Southwark
Green Green News Party Winter 2010 News and views from Southwark Green Party
Green Party candidates for The Lane ward Anna and Tom want Council to establish a Peckham Town Centre Forum to drive improvements.
A green vision for Peckham Peckham is one of south London’s best town centres, but there’s plenty of ways we could improve it. Over the past few months local Green Party activists Anna Plodowski and Tom Chance have been talking to hundreds of residents about how to do exactly that. “There are three basic ways that we could improve our town centre and Rye Lane in partciular,” said Anna. 1. Clean and smarten it up, helping the shops to get more trade and making it feel safer and more attractive. 2. Make the roads and small squares nicer, with fewer traffic jams and more public art by local artists.
3. Bring Peckham into the 21st century by reducing its energy usage and producing energy with solar power and neighbourhood heating systems. “Improving Rye Lane doesn’t need to mean we replace the existing shops with chain stores and posh nosh. Better street cleaning and lighting, a little love on shop fronts, a local loyalty card and some thoughtful council planning would make an amazing difference,” said Tom. “By reducing traffic congestion, streamlining times for commercial deliveries and improving cycling safety Rye Lane would become far more attractive.
“We also want to open up the square in front of the train station and do up the railway arches.” “Local galleries, restaurants and shops could really make the square thrive. We could acreate spaces for new local low-carbon businesses,” said Anna. “A 21st century Peckham has to include solar panels on every suitable roof and neighborhood heating systems,” concluded Anna. To help get all of this done Southwark Green Party is supporting efforts to establish a Peckham Town Centre Forum.
web www.southwarkgreenparty.org.uk Email info@southwarkgreenparty.org.uk phone 07900363207 win2010news v4.indd 3
17/12/2009 14:19
Southwark
Green News Winter 2009
Protecting our green space Lots of local students go to Grove Vale Library after school and would benefit from longer opening hours.
East Dulwich deserves a better library service Councillor Jenny Jones is calling on Council to develop a plan for the improvement of Grove Vale Library in East Dulwich. “Southwark’s library service is excellent but the residents of East Dulwich are poorly served by the cramped conditions and restricted opening times at Grove Vale library,” said Jenny. “The proposal to include a new library in any redevelopment of the site currently occupied by the garden centre opposite the existing library is welcome, but that development is likely to take a number of years and library users shouldn’t have to wait for improvements until then. “We need a plan for improvements to the existing library that can start to be implemented immediately which should include: • increasing the library’s opening times. The library is currently only open four days per week; • improvements to the building to make it more attractive from the street and more welcoming and usable inside.
From the grandeur of Peckham Rye to the simple beauty of Goose Green our parks and open spaces are a vital community asset. But despite their importance they still need protecting The development of Sainsbury’s on Dog Kennel Hill involved the acquisition of over eight acres of green space in East Dulwich and in Bermondsey, part of Preston Park and an adjacent wildlife area were built on when the City of London Academy was erected. Southwark Green Party is currently monitoring proposals for the development of open space situated behind Sainsbury’s. Locally known as Greendale the site is leased to Dulwich Hamlet Football Club who are proposing to construct pitches and playing fields on the site. “I’m very concerned about the potential over development of Greendale” said the Green Party’s South Camberwell Councillor Jenny Jones. “Greendale is surrounded by sporting pitches and I’m not convinced that more of the same is the best use of such valuable open space. “Leasing land to other organisations limits community control over and access to our parks and green spaces. Where council leases public open space to other organisations we’ve seen the imposition of user charges and restrictions on access. “Luckily council is planning to consult local people on the future of Greendale and I’d encourage residents to look out for the consultation and have their say” said Jenny.
“I have also written to Council asking for Southwark’s new mobile library to visit Sainsbury’s and the East Dulwich Estate,” concluded Jenny. For more information on Southwark’s libraries visit www.southwark.gov.uk/libraries
We are concerned about the development of more sporting pitches on the Greendale site.
2 win2010news v4.indd 4
17/12/2009 14:19
Green Party
ONE WORLD. ONE CHANCE.
Vote Green Party
Councillor Jenny Jones at Denmark Hill Station which will see four fewer trains an hour in 2012 if the South London Line closes.
Save the South London Line The Green Party has been busy fighting the decision to close the South London Line which runs between Victoria and London Bridge via Battersea Park, Wandsworth Rd, Clapham High Street, Denmark Hill, Peckham Rye, Queens Rd Peckham and South Bermondsey. Southwark’s Green Party Councillor and London Assembly Member Jenny Jones has been lobbying both the Mayor of London and the Minister for Transport to reverse the decision. “The South London Line is a vital link for people in inner South London to neighbouring suburbs and to central London. It also serves three of London’s major hospitals - Kings and the Maudsley at Denmark Hill and Guys at London Bridge,” said Jenny. “The decision by the Government and Transport for London to close the line is senseless and will make our existing transport problems worse.
“If you haven’t already written to Boris Johnson and the Minister for Transport about this issue please do so,” concluded Jenny.
In additon to the retention of the South London line we are calling for: • the extension of the South London Line from London Bridge to Charing Cross; • funding for the Cross River Tram; • improvements to all overland stations in Southwark, including the installation of a lift at Peckham Rye and improvements to the station’s safety and appearance. For more information on our campaign to save the South London Line please visit www.southwarkgreenparty.org.uk
3 win2010news v4.indd 5
17/12/2009 14:19
Southwark
Green News Winter 2009
Green Party
ONE WORLD. ONE CHANCE.
Vote Green Party More must be done to improve London’s air quality according to Southwark Councillor and London Assembly Member Jenny Jones.
Cleaner air for London Air pollution accounts for more premature deaths than murders in London, yet the government has repeatedly failed to meet EU air quality standards. “The government has called yet again for a further time extension to meet new pollution standards for tiny airborne particles which damage the lungs,” said Green Party Councillor and London Assembly Member Jenny Jones. “I’m supporting London’s Green member of the European Parliament Jean Lambert in her call for the European
Commission to reject this request in order to ensure that we have a credible plan to comply with the air quality standard. “Although the Mayor of London has published his Draft Air Quality Strategy many of the measures proposed for reducing transport emissions are unlikely to produce the necessary results. “This is a serious issue for Londoners but neither the Government or the Mayor is doing enough to improve the quality of the air we breath,” concluded Jenny.
How to contact Councillor Jenny Jones If you live in South Camberwell and would like to talk directly to Councillor Jenny Jones you can contact Jenny via email: jenny.jones2@southwark.gov.uk Jenny also holds monthly surgeries where residents of South Camberwell ward can meet with her to discuss local issues and identify ways in which she can help them.
Jenny campaigning for a living wage in Southwark with London’s Green Member of the European Parliament Jean Lambert.
4
Jenny’s surgeries are the first Saturday of every month from 9 until 10am at the East Dulwich Estate Community Centre, Albrighton Road, SE22
Published & promoted by Adam White, 16 Lapley House, Wolsely Street, SE1 2BW. Printed by Upstream 1 Warwick Court, Choumert Road, SE15 4SE on paper made from 100% post consumer waste, using vegetable inks. Please recycle this newsletter when you have finished with it.
win2010news v4.indd 2
17/12/2009 14:19