MILLWALL NEWS
COOPS: IT'S IN OUR DNA Issue 1767
Established: 1987
50p
December 11 2025
southwarknews.co.uk
ROTHERHITHE GETS FERRY - BUT REALLY WANTED A BRIDGE
DITCHED
HAMLET STADIUM APPROVED
See page 11
This country show attracts over 120,000 people to Brockwell Park and has been running for over 50 years - but Lambeth says it can no longer afford it
See page 14
See page 9
CHRISTMAS CINEMA BACK IN BERMONDSEY
See page 4
ANOTHER DEFECTION TO THE GREEN PARTY
See page 2
2 NEWS Contents NEWS Pages 2-13
SECOND EX-LABOUR COUNCILLOR DEFECTS
OPINION Pages 16-17 16-17 Pages ARTS ARTS Page Page 19 19 EVENTS EVENTS Page Page 20 20 HISTORY HISTORY Pages 21 Pages 21 FAMILY CLASSIFIED ANNOUNCEMENTS Page 23 23 Page PUBLIC NOTICES 24-28 Pages 24-27 SPORT Pages 29-32
Contact us if you have a story on editor@ southwarknews.co.uk
We are a London Living Wage employer DO YOU HAVE A STORY
for our news team? Call 0207 231 5258 You can WhatsApp us on 07494 070 863.
By Issy Clarke A FORMER Labour councillor has announced his defection to the Southwark Greens, weeks after quitting Labour to sit as an independent.
Sam Foster, who represents Faraday ward, is the second former Labour councillor to defect to the Green Party in the space of the month, following ex-Labour chair Kath Whittam who joined the party in November. His defection has been dismissed by Southwark Labour who said Foster lost the whip in August due to “multiple breaches of our standing orders”. Foster was one of two councillors, along with his Faraday ward colleague Ketzia Harper, who were suspended from Southwark Labour for six months after voting against the confirmation of Sarah King as the leader of Southwark Council following a tumultuous internal party leadership contest. On 12 November, the two councillors announced that they would be quitting the Labour Party altogether, releasing a wideranging statement which hit out at the local party’s summer leadership election, the council’s handling of the Aylesbury Estate regeneration in Walworth and the actions of
Issue 1766
Editor: Kevin Quinn Reporters: Issy Clarke, Evie Flynn Sports Editor: John Kelly Sports reporter: Will Scott Arts Correspondent: Michael Holland Digital Transformation Editor: Katherine Johnston Media Partnerships: Anthony Phillips Advertising: Clarry Frewin, Mandy Stong Design: Dan Martin, Ann Gravesen Finance: Em Zeki - Tel: 0779 883 3758 em@cm-media.co.uk Subscriptions/Announcements: Katie Boyd Managing & Commercial Director: Chris Mullany Managing & Editorial Director: Kevin Quinn Published weekly on a Thursday at: Community Matters Media Ltd 1 Bermondsey Square, London SE1 3UN. News and Sport: 020 7231 5258 Advertising: 020 7232 1639 News: news@southwarknews.co.uk Advertising: hello@cm-media.co.uk Printed by Iliffe Print. Tel: 01223 656500 www.iliffeprint.co.uk
Established: 1987
50p
December 4 2025
the national government. In July, the local group elected left-winger James McAsh as their leader but the contest was re-run under the orders of the regional party on procedural grounds. An online run-off ballot was held which resulted in the runnerup, Sarah King, being elected leader. Explaining his decision to join the Greens, Foster, who is also a former chair of the council’s Housing Scrutiny Commission, praised the national leadership: “The Green Party proposed a radical manifesto at the last general election and in Zack Polanski they have an outspoken, principled leader. “Zack understands the need for a transformation of society in favour of the many and the urgent need to reduce housing costs through measures such as rent controls and mass council house building.” Foster went on to hit out at the council’s handling of the Aylesbury Estate regeneration in Walworth – the huge 1970s estate which is currently in the middle of a multi-decade renewal. We recently reported on the concerns of his ward colleague Ketzia Harper about the alarming conditions on the estate, who claimed squatting and criminal activity has spiralled out of control while the regeneration lags behind
OUR GUIDE TO CHRISTMAS MARKETS AND EVENTS
See pages 10, 11 & 20
'35 TO 3%'
IT’S BEEN A See page 4 LONG ROAD’ MILLWALL EXCLUSIVE
EXCLUSIVE See page 7
EXCLUSIVE See page 2
Westminster hit lives here in Southwark. “People are tired of being let down. They want something better. They want hope. And they know they can find hope here in the Green Party.” Foster’s defection means that the Greens now have two members in Southwark Council, up from zero before Whittam joined the party. This year two Labour councillors in Lewisham have also defected to the Green Party, Cllr HauYu Tam of Evelyn ward in Deptford and Cllr Shrivastava of New Cross Gate ward. Over in Lambeth Cllr Martin Abrams also jumped ship from Labour to the Greens in September having previously left the party to stand as an independent. A Southwark Labour spokesperson said: “Cllr Foster had the Labour whip removed from him in August due to his multiple breaches of our standing orders, and has not been a Labour councillor since. “The Labour Party continues to represent the people of Faraday and works tirelessly to deliver a fairer borough for all our residents.” Southwark Council is made up of 63 councillors. There are now 47 Labour councillors, 11 Lib Dems, 3 independents, and now 2 Greens. The independents are Ketzia Harper, Laura Johnson, and Darren Merrill.
The Southwark News is proud to be the only independent, paid for newspaper in London
southwarknews.co.uk
Mayor calls in Canada Water Masterplan - as developers say they could only build as little as three per cent affordable housing
schedule. Foster went on: “Residents on the Aylesbury Estate have been left in limbo while conditions on the estate deteriorate, and the Council has spent years failing to address its broken relationship with the development partner Notting Hill Genesis. “Meanwhile, instead of tackling the housing crisis, this Labour Government is watering down its affordable housing requirements. “The Greens offer a powerful message of social, economic and ecological justice. While Labour is on the side of landlords and developers, Greens stick up for renters, workers and ordinary people who want to build a better society.” The government recently reduced the number of affordable homes developers need to build to obtain planning permission to 20%, down from 35%, which it says is necessary in order to address London’s construction slowdown. Kelly Shields, co-chair of the Southwark Green Party said: “Sam Foster is a committed councillor who cares deeply about the people of Faraday and Southwark. We are delighted that he has joined the Greens and know he will work hard for residents and fight for their housing rights. He sees exactly how decisions made in
DULWICH VILLAGE DESPERATE FOR NEW BUS ROUTE
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. 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
southwark-news
@southwark_news
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
NEWS 3
GRAND SCULPTURES WHICH SURVIVED WW2 BOMBS AND DEMOLITION LOVINGLY RESTORED
By Issy Clarke
TWO GREEK-STYLE sculptures in Southwark Park have been restored a century after they were built with the help of local schoolchildren.
The sculptures survived the falling bombs of the Blitz and have been shuttled across the borough over the last century, escaping demolition and regeneration. They are of two female figures in classical dress balancing the prow of a ship on their head in a nod to Rotherhithe's maritime history. The sculptures stand proudly in Southwark Park after they were unveiled on December 3 following an extensive restoration. The work was carried out by volunteers from the Heritage of London Trust charity, Southwark Council, and 175 young people from local schools and youth groups. On 3 December the community gathered in Southwark Park for their unveiling, with Mayor Sunny Lambe and Southwark Councillor Ellie Cumbo cutting the ribbon. The sculptures - known as caryatids - were built in 1897 by the artchitect Henry Poole and originally stood outside the doorway to Rotherhithe Town Hall on Neptune Street, which later became a library. During the Second World War the
library was bombed six times, leaving it badly damaged and it was later knocked down. Against all odds, the caryatids were rescued and in 1974 found a new home on the brutalist Heygate Estate off the New Kent Road. When that estate was demolished in 2011, the statues were moved again to Southwark Park, which was supported by the Friends of Southwark Park. Conservators cleaned the statues and repaired missing features to the face, head and arms, modelling details in wax before recreating them in stone. Joints were repointed and flashing
added on top of the sculptures to protect them from weathering. Peter Wisby, age 86, a Bermondsey resident enthused: "I must confess when I first saw the statues, I thought they were eventually going to topple over and when I saw, in the Southwark News, that they were going to be restored, I thought brilliant. "It’s been way too long. Organisations like Heritage of London are brilliant to do it, because no one would have other than, maybe like volunteers like yourself.’”
ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
The caryatids are the work of Henry Poole, a celebrated figurative sculptor in bronze and stone who taught at the Royal Academy and served as Master of Sculpture from 1921 until his death in 1928. Poole’s public works once adorned buildings across Britain and abroad, from Westminster Central Hall and Deptford Town Hall to Cardiff City Hall and the bronze lions that once guarded the Shanghai headquarters of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation,
now displayed in the Shanghai History Museum. Londoners may have known his more playful work too, including the comical bronze friars decorating the interior of The Blackfriar pub in the City. Much of Poole’s output had been lost or relocated as public buildings changed over the last century which made the Southwark Park caryatids all the more precious. This Heritage of London Trust restoration project was supported by Knight Frank.
DON’T WAIT. Request your new electricity meter.
The Radio Teleswitch phase-out has started
By Ofgem – Great Britain's energy regulator If you have a Radio Teleswitch (RTS) meter, act now. Energy suppliers have contacted customers with RTS electricity meters. If you’ve been contacted, book your appointment now to avoid any disruption. The RTS signal has started to be switched off because the system is outdated and increasingly at risk of failure. If your meter isn’t replaced in time, your heating or hot water could stop working. If you’re unsure whether you have an RTS meter, get in touch with your supplier today to check.
Energy suppliers are ready Over 250,000 homes and businesses across Great Britain have already had their RTS meters replaced this year. Energy suppliers are working hard to support every customer, and engineers are ready and waiting. You won’t be asked to pay for your appointment. Technical solutions are also now available for every home. Your supplier will aim to keep you on a similar tariff and will explain the options available to you.
You might have an RTS meter if: • You’ve been contacted by your electricity supplier • You have a switch box near your meter labelled “Radio Teleswitch” • You use electric or storage heaters • There’s no gas supply to your home • You get cheaper energy at different times of day
If any of these apply to you, contact your supplier now. Don’t delay. Visit:
www.ofgem.gov.uk/rts
Peter is a retired prison officer and lives in a 3-bedroom house in East Renfrewshire with his wife, son and two tortoises. The family recently had their Radio Teleswitch meter replaced.
-everything is just working as it did before.
“Before this happened, I wasn’t in a rush to get a smart meter. Now that it’s been installed, I’ve found that I actually really like it. It’s even saved me some money, by enabling me to take part in “Early last year I started to my supplier’s flexible energy see TV adverts explaining that the RTS signal was going use reward scheme. to be switched off, and that “If anyone still has an RTS we could potentially be left without heating or hot water. meter, I’d recommend getting it replaced sooner rather than My electricity supplier then later. It’s understandable that got in touch with me about people might be apprehensive, organising a replacement but it’s definitely a change for meter, and I immediately the better.” booked my installation. “On the day of the installation the engineer turned up on time, explained what he was going to do, and got straight to work - it was all done within 40 minutes. There were no issues and it was a really good experience. “I’ve now had the new meter since January 2025, and we haven’t noticed any impact
If you think you have an RTS meter, act now.
4 NEWS
LAMBETH COUNTRY SHOW CALLED OFF AS COUNCIL SAYS IT CAN’T AFFORD TO RUN THE EVENT NEXT YEAR By Issy Clarke THE LAMBETH Country Show has been called off with the council claiming it can’t afford to run the event because of rising costs and amid legal issues.
In a statement issued on Saturday 6 December, Lambeth Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities, Cllr Donatus Anyanwu, said that “increased costs in recent years mean the council would need to fund over £1 million to run the two-day event”. Lambeth had previously said the cost of putting on the free community event is largely covered by the proceeds it generates from the festivals organised by Brockwell Live. Anyanwu said: “When we are reviewing every area of council spending to meet our budget gap, including vital services, we cannot take a decision that would prioritise this event above statutory services for the most vulnerable in our community. “Protecting services for those who most need it means difficult but necessary choices like this.” The announcement comes months after campaigners who took legal action against the council for closing off the park for the festivals each summer claimed victory in the High Court. On 16 May, the judge said Lambeth Council had acted unlawfully by
permitting parts of the park to be used as events space for 37 days of the summer without obtaining planning permission. Most festivals in the park are part of a series organised by Brockwell Live, which hosted nine days of events this summer across two weekends between 23 May and 8 June, including Mighty Hoopla, City Splash and the Lambeth Country Show. Lambeth previously said allowing the commercial festivals to go ahead meant it saved £700,000 from the cost of putting on the free community Lambeth
Country Show. Following the court ruling, the council said it had issued a new certificate of lawfulness meaning the events would still be able to take place. Campaigners from Protect Brockwell Park, who brought the initial case, said they would be launching a fresh legal challenge against the new certificate. Lambeth Council has said all events taking place in the park will now require formal planning permission to “enable greater clarity and enable community consultation on the proposal”.
They added that the decision meant the “overall programme would cut the number of days that the events area at Brockwell Park would be used. “Because of the new approach being taken for future events, the council has decided not to contest two outstanding legal challenges in relation to events in Brockwell Park held at the end of May and early June this year to avoid unnecessary costs to the taxpayer.” Protect Brockwell Park said they were “delighted that Lambeth has withdrawn its legal appeal against our High Court
win, and finally recognised that largescale events in Brockwell Park must undergo full planning permission. It shouldn’t have taken expensive legal battles to realise this obvious conclusion.” They say that the festivals in the park generate £1.8 million for the council each year, while the “loss of public amenity” during the events ranges between £0.5 million and £3.5 million. “This raises a fundamental question: does the current model serve the public interest, or does it shift the cost of private profit onto residents, park users and the park environment? However they questioned whether the Country Show could still have been allowed to go ahead: “We wonder if there is a different way ahead for the Lambeth Country Show. A return to its lowerimpact, smaller community led format, with a greater share of the private operator’s profits used to fully fund that event. “We expect Lambeth to urgently provide full transparency of the commercial events’ revenues, and engage in a credible, open planning process, with robust impact assessments, and effective enforcement of planning conditions. “Only then can the interests of all park users – residents, wildlife, and eventgoers – be properly balanced, and the benefit of this beautiful park be truly secure for future generations.“
Smithfield Market The Legendary Christmas Meat Auction is back! AS SEEN ON TV 10 am on Wednesday 24th December 2025 at Smithfield Market venue – Grand Avenue (Under the clock)
Smithfield Market, London EC1A 9PS 0207 248 4488 info@glawrence.co.uk
NEWS 5
By Issy Clarke A MAN who carried out a ‘frenzied and unprovoked’ knife attack on two strangers at Kennington tube station has been sentenced to 11 years in prison.
Nicholas Orlando Green, 36, and of Kennington Park Road, was found guilty of two counts of Grievous Bodily Harm with Intent at Inner London Crown Court in September. On Thursday 4 December, he was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment. The court heard how just after 10:30 pm on 27 March 2024 two men, aged 44 and 42, who had just finished a local dance class and were part of a larger group entered the station and headed to seperate platforms. A short time later Green tapped into the station and made his way down to the platform. Just moments later he launched a frenzied and unprovoked attack on the older man, repeatedly stabbing him for around 20 seconds with a knife clenched in his right hand. He continued the attack even after the victim fell to the floor. Hearing the commotion, the second victim rushed over to intervene. Green then began attacking him in the same way, knocking him to the ground before other horrified members of the public intervened. Green then got up and made his way to a lift, where he assaulted a 31-year-old woman before leaving the station. Both stab victims were rushed to hospital. The 44-year-old victim suffered multiple stab injuries to his chest, as well as a fractured arm. The 42-year-old victim suffered 13 stab injuries in total.
McDonald's on Walworth Road closed
MAN WHO LAUNCHED ‘HORRIFIC’ KNIFE ATTACK AT KENNINGTON STATION JAILED FOR 11 YEARS Detectives launched an urgent investigation and quickly established Green’s identity from the bank card he had tapped into the station with. He was arrested the following day by BTP officers at his flat in Kennington and taken into custody. During a search of his address, officers located the card he had used to tap in, and the trainers worn during the attack. They also found the jacket that he had been wearing, which had been freshly washed.
BTP Detective Chief Inspector Paul Attwell said: “This was a truly horrific and unprovoked attack that left two innocent men with life-altering physical and psychological injuries that they continue to recover from. “Green has never provided an explanation for his torrent of violence. During police interviews he repeatedly laughed, lied, argued and tried to frustrate our investigation as much as he could, but our officers worked tirelessly to gather
By Issy Clarke THE MCDONALD'S on Walworth Road is now permanently closed after four decades of serving customers.
crucial evidence that helped the jury see through his lies and bring him to justice. “I hope this sentencing brings some measure of justice and reassurance to the victims and their loved ones. We will stop at nothing to ensure violent offenders like Green are held to account and removed from the streets.” Anyone who is the victim of or witness to an offence on the tube or railway network should text 61016 or call 0800 40 50 40. In an emergency, always call 999.
The store, at 198-200 Walworth Road by the corner of Manor Place, served its final customers at midnight on Sunday. November 30. A spokesperson for McDonalds said: the closure is due to the building being redevelopment saying: "All employees have been relocated to neighbouring McDonald’s restaurants.” A flyer announcing the closure thanked the restaurant’s “valued customers” for “being part of our community since 1982.” The nearest McDonalds will be the one in the Butterfly Walk shopping centre in Camberwell and Rye Lane, Peckham.