Southwark Council is launching a bold new way of working with residents, one that puts neighbourhoods and the people of Southwark at the heart of local decision-making.
The new Neighbourhoods Programme introduces 10 new neighbourhood areas across the borough and will give people a stronger voice in how their area is shaped.
To support this, the council has announced £3.31 million in neighbourhood funding, available from 8 September 2025. For the first time, residents and local organisations will be able to access the funding through one simple application process.
The funding includes:
- £1.88 million for Cleaner Greener Safer improvements
- £630,000 for the Neighbourhoods Fund
- £800,000 for Devolved Highways projects
Applications will open in September and will be open to both individuals and community groups with ideas to improve their local area.
This marks a significant shift from the council’s previous ward-based Empowering Communities model. The new approach recognises that residents don’t experience life in wards, they experience it in neighbourhoods.
The 10 new neighbourhood areas better reflect how people see and live in their communities, allowing the council to be more responsive, joined up and locally focused.
Each neighbourhood now has a dedicated Neighbourhood Champion—a local councillor who will work closely with communities to:
- Bring people together
- Support local conversations about priorities
- Ensure resident voices are reflected in decisions
Cllr Joseph Vambe, Deputy Cabinet Member for Equalities, Neighbourhoods and Leisure, said:
“This is a new chapter for how we work with our communities. We’re moving away from the old ward model to one that truly reflects how people live, connect and organise locally.
Our new neighbourhoods’ approach is all about putting local people in the driving seat. From shaping community plans to deciding how local funding is spent. This isn’t just consultation…it’s collaboration.”
The ten neighbourhoods are:
- Borough & London Bridge (St George, Borough & Bankside, Chaucer, London Bridge & West Bermondsey)
- Walworth (Newington, North Walworth, Faraday)
- Peckham (Peckham, Rye Lane)
- Camberwell (Camberwell Green, St Giles)
- Dulwich (Dulwich Village, Dulwich Wood)
- East Dulwich (Goose Green, Champion Hill and Dulwich Hill)
- Nunhead & Peckham Rye (Nunhead & Queens Road, Peckham Rye)
- Old Kent Road (Old Kent Road)
- Bermondsey (North Bermondsey, South Bermondsey)
- Rotherhithe (Surrey Docks, Rotherhithe)
Events are already underway in each neighbourhood, giving residents the chance to meet their Champion, share their views and start shaping their Neighbourhood Community Plan. These plans will guide future improvements and ensure public funding reflects what matters most to each community.
To celebrate all things Southwark, next week the council is launching its Love Southwark campaign. The aim is to highlight everything that makes the borough brilliant and that starts with our residents.