Southwark must make fire safety a priority in Rye Hill Park

Whilst out talking to residents of Rye Hill Park Estate last week, we came across several who were worried about the access to their communal balconies being blocked off by the council.

The residents we spoke to were concerned that this could prevent them from escaping if a fire broke out. A fire could block the escape route down the blocks' staircases, so the balconies would provide an alternative escape route. But locking the doors would means residents risk being trapped with the fire brigade unable to reach them.

Following the tragic fire in the Lakanal House, local residents living in Southwark council blocks want to feel safe in their homes. They want to know that every possible escape route is accessible and that the council is making fire safety a top priority.

After speaking to Rye Hill Park residents, it’s clear that they are very worried that some doors are being kept locked. This is a serious issue that needs to be resolved as soon as possible. We've asked local Labour councillors to contact Southwark to find out what is going on.

Comments

Know Your Ryes!

A few weeks ago I was in a meeting with some local residents and council officers. During the meeting one person started referring to Rye Lane, when in fact they meant Peckham Rye East. Later on another started talking about Peckham Rye Common and it took us a little while to work out that they really meant Peckham Rye Park. You can't really blame people for getting a little confused. There are so many references to "Rye" in our little bit of South London that even the locals can get mixed up. So I thought I'd have a go at writing a little glossary of all the Ryes hereabout. Clearly I'm making a rod for my own back here, so please point out any errors I've made in the comments box below. Anyway, here are my definitions of the ubiquitous Ryes. Some serious, some not so serious, and in no particular order: Peckham Rye Ward - The council ward area. Peckham Rye Ward was created out of Rye Ward, Waverley Ward and Bellenden Ward following the Local ...

Lib Dems claim they're not in charge in Peckham Rye

(A tweet from the Peckham Rye Lib Dems) Peckham Rye Lib Dems are now claiming that Labour 'run' Peckham Rye (take a look above). When asked by a local resident "Am I right in thinking Lib Dems run Southwark but Labour run Peckham Rye?", a Peckham Rye Lib Dem candiate replied, "Yes you're right. For the next three months Lab run Peckham Rye. Then we take over..." Given that, just like every other area in Southwark, Peckham Rye is run by the Lib Dem-Tory Executive it seems this is just the latest in a string of attempts to mislead people into thinking they've got nothing to do with Southwark's failures. Of course, Peckham Rye does have three Labour councillors, who do a great job of representing our area and our concerns at the Town Hall. However this is very different from 'running' Peckham Rye. If only we could just opt out of the Lib Dem chaos! In truth, the policy levers and almost all the money spent by the council are under the cont...

Cleaner, Greener & Safer FUNDING 2025 SURVEY

Cleaner, Greener, Safer (CGS) funds ideas from residents that improve our local area. Grants range from £100 to £50,000! This year we are keen to fund urgent improvements to the toilets in Peckham Rye Park (by the park office, large playground and café). You can add your support to this project and/or tell us about your other ideas taking this short SURVEY . This year’s applications will be open from 9 September until 13 October. The application form will accessed HERE once it goes live.

Peckham Rye Labour

Search This Blog