Agenda item

A public question form is included at page 20.

This is an opportunity for public questions to be addressed to the chair.

Residents or persons working in the borough may ask questions on any matter in relation to which the council has powers or duties.

Responses may be supplied in writing following the meeting.

The following public questions were asked at the meeting:

1.  Many people across the area, notably Rotherhithe and the Canada Estate, have ongoing anxieties in regard to ‘misrepresentation’ and inappropriate motivation by existing tenants and residents associations (TRAs). Many residents have been actively ‘discouraged’ from voicing their concerns in the way their estates and blocks are being represented and feel bullying, intimidation and misrepresentation is pandemic. Please could you assure the floor that all residents – irrespective of being private or council tenants are – actively encouraged by Southwark Council to have a voice in the way their communities are being managed by the council.

Councillor Livingstone responded, that as a council we want to encourage as much participation as possible. Different TRAs would have different constitutions about how they were represented within that estate. They might have individual block representatives or something less formal. All those constitutions had to be agreed with the council and SGTOs (Southwark groups of tenants organisations) are usually consulted as well. It’s very important that the council ensures that the TRAs are representative. If residents had any

complaints about their TRAs then they need to report those to be investigated.

2.  The speed humps on Rotherhithe New Road, from the Bonamy estate to the Old Kent Road, are still creating noise when large lorries go over them early in the morning as well as in the evenings. Residents can hear the impact and the chains rattling along.The chair said he would ask officers to look into it.

3.  A resident said that in Rotherhithe Street (Surrey Docks Farm end), near the new community hall, a fire engine had recently crashed into a car on its way to a fire. After dealing with the same fire, the fire truck couldn’t get past the turning due to parked cars.

  Councillor David Hubber said he was hoping to have a meeting with developers / officers in the area soon which would look at the issue of parking in the whole area. It may be necessary to introduce parking restrictions to. Councillor Cryan added that the council were looking at controlled parking zones (CPZs) around Canada Water and the peninsula. Residents should advise of any suitable places they thought should have CPZs. If taken forward the schemes would be subject to resident consultation.

4.  On Southwark Park Road the parking situation is atrocious. Traffic wardens park for several hours yet residents are restricted to 30 minutes. Who tickets them? The chair asked for this to be followed up with officers.

5.  The Ship York public house had recently closed and has received planning permission for flats above it and a bistro where the pub used to be. Unfortunately, a group have gone in there and opened a shisha bar that children can look through the window and see the smoke. It had become a private function room and was bringing the area down. Councillor David Hubber said licensing officers had been there with the police and had difficulty entering as the doors were bolted. It was an increasing problem and some thing to watch out for it with any empty premises.

6.  A resident flagged up the North Southwark Environment Trust as a source of funding. The trust helped fund a range of local projects and interested residents should look into the funding available if they had a project needing help.