Councillors Column

SE22 Councillors

Councillor James.McAsh | James.McAsh@southwark.gov.uk | @mcash

Rest, work, time spent with friends and family – it all happens on land. Questions about land-use matter, because all human activity needs a place to host it. If a patch of land is used for one thing, then it cannot be used for another. Who makes these decisions? In a democratic society, we all have a right to influence the world around us. In particular, we all spend lots of time on publicly owned land.

Shouldn’t we have the right to shape that? Or to protect it in its current use? In this column I want to tell you about three projects about land-use in the local area: from a patch the size of a parking space to the borough itself.

East Dulwich Parking Zone Review

The council is conducting a review of the East Dulwich parking zone, which was implemented in 2020. As you may remember, the zone was conceived in response to demand from local residents and its boundaries were drawn to offer controlled parking to the highest possible number of people who wanted it, whilst imposing it on the smallest possible number of those who did not. I wrote about our approach in SE22 at the time – you can read it here: https://bit.ly/EastDulwichParking This review looks to fine-tune the scheme. Residents and businesses in the zone will be asked whether the timed restrictions are right, and what other provision they want to see. Individual spaces can be parking for residents or for customers of local businesses, or they could be a cycle hangar or a spot for an electric vehicle. A few spaces together are big enough to host a street market – like the one recently launched on Melbourne Grove. These ultra-local discussions of land use can really make a difference to the area. If you live within the zone you can expect a letter about the review soon.

Local List

Land is also key to our history. Like fossils on a cliff face, the urban environment offers clues to our past. In East Dulwich, we have a proud heritage. The Dulwich Society website has a wonderful section showcasing the history of the area – from biographies of famous past residents to accounts of how our streets got their names (I was surprised to learn that Melbourne Grove is named after the small Derbyshire town, not the Australian city). The council is, for the first time, compiling a “local list” of buildings or structures with local significance and you have until the end of November to make your suggestions. Interested? Submit your ideas here: https://bit.ly/SwkLocalList

Land Commission

Finally, I’m leading a Southwark-wide project to launch a Land Commission. Its goal is to free up more land for public good, like genuinely affordable housing, green open space, and food growing. We’re looking to work with major landowners across the borough and with local community groups. If you have any ideas for patches of land which you think could be brought into better use – please let me know! We’re always keen to hear from local residents. If you ever need anything, please email us on: • James.McAsh@southwark.gov.uk • Portia.Mwangangye@southwark.gov.uk • Charlie.Smith@southwark.gov.uk