Council Executive vows to fight on East Dulwich densities
Southwark Council’s Executive met last night to consider our response to the Government on the ‘urban/suburban’ issue. Having taken advice from the planning committee we agreed that we should not cave in to demands from ‘Communities’ Secretary Ruth Kelly that high density developments should be allowed in
East Dulwich (or Herne Hill, Nunhead and Rotherhithe). We recommended that Council Assembly challenge the Government through the courts if necessary to force the Communities Secretary to re-consider her decision.
We have made our case and it has been supported by the people of Southwark and by the Government’s own inspector. We will ask Council Assembly to support our view once more that this plan is right and appropriate for Southwark.In the meantime, we have also reiterated our desire to talk directly to the Government in order to find a solution outside of the legal process.
Mike Betts said,
March 22, 2007 @ 11:41 am
Just wanted to say congratualtions on your latest success in the campaign to keep specific areas within Southwark as ’suburban’. As a resident in one of these areas, I certainly feel that to allow any more high density developments would place intolerable strain on the already stretched local infratructure, particularly in terms of shools, hospitals and transport. Well done and please keep up the good work!
JohnMY said,
March 26, 2007 @ 10:44 am
Off topic, and please don’t get me wrong - I do believe more has progressed in the last year on Elephant & Castle than in the decade before under Labour - but when will the Council admit delays and set a more realistic timetable for the regeneration?
TfL issues have already greatly delayed progress - and leaseholder/owner issues are another headache. Is it fair to say the regeneration won’t get going in earnest for Elephant/Aylesbury until say 2010 and completion is more likely to be around 2018? Add to it the delay of the Tram, which should’ve been open for business in 2008! It is likely to come around 2020, if at all.
I think you all are moving things forward, but I think you’ll miss a trick if you don’t clarify the timetable to be more realistic.
Mark Collins said,
April 2, 2007 @ 12:01 pm
I’m confused, in Peter John’s blog he says that “every member of Council Assembly (including Cllr Thomas) voted on Wednesday to designate East Dulwich and other areas including Rotherhithe and parts of Nunhead as erm, ‘Urban’!”
Is this true?
cllrrthomas said,
April 3, 2007 @ 5:38 pm
Mark
It is in Peter John’s political interest to confuse the issue. I have put a comment on his blog. We’ll see if he publishes it.
What I recommend to Council and which I ampleased was passed was a compromise which sets an upper density for East Dulwich which means buildings of up to four storeys high. We had wanted a limit of three so it is higher than we wanted but significantly less that the upper limit of seven that the government were seeking to impose.