A site for residents of Prince's Ward, SE11, in the London Borough of Lambeth. Check for updates from your Labour Action Team's campaigning, local information, and meetings.

Friday 23 May 2014

Thank you!


The result of the local election in Prince's ward has just been announced.

David, Chris and Joanne are thrilled to have been elected with big majorities.

They want to thank everybody who voted, and promise to work hard for everybody in Kennington and Vauxhall.

Here is the full result:

David Amos Labour 2342 20% Elected
Chris Marsh Labour 2160 18% Elected
Joanne Simpson Labour 2058 17% Elected
Claire Louise Barker Conservative 761 6% Not elected
James Howard Bellis Conservative 705 6% Not elected
Michael Charles Poole-Wilson Conservative 606 5% Not elected
Eleanor Anne Halsall Green 548 5% Not elected
Joe Taylor Green 479 4% Not elected
Vivienne Jane Baines Liberal Democrat 441 4% Not elected
Fern Christene Lindsay Green 428 4% Not elected
Malcolm Ian Baines Liberal Democrat 401 3% Not elected
Daisy Rose Christodoulou Liberal Democrat 360 3% Not elected
John Dodds UK Independence Party 334 3% Not elected
John Howard Independent 170 1% Not elected
Larry Hutchinson Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition 95 1% Not elected


Thursday 22 May 2014

Vote today for David Amos, Chris Marsh and Joanne Simpson

 

In today's local election you have THREE votes - please use all THREE votes for Labour:

1. David AMOS

12. Chris MARSH

14. Joanne SIMPSON


You also have a separate ballot paper for the European election - you have ONE vote for a party - please vote LABOUR
 

You don't need your polling card to vote - you just need to give your name and address. 

Polls are open 7am to 10pm.

If you make a mistake on your ballot paper, return it and ask for another.

If you have a postal vote which you haven't yet posted back, you can take it to the polling station.



Polling stations:


VBA 
THIS POLLING STATION HAS CHANGED FROM THE LAST ELECTION

 For people who live on the Ethelred Estate, Ethelred Towers, Whitgift Estate, Parliament View, 216 Kennington Road, Hotspur Street.



VBB and VBC

For people who live on the Vauxhall Gardens Estate, and anywhere between Black Prince Road and Kennington Lane.




VBD

For people who live around Walcot Square, Wincott Street, Chester Way, Renfrew Road, and Cotton Gardens.



VBE

For people who live on the Cottington Close Estate, Penwith Manor Estate, Kennings Way Estate, and around Cleaver Square, Methley Street and Stannary Street.

Friday 16 May 2014

Our local pledges for SE11

On 19 April we launched the Lambeth Labour manifesto for the council election on 22 May.

We have also launched three local pledges for SE11. If you elect us as your local councillors, these are our pledges that we will work towards over the next four years.

1. Protect, preserve and enhance our green spaces, making sure all our parks have a clear programme of works, and identify funding for the works.

2. Work with small businesses and shops to find ways of supporting Kennington Cross, and the smaller shopping areas, so that business and the community can thrive.

3. Tackle anti-social behaviour caused by the night-time economy by strengthening our licensing powers.


Remember that next Thursday, 22 May, you have three votes in the council election - please use all three for your Labour candidates:

David Amos
Chris Marsh
Joanne Simpson

Thursday 15 May 2014

Lambeth Walk big mural launch event

Ethelred TMO and Creative Sparkworks have partnered together to bring a fun event for the community. Come along to create a legacy for the people of Lambeth Walk.

Saturday 24 May
10am - 2pm
Lambeth Walk Market Square

Wednesday 14 May 2014

Licensing application: Maximo Cafe, Kennington Park Road

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 the 30th April 2014   

Applicants Name:    Maximo Café Ltd

Premises Address:    Maximo Café - 58 Kennington Park Road London SE11 4RS 
Activities/times requested:   

Plays
    Thursday - Saturday      18:00  - 00:00
Christmas Eve and New Years Eve until 2am.

Live Music
    Saturday      10:00  - 23:00
    Sunday      11:00  - 18:00
    Thursday - Saturday      18:00  - 00:00
    Tuesday - Friday      09:00  - 23:00
Christmas Eve and New Years Eve until 2am.

Supply of Alcohol
    Sunday      12:00  - 19:00
    Tuesday - Saturday      12:00  - 23:00
Christmas Eve and New Years Eve until 2am.

Please direct any queries in respect of this application to the following case officer:
Mrs Esther Jones
Telephone: 020 7926 6144    Email: licensing@lambeth.gov.uk


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 28th May 2014

Friday 2 May 2014

Lambeth Community Awards

2014 is the first year that Lambeth has brought together the Lambeth civic awards and Lambeth champions awards and will be running a borough wide – Lambeth Community Awards.

Nominations will be judged by a panel of councillors, the Metropolitan Police, Fire Brigade and independent members of the business and voluntary sectors of the community. The closing date for nominations is Monday 26 May 2014 at 5pm. The awards ceremony will take place in July. For more information please visit: www.lambeth.gov.uk/communityawards or if you have any questions contact communications@lambeth.gov.uk

The eight categories are:
  1. Bringing your neighbourhood together award
  2. Making Lambeth safer community award
  3. Helping people into jobs and training community award
  4. Cleaner and greener community award
  5. Keeping Lambeth healthy community award
  6. Young person’s community award
  7. Lord Scarman award
  8. Voluntary or community organisation of the year award

Pictured: Vauxhall's community in action at a dog show in the Pleasure Gardens

Thursday 1 May 2014

Our commitment to making cycling safer in our area

We welcome the excellent work that the London Cycling Campaign has done in helping coordinate some of the priorities of cyclists in Lambeth.

Lambeth is already the third most popular borough for cycling and have made a manifesto commitment to make Lambeth the most cycling friendly borough in London. We want as many people as possible to get involved and are determined to ensure that their journeys are swift, safe and secure.

  • We’ve made and will continue to make record investment in our road and pavement network. In the next four years alone we will tackle potholes by upgrading more than 130 miles of highways and footpaths.
  • We will work with neighbouring Southwark and introduce a borough-wide 20MPH zone.
  • We will continue to press the Mayor of London to better manage the roads under his control and call for essential improvements to dangerous junctions and gyratories. We will also continue our good work with the police to encourage and enforce more considerate behaviour from motorists, offering cycling awareness training for drivers of HGVs, buses and other fleet vehicles, Lambeth's included.
  • Our particular local priority is to sort out the Vauxhall Gyratory system - which we want to see transformed to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists
  • We were the first borough in the UK to introduce secure, covered cycle hangars on streets and estates for residents without sufficient space in their homes - these are being introduced to Brook Drive soon. We are also working with Network Rail and TfL to ensure secure parking at both ends of your journey.
  • We’ve also successfully campaigned to bring Barclays Bikes to Lambeth and are currently working on their wider expansion into the south of the borough.

In Prince's ward Lambeth Cyclists asked us to:


Undertake measures on Kennington Road and Kennington Lane to make them child friendly, either through motor traffic speed and volume reduction or through separate space for cycling, ensure that children can cycle throughout the ward, rather than be confined to a few back streets.

What we are doing:


Lambeth aspires to make Kennington Road completely cycle friendly and is lobbying  TfL to provide funding as part of the Central London Cycle Grid to develop proposals in 2014 for implementation in 2015/16.

Lambeth is developing designs for the TLRN section between Kennington Park Road and Kennington Lane and will seek funding and permission from TfL to implement these in 2015 in conjunction with the Oval Better Junctions works.



There will always be more that we can do and we’ll always only be able to achieve real success with the help of our residents who cycle or are interested in getting involved. If you or anyone you know have any ideas or points of view in addition to those highlighted by this campaign then please do not hesitate to get in touch and let us know.

Tuesday 22 April 2014

Paul McGlone's speech at the opening of the Diamond Way Buddhist Centre at the Beaufoy Institute

Earlier this month the Beaufoy Institute reopened its doors after years of lying empty and neglected. It's now the home of the Diamond Way Buddhist Centre, after Lambeth Council took the decision to sell the site and use the proceeds to invest in our community's priorities. Lambeth's Cabinet Member for Finance Councillor Paul McGlone made the following speech at the event:

There is a saying attributed to Mark Twain that “History Does Not Repeat Itself, but It Rhymes”.

That is the sentiment I feel most today standing in this beautiful building that has many ‘ribbons of history’ that rhyme with Lambeth’s past, present and now its future around education, learning and arts.    

The lovely red-brick facade of the Beaufoy Institute has looked over Black Prince Road in Lambeth for more than a century, and has always stopped people in their tracks with its beautiful architecture and artistry.

I am personally fascinated with the connection of this building and the progressive Doulton family and the history of Lambeth Doulton ceramics and pottery.

My understanding is that this building was built using a patented Doulton Tile system, and a Doulton was one of the original school governors of the institute.

Others are best place to reflect on the heyday of the Beaufoy Institute as a place of learning. But I would like to introduce the friend I brought with me, Mr Roger Bowdery, who went to school here at the Beaufoy Institute 55 years ago!

The many wonderful connections with Lambeth’s past that connect with this building must be captured for the future, and I hope they are.  

But fast forward to more recent times and Lambeth Council’s involvement.

I first came to this building in 2007 when I was Cabinet Member for Regeneration and then in 2008 as Cabinet member for Children and Young People.

Having stood empty and neglected for some years, there was a strong proposal to turn it into a museum for a collection of De Mogan ceramics. But that proposition floundered.

This was followed with a very real proposal to turn the building into a school again, an Arts and Crafts Academy, with an educational sponsor and backing from the Prince of Wales Trusts. But that plan also faltered to.

In a different role in 2010, as Cabinet Member for Finance, I made the decision to disposal of the building and the adjacent property and land, with the expectation that the Institute building would have a new lease of life.

Sometimes in local government you have to realise that you have to ‘let go’ to allow better things to happened. And that is what has happened here. What has been achieved has benefited everyone.

Buy disposing of the property, the sale proceeds of approx. £7 million have allowed

1. The Beaufoy Trust, of which all Lambeth councillors have historically been ‘corporate trustees’, to be financially endowed with £1.2m of funds to use for updated philanthropic purposes, as the Beaufoy family originally intended.

2. From the £600,000 Section 106 contributions, local ward councillors (Stephen Morgan, Lorna Campbell and Mark Harrison) were clear they wanted the local community to share in the benefits.

So to support Lambeth's co-operative work to give citizens greater control over their neighbourhoods, decisions have been made to spend more than £200,000 on such things as computers at Durning Library, Lollard Street Adventure Playground, re-landscaping outside Coverley Point and work into the greening of Tyers Street.

3. Importantly, I recommended to the Cabinet in July 2012 that the balance of funds of £5.6m be ‘ring fenced’ and have now been invested directly in building Lambeth schools, thus benefitting future generations of young people.

4. And now finally, by you acquiring it and conversion into the London Diamond Way Buddhist Centre, the Beaufoy Institute building has a new lease of life.

This wasn't without its difficulties! Some have said that the planning application was the second most controversial one of recent times!

But the positive outcomes of Lambeth Council's decision to grant planning permission to Diamond Way Buddhist Centre to purchase the Beaufoy Institute are now self-evident.

I also know that Diamond Way Centre will work with the local community to ensure there is a community resource for all to share.

Equally, I know my colleague Councillor Lorna Campbell is pleased and has worked to ensure that the Buddhist Centre is part of the ‘Faiths Together in Lambeth’.

This is our borough-wide independent interfaith organisation that fosters constructive relationships among religious communities, and promotes interfaith involvement in civic life in Lambeth. This relationship is really welcome.

So in concluding, all I can say personally is that I wish this centre all the best for the future, and hope it will always be a place of peace, contemplation and learning.

Thank you.

Pictured: Prince's Labour candidates Chris Marsh, Joanne Simpson and David Amos with Leader of the Council Lib Peck outside the Beaufoy Institute

Monday 21 April 2014

Tell the Kennington Association what Kennington wants

From the Kennington Association:

In July, Lambeth Council hope to introduce Community Local Infrastructure Plans (CLIPs), to decide on spending the neighbourhood share of Community Infrastructure Levies  paid by developers of new buildings. Kennington is likely to be bundled together with Oval and Vauxhall, who have already had consultations with residents about neighbourhood improvements like greening roads and traffic calming.

So what does Kennington want?

To obtain views, the Kennington Association (KA) is conducting a survey of Kennington opinion. Please follow this link to tell KA your views: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SBVCVL7

You can be anonymous if you like, but it will help KA to see how widespread suggestions are if you give your home postcode as part of the survey.

Best regards,

David Boardman (Chair of Kennington Association Planning Forum)
Kennington Association, 102 Lollard Street, London, SE11 6PX
Email: Kenningtonassociation@gmail.com

Sunday 20 April 2014

Primary school places for all in Lambeth

For the second year running Lambeth Council has been able to offer a primary school place in the borough to every child whose application was on time. Almost 90% received their first or second preference place.

This is despite a massive increase in demand for primary school places in the south of the borough over the past few years. Lambeth's met this increased demand by expanding schools and building new schools.

Maggie Harriott, Education Strategy Manager for Lambeth Council said:  "

'This is excellent news for every one of the 3193 children and their families who know where they'll be going to school in September. What's more, it means there are no families in Lambeth without an offer of a school place.'

There's been a small reduction of around 3% in first preference offers compared to last year's admissions but that's against a similar increase in overall applications in line with Lambeth's planned projections for school places.  There are a number of outstanding late applications yet to be processed but there is enough capacity in Lambeth schools to ensure all will receive an offer before the start of the next academic year.

Lambeth is one of the leading boroughs for online applications with nearly all applications made online  -   81% more than last year.

Saturday 19 April 2014

Lambeth Labour launch our manifesto for 2014

Lambeth Labour has launched our manifesto for the 2014 council election.

We're proud of our record running Lambeth Council over the past eight years, proud of what we've achieved locally in Kennington and Vauxhall, and are ambitious for what we want to achieve over the next four years.

Our pledges are to:

1.    Help you with the rising cost of living by freezing council tax for the sixth year in a row

2.    Boost jobs and grow local businesses by offering every young person access to job support, training or an apprenticeship

3.    Make Lambeth cleaner and greener by resurfacing 130 miles of roads and pavements and recycling more waste than ever before

4.    Create safer neighbourhoods and build the homes we need by campaigning to protect community police and building 1,000 new council homes

5.    Give young people the best start in life by offering free breakfasts in all our  primary schools

6.    Help to keep you healthy by getting more people involved in sporting activities and healthy exercise

Read the full manifesto here

Sunday 13 April 2014

Half a million pounds to restore Kennington Park Flower Garden

From the Friends of Kennington Park:

The Heritage Lottery Fund has given a grant of £374,000 towards the restoration of the Flower Garden. Lambeth Council are contributing £82,000. The Friends have agreed to donate £2,500 for students from City & Guilds Art School to design and make a sundial to replace the one destroyed by vandals many years ago.

Adding in the notional value of future voluntary effort from the Friends, the total  project exceeds £500,000.

Many people have contributed over a long period to achieve this success. Using the earlier grant given to plan the restoration the Friends were able to consult widely last year in the park and with ‘stakeholders’. The views from park users have been reflected in the plans drawn up by the landscape architects and now approved.

A new entrance will be opened from the Green Link, which will be re-landscaped.

Paths will be re-laid and new boundaries will give clear sightlines. The lily-pond will be re-created; the pergolas and many existing features will be sympathetically restored and fresh planting introduced. There will be new garden furniture.

The work is planned to finish by late summer 2015. We will then embark on the Activity Plan drawn up by the Friends to raise awareness of the Flower Garden and widen the range of its users. A gardening instructor will help those who want to take an active part in maintaining the garden, supplementing the work of the contractor.

I want to thank everyone whose work has contributed to this success and Lambeth Council for supporting the Friends’ original initiative. Testimonials in support came from our MP Kate Hoey and a wide range of other individuals and organisations.

As the plans develop, we will publish updates to keep you in the picture.

Yours sincerely

GORDON JOHNSTON


Westminster Tower Public Exhibition 24 April


From CLS Holdings:
You are invited to attend a public exhibition detailing proposals for a forthcoming planning application to refurbish our existing offices and convert some to residential accommodation at Westminster Tower on the Albert Embankment.
Before a planning application is submitted to Lambeth Council, you have an opportunity to see the plans and comment on the proposals. The exhibition will include images and detailed information of the plans. Members of the project team will be available to answer any questions.
Our proposal
We are proposing to refurbish the existing Westminster Tower office building, which is now inappropriate for the modern office environment. Additionally, we propose a change of use of some of the office space to housing including shared ownership housing.
The redesign has been carried out to improve energy performance of the building and the built environment on the Albert Embankment. We will also be improving the frontage and façade of the building. The façade will now be mainly Portland Stone to recognise and reflect the character of the Southbank area.
About CLS
Westminster Tower has been owned since the 1990s by Three Albert Embankment Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of local property investor CLS Holdings plc. CLS has its headquarters located in Vauxhall where it has been investing for over 20 years.
We hope you will be able to come along to our exhibition – we look forward to hearing your views.
If you are unable to attend and would like more information please contact us via email, letter or Freephone.
Find out more
Garden Museum, 5 Lambeth Palace Road, London, SE1 7LB.
Thursday 24 April 2pm-8pm.
Contact us
Freephone: 0800 458 6976
Write to: New Westminster Tower, FREEPOST RTGB-KBZB-ZSKJ, Your Shout, 1-45 Durham Street, London SE11 5JH



Your councillors have asked for more information about why the building is not suitable as a modern office, what its current and recent occupancy has been, and how the loss of employment space can be justified.

Friends of the Durning Library AGM, Monday 14 April 2014, 6.45 for 7.15pm

There will be an update on developments during the past year. The meeting will start at 7.15pm, and the AGM will follow at about 7.50 pm.

6.45 for 7.15pm at the Durning Library
Light refreshments. Everyone welcome. No admission charge, but a £2 donation towards costs is invited.

Moffat Health Centre to close - services to move to Monkton Street

Letter from Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust:

I am writing to inform you that some health services currently provided at the Moffat Health Centre, 65 Sancroft Street SE11 5NG will be moving to Lambeth Community Care Centre, Monkton Street SE11 4TX as of Monday 28 April 2014.

We have decided to offer Early Intervention and Prevention Services, Stop Smoking and Foot Health services from the Monkton Street site where consultation rooms are currently under-utilised.  Extra Foot Health services will also continue to be run from Mawbey Brough Health Centre.

By moving services to Monkton Street we will be able to make better use of the facilities and to provide a much better experience for our patients and staff.

Staff currently operating from Monkton Street will not be adversely affected in any way by this decision. Neither will there be any adverse impact on the Amputee Rehabilitation Unit as services will be carried out in the consultation rooms on the ground floor.

If you require any other information please get in touch with Angela Dawe, Operations Director, Community Health Services by telephone on 0207 188 7708 or email: angela.dawe@gstt.nhs.uk.

Kind regards

Angela Dawe
Director of Operations
Community Health Services
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
160 Tooley Street
London SE1 2TZ


Your councillors have asked for details about the future of the Sancroft Street building

Sunday 23 March 2014

David, Chris and Joanne show Council Leader Lib Peck round Kennington and Vauxhall

Yesterday your Labour candidates for Prince's ward showed Leader of Lambeth Council Lib Peck around our area.

David Amos, Chris Marsh and Joanne Simpson took Lib to see parts of Kennington and Vauxhall she didn't know so well, pointed out some of the successful community initiatives and new developments in the area, and highlighted some of the campaigns they are running.

David, Chris and Joanne took Lib to see Ariel Court, Falstaff Court, Brangton Road and Aveline Street - where they are pushing Lambeth Living to install double glazed windows. They discussed some of the issues facing local shopping clusters like Kennington Cross, Vauxhall Street and Lambeth Walk. They celebrated the fact that well-loved heritage buildings like the Durning Library and the Beaufoy Institute are seeing huge investment for the future. And they visited fantastic community success stories at VGERTA's Glasshouse Walk playground and the Lollard Street Adventure Playground.

Vauxhall Gyratory System and Bus Station update

Following a meeting at the Kennington, Oval & Vauxhall Forum we wanted to update you on plans for the Vauxhall Gyratory & Bus Station.

As far as Lambeth Labour councillors are concerned, all viable options for transforming the Vauxhall gyratory are open, and we are open to hearing people's ideas.

Currently TfL are testing options to see if they will work - the two previously circulated to KOV, and they are now exploring a third which introduces two way working and preserves the central bus station function.

There is still a huge amount of work to be done before the Autumn in working through these options and we welcome and will be seeking people's views in the meantime. And just to underline, TfL and Lambeth are committed to full and genuine consultation before any decision is made.

We aren't wedded to the creation of a high street exactly as sketched out in the Vauxhall Supplementary Development Plan. We are committed to creating a district centre for Vauxhall which ties together the area, and provides quality public space, shops and restaurants. As mentioned above, there will be further discussion with residents, businesses and commuters about their priorities and how best they see this happening prior to consultation that TfL and Lambeth will be undertaking the Autumn.  The exact form of the Vauxhall district centre will be determined by decisions which are made on the gyratory and the bus station.

Licensing applications for three events in our parks

There are three current licensing applications for two one day events in Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, and one two event in Kennington Park.


Applicants Name: London LGBT Community Pride Community Interest Company

Premises Address: Pride In London - Spring Gardens Vauxhall London
 
Activities/times requested:

29 June 2014

Plays
Sunday   12:00  - 20:00

Live Music
Sunday   12:00  - 22:00

Recorded Music
Sunday   12:00  - 22:00

Performances of Dance
Sunday   12:00  - 20:00

Entertainment Similar to Music/Dance
Sunday   12:00  - 22:00

Supply of Alcohol
Sunday   12:00  - 20:00

Please direct any queries in respect of this application to the following case officer:
Mrs Esther Jones
Telephone: 020 7926 6144 Email: licensing@lambeth.gov.uk

Representations will be disregarded if they are deemed to be vexatious, frivolous, or irrelevant, or if they are received later than the 7th April 2014


Applicants Name: Vauxhall Trust CIC
Premises Address: Vauxhall Trust - Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, Vauxhall Walk, London  

Activities/times requested:

26 April 2014

Plays
Monday - Sunday   10:00  - 00:00

Films
Monday - Sunday   10:00  - 00:00

Live Music
Monday - Sunday   10:00  - 00:00

Recorded Music
Monday - Sunday   10:00  - 00:00

Performances of Dance
Monday - Sunday   10:00  - 00:00

Supply of Alcohol
Monday - Sunday   10:00  - 00:00

Please direct any queries in respect of this application to the following case officer:
Mrs Sarah Williams
Telephone: 020 7926 6141 Email: licensing@lambeth.gov.uk

Representations will be disregarded if they are deemed to be vexatious, frivolous, or irrelevant, or if they are received later than the 10th April 2014


Applicants Name: Carnaval De Cuba
Premises Address: Carnaval De Cuba - Kennington Park Kennington Park Road London  

Activities/times requested:

26 and 27 July 2014

Plays
Saturday and Sunday   12:00  - 19:00

Films
Saturday and Sunday   12:00  - 19:00

Live Music
Saturday and Sunday   12:00  - 20:00

Recorded Music
Saturday and Sunday   12:00  - 20:00

Performances of Dance
Saturday and Sunday   12:00  - 20:00

Supply of Alcohol
Saturday and Sunday   12:00  - 20:00

Please direct any queries in respect of this application to the following case officer:
Mrs Esther Jones
Telephone: 020 7926 6144 Email: licensing@lambeth.gov.uk

Representations will be disregarded if they are deemed to be vexatious, frivolous, or irrelevant, or if they are received later than the 8th April 2014


Friday 14 March 2014

Road and pavement renewals for 2014/5 - Vauxhall Gardens wins big!

The council have just announced which carriageways and footways are to be renewed in the next financial year.

The carriageways that will be renewed in our area are:

Distin Street
Glasshouse Walk
Goding Street
Jonathan Street
Laud Street
Worgan Street

The footways that will be renewed in our area are:

Glasshouse Walk
Goding Street
Laud Street
Vauxhall Walk
Walcot Square
Worgan Street


The following Carriageways are on the backlog list. This means they did not make the cut this year, but will hopefully be done if we have any spare cash, or if not in a future year.

Renfrew Road
Walcot Square
Wickham Street
White Hart Street
Brook Drive                    
Vauxhall Walk    
Sancroft Street
Glyn Street                    
Newport Street                
Chester Way
St Mary's Walk                
Bowden Street

The following Footways are on the backlog. This means they did not make the cut this year, but will hopefully be done if we have any spare cash, or if not in a future year.

Denny Crescent
Jonathan Street
Tyers Street
St Mary's Garden
Distin Street
Bowden Street
Brangton Road
Cleaver Street

If your street is missing from the list above then here is why;

“Lambeth roads (carriageways/footways) are given a condition score out of 10 (10 being the worst). Only roads with a condition score of 6 or higher are further analysed for resurfacing works. A final score is then calculated using the condition score and criteria such as the parameter of the road in relation to its distance from schools, hospitals and A/B road linkages, also taking into account traffic sensitivity and planned utility work etc.  A planned works list is created and the road is positioned (on the list) based on the final weighted score achieved.”

Pictured: Glasshouse Walk's road and pavement will both be renewed

Saturday 8 March 2014

Formal notice to install secure bike parking in Brook Drive

(This notice is about the Council's proposal to reduce the length of certain parking places in Brook Drive, Luxor Street and Railton Road to allow for the installation of secure bicycle parking structures in those lengths of road instead. Objections may be made – see paragraph 6.)
 
1.   NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Council of the London Borough of Lambeth propose to make the Lambeth (Camberwell) (Parking Places) (No. *) Order 20** , the Lambeth (Kennington) (Parking Places) (No. *) Order 20** and the Lambeth (Poets' Corner) (Parking Places) (No. *) Order 20**  under sections 45, 46, 49 and 124 and Part IV of Schedule 9 to the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.
 
2.   The general effect of the Orders would be to reduce the length of the existing parking places in:-
(a)   Brook Drive outside Nos. 60/62 Brook Drive by 5 metres;
(b)   Luxor Street outside No. 32 Luxor Street by 2.5 metres; and
(c)   Railton Road outside Nos. 151/153 Railton Road by 5 metres,
to enable the provision of new secure bicycle parking structures outside (i) Nos. 60/62 Brook Drive; (ii) No. 32 Luxor Street; and (iii) Nos. 151/153 Railton Road.
 
3.   The Orders are necessary to provide secure bicycle parking for residents who do not have the space and/or ability to securely park bicycles in or within a reasonable distance of their residence.
 
4.   If you have any enquiries about this matter, please contact the Council's Transport Strategy Team on 020 7926 0677.
 
5.   Documents giving more detailed particulars of the proposed Orders are available for inspection between 9.30 am and 4.30 pm (excluding bank holidays) until the last day of a period of six weeks beginning with the date on which the Orders are made or, as the case may be, the Council decide not to make the Orders, at the offices of Lambeth's Borough Council's Transportation Group, 2nd Floor, Blue Star House, 234-244 Stockwell Road, London SW9 9SP.  To arrange a viewing please contact 020 7926 0209.


6.   All objections and other representations relating to the proposed Orders must be made in writing and all objections must specify the grounds on which they are made and should be sent to Barbara Poulter, Transportation Group, London Borough of Lambeth, 2nd Floor, Blue Star House, 234-244 Stockwell Road, London SW9 9SP, by 28th March 2014.  Any objection may be seen by, or be communicated to, any person who has an interest in this matter.

Photo: secure bike parking elsewhere in Lambeth - London Cycling Campaign lcc.org.uk

A place for everyone: Lambeth secondary schools offer every child a place for this September

For the second year running, every child whose application was on time has received an offer of a secondary school place in Lambeth, new figures have revealed.

More than 85% of parents who applied to a secondary school in the borough have been offered a place at their first or second-choice schools.

On the day that parents across London are told which secondary schools their children have been offered, Lambeth Council has revealed that it dealt with 2,419 applications this year, an increase of 147 on 2013. The proportion of applications made online rose from 50.8 per cent in 2013 to 97 per cent this year.

Overall, the number of children being offered places at their first or second-choice schools also rose this year; 1,629 children were offered a place at their first-preference school, 46 more than last year, and 442 were offered their second preference – 72 more than in 2013. The Council has confirmed that there are also enough spaces in Lambeth schools to support all late applicants.

The landmark achievement contrasts starkly with the picture in 2005, when over 570 pupils in the borough were left 'in limbo' without places allocated for their secondary education.  Parents had to fill out separate application forms for each local authority which handled admissions for their chosen schools.

There was no co-ordination of dates or offers between authorities so some parents held on to more than one offer for weeks or months until they had heard back from all the authorities they had applied to before deciding which offer to accept.  Consequently, allocation of surplus places to other children was delayed creating anxiety and uncertainty for pupils and their families.

The introduction of the Pan-London Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme in 2005 has seen the application process simplified and an increase in the number of pupils who receive an offer from one of their preferred schools.

Welcoming the figures, Cllr Rachel Heywood, Cabinet Member for Children and Families, said:

"These figures are a testament to the hard work of Lambeth's education services in making sure as many children as possible can go to the schools of their choice in September. Ensuring that, for the second year in a row, every child in the borough has a place waiting for them is a tremendous achievement.

"This has always been an enormously difficult time for families, anxiously waiting to find out where their children are going to end up next. But it is clear that the days of 'gambling' a child's future on a better offer that might or might not come through the post are over.

"Our children can now look forward to the next stage of their education with confidence."

Monday 17 February 2014

Bin update from the council

Since the roll-out of smaller bins and food recycling bins 99% of people are managing well under the new system and dry recycling of street properties is up by 36%.

The team at wastestrategy@lambeth.gov.uk can help if you or your residents have any technical or operational questions that aren't covered below, and of course if you need my help with anything please let me know.

Why have you taken away my bin?

As part of Lambeth’s Waste Strategy, and in line with almost all other councils, we are redesigning the way we collect rubbish. This is so that we can meet new EU laws on waste management and take better control of the huge amounts of money we spend on disposing of waste. To date, the roll-out has resulted in a 25% reduction in the amount of residual waste.

Why are the new bins smaller?

With the extensive recycling services we offer and the new food waste service, you can recycle 80 per cent, on average, of your rubbish. Therefore most residents should not need the old larger bins.

Have there been any teething problems?

The small proportion of residents who have complained have been sent a written apology. Any logistical operation on the scale of Lambeth’s new refuse and food waste bins was likely to encounter teething problems. Nevertheless our delivery programme was 98% successful and only 2% or residents contacted us to seek clarification on the bin they have received. Figures demonstrate that residents are embracing this new and essential service.

Why am I sharing a bin with my neighbour?

Everyone who lives in a house which has been converted into flats will be sharing a bin. This is because we wanted to ensure that residents did not have too many bins in their front garden and to make good use of the existing bins. Therefore instead of having six small bins for six flats, we have given residents three larger bins to share. This will help to ensure resident’s gardens are not full of bins.

If I have a problem with sharing a bin with my neighbour what do I do?

First, try to resolve any issues with your neighbour. Most problems are likely to centre around individuals producing more than their fair share of rubbish. Even if we provided individual bins it would be difficult to ensure people only used their own bin. Please provide us with as much information as possible, including whether or not they are recycling and we will review what action we can take to try and help. We did receive some complaints that bins were being stolen but this appears to have been a minor problem and has settled down.

If I cannot fit all my waste into the bin, can I get a bigger one?

Check on our website www.lambeth.gov.uk/recycling to find out everything that you can recycle and where you can recycle other items which we do not collect from homes. If you are using both the food waste and recycling service and still cannot manage then please get in touch. We can arrange for someone to visit and provide more advice on coping with the new system. Larger bins are offered to households with six or more permanent residents. If this applies to you please contact us and we can send you an application form.

Won’t this lead to an increase in fly-tipping?

Compared to last year we have seen an 8% drop in fly tipped waste and although we do not believe this is associated with the change in service, we do believe it is a strong indication that residents have not resorted to dumping their waste on the street.
Will my collection day stay the same?

Your refuse and recycling collection day will remain the same. If you were already on the food waste collection service then your food waste will be collected on the same day as your waste and recycling, once the new refuse bin arrangements are in place. If you are new to the food waste service then it will be collected on the same day as everything else. Garden waste collections will also change to the same collection day as refuse and recycling, but we will contact all service users about this separately. These changes are planned for early 2014.

Can I put recycling in my rubbish bin?

Recycling was made compulsory in Lambeth in 2011 so please do not put recycling in your rubbish. Recycling is really good for the environment as it ensures that items get a second chance at life and can be created into a new product.

I have a sticker on my bin saying I had too much waste. What do I do next?

If you had too much waste, we will have collected it for now. However in future we will not be collecting excess waste. Please ensure that you are making full use of the recycling and food waste service. For advice on how to reduce your waste, check out our website www.lambeth.gov.uk\recycling

Can I keep my old bin instead of using a new one?

Unfortunately not - We have changed everyone’s bins to help increase recycling. We are collecting everyone’s bins and sending them to be recycled. If you do keep your old bin and place it out for collection it will be removed at some point in the future.

I want to make a water butt out of my old bin, can I keep it?

Yes, this is fine. Please send us a photo to use as part of our work to encourage water saving measures!

I bought my own bin, it is a private bin, can I keep it?

Yes, if it is your own private property you are of course entitled to keep it. Please ensure you take it back in straight after collection as we will be unable to return it to you if it is removed as part of the replacement programme. Please do not place it out for collection after the changes have been made as it will be removed. We will only collect waste from your new allocated bin.

I bought a larger size bin from the council and they have taken it away, I should have my money refunded.

I am afraid we are unable to make any refunds as the service has completely changed, including the circumstances under which households are entitled to a larger bin. If there are six or more people living permanently at your address please request an application form for a larger bin. There was no guarantee provided when larger bins were purchased over how long their use would continue.

My bin is missing?

If your bin is missing:
1. Do you live in a flat? If so you may be sharing a bin with your neighbour. If you are unsure whether  you should have a slimline bin or a shared bin, then please get in touch;
2. Please ensure you check on your street, the bin crew may have misplaced your bin by accident;
3. You are welcome to put your property number or some other identity onto your bin to try and prevent this happening again.

What will happen to my old bin?

The best quality ones will be kept for reuse, otherwise they will be recycled to make new plastic products.

How much is the introduction of new slimline bins to every household going to cost?

We are only delivering new bins to 40,000 households, the remainder (converted flats) will be sharing existing bins. The bins were £14.50 each and all the costs are funded from Lambeth’s £1.474m grant from the Government’s Weekly Collection Support Fund. The changes will save the council an estimated £2million per annum.

Saturday 15 February 2014

Licensing application: Oktoberfest, Kennington Park

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 the 14th February 2014   

Applicants Name:    London Oktoberfest Ltd
Premises Address:    Oktoberfest - Kennington Park Kennington Park Road London 
Activities/times requested:   

Time-Limited: 14/09/14 – 30/09/14

Live Music
    Saturday      14:00  - 22:00
    Sunday      13:30  - 18:30
    Thursday and Friday      17:00  - 22:00

Recorded Music
    Saturday      13:00  - 22:45
    Sunday      12:30  - 19:15
    Thursday and Friday      16:00  - 22:45

Supply of Alcohol
    Saturday      13:00  - 22:15
    Sunday      12:30  - 19:15
    Thursday and Friday      16:00  - 22:15

Please direct any queries in respect of this application to the following case officer:
Ms Carol Jones
Telephone: 0207 926 6143    Email: licensing@lambeth.gov.uk


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 14th March 2014

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


Sunday 26 January 2014

Letter from Lib Peck about Vauxhall Bus Station

To the Chair of the Kennington, Oval & Vauxhall Forum

Dear Malcolm

I wanted to reassure you that the views expressed at last week’s meeting have been relayed to me, and I understand the concerns and priorities of your  members and others who attended the meeting.

I believe we share the same goals for  Vauxhall – to make it a thriving district centre and the gateway to Nine Elms  on the South Bank, underpinned by  excellent transport connections. This is the Council’s adopted planning policy. The question is, how is this achieved?

Transport for London,(TfL), is responsible for managing and maintaining the capacity on this strategic part of the road network in London, so the traffic interchange has to work, especially for buses. No changes can go forward at the expense of the transport interchange. There is considerable technical analysis underway to establish whether the gyratory can be made to work two way and to understand the consequences of achieving this, if this is what is ultimately agreed. The programme for this work was shared with KOV last week. There will be no final decisions in relation to this for several months.

TfL have advised the Council that the traffic modelling results, that will assess whether or not two way working is possible, will be available at the end of February. If it is possible, then we will look further at what that will mean for the design of the district centre and the interchange arrangements, including the bus station. As part of this process, we will be preparing a design framework for the district centre that takes the policy within the Vauxhall Supplementary Planning document to a more detailed level of implementation. Things are changing within the Vauxhall area, as we have seen from the new shops and restaurants that have come, now
that there is a wider awareness of the Council’s ambitions. This change will continue with the implementation of Vauxhall Square and other exciting developments that the Council has supported.

The workshop next week, (29th January), will provide a useful starting point for this conversation and will help shape future consultation. At the workshop we will be sharing the results of the traffic modelling thus far, what the volume of users by mode has been, and discussing the issues and opportunities that the district centre and two-way working present.

It is essential that full and meaningful consultation follows this first stage of technical investigation, and the council passed a motion to this effect at the beginning of last week. There is clearly a challenge to TfL, and  the Council, to demonstrate that any options or proposals will improve the existing situation, and not make it worse. However, I would also ask that you keep an open mind about the potential benefits that change might bring. These need to be articulated through the process so that everyone can come to a view.

Yours sincerely

Councillor Lib Peck
Leader, London Borough of Lambeth

Our campaign to save Kennington Park Post Office

This weekend we've joined our Oval Labour colleagues to talk to residents to encourage them to feed into the Post Office consultation and sign our petition.

Labour members were out in force yesterday morning outside the Post Office talking to concerned residents.

Many of our elderly residents are worried about how they will get to Camberwell to get their pensions.  Kennington Park post office is a busy post office and valued by local residents.

Have your say in the consultation

You can share your views on the proposal through an online questionnaire.  When entering the site you will be asked to enter the code for this branch: 01600799.

Dates for local public consultation:

Local public consultation starts: 6 December 2013
Local public consultation ends: 28 February 2014

Proposed month of change: May 2014

Sunday 19 January 2014

New playground for Mountain House

Following consultation with the TRAs and representatives from the Vauxhall Gardens and Black Prince Estates in October and November 2013, the final proposals for the play area between Mountain and Sullivan Houses are shown on the drawing above.

The proposals reflect all the amendments requested by residents during this consultation and focus the works on the refurbishment of the play area site. The new play equipment and layout of the play area is fully inclusive and sustainable.

The new play equipment has been delivered to the contractor and works will be programmed to start on site in February and complete before the end of March 2014.

The contractor will create a compound area on the site but will need vehicular access to the compound from Vauxhall Street via the Sullivan House entrance.

If you require further information, please contact the North Area Housing Office  northarea@lambethliving.org.uk or telephone 020 7926 6000.

Sunday 12 January 2014

Friends of Lambeth Walk Doorstep Green

Have your say about how the Green is run……

Lambeth Walk Doorstep Green (the Green) is a wonderful community open space bounded by Lambeth Walk, Fitzalan Street, Lollard Street and Kennington Road. It also includes the nature garden outside Roots & Shoots on Fitzalan Street.

If you live or work in those streets, the Ethelred Estate or in other nearby roads and premises you will already know that the Green is a lovely natural space for us all to enjoy. But it needs to be treasured and kept that way.

It was saved from the threat of development some ten years ago and now has mature trees, some wild flower areas, a children’s playground and extensive grassed areas. It is used by local families and schools, by dog owners and many others who enjoy it as an oasis of nature and calm near the busy centre of London.

Whilst the status of the Green is now protected and recognised by the London Borough of Lambeth, it still needs to be maintained and developed to ensure it remains the safe and attractive shared place it is intended to be.

With extensive new developments ongoing on the old Lilian Baylis site and proposed on Lollard Street (as well as others nearer the river) it is important that existing and new local residents’ views are foremost in protecting and guiding the future of the Green.

How you can get involved…

The LWDG Friends Group is currently being re-formed by some local residents and users of the Green. It will be important to get as wide involvement as possible. If you would like to get involved in any way please get in touch. Involvement can range from just keeping informed by newsletters and providing feedback to more active participation in representing views to and working with the local authority or helping to organise events. To get in touch so you can be included:

Friends of Lambeth Walk Doorstep Green
c/o Roots & Shoots
Walnut Tree Walk
London
SE11 6DN

Email: lwdoorstepgreen@gmail.com with any comments and your contact details

Pictured: local councillors Lorna, Steve and Mark at the Green

Maureen Johnston MBE

 
As you may know Maureen died on the afternoon of 28 December 2013.


Maureen Johnston MBE was well known to us as a prominent and active resident of our ward, but also because her energy, enthusiasm and passion for improving our local area was enormously appreciated by residents, local groups, and by all of us at Lambeth Council who had the privilege to work with her over her decades of almost full time voluntary work. Maureen's passion for justice and fairness was indefatigable, and ensured that she consistently and persistently strove to represent our community at all levels across Lambeth and Southwark.

Maureen was always available, approachable and keen to discuss any opportunities to work together to help local improvements and initiatives give their best to the local community. She was a lovely lady who will be sorely missed on so many levels.


From 4:30-6:30 on the 23rd there will be a community get together for Maureen to be held in Kennington at Amici's Restaurant ( 205-209 Kennington Lane, London SE11 5QS )  This is not so much a formal memorial service, as an opportunity for local friends and family to come together and remember all the wonderful things Maureen has done for the Kennington, Oval and Vauxhall community.

Maureen has requested that friends and family make a donation to Trinity Hospice in lieu of sending flowers.

http://www.trinityhospice.org.uk/donate

Pictured: Maureen (left) with councillors at a community event at Waterloo Action Centre
Promoted by David Amos and Joanne Simpson of Prince's Branch Labour Party (Vauxhall Constituency and Lambeth Borough) all at 264A Rosendale Road, SE24 9DL