Caroline Pidgeon

The threat of a compulsory purchase order of an iconic piece of land, described by Mayor Johnson as “the most important Thames-side site left in London” has been lifted.

Potters Field, which lies between Tooley Street and the park next to City Hall, is owned by Southwark council and has been the subject of heated debate for a number of years.

At last week’s Mayor’s Question Time Caroline Pidgeon AM, the Liberal Democrat Assembly member, asked Mayor Johnson to lift the threat of CPO made by Ken Livingstone in 2007.

Commenting on the Cross River Tram plans at the Liberal Democrats' autumn conference in Bournemouth, Caroline Pidgeon AM, the Liberal Democrat's transport spokesperson at the London Assembly, says:
"As to what Boris is going to do, that is a very good question. Boris has said he is interested in the Cross River Tram and we have that on record.

"Messages coming out of his office have been very mixed but we need to keep it in his transport strategy and we're lobbying very, very hard on that."

On Tuesday morning a busload of supporters of the Cross River Tram plans arrived en masse at City Hall for the Cross River Tram seminar.

The campaigners, who brought with them a petition of support for the proposed north-south tram link, were met at their journey's end by Caroline Pidgeon AM, the Liberal Democrats' transport spokesperson.

Commenting on the news that Mayor Johnson will not be committing further funding for the Cross River Tram proposals, Caroline Pidgeon AM, the Liberal Democrats' transport spokesperson at the London Assembly, says: “Given how much work and money has already gone into this and given his transport strategy is still under review, it’s staggering the Mayor would say this when he’s not fully reviewed the case.

“The Transport committee will next week be reviewing the case and how the tram can be funded and will put this to the Mayor as a matter of urgency.”

Caroline went to the opening of a new café - Electric Elephant - on the Pullens Estate in West Walworth.

The café is named after the many cinemas around the old Elephant and Castle, one of which was called Elephant Electric. The café will also display works of art from the artists who live and work on the Pullens Estate.

Photos (courtesy of Nick Gurney from Peacock Yard) - Cllr Caroline Pidgeon with Cllr Eliza Mann, the Mayor of Southwark, and Louisa, the owner of Electric Elephant café. Many thanks to Nick for the use of the photo.

Caroline Pidgeon AM, the Liberal Democrat deputy chair of the London Assembly’s transport committee, has made a fact finding visit to the now well-established Croydon Tramlink along with a delegation from the transport committee.

Caroline says: "We can learn a lot from the Croydon tram experience and this will ensure the Cross River Tram is even more successful."

Commenting on the plans for the new tram to link London across the river she says:

Cllr Jane Salmon joined Caroline at the annual Brandon Festival, organised by tenants’ and residents on the Brandon Estate, led by Jeff Barnett and Ethel Frampton.

The Draper Estate at the Elephant and Castle braved the August weather and held a super summer barbecue for the residents on the estate.

Caroline joined local residents as they ate, drank and danced in their newly refurbished Tenants and Residents' hall garden area.

"Draper Estate always hold fun events for all the family and it was a real pleasure to pop by for an hour and catch up with everyone" said Caroline.

Liberal Democrat Assembly Member and vice-chair of the Assembly’s Transport Committee Caroline Pidgeon today accused London Mayor Boris Johnson of not doing enough to secure the future of vital transport upgrades in south London.

At the Mayor’s Question Time session in City Hall this morning, Caroline Pidgeon asked what guarantees the Mayor had got from the Secretary of State for Transport Ruth Kelly MP, who he met last week, about the funding for the Cross River Tram project and the East London Line extension as well as other transport projects in London

Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member and Southwark Councillor Caroline Pidgeon is calling on Southwark’s Borough Police commander, Malcolm Tillyer, to withdraw the threat of closure notices issued last week to East Dulwich, Rotherhithe and Camberwell police stations.

Caroline Pidgeon’s demand comes following a Metropolitan Police Authority meeting last Friday that put the whole police station closure programme on hold, and called for a full review of the Met’s plans.