3+ day, 10+ hour ago (598+ words) Proposals to build a sports complex in Eltham and several tower blocks on a vacant lot in Woolwich are among those set to be approved by Greenwich Council next week. The council's Planning Board is meeting on December 2 to discuss five sizable planning applications, all of which have been recommended by council officers for approval. The first application on the agenda is a proposal to upgrade and renovate some outdated sports facilities at Footscray Playing Fields which are owned by GB10 Sports Ltd. GB10 wants to completely transform the former Co-op sports ground site which only contains some unmaintained football fields and out of use tennis courts. It wants to build two 11-a-side floodlit astroturf pitches, five grass pitches of various sizes, six floodlit padel courts, a children's play area, a car park and a brand new clubhouse to replace the former…...

1+ week, 1+ day ago (897+ words) Fears first arose among the community that the beloved centres would close when the council announced it would be reviewing the five APC sites earlier this year. Greenwich has said the supervised sites run at a cost of "730,000 per year and the council must make changes to the APC offerings as "it is necessary to make savings. The council is currently staring down a "45.1m budget gap which it predicts will grow to over "100m by 2028/29. Greenwich Council has said its APC review also intends to make them "more accessible, inclusive, and sustainable for the future. It feels many of the sites are out of date and "need investment to improve safety and meet the standards our children and young people deserve. With the APC public consultation kicking off on November 17, the council's full intentions for what it hopes to do with…...

2+ day, 10+ hour ago (564+ words) Five campsites have been crowned as some of the UK's best for 2025. Several camping sites in Sussex have been honoured in the latest annual Campsites.co.uk Awards from family farms to scenic woodland lodges." All within a 90-minute drive from south London, these campsites offer would-be glampers and campers the chance to escape to the countryside even during the colder winter months. Here are all the campsites that made this year's list: Located in Chiddingly, East Sussex, Hale Farm was crowned"Winner of Best Campsite in South East England. The site occupies a working family farm and offers spacious non-allocated grass tent pitches, each with its own fire pit. For glamping, it has luxury seven-metre bell tents and a shepherd's hut, all furnished to provide comfort in a natural setting. Visitors can meet farm animals such as donkeys, pygmy…...

1+ week, 3+ hour ago (390+ words) A new pottery studio is set to open in the Design District to give people the chance to explore their "creativity". Pottery Studio LDN, founded by Maritza Masiello, is expanding with a second location in Greenwich's Design District. This new studio can accommodate 25 people and "brings more opportunities for Londoners to enjoy hands-on pottery experiences." Studio expansion follows success of Masiello's first pottery space in Lee (Image: Pottery Studio LDN) Maritza Masiello, founder of Pottery Studio LDN, said: "Many of our staff are artists, so every visitor receives expert guidance while exploring their creativity. "We're excited to open our second studio, to connect with the Greenwich community, and offer experiences that are both fun and grounding, especially our seasonal and festive workshops during the Christmas period." The new studio will offer a variety of pottery-related activities including pottery painting sessions,…...

3+ week, 3+ day ago (510+ words) Traffic wardens in Bromley will not hand out Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) to anywhere near as many motorists when they embark on industrial action next week. Civil enforcement officers in the South London borough will begin the action on November 10 after pay talks with their employer broke down. Bromley traffic wardens who are GMB Union members rejected APCOA's pay offer of "13 per hour, which they feel is "substantially lower" than what equivalent workers receive in neighbouring boroughs and also the London Living Wage of "14.80. According to the union, APCOA employees performing the same roles in Lambeth and Wandsworth earn "15 per hour. Union members voted unanimously to take action last month with a voting turnout of 72 per cent. Those who voted to hold industrial action told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) they "just want fair pay and respect for the…...

2+ week, 6+ day ago (1213+ words) Asylum seekers can continue to be housed in the Bell Hotel in Essex after Epping Forest District Council failed to secure a High Court injunction that would block them from living there. The council took legal action against the hotel owner, Somani Hotels, claiming that accommodating asylum seekers there breaches planning rules. Lawyers for Epping Forest District Council (EFDC) said the housing of asylum seekers is a "material change of use" and has caused "increasingly regular protests". The Home Office intervened in the case, telling the court the council's bid was "misconceived". Mr Justice Mould dismissed the claim on Tuesday and said in a judgment that it is "not a case in which it is just and convenient for this court to grant an injunction". EFDC were granted a temporary injunction earlier this year following protests outside the hotel, which…...

2+ week, 4+ day ago (439+ words) The key concerns young people in Essex have about safety and knife crime have been revealed. The Essex Violence and Vulnerability Unit has published the findings of its 2024/25 Listening Project. This project has been running for the past six years to identify what makes young people feel safe or unsafe across the county. Safe spaces and social activities help Essex youth feel more secure (Image: The Listening Project (VVU)) For the sixth consecutive year, the main concern is the risk of being stabbed or knife crime, though this has fallen slightly from 21.6 per cent last year to 19.9 per cent. This is despite knife crime decreasing in Essex, contrary to the national trend. Other concerns include global affairs, threats, and discrimination, given by 17.1 per cent of respondents. Gangs trouble 10.7 per cent of young people, harassment 9.3 per cent, drugs 8.9 per cent, and…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago (785+ words) Organisers of a Greenwich concert series have promised a "legendary English artist" will take to the stage if they're allowed to put on more shows in 2026. Labyrinth Festivals Limited applied to Greenwich Council to expand its "Labyrinth on the Thames' event which took place at the Old Royal Naval College (ORNC) on six nights across two weekends earlier this year. Labyrinth originally applied to increase the number of concerts from six to nine, but it proposed a condition to limit that number to eight in 2026 to appease concerns of nearby residents. If the council grants the event organisers a new premises licence, it will be able to hold nine events from 2027 onwards. The licence application was considered by Greenwich Council's Licensing Sub-Committee C on November 12. During the committee meeting, council officers conceded they had made a mistake in saying the…...

3+ week, 4+ day ago (405+ words) When Chris Lloyd set out to run three marathons in a month, he didn't think he'd done enough training - just a few half marathons and a lot of Park Runs. The truth is, he does a lot of running for good causes when he's not busy as a Three Rivers councillor or representing his Croxley constituency at Herts County Hall. The energetic councillor from Croxley Green has taken on nine races this year alone, and has already raised "1,650 for the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in Northwood's Lynda Jackson centre - a support and information centre for patients.. His running takes him all over the country " and even across the Atlantic. Chris began his "epic running feat" in June with a half-marathon from Northwood to St Albans " then three marathons in Chester, York and in Washington DC in October. "Running any marathon…...

1+ week, 3+ day ago (326+ words) A new public toilet map has been launched to help people find clean and accessible facilities. Unveiled by Greenwich Council, the Royal Greenwich Toilet Map has been released today, November 19, to mark World Toilet Day. It's designed to help residents and visitors locate more than 60 public toilets across the borough, including those in parks, libraries, community centres, stations and leisure facilities. Councillor Mariam Lolavar, cabinet member for health, adult social care and borough of sanctuary, said: "Access to safe, clean and accessible toilets is a basic human right, not a luxury. "On World Toilet Day, we are proud to launch this new toilet map to make it easier for residents and visitors to plan their journeys, stay active and feel confident when travelling around the borough. "This map was developed with input from residents and community partners and it reflects…...