London SE1 website team

Health

Hospital plans to chop down tree to avoid ‘unsightly’ pruning

NHS bosses have applied to Lambeth Council for permission to chop down a tree outside the main entrance to St Thomas' Hospital, claiming that pruning 'would render the tree unsightly in such a prominent location'.

Hotels

Green light for expansion of Bankside’s Hilton hotel

Plans to add an extra 76 rooms to the Hilton London Bankside hotel have been approved by Southwark councillors.

Churches

St George's Cathedral dean Richard Hearn has died

The death was announced on Friday of Canon Richard Hearn, dean of Southwark's Roman Catholic cathedral.

Food & drink

Dover Castle boosts security after reports of drinks being spiked

The Dover Castle bar in the Borough says it is stepping up security measures after reports of incidents where customers had their drinks spiked.

Food & drink

Gordon Ramsay burgers to replace One Tower Bridge vegan eatery

Gordon Ramsay is to open a branch of his Street Burger chain at One Tower Bridge, replacing the recently closed By Chloe vegan restaurant.

Lambeth

NatWest criticised for patching up Victorian bank with concrete blocks

Lambeth Council has slammed NatWest for 'unacceptable' works to the now-closed Lambeth North branch of the bank in Westminster Bridge Road.

Transport

Elephant & Castle: tube station damaged by shopping centre demolition

The Northern line ticket hall at Elephant & Castle tube station is closed until further notice after demolition workers on the adjacent shopping centre site accidentally knocked through into the station.

Business

Sainsbury’s to open where locals petitioned for Waitrose or M&S

A new Sainsbury's Local is to open at Elephant & Castle in an empty unit where more than 300 people had signed a petition asking for a Waitrose or M&S store.

Lambeth

Waterloo & South Bank: plan for two-councillor ward confirmed

From next year's local elections Waterloo & South Bank will be represented at Lambeth Town Hall by two councillors rather than three under final proposals published this week by the boundary commission.

Education

SE1's newest school drops Aske from name over slavery link

SE1's newest school - the Haberdashers' Aske's Borough Academy in Southwark Bridge Road - has dropped Aske from its name after controversy over benefactor Robert Aske's links with the slave trade.

Postal services

Post Office to open at St Thomas' Hospital

SE1 is to gain a new Post Office with the opening of a new counter at the St Thomas' Hospital branch of WHSmith.

River Thames

St Saviour’s Dock footbridge closure: Thames Path diversion

The footbridge across the mouth of St Saviour's Dock is to be closed to pedestrians for a further two months this autumn, forcing Thames Path users on a lengthy inland diversion.

Hotels

Lambeth North: Point A hotel plans extension into Horse & Stables

Plans to expand the Point A budget hotel at the corner of Westminster Bridge Road and Baylis Road into the adjacent Horse & Stables pub have been submitted to Lambeth Council.

Transport

Waterloo Station: masterplan for development to be drawn up

Network Rail and Lambeth Council are teaming up to create a masterplan for the redevelopment of Waterloo Station.

Lambeth

Major office block planned for BFI IMAX site at Waterloo

Two years after Lambeth Council and TfL spent £500,000 exploring proposals to redevelop the BFI IMAX cinema site at Waterloo, the council is set to allocate a further £150,000 for a feasibility study for an 'office-led' scheme.

History

Charity seeks to move Thomas Guy statue to ‘less prominent’ site

The charity which owns the statue of Guy's Hospital founder Thomas Guy wants to move it to a 'less prominent' location as a result of controversy about slave trade links, but concedes that permission for the move is unlikely to be granted.