Lamp posts in Haddon Hall Estate

In the Haddon Hall Estate, between Prioress Street and Potier Street is a green, only accessible to pedestrians.

Since January 3 out of the 4 lamp posts aren't working and during the night it is pitch dark here. The green has rather a lot of foot traffic, also during the evening and nights. For both pedestrians, the residents of the estate and their neighbours this is inconvenient and unsafe.

I have, earlier this year contacted Southwark Council to make them aware of this. They said they had nothing to do with it and referred me to Haddon Hall Estate. They say the same thing and this now seems to be an ongoing dispute between Southwark and Haddon Hall Estate.

In the meantime, the summer is coming to an end and the days are getting shorter. The darkness in this little square is disconcerting and I am surprised that this seems to be dragging on. Are there any other people who have noticed this and what can we do to get this solved?

Hi Maurits

I live on Haddonhall. I too reported it back on 29 January to the estate manager and then also to someone from highways at the council when I met with him (they share an office with the street lighting department). Although they are arguing about it, as far as I'm concerned it's the responsibility of the estate TMO as the management agreement says:

Repair Responsibilities for external areas for "dwellings let on periodic, secure or fixed term secure tenancies and flats sold on long leases (except where the responsibility for repair and maintenance is that of a leaseholder under his/her lease) which are delegated to the TMO:

"...

"(c) the light fittings for the grounds and non adopted footpaths and car parking including the supply cables from the electricity supply meter."

As this is a TMO - an organisation managed for the residents - I'm disappointed that the TMO just hasn't fixed it and then argued about it with the council.

I'm going to send the TMO manager an e-mail referring him to this thread. Let's see what we can do. Do you also live on the estate?

Sorry to be dense, but if the lamp standards are on the pavement and the roads are not private, excluded as a public foot way why is that not the responsibilty os southwark council? My Mother lived in green walk and the area near the little green was actually a highway, there used to be yellow lines on the road...Her little ground floor flat was where everyone knocked at the patio door to go in, and I remember someone going around painting yellow lines on the road.

Just curious really to find out what was councils responsibilty one year is the TMO's later?

Hi Jan

We "established" earlier this year, when we had a meeting with the estate manager and a manager from the highways team, that the estate roadways, despite having yellow markings on and for all intents and purposes appearing to be public highway, are in fact not. That's the reason why the council declined to resurface the roadways. However, the actual planning for the estate said that it would be a public highway. Confused? Yes! As you say, whose responsibility it is seems to change from one year to the next.

I live next door in The Jam Factory, but walk through the estate nearly every day. It is a great short cut to Great Dover Street.

I just found it remarkable that nobody seemed to be doing anything about it.

Maurits wrote:

I just found it remarkable that nobody seemed to be doing anything about it.

Welcome to "the way" on Haddonhall Estate. We actually pay for lighting and yet there isn't any! Let's hope there is some light at the end of the tunnel. I have sent an e-mail to the estate manager referring him to this thread...

Talking of the square. Did I see squatters in the abandoned lower floors of the Jam Factory? Couple of the windows are wide open day and night, wind, rain or shine. Still I guess someone should live there.

In the meantime the problem is still not sorted. Haddon Hall Estates have not replied to my email, asking them for information around the process of the repairs.

Wonder what we have to do to get the lampposts repaired.

Maurits wrote:

Haddon Hall Estates have not replied to my email, asking them for information around the process of the repairs.

Why doesn't that surprise me? I'll raise this issue of lighting at the AGM on 22 October at Haddonhall Baptist Church (TBR).

Thank you, Gavin!