Latest Walworth News – Early May 2026

1. Walworth Society May meeting – 7pm Weds 20th May (in person only) Our next general WS meeting will be held at 7pm on Wednesday 20th May at the Tree House Elephant Park SE17 1HL. Due to lack of wifi, we apologise that there is no online link and that the meeting will be in person only.   Our draft agenda for the meeting is: 1. Welcome, apologies and introductions. 2. Action points from our April 2026 meeting and matters arising. 3. Southwark Council Better Bus Southwark project – update Jonathan Hamston. 4. Walworth Road Christmas Lights project – update Madeleine Moxham. 5. Proposed McDonalds Walworth Road Poundland (26/AP/1110). 6. Planning matters. 7. Other issues. 8. AOB and date of next meeting. To download the minutes of the April meeting, click here

2. Proposed McDonalds on the site of Poundland 284-286 W Rd (26/AP/1110) As you may know, McDonalds are proposing to open a new branch at the site of the current Poundland at 284-286 Walworth Road. Changes in planning law by the previous UK government mean that it is unlikely that they require a change of use to move from the current retail outlet use to a restaurant usage BUT amongst the planning permissions that they do require is a “Variation in Opening Hours”.  They are seeking to do this via planning application 26/AP/1110. They are aiming to move from the previously consented hours for the Poundland to proposed hours of operation of 06:00 – 00:00 Monday to Sunday. In the light of the impact of the previous McDonalds branch at Chatelain House (198-200 W Rd) on the local area – in particular following the pandemic when much more of the business was conducted through delivery riders – many local people feel that these opening hours are too long owing to the disturbance that the branch will cause late into the evening. The deadline for comments to the planning application is 12th May and the application number is 26/AP/1110. The application can be accessed via the Southwark Council Planning Portal at: planning.southwark.gov.uk/online-applications/search.do?action=simple&searchType=Application Nowadays, to comment/object you do have to log in. How to comment/object. Below are some themes from the Walworth Society objection that you might like to use. Our full objection appears in the pdf below. If you have any personal experience of the impact of the previous branch on the surrounding area, that would be very helpful to include in the objection. 1. This application to extend opening hours will cause significant harm to the lives of the many residents who live close-by. 2. In the previous McDonalds branch, the operations including later into the evening led to severe noise, pavement obstruction and congestion, as well as anti-social behaviour and public nuisance from the very large numbers of delivery drivers and riders serving the branch.  3. The applicant has taken no significant steps to address these issues and the proposed site presents a number of risks due to constrained pavements, a busy bus stop immediately outside, and dense residential housing in surrounding streets. All these issues will worsen congestion and disturbance later into the evening. 4. The application conflicts with national and local policies, including the National Planning Policy Framework and Southwark Plan, which require minimising noise and protecting quality of life. 5. The applicant has failed to undertake a noise assessment that takes into account the wider impacts of the proposed branch across the local area (other than in terms of the operation of the branch). The applicant has not addressed the delivery impacts in the immediate area surrounding the branch or the impact of late-night traffic (from the delivery and take-away business) in the surrounding residential streets. 6. The extended hours proposed will harm residents’ health and well-being and the application for these extended hours should be refused. The full WS objection can be seen here

3.  Walworth Plant Swap Saturday 9th May. The Walworth Plant Swap will take place from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at Sutherland Square Garden, SE17 3EL on Saturday 9th May. Bring your plants to swap, share, or donate and meet fellow gardeners. Everyone is very welcome.

4. Pembroke House Becoming Neighbours Open House Event.  A message from Pembroke House: “On Saturday the 16th of May, 11am to 4pm, we open our doors to this journey and our history:  We invite you to come and experience the Pembroke House Residency first-hand! There will be a rare chance to look inside the Residency building itself. Inside you’ll find a curated installation of photographs, and spend time listening to sound recordings of past residents telling their stories. Numbers are limited so book your time slot for the Residency Experience! We’ll also be launching a new publication which highlights how the Residency embraced friction, fostered deep local connections, and can offer many lessons for a new generation of communal living in a rapidly changing city.   The Open House is more than an exhibition and publication launch, it will be a day of celebration and connection, a chance to meet previous occupants of the Residency House, and a delicious free lunch available between 1-2pm. We hope you can join us!”   Click here to register to attend. Pembroke House Upper Hall & the Residency House, 80 Tatum Street, SE17 1QR

5.  People’s Company Present: Time Train. People’s Company present the new musical play Time Train at Southwark Playhouse Elephant between 27-29 May, 7pm. Travel through the history of Bermondsey and Rotherhithe. People’s Company presents a new musical play telling the story of Bermondsey and Rotherhithe through its songs. Watch as you are taken on a journey on a time train created by the parents of modern computing, Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace.   The story sees the birth of Ambient and the journey of two students, who travel through time to find the codes and roadmap left by Ada and Babbage, ending in our future where AI has been utilised to take on the tech titans and the power of the algorithm to help repair our world!   Bringing to life key parts of the history of Bermondsey and Rotherhithe, through its songs and with animation, it tells this amazing local story in a new and inventive way   Tickets £12 (£10 unwaged). To book or for more info click here or phone 0207 407 0234, tickets also available on the door. Southwark Playhouse Elephant, Dante Place, 80 Newington Butts, SE11 4FL.

6. Elephant Diversity Tours. Elephant Diversity Tours are excited to announce two free tours made possible with the Inspiring Elephant Community Fund. Actors will bring to life the richness and diversity of stories and communities we have in the Elephant and North Walworth.   You can book your free ticket here for the 27 June, or go to  diversitytourelephant.eventbrite.co.uk.   We will bring to life characters such as Dr. Cecil Belfield Clarke. Come along and find out about him and other amazing stories from our community.

7. Local News. 1. If you are affected by noise from the night-time operations at the Walworth Road Morrison’s, you might be interested in this new petition. https://www.change.org/p/reduce-night-time-noise-at-morrisons-walworth?recruiter=1367564215 2. Local election candidates. Ahead of Thursday’s local elections, there are full list of the candidates who are standing in each of the wards in Southwark: https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/elections/local.southwark.2026-05-07/southwark-local-election/ 3. 111-123 Crampton St (Post Office sorting office) redevelopment. News of changes to the proposed design of this Co-living development following the recent consultation.  Proposed changes are: 1. Reducing the height of the building that fronts Manor Place so that it now steps down from 6 storey to 5 storeys. 2. Revising the materials that will be used on the outside of the building. We will now be using masonry pre-cast material instead of metal cladding. 3. Creating a new outdoor public space on Manor Place which will include planting and seating. The community newsletter that has been produced by the developer showing more detail of the changes can be downloaded here

8. Cinema Museum: Ghost Light Cinema Present Rome, Open City (1945). Thursday 14th May 7.30pm (doors open 6.30pm), Rome, Open City (Roma, Città Aperta) (1945). Directed by Roberto Rossellini, and starring Aldo Fabrizi and Anna Magnani. In Nazi-occupied Rome, resistance fighters and ordinary citizens struggle to survive and resist, as betrayal and brutality lead to tragic sacrifices. About Ghost Light Cinema: Celluloid sins, lost classics, and buried exploitation. If it exists, we’re shining a light on it. Curated by Genesio De Rosa (MA in Filmmaking). Tickets: £10 click here. Subject to availability, tickets will also be sold on the door. For more info click here. Or go to cinemamuseum.org.uk.  The Cinema Museum: The Master’s House, 2 Dugard Way (off Renfrew Road), London SE11 4TH.