This week, working with free neighbourhood app TiCL, SSW launched The Big Tree Count at Southwark Woods, starting with Camberwell Old Cemetery. Southwark council want to develop these beautiful, biodiverse, old woodlands at the Camberwell Cemeteries for inner city...
Southwark has changed its Tree Preservation Order for Camberwell Old Cemetery – and has not declared many of the Ancient, Veteran or mature trees on site. Southwark have published a plan that shows which trees are to be protected - The council’s own Conservation...
Following remarkable discoveries by arboriculturalist Ken Scarlett, the Woodland Trust is to help map the Ancient and Veteran Trees at Southwark Woods. Across the cemeteries known as Southwark Woods, Ken has recorded oak trees of up to 5m in girth - well over 300...
Save Southwark Woods campaigners have written individually to every Southwark councillor to ask: "what did you know, and when did you know it?" On 8th July, Southwark council ‘heard’ a public petition to stop plans to develop the woodlands at Camberwell Old and New...
Southwark Council revealed on Wednesday that while they 'debated' the future of Southwark’s cemeteries, their own planning application to dig up woodlands and graves was already sitting on the Church’s desk. At the July 8th council assembly, SSW petitioned on behalf...
Save Southwark Woods has today written to Southwark Council demanding an explanation for the removal of historic burial monuments and memorials without notice at Camberwell old Cemetery. Historic monuments and memorials appeared on Thursday morning, removed from their...
Last night, Southwark council voted to ignore a petition from over 8,500 to save Southwark Woods – including over 3,500 Southwark residents. Outside Southwark council offices on Tooley Street, SSW campaigners and supporters gathered with Green Group Leader AM Darren...
Save Southwark Woods campaigners have today written to all Southwark councillors to highlight the benefits of urban forests and woods and the effects that chainsawing hundreds of trees and clearing cooling woodland would have for Southwark residents. Yesterday was the...
Save Southwark Woods campaigners have today written to all Southwark councillors to highlight fundamental flaws in Southwark’s so-called ‘public consultation’ on burial, back in 2011/2012, and the appalling public engagement process ever since. Southwark council want...
SSW has today written to all Southwark councillors to remind them that Southwark’s burial strategy – and the destruction it threatens – is a borough-wide issue. The council proposes chainsawing 10 acres of high-quality woodland and wooded areas, and excavating...
This week, London Assembly Member Jenny Jones, Baroness Moulsecoomb, met with Save Southwark Woods representatives at City Hall to share information about the campaign. Many inner London cemeteries are now protected as nature reserves for their valuable social,...
Southwark residents gathered yesterday to celebrate the worthless, scrubby ugliness of Southwark Woods. While most old inner London cemeteries are preserved for their social, environmental and economic value as nature reserves, Southwark council want to chainsaw and...
As Southwark council move to chainsaw over 10 acres of woodland and excavate hundreds perhaps thousands, of old graves and memorials, campaigners have taken to the air to demonstrate the extent of Southwark Woods and why it is cherished by so many people. John...
The Save Southwark Woods campaign has learned that Southwark council is planning to write off capital costs of at least £5.2M (the council’s figure), digging up over 10 acres of woodland and thousands of old graves, for 200 inner city burial plots a year. The council...
Southwark says it is prepared to spend millions providing 4,800 burial plots within the borough, for around 200 burials a year. But they plan to do this by destroying 10 acres of valuable inner city woodland at Camberwell Old and New Cemeteries at vast expense, and...
Save Southwark Woods campaigners have today written to Southwark council leader Peter John to ask how the council has arrived at its estimated costs of £5.2M for its burial development scheme at Camberwell Old and New Cemeteries. Save Southwark Woods estimate that to...
Save Southwark Woods campaigners have today written to Southwark council leader Peter John, asking him to confirm whether these ill-conceived plans will offer burial provision for all Southwark residents seeking burial, regardless of their faith? Southwark council has...
Plans just received by the Save Southwark Woods campaign reveal that Southwark council knows exactly which trees it is planning to chainsaw, for up to 4800 burial plots in Camberwell Old and New Cemeteries, the Southwark Woods – and it could be in the hundreds. The...
On 8th July, community campaigners will present to the full Southwark Council Assembly the vision to protect Southwark Woods at Camberwell Old and New Cemeteries, and create a 100 Acre Wood in Zone 2. The community campaign has earned this constitutional right by...
Today, in what is believed to be an unprecedented step, Camberwell Old Cemetery and Camberwell New Cemetery in the London Borough of Southwark were nominated as "assets of community value" to protect them from destruction by Southwark Council, who owns them. Save...
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets has bought land at Kemnal Park Cemetery in Bromley, to create 3,000 burial plots for their citizens. The move will offer Tower Hamlets residents the opportunity to bury their loved ones affordably, without digging up valuable...
Yesterday, Des Waters of Southwark Council took the unacceptable step of calling Save Southwark Woods campaigners 'liars' for the way they have represented their campaign to save the woodlands of Camberwell Old and New Cemeteries. Representatives from Save Southwark...
Campaigners today will take their demands to council leaders to save Southwark Woods. Southwark Woods are the wild woods that have grown up around thousands of old graves at Camberwell Old and New Cemeteries over decades of benign neglect. Southwark council wants to...
Lawyer and Trade Unionist & Socialist Coalition (TUSC) candidate for Camberwell and Peckham, Nick Wrack, gave his support to the Save Southwark Woods campaign on Resonance FM this week. The host of Nunhead American Radio, comedian Lewis Schaffer, asked Nick, “Why...
Save Southwark Woods campaigners have today requested a meeting “at the earliest opportunity” with Southwark councillors to explain their objections to the council’s plans and propose alternatives. Southwark is planning to fell dozens of mature trees and clear...
Jeff Hart, chair of the Friends of Nunhead Cemetery, has denied that Nunhead Cemetery will gain from the development of Southwark Woods. Cllr Victoria Mills previously stated that revenue generated by selling off 6,000 new burial plots was needed to pay for the...
“You roll on roads over fresh green grass, for your lorry loads, pumping petrol gas” sang Cat Stevens. “I know we’ve come a long way, we’re changing day to day, but tell me, where do the children play?” The magical Southwark Woods, threatened by development for 6,000...
AN ACCLAIMED environmental scientist has condemned Southwark Council plans for Camberwell Old and New Cemeteries - saying the proposals will create a “green desert” with less biodiversity than “astroturf”. Insect expert Dr Richard ‘Bugman’ Jones also said the...
What’s an inner city woodland worth? Southwark has allocated £5M+ to spend on increasing burial space. They want to fell dozens of trees and clear acres of inner city woodland at Camberwell Old and New Cemeteries – for 15 years of burial space. A contaminated part of...
Local residents are fighting to save their woodland – and they have just received a fantastic boost in support. Dr Tony Juniper, recognised ecologist, environmental leader, author and campaigner, has this afternoon announced that he is joining the Save Southwark Woods...