimi could not be found in the high tide and choppy waters. His body was discovered almost six hours later after an extensive search involving police helicopters and other emergency services.

Jimi was returning to his Bermondsey home from his job as a waiter and front of house staff member at Westminster restaurant the Cinnamon Club on Friday night. His boss called him a “diligent, kind and passionate young man”.

Vivek Singh, the restaurant’s CEO and executive chef, added: “We are absolutely devastated and are trying to come to terms with the tragic death of Folajimi Olubunmi-Adewole. Jimi, as he was known to everyone at the Cinnamon Club, was a much-loved member of the front of house team and we are all reeling from this incredibly tragic news.

“He worked with The Cinnamon Club for over a year and was a diligent, kind and passionate young man, a real team player. What he did was a tremendous and selfless act of bravery, to save the life of a complete stranger.

“Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this incredibly difficult time. He will be remembered as a true hero.”

Politicians also joined in the tributes to Jimi’s act of bravery.

Neil Coyle, MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, said: ”All the reports of Jimi are that he was charming, full of positivity and generosity with his whole life to look forward to. His final actions were truly heroic - ignoring risks to himself to try and help someone else.

“Too often young people are demonised by our media but Jimi's selflessness

proves the opposite is more often true. He had so much more to give and his loss is clearly felt by very many people but my thoughts, condolences and wishes are all with his family who have lost a clearly extraordinary young man.”

Cllr Kieron Williams, leader of Southwark Council, said: "His amazing act of bravery has moved people across our whole borough and my thoughts are with everyone who he has left behind. I know he was an incredibly popular and valued young man and it is a tragic loss for his family and friends.”

Williams joined calls for Jimi's bravery to be recognised, adding: "It’s absolutely right that in the circumstances his fast thinking and attempt to save a life is recognised, and as a council we will be working with the family and others to find a fitting way to do that, that they think is the right thing to do."

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said in a tweet: “Folajimi Olubunmi-Adewole was the best of us. A true hero of our city who gave his life trying to save another.

“My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this time of tragic loss.”

Home Secretary Priti Patel called Jimi’s rescue attempt a “truly selfless act of heroism from a brave young man".

A fundraiser for Jimi set up by Malcolm’s World Foundation, the anti-knife crime charity launched by the family after Malcolm’s death, has raised more than £107,000 for funeral costs and other expenses, far exceeding an initial target of £25,000.

You can donate at: www.uk.gofundme. com/f/support-folajimithehero-adewolesfamily?utm_campaign=p_cp_url&utm_ medium=os&utm_source=customer For more details on how to nominate Jimi for a George Cross, visit: www.gov.uk/ honours/recommend-bravery-award See comment - page 27

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6 NEWS

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Southwark News, Thursday April 29 2021

Schoolboy still ‘missing after falling from tower bridge’

By Kit Heren

kit@southwarknews.co.uk Police are still looking for a schoolboy who fell into the Thames at Tower Bridge over a week ago.

The boy, who fell in on the morning of Tuesday April 20, is a Year 8 student at the Ark Globe Academy in Elephant and Castle.

A woman is reported to have heroically jumped in to try to save him from drowning. She was rescued, but the City of London police have yet to find the schoolboy.

A national paper reported witnesses saying that the woman heard screams when he fell from Tower Bridge and despite using a life-float to swim into the Thames, she was only able to recover his school jacket and school bag.

An ‘intensive search’ for the boy involving helicopter and marine searches was launched but he has not yet been

found.

In a letter sent to parents the following day the school named the student, breaking the terrible news, and said that he was being treated as a missing person by police. Children in Year 8 are usually aged between twelve or thirteen. The News has withheld the boy's name until we have more information from police.

In the letter the school's principal Matt Jones said that the boy "did not make his way into school despite travelling on a bus with a friend in full school uniform.

He got off the bus near Tower Bridge before his usual bus stop nearest to Ark Globe Academy and fell into the River Thames."

The letter continued: "This is obviously distressing news for [the] family, friends and the wider Ark Globe Community. Our hopes and prayers are with the family at this very difficult time."

Jones urged parents to contact the school if they think their child needs help,

or the NSPCC, the UK's top children's charity, if it is outside school hours.

He also told parents that school staff "know the important role they play in keeping children safe" and reminded them of Ark's safeguarding procedures.

He added that the last year has been "a very difficult time" for many students and their families.

Jones told the News: "We can confirm that a student at Ark Globe Academy did not arrive to school on the morning Tuesday 20 April as expected. At this moment in time, there is a live police investigation in relation to the young person’s disappearance. The police are treating this case as a ‘missing persons’ incident.

"This is obviously distressing news for the young person’s family, friends, and the wider Ark Globe Community. As a school community, we are dealing with this sensitively so as not to compromise the integrity of the police investigation

and we wish to respect the privacy of the family while the investigation is ongoing. Our hopes and prayers are with the family at this very difficult time."

A City of London spokesperson said: “We ask anyone who witnessed anything on Tuesday 20 April at 8.09am, to call us on 020 7601 2999, quoting reference 21000215310.”

Asked for an update as the News was going to press, a spokesperson for the

Local schoolkids in air pollution study

By Kit Heren

they live, and this could enable earlier intervention and allow public services to provide the necessary support and action.”

Dr Ian Mudway, Senior Lecturer in the MRC Centre for Environment and Health at Imperial College said: “Results of Chill Cognition may throw light on causes of health inequalities whereby children from disadvantaged backgrounds may be more adversely affected by poor air quality.”

The ULEZ cut roadside nitrogen dioxide by almost one third from 2018-2020, researchers said. The zone is set to expand from central London to the North

and South Circular roads on October 25 this year. It already includes part of Southwark, from Blackfriars Bridge in the north-west to the Elephant & Castle roundabout in the south, and Tower Bridge Road in the east.

The study builds on work done as part of the ongoing Chill study, which is looking at lung development of children going to school within the ULEZ. The news comes after the coroner for inner south London ruled in December last year that the 2013 death of nine-yearold Ella Kissi-Debrah, who lived near the South Circular in Lewisham, was due to air pollution.

Philip Barlow added a further call in April for the UK to make the World Health Organisation’s acceptable levels of air pollution a legally binding standard in the UK to avoid further deaths from poor air quality.

Barlow published a report last week that said: “The national limits for particulate matter are set at a level far higher than the WHO guidelines.

“The evidence at the inquest was that there is no safe level for particulate matter and that the WHO guidelines should be seen as minimum requirements. Legally binding targets based on WHO guidelines would reduce the number of deaths from air pollution in the UK.”

consultation started in April.

Great Portland Estates said it plans to submit the proposals in August this year,

with a view to getting a decision from the council in October.

The developers would only start building in January 2023, with a target end date of January 2025.

The architect chosen for the redevelopment is Ben Adams Architects, based locally in Southwark Street.

The award-winning firm came in for serious criticism in 2019 for a housing scheme in north London that was labelled “a human warehouse” because of the size of the flats planned. The company rejected the criticism as inaccurate. The plans were later rejected by Haringey Council.

kit@southwarknews.co.uk

Eleven storeys shaved off tower

By Kit Heren kit@southwarknews.co.uk A controversial development near London Bridge has been cut down to size - by a whopping eleven storeys.

New City Court on St Thomas Street was originally proposed at 37 storeys - or about 140 metres - when developers Great Portland Estates submitted plans in 2018. But pressure group Save Britain’s Heritage raised objections, arguing that the building would block out the light in a nearby student housing building.

Planners have yet to make a decision on the 2018 proposal and Great Portland Estates insists on its “merits”. But the developers have recently come up with a set of new plans that would take 40 metres - or elevn storeys - off the building.

The building will largely be offices, split between 55,000 square metres of “highquality” facilities and about 5,500 square metres of cheaper space for smaller businesses and start-ups. Great Portland Estates said it aims to help medical technology companies that want to work near Guy’s Hospital.

Also included will be 800 square metres of shops, bars and restaurants, a new entrance to London Bridge Tube station and a new rooftop terrace and woodland garden with a café and 360-degree views on the 24th floor, which will be accessible to the public via a dedicated lift.

The developer will also restore a nearby Georgian terrace on St Thomas Street that it said was damaged by building work in the 1980s.

Great Portland Estates says it aims to submit the new plans this spring.

City of London police said this week that “searches continue but we have no update at this time.”

Call the NSPCC on their dedicated helpline 0808 800 5000 Call Samaritans day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit www. samaritans.orgjo@samaritans.org, or visit www.samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.

Southwark schoolchildren are taking part in a wide-ranging study to look at the effects of better air on kids’ brain development.

Researchers from a number of institutions including Queen Mary University of London, in Mile End, are examining pupils at 85 schools in London and Luton, including several in Southwark.

The aim is to find out how the UltraLow Emission Zone (ULEZ), which seeks to cut traffic and improve air quality in central London, affects children’s ability to solve problems and remember things. The Chill Cognition study, which lasts three years, will also look at how children’s mental health develops over the period.

Other research organisations involved include Imperial College and the Bradford Institute for Health Research, as well as the Universities of Cambridge and Leeds, among others.

Professor Chris Griffiths, Professor of Primary Care at Queen Mary University of London and study lead, said: “London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone and UK-wide lockdowns have resulted in unprecedented reductions in traffic

pollution and there has never been a better opportunity to address how air pollution affects children’s health.

“We hope to determine whether improved air quality, and specifically, traffic-related air pollution, results in better developmental and mental health outcomes for young people.

Professor Mark Mon-Williams, Professor of Psychology at the Bradford Institute of Health Research said: “Ultimately this research could help to improve educational outcomes, identify children at risk of future mental health problems due to the air quality where

Locals get to have their say on riverside redevelopment plan

By Kit Heren kit@southwarknews.co.uk People who live or work in the London Bridge area were given the opportunity to have their say on the redevelopment of a major local building involving a controversial architect.

Minerva House, near Borough Market on the River Thames, is being renovated by developers Great Portland Estates, which bought the building in 2012 for £60m.

Toby Courtauld, the developer’s chief executive, said “This river-fronting site provides us with significant development

potential” in the long term.

Nine years later, Great Portland Estates invited local people to take part in a survey to tell the developer what they wanted to see in the building, which was first built in the 1980s.

The seven-floor yellow brick block is a mix of housing and office space. Great Portland Estates said its plans included refurbishing all the offices, building new shops and adding better landscaping around the building.

Talks with local people, including current residents of Minerva House and representatives of nearby Southwark Cathedral, began before the wider

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Southwark News, Thursday April 29 2021

‘a living nightmare’ The noise of block additions six days a week is horrendous say residents

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By Kit Heren kit@southwarknews.co.uk People living in a South Bermondsey block of flats have complained of their lives being made “a living hell” by “horrendous” building noise going on six days a week since last year.

The residents say the noise exceeds safe limits and is going on longer than developers first promised.

Roderick House and Antony House on Raymouth Road are being joined together by Lambeth and Southwark Housing Association (LSHA) with developers Apex Airspace, to add 30 new “affordable” homes. Two more floors are being added to the top and more flats are going between the two buildings. The work started late last year and is due to end in December 2021, if there are no delays.

Apex specialises in “airspace” development - essentially filling in gaps between or above existing buildings with more housing.

The developers secured £10 million in loan funding from the Mayor of London for the Roderick and Antony scheme. They said at the time that “rapid installation, a reduced onsite build time and minimal disturbance to neighbouring homes and communities” are among the advantages of their methods.

But some residents of Roderick House appear to disagree, in the latest example of Southwark estate additions disturbing the current occupiers.

A letter that Apex sent to residents last year told them that building work would go on between 8am and 5pm, from Monday-Friday. A later note from April this year said that work was taking place on the site between 7.30am and 6pm from Monday-Friday, and 7.30am-1pm on Saturday.

The April brochure also said that “recently the number of complaints we have been receiving has been increasing and one of the main things we will focus on over the coming months is reducing the need for people to complain.”

Keeley Brady lives with her husband in Roderick House and said she has been there since 1987. Her husband is chronically unwell and has had two brain haemorrhages. He also suffers from severe mental health problems.

Brady took noise meter readings on April 20 which show building works reached 85 and 86 decibels. Experts generally say that long-term exposure to noise levels above 85 decibels could harm your hearing. Educational charity Noisy Planet say on their

website that “sounds at or below 70 dBA are generally considered safe.

Any sound at or above 85 dBA is more likely to damage your hearing over time.”

LSHA told Brady in an email in March that they had taken noise meter readings over a ten hour period and they were within the safe range.

“The noise is horrendous,” Brady said. “We’re not getting [any] respite from it. They should have moved us out. We shouldn’t have been left to live on a building site.

“It’s made our lives a living hell. All the noise is doing my husband’s head in. I’m his carer and I’m at the end of my tether at the moment. I’m worried that he might do something to himself.”

The March LSHA email asked Brady to “continue to bear with the contractors as the piling, causing the noise and vibration will subside by next week.”

But she said the noise is still going in late April.

Videos taken by Brady and her husband show diggers and other heavy machinery operating right outside their window.

Brady told of one hair-raising incident where her mother, who also lives in Roderick House in a separate flat, was feeding her grandchild, when one of the lorries on site allegedly clipped a windowsill when trying to hoist some equipment - causing her to jump up and move to the other side of the room.

Most of the tenants were given money as compensation for the disruption caused by the building works. Brady and her husband were not considered eligible because their flat is not on the top floor or the ground floor and they have not had a window relocated.

Kathy Ibrahim, another resident, said

she was given £1,500 in compensation because she lost her garden to the work.

But she is also very unhappy with how the building work has affected her life.

“We just don’t get [any] rest,” said Ibrahim, who has lived in the block for some eleven years. “Sunday is the only day we can get a lie-in and I can’t because I’ve still got to make Sunday dinner. I’ve had enough - it’s not doing my mental health any good. What they told us they were going to be doing and what they are doing - it’s a load of rubbish.

Ibrahim said her granddaughter, aged twelve, has cancer and uses a wheelchair to get around. “But she can’t go [anywhere] now. It would be nice to go out in the garden and have a barbecue, especially when it’s nice.”

Brady added: “We’re in the middle of a pandemic. We can’t go out, we can’t open our window or anything like that. You’re just carrying on with this building work as if we don’t even matter. It’s just ridiculous - I don’t know what to do.”

A spokesperson for Apex Airspace said the worst of the noise should now be over. They added: “Apex Airspace are delighted to be working in partnership with LSHA to provide 30 much needed affordable homes in this innovative way – through the provision of airspace flats built off site.

“If there has been undue noise or disruption we apologise to the residents. Now the groundworks elements are coming to an end, any noise should be greatly reduced going forward. Resident engagement is key to our approach and we hold weekly drop in sessions for issues to be raised, issue a weekly newsletter and provide letters to specific residents affected by upcoming works.”

LSHA did not respond to a request for comment.

Payment demand over towering bill ‘sent in error’

By Kit Heren

kit@southwarknews.co.uk Southwark Council has apologised after sending a Rotherhithe resident a letter threatening legal action if he did not pay for repairs, allegedly due to “an algorithm error”.

Michael Robertson lives in the Columbia Point tower block, which is being renovated alongside nearby Regina Point. Robertson agreed with the council to make the payments in instalments over four years.

But he was later sent a “letter of claim” by council officers in November last year, telling him he owed more than £10,700 in service charges.

Under a section labelled “next steps”

the letter told him he “must either make payment of the full outstanding amount” or respond with a financial statement form within 30 days.

If he failed to do either, the letter added, the council would “commence court proceedings” against him to get the money, as well as costs.

Robertson said getting the letter was “quite a shock to the system”.

Five days later he received an apology from the council, telling him this letter was sent due to a series of errors and that he could make the payments in instalments. He also alleges a council officer told him that the email was sent because of an “algorithm error”, although the News could not verify this.

A spokesperson for Southwark Council declined to comment.

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10 NEWS

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Southwark News, Thursday April 29 2021

On the road out of lockdown

new heritage centre and library open on walworth road

By Kit Heren kit@southwarknews.co.uk A new library and local “heritage centre” has opened on the Walworth Road.

The Southwark Heritage Centre and Walworth Library opened last Monday at 147 Walworth Road.

The new facility has 20,000 books, as well as historical art and artefacts on display. There are seating areas to read and relax, as well as bookable public computers.

The library is hosting a new exhibition called “Myth Making”. Artists Wignall and Moore tried to create local myths

for the area, which are reflected in the art and writing on display.

The centre also has a “World Wall” a collection of its rarer artefacts from across the globe.

Other new features coming soon include a permanent exhibition called The Story of Southwark - about local history in the borough - and The Faraday Room. This is a room without electronic devices, inspired by the Faraday Cage - a tool that blocks electromagnetic fields.

This is itself a reference to local history, as inventor Michael Faraday was born in Newington Butts.

The library will also have various other events and meeting spaces.

‘Tonic for the Nation’: Southbank Centre reopens to celebrate its 70th

By Kit Heren

kit@southwarknews.co.uk The Southbank Centre is to reopen in May with a celebration of its 70th anniversary.

The centre, which features the Royal Festival Hall, Hayward Gallery and several other events spaces, was founded in 1951 at the Festival of Britain.

The Hayward Gallery will open again on May 19. The Royal Festival Hall reopens on May 28 with a series of orchestral works, including performances by Annoushka Shankar and former BBC young musician of the year Sheku Kanneh-Mason.

The Southbank centre will also release a filmed performance of a specially-commissioned poem by British poet Theresa Lola.

Elaine Bedell, Chief Executive of the Southbank Centre, said: “We’re so pleased to be throwing open our doors again and we hope that our Summer Reunion programme will give people the space and opportunity to reconnect and reunite as the Southbank Centre has so often offered in the past.

“It’s poignant that we’re working towards reopening the Royal Festival

Hall in May, 70 years after the building was first opened as part of the Festival of Britain celebrations in 1951 when it provided a much-needed ‘tonic for the Nation’.”

The English National Ballet returns to the festival hall later in June with a two-week programme that features highlights from classics like Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and Le Corsaire.

Tamara Rojo, English National Ballet’s artistic director, said: “I'm so pleased we will be performing at the Royal Festival Hall this summer.

After so long without performing in theatres it's wonderful to have the opportunity to have so many of the company back on stage showcasing highlights from English National Ballet's much loved and diverse repertoire.”

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Southwark News, Thursday April 29 2021

Founder’s Arms and local residents at odds again

By Kit Heren kit@southwarknews.co.uk A new row has erupted between a Bankside pub on the riverfront and the people who live in flats behind it.

Residents of the Falcon Point blocks

Sixteen-year-old charged after two girls stabbed

have complained about a pop-up bar serving food and drinks outside the Founder’s Arms. They said the new bar creates extra noise and blocks the Thames pathway, creating an extra nuisance for people passing through the area.

An email from a Southwark Council

licensing officer from April 12, the day pubs were allowed to reopen outdoors for the first time since lockdown, said “the premises is unable to sell alcohol via this pop up bar.”

But Young’s, the pub chain that runs the Founder’s Arms, said this was a mistake and the pop up bar was licenced to serve alcohol. Southwark Council later said the mistake was quickly fixed.

A spokesperson said: “We’ve opened a temporary external service stand at the Founder’s Arms in order to serve food and drink orders in the safest way possible. The external service stand is located on our premises, and is licensed to serve alcohol.”

The fresh dispute comes after the same residents raised issues with plans to expand the pub - with worries about added noise and reduced views of the Thames. They also said they had not been informed about the plans by the council.

Falcon Point residents set out their concerns to Young’s in a February letter seen by the News.

“We will vigorously oppose any planning application that may be submitted if the proposals are anything like those on which we were recently consulted,” residents told Young’s.

The group’s main arguments against the extension are that a “significant number of flats” will lose their view of the Thames; people in the new part of the pub will be able to see into some flats; more people and more deliveries will mean more noise, “like having one of those party barges moored permanently in front of us”; and that the area is mainly residential.

Falcon Point residents also argue that the plans are out of character with the area “Architecturally the proposal would despoil an important aspect from the river and the north bank. This is crude architecture and construction completely at odds with the [existing] building,” the letter says.

Young’s said in the planning statement that the proposals are “an appropriate design solution”.

Planning documents show the company consulted Falcon Point

A sixteen-year-old boy will appear in court this week charged with two counts of attempted murder, after two teenage girls were stabbed in south London.

The sixteen-year-old boy was arrested alongside three others also aged between sixteen and seventeen on Sunday, on suspicion of attempted murder.

He was charged in the early hours of Tuesday morning and will appear in custody at Bromley Magistrates’ Court later that day. He cannot be named for legal reasons.

Two of the three other boys have been released on bail and the third has been released with no further action.

Police were called at 4:41pm on Sunday to reports of an assault on Norwood Road, SE27.

Officers and the London Ambulance crew found two girls, aged sixteen and seventeen, suffering from stab injuries.

The 16-year old girl’s condition has been assessed as serious but stable. Officers await a further update from hospital.

The 17-year-old girl’s injuries are not life-threatening.

Their families are aware. The two girls are known to each other.

Detective Sergeant Rob Merrett of the Central South Command Unit, said: "Our investigation is still ongoing and I continue to urge anyone who has information, pictures and video that could assist us to make contact immediately. It is imperative that we work with the community to fully establish what has happened here and bring any offenders to justice."

Anyone with information is asked to call police via 101 quoting reference Cad 4970/25Apr. To remain anonymous, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

residents in 2018 and adapted its proposal before submitting it.

A spokesperson for Young’s said it was important for the company to engage with its neighbours on the proposals, and it was pleased that locals took part in consultations, resulting in changes to the plans before they were submitted.

The spokesperson added: “We responded directly to concerns raised by residents of Falcon Point, including reducing the height of the proposed extension, introducing obscure glazing to protect privacy, and the introduction of a comprehensive Delivery and Servicing Management Plan and Noise Management Plan.

“The Founder’s Arms is an important part of the Falcon Point Estate and our proposals will improve the facilities and appearance of this popular pub.”

Young’s added in its planning application that the extension would create 22 jobs at the peak of summer business. The company also pointed out that pubs have been hit hard in the Covid-19 and investment like this scheme is key for the sector.

Man arrested for arson after fire in Rotherhithe

By Kit Heren kit@southwarknews.co.uk A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson after someone set fire to a house in Rotherhithe.

Police appeal after ‘attempted abduction’ of a six-year-old boy

By Kit Heren

kit@southwarknews.co.uk Police are appealing for witnesses after a man allegedly tried to kidnap a little boy in Clapham.

The incident took place last Thursday, April 22, at around 4.30pm on Clarence Avenue, SW4.

The boy, aged 6, was outside his house when a man approached him. The man is alleged to have told the boy he had sweets and drinks in his van - at which point the boy ran off to tell his mother.

By the time she came outside the alleged kidnapper had vanished. She

did not see him or his van.

Police confirmed the boy was physically unharmed.

Now police are calling for any witnesses who may have seen the incident to come forward.

The man is said to have brown skin and short black hair, and is thought to be about 5ft. 6. He was wearing a blue blazer and black trousers.

Detective Sergeant Mark Pascall, investigating, said: “Incidents of this nature are very rare and in this instance the boy was not harmed at all.

Nonetheless, I completely understand the concern it has caused both the boy’s family and the community, and can

assure local people that we are taking this incident very seriously.

“We are doing everything we can to identify the man described and urge anyone who was in the area at the time and saw a man acting suspiciously to contact us. If you were driving and have dash cam footage that may have captured the man described, please get in touch.”

Anyone with information should call police on 101 or tweet @MetCC quoting CRIS 1210094/21 Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.

Around 25 firefighters in four fire engines rushed to the scene on Rotherhithe Street on Saturday morning at about 7.45am. The fire was under control an hour later.

One man was treated at the scene. Half of a ground floor flat was damaged by the blaze.

A spokesperson for the Met Police said: "We arrested a man on suspicion of arson and criminal damage after being called to windows smashed and a fire started at a residential address in Rotherhithe Street.

"There were no reported injuries and the incident is not being treated as a hate crime at present."

A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade added: "Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters were called to a flat fire on Rotherhithe Street in Rotherhithe on Saturday.

"Half of a four-roomed flat on the ground floor of the building was damaged by fire. One man was treated on scene by London Ambulance Service crews.

"The Brigade’s 999 Control Officers took seven calls to the blaze.The Brigade was called at 0742 and the fire was under control by 0843. Fire crews from Deptford, Dockhead, Old Kent Road and Dowgate fire stations attended the scene.

"The cause of the fire has been recorded as undetermined."

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Southwark News, Thursday April 29 2021

Train timetables to get a boost from next month

One Thousand extra services, but Gatwick Express remains suspended

By Katherine Johnston katherine@southwarknews.co.uk One thousand extra train services a week are being put on by Great Northern, Southern and Thameslink from May 16 as restrictions ease across the UK.

Steve White, chief operating officer of parent operator Govia Thameslink Railway, said: “As lockdown restrictions are eased, we are reinstating services for our returning customers. These additional trains will help provide more space on board by adding more capacity on our busier routes at the most popular times. They will also provide more journey choices for customers at quieter times.

“Social distancing will become more challenging as more people start to travel again, so we’d advise everyone to use online journey planners which will highlight the busiest services to help you plan an alternative time or route if you can.

“Our team are really looking forward to welcoming people back to the

railway.

"As customers return, and the impact of Covid on our resources allows, we will continue to review and increase our services based on feedback from our passengers, hospitals, vaccination centres, schools and businesses.

"This will ensure that we continue to support our customers and our communities as we did during the height of the pandemic.”

Passengers returning to rail should wear face coverings unless exempt and maintain social distance.

Gatwick Express, however, remains suspended.

Southwark and Clichy come together in new climate change collaboration

Appeal for dashcam footage of Herne Hill road collision

By Katherine Johnston katherine@southwarknews.co.uk Detectives investigating a collision in Herne Hill between a cyclist and car are appealing for witnesses and anyone with dashcam footage to come forward.

The female cyclist, who is in her 20s, was hospitalised with fractures and needed surgery after the collision with a blue Ford Zetec car on Tuesday,

March 30 at around 5.10pm.

The incident is reported to have taken place in Dulwich Road, around fifty metres east of the junction with Regent Road.

The driver, who was not injured, stopped at the scene. No arrests were made.

Anyone with information should call officers on the direct line 020 7230 7640, call 101, or Tweet @MetCC quoting 5765/30MA.

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By Katherine Johnston katherine@southwarknews.co.uk School pupils marked Earth Day 2021 with a joint project with Southwark’s twinned region of Clichy, in the outskirts of Paris.

Last Thursday Southwark primary pupils paired with peers across the Channel to discuss the climate emergency and their own projects to help save the planet, from gardening, recycling and food growing.

The project was introduced on Earth Day, Thursday 22 April, with a video from the Mayor of Southwark, Cllr Barrie Hargrove, and Luc Mercier, Deputy Mayor in charge of International Relations, Culture and Tourism for Clichy, reading a commitment in their home language.

The introduction to the statement says: “The world is facing a climate

emergency and we must all take action to stop the irreversible damage.

“Earth Day is a day recognised around the world for supporting the protection of the environment and the future of our planet.

“Today, as twin cities, Southwark and Clichy come together as friends to reaffirm our commitment to tackling the climate emergency.

“In our two cities we are already taking actions including improving recycling, encouraging more walking and cycling, improving our natural environment and greater use of renewable energy “But, we must do more, and we therefore recommit to building a more just, more sustainable world.

“In Southwark and Clichy we will continue our efforts, working especially with our youngest children

who will inherit the planet from us.

“We will build new links between schools where children in both our cities can share their work, inspire and learn from each other about biodiversity and sustainability.

“Over the coming year, we will make further commitments as both Southwark and Clichy take action to tackle the climate emergency together.

Cllr Johnson Situ, cabinet member for climate emergency, planning and transport, said: “We are very pleased to be working with our French colleagues on an issue that goes far beyond the borders of our borough.

“This partnership will strengthen our own relationship with our twin city, and get young children talking to each other and sharing ideas about how we can make this a better world for their future.”

Man was left fighting for his life after stabbing in Bermondsey

By Kevin Quinn kevin@southwarknews.co.uk Police said that a 22-year-old man was left fighting for his life after a stabbing last week in Bermondsey.

Police were called to Goldsworthy Gardens, on the revamped Silwood Estate, off Rotherhithe New Road in South Bermondsey, at around 8.34pm last Friday April 23, to reports of a group of people fighting.

Officers attended along with London Ambulance Service and

found a 22-year-old man with stab injuries. He was taken to a south London hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Police were waiting for a full assessment of his condition.

A spokesperson said enquiries were ongoing and at this early stage of the investigation there had been no arrests.

Anybody with information is asked to call police on 101 quoting CAD 7778/23Apr. To remain anonymous please contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Southwark News, Thursday April 29 2021

southwark angels Helping in crisis

By Kit Heren

proper blokes walk for lifeboat charity Guy’s & St Thomas’ team join forces with

Supporters of a Bermondsey men’s mental health charity have walked a half-marathon along the Thames to raise money for the UK’s lifeboat workers.

The Proper Blokes Club, founded by Scott Johnson, walked about thirteen miles from Chiswick lifeboat station to Tower lifeboat station on Saturday in support of the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI).

“We just thought, although we might not raise a massive amount of money, if it means those guys have a bit of a nice office or whatever it’s the least they deserve,” Johnson said.

He said he chose the RNLI because of the tragic work they often perform. “It’s close to a lot of our hearts,” he added.

The fundraiser took in £219 at the time of publication - well over the original £100 target.

“Bermondsey born-and-bred” Johnson, who said he still works as a community coach for Millwall, set up the Proper Blokes Club in the first lockdown.

“Walking was such a massive outlet for me when we went into lockdown,

and it works for the majority of people rather than a ten kilometre run or a weights session. [By focusing on walking] you automatically open up to loads of people.

“When I first put it out there, I thought ‘If it helps one lad out then happy days. I turned up and there was one lad turned up - but it was great because we spent eight hours together. The next week we had two more and it just grew and grew from there.

“Now we’ve got a solid group of lads. And there are a lot of people that connect through social media that aren’t from the area, The Proper Blokes Club meets every Thursday at 6pm and Sunday at 6.30pm by HMS Belfast. They walk through the docklands area of Bermondsey and Rotherhithe, ending up at Surrey Quay station or near Stave Hill Ecology Park.

Donate to the fundraiser here: www. justgiving.com/fundraising/scott-joh nson38?newPage=True&fbclid=IwAR 3QY7A10uqjyNy3d20M1ABN0RvlZXp eVtOtwZGF_32rgYLoi1J8IImzI6A

lawyers to help their homeless patients Guy’s and St Thomas’ are working with a local legal advice group to help homeless people get healthier.

The hospitals’ homeless health team and Southwark Law Centre helps homeless people find long-term housing after they leave hospital, as well as setting them up with support services.

Homeless people are much more likely to have health problems from alcohol, drugs or diabetes than other groups, so go to accident and emergency more often.

So far the scheme, which began in January 2020, has helped 39 people.

Funding comes from public donations to Guy’s and St Thomas’.

The initiative has cut the number of times seventeen of those visited the hospital by 97 per cent and reduced the length of their hospital stays by 17 per cent. They were also much more likely to come to inpatient sessions afterwards.

Melu Mekonnen, a housing manager for the Homeless Health Team at Guy's

and St Thomas', says: "This group of patients attend the emergency department (A&E) frequently and are more likely to be admitted to hospital urgently or as an emergency case because of issues like diabetes, excessive intake of alcohol and, or drug overdose.

"Homeless patients whose immigration cases are resolved through this scheme for example, are entitled to be accommodated by their local authorities. In turn they are more likely to engage with health, drug and alcohol services and attend their outpatient hospital appointments.

"As a result, they are healthier - more likely to eat nutritious foods, take their medications, carry out daily living tasks like preparing meals for themselves, and significantly reduce or avoid drugs and alcohol use.

"Patients who attend their hospital outpatients' appointments are much less likely to attend the emergency department and to be admitted to hospital - freeing up beds for potentially life-saving treatments.”

The Homeless Health Team is

made up of nurses, housing workers, occupational therapists and social workers.

Ruth Mercer, a solicitor with Southwark Law Centre, is an experienced advocate for people who are homeless and also trains the hospitals’ staff to recognise people who need legal representation, says: "The Homeless Health Team connects us with some of the most vulnerable clients we work with. They refer exceptionally vulnerable people, who have often been long-term homeless and living very chaotic lives due to legal issues, such as lack of immigration status or inability to access Local Authority homelessness services.

"It's brilliant when we are able to take on someone's case and resolve their legal issues because it makes an absolutely massive difference for their day to day lives. Once a homeless person has resolved their immigration status and/or housing issues they are able to find stability, access services and move on with their lives. It's a really big life change for them."

grown significantly in recent years.

This is projected to continue with several major building developments planned or ongoing. Electricity upgrades are needed to avoid blackouts from the extra demand.

Engineers will also decommission older electricity cables in the area, UK Power Networks said.

Damian Conroy, project manager at UK Power Networks, said: “This area

is home to regeneration and new investment so ensuring the lights are kept on for all is vital. That’s why we are making a significant investment into this project.

“We are working in partnership with our alliance of contractors to support the substantial increase that will be required in capacity to distribute power across this busy area.”

£10 million upgrade set up to avoid Bermondsey blackouts

People living in Bermondsey are to get a £10m upgrade on their electricity supply.

UK Power Networks is beginning work on a new electricity supply point on Verney Road to increase capacity and meet growing demand in the area. The project is already underway and should be finished by 2024.

Population in the local area has

Southwark News, Thursday April 29 2021

www.southwarknews.co.uk/news

NEWS 17

Photo by SWNS

still time to get on line for green week at morley

giant box is permanent fixture at surrey quays The giant charity giving box at Surrey Quays shopping centre is to stay indefinitely.

The giving box, which is found outside Poundland on the ground floor of the centre, was originally installed for Christmas and has raised £1,629 for four local charities.

The charities are Surrey Docks Farm, a community farm and educational charity by the river, Southwark Young Carers (Imago), a support service for young carers in the borough, The Mayor of Southwark’s Common Good Trust, a charity that provides support for anyone in need in Southwark and Time & Talents, a community charity and centre based in Rotherhithe.

Visitors can use contactless

payments to give £1, £3 or £5 to the charities.

Ian Moore, centre manager at Surrey Quays said: “Our community really got behind the giving box at Christmas, and so we’re thrilled to announce that shoppers are able to continue supporting our four charity partners, Surrey Docks Farm, Southwark Young Carers (Imago), The Mayor of Southwark's Common Good Trust and Time & Talents quickly and safely when they come to visit.

“Donations are vital in ensuring the teams at our chosen charities continue the work they do in the local area, and so we’d like to say a huge thank you to all of our visitors for their support.”

There is still time to take part in south London further education college “green week” - raising awareness about environmental issues.

The green week runs until tomorrow, Friday 30 April and anyone can sign up for the online lunchtime, afternoon and evening events to learn more about protecting the environment.

Events include free lectures on sustainable design and the “circular economy” - essentially reusing resources as much as possible - and creative responses to climate change.

Other sessions, which cost £15, include making “fabric flowers”, reusing scraps of old material, and “botanical dyeing for lingerie and couture”.

The college, which has a branch on Westminster Bridge Road near Lambeth North tube station, as well as in Chelsea and North Kensington, held a similar week last March.

"This will be our second Green Week because we believe, as a college, we have a key role to play in educating Londoners about climate change and environmental protection," said Matthew Cunningham, a spokesperson for Morley.

London South Bank University on world equality ranking London South Bank University has been named among the 200 universities in the world for sustainability by the Times Higher Education.

The Impact rankings measure universities’ performance against the United Nations’ sustainable development goals. These include work on climate change, poverty, and gender equality.

London South Bank University (LSBU) ranked 17th for gender equality and 25th for reducing inequality more generally.

Professor David Phoenix, Vice Chancellor of LSBU, said, “I’m delighted that LSBU is in the top 200 universities around the world in the Times Higher Education Impact 2021 rankings.

“Being ranked 17th globally for 'Gender Equality' and 25th for

'Reduced Inequalities' demonstrates LSBU’s commitment to tackling the big social challenges faced by our students, staff and community.”

The rankings include 1,115 universities. Manchester University was ranked first overall. King’s College London, which has a campus in Southwark, was 11th. Solent University in Southampton placed lowest out of all the UK universities included, between 600th and 800th.

Among the lowest placed globally were Tashkent State University of Economics in Uzbekistan, Voronezh State Technical University in Russia and Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University in Turkey.

Read the full rankings here: https:// w w w. t i m es h i g h e re d u ca t i o n . com/impactrankings#!/page/0/ length/25/sort_by/rank/sort_order/ asc/cols/undefined

Free food service in Peckham opens one extra day

A Peckham free food service is adding an extra day for people to covllect takeaway meals.

Anyone who needs food can now come to FoodCycle Peckham on Wednesdays from 5-6pm, starting on April 28.

The centre, at 7 Blenheim Grove, already runs a service on Saturdays

from 5.30-6.30pm. Anyone can come for a free meal, with no questions asked. All meals are vegetarian, so that there are no barriers to people from any culture using the service.

The centre also aims to provide some companionship to the people who collect food. Three-quarters of people

who used the service told FoodCycle they were lonely.

Regional Manager Becca Ketley, FoodCycle Peckham says: ” We are thrilled to be opening up our second project in Peckham to provide double the free takeaway meals for the local community. We look forward to further

cementing partnerships with local businesses and most importantly providing a nutritious meal and friendly chat to anyone in the community who needs it, no questions asked.”

The group, which has centres across London and the UK, started up in the first Covid-19 lockdown to help feed

people who were struggling.

FoodCycle said it cooked 74,073 hot dishes and said hello to guests 21,231 times in 2020.

More than 60% of people who use FoodCycle said they relied on the service and simply could not afford to buy food otherwise.

Seven of the new services are in London - in Lewisham, Tower Hamlets, Ealing, Newham, Barnet and Westminster as well as Southwark.

Lesley Howard, National Homelessness Lead at Change Grow Live, said: “The opening of 18 new specialist outreach services across England is a landmark moment. Each service will help us to provide effective, evidence-based support for people struggling with homelessness and substance misuse.

“130 new specialist staff working proactively across England will increase the visibility of substance misuse services and make it easier for individuals sleeping rough to access wrap-around support. Our outreach teams are trained to engage and build relationships with people with multiple, complex needs, to

increase levels of engagement with vital treatment and enable people to get the help they need to rebuild their lives off the streets.”

Tony Lee, National Lived Experience Volunteer at Change Grow Live added, “This project is the first fully wraparound offer I have seen for homeless people. Homeless clients will now have support to meet all their needs, from drug and alcohol treatment, mental health, physical health, housing and benefits support to mention just a few.

The care and thought that has gone into the design has been brilliant to be a part of.

“As a person who was homeless for 12 years in London, I can also say that the impact an approach like this will have will be life changing. Homeless people will be engaged in their own

environment and not asked to come into an office or building. Just this alone will increase the engagement tremendously and better engagement means better

outcomes. It’s one of the most exciting and innovative programs I have been involved with and feel really privileged to be a part of it”.

Homeless support goes mobile to help the homeless

A new support service for homeless people struggling with drug or alcohol problems is opening in Southwark.

Change Grow Live, which already runs two support centres in Camberwell, is running this new service with teams mobile across the borough as part of a nationwide scheme that will see eighteen new services launched.

The service, which launched last Monday, April 19, provides specialist care and support for rough sleepers struggling with drug and alcohol addiction.

Funding comes from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, supported by Public Health England as part of a two-year programme to help rough sleepers with drug and alcohol dependency.

18 NEWS

www.southwarknews.co.uk/news

meet bermondsey’s budding reporters

Competition

WIN a pair of tickets to Pub in the Park Dulwich this June!

Pub in the Park is getting the band back together!

For the first time, they’ll be heading to Dulwich this June 26-27, bringing an amazing band of chefs, musicians, artisanal producers, and most of all, you!

Pretty much everything you’ve been hankering for during lockdown is back on the menu - with actual people.

It’s the ultimate foodie festival - superstar chefs Matt Tebbutt and Andi Oliver will once again be bringing together a band of incredible chef pals together to serve up incredible food all weekend.

In true Pub in the Park style, party goers can look forward to some stunning pubs and restaurants including Kerridge’s two Michelin starred The Hand & Flowers, Atul Kochhar’s Restaurants including the amazing Vaasu and Sindhu, and locals The Begging Bowl.

It wouldn’t be Pub in the Park without some topnotch live music, so expect performances from the

likes of Basement Jaxx, Gabrielle, Roland Gift, Toploader, Beverley Knight, Brand New Heavies and Soul 2 Soul*…plus more to be announced!

In every town there will be a special session called A Thousand Thank You’s, providing free tickets to local health care heroes and key workers so they can let their hair down. That’s 8,000 Thank You’s across the whole tour.

Pub in the Park has been awarded the Visit Britain ‘Good to Go’ certification, meaning the tour will have covid-safety measures in place if needed, but as government restrictions ease so will the event’s.

For more information please visit: www.pubintheparkuk.com/ To enter awnswer the following question.

Name one of the acts that will be performing over the Weekend?

TO ENTER PLEASE EMAIL TAMMY@SOUTHWARKNEWS.CO.UK

Southwark News, Thursday April 29 2021

By Kit Heren kit@southwarknews.co.uk Budding journalists at a Bermondsey school are taking part in a podcast with a famous British broadcaster.

Year 8 students at Compass School on Drummond Road Greta, Lottie and Tye were interviewed on the podcast hosted by Dame Jenni Murray, the longstanding former host of Women’s Hour on BBC Radio 4.

The girls have a practical journalism class once a week with former Financial Times journalist Antonia Cundy, who is also a producer on Murray’s new show Now I’m Grown Up. In the podcast, Greta, Lottie and Tye were asked about their experiences in lockdown, the differences between in-person lessons and classes on computers, and how school helps them prepare for the future.

“I learned quite a lot because [Murray] asked me a question that no one ever asked me,” Lottie said. “She asked me what my favourite subject was and what subjects were really important for our future. And it was really hard because I never actually thought about that at the time.

“And I told her that it was a really hard question but eventually I said all the subjects are super important for working out what you want to be when you’re older. You should pick the ones that you think are important and not just the ones your friends are doing.”

Greta and Tye both later told the

News they want to be journalists after they finish their education.

“I’d like to be a reporter, not an editor - I want to actually go out and interview people,” Tye added.

“I’ve always sort of been interested in it, since Year 7. When I found out about the journalism enrichment I was really excited.”

Greta said she also wants to be a journalist or an archaeologist, while Lottie wants to join the RAF, or become another kind of pilot.

The journalism class was part of Compass’ “enrichment” programmes - compulsory non-academic lessons for students in Year 7 and 8. As well as journalism, options include singing, drama, film, and even leatherwork.

Ben May, who leads Compass’ enrichment programme, welcomed the podcast as a “fantastic opportunity” for the girls. “I was very proud of the way they engaged and contributed, showing the very best of it means to be [a] Compass pupil,” he added The six-episode show was produced by Now Teach, a programme that encourages people to become teachers after finishing another career.

The episode featuring Greta, Lottie and Tye is out on May 5. Also featuring are Rachel de Souza, the Children's Commissioner, and Sir Kevan Collins, who has been appointed to help schools and students catch up with their disrupted education after the pandemic.

Listen here: www.nowteach.org.uk/ now-im-grown-up/

20 ELECTIONS

6 May

www.southwarknews.co.uk/news

Who will get your vote?

Next Thursday May 6 you will be voting for the next Mayor of London and an assembly member to represent you at a local level.

This election, which was postponed for a year because of the pandemic, has seen more mayoral candidates than ever before. Twenty have stood, including the current Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Voters will be given a pink ballot paper on May 6 with the option of selecting two of their preferred candidates.

Housing:

What is your definition of affordable housing?

How many homes do you pledge to build and how can this be achieved?

Khan said he would build 10,000 new council homes across the new four-year term, with a target of 82,000 “genuinely affordable homes” across the same period.

He added that he would look to create a ‘right to buy back’ fund, helping local authorities buy back former council housing that was sold off.

He also said he would set up a City Hall-owned developer that would build “significant additional numbers of genuinely affordable homes” to support the house building efforts of councils and housing associations.

Crime:

Everyone agrees that knife crime has spiralled out of control and we need more police and resources, but what would you do with the current level of officers and resources to tackle the problem on your first days in office?

Knife crime has increased in London over the past five years, as it has in the rest of the UK, although Khan pointed out that “progress” has been made in knife crime involving injuries to people under 25.

He said that he would lobby the government for funding to add more police in high crime areas and town centres, invest in more policing technology, and “hold the [Met Police to account”.

Khan added that he would continue to seek to tackle the deep-rooted causes of crime through his Violence Reduction Unit, which works with young people from difficult backgrounds to help them stay on the straight and narrow.

Environment:

Where do you stand on Low Emission Neighbourhoods and is it possible to satisfy both camps?

Khan did not go into detail on this topic in his manifesto but it is clear from other policies and statements that he is in favour of cutting car journeys.

He reaffirmed in the manifesto his plan to expand the

Different to General Elections, the London Mayor election uses a proportional representation voting system called the supplementary vote. This involves putting an X in column A for your first choice and an X in column B for your second. This does not reduce the chances of your first choice being successful, but rather ensures all votes matter as they are counted.

The News has given all twenty candidates a chance to be profiled here, to help readers choose their favourite.

We posed the same five questions on housing, crime, environment, transport and the economy, to ensure that you can see in a balanced way where each candidate stands on these key issues. All were given days to reply and for the few who did not we have tried to highlight where they stand on these issues.

Before the election on Thursday we will also profile the six candidates standing to be the assembly member for City Hall to represent the seat Southwark & Lambeth. These will be on our website: www.southwarknews.co.uk

Shaun Bailey

Sadiq Khan Sadiq Khan did not provide any answers to our questions. The below responses are based on his manifesto.

Southwark News, Thursday April 29 2021

Housing: Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to the North and South Circulars in October this year, in a bid to tackle pollution and boost air quality. He linked the issue of air quality to social inequality, saying that ”air pollution, prematurely killing thousands of Londoners every year, hits the poorest hardest”.

He told a newspaper this month that “where you can give up using cars, I would encourage that. [It] will also mean that those who do need to use the roads for good reason, be that you are a black-cab driver, electrician, plumber, blue-light services, delivery driver and so forth, are not stuck in traffic and frustrated about productivity when others who have alternatives aren’t using them.”

Transport:

Given the halt to the Bakerloo Line Extension what other transport infrastructure would you introduce for Southwark without government investment?

Khan said he would lobby for the Bakerloo Line Extension to be resumed “when the time is right”. Other campaign pledges include an aim to make 80% of all journeys made in London are on foot, by bike or on public transport; to keep Transport for London (TfL) fares as cheap as possible; and to protect the Older Person’s Freedom Pass.

He added that he would campaign for the £500m in vehicle excise duty paid each year by London’s drivers to go only towards the upkeep of roads in the capital.

Khan also said that he would lobby the government to electrify buses.

Economy:

What support do you pledge to help small businesses on Southwark’s highstreets?

Khan launched a small business support scheme called Pay it Forward in April last year. The initiative encouraged people to buy things in advance from small businesses, which would be delivered once they reopened. He said in December that the scheme had raised more than £1.5m over the course of the year.

He also launched the Mayor’s Resilience Fund as part of the London Growth Hub. The fund provided grants of up to £30,000 for businesses that had plans to “help London’s economy emerge from the current crisis”.

Khan said he would continue to support small businesses, including through making use of TfL land to find affordable workspace.

What is your definition of affordable housing?

How many homes do you pledge to build and how can this be achieved?

I’ll build 100,000 homes and sell them for £100,000 using the shared ownership model.

What this means is that rather than a £50,000 deposit, you need a £5,000 deposit.

Now we still need to build council homes, and we will, but 87% of Londoners want to own their own home. We don’t need to create more landlords; we need to create new homeowners.

To achieve this we start Housing for London, consolidating all the powers of the mayor under one roof so that we are driving the housebuilding, not big developers.

Crime:

Everyone agrees that knife crime has spiralled out of control and we need more police and resources, but what would you do with the current level of officers and resources to tackle the problem on your first days in office?

I’ve got a ready-to-go strategy for my first 100 days in office. Before lockdown homicides were at their highest in 11 years and knife crime up 60%. We cannot go from the pandemic into a crime epidemic.

I’ll implement Operation Blunt 3. We will have a massive surge of police presence across our streets and rollout CCTV on all of the Tube lines and bus stops to tackle sexual harassment.

I’ll implement scan-and-search and stop-and-search across London in public spaces to get knives off the streets all in 100 days, we don’t have any time to waste.

Environment:

WheredoyoustandonLowEmissionNeighbourhoods and is it possible to satisfy both camps?

We need to tackle London’s air pollution problem and LTN’s will form a part of that strategy.

There are areas in London where they clean up air without causing traffic jams. What Sadiq Khan has done is slapped LTN’s down without any local consultation and its causing chaos.

We saw him get chased into that coffee shop by local residents, people are angry.

I’ll pause the rollout of LTNs until we have properly consulted with local communities and if they don’t want an LTN we won’t force it on them.

That’s how you satisfy both camps, by listening to them.

Transport:

Given the halt to the Bakerloo Line Extension what other transport infrastructure would you introduce for Southwark without government investment?

I’m going to setup London’s first Infrastructure bank.

It’s essentially a way for us to funnel private investment into the infrastructure that matters to London. Rishi Sunak’s even copied us now!

It means the Bakerloo Line Extension, it means Crossrail 2, it means Hammersmith Bridge and it means so many other projects that don’t even exist yet.

We will build London out of the pandemic together and the infrastructure boom that I will bring to London is going to kickstart our recovery in every corner of London.

Economy:

What support do you pledge to help small businesses on Southwark’s highstreets?

London is a footfall city. It doesn’t matter if you’re selling insurance or coffee, you need footfall.

Sadiq Khan has 4 taxes he’s going to hike that will decimate footfall. The ULEZ expansion, council tax, the Outer London Tax, and the congestion charge.

I’ll scrap every single one of Sadiq Khan’s tax hikes.

We are also going to create thousands of new jobs through the LEAP funding program and, when we can, launch the Festival of London.

The Festival will bring tourists and Londoners out and kick-off London’s recovery with a month of celebration for all London has to offer.

Other key pledges:

1. Sadiq Khan’s tax hikes will decimate footfall and total to a massive £4.68 billion tax grab. He will expand ULEZ, increase council tax, implement an Outer London Tax, and has increased the congestion charge. These are unfair on Londoners and I will scrap them all.

2. We are also going to create thousands of new jobs through the LEAP funding program, through City Hall we can fund the creation of tens of thousands of green jobs in small businesses.

3. I’ll kickstart London’s recovery with a £9 million High Street Recovery Fund to support town centres and small businesses.

Southwark News, Thursday April 29 2021

www.southwarknews.co.uk/news

6 May

ELECTIONS 21

Sian Berry Housing:

Luisa Porritt What is your definition of affordable housing?

How many homes do you pledge to build and how can this be achieved?

I think Londoners are fed up with targets that are never met. What we need is a change of approach.

That’s what I’m offering.

I’ll set up a London Housing Company, a City Hall backed developer to take direct control of building the homes we need, and take advantage of empty office space coming onto the market by converting them into quality, affordable homes.

Crime:

Everyone agrees that knife crime has spiralled out of control and we need more police and resources, but what would you do with the current level of officers and resources to tackle the problem on your first days in office?

Liberal Democrats want a return to proper community policing, where police officers are visible, trusted and known personally to local people.

The Met Police has a multi-billion-pound budget so this is about priorities. A ward team used to have four officers in it and we commit to returning to those levels by 2024.

We will also establish a London Youth Service to help coordinate and improve access to activities for young people after school. The services that do exist are often not joined up and we want the best work to be showcased and learnt from.

Environment:

Where do you stand on Low Emission Neighbourhoods and is it possible to satisfy both camps?

Liberal Democrats have long called for improved cycling and walking routes in London. Clearly, the lesson learnt from the last year is you have to consult and bring communities along with you.

Lots of Londoners do want safer routes and quieter streets. The challenge for the next Mayor is to show leadership and bring people together to find the best

solution for each community.

Transport:

Given the halt to the Bakerloo Line Extension what other transport infrastructure what would you introduce for Southwark without government investment?

First of all, if we scrap the £2 billion polluting Silvertown Tunnel motorway project then we will be able to recommit to public transport projects like the Bakerloo line.

I’d also like to resurrect the Rotherhithe walking and cycling bridge project, as well as extend the Santander Cycle Hire scheme through the rest of Southwark and out into Lewisham and Greenwich too.

Economy:

What support do you pledge to help small businesses on Southwark’s highstreets?

With people spending more time and money locally, we have a massive opportunity to breathe new life into London’s high streets.

By no longer relying solely on retail, we can introduce new services that local people want from shared working hubs, to affordable childcare and more places to eat and drink after work.

As Mayor, I will establish a Reinvent The High Street Taskforce to share best practice and give boroughs the support they need to make their vision a reality.

other key pledges:

• A London Apprenticeships Hub to help young Londoners into work and assist businesses to take on more apprentices • A Women’s Board made up of survivors and key women’s stakeholder groups, to hold the Mayor to account on their strategy to end violence against women and girls • Free Bikes - making the Santander cycle hire scheme free to use every Sunday for a year

What is your definition of affordable housing?

How many homes do you pledge to build and how can this be achieved?

We have left housing to the big developers for decades and the results are clear - it hasn’t worked, and in the last five years the gap between what London needs and what is being built has got wider.

I have won some changes, like ballots for residents on estates to help prevent us knocking down existing social homes, but we need Londoners to have the ability to develop new homes themselves. I will set up a People’s Land Commission to find land for the new homes we need, from the people. Not enough is being done to fix the housing crisis in the homes we already have. In January I put forward a plan to use £400 million that the GLA has left over from current grant money, to buy back homes from the big developers for key workers to rent at rates they can afford. London needs more fresh thinking like this.

Crime:

Everyone agrees that knife crime has spiralled out of control and we need more police and resources, but what would you do with the current level of officers and resources to tackle the problem on your first days in office?

I have set a target for zero murders in London within ten years. Real leadership means taking a truly preventive approach to violence, where you have to work to make the whole of society a place where violence cannot thrive, and that includes things like fixing the housing crisis so that people facing danger at home know they have options. In the London Assembly I have exposed cuts that have closed over 100 youth centres, and won new funding, but we must go further. I also believe police need to be diverted from mass stop and search to being part of this mission, working within local communities.

Environment:

Where do you stand on Low Emission Neighbourhoods and is it possible to satisfy both camps?

As Green Mayor I have a clear plan to keep London moving and to make sure everyone has clean air to breathe. I have set a target to reduce traffic, and make it easier to get around by walking and cycling, and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods play a large part in this.

We have seen some schemes brought in during this emergency period that have generated opposition, and we must learn lessons, and plan future schemes alongside the local communities who know their streets and how best to make this work. And we must not ignore main roads, where most traffic and pollution goes already, and where many people live.

For five years I have pushed the current Mayor to make plans for smarter, fairer road charging that would genuinely help to cut congestion but he hasn’t listened yet. We need a real Green Mayor who will not only do this but bring down public transport fares for those who pay the most in outer London, so that everyone has better options to get around.

Transport:

Given the halt to the Bakerloo Line Extension what other transport infrastructure would you introduce for Southwark without government investment?

There is a big gap in Southwark where tube services are out of reach for too many. The Bakerloo Line Extension and the cancelled Cross River Tram would both have helped close this gap and given people more ways to get around without a car. I am sick of seeing the long-term finances of Transport for London used as a political football by Labour and Conservatives, while investment plans like these are put on ice. By bringing new ideas to the table I think I am the best candidate to get this sorted out, so that we can first of all improve bus services in the short term, and then get these bigger projects back off the ground.

Economy:

What support do you pledge to help small businesses on Southwark’s highstreets?

Small businesses are the lifeblood of London’s economy, and a Green Mayor will define a fair, affordable Working Rent for small businesses in all areas of London. Where necessary, landlords will be incentivised to offer rent holidays, to ensure survival through the consequences of the pandemic and Brexit. We will also establish new town centre funds financed by the business rates paid by large retail developers and with contributions required as a part of gaining planning permission. The funds would be run by boards made up of representatives of local businesses, residents and community groups.

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22 ELECTIONS

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Too many luxury homes are being built in comparison to affordable and what the Tories and Labour call affordable is not. They have both also failed to take seriously social housing needs. I have been investigating between 100 and 200 derelict sites to build 100,000 starter homes at 150k, outright ownership. Bailey talking about 100k homes is deceptive as this is fractional ownership, which is fraught with problems.

Crime:

Peter Gammons Housing:

What is your definition of affordable housing?

How many homes do you pledge to build and how can this be achieved?

Brian Rose What is your definition of affordable housing?

How many homes do you pledge to build and how can this be achieved?

I’ll build 50,000 affordable homes – that means costing about £100,000 – by Christmas, and 100,000 a year after that. How? We’ll use modular housing, which is affordable, green and can be constructed in a very short time. We’ll use unused TfL land within half a mile of transport hubs and we’ll apply an infrastructure levy so that those who profit from the housing pay back into a pot to pay for community infrastructure, additional policing and a better transport system. So, when affordable housing is built in Southwark, some of the proceeds flow directly back to improve Southwark and its infrastructure.

Crime:

Everyone agrees that knife crime has spiralled out of control and we need more police and resources, but what would you do with the current level of officers and resources to tackle the problem on your first

Everyone agrees that knife crime has spiralled out of control and we need more police and resources, but what would you do with the current level of officers and resources to tackle the problem on your first days in office?

I will restore community police on the beat and open up sub-stations in every community. So much crime goes unreported because the police are now so inaccessible.

Both the current mayor and the Police Commissioner need to go. We must end two-tier policing in London. At one rally they take the knee and at another they take the baton. The double standards just serves to cause greater division in communities.

Environment:

Where do you stand on Low Emission Neighbourhoods and is it possible to satisfy both camps?

I oppose them. They are dividing communities and generally taking traffic from the high-end streets and diverting it onto poorer ones and often past schools.

They are undemocratic and discriminatory. They make journeys longer for most people including those living in the closed streets, therefore increasing congestion and pollution.

Transport:

Given the halt to the Bakerloo Line Extension what other transport infrastructure what would you introduce for Southwark without government investment?

LTNs and bike lanes are being introduced everywhere and causing more chaos, congestion and pollution on the roads and adding between 20-40 minutes to the average journey. As mayor I will instigate an urgent review of every road and remove many unused bike lanes to get London moving again. Promoting a more efficient

days in office?

I’ve heard a lot of ambitious pledges about tackling knife crime but the brutal truth is that countless ‘solutions’ have been proposed over the years and yet the stabbings continue in Southwark and elsewhere. Faced with depleted police numbers and damaged communities, the first thing I will do is listen to those on the front line – community organisations that have been wrestling with the knife problem for years, and police who have been left to pick up the pieces by political leaders who really don’t give a damn, to agree a short-term plan of action.

When it comes to knife crime, it’s clear that no one ‘knows best’, least of all politicians – we all need to work together to deal with the roots of the problem, not just the tragic outcomes. Trust is central, and the slashing of community policing resources has been a disaster – this needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

I will also work with police, the Home Office and community bodies to launch a huge weapons amnesty.

And I’ll start recruiting 10,000 more officers, from the communities which they are supposed to serve. Unlike my Mayoral opponents, I have a costed plan to pay for these police and their training – plus improved training for all officers.

system to many Londoners that’s a realistic alternative to their cars. Which means LTNs are simply a revenue raiser, not a solution to pollution. I have a new plan for funding TfL, a plan that welcomes London cabs back as an integral part of our transport network – there is no better doorto-door solution. And I’ll help them to adopt new, cleaner technology, making London a leader in green transport.

We have a long way to go – we really need to get started.

WheredoyoustandonLowEmissionNeighbourhoods and is it possible to satisfy both camps?

Low Traffic Neighbourhoods have been a shambles.

They’ve been immensely divisive, caused access problems for less able people and emergency services as well as other residents, and shifted pollution rather than reducing it. And, crucially, they’ve been imposed with no meaningful consultation. I will immediately review every single one.

LTNs are a symptom of a failed transport policy – they’re the proof that we have failed to deliver a public transport

What support do you pledge to help small businesses on Southwark’s highstreets?

I will launch two urgent programmes – one to deal with the short-term threat to Southwark’s small and medium businesses, the other to look at the longer-term implications. Firstly, I will introduce a six-month business rates holiday for SMEs and implement science-based protocols to safely get people back to work, shop and visit.

And I will convene a panel of experts from key sectors including health, business, science, as well as emergency services and social care specialists, to ensure we have a

Environment:

Housing:

Photo by DHB

What is your definition of affordable housing?

How many homes do you pledge to build and how can this be achieved?

I will build 250,000 new homes for Londoners.

I will change the planning rules to allow offices and shops to be converted to residential use, and put aside political correctness to reconsider how we use the Green Belt, much of which is scrubland and semi-industrial.

Crime:

Laurence Fox

Southwark News, Thursday April 29 2021

Everyone agrees that knife crime has spiralled out of control and we need more police and resources, but what would you do with the current level of officers and resources to tackle the problem on your first days in office?

I have promised parents that if their sons are foolish enough to be caught with a knife, they will have a simple choice offered to them at the police station. I will bring the full might of the law to send them to jail or I will support them back into the community to make the most of their lives.

I will cull the Mayor’s bloated administration by a third and support 10 new police apprenticeships for every City Hall administrator

Transport:

Given the halt to the Bakerloo Line Extension what other transport infrastructure would you introduce for Southwark without government investment?

The Bakerloo project needs to be revisited as part of an overhaul of TfL and its broken funding model. My plans to run TfL as a business, using its assets properly, rather than as a de facto charity, will provide the funds not just to keep Southwark’s public running, but improve it.

Again, if we don’t persuade people out of their cars, we will simply price poorer people off the roads without solving anything; congestion charges and LTN charges are appallingly regressive, driving poorer people off the roads and turning richer drivers into even more lucrative sources of revenue.

Economy:

removed. That’s 3,000 new police constables.

Environment:

Where do you stand on Low Emission Neighbourhoods and is it possible to satisfy both camps?

After more than a year of lockdown, we urgently need to help get Londoners moving. I will scrap Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, underused cycle lanes and other restrictions that have divided our communities, blocked our streets, increased pollution, delayed emergency services, destroyed black cabs businesses, and seen millions of new fines imposed on Londoners. I will encourage more electric vehicles with more street-side charging points.

Transport:

Given the halt to the Bakerloo Line Extension what other transport infrastructure what would you introduce for Southwark without government investment I will introduce 6 months’ free travel on tubes and buses to get Londoners back to work and boost our local economies. I will invest in many more street-side electric charging points. I will scrap underused cycle lanes to get things moving.

service at TfL and making it profitable is vital.

Economy:

What support do you pledge to help small businesses on Southwark’s highstreets?

We need to rally behind them as a community as never before lest we lose them forever. They have been treated so unfairly during lockdown; forced to close while the bigger stores have been allowed to stay open. I hope voters will remember this when they come to vote. We also need to improve parking to encourage people to shop in the centre.

other key pledges:

• To end the waste and cronyism at City Hall.

• To hold regular mayor’s forums to listen the concerns of Londoners.

• 10 New Parks & One Million New Trees. robust plan to deal with future threats.

My first major event as your next mayor will be the Great Celebration, marking all that makes our city synonymous with theatre, music, food, technology, arts, culture and more. the great celebration. Throughout August, a series of free music festivals, theatre performances, allnight parties, street fairs, local markets and business networking events – many of them in Southwark, which is peppered with ideal venues – will help announce to the world that London is back with a bang.

other key pledges :

• A Victim’s Bill of Rights to ensure victims are treated fairly and with dignity. The Bill of Rights will address four key issues: Information, protection, participation and restitution. We must reappraise who is considered a victim. For example, it is utterly unacceptable that a woman can be harassed on the streets of London and yet the man intimidating her is not even breaking the law.

• I will build a dragon to get knives off our streets. Crazy? No – look up the Knife Angel, a huge sculpture made from 100,000 surrendered blades.

• Free access to the internet. Working in partnership with businesses – I’m not suggesting we shut down internet providers – charities and other agencies, I will launch an ambitious scheme to ensure no one in London is excluded from the digital world.

With technology partners, we will aim to ensure every person and business in London has access to free high-speed broadband.

Economy:

What support do you pledge to help small businesses on Southwark’s highstreets?

I will unlock London now, and provide 6 months’ free transport on tubes and buses, so that our shops and businesses can get back to work and Londoners have a huge incentive to get to them.

I will support any initiative to help young Londoners find their first jobs with local employers.

other key pledges:

• Introduce tough New York style community policing to target petty crime and prevent hardened criminals and gangsters from moving into communities.

• Protect the rights of women to organize and speak freely and no woman will be forced to share a private bathroom or changing space with a man.

• End the divisive and discriminatory wokery that has infected our city and disband the Mayor’s statue commission, instead erecting new statues to celebrate the lives of great Londoners

Southwark News, Thursday April 29 2021

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crimes and start preventing them from happening in the first place. That means taking a whole-society public health approach based on trauma-informed practice, to join the dots between schools, health, housing, youth and other specialist services, as well as workplaces and communities.

Environment:

Mandu Reid Housing:

What is your definition of affordable housing?

How many homes do you pledge to build and how can this be achieved?

We will not accept a definition of affordable housing that includes rent at 80% of market rates. This puts housing out of reach for most people, and especially women who earn less than men on average. That is why I am committed to creating a strong social rent policy

in London with separate targets, and fighting tooth and nail for better housing allowance.

Crime:

Everyone agrees that knife crime has spiralled out of control and we need more police and resources, but what would you do with the current level of officers and resources to tackle the problem on your first days in office?

Everyone agrees that violence against women has spiralled out of control too, and more bobbies on the beat won’t fix either. We need to stop managing these “AFFORDABLE HOUSING” is a misleading term used to justify developments providing housing UNAFFORDABLE for most. I will have a MAJOR REVIEW of housing provision in London in which I will bring in new rules to stand-up to developer destruction of communities. I will quickly convert empty commercial properties into high space standard council housing and (in conjunction with boroughs) take-over / get sold many empty speculators flats & blocks. Total provision (which would also involve some new build) 400,000; 75% of which would be at council “at cost” rents. The rest would be actually affordable (rent or buy) by average earners in London. My record of fighting for housing rights speaks for itself.

Crime:

Piers Corbyn Housing:

What is your definition of affordable housing?

How many homes do you pledge to build and how can this be achieved?

Everyone agrees that knife crime has spiralled out of control and we need more police and resources, but what would you do with the current level of officers and resources to tackle the problem on your first days in office?

I will end police enforcement of Lockdown and Corona Virus “guidance” destruction of businesses activity and harassment of public standing-up for their rights; and turn them over to civil policing and combating knife crime. I will set up youth activity centres (often in currently empty commercial spaces) for social meetings, sport and all manner of things including creating alternative media - helping youth GET THEIR LIVES BACK. I support decriminalisation of cannabis to end the violent conflict over it. This way I will COMBAT THE

anyone living outside Southwark. Citizens’ Assemblies will decide how many homes to build, where, and of what type. They often come up with innovative solutions. It’s possible they may decide to convert existing buildings.

Citizens’ Assemblies will also define what affordable housing is and set out how to achieve it.

Crime:

Valerie Brown Housing:

What is your definition of affordable housing?

How many homes do you pledge to build and how can this be achieved?

Southwark people know the area far better than me or

Everyone agrees that knife crime has spiralled out of control and we need more police and resources, but what would you do with the current level of officers and resources to tackle the problem on your first days in office?

We must use a holistic approach to reduce knife crime on the streets. Youth need to re-engage within communities with mutual respect. Youth need to be confident they are safe. We will use the wisdom of young and old to bring about new, caring communities. Within the first days I will start discussions and planning for Youth Assemblies.

Environment:

Where do you stand on Low Emission Neighbourhoods and is it possible to satisfy both camps?

The greatest threats to our children are climate change and destruction of the environment (ecocide). These caused the Covid pandemic. We have already used up all

Where do you stand on Low Emission Neighbourhoods and is it possible to satisfy both camps?

Low Traffic Neighbourhoods can work if they are codesigned with local communities and disabled people’s organisations. The hasty roll-out of this scheme from government meant that hardly any consultation was done, and now we are seeing the effects of that. We need to make sure both the risks and benefits are shared equally, and that goes for all policies. Decisions about the future of these schemes must be based on comprehensive impact assessments that evaluate the benefits and costs for all affected groups and weigh these against the objectives of these schemes.

Transport:

Given the halt to the Bakerloo Line Extension what other transport infrastructure would you introduce for Southwark without government investment?

Scaling back investment in public transport is a false economy. It stops those who most rely on it being able to connect to work, amenities and people, which is bad for our economic recovery and risks further damage CAUSES OF KNIFE CRIME.

Environment:

Where do you stand on Low Emission Neighbourhoods and is it possible to satisfy both camps?

I would IMMEDIATELY HALT the (Ultra Low) Emission Zone extension to N & S Circulars which will ruin many businesses and INCREASE pollution making longer journeys avoiding the zone. I would also review (with a view to intelligent science-based change) the existing (Ultra) Low Emission zone and “Low Emission Neighbourhoods” for similar reasons including effects on business and family life. This would be in the context of a new special proper science-based TASK FORCE AGAINST ALL POLLUTION - air, noise, increased Electromagnetic radiation, plastic etc which would involve community based groups (eg Let Walworth Live; Let Peckham Live etc) and a MASSIVE TREE PLANTING PROGRAMME.

Transport:

Given the halt to the Bakerloo Line Extension what other transport infrastructure what would you introduce for Southwark without government investment?

Ending the Bakerloo extension plan is good because it puts the brakes on even more speculative destruction of communities. To improve transport I will (in conjunction with local Let Our Community Live! groups) get rid of some of the silly road narrowings

the fossil fuels we can burn safely. What values are most dear to us, how do we live? Citizens’ Assemblies will find a way forward everyone can sign up to.

Transport:

Given the halt to the Bakerloo Line Extension what other transport infrastructure would you introduce for Southwark without government investment?

Citizens’ Assemblies are set up to make decisions when governments have found it impossible to decide. Government hands over responsibility to a representative sample of ordinary people. Citizens’ Assemblies deliberate over several weeks or months, finding out about the problems and discussing them in depth. They will decide the whole of the transport strategy in Southwark and London-wide.

Economy:

What support do you pledge to help small businesses on Southwark’s high streets?

Southwark needs thriving and safe communities, for us and our children’s children. Assemblies will look at transport, food supplies, water, even whether we need to change how the local economy works.

Citizens’ Assemblies will find new and exciting ways of living together, allowing small businesses and community networks to thrive on Southwark’s high streets.

6 May

ELECTIONS 23

to the environment. I will fight for a better deal from government, and I will invest in more bus routes, make transport more accessible and introduce stop-ondemand for night buses to increase safety.

Economy:

What support do you pledge to help small businesses on Southwark’s highstreets?

This crisis is not like any other. The sectors that have been hardest hit, such as retail and hospitality, are dominated by women and young people. We will deliver a care-led recovery from city hall, creating green jobs and helping parents who have lost their jobs find work by extending the 30hrs per week free childcare allowance to those in training. And we will drive capital investment into women and minority owned businesses, such as beauty salons and nurseries, which are struggling to stay open.

other key pledges:

• No woman turned away from safe refuge and 5% of housing ringfenced for women fleeing violence • Drive down zero hours contracts and drive up pay for care workers • Rapid review and action plan to address institutional sexism and misogyny in the Metropolitan Police and blockages and un-needed one-way systems which increase journeys and pollution, damage business and cause bus-jams. More smaller faster buses on Old Kent road and other roads is a possibility to consider. I will REDUCE BIKE CHARGES to very low. My record on transport campaigns speaks for itself.

Economy:

What support do you pledge to help small businesses on Southwark’s highstreets?

I will end all Lockdown and Covid restrictions (and seek to save ALL with serious illnesses). This will be a massive boost to business. I will also review parking policies to make parking easier and cheaper. My policies will SAVE RIGHTS, JOBS AND LIVES.

other key pledges:

1 No Lockdowns, No Masking, No to Vaccine Passports - No Covid Rules ever 2 Save all with serious illnesses - cancer, heart disease etc - no serious illnesses should be left behind 3 Stop the ULEZ extension to the N & S Circulars - it would ruin businesses and increase pollution by making journeys longer; hold a science based review of the existing ULEZ and Low emission road blocks etc.

Other key pledges:

• Hand back the power of the Mayor to Londoners through Citizens’ Assemblies.

Set up both London-wide and regional Citizens’ Assemblies. Ordinary people will be responsible for how London develops.

Like a jury, people get all the facts they need from experts and interest groups and discuss them together. Every voice is heard.

• Valerie will make sure that London-wide Assemblies are set up to oversee the city as a whole. In regional Assemblies people will decide what happens in their own area, as local people know what’s needed best. You can follow the Assemblies online afterwards.

• People are selected for Citizens’ Assemblies by sortition, sometimes using postcode but making sure that every sector is represented in proportion to how many are in the population. There will be fifty percent women, for example. Homeless people in Southwark will be represented too. People learn about each other across cultures, and become friends.

24 ELECTIONS

6 May

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Southwark News, Thursday April 29 2021

solutions myself.

Environment:

Richard Hewison Housing:

What is your definition of affordable housing?

How many homes do you pledge to build and how can this be achieved?

London needs approximately 66,000 new houses per annum by the London Assembly’s own figures, and in the next 3 years London can be served best by making those 100% affordable homes. My personal

definition of affordable is that people should spend no more than 25% of their disposable income on housing & related utility expenses.

Knife Crime:

Everyone agrees that knife crime has spiralled out of control and we need more police and resources, but what would you do with the current level of officers and resources to tackle the problem on your first days in office?

So far all 3 mayors of London have failed to make an impact on this appalling situation, not I feel for lack of trying. I believe we need new thinking on this, and an experienced deputy mayor to focus ENTIRELY on this issue in partnership with the Metropolitan Police. I don’t claim to have any magic

Steven Kelleher

Where do you stand on Low Emission Neighbourhoods and is it possible to satisfy both camps?

Our problems with the environment are on a global rather than a local level, and London needs to re-engage with the world to solve climate change. Having said that, micro-initiatives to make London a more tolerable place to live and ensure no more children have “air pollution” on their death certificates must be a priority.

Transport:

Given the halt to the Bakerloo Line Extension what other transport infrastructure would you introduce for Southwark without government investment?

We need to give people the confidence after COVID to move out of the car and back onto public transport.

This can only be achieved by honest information being given to people and restoring faith that they can trust public transport. Encouraging greater use of bikes would be useful too. An enhanced bus network needs to take the place of anticipated tube development

Crime:

INDEPENDENT

Everyone agrees that knife crime has spiralled out of control and we need more police and resources, but what would you do with the current level of officers and resources to tackle the problem on your first days in office?

Crime destroys lives. Stop and search is controversial but it works. I will immediately meet Cressida Dick to redeploy officers away from low priority stuff like internet hate crime observation towards community beat officers. The top 4000 criminals in London cost the community £2.2B

borough so we can realistically plan what is needed in each borough against demand.

Crime:

Farah London Housing:

What is your definition of affordable housing?

How many homes do you pledge to build and how can this be achieved?

I want to see more homeowners in London, frankly people are being priced out of London, as it is no longer affordable. I will be introducing a new rent to buy scheme, where with a low deposit, homeowners can increase their equity in the property with each monthly rent paid. There is no catch, a quite simple way to ensure affordable means affordable. These properties will only be available to residents in London. I will work with each

Everyone agrees that knife crime has spiralled out of control and we need more police and resources, but what would you do with the current level of officers and resources to tackle the problem on your first days in office?

We need to empower our youth away from gang grooming, and fracture gang culture. Our youth have been let down and we need to invest back into youth. I will be introducing free youth academies from the age of 8 – 21yrs of age, that will focus on performing arts, creative and sporting academies. I will also ensure the fractured relationship between communities and police is addressed, so we can work together to address rising violence.

Environment:

Where do you stand on Low Emission Neighbourhoods and is it possible to satisfy both camps?

I stand against the Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTN) that were introduced during the lockdowns. They have caused mass disruption across London, instead of reducing emissions the LTNs have increased emissions, as drivers are spending more time in their cars stuck in traffic with longer journey times. In addition, it

What support do you pledge to help small businesses on Southwark’s high streets?

The high-street can only be revitalized when people have money to spend, and restoring trade links with our biggest trading partner HAS to be the first step here.

That having been said, we also need to acknowledge the changing needs and demands of shoppers away from basic necessities and towards the high street as a communal social space, as many of the UK’s smaller towns and cities have experienced already.

other key pledges:

• To establish a “Brexit bureaucracy busters office to help small businesses and individuals get back their access to European markets, holidays and study opportunities • To fund an ERASMUS replacement scheme for 10,000 of London’s students every year • To bring together a team of top people from the finance sector to form a regulatory diplomacy squad to re-engage with European bodies private partners running extra bus routes. The best way to remove cars from our roads is to provide reliable, frequent, safe public transport.

Housing.

What is your definition of affordable housing?

How many homes do you pledge to build and how can this be achieved?

Across London we will build 50,000 homes. New homes will come with a contract where the tenant waives all rights to buy during the term of tenancy.

Paid for using TFL brownfield sites and partnering with local authority pension funds looking to buy long term yielding assets rather than negative yielding gilts. Rents will be set at 2.5% of the capital value so that the system is self-financing, and rents are affordable for key workers and London essential workers.

Economy:

Economy:

per year according to the Met. 10,000 extra police deployed to the right hot spots can make London the peaceful, community city it once was.

Environment:

Where do you stand on Low Emission Neighbourhoods and is it possible to satisfy both camps?

The electric car is with us and it is growing. This will do more for London’s air than any number of unused cycle lanes. We will add 10,000 charging points across London for electric vehicles and consult honestly before imposing more LTNs and cycle lanes are imposed on people who need to get themselves to work and their small children to school.

Transport:

Given the halt to the Bakerloo Line Extension what other transport infrastructure would you introduce for Southwark without government investment?

Free transport for 22-25 year olds. Acceleration of electric bus replacement and long term contracts to

has alienated the elderly and disabled residents. The emergency services also are experiencing delays and no access. There requires proper consultation and a more structured plan, as the current plan has proven a disaster, supporting affluent residents, whilst making those living in social housing areas suffer with the increased fumes.

Transport:

Given the halt to the Bakerloo Line Extension what other transport infrastructure would you introduce for Southwark without government investment?

I will lobby strongly for the Bakerloo line extension to be brought forward, as it is not cancelled but delayed - the residents deserve to know a timeframe and most importantly have the extension completed. Other viable options will be to introduce a tramline which has proven very successful in Croydon and is widely used by locals, we can work with private investors to ensure timely delivery of the project.

Economy:

What support do you pledge to help small businesses on Southwark’s highstreets?

We need to see more foot flow in our highstreets, and an immediate action I will take is to give Londoners 100 days’ free travel on public transport to get people back into town. I will also be introducing an app for small businesses on the highstreet run by the councils, which will provide a Deliveroo style

What support do you pledge to help small businesses on Southwark’s high streets?

Rates Holidays for small and new businesses to encourage rebuild after lockdown. A Mayor’s fund for sustainable investment in start-ups taking a small percentage ownership in viable new businesses.

other key pledges: • We will reduce the cost of City Hall back to sub £40m per year – it was £38m. In 2016 – now over £65m !

• I will use the bully pulpit of my office to challenge the Tory-donating cartel and land-valuation distortions that hinder house building right across London.

• We will introduce SDP “stackers” in hospital car parks – putting 16 cars in the space of 3 currently, as widely done in other major cities. This will offer free parking to key hospital workers and free up land for housing and street space for traffic flow.

service for services, such as laundry, shoe repair and others services and products, to encourage people to shop local and not through giants such as Amazon. I will also extend the freezing of business rates for a longer period, and with vacant shops, provide small businesses the opportunity to run pop up shops rent free for short periods.

other key pledges:

• Opening women centres in every borough, that will provide training, mental wellbeing, courses, safe space and business grants for women to become entrepreneurs.

• Reverse congestion charge immediately, from Monday to Friday, from 7am to 7pm, daily charge of £12, however I will also be introducing a short stay tariff for drivers that pass through for a limited time only.

• Introducing free environmental courses for all members of the public, in plant and sciences, marine biology and other key environmental training, to encourage members of the public to actively participate in helping the environment in their local communities.

Southwark News, Thursday April 29 2021

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Kam Balayev

I will employ more officers according to each local boroughs’ needs to tackle the spiralling crime under the current Mayor. I will empower them to pursue the 250 professional gangs operating across the city, who are responsible for at least half of London’s recorded crime.

On day one, I will form a taskforce, working with Interpol, to break up these gangs and rid them from our streets.

Environment

Housing

What is your definition of affordable housing?

How many homes do you pledge to build and how can this be achieved?

The lack of actual affordable housing for Londoners is unsustainable. There are too many empty buildings in this city but even worse is the amount of unused land owned by the government and local authorities. We need to use this land and give London more eco-friendly, affordable homes! I will also offer bigger discounts for first time buyers.

Crime

Everyone agrees that knife crime has spiralled out of control and we need more police and resources, but what would you do with the current level of officers and resources to tackle the problem on your first days in office?

How many homes do you pledge to build and how can this be achieved?

We have 10,000 people homeless, 58,000 in temporary accommodation and 243,000 on council waiting lists. Until everyone is housed in safe, affordable and, crucially, sustainable accommodation the work of the London Mayor is not done. But, hand in hand with an ambitious building programme, we must think creatively about making the best use of existing buildings - we have office spaces and around 30,000 homes sitting empty. Any definition of affordable must be based upon the planet’s remaining carbon budget and what those with the lowest income can afford.

Crime:

Vanessa Hudson Housing:

What is your definition of affordable housing?

Everyone agrees that knife crime has spiralled out of control and we need more police and resources, but what would you do with the current level of officers and resources to tackle the problem on your first days in office?

I’d invite the Ben Kinsella Trust to partner with us. They’re working on halting knife crime through education which, in my opinion, is sorely needed and would tackle the problem before it makes it to the streets, requiring police intervention. Yet, doing this vital work, they and organisations like them, are funded by charitable donations. If we genuinely want to stop knife crime we have to get serious with the allocation of funding and resources to addressing the

Where do you stand on Low Emission Neighbourhoods and is it possible to satisfy both camps?

On day one, I will set up a special taskforce that will revise all LTNs that cause problems with their respective neighbourhoods. The Mayor must work with and listen to the local communities to be truly effective. I recognise that the time has come for us to realise that clean air is a human right and all the state entities should do everything possible in order to tackle pollution.

Transport

Given the halt to the Bakerloo Line Extension what other transport infrastructure what would you introduce for Southwark without government investment?

I will push for more public transport development in Southwark such as a Tram Network from Elephant & Castle to New Cross as an alternative if the Bakerloo Line Extension cannot be built.

Environment:

Where do you stand on Low Emission Neighbourhoods and is it possible to satisfy both camps?

When it comes to tackling our dreadful air quality and the climate and biodiversity crises, we are all in this together and huge changes in our lives are going to follow.

LEN’s have been set up with good intentions but something in the communication process has gone awry. We have to find ways of all groups feeling listened to and involved so we can navigate a path where all, ultimately, feel satisfied. I’m all ears.

Transport:

Given the halt to the Bakerloo Line Extension what other transport infrastructure what would you introduce for Southwark without government investment?

Globally, our survival depends on us spending our remaining carbon budget with the greatest wisdom. Improving London’s air quality depends on this too. So using all forms of public transport, cycling and walking must be incentivised through cheaper fares, greater efficiency and safety.

At the same time, we must start to disincentivize private transport to ensure the planet we hand over to our children can sustain life.

The five other candidates who did not respond to our questions...

Nims Obunge

Nims Obunge, independent.

Obunge, who runs an anti-knife crime non-profit in north London, plans to add more police officers and reopen 104 closed youth centres, creating 1,000 jobs, in a bid to cut crime and “tackle family breakdown”.

He will also review a council tax increase and TfL fare increase. Obunge aims to get London carbon neutral by 2030 by investing in green jobs and infrastructure.

The independent candidate will scrap business rates

Economy

What support do you pledge to help small businesses on Southwark’s highstreets?

Many small businesses in Southwark have not received the support they need from city hall and are struggling, especially with rocketing business rates. On day one, I will revise business rates to allow them to compete more fairly with big online competitors.

other key pledges:

E-London On day one, I will declare the start of E-London, a new brand for London to become the tech capital of the world. This will aim to attract some of the most innovative tech businesses to London, bringing jobs, investment and revenue into the city. This revenue will be used to invest in our underfunded public services.

More Green Spaces I will create more public green spaces, including planting 1m trees across the city.

15 Minute Plan All residents will have easy access to everything we need - public transport, GP services, schools, shops, playgrounds and youth clubs - all within 15 minutes’ accessible travel from our homes.

What support do you pledge to help small businesses on Southwark’s highstreets?

The best support we can give to any business is to ensure we never find ourselves in the midst of a deadly zoonotic pandemic again. London’s Mayor can do that by leading away from the ticking time bomb of our current food system towards a plant-based system.

We must reimagine ourselves as a beacon of sustainable, healthy, compassionate living. Our smaller businesses are going to need a great deal of support so financial incentives based on the above are one way we can drive that change.

other key pledges:

* Pushing for carbon net zero status for London by 2025. * Better protecting London’s 9 million plus animals by creating an Animal Welfare Committee within the London Assembly and fostering a culture where speciesism is rejected. * Expanding London’s biodiversity with an ambitious rewilding programme and an end to the use of pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilisers. pavements, carpet the M25 “to make it the smoothest motorway in the world”, put a seed in every cigarette butt in London, replace the Thames with sparkling water and launch “an inter-borough sports day” for the capital.

Count Binface

David Kurten, Heritage Party

Kurten, a London Assembly member who sits with the Brexit Alliance, said he would add 3,000 Met Police officers, increase “targeted” stop and search tactics with “zero tolerance” for knife crime, deport foreign criminals and end “politically correct policing”.

He added that he would scrap the ultra-low emission zone, press on with plans to build the Silvertown Tunnel but get rid of HS2 and introduce measures to support black cabs, among other pledges.

Read his manifesto at www.davidkurten.net

David Kurten and the congestion charge for 2021, as well as starting up entrepreneurship and apprentice schemes for London to kickstart the capital’s economy after Covid-19 lockdown.

Niko Omilana

YouTuber Niko Omilana, who one recent poll predicted would get 5% of the vote, has put out a varied manifesto.

Under his regime “Boris Johnson will be forced to shush,” a second London Eye would be built, “all racists will have their teeth removed” and the Thames would be frozen so people could skate across the river while Hammersmith Bridge is being repaired, among other campaign pledges.

Omilana also promised that video assistant referees (VAR) would be banned from the Premier League, along with Manchester United owners the Glazers.

Max Fosh

ELECTIONS 25

Economy:

root causes.

The following candidates did not respond to requests for interview. Below are some of their key campaign pledges.

6 May

Fosh, another YouTuber, said as Mayor he would introduce fast and slow walking sections on

Count Binface, who has previously run in General Elections against Boris Johnson and Theres May, said he would rename London Bridge after Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

He added that he would rename Hammersmith Bridge after former Chelsea and England footballer Wayne Bridge.

Other pledges include banning shops from selling croissants for more than £1, putting in place free parking between Vine Street and The Strand for electric vehicles, in a nod to Monopoly, allowing HS2 protestors to build their tunnel at Euston to Birmingham, and then to Manchester - ironically completing the project.

Count Binface added that he would put Sir David Attenborough (or a statue of him) on the Fourth Plinth at Trafalgar Square, ban speaker phones on public transport and get “London to join the EU.” He added that he would establish a commission on decriminalising cannabis and make sure the people on the commission had access to snacks.

The Blue Bermondsey is a Business Improvement District (BID), an organisation funded by local businesses that has been at the forefront of countless inspiring initiatives in South Bermondsey since being founded in 2014.

In 2019, £2m capital funding was secured from the Mayor of London’s LEAP Good Growth Fund, for major improvements to the Market Place and High Street. The works began in January 2021 and are on schedule to be completed in July.

As a BID we provide services to our member businesses and are dedicated to raising the profile of the area and supporting the local economy and community.

The funding is being used to totally regenerate the market infrastructure, improvements to shop fronts and the creation of better connections to the town centre.

BE PART OF BERMONDSEY’S HISTORY Come along and join us on Saturdays from 12pm to 3.30pm during April and May at Market Place, London SE16 3UQ and etch your design on a tin disc that will form the roofing of the new clock tower at The Blue Market.

The design team will be on-site to guide you and develop your design. Workshops are free with social distancing measures in place.

Follow @takeshi_hayatsu on Instagram for more details.

STORYTELLING TIME Listen to wonderful stories told by professional storytellers. Our Blue Story Trails are a perfect way to enjoy a few hours with the children while discovering the streets of South Bermondsey.

Stories are free to listen online or download

www. bit.ly/bluestorytrails

TAKE PART IN OUR ONLINE SURVEY Tell us what you would like to see happening at the new three screen cinema and arts centre due to be opened in 2022 by The Really Local Group at Market Place SE16.

www.bit.ly/newartscentre

AVAILABLE ON MOBILE TABLET & WEB

www.bluebermondsey.co.uk

BUSINESS DIRECTORY ONLINE Find shops and businesses in South Bermondsey with the help of our business directory. www.bluebermondsey.co.uk/business-directory

TheBlueBermondsey

bluebermondsey

bluebermondsey

Southwark News, Thursday April 29 2021

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OPINION 27

Here is how to nominate Jimi for George Cross

S

outhwark News would like to add its voice to the growing chorus clamouring for Bermondsey’s Folajimi Olubunmi-Adewole - known as Jimi - to be given a posthumous George Cross, the UK’s highest civilian honour for bravery.

Twenty-year-old Jimi jumped into the Thames in the early hours of Saturday morning (April 24) to rescue a woman he didn’t know. He died; she lived. His family and others who knew Jimi said these heroics were completely in character for the young man: selfless, kind and “his own person”.

And yet, for people who didn’t know Jimi, the sheer bravery and disregard for one’s own safety is nearly impossible to understand. To see a terrible situation like at London Bridge on Saturday morning and decide to plunge into the darkness shows a special kind of courage. His former headteacher described it this week as “awe-inspiring”, and that is no exaggeration.

Some 407 people have been awarded the George Cross since it was instituted in 1940

by King George VI. One of the stories of the people who were given the George Cross is strikingly similar to Jimi’s.

John Howard Davies, aged 13, was on a Scouts trip in 1949 in Sully Island, off the coast of Wales near Cardiff. Some of his fellow Scouts were cut off by the rising tide from the mainland and were struggling. John had reached the safety of the mainland, but seeing that his friends were in trouble, dived back in. He was able to keep a friend afloat long enough for a rescue boat to save him.

Tragically John himself was exhausted and could not be saved. He was given a posthumous award, alongside 14-year-old Margaret Vaughan, who also swam back but survived.

There must be similar recognition of the heroism of Jimi’s actions on Saturday. He was safe, on dry land, going home to Bermondsey, tired after another shift in an upmarket restaurant. It would have been the easiest thing in the world for him to think of the terrible tragedy unfolding as someone else’s problem. But he decided it was his problem too, and in doing so gave up his own life.

To nominate Jimi for a George Cross, write to the Honours and Appointments Secretariat here: honours@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. Give a detailed description explaining why you’re recommending Jimi and include as many details as possible about his actions.

CRYPTIC PUZZLE Clues Across

1 Guides the saints around for ever (6) 7 Festival drink for Pygmalion’s love (7) 8 Reveal how Uncle begins to take over? (7) 9 A flower for the shepherd? (5) 10 Photographs sailors, in leading parts (4,5) 12 Note the bishop’s office (3) 13 Lies about a little bit of land (4) 15 They are added to sum up the last article (7) 17 The essence of trusting is truth (4) 19 It’s laid quite naturally (3) 21 They are responsible for many a storm in a teacup (9) 22 Postponement of French song (5) 23 Got stung? Annoyed, of course (7) 24 Go back and buy them another meal (7) 25 A Spanish gentleman is so goodlooking (6)

QUICK PUZZLE Clues Across

1 Platform (6) 7 Tract of level land (7) 8 Front cutting tooth (7) 9 Rows (5) 10 Physical features of a region (9) 12 Worn scrap of cloth (3) 13 Oceans (4) 15 Row of houses (7) 17 Dislike (4) 19 Fowl (3) 21 Making obese (9) 22 Circular frame (5) 23 Rule in tyrannical way (7) 24 Force exerted by reduced air pressure (7) 25 Joins (6)

Clues Down

1 Packing with different fun gifts? (8) 2 Beats the former cavities (6) 3 The clergyman had a different side charged (7) 4 Thunderous applause (5) 5 Beastly places where engine cuts out (6) 6 Russian leader got German money by the sound of it (4) 7 10 have to face up to it (6,5) 11 Food sounds suitable (but not for vegetarians) (4) 13 Shakespearian character says ‘I’ll have a go’ (4) 14 Is so deep in stories (8) 16 Set indeed is appointed (7) 18 A lute’s used to welcome (6) 20 Fasteating sprite? (6) 21 Does key work (5) 22 Most unfair (4)

Clues Down

1 Self-righteously moral (8) 2 Medical practitioner (6) 3 Sudden increase (7) 4 Overquick (5) 5 Go back (6) 6 Unnecessary worry (4) 7 Readiness (11) 11 Entrance (4) 13 Viewed (4) 14 Proposes (8) 16 Debase (7) 18 Ditch (6) 20 Most agreeable (6) 21 Aptitude (5) 22 Sagacious (4)

Solutions to last week’s crossword Cryptic

ACROSS: 4 Obtuse 8 Allayed 9 Italic 10 Locksmith 11 Beds 13 Groom 14 Umpires 16 Contain 18 Flout 19 Emus 21 Fireworks 22 Ensued 23 Herring 24 Tidier DOWN: Elbow room 2 Jackboots 3 Seems 5 Bath 6 Uglier 7 Excess 9 Items 11 Billboard 12 Debunking 15 Livid 16 Cement 17 Nursed 20 Rebel 21 Fete

Quick Puzzle

ACROSS: 4 Affirm 8 Section 9 Serves 10 Attendant 11 Urge 13 Teeth 14 Scatter 16 Deports 18 Germs 19 Anon 21 Condiment 22 Sandal 23 Density 24 Nasser DOWN: Gentlemen 2 Attention 3 Bonds 5 Feet 6 Invert 7 Master 9 Snack 11 Uttermost 12 Germinate 15 Stool 16 Damson 17 Points 20 Adder 21 Care

Southwark News, Thursday April 29 2021

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FAMILY ANNOUNCEMENTS / CLASSIFIED 29

family announcements

Birthday Candi Percival’s 30th Birthday

Wishing you a very happy birthday, have a lovely day enjoy all your celebrations.

We love you!

Love Mum Dad Milli Harry & Luke xxxxx

Classified

every Sunday

Harris Academy, SW11 5AP please visit our website

www.batterseaboot.com for pitch bookings & details of our new opening times

ROCK, POP, PUNK, INDIE, REGGAE, SOUL...

0207 232 1639 or email dan@southwarknews. co.uk Announcements must be placed by 12pm on the Tuesday before Thursday’s publication

Book in your half price announcements For weddings, births & birthday milestones.

BATTERSEA BOOT IS BACK!

Wanted Records

To place a family announcement in the paper please call

Painter & Decorator Coverage: Anywhere in / around London.

Contact

0779 8833 758 for a quotation.

LPs AND SINGLES - WHOLE COLLECTIONS WELCOME

Call: 07956 832314 / 020 8677 6907 Or Email: vinylwanted@aol.com ALSO INTERESTED IN NON CHART CD COLLECTIONS

ROOMS AVAILABLE Ridley Villas and Cape House have been providing services to the Hackney Community and surrounding areas over the last 20 years.

We provide single room accommodation and an English breakfast with tea or coffee every morning of the week.

Hot showers and other communal facilities are available.

If you are 35 years or older and receiving Universal Credit we can provide you with temporary or longer term acommodation.

Please contact us and let us help you

020 7275 7852

Looking for previous owners of a 1966 Ford Zepher Mark 4 V6 blue.

Only car of its kind on UK roads.

Charles James Bearham Eltham rd 1966 Alan Walter Lockyer Dulwich 1967 Beatie William Garnish Borehamwood 1969

If anyone knows these gentlemen’s whereabouts please get in touch.

020 8103 1481

BOOK YOUR TRADE SERVICES ADVERT HERE Call our sales team on 020 7232 1639 or e-mail: ads@southwarknews.co.uk

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30 ARTS

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Southwark News, Thursday April 29 2021

what’s on

in Southwark

Cruise Through A Fantabulosa Soho Cruise is a one-man play written and performed by Jack Holden from a story he was told while volunteering for Switchboard, the LGBT+ help line, which gives Cruise an air of authenticity when it opens with 22-year-old volunteer Jack being shown the ropes at Switchboard before being allowed to work alone on the phones. writes Michael Holland.

While Jack is in training he always has to have an experienced person there to guide him on how to respond to callers, which is great in theory as long as someone is always there. One night, however, he turns up for work and finds that his colleague Kevin is not in. He waits and waits and the phones are urgently ringing, making Jack more anxious by the minute until, eventually, he takes a call.

It is Michael with his tale of abandoning a life in a Medway town for the West End. Holden, now takes on all the traits and accents to introduce us to the Soho characters in Michael’s story, from Tabby Cat, the barmaid with the ‘Croydon Facelift, several chins and tattoos’, to the eccentric Lady Lennox: ‘like a pile of dead foxes slumped against the table and nursing the dregs of a claret’.

Michael accepts a room at the home of Lady Lennox with the only proviso being that he chats with her twice a day in lieu of rent. These chats are when she regales

him with tales of her life, tales that differ and contradict on a daily basis.

One year on and Michael moves in with Fat Sandy at his Bloomsbury home, where he is spoilt and educated in the way of the gay. He finds work with Fingers, the mad Mancunian Witch Doctor, producing and mixing bands’ forgettable songs in a cellar studio.

Sometimes Michael DJs around the clubs where he spends a lot of his leisure time, enjoying his life.

After Sandy come the Nymphs of Greek Street who introduce him to more sex than he can handle. So much so that he has to leave their abode when his sleep is regularly broken by the sounds of orgiastic sex.

Now alone again, he walks into a Karaoke bar and sees the ‘kindest blue eyes’ of Slutty Dave. Soon they are an item and the talk of Soho as they live life to the absolute limit.

More characters drift in and out of Michael’s story - Ron the Rozzer, Polari Gordon - until the ups are followed by the downs and Michael and Dave are diagnosed with HIV. For six months they hide away from their friends until deciding to sell everything and live it up for the expected four years of life they have left.

Cruise is beautifully written in a mix of word and rhyme, impeccably performed by Holden, and nicely directed by Bronagh Lagan who uses up

Join in the Rainbow River virtual Pub Crawl

The pubs might still be outdoor only, but the Brunel Museum have got you covered with their Rainbow River virtual pub crawl.

Pub crawlers can travel back to 1780 for a glass of Mother’s Ruin at the The Widow In Masquerade.

If they’re lucky they might meet the infamous Female Soldier and hear their tales of genderbending infamy. Or shall we saunter down to The Prospect Of Whitby in the 1800s where flamboyant local queens and slumming gentlemen might join you for a Hot Toddy?

Sacha Coward and Sheldon Goodman, two tour guides and LGBTQ+ historians, will take you on a virtual time traveling bar crawl through some of London’s

queerest historic haunts. With the Brunel Museum they have researched seven places along the Thames and East End where LGBTQ+ people past and present have found safe haven. Join us for a virtual tour with a lemon twist, a fabulous evening of cocktails cock tales and herstorical hijinks!

These are just some of the stories to be shared by Sacha and Sheldon the tour guides leading the bar crawl with a difference.

Admission: £13 Booking: Rainbow River Virtual Pub Crawl Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite www.thebrunelmuseum.com

all the space of the decrepit basement Cruise is filmed in. A space that is so much like the basement dives and clubs of Soho. As Jack listens to Michael’s tale from the other end of a phone line we are taken on a journey through the 80s.

It is billed as a musical, but do not expect Jazz hands and foot-stomping show tunes. The live music is ably provided by John Elliott, but it is for the main part a subtle soundtrack.

Holden says: “This story, among others, taught me my gay history, put my life into perspective, and helped me to grow up. The names and a lot of the events have been changed, and a hell of a lot of material has been imagined.

This play is a tribute to a generation decimated by HIV and AIDs, a memorial for the old days of Soho, a celebration of electronic music, and an excuse to dance.”

As Polari Gordon would say, Cruise is Fantabulosa.

Duchess Theatre, 3-5 Catherine Street, London, WC2B 5LA. Dates: 18 May – 13 June. Times: Tuesday – Friday 8pm; Saturdays at 3pm & 8pm; Sundays at 3pm & 6pm. Admission: £20 - £65.

Phone: 0330 333 4810 www.cruisetheplay.co.uk Twitter: @CruiseThePlay Instagram: @ CruiseThePlay Switchboard: 0300 330 0630 (10am 10pm Daily)

Drawing Biennial 2021 For many, 2020 was the year for drawing – its absorbing immediacy, its accessibility to all and its capacity for processing ideas, thoughts and emotions made it a vital tool for navigating uncertain times.

The multiplicity of drawings on show reveals sparkling gems, a glossary of the challenges and the opportunities afforded by a global pandemic that has affected us all in different ways.

Featuring new and recent works on paper by leading international artists, the Biennial showcases every imaginable technique and represents artists from a range of generations, backgrounds, and heritages. The exhibition culminates in an online auction taking place over its final two weeks, with all donated works avail- able to purchase – an unmissable chance to own works by established greats and discover emerging talent.

This exhibition and auction of over 300 unique artworks provides an

invaluable snapshot of how artists are working with drawing today.

Drawing Biennial 2021 not only shines a light on the vibrancy and vitality of drawing today but also helps secure its future for tomorrow.

Proceeds will support Drawing Room’s move to its permanent home in Bermondsey in 2022, where

it can continue its exploration, appreciation and expression of the language of drawing.

DRAWING ROOM, 1-27 Rodney Place, London, SE17 1PP? Dates: 21st May 5th July 020 7708 2554 www.drawingroom.org.uk

Southwark News, Thursday April 29 2021

www.southwarknews.co.uk/history

HISTORY 31

History Photo by www.cwgc.org

Leonard Peachey: From walworth workhouse To gallipoli

V Beach Cemetery

The tragic life of a First World War soldier In the early hours of April 24, 1915, the converted coal carrier SS River Clyde moved slowly towards V beach on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey, writes Southwark historian Neil Crossfield…

Hundreds of men from the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, cramped in the dark hold of the ship, prepared to play their part in Churchill’s ill-fated attempt to force the Dardanelles and strike a decisive blow against the Ottoman Empire. Simultaneous landings would take part on other beaches designated X, Y, W and S, while other attacks would be made further up the coast at ANZAC Cove.

One of these soldiers was a young man from Walworth, Sergeant Leonard Arthur Peachey.

Leonard was born on June 18, 1890 to Frederick William Peachey and his mother Caroline. He had a younger brother Frederick William and a sister, Florence Mabel. The brothers attended Michael Faraday Primary school.

Walworth was one of the poorest, most densely populated places in London and the children no doubt would have experienced many of the hardships associated with working class life in the capital at this time. If Leonard’s first ten years were difficult, it would become even harder with the death of his mother on Boxing Day 1900. Her death was initially recorded as being caused by a drunken fall downstairs. At the inquest into her death, coroner G.P. Wyatt had dismissed the Peacheys ‘a drunken disgraceful lot’.

The death of a parent was often catastrophic for children at the turn of the century. After the demise of his mother, the two boys were initially sent to a children’s home in Hertfordshire.

However, they were reunited with their sister in December 1901 when the three siblings spent time in the Newington Workhouse. They had grown up in the shadow of this institution located in Westmoreland Road - just across the street from their family home.

This story took a strange turn two years later when Leonard’s Father walked into Brixton police station and confessed that he had killed his wife by punching her in the street outside their Thurlow Street home. Admitting he had perjured himself at the inquest, Frederick had told the police that it

had played on his mind and had spent seven months as an inmate in the Hanwell Asylum. Though he conceded his part in the assault, he apportioned most of the blame to Leonard’s mother, when he said: ‘It was all caused by my wife giving way to drink’.

For the next few years, the Peachey children spent time in various institutions, first the Central London District School at Hanwell and then, on November 19 1902, Leonard entered the Metropolitan Asylum Boards, Training Ship Exmouth, followed shortly after by his younger brother.

In some ways, the lives of the Peachey boys shadowed that of two other much more famous Walworth brothers.

Charles and Sidney Chaplin had spent time in the Newington Workhouse before moving onto the Hanwell School, which Charlie later wrote about in his autobiography. Sidney had also been resident on the TS Exmouth. The tough regime on board the training ship would have no doubt helped prepare the young Leonard for the next chapter of his life, for on June 2, 1904 he joined the 2nd Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers. Entry into the military was a common career path for poorer boys in the early 20th century and many would have joined as bandsmen at the age of fourteen.

Joining the Dublin Fusiliers would have given Leonard the opportunity to see parts of the world his Walworth counterparts could only have dreamed of.

The regiment spent time in Malta, Cyprus, and Egypt before we see Leonard appearing on the 1911 census as a corporal now stationed in Ahmednagar in India.

Discipline was tough and men struggled with the climate and disease but service in India had its compensations. Men who had lived in abject poverty in London could afford a personal servant to look after their uniforms and a wage of five rupees a week meant they could afford to supplement their rations with local food. One rupee could buy a man fourteen pints of beer!

However, when the First World War broke out, the 1st Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers were mobilised.

Initially they came back to England but

by April 10, 1915 they had arrived at the Mediterranean Island of Mudros, in preparation for the upcoming assault.

The landings at Gallipoli were illconceived and poorly planned. V beach was to be attacked by men of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, who faced a determined force of defenders, fighting to protect their homeland.

Many troops were mown down by

Turkish fire before they even got ashore.

An allied airman reported seeing the sea running red with blood as he flew over the carnage below. Somehow, Leonard survived the initial landings, but his days were numbered. Attempting to consolidate its grip on the peninsula, the allies pushed inland to capture the strategically important village of Krithia. Despite several attempts to capture Krithia, it was never taken during the Gallipoli Campaign.

Leonard is recorded as being killed in action on April 30, 1915 and now lies in the Commonwealth War Graves V Beach Cemetery where he is commemorated with 696 other allied troops who also fell. Strategically, the campaign was a complete failure, apart from ignominious but successful retreats from the ANZAC sector in December 1915 and from Cape Helles in January 1916.

The Allied commanders may have lived to fight another day, but they left Peachey and around 50,000 other Allied dead behind when they evacuated.

We may never know what Peachey thought of the journey he had taken from Thurlow Street to V Beach but hopefully by recognising his short and sometimes sad life, we ensure that he will not be forgotten.

32 RECRUITMENT

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Fixed Term until 31/03/2022 with possibility of extension £35,350 FTE Apply by 9AM on Tuesday, 4th May 2021 For full details and to apply please visit www.communitysouthwark.org/News/hr-andoffice-manager-at-community-southwark

Southwark News, Thursday April 29 2021

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 SECTION 14(1) (MONTAGUE CLOSE, UPPERGROUND, UNDERHILL ROAD. WHITE HART YARD) (TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC) 1.

The Council of the London Borough of Southwark hereby gives notice that to enable DDC Ltd, UKPN, J Browne, Conway, to carry out works, 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 are displayed, no person shall cause any vehicle to enter, proceed, stop, wait, load or unload in: (a) Montague Close, at it’s junction with Tooley Street (b) Upper Ground, between Rennie Street and Blackfriars Road. (c) Underhill Road, southbound lane of carriageway, between Melford Road and Lordship Lane. (d) White Hart Yard, between Borough High Street to 80m east of entrance to Chaucer House.

The alternative route for affected traffic (2a) Tooley Street, Borough High Street, Marshalsea Road, Southwark Bridge Road, Union Street, Borough High Street, Bedale Street. Cathedral Street, Winchester Walk, Stoney Street, Park Street, Redcross Way, Southwark Street, Bedale Street. (2b) Stamford Street, Rennie Street. (2c) Underhill Road, Melford Road, Lordship Lane (2d) access to White Hart Yard is via Guys Hosp Service Road. (pedestrian diversion) from Chaucer House: White Hart Yard, Kings Head Yard, Borough High Street, White Hart Yard

3.

The effect of the order would also ban the left turn by vehicles from Blackfriars Road into Upper Ground for (2b)

4.

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

5.

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

6.

The works will be in operation for (2a) 10th May. (2b) 10th – 14th May (2c) 10th May – 6th June. (2d) 10th May – 26th June.

7.

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

Dated this 29th April 2021 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: (2a) 5721/CRANEMONTAGUECL (2b)5625/69808655re-ad (2c) 5694/UNDERHILL3-SL (2d) 5699/76611246

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PUBLIC NOTICES 33

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK GUY’S AND ST THOMAS’ CHARITABLE PROGRAMME: BRUNSWICK PARK AREA TRIAL PHASE 2 The London Borough of Southwark (Prescribed routes) (Havil Street) Experimental Traffic Order 2021 The London Borough of Southwark (Brunswick Park) (Map-based) (No. 2) Experimental Traffic Order 2021 1.Southwark Council hereby GIVES NOTICE that on 29 April 2021 it has made o the above experimental orders under sections 9 and 10 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

2.The effects of the experimental Orders, the intention of which is to improve local air quality, promote sustainable travel (walking and cycling), and to deter motor vehicle through traffic in the Brunswick Park area, as part of the Guy's and St Thomas' Charity programme, will be:(a) to introduce a point road closure prohibiting the movement of motor vehicles, with certain exemptions including that of emergency services access, which will be physically enforced with traffic signs and the installation of planters and flexible bollards, in HAVIL STREET at a point 64 metres south-east of its junction with Southampton Way; and (b) in CPZ ‘EC’ on the north-east side of HAVIL STREET (outside Orange Tree Court) (i) to suspend 6 metres of existing permit holders’ parking place, and (ii) to add new ‘at any time’ waiting restrictions (6 metres in total).

3. For more information on the background and implementation of the trial please contact Roberta Cardella of the council's Highways, Transport Projects team Highways@southwark.gov.uk 4. Copies of the orders, which will come into force on 7 May 2021 (and expire on 10 November 2022), this notice, plans and a statement of the council's reasons for making the orders may be found online at www.southwark.gov.uk/trafficorders. Paper copies may be obtained from or viewed at Highways, Environment and Leisure, 3rd floor hub 2, 160 Tooley Street, London SE1 2QH by appointment only for booking details contact traffic.orders@southwark.gov.uk or 020 7525 3497.

5. The council will in due course be considering whether the provisions of the experimental order/s should be continued in force indefinitely, by means of a permanent order made under section 6 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. Anyone wishing to object to the making of the permanent order/s or make any other representation regarding the scheme would have 6 months to do so, from the date the experimental order comes into force (or, if the order is varied by a subsequent order or modified pursuant to section 10(2) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, from the date that variation order or modification comes into force), and may send a statement to traffic.orders@southwark.gov.uk or to: Traffic Order consultations, Highways, Southwark Council, Environment and Leisure, P.O. Box 64529, London SE1P 5LX; or use the form labelled 'Parking - Road traffic and highway schemes - responding to statutory consultation notices' at www.southwark.gov.uk/statutoryconsultationnotices quoting reference ‘TMO2122-EXP05_Brunswick Park phase 2’. Please note that if you wish to object to the scheme you must state the grounds on which your objection is made.

6. Under requirements of current access to information legislation, any letter or e-mail sent to the Council in response to this Notice may be subject to publication or disclosure, or both, including communication to other persons affected.

7. Anyone wishing to question the validity of the order/s or of any provision 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 have not been complied with in relation to the order/s may, within 6 weeks of the date on which the order was made, make application for the purpose to the High Court.

Dated 29 April 2021 Dale Foden - Head of Service - Highways, Environment and Leisure London Borough of Southwark

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK LONDON STREETSPACE PROGRAMME – BERMONDSEY STREET AREA PHASE 2

GUY’S AND ST THOMAS’ CHARITABLE PROGRAMME: BRUNSWICK PARK AREA TRIAL MODIFICATIONS TO PHASE 1

The London Borough of Southwark (LSP Bermondsey Street) (Map-based) (No. 2) Experimental Traffic Order 2021

The London Borough of Southwark (Prescribed routes) (Brunswick Park area) Experimental Traffic Order 2020

1. Southwark Council hereby GIVES NOTICE that on 29 April 2021 it has made the above experimental order under sections 9 and 10 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

1. Southwark Council hereby GIVES NOTICE that on 29 April 2021 it has made modifications to the above experimental order under sections 9 and 10 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

2.The effects of the experimental Order, the intention of which is to provide additional permit parking places in Controlled Parking Zone ‘F’ in the Bermondsey Street area, as part of the London Streetspace Programme, will be:(a)introduce 7 metres permit parking in LEATHERMARKET STREET north-east side o/s No. 22; (b) introduce 5 metres permit parking in TANNER STREET on the north side o/s No. 9; (c) introduce 10 metres permit parking in WHITES GROUNDS on the north-west side at its junction with Druid Street; and (d) to amend ‘at any time’ waiting restrictions (double yellow lines) in the above locations in LEATHERMARKET STREET, TANNER STREET, and WHITES GROUNDS to accommodate the trial parking changes.

2. The modifications of the experimental order are to make certain revisions to the Guy's and St Thomas' Charity programme Location 2 – Brunswick Park area Phase 1 trials by removing:(a) the trial point road closure in Havil Street, at its junction with Southampton Way (note: this closure will be relocated in Havil Street under Phase 2 of the trial); and (b) the corresponding prescribed routes from both Southampton Way and Rainbow Street (no access to Havil Street).

3. For more information on the background and implementation of this experimental order please contact Roberta Cardella of the council's Highways, Transport Projects team Highways@southwark.gov.uk

4. Copies of the modified order, which will come into force on 7 May 2021 (and expire on 29 June 2022), this notice, plan and a statement of the council's reasons for making the order may be found online at www.southwark.gov.uk/trafficorders. Paper copies may be obtained from or viewed at Highways, Environment and Leisure, 3rd floor hub 2, 160 Tooley Street, London SE1 2QH by appointment only - for booking details contact traffic.orders@southwark.gov.uk or 020 7525 3497.

4. Copies of the order, which will come into force on 7 May 2021 (and expire on 10 November 2022), this notice, plan and a statement of the council's reasons for making the order may be found online at www.southwark.gov.uk/trafficorders. Paper copies may be obtained from or viewed at Highways, Environment and Leisure, 3rd floor hub 2, 160 Tooley Street, London SE1 2QH by appointment only for booking details contact traffic.orders@southwark.gov.uk or 020 7525 3497.

5. The council will in due course be considering whether the provisions of the experimental order should be continued in force indefinitely, by means of a permanent order made under section 6 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. Anyone wishing to object to the making of the permanent order or make any other representation regarding the scheme would have 6 months to do so, from the date the experimental order comes into force (or, if the order is varied by a subsequent order or modified pursuant to section 10(2) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, from the date that variation order or modification comes into force), and may send a statement to traffic.orders@southwark.gov.uk or to: Traffic Order consultations, Highways, Southwark Council, Environment and Leisure, P.O. Box 64529, London SE1P 5LX; or use the form labelled 'Parking - Road traffic and highway schemes - responding to statutory consultation notices' at www.southwark.gov.uk/statutoryconsultationnotices quoting reference ‘TMO2122-EXP06_LSP Bermondsey St phase 2’. Please note that if you wish to object to the scheme you must state the grounds on which your objection is made.

6. Under requirements of current access to information legislation, any letter or e-mail sent to the Council in response to this Notice may be subject to publication or disclosure, or both, including communication to other persons affected.

7. Anyone wishing to question the validity of the order or of any provision 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 have not been complied with in relation to the order may, within 6 weeks of the date on which the order was made, make application for the purpose to the High Court.

Dated 29 April 2021 Dale Foden - Head of Service - Highways, Environment and Leisure

3. For more information on the background and implementation of this experimental order please contact Roberta Cardella of the council's Highways, Transport Projects team Highways@southwark.gov.uk

5. The council will in due course be considering whether the provisions of the experimental order should be continued in force indefinitely, by means of a permanent order made under section 6 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. Anyone wishing to object to the making of the permanent order or make any other representation regarding the scheme would have 6 months to do so, from the date that these modifications come into force, and may send a statement to traffic.orders@southwark.gov.uk or to: Traffic Order consultations, Highways, Southwark Council, Environment and Leisure, P.O. Box 64529, London SE1P 5LX; or use the form labelled 'Parking - Road traffic and highway schemes responding to statutory consultation notices' at www.southwark.gov.uk/statutoryconsultationnotices quoting reference ‘TMO2122-EXP05_Brunswick Park phase 2’. Please note that if you wish to object to the scheme you must state the grounds on which your objection is made.

6. Under requirements of current access to information legislation, any letter or e-mail sent to the Council in response to this Notice may be subject to publication or disclosure, or both, including communication to other persons affected.

7. Anyone wishing to question the validity of the order or of any provision 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 have not been complied with in relation to the order may, within 6 weeks of the date on which the order was made, make application for the purpose to the High Court.

Dated 29 April 2021 Dale Foden - Head of Service - Highways, Environment and Leisure

To pla ce a notice , pleas e email em@s outhwar knews .co .uk or call 07798 8337 58

34 PUBLIC NOTICES

www.southwarknews.co.uk

Southwark News, Thursday April 29 2021

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1990 (AS AMENDED) PLANNING (LISTED BUILDING AND CONSERVATION AREAS) ACT 1990 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; BELLS GARDENS COMMUNITY CENTRE 19 BULLER CLOSE LONDON SOUTHWARK SE15 6UJ (Ref: 21/AP/1077) Construction of 97 homes, alongside the provision of the existing community facilities on the site as well as new landscaped areas.

Reason(s) for publicity: (Contact: Alexander Cameron 020 7525 5416) 84 CAMBERWELL GROVE LONDON SOUTHWARK SE5 8RF (Ref: 21/AP/1308) Reopening of the original staircase linking the ground floor and the basement of the property, the refurbishment of the basement bathroom, the creation of a lobby between the basement and the coal store located under the main ground floor access stairs, the replacement of the sash window and windows of the basement floor, the replacement of the French doors and windows of the rear extension, the replacement of the railings of the front garden and the replacement of the fanlight windows above the main entrance door. (Within: Camberwell Grove Conservation Area CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Richard Craig 020 7525 0436) 17-21 RISBOROUGH STREET LONDON SOUTHWARK (Ref: 21/AP/1207) Redevelopment of 17-21 Risborough Street to provide a seven-storey building in commercial use (E(g)) with ancillary accommodation including plant, services, cycle storage within a basement. Reason(s) for publicity: MAJ

(Contact: Alexander Cameron 020 7525 5416) MAYFLOWER 117 ROTHERHITHE STREET LONDON SOUTHWARK SE16 4NF (Ref: 21/AP/1296) Retrospective planning permission for the erection of the freestanding timber pergola to the rear elevation. (Within: St Marys Rotherhithe CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Ewan Lawless 020 7525 1264) THE LAURELS 1A ALLISON GROVE LONDON SOUTHWARK SE21 7ER (Ref: 21/AP/1340) Two-storey front and two-storey side gable extension, single-storey rear extension. New build garage, and rebuilding of existing garden studio. (Within: Dulwich Village CA) Reason(s) for publicity: AFFECT STDCA (Contact: Yvonne Sampoh 020 7525 4929) 106 SCYLLA ROAD LONDON SOUTHWARK SE15 3RZ (Ref: 21/AP/1168) Construction of rear extension, window replacement, and internal alterations to a ground floor property. (Within: Nunhead Green CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Anthony Roberts 020 7525 5458) 27 SURREY ROAD LONDON SOUTHWARK SE15 3AS (Ref: 21/AP/1338) Construction of a single storey side and rear extension. Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Anthony Roberts 020 7525 5458)

12 STONEY STREET LONDON SOUTHWARK (Ref: 21/AP/1130) Conversion of apartment on 2nd and 3rd floors into two self-contained flats. (Within: Borough High Street CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Ibrahim Azam ) 99 COURT LANE LONDON SOUTHWARK SE21 7EF (Ref: 21/AP/1350) Installation of external condensor to the rear elevation and new soil vent pipe to the front elevation (Within: Dulwich Village CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Hajnalka Kurti 020 7525 3701) 38 ELEPHANT LANE LONDON SOUTHWARK SE16 4JD (Ref: 21/AP/1355) Installation of 4no. aluminium frame rooflights, the insertion of a window in gable to loft space and all associated works. (Within: Edward III's Rotherhithe CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Anthony Roberts 020 7525 5458)

LETTSOM TENANTS HALL 114 AND 88 AND 86 VESTRY ROAD LONDON SOUTHWARK SE5 8PQ (Ref: 21/AP/1358) Demolition of the existing Lettsom Tenants Residents Association Hall and the adjacent canopy, demolition of 88 Vestry Road (commercial unit) and the construction of a replacement Tenants Hall at ground floor with 11 residential units above, refurbishment of 86 Vestry Road (commercial unit) as part of the Tenants Hall, adjustments to the southerly staircase serving 76-86, 90-94, 102-112 Vestry Road, new landscaping and a pedestrian route through the site Reason(s) for publicity: MAJ (Contact: Abbie McGovern 020 7525 0254) Dated: 27 Apr 2021 - comments to be received within 21 days of this date.

SIMON BEVAN Director of Planning

65 BURBAGE ROAD LONDON SOUTHWARK SE24 9HB (Ref: 21/AP/1354) Demolition of existing side extension and construction of a new ground floor side extension and all associated works. (Within: Dulwich Village CA) Reason(s) for publicity: STDCA (Contact: Anthony Roberts 020 7525 5458)

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK

LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 SECTION 14(1) (BUSHEY HILL ROAD)

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 SECTION 14(1) (MERMAID COURT, SURREY ROW, POCOCK STREET)

TEMPORARY WAITING AND LOADING RESTRICTIONS

(TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF TRAFFIC)

1.

The Council of the London Borough of Southwark hereby gives notice, that to facilitate Thames Water works, it made, an order, the effect of which would be to prohibit vehicular traffic from waiting and loading/unloading at any time.

1.

The Council of the London Borough of Southwark hereby gives notice that to enable highway, and UKPN 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 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/unloading “at any time” in:

2.

Whilst the works are in progress, or whilst the authorised traffic signs are displayed, no person shall cause any vehicle to enter, proceed, stop, wait, load or unload in: (a) Mermaid Court, between Tennis Street and Bowling Green Place (b) Surrey Row, at its junction with Blackfriars Road (c) Pocock Street, east side of carriageway at it’s junction with Blackfriars road

(a) Bushey Hill Road, northbound kerb line between No’s 60 and the southbound kerb line, between No’s 62 3.

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.

3.

The existing one way working in Surrey Row, will be made two way for access and egress purposes for (2b)

4.

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 effect of the order would also ban the left turn by vehicles from Blackfriars Road into Pocock Street for (2c)

5.

The restriction will come into force on (2a) 10th May

5.

The alternative route for affected traffic (2a) Bowling Green Place, Newcomen Street, Tennis Street. (2b) as indicated by the signs displayed (2b) as indicated by the signs displayed.

6.

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

6.

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.

7.

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.

8.

The works will be in operation for (2a) 17th – 22nd May (2b) 17th – 21 May (2c) 24th – 29th May

9.

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

Dated this 29th April 2021 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: (2a) 5674/ 003345RTHN-01

To p l a ce a n o ti ce , p le a s e e m ail em@so ut hw ark n ews.co .uk o r c a ll 07 798 8 33 7 58 D ead l in e i s 12 n oo n on Tuesda ys

Dated this 29th April 2021 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: (2a) 5662/55171286 (2b) 5752/78313381 (2c) 5753/21086365

Southwark News, Thursday April 29 2021

www.southwarknews.co.uk/sport

SPORT 35

Surrey collapse in London derby loss

Stewart: ‘We make same mistakes over and over’ Photo by Mark Sandom

Surrey 154 and 130 Middlesex 268 and 18-0 Middlesex 21 pts beat Surrey 3pts by 10 wickets.

By Sport Reporter sport@southwarknews.co.uk ALEC STEWART said too many of Surrey’s dismissals were “selfinflicted” after their ten-wicket defeat in their London derby against Middlesex last weekend.

Middlesex’s seamers sparked a dizzying Surrey collapse as they wrapped up an emphatic win before lunch on day three at Lord’s.

Ethan Bamber had England opener Rory Burns caught behind from the first ball of the day and the domino effect which followed saw the visitors lose their last seven wickets for 25 runs in just over an hour.

Bamber finished with three for 30 and Murtagh two for 30, while Roland Jones mercilessly cleaned up the tail to claim four for 29.

The combination of superb seam bowling and flaky batting left Middlesex just 17 to win, Max Holden and Sam Robson knocking them off without loss off just 15 deliveries.

Surrey had begun just nine runs behind the hosts with seven wickets standing, much of their hopes pinned on skipper Burns, unbeaten overnight on 54.

However, in the most dramatic of starts, Bamber caught him off guard before he’d got his feet moving and the outside edge carried to wicketkeeper John Simpson.

Rory Burns was caught behind from the first ball His demise brought Jamie Smith to the crease and he should have been sent packing in the next over from Murtagh, but Robson spilt the sharp chance at second slip.

Robson would atone quickly, snapping up the next chance offered

by Ben Foakes after he fenced at a wide one from Murtagh.

A welcome boundary from Smith meant Middlesex would have to bat again, but he failed to make the most of his earlier reprieve, Bamber trapping him plumb in front later in

the same over.

The visitors were now in disarray and continued to contribute to their own downfall with Toby-RolandJones the next home bowler to profit.

The former England seamer had just replaced Bamber at the Pavilion End

when Jordan Clark played across a straight one and saw his middle stump unceremoniously uprooted.

Murtagh continued the procession by trapping Rikki Clarke lbw and Surrey were down to their last pair when Roland-Jones splayed the stumps for a second time, Reece Topley the man to go.

The end would come in the same over as Roland-Jones, tail up, pinned last man Amar Virdi lbw.

“We didn’t play to the standards we’d want to play to throughout the game,” Stewart said.

“The bowling was good. The catching definitely wasn’t as we dropped too many.

“Some of the batsmen if they had their time again would choose a different shot selection. Too many of the dismissals were self-inflicted.

“It’s about not making the same mistakes time and time again. We all make mistakes, always have and always will, but making the same mistakes over and over, that’s just dumb.”

Middlesex captain Peter Handscomb added: “We spoke this morning about how we wanted to bowl and that has got to be our blueprint for the rest of the year.

“We put them under a lot of pressure and gave them no chances to score runs. For the bowlers to come out and do that I couldn’t be prouder of them.

“The experience of Murtagh and Roland-Jones led the way in the first innings and today for Ethan Bamber to come out the way he did and get the key wicket of Burns with the first ball just set the tone.”

Memorial for ‘exceptional’ Southwark tennis legend

By John Kelly johnk@southwarknews.co.uk A MEMORIAL service will be held this Sunday after the passing of Southwark tennis coaching legend, Milton Gayle.

Milton was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1952 and immigrated to England at the age of fifteen, in 1967. He joined his parents, three brothers and one sister who had already moved to south-east London, with one younger brother back in Jamaica.

After having his passion for the sport ignited when he was gifted a Fred Perry tennis racquet by a tourist at a club in Jamaica, after moving to London financial limitations and racial barriers at the time limited him to practising against a wall for ten years, until he was 25 years old.

Instead of being able to pursue tennis by playing competitively, he began coaching in the late 1970s at Burgess Park, on rundown courts with often up to 30

children on a single court.

Milton eventually became a fully qualified coach, obtaining a Level 5 LTA Coaching Qualification - the highest level offered by the national governing body for tennis, LTA (Lawn Tennis Association).

This enabled him to coach at the highest level and work with some of the most talented young players from south-east London.

“Instead of playing I turned to coaching,” Milton explained. “And I never left my local community - even though I teach tennis at the highest level - because I didn’t want another child from my community to go through what I went through and couldn’t play.

“So, I did all I could to bring tennis to my local community.”

Milton’s ceaseless efforts in encouraging the pursuit of tennis in the local community, for multiple decades, were rewarded in 2004 when the local council funded the redevelopment of the Southwark City Tennis Club (SCTC) in

Burgess Park.

The club has since attracted thousands of participants and has provided a fundamental base for children from underprivileged backgrounds to pursue tennis competitively.

The club has nurtured national level juniors, has had players who obtained university sport scholarships in the USA, and many of the club’s players have become coaches themselves, paying forward support to the wider community.

The long list of emerging coaches from SCTC includes Arum Akom, currently the head coach at Butterfly Tennis Club, at the age of 22.

One of those influenced by Milton, Kunal Patel, who lives on Bermondsey Street, paid tribute to the coach.

“Milton supported and encouraged so many kids and others for decades to pursue tennis, regardless of their financial background or starting ability,” he said. “He coached my sister back in 2006 when my family had just immigrated

Milton Gayle to the UK - at a time when we were very poor - and coached me too in 2014, at a hugely discounted rate, when I was still a university student.

“He was truly an exceptional coach. He fundamentally transformed my game and gave me so much belief in my tennis.

“I recall him saying to me: ‘Practise hard

and believe in your game. You will beat these other guys very soon.’

“Honestly, almost everything I know and share about tennis today, I owe to Milton. I will be forever grateful to him.”

The memorial will be held at Tanner Street Park on Sunday, May 3, from 10am2pm.

36 SPORT

www.southwarknews.co.uk/sport

By John Kelly Johnk@southwarknews.co.uk KATIE WHITMORE was disappointed with her side’s “end product” as Millwall Lionesses suffered a 7-1 defeat in their friendly against Billericay Town Reserves at St Paul’s last weekend.

Whitmore felt that her young side created opportunities to attack, but aside from a solitary effort from Shannan Drewe, the Lionesses posed little clear-cut goal threat.

Billericay Town play two tiers above Millwall, and had some first-team players in their Reserve side.

“We’ve got to see it that we did score and we did go on the attack, so we were creating opportunities, but we just didn’t really take them much,” Whitmore said.

“Billericay Reserves took their opportunities, they played some great football which we can’t take away from them, but again, it’s a lot of situations we need to look at and scenarios we need to look at to move forward.

“We are not clinical enough at the moment, I think that’s the problem.

We do a lot of the hard work and the end product isn’t there, or we’re not clinical enough with our end product for it to pay off.

“Whereas with Billericay Reserves, you can see they were quite clinical and they were passing the ball around quite nicely. Unfortunately, we just didn’t do it, whether or not the girls put added pressure on themselves for whatever reason, which they didn’t need to do, it just wasn’t necessarily working for us.”

Millwall were 2-1 down at the break, but a change of formation for the hosts at half-time didn’t go as planned, as it gave the Essex-based side more opportunities for offensive play, and the Lionesses conceded five more goals in the second half.

Whitmore was frustrated and took responsibility for the tactical decision.

“We changed formation in the second half, and I’ll take accountability that we shouldn’t have changed formation.

“I listened to the players and what they felt they needed. I listened and it didn’t work. But, as manager, I take accountability for that, as that decision came from me.

“I should have kept the formation as it was, but again, like I said, we just weren’t clinical enough with our end

Southwark News, Thursday April 29 2021

Fans are back at St Paul’s in Rotherhithe

Boss takes the blame Lionesses conceded five goals after formation switch product.”

Lionesses striker Abbey Dell worked tirelessly throughout, but she struggled to really test the opposition goalkeeper.

Whitmore, though, praised the effort and work rate of her centre-forward.

“The last two games, you can really see we’ve not been able to give Abbey Dell any kind of product to work on,” Whitmore said. “We’ve not been able to feed into her and she’s been

running her socks off pressing, but I can’t ask for much more from Abbey in the sense of what she does off the ball.

“It is something we need to work on [as a squad], whether it is [finding] the back of the net or finding Abbey Dell, the girls need to get better at doing it.”

Another player who was commended for her efforts was goalkeeper Millie Carter, who pulled

off a string of superb saves to prevent a worse defeat.

“We say it every week about Millie Carter, we could have lost by a lot more today based on performances,” Whitmore said. “I say it to the girls every time, that there are ten players in front of my goalkeeper, and it goes through ten players before it gets to my goalkeeper.

“She saved us a lot, we could have lost by a lot more and I think she’s a

superb goalkeeper.

“She shouldn’t lose her head in the sense of being disheartened with her performance, because a lot of the time it does not come from her individual error. It’s a squad error that she unfortunately has to deal with and being a goalkeeper, that does come with that added pressure.

“She steps up every week and she bounces back every week, and you can’t fault her for that.”

Ten (and nine) man Peckham seal remarkable win

By Sam Boyle sport@southwarknews.co.uk AFTER AN enforced six-month break from competitive football, Peckham Town began their defence of the London Senior Trophy with a 3-0 win over Croydon FC at the Menace last weekend.

Despite being reduced to ten men when Joe Thomas was sent off for two bookable offences and then temporarily nine, after captain Nicky Meta’s departure to the sin bin, Mary Phillip’s side dug deep to reach the last eight of the competition they won in thrilling fashion last season.

After home goalkeeper George Legg

had made an early save, Town picked up the pace and started to dominate.

Kevin Dance, Brian Villalba and Youssef Bouimane all had chances to put the hosts ahead in the first half but it remained goal-less at the break.

And early in the second half Croydon were handed what looked a major advantage when Thomas received his marching orders.

Instead, the decision galvanised Peckham.

Phillip made a tactical change in response to the red card with Villalba dropping into midfield and David Gabor leading the line as the sole striker.

Despite losing his front partner, there was no stopping Gabor as he received

the ball and turned before firing into the bottom corner to put the home side in front.

Legg kept his team ahead when he denied Martin Smith but there was then a further blow for Peckham when Meta was sinbinned following a tussle with Croydon midfielder Jubril Adamson.

After words were exchanged with the referee, Peckham found themselves facing the next ten minutes of the game with just nine men.

But remarkably it was the Menace that continued to drive forward, Gabor denied a second goal when his effort hit the post.

The visitors thought they should have had a penalty after a challenge by Legg, but their appeals were waved away.

And worse followed for the visitors when Marcus Black – who had come on for the injured Gabor – deservedly made it 2-0.

Croydon desperately pressed to try to rescue the tie, but that only left space for Peckham and Villalba punished them when he finished from a counterattack.

“It was an amazing game [and also] a bit of a nervy game as it was our first game back since October,” Phillip said.

“First fifteen minutes, Croydon put us under the cosh a bit, but once we got our game into play we were playing some nice football.

“To go ten men down within the first three minutes of the second half was a bit of a blow, but we rejigged our

back-line and we scored within seven of minutes of that little change-around, which settled the team.

“We just continued playing and you wouldn’t think that we were playing with a man down, and with nine when Nicky was sinbinned. We were a force to be reckoned with today.”

The Menace travel to Charlton to face Bridon Ropes away in the quarterfinals on May 15.

Peckham Town: George Legg; Youssef Bouimane, Charlie Egleton, Adam Carrick, Mustafa Hashemi (Adam Toubal 52); Kevin Dance, Norman Hong, Joe Thomas, Nicky Meta (Tidian Barry 88); David Gabor (Marcus Black 74), Brian Villalba.

Southwark News, Thursday April 29 2021

www.newsatden.co.uk

MILLWALL 37

Lions can’t spoil Hornets’ party

Millwall leave points behind at Vicarage Road Jake Cooper trying to cause trouble in the Watford box

SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP watford - 1 Sarr 11’ (pen) Millwall - 0 Date: Saturday 24 April 2021 Attendance: 0 Referee: Dean Whitestone Man of the match: Daniel Bachmann

THE LINE-UPS 26 Bachmann 21 Femenia

5 Troot-Ekong

8 Cleverley

23 Sarr

12 Sema

Gray 60’

9 Bradshaw Zohore 71’

Burey 81’

5-2-3

16 Gosling

Chalobah 60’

10 Joao Pedro

20 Bennett

Mahoney 78’

11 Masina

31 Sierralta

19 Hughes

C Sanchez 84’

14 Malone

4-3-3

24 Mitchell

Williams 71’

5 Cooper

7 J Wallace

16 Kieftenbeld 28 Evans

33 Bialkowski

12 Romeo

23 McNamara Muller 77’

By Jake Sanders at Vicarage Road sport@southwarknews.co.uk MAKE NO mistake, this was Watford’s day, but Millwall more than tried to spoil the party.

Just like the reverse meeting in January, the Lions pushed Xisco’s men all the way, but this was just another episode of what might have been for the visitors.

You could say that it was the story for Millwall’s season. So much promise, so little achieved.

Watford won and achieved their promotion.

However, on an afternoon when Gary Rowett was without six of his first-team players, three of whom arguably start in the best XI, Millwall gave an impressive account of themselves against a side that had the luxury of bringing the likes of Nathaniel Chalobah and Andre Gray off the bench – with those two having racked up the small matter of 150 Premier League appearances between them.

To put that into context, two of the Lions’ five substitutes, Tyler Burey and Hayden Muller, had never started a league game between them – with the latter making just his third career outing late on.

But the underdog tag has never bothered Millwall in the past, and it didn’t here.

The Londoners also had the added incentive of knowing that a first victory at Vicarage Road for fifteen years would put Watford’s promotion party on hold, with

the Hornets needing three more points to guarantee their place back in the Premier League.

But if Watford felt extra pressure following Brentford’s victory at Bournemouth earlier in the day, they had a funny way of showing it because if the early exchanges had been fought out in a boxing ring, the referee would have stopped it, or Rowett would have thrown in the towel – whichever came first.

Ismaila Sarr’s pace, Joao Pedro’s movement, and Ken Sema’s quality. At times, it was tiring even to watch if you were a Lions fan.

But when Millwall are on the ropes they’ve got a great habit of managing to stay in the fight, which has served them well so often in the past.

They struggled to do that against Swansea and Bournemouth this month, but a combination of some poor Watford finishing, and some brilliant last-ditch defending, ensured that wasn’t the case here.

But everything good about Millwall only arrived following their bad start.

That bad start came about when both Scott Malone and Billy Mitchell switched off, allowing Sarr to nip in behind and the latter’s rash challenge sent the Hornets winger to the ground.

Despite his theatrical antics that followed, Sarr made a speedy recovery before picking himself up to roll the ball past Bartosz Bialkowski.

Millwall had their chances. Mitchell tried

his best to atone for his earlier mistake as he stung the palms of Daniel Bachmann, before Jed Wallace kept the ball alive and found Mason Bennett, whose deflected effort clipped the crossbar.

Another chance arrived Tom Bradshaw’s way moments after the start of the second half, but the ex-Barnsley striker showed exactly why he hasn’t netted for almost three months by missing the target.

That’s what Millwall have missed this season – someone to gobble up those kinds of chances.

Bradshaw went closer than anyone else in red and white when his header midway through the second period forced Bachmann to scramble across and claw away from on his goal-line.

Millwall fans watching at home wouldn’t have faulted the effort or desire of their players, but that quality in those crucial areas wasn’t always there.

But even with little to play for, Millwall kept piling forward pushing for what would have been a well-deserved equaliser.

The Lions inevitably left spaces and Sarr almost took advantage, but Mahlon Romeo, playing at right centre-back for the very first time in his Millwall career, saw off the danger.

Substitutes Gray and Chalobah fluffed their chances to make Watford’s route to the Premier League slightly less stressful.

Wallace then sent in an inviting ball that begged to be tucked home, as Millwall kept trying to spoil the party for those

fans gathering outside Vicarage Road.

In the end it wasn’t a wasted trip for those fans, nor for the Lions. There were more minutes for youngsters Burey and Muller. They will hope for first league starts next week.

Romeo also played in a new position and he passed his test. That could be an option next season.

One victory from their final two games should see Millwall finish in the top half for the second consecutive season.

Rowett is already eagerly anticipating next season. It will be his first transfer window with some breathing space, after two in January and one, last summer, that was shortened by the extension of the 2019-20 season and overlapped with the start of this campaign.

Rowett has built on solid foundations – now he needs to find that flourish to get towards those top-six spots.

Head to Head 55% 9 4 5 9

Possession Shots Shots on target Corners Fouls

45% 13 2 5 19

38 MILLWALL

www.newsatden.co.uk

Southwark News, Thursday April 29 2021

Lions look back on ‘what ifs’

Ryan Leonard

But midfielder is optimistic ahead of next season exclusive John Kelly johnk@southwarknews.co.uk IT’S BEEN a ‘what if’ kind of a season for Millwall.

What if Troy Parrott, one of the most highly-rated young forwards in the Premier League, hadn’t got injured after impressing so much in preseason?

What if Kenneth Zohore had managed to stay fit for more games after showing how effective he can be in the Championship?

What if Jake Cooper hadn’t missed four matches – none of which Millwall won – after twice dislocating his shoulder?

The list of questions is a long one, and you can add to it the absence of Ryan Leonard, just as the Lions had picked up form in 2021 and hinted they could be an outside bet for the top six.

But Millwall just had too much ground to make up, and further injuries to the likes of Shaun Hutchinson and Murray Wallace didn’t help.

Leonard was a regular in the side and one of Millwall’s best players this season when he tore ankle ligaments in a tackle in the 4-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday in February and hasn’t played since.

In keeping with the theme of the campaign, another midfielder, Maikel Kieftenbeld, was also injured in that game and missed two months.

But Leonard feels it was a fifteengame run from October to January with only one win – against this Saturday’s opponents Bristol City – that really did the damage and gave the side too much to do.

Attackers Parrott, Zohore and Connor Mahoney missed a number of those games, no doubt contributing to Millwall only scoring more than one goal in one of them – against the Robins – as they slipped down to seventeenth place.

“It was a frustrating time,” Leonard said. “We broke it against Bristol City away when it just seemed to click and every player performed really well.

“But before that maybe we overthought it at times and we were too desperate to win games. We went through a period of drawing a lot of games and that didn’t help us.

“Listen, it’s a tough league. Especially this season, you almost have a game every three days. You’re playing against good players and teams every few days. There’s no hiding place.

“Of course, the injuries didn’t help.

But every team has injuries and problems. Some have more than others.

“It was frustrating for the gaffer, the coaching team, the players. We were

desperate to try to put it right and we eventually started to do that.

“But it was that run that probably cost us.”

Leonard admitted it was tough recuperating during lockdown, without the release of an outing to the cinema or restaurants or cafes.

“When there are a few of us that are injured it’s never fun anyway, but when there’s nothing to do you just go home and ice [the injury] and you’ve got nothing else to think about other than your injury,” Leonard said.

“It’s nice of course to have family around but it is kind of a case of you just eat, sleep and breathe your injury.

You’re desperate to get back.

“There’s never a good time to get injured, but especially when you seem to be playing quite well, which I thought I was at the time. So it’s a doubly frustrating one.

“But you get injuries and knocks and it’s a case of getting yourself right, making the correct decisions and getting yourself back as quickly as you can.”

Millwall were in the middle of a ninegame unbeaten run when Leonard got injured, as their play-off chances briefly flickered.

“I was pleased for the lads but was frustrated to not be involved,” he said.

“Before I got injured we were doing quite well, we were picking up results and points against good teams. I was

playing quite a few positions.

“Then it was quite frustrating. I was watching the games on the iFollow and going to the home games.

“It was good keep involved in it, but it’s difficult to watch the games because you want to be out there involved in it.

“It [getting into the top six] was something that was always in the back of our minds. We started the season really well, we were in contention. But we had that bad run.

“It shows what Barnsley have done this season, to do what they’ve done has been brilliant. No matter what they do now they’ve had a brilliant season.

“That will give everyone, including us, hope for next season. It shows it can be done, that you can break into that top six. When you get into the play-offs who knows what’s going to happen.

“It was never really spoken about in the changing room, by the gaffer or anyone. But we did think, don’t rule us out. We’re that kind of team, those kinds of players. We take that into the new season as well “The last few games have been tough, we’ve had a tough run-in. But the last two or three months the lads have been brilliant, they’ve dug in when we’ve had loads of games and a few injuries. They’ve done really well.”

Leonard is set to be with Millwall

until at least the summer of 2022, after the club extended his contract by twelve months last December.

The versatile former Southend and Sheffield United player was relieved to see his immediate future sorted out.

“That was an option Millwall took,” he explained. “It was nice to get that secured quite early, especially with the injury as well, which wasn’t ideal.

“It was nice to think that they wanted to keep me for another year and I’m happy to stay for another year.

“It was a no-brainer for both sides.

We’ve all got trust in the gaffer and all the team there. We’re looking forward to a few hard running sessions in the summer.

“I’m just looking forward to going into pre-season. It’s going to be a big summer and if we can bring in a few players that will be brilliant.

“I’m doing work in the gym but not outside. I’m just doing gym and the bike and things like that to keep myself ticking over.

“I’m going to miss the last couple of games. I’m going to make sure I’m ready for pre-season, that’s the most important thing now.

“It would have been too much of a risk for me to come back, especially for the last couple of games. It was a collective decision to say let’s take the summer to get back fit and be ready for pre-season.”

Southwark News, Thursday April 29 2021

Championship preview

Millwall

VS

www.newsatden.co.uk

Bristol City

By John Kelly johnk@southwarknews.co.uk GARY ROWETT joked he and Adam Barrett might have to tog out this weekend against Bristol City if Millwall suffer any more injuries.

Tongue-in-cheek, of course, but those words will have pricked the ears of Hayden Muller, the nineteen-year-old centre-back who will surely be thinking he has a good shot at a full league debut in the last week of the season.

Rowett was without three right-sided centre-backs last weekend against Watford – Shaun Hutchinson, Murray Wallace and Ryan Leonard – and played Mahlon Romeo there for the first time this season.

Millwall’s current situation is almost a reflection of the league as a whole.

Alex Pearce said last week there is always something to play for, but for the Lions that is now just pride, and a top-half finish.

Automatic promotion has already been decided, and we know the four sides that will contest the play-offs.

The only thing we don’t know is who will go down. Wycombe are all but relegated given their vastly inferior goal difference to Derby’s.

Apart from the final placings, all but four teams at the bottom essentially know their fate after 46 games.

It’s a bit of an anti-climax to the regular league campaign.

Millwall can still finish anywhere from eighth to fifteenth. Not that it matters greatly in the larger scheme of things, though of course their final two fixtures gives them a chance to collect six points.

A win on Saturday against the Robins should be enough for a top-half placing for the second consecutive season.

That would send them into the summer in a positive mood, especially after all the injury problems this season and a run of one win in fifteen league games that dropped them perilously close to the bottom three before their revival in late January.

Millwall have performed well against the top sides – taking points off Norwich and Brentford in their four games this season – yet lost at home to relegationthreatened Derby, Coventry (albeit

Hayden Muller made his second league appearance for Millwall against Watford last Saturday

The Den, Saturday May 1, Kick-off: 3.00pm

Youngsters in line for full league debuts Centre-back Hayden Muller an option with defenders out

after a number of the Lions squad had been unable to train after contracting Covid-19) and Blackburn.

Rowett insisted that hasn’t been a topic being talked about by him and his coaching staff.

“There’s not been any real discussions, I don’t think there’s any real reason behind anything,” Rowett said.

“If you look at this season we’ve won a lot of the games against the bottom three or four whereas in other seasons they’ve been banana skins.

“Millwall have often beaten a few of the

top teams at The Den. But of course this year we haven’t had the crowd to give us that extra spice and extra atmosphere. So that hasn’t happened as often and we’ve drawn a lot of those games.”

Rowett also referenced the number of goals being scored in the league in this campaign. Millwall have only scored 42 goals in 44 games.

But goals are down across the division.

The last time there was a ‘normal’ season (pre-Covid-19), the top six scored 93 goals, 78, 73, 87, 82 and 69.

This season, with two games left and,

like 2018-19, Norwich on top, those corresponding numbers are: 69, 61, 73, 73, 54 and 56.

Rowett added: “What we’ve seen this season is, again, it’s goals change games and win games and we’ve not quite had as many as we’d have liked this season.

“But I think you could say that for all the teams if you look up and down the league.

Norwich have scored 60-something goals whereas if you look at when they were in the Championship last they were on over 80 by now.

“It’s a low-scoring season.”

Rugged defender could have Championship shot

By John Kelly johnk@southwarknews.co.uk GARY ROWETT believes Alex Mitchell could have the potential to play in the Championship and said Millwall are watching his progress at Bromley closely.

Centre-back Mitchell is on loan at the National League side and they climbed into the play-off places at the weekend after their 2-1 win at Halifax.

Mitchell has stepped into the position of former Millwall defender Byron Webster, who is injured, as Bromley stretched their winning run to four games.

If Mitchell continues to make an impact in the fifth tier he could be part of the Lions’ pre-season preparations or the club will try to

MILLWALL 39

find a suitable Football League loan.

“We’re open to either option,” Rowett said. “If you take Hayden [Muller] and Alex, for example, Hayden’s probably a bit more of a technical ball-playing centre-half.

“Alex is a really big, powerful, physical centre-half with good athleticism.

“When you see him in games you see he’s got some really good attributes that could allow him to play in the Championship at some point.

“If he goes there and does really well, it’s like anything, he takes another step up the ladder.

“For some players they might go out and not do so well, and fall down a little bit.

“You hope that someone goes into the National League and if they have any ambitions of playing in

the Championship in the next year or two then they have to go and do well.

“They have to go and stand out. For Alex to do that in his first game was really encouraging.

“We’ll watch the other games keenly.”

Millwall defender Alex Mitchell, right, is on loan at Bromley

matCh details Possible Millwall starting XI: 3-4-1-2

Bialkowski; Muller, Evans, Cooper; McNamara, Kieftenbeld, Mitchell, Malone; J Wallace; Bennett, Zohore.

Match odds:

Millwall 6/5 Draw 12/5 Bristol City 12/5

Last meeting:

Championship (December 15, 2020): Bristol City 0-2 Millwall (Bradshaw 17, Bennett 68).

SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE Before Tuesday’s game between Brentford and Rotherham P W D L GD Pts

1 Norwich City 44 28 9 7 36 93 2 Watford 44 26 10 8 33 88 3 Brentford 43 21 15 7 32 78 4 Bournemouth 44 22 11 11 30 77 5 Swansea City 44 22 11 11 18 77 6 Barnsley 44 23 8 13 10 77 7 Reading 44 19 12 13 11 69 8 Cardiff City 44 17 13 14 13 64 9 Middlesbrough 44 18 9 17 5 63 10 QPR 44 17 11 16 -2 62 11 Luton Town 43 17 9 17 -9 60 12 Millwall 44 14 17 13 -3 59 13 Stoke City 44 14 15 15 -2 57 14 Preston NE 44 16 7 21 -10 55 15 Blackburn Rovers 44 14 11 19 8 53 16 Birmingham City 44 13 13 18 -17 52 17 Nottingham F 44 12 15 17 -7 51 18 Bristol City 44 15 6 23 -17 51 19 Coventry City 44 13 12 19 -17 51 20 Huddersfield T 44 12 11 21 -21 47 21 Derby County 44 11 10 23 -21 43 22 Rotherham U 42 11 6 25 -15 39 23 Sheffield W 44 12 9 23 -21 39 * 24 Wycombe W 44 9 10 25 -34 37 * Sheffield Wednesday deducted 6 points

inside

Sport Southwark

Jed setter

Boss takes the blame

Page 36

Jed Wallace

EXCLUSIVE

By John Kelly johnk@southwarknews.co.uk MILLWALL BOSS Gary Rowett has praised fans and players for coming together to voice their opposition to the proposed European Super League before the project collapsed amid fury at the plans.

Millwall boss confident attacker will be part of bright future Lions want long-term deal for Hayden Muller

EXCLUSIVE

By John Kelly johnk@southwarknews.co.uk GARY ROWETT is focused on strengthening Millwall’s squad for 2021-22 – and he is confident Jed Wallace will be part of that group as the Lions aim to challenge for the play-offs.

Millwall are trying to finish in the top ten in consecutive seasons at this level for the first time since 2005.

Rowett believes he is a few additions away from having a squad to take the club to the next level.

Wallace, 27, has scored ten league goals for the second season in a row and is sure to attract attention from other clubs this summer.

Millwall are trying to agree a new

long-term contract with the former Wolves attacker. Rowett feels the club are in a good position to retain arguably their best player.

“I think yes because he’s our player.

He’s got another year on his contract,” Rowett said.

“The right people sit down with Jed’s representatives and see where it’s at, but all I do as a manager is say Jed’s performed really well, fantastically well again this season.

“I believe he’s been one of the most consistent performers in the Championship. And the rest will be out of my hands. I don’t focus too much on it, I don’t think too much about it.

“I think more about building our squad for next season – and hopefully that includes Jed.” Wallace and players such as Mason

Bennett have been playing through the pain barrier recently.

But despite little to play for with two games left, Rowett explained why he’s unlikely to give them an early summer break.

“I’ve been at clubs where players are almost not wanting to play.

Players are almost taking themselves out of the firing line,” Rowett said.

“I’d like to think that we’re the sort of squad that players want to play. If I was a player and someone said to me, ‘do you want a rest this weekend?’

I think I’d turn around and say, ‘no chance’.

“We’ve got those types of players.

This week will dictate because we’ve got a little bit of recovery time, a little bit of an extra breather.

“Hopefully by the weekend we’ve at least got those options.”

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Rowett buoyed by response to ‘ridiculous’ ESL plans

Meanwhile, Millwall would like to tie down Hayden Muller, 19, to a new long-term deal.

Rowett is a big fan of the talented defender.

“He’s one that’s got a bright future,” Rowett said. “The only thing at the moment that could stop Hayden playing more regularly is just that position that he’s in.

“If he were a winger or a midfielder there would be a good chance he wouldn’t need as much physicality.

I think at the back in those central defensive areas that’s something that will come with age and experience.

“But he’s technically very good, he reads the game so well and he’s going to be a very good player in the future.

“A lot of that will be down to him, but I’ve been really pleased with him.”

There was widespread disbelief and anger in the game when it was announced that six Premier League teams had signed up to the ESL – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham – to form a new midweek competition to rival the Champions League.

AC Milan, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus and Real Madrid were also to be part of the league.

It was seen as a cabal of clubs trying to maximise earnings (investment bank JP Morgan was to provide a £3billion grant) in a league in which the founding members were always guaranteed their place.

But less than 72 hours later the six English clubs had pulled out, with north London sides Arsenal and Tottenham apologising to their fans.

That was after supporters held protests outside grounds last week. Even after the collapse of the ESL, fans of Arsenal and Spurs demanded the resignation of their boards.

Players such as Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson also spoke out against the project.

“Fans and players at the top clubs came out and stood side by side, which was brilliant,” Rowett said.

“There is that divide sometimes in terms of what people think of players, the money they’re paid and the feeling of, ‘this is our club, it’s a working-class club’.

“Ultimately, they stood side by side and had the same message: You can’t do this, this is ridiculous. No will enjoy it, no one wants it. You can’t take the clubs away from their origins, their history and their traditions.

“I thought that was brilliant. It kind of capped off the end of the season, to a certain degree, with Covid and no fans.

“It made everyone realise we’re all in it together and it’s not about the vast rewards, the TV rights, for some of the big clubs and the power they’ve got.”

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