Councillors object to Fire HQ redevelopment

Prince’s ward councillors’ objection to 10/04473/FUL – Fire Brigade HQ redevelopment

We wish to object to this development on the following grounds:

-Proportion of affordable housing. 7% is completely insufficient and far short of Lambeth’s 40% target. We are suspicious of the developer’s claim that any more would make the scheme unaffordable – they have radically revised their scheme on several occasions, having previously said this would be impossible.

-Level of parking spaces. The site has a PTAL level of 6 with excellent access to public transport. There are excellent bus, tube and bike hire services within walking distance and most of central London is walkable from the location. Therefore it should be a car free development. Only parking for the fire brigade, disabled drivers and car club spaces should be provided. The unnecessary 69 parking spaces will significantly increase traffic in the area. Residents of the new buildings should not be entitled to on-street parking permits.

-Location of affordable housing. Building G is entirely affordable housing. This accentuates the division the railway viaduct makes between a wealthy riverside strip of land and the deprived estates to the east of the viaduct. Affordable housing should be located to the west of the viaduct and Building G should contain private housing to create a better mix of housing tenures in both locations. Currently the proposal contravenes the London Plan policy to create mixed and balanced communities.

-Loss of commercial space in Building G. Building G is opposite the shops and pubs of Black Prince Road, and is an obvious place for a ground floor retail/ restaurant unit to contribute to the successful local cluster of businesses operating there. Lambeth’s planning policies do not allow bedrooms on the ground floor in this area because of the risk of flooding.

-We believe the design of Building G is a missed opportunity to create a well-designed and well-proportioned building which will complement the similar-sized heritage buildings around it (the Ragged School, the Queen’s Head, and the Jolly Gardeners).

-We also have serious concerns about the effect on light to Whitgift House. Analysis by GL Hearn commissioned by Lambeth Council clearly states that all but one of the windows tested will transgress the BRE Report guideline values for VSC. All rooms will transgress the BRE report guideline on the first floor, and 10 rooms will transgress the BRE guidelines on the second floor. There are further transgressions on the higher floors. It further states that 28 of 63 windows would not meet the BRE guidelines on Sunlight amenity. These reductions to the daylight and sunlight amenity are considerable and will have a serious impact on the amenity of the residents of Whitgift House.


Whitgift House residents have launched a petition against the scheme - you can sign it here

Youth Mayor's crime summit

Are you aged 11-19?

Are you concerned about youth crime across the borough?

Well come along to the Lambeth Youth Council Meeting and Youth Crime Summit
Tuesday 11 October, 4.30 – 7.30pm
Assembly Rooms, Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton

THIS IS A FREE, TICKET ONLY EVENT

David Oyedele, Lambeth Youth Mayor says: "The vast majority of young people know that talking and not violence is the best way to influence change, don’t miss out on this opportunity to get your views heard”

• Find out more about the Youth Council and how to get involved
• Meet Lambeth’s Youth Mayor
• Put your questions on youth crime to the council
• Meet Youth Service Providers

To get involved:
Complete our Youth Crime Survey for a chance to win a £25 shopping voucher
www.surveymonkey.com/s/KMNPZT6
Get your ticket at www.yccs.eventbrite.com or via the Lambeth Youth Mayor on Facebook

Refreshments will be available

Labour launches manifesto for VNEB project

New community funds, better public services, parks and transport schemes are planned.

Lambeth’s Labour Councillors have unveiled our plans to transform the Vauxhall-Nine Elms-Battersea area to ensure local residents get the maximum benefit from the regeneration proposals.

In a draft manifesto, Labour has pledged that we 'will ensure that the necessary infrastructure and public services will be provided for local residents affected by the developments.'

One of the highlights is the plan to develop a new ‘Community Endowment Fund’ of at least £1million which will provide an annual pot of money for local groups to ensure that the benefits of the regeneration continue after the building has finished. In addition, funding that comes from new developments for improving the community will be ring fenced so it can’t be used to subsidise any overspend on the planned Northern Line Extension.

Labour’s Leader in Lambeth, and Co-chair of the VNEB Strategy Board, Cllr Steve Reed said:'We are getting ahead of the curve in announcing these pledges for local people – the first political party to set out a manifesto for Vauxhall Nine Elms. With 16,000 new homes coming to the area we need to be sure that our public services meet the demands of our existing and new residents. We will be engaging with our communities, so they can tell us what they want.'

The draft manifesto will go out for consultation over the next two months. Labour Councillors will be discussing the plans with local people, community groups, residents’ associations, and other key stakeholders.

To improve transport, Labour pledges to support:
· An extended Northern line to run from Kennington to Nine Elms and Battersea· New bus services along Wandsworth Road and Nine Elms Lane.
· A cycle bridge at Pimlico, new boat services, walkways and improved access to the river.
· The extension of the TFL bike hire scheme further South
· Traffic calming measures and improvements to prevent ‘rat runs’ through residential areas.

To improve our open spaces, Labour pledges to:
· Preserve and improve Vauxhall Park, Spring Gardens and Larkhall Park.
· Lobby TfL to remove the Vauxhall gyratory to improve the area for pedestrians and cyclists.
· Ensure that any new tall buildings do not significantly overshadow parks and homes.

In public services and culture, Labour pledges to:
· Create extra school places, doctors, and ensure hospital services are not adversely affected. · Ensure police are not diverted by protecting the new US Embassy.
· Develop new cultural provision in the area, provide extra sports pitches and leisure centres

To support local businesses and jobs, Labour pledges to:
· Ensure developers offer apprenticeships for young residents and the unemployed.
· Work to provide new spaces for retail outlets and street markets.

The consultation on the draft manifesto will run until 15 November.

To download the manifesto, click here.

To comment on the plans, you can email vnebmanifesto@gmail.com

Shelley site retained for Archbishop Sumner 'bulge class'

The council has recently been consulting on the future of the old Shelley School site in Oakden Street.

At the Children and Young People's Service Scrutiny Sub-Committee last Tuesday the council announced their plans for the site. They have decided to 'use the site in the short term to provide a bulge class (or classes) through Archbishop Sumner, to help address the projected serious shortage of places across the borough in 2012. This will allow further analysis and a further year’s trends to assess the optimum solution and not preclude any of the other options.'

Cllr Pete Robbins said: 'This year Lambeth has received a record number of applications for places at our primary schools, including a huge number of late applications which make expansion planning very difficult.

The huge government cuts to school capital funding mean Lambeth is increasingly reliant on temporary 'bulge' classes. While the rise in demand is again concentrated in the south of the borough, there are an increasingly limited number of schools in Norwood and Streatham with sites that are suitable for bulge classes. Therefore, given Archbishop Sumner's ambition to expand, and the strong local desire to see the Shelley site retained for educational use, it was decided that it would be appropriate to make the site available to Archbishop Sumner to provide a bulge class in 2012.

Our first priority continues to be securing the £50m we need to provide a permanent place for every child in Lambeth, and we will continue to make our case to education secretary Michael Gove to provide the investment local children deserve.'

You can view the minutes from the committee meeting here.

If you have any questions about this decision or would like more information the council officer responsible can be contacted at:

Chris Sipidias, Regeneration Manager Children and Young People’s Service, 020 7926 5570.

Success dealing with intimidating street drinkers at Vauxhall Street shops

Local residents around Vauxhall Street have confirmed that anti-social behaviour outside the shops has massively reduced after police intervention this summer.

Some street drinkers outside the shop were regularly causing a nuisance - intimidating passers-by and urinating outside people's homes.

After residents complained, Councillor Mark Harrison asked the police and the Council's anti-social behaviour team to investigate what could be done to solve the problem. They have spoken to off licences in the area to make some simple changes to the way they sell alcohol, and engaged regularly with the street drinkers to discourage anti-social behaviour.

Thanks to this work, street drinking outside the shops on Vauxhall Street has virtually disappeared in the past week. The police will continue to keep a close eye on the area to ensure the problems don't start up again.