Southwark + London-wide stories
Caroline welcomes cancellation of August Northern Line closures
28 July 2010 - 10:03pm — Administrator
Caroline Pidgeon, leader of the Liberal Democrat Assembly Group and transport spokesperson, commenting on Transport for London’s sudden decision to cancel most weekend closures on the Northern Line during the month of August after their review of required weekend closures, said:
Save the South London Line
28 July 2010 - 10:01pm — Administrator
Lib Dems Caroline Pidgeon AM and Simon Hughes MP joined politicians of all parties at a Save the South London Line campaign event at Clapham High Street station on 28th July.
The event was to highlight the future plans to axe this vital service between Victoria and London Bridge stations, via stations such as Clapham High Street, Peckham Rye and South Bermondsey.
"When we were promised the extension of the East London Line to Clapham Junction, it was never in place of our existing South London Line service. We need both services to meet the demand for transport in South East London and for the hospital workers and visitors who go between Guy's Hospital at London Bridge and King's or the Maudsley down in Denmark Hill. I do not want to see any of the stations on this route left with a worse service" commented Caroline Pidgeon.
Save our open space
28 July 2010 - 9:57pm — Administrator
Caroline Pidgeon AM gave evidence on 27th July to the Planning Inspector who is currently assessing Southwark Council’s planning document known as the Core Strategy.
Caroline has asked for the old police station garden on the Walworth Road/Carter Place to be protected as Borough Open Land so that it can become a pocket park for local people.
“I have looked back over old maps and the site has never had any building on it – maps back to 1893 show this. We have also found wonderful pictures which clearly show a garden on the site at the front of a house and then the old police station”
“I hope the inspector will agree that the site is a green lung on the busy Walworth Road and should be protected from any development”
The inspector will report in a few months' time.
Assembly investigates London Promenade for the south bank
25 July 2010 - 6:55pm — AdministratorThe London SE1 website reports on the scheme for a "London Promenade" along the south bank of the Thames, which would give pedestrians a wide path all the way along the waterfront from Butler's Wharf to Gabriel's Wharf.
Caroline Pidgeon is leading the London Assembly Transport Committee's investigation into encouraging more walking in London, which includes this scheme.
You can read the London SE1 story here.
And read more on the Transport Committee's work on walking here.
Caroline joins Southwark councillors at Pride 2010
10 July 2010 - 4:38pm — Administrator
Caroline Pidgeon AM, Leader of the London Assembly Lib Dems, and Southwark councillors David Noakes and Mark Gettleson, joined senior Lib Dems including Lynne Featherstone MP, Sarah Ludford MEP, and party president Ros Scott, at the Pride London event on Saturday 3rd July - the UK's largest annual LGBT event.
Mayor fails to raise Surrey Canal Road station at ministerial meeting
12 June 2010 - 10:06pm — AdministratorCaroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson, commenting on the Mayor’s admission at Mayor’s Question Time that he did not raise the issue of Surrey Canal Road station at his first meeting with the new Secretary of State for Transport, said:
"It is incredible that the Mayor failed to raise the issue of Surrey Canal Road station with the Secretary of State when he clearly promised that he would. If we don't secure the additional seven million now this station will be lost for a generation.
"As a matter of urgency the Mayor must get on the phone to the Minister and ensure this issue is finally resolved."
You can also read coverage of this story by the Lewisham News Shopper and by local blog Brockley Central.
New London Overground line opens in East London
28 May 2010 - 11:24pm — Administrator
Lib Dem London Transport Spokesperson Caroline Pidgeon AM, joined Bermondsey and Old Southwark MP Simon Hughes with Southwark Lib Dem Leader Cllr Anood Al-Samerai, Cllr Wilma Nelson and other local supporters on a trip up and down the new London Overground line which opened on Sunday 23rd May.
The team started at Surrey Quays and went up to Dalston Junction in Hackney, before having a café break in Hoxton going south. The team finished up in Crystal Palace.
“The new service is really impressive. However, not all of the trains had any air cooling systems working which on such a hot day meant the trains were rather hot – something I’ll be taking up with the Mayor!” commented Caroline.
Caroline Pidgeon receives pledge that a new approach will be considered for upgrading the Northern Line
23 May 2010 - 6:01pm — AdministratorCaroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly transport spokesperson, today received an assurance from the Mayor that following the end of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for London Underground he will now “look at all options” over how to upgrade the Northern Line.
Caroline Pidgeon, who has been a long-standing advocate of the use of temporary blockades to complete the upgrades, said:
East London Line reopens, but South London Line services still threatened
29 April 2010 - 9:40pm — AdministratorIn an Evening Standard article on the reopening of the East London Line, Caroline Pidgeon points out that the future of South London Line services has still not been guaranteed:
Phase two is wonderful but ultimately the problem is people were promised it in addition to the South London line, not instead.
It will give great connections out to Clapham Junction but people want that as well as routes into Victoria and London Bridge.
Caroline and Simon Hughes campaign to reopen Maddock Way Post Office
29 April 2010 - 9:25pm — Administrator
Caroline Pidgeon joined Simon Hughes at the site of the old Maddock Way Post Office to launch a campaign to have it reopened.
Since the closure of Maddock Way, the office on Camberwell New Road has also been closed. Queues at the main office on Walworth Road have increased further and a survey of customers carried out by Simon has highlighted great dissatisfaction with the service. Simon has been working with Victoria Onayemi, the former manager of the Maddock Way Post Office, and with local residents, to campaign for it to be reopened.
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