Passengers across Dulwich and West Norwood have experienced a completely unacceptable level of rail service since the start of the year.  The problems are particularly acute on the lines into London Bridge following the introduction of a new timetable to accommodate the major works to London Bridge station.

Problems are also being experienced on other routes as passengers seek to avoid London Bridge, resulting in already crowded services becoming unbearable, for example through Herne Hill and Loughborough Junction.  Every week, I hear more stories of passengers stranded, unable to get to work on time or unable to get home in time for their children's bedtime at the end of the day.  The situation is causing misery for everyone, but for passengers who are disabled or frail it has become almost impossible to contemplate a journey on our rail network, particularly at peak times.

Private renters in South London have been hit by huge rent increases in recent years – to the point where many families are now spending around 60% of their income on rent. I have launched a survey to capture the reality facing private tenants in the area as part of a campaign for secure and affordable homes. 

London is facing the biggest housing crisis in a generation and rent in the private sector is rapidly becoming unaffordable for all but those on the highest wages. I speak with many people in Dulwich and West Norwood every week, and increasing numbers tell me they are fed up of rip-off charges from letting agents, huge annual hikes in rent and the insecurity of one year tenancies. 

Bromley Council has recently announced that its exclusivity agreement with the Zhong Rong Group in relation to Crystal Palace Park has elapsed without a deal being reached. The announcement said that Bromley Council will continue to negotiate with Zhong Rong, but will also welcome approaches from other developers who are interested in this site.  In my view, the announcement once again demonstrates that Bromley Council is taking entirely the wrong approach to Crystal Palace Park.

The survey work which my Council colleagues Cllr Andy Simmons and Cllr Jon Hartley undertook of residents' views on the Zhong Rong proposals indicated that most residents were not completely opposed to the idea of a building being developed on the site of the former Crystal Palace, along Crystal Palace Parade.  However, our community is very concerned that any development in this area should be appropriate in its size and scale, complementary to the businesses within the Triangle and most importantly should reflect local needs and aspirations for an important and beautiful historic park.  There is currently no planning policy context for a large commercial building to be developed in an area which is designated Metropolitan Open Land, a very strong planning policy protection, equivalent to Green Belt.

The railway arches in Brixton have long been a place where businesses can set up with reasonably affordable rents and benefit from being in a vibrant town centre.  The Brixton arches are relatively unusual in that along Atlantic Road, Brixton Station Road and Popes Road, the arches face on to busy streets.  Many of the businesses which occupy the arches have become local institutions - it is hard to imagine Brixton without the A & C Continental Deli, Mash's fishmonger, S & S Textiles, M & M Foods, the Catwalk wig shop and many other businesses which are as much a part of Brixton's identity and community as Electric Avenue, Windrush Square, Morleys and the markets.

Network Rail is a public body not a private developer, and in refurbishing the arches it needs to pay better regard to the wider community of Brixton and the role that established businesses play within it.  Network Rail should make a much stronger commitment to existing businesses in the Brixton arches, offering a right to return, a phased approach to the refurbishment, support for businesses while the works are undertaken and a reasonable approach to rent increases - they shouldn't simply be cashing in.

See my interview on the arches with Brixton Blog here:  http://www.brixtonblog.com/save-our-shops-helen-hayes-says-network-rail-has-behaved-in-the-worst-way-possible/27986

NHS England has just announced that the health centre which is to be built on the Dulwich Hospital site is to be a new building, rather than a refurbishment of the old building, and that it will be built at the Melbourne Grove end of the site.  This is good news.  It means that we will get a modern, fit for purpose health centre and it also means that the area of the site which remains for a new secondary school will be maximised.

There is, however, more work to do on this issue.  The next step for the NHS is to prepare the business case for the new health centre, so that the funding can be agreed.  We know from previous experience elsewhere in the constituency, such as at Rosendale Road, that NHS England does not always understand local community needs and can be reluctant to agree funding for new build health centres, so we need to keep up the pressure to make sure that this process happens as quickly as possible.

The NHS also needs to prepare a planning application for the health centre and it will be really important that in doing so, they engage and consult with local residents, so that the new building is sensitively designed with consideration for its neighbours.

Finally, and as important as ever, there is the continuing campaign to ensure that the remainder of the site is developed as a new community secondary school, and only a secondary school - not the 'constrained site' primary and secondary schools as the Tories and Lib Dems would have there.  I am continuing to work with Tessa Jowell, Cllr Vikki Mills, both of the secondary school bidders and all of the Dulwich Labour councillors to lobby the government to drop the proposed primary school, so that we can have the best possible secondary school.

As the Labour Party's Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Dulwich and West Norwood, my top priorities are representing everyone who lives and works in our area, and campaigning hard on the issues which matter to you most.  Please let me know your priorities by taking two minutes to fill out the survey in the link below:https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DaWN_Labour_survey 

Thank you!

If you live in Dulwich Village, you may be aware that a planning application has been submitted by The Dulwich Estate and the SG Smith Motor Group to Southwark Council for the redevelopment of the workshop site bounded by Gilkes Place, Gilkes Crescent and Calton Avenue. The application is for twelve houses with underground parking. 

Full details can be found on Southwark Council’s planning website under reference 14/AP/3104 at http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/485/planning_applications/554/search_the_planning_applications_register

We urgently need firm plans for a new secondary school in the Dulwich area.  Existing schools are heavily oversubscribed and local children are increasingly having to travel further afield to get to school.  The Council’s figures show that there will be an under-supply of places from 2016, which will increase sharply by 2018.