South East London Projects

[Ciudad Bristol]

Originally Posted by Officer Dibble

Boris has scuppered (for now) the Rotherhithe-Canary Wharf pedestrian and cycling bridge.

This news from a blog which I'd not previously seen and which looks very interesting to a Rotherhithe resident like me... http://rotherhithe.spaces.live.com/Blog/

This post at http://rotherhithe.spaces.live.com/B...F272!380.entry

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Kam Hong Leung
To: Gavriel Hollander (Southwark News) ; Jenny Clover (South London Press) ; Sam Masters (SLP Reporter) ; John Hyde (Docklands News)
Cc: Valerie Shawcross AM (GLA - Lambeth & Southwark) ; Cllr. Jenny Jones AM (GLA - Green Party Member) [many others]
Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2009 12:58 PM
Subject: BREAKING NEWS : Collapse of Rotherhithe-Canary Wharf Thames Bridge Project?

Dear Friends

A Southwark Council's Officer told participants of the "Transport Workshop" at the Canada Water Area Actions Plan (CWAAP) Public Meeting on 4 February 2009 that the Mayor of London has announced that Transport for London (TfL) will not be funding the Rotherhithe-Canary Wharf Thames Bridge Project. This is a great disappointment. Cllr. Paul Noblet and Simon Hughes MP have separately stated at last night's meeting that they will try see how they may help rescue this project. I am sure many People of Rotherhithe would like to be kept informed and would be most grateful if you could help. Some background information that I have posted on the RCSF Public Information Blog can be accessed via the web link : http://rotherhithe.spaces.live.com/b...F272!380.entry

All best wishes

Kam


BAD BORIS

Selfish bastard! this bridge is essential. Why does he always fuck every thing up...

Officer Dibble, we should write to Simon Hughes to show that local residents support this bridge. He is very, good and successfully lobbied for more police patrols in the area to combat anti-social behaviour.

[london lad]

Off course he's not going to fund it, it doesn't take cars & is not in West London. Let everybody walk across Tower Bridge or the Greenwich foot tunnel.

[bazzup]

Jesus, possibly his worst decision yet.

[Smarty]

Nothing surprises me about him any more. What a complete dick.

Is there any chance that Canary Wharf would help fund it ?

[El_Greco]

Oh that is just lovely.

[Ciudad Bristol]

Maple Quays making a mark on the Rotherhithe Skyline today.

[Officer Dibble]

Originally Posted by Smarty

Is there any chance that Canary Wharf would help fund it ?

Not exactly the ideal climate at the moment. But in time I still believe it will happen, even if the money has to come from CW businesses and (in an old-fashioned public subscription, perhaps) Rotherhithe residents (or property developers) - it's just hugely in everyone's interest.

____________________________________________

The first Maple Quays buildling now has a name: Toronto House. I think Barratt's deserve some credit for selling over 70% of the flats in the last couple of months. Given that, no wonder that they're able to make a start on the adjacent site. No sign of progress on the library, though - wasn't that meant to complete in mid-09? We won't see completion before 2011 at this rate.

Pics from today:

[SELondoner]

The second building (being piled at present, to the left in the last picture) is to be called Montreal House and will be released in a couple of months. Last I heard about the library was that the real cost estimates came in over budget; not sure how that's being resolved. Expect planning applications for site A to come in soon.

On the subject of Rotherhithe, see this thread in another forum for details of possible trips through the Thames Tunnel during the closure of the East London line:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=803900

[saddle_point]

I was at that Rotherthithe community meeting where the pedestrian bridge annoucement was made, very sad news and along with Boris's lack of support for the Surrey Canal station on the East London Line/Overground (see the London reconnections blog), he is looking very unpopular now.

At the meeting I also met Kam, the man who runs the Rotherhithe Community Safety forum you quoted. Great guy.

Officer Dibble, as a fellow Rotherhithe resident what are you thoughts on the new Canada water action plan? I understand the councils options as:

Option A - more homes, or
Option B - even more homes with infrastructure

I love the thought of having beatiful residential towers, so option A gets my vote!

BTW - I'm a long time following of skyscrapercity, only just starting to contribute.

[Officer Dibble]

Welcome!

Originally Posted by Officer Dibble

Canada Water Action Plan - info now on the Council Website here

Thanks, you've just reminded me to print this off so I can have a proper read. I certainly want to comment to the council by the deadline of 20 Feb.

From my skim of the Issues & Options paper, I favour option B, i.e. more intensive development. More nice residential towers for you, and more improvements of other sorts - replacing or at least remodelling the shopping centre, new leisure facilities, more "taller buildings", more improvements to road & pedestrian links.

In other words, option B brings more of everything - it's more intense development (residential, retail and business) and that's what pays for more improvements.

If you're generally pro-development, as I am (at least in this area, where I'm a YIMBY), I think option B is clearly the one to go for. That's also why I'm sure plenty of people will go for option A - they'd prefer lower-density and lower-rise buidlings, and think the benefits of new and improved facilities aren't worth it.

NIMBYs vs YIMBYs - bring it on!

[Ciudad Bristol]

Option B Mixed regeneration for me over all (especially the new pier, ped bridge, landmark buildings). Agreed that it is Nimbys Vs Yimbys and we know how they usually turn out especially with a mayor who is selectively not supporting many of the points in option B.

I'll be submitting the my comments before 20 Feb.

[saddle_point]

Apologies... I am also on Option B ... I think I accidently said Option A in my excitement in posting for the first time.

[SELondoner]

I am also writing a reply; anyone else in the Rotherhithe area who wants more investment should respond to this and seek option B. Sadly the NIMBYs round here will be able to raise a rabble against any more development.

[Metroguy78]

I filled out a questionnaire while at Surrey Quays shopping centre a few weeks ago which was all about Option A or B etc and I filled out B for sure.

Lets hope enough people with foresight filled out the questionnaire and hopefully will help move the area forward further.

[Officer Dibble]

The ELL / London Overground extension to Clapham Junction is approved - good news for places that will be on the line when it reopens, incl the three stations in Rotherhithe (Surrey Quays, Canada Water and Rotherhithe).

To put it another way: Boris does something right for a change (presumably because central Govt are paying for most of it).

Wandsworth Guardian story:

Approval for £75m rail plan linking Clapham Junction to Docklands in 20 minutes
3:16pm Thursday 12th February 2009 / By Paul Cahalan

By May 2012 commuters will be able to travel from Clapham Junction to Docklands in 20 minutes, after the Government and the Mayor of London finally agreed funding for the phase two extension of the East London Line.

The scheme - costing £75 million - will link Clapham Junction to Surrey Quays, with direct links to the City and Docklands. [...]

The project is due to be completed in time for the Olympics, and will complete London Overground's orbital rail system. It means passengers will be able to travel around the capital without the need to naviagate through the centre - easing pressure on the Tube and roads.

The Department for Transport has provided £64 million for the project, with TfL contributing the remainder.

Mayor of London Boris Johson, who had been joslting with the Government for funding, said the news was “tremendous”.

He said: “What it means is that people in the area can move around much more easily to economic centres and the Docklands.

“We are predicting 11 million journeys on the network and we are going to reduce the number of car journeys by 220,000. It has got to be good for the environment and for people.” [...]

Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon said: “There is both a long term argument that this part of London has not had the same access to public transport as north London for example, particularly access to the Tube and there’s a shorter term argument to ensure that once the recovery comes we will be able to take advantage of that and move people and businesses around more easily, particularly around this congested part of south London.” [...]

Peter Pledger, chief executive of South London Business - which represents companies in south London said the extension will put thousands of residents and businesses on the tube map.

“The extension also provides a rare East - West Link in South London helping businesses and residents to move across South London without having to go into Central London.

“It has been a long wait for tube developments in South London: after the Victoria line got to Brixton in 1971 we had to wait until 1999 to get the completed Jubilee Line from Waterloo to Canada Water. Now with the first East London line extension to West Croydon due to open in 2010 and this announcement we are beginning to see real positive change for South London.

“Such a development will also help business see out this recession as it will increase access to many areas in Wandsworth, Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham and help businesses attract new customers. Transport investment is often a real stimulus for regeneration and I believe that this development will help to drive economic growth from Clapham to Surrey Quays.”

[Officer Dibble]

Southwark News item on the latest in the Downtown saga

[Officer Dibble]

I filled in the Canada Water questionnaire in the pdf form and emailed it to the council. Option B all the way - have now read it all properly and really can't see why anyone would prefer A, which is just a watered down version with far fewer benefits to the area.

[Ciudad Bristol]

Originally Posted by Officer Dibble

Southwark News item on the latest in the Downtown saga

Do you have any details on the proposed Barratt development,?

[Officer Dibble]

Haven't followed it closely, no. Best source may be the Downtown Defence people - http://www.russiadockwood.ukfriends....n_defence.html.

[london lad]

A joint venture between MacDonald Egan will lead a £165 million redevelopment of Lewisham College's campus. Currently the College operates from two sites - in Lewisham Way and Deptford Bridge, but will relocate all its activities to a new state-of-the-art 350,000 sq ft campus at Deptford Bridge when construction of two new buildings is completed by September 2012. Once the campus is finished, the joint venture, known as Deptford Bridge Developments, will also develop surplus land sites vacated by the College's move. The approximately 7 acres of surplus land has the potential for about 500 homes and commercial space to complement the College and contribute to the wider regeneration of Deptford and Lewisham.



http://www.stanhopeplc.com/index.php...487&Itemid=497

http://www.macdonaldegan.co.uk/