Politics & local government

Politics & local government

Sprinklers put out chip pan fire in Avondale Square towerblock

Six years after the City of London Corporation decided to fit sprinklers in its three high-rise towers on the Avondale Square Estate, the new system has successfully extinguished a chip pan fire.

Politics & local government

Devon Mansions: council took TWO YEARS to answer FOI request

The Information Commissioner has ruled that Southwark Council was in breach of the Freedom of Information Act when it took nearly two years to reply to a request for information about a troubled refurbishment programme of a council estate next door to its own HQ.

Planning & Development

Stoney Street: Lib Dems call for rethink of closure plan

Borough & Bankside councillors have called for a rethink of plans for a permanent traffic ban on Stoney Street in Borough Market.

Health

Defibrillator installed outside John Harvard Library

A defibrillator has been installed outside John Harvard Library in Borough High Street as part of a programme to make the lifesaving devices available in all Southwark libraries and leisure centres.

Transport

Elephant & Castle Rail Station in line for £18m makeover

Plans to install lifts to the platforms at Elephant & Castle's Thameslink rail station are to get a boost with Southwark Council allocating £350,000 of developers' funding for design work.

Old Kent Road

Bakerloo line extension 'could open in 2040'

Transport for London has published a new indicative timescale for the construction of a Bakerloo line extension from Elephant & Castle to Lewisham via the Old Kent Road.

Waterloo

Lower Marsh 'parklets' to be made permanent

An experimental scheme to convert parking bays in Lower Marsh into mini-gardens with seating is to be made permanent.

Old Kent Road

Government kick-starts Old Kent Road development with Berkeley Homes loan

A stalled development by Berkeley Homes round the back of Asda in the Old Kent Road is to be kick-started with a loan from the Government.

Hotels

15-storey hotel at Lambeth North: developer to appeal

An eight-day inquiry is to be held into plans for an 184-bedroom hotel opposite Lambeth North tube station.

Planning & Development

Gove gives green light to South Bank ITV site development

Controversial plans to redevelop the former ITV headquarters on the South Bank have been approved by levelling up secretary Michael Gove.

Planning & Development

Green light for plans to showcase Roman mausoleum and mosaics

Updated plans for the development of the Transport for London-owned land on Southwark Street - including public display of a Roman mausoleum and mosaics discovered on the site - have been approved by Southwark councillors.

Education

Mint Street neurodiversity hub among groups backed by council youth fund

The Neurodiversity Family Hub - based at Mint Street Adventure Playground - is among the groups sharing £1 million from Southwark Council's Positive Futures Fund for Young People

Southwark

Council plans to buy Tower Bridge Care Home from HC-One

Tower Bridge Care Home at the Bricklayers Arms is in line to be acquired from its private owners by Southwark Council.

Education

London Nautical School to become a City of London academy

The London Nautical School in Stamford Street - a boys' secondary school currently under the remit of Lambeth Council - is planning to become an academy sponsored by the City of London Corporation.

Education

Two primary schools set to merge as pupil numbers drop

Plans for the amalgamation of two primary schools near Elephant & Castle have been published, as inner London boroughs like Southwark struggle with a declining number of school-age children.

Politics & local government

Tooley Street: council considers cafe conversion for closed canteen

The former staff canteen at Southwark Council's Tooley Street headquarters could be opened to the public as a cafe to help the local authority raise more revenue from the building.