Improvements to the Ethelred Estate underway

Improvements to the Ethelred Estate and surrounding area's roads and pavements are continuing.

The work is part of the Better Neighbourhoods Programme. This has been set up by Labour to improve areas in Lambeth which were previously neglected.

The extra money has been made available because Labour has managed Lambeth Council’s finances prudently. Reserves have been built up, and now there are extra resources which we have chosen to spend on environmental improvements.

The Ethelred Estate and its surroundings is one of six areas chosen to receive intensive work under the scheme. Too often in the past the Estate has been overlooked and neglected, and local councillors wanted to change this.

The improvements include
-new pavements for Black Prince Road, Lollard Street, and Old Paradise Street
-resurfacing of Gibson Road (pictured)
-resurfacing of the car parks outside Malam House and Michelson House
-resurfaced pavements around the estate
-10 new trees planted
-repaired walls around trees

Councillors are keeping a close eye on the work, have undertaken a walkabout of the estate with the contract manager, and have asked that some refinements to the work be made. Please do let us know if you have any concerns or suggestions about the work, or if you have suggestions for where the new trees should be planted.

Find out about plans to ban coaches

After extensive pressure from councillors, council staff have come up with a proposal that would stop coaches from parking on residential streets, including those around Vauxhall Gardens.

The officers will be presenting their ideas at the Vauxhall Gardens Estate Residents' Association Annual General Meeting on Thursday 19 November. The meeting will take place at the Vauxhall Gardens Community Centre on Vauxhall Walk.

VGERTA residents: the meeting starts at 7pm.
Non VGERTA residents: coach parking will be discussed at 8pm - you are very welcome to come along for this part of the meeting.

Tree of Hope lit up

Tuesday evening saw hundreds of Kennington residents flock to St Anselm's Church to watch as Kate Hoey MP switched on the 'Tree of Hope' lights.

The Tree of Hope is designed to improve Kennington Cross, increase the sense of community, and provide a positive focus after the tragic deaths of several young people in past few years.

The money has been raised by the Kennington Association, who have spearheaded the project.

Local councillors helped out by donating part of the 2008 'ward purse' fund towards the project.

If you have a good idea for the 2009 ward purse, please get in touch with your local councillors in the next month.

Premises Licence Application: Kurdish Cultural Centre KCC - 14 Stannary Street

A New application for a Premises Licence under the Licensing Act 2003 in respect of the below-mentioned premises was received by the licensing authority on 30th October 2009

Applicants Name: Kurdish Cultural Centre KCC
Premises Address: Kurdish Cultural Centre KCC - 14 Stannary Street London SE11 4AA

Activities/times requested:

Plays
Monday - Sunday 12:00 - 00:00
Films
Monday - Sunday 17:00 - 00:00
Live Music
Monday - Sunday 12:00 - 00:00
Recorded Music
Monday - Sunday 12:00 - 00:00
Performances of Dance
Monday - Sunday 17:00 - 00:00
Entertainment Similar to Music/Dance
Monday - Sunday 17:00 - 00:00
Provision of Facilities for Making Music
Monday - Sunday 17:00 - 00:00
Provision of Facilities for Dancing
Monday - Sunday 17:00 - 00:00
Provision of Facilities for Similar Ente
Monday - Sunday 17:00 - 00:00

Prior to determining this application, the licensing authority may accept written representations from Responsible Authorities and Interested Parties on the likely effect of the grant of this application in relation to the licensing objectives, which are:

• Preventing crime and disorder;
• Public safety;
• Preventing public nuisance; and
• Protecting children from harm.

Representations will be disregarded if they are deemed to be vexatious, frivolous, or irrelevant, or if they are received later than the 27th November 2009

If a valid representation (or more than one) is received and is not withdrawn, this application will be referred to a hearing of the Licensing Sub-Committee for determination. If no representations are received, the application will ordinarily be determined by the relevant Licensing Officer.

Applications for new Premises licences, and variations and reviews of existing ones, will be placed on the Councils website for inspection; the address at which these may be accessed is www.lambeth.gov.uk/Services/Business/LicencesStreetTrading/AlcoholEntertainmentLateNightRefreshment/CurrentApplications.htm

Remembrance Sunday in Kennington

Remembrance Sunday is this Sunday, 8 November.

It will be marked in Kennington at a ceremony at the War Memorial at Kennington Park.

A procession to the War Memorial will leave St Mary's Newington on Kennington Park Road at 10:30am.

Planning consultations

Three planning consultations are currently open for the area's residents.

An exhibition of proposals for the redevelopment of New Covent Garden Market at Nine Elms will take place between 4 and 7 November.

The Mayor of London's draft Planning Framework for Vauxhall is now available for consultation. The closing date for responses is 29 January. The KOV Forum will be hosting a public presentation on this, date to be announced shortly.

Finally, Lambeth Council is currently undertaking consultation on the Kennington conservation area. There will be a public meeting at 6pm on Monday 9 November, at Alford House, Aveline Street.

Fireworks!

Lambeth Council is continuing its tradition of providing free firework displays in three of its largest parks on Guy Fawkes' Night.

Bring all the family along to Brockwell Park, Streatham Common or Clapham Common on Thursday 5 November - the fun starts at 7.30pm.

The fireworks are provided by Festival Fireworks a UK company with an international reputation. Festival have displayed in over 10 different counties winning several prestigious competitions along the way - so the Lambeth displays will be world class.

Please do not bring your dogs to the displays as loud noise levels and the presence of lots of people may prove too stressful for them. For more information on looking after your pets around fireworks see Lambeth's page on keeping your pets safe during fireworks.

There is no parking at any of the events so please use public transport or walk to the displays. Clapham Common tube station will be closed from approximately 6.30pm to 9pm, so please find alternative routes. Also please remember not to bring your own sparklers or fireworks to any of the parks during the event as they will be confiscated on safety grounds.

In the run up to Guy Fawkes night the Council urges traders to act responsibly when selling fireworks to members of the public. It is an offence for shopkeepers to sell fireworks to under 18s. If caught businesses could face prosecution and a fine. Lambeth Council's Trading Standards team and the Fire Service will make spot checks on premises that sell fireworks in the weeks leading up to Fireworks night. The teams will also advise businesses and carry out checks to make sure there are no illegal fireworks, such as bangers and mini-rockets being sold.

Fireworks safety
Most injuries caused by fireworks are to children under the age of 15 - often leaving them scarred for life. Although lovely to watch, fireworks are not toys. Even sparklers can cause terrible injuries very quickly, burning at a temperature of 2000°C - that's 20 times as hot as boiling water.

Be responsible
Throwing fireworks or setting them off in a public place is an offence
It is now illegal to set off fireworks between 11pm and 7am. Breaking this curfew can lead to a fine. However on Thursday 5 November your display can continue until midnight.

To avoid serious injury, make sure you follow the fireworks code:
Only buy fireworks marked with the British Standard Kitemark BS7114
Don't drink alcohol if setting off fireworks
Keep fireworks in a closed box, and always follow the instructions carefully when using them
Light them at arms length using a taper and stand well back
Never go back to them once they are lit. Even if it hasn't gone off, it could still explode
Never throw fireworks and never put them in your pocket
Take care with sparklers - never give them to children under five. Even when they have gone out they are still hot so put them in a bucket of water after use
Keep your pets indoors throughout the evening
Build your bonfire well clear of buildings, garden sheds, fences and hedges
Don't leave bonfires unattended. An adult should supervise it until it has burnt out. If it has to be left, damp it down with water
Always keep a bucket of water or a hosepipe nearby in case of emergency.

Kennington Park nature trail opening

On Saturday the Mayor of Lambeth, Christopher Wellbelove, officially opened the park's new nature trail.

The trail aims to draw attention to the wide variety of natural habitats in the park, and provides a tool for educational activities.

The picture shows Gordon Johnson (Chair of the Friends of Kennington Park), Kate Hoey MP and Cllr Christopher Wellbelove opening the main noticeboard of the nature trail.