This afternoon I met with the landlords of the former Church Commission properties in Walworth along with local councillors Dan Garfield and Lorraine Lauder, and Tenants & Residents Association members Henry Quenelle, Lynda Tilbry and Paul Flemming. Tenants are concerned about a number of issues related to the management of the estate. We reached agreement on key issues and I will be monitoring the situation to ensure that the agreements are adhered to.

This morning I joined residents of the Silverlock estate for an advice surgery and walkabout with David and Bonnie from the Tenant's Association, local Councillor Richard Livingstone, Council candidate Evelyn Akoto, and Kate Emmanuel, Housing Officer.

One of the most constant complaints I get from people who live and work in and around Peckham is the need for a boost to the shopping and station area around Rye Lane.

I've been around long enough to remember when Rye Lane was a self-confident shopping ‘experience’ with lots of different sorts of shops- including M&S. Now, even the traders in the Rye Lane Traders Association are concerned that Rye Lane is not what it could be.

There's no reason that that should continue to be the case.  Local people should be able to look forward to walking down to a great shopping area and people should want to come in from outside Peckham to shop for what it has to offer.

And then there's the station.  Peckham Rye station is one of the gems of the old South East Railway.  But right now that's hard to spot because the area around the station has become closed in and uninviting.

Again, there's no reason that should continue to be the case. 

So I'm strongly in favour of the redevelopment around the station which can give the area a real boost.

But the redevelopment plans put forward by Network Rail have caused dismay and Southwark Council have rightly called for a rethink.

Nearly everyone agrees that redevelopment is needed around the station. But it’s harder to get agreement on what that redevelopment should include.  It’s right that the Council has decided to take extra time to rethink the plans and consult the local community. 

After further consultation the next steps will be the Council considering the granting of planning permission.

There are a number of key issues which should be addressed in the new plans which are brought forward.

*There's a real shortage of affordable housing in Southwark. More housing is a good idea but it must include homes which local people can afford to rent or buy.

* The new scheme must ‘open up’ the area in front of the station so it can be seen and admired in all its glory.

*But, at the same time, the lovely 1930s Art Deco buildings like 12-16 Blenheim Grove home of the Peckham Refreshment Rooms and the Sunday Painter must be kept - not torn down.

*The redevelopment should support the growing and dynamic arts scene in Peckham and ensure that local independent enterprises are not squeezed out by Starbucks and Costa.  This can be done by a ‘lettings strategy’ which would give priority to local independents and ensure a mixture of uses including light industrial i.e. not only commercial or retail.

*The whole scheme must be financially viable - the sums must add up or we will end up with no redevelopment at all.

The Council, Network Rail and the local community are all working together now to get the right balance for Peckham. It’s a great opportunity. Let’s keep the best of the past - Peckham heritage and history, the best of today - the vibrancy of the local community and for tomorrow - get a development which is fit for a dynamic future for Peckham.

There’s no doubt that people here in Southwark are feeling the squeeze right now.  Prices are going up, with big heating bills and rising food prices – while pay has been at a standstill.

In 2012, I drew together a ‘Creative Camberwell & Peckham Advisory Panel’ so local creative people can share their views, advise me on my national brief as Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport, and help guide me as I support our creative sector in Southwark. This morning I met with over 50 members of the local creative community at the Camberwell College of Arts to hear their views on the development of the arts and creative industries in Camberwell & Peckham. We discussed the re-development of the Peckham Rye station area, the importance of inclusion and access, affordability of art space, and arts in the school curriculum

There’s no doubt that people here in Southwark are feeling the squeeze right now.  Prices are going up, with big heating bills and rising food prices – while pay has been at a standstill.

Southwark Council, in partnership with Network Rail and the Mayor of London, is making plans to develop the area around Peckham Rye station.This will involve the creation of new public spaces and re-development of the railway yards and arches as part of a broader programme of works to revitalise the station area. Today I met with Cllr Fiona Colley who is leading the Council's regeneration plans, Sally Green the project lead for Peckham Station area, and local ward councillor Nick Dolezal for a progress update and to raise the concerns my constituents have about some of the proposals.

On 31 January 2014, Peckham Space re-launched under the new name Peckham Platform and I was pleased to be invited to open the new organisation. They will continue to deliver an exciting exhibition programme, in the same space opposite the library at the heart of Peckham’s community, working with local schools and partners to increase local public involvement in the arts. Joined by local councillors Cleo Soanes, Veronica Ward and Ian Wingfield, along with candidate Johnson Situ, it was great to see the new space packed to overflowing!

Families and family relationships are being hard hit by the stresses of austerity and cuts to childcare, and to family services like women’s refuges.  Good relationships are so important and we need more reflection of this in family policy.  These were just some of the though-provoking views I heard at the Family Room roundtable organised by the Family and Childcare Trust and chaired by Sam Smethers of Grandparents First, and involving Chief Executives from across the family sector, including Anne Longfield of 4Children, Ruth Sutherland of Relate, David Holmes of Family Action, Fiona Weir of Gingerbread and Carol Homden of Coram.

Tessa Jowell and Simon Hughes joined me for an update meeting with senior Met police officers today to discuss progress on the police handling of allegations of rape and serious sexual offences following an IPCC investigation into the failures of a Southwark police unit to properly investigate rape and other serious sexual offences in 2008-09.