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.

Tuesday 27 November 2012

Comment on Henley Homes' plans for Old Lilian Baylis

Henley Homes' planning application for the northern part of the Old Lilian Baylis site is now open for comments.

They plan to convert most of the old school buildings into residential properties, with a couple of new infill buildings. Several buildings to the west of the site will be demolished and replaced with new medium-rise blocks. These will not overshadow existing flats on Gibson Road like in previous plans. There will be a terrace of houses along Lollard Street. 40% of homes in the development will be affordable.

You can see all of the plans and comment on the application here.


Sunday 25 November 2012

2012 SE11 councillor update hits the doormats

Prince's ward's Labour councillors' latest leaflet is being delivered by volunteers in our area over the next couple of weeks.

It contains updates about the Durning Library and some of the local issues we have been working on over the past year. It also asks for residents' ideas for how money from the sale of the Beaufoy Institute should be spent.

If you could lend a hand with delivering some leaflets please let Steve know.

Wednesday 21 November 2012

Two way cycling on one way streets

After consulting with residents, the Council is preparing to introduce two way cycling on certain one way streets on our area. They are Cardigan Street, Sancroft Street, Tyers Street and Wincott Street.

Here are the details from the officer's report:


Cardigan Street 

Objectives: Allow cycle access in both directions on Cardigan Street between Kennington Lane and Courtenay Square. Reduce road danger and improve access for people on bicycles through the existing cycle gap at the junction with Kennington Lane by removing 5m of parking bay. A cycle gap is already in place at Cardigan Street’s junction with Kennington Lane (implemented by Transport for London in the 1990s) to allow cycles into Cardigan Street northbound but access is completely blocked by cars parked in the formal shared-use parking bays (see fig. 1. in  appendix 1). The link forms important east-west access connecting cycle routes into central London and avoids the need for a difficult right turn on a bend on Kennington Lane into Courtenay Street.  It is also an important local link that fits with future proposals to make Ravensdon Street and Cleaver Street two-way for cycling.

Outcomes: Two-way cycle access indicated by appropriate signing and road markings. Removal of 10.15m of formal shared use permit holders/pay & display  parking bay.

Traffic orders/ notices required:
a) Exempt pedal cycles from the one-way system on Cardigan Street between the existing ‘cycle plug at the junction with Kennington Lane and Sancroft Street. This would be achieved by replacing the current ban on all vehicles traveling in a northern direction on Cardigan Street with a ban on motor vehicles only, and providing appropriate signing and advisory cycle lanes at certain points on Cardigan Street.
b) Removal of 12.8 metres of shared use permit holders/pay & display parking bay and replace with 12.8 metres of double yellow lines from a point starting 11m from the northwest kerb of Kennington Lane.


Sancroft Street 

Objectives: Allow cycle access in both directions on Sancroft Street between Kennington Road and Vauxhall Street.

Outcomes: Two-way cycle access indicated by appropriate signing and road markings. Removal of 12.8m of residential parking bay.

Traffic orders/ notices required:
a) Exempt pedal cycles from the one-way system on the section of  Sancroft Street between Cardigan Street and Kennington Road. This would be achieved by replacing the current ban on all vehicles entering Sancroft Street  at its junction with Cardigan  Street  with a ban on motor vehicles only, and providing appropriate signing and advisory cycle lanes at certain points on Sancroft Street.

b) Exempt pedal cycles from the one-way system on the section of Sancroft Street between Newburn Street and Vauxhall Street. This would be achieved by replacing the current ban on all vehicles entering Sancroft Street  at its junction with Newburn  Street   with a ban on motor vehicles only, and providing appropriate signing and advisory cycle lanes at certain points on Sancroft Street.

c) Removing 12.8m of Permit Holders only parking bay on Sancroft Street and replacing with 12.8m of double yellow lines starting from a point 6.75m from the western kerbline of Vauxhall Street and extending for 12.8m.


Tyers Street 

Objectives: Allow cycle access in both directions on Tyers Street. Calm traffic at the junction with Black Prince Road.

Outcomes: Two-way cycle access on the entire length of Tyers Street indicated by appropriate signing and road markings. Construction of flat-top table on Tyers Street at the junction with Black Prince Road.
Traffic orders/ notices required:

a) Exempt pedal cycles from the one-way system on Tyers Street. This would be achieved by replacing the current ban on all vehicles entering Tyers Street at its junction with Black Prince Road and all side roads with a ban on motor vehicles only, and providing appropriate signing and advisory cycle lanes at certain points on Tyers Street.

b) Notice for a flat top raised speed table on Tyers Street at the junction with Black Prince Road, extending from the southern kerbline of Black Prince Road for a distance of 14.5 metres.


Wincott Street

Objectives: Allow cycle access in both directions on Wincott Street between Gilbert Road and Kennington Road and improve visibility and safety for pedestrians by constructing  a build-out at the corner of Wincott Street and Kempsford Road.

Outcomes: Two-way cycle access on Wincott Street indicated by appropriate signing and road markings. Improved local permeability.

Traffic orders/ notices required:
b) Exempt pedal cycles from the one-way section on Wincott Street between Gilbert Road and KenningtonRoad .This would be achieved by replacing the current ban on all vehicles entering Wincott Street at its junction with Gilbert Road with a ban on motor vehicles only, and providing appropriate signing and advisory cycle lanes at certain points on Wincott Street.
c) Remove 5.8m of parking bay and replace with double yellow lines to allow the construction of a build-out.



Consultation responses 

Cardigan Street

As explained in section 2 of this report, the infrastructure already exists to permit pedal cycles into the one-way system on Cardigan Street but is physically impossible due to the presence of formal shared use parking bays which block the cycle gap (see fig. 1, appendix 1); hence the consultation was for the removal of these parking bays.
There were just six responses to the consultation on Cardigan Street – this is a very low response rate.  Two people were against the removal of parking bays, one person was in favour, and three had no view either way. (See appendix 2.)
In contrast, there was broad support from the wider community to improving the cycle access by removing the parking bays. (See appendix 2).

Recommendation: It is understandable that local residents would not want to lose car parking from their street. Some respondees also pointed out that vehicles from a local minicab firm are often parked in residents’ bays unenforced, putting pressure on parking.
It must be taken into account that the response rate to the consultation on Cardigan Street was extremely low: two people objected to the proposals to remove x2 parking bays and three had no objections. Several users in the wider area were in favour of the proposals.
Some weighting should be given to the two objections from Cardigan Street, however, it should also be taken into account that the area has a wealth of alternatives to car use and ownership: Cardigan Street has the second highest possible PTAL (Public Transport Accessibility Level) score of 6a, there are four Car Club bays within a five minute walk, a dense network of hire cycles and cycle routes, and most retail and leisure facilities are accessible by public transport or on foot or cycle.
Lambeth’s CPZ engineer, after considering the proposals, supports the removal of 10.15 metres (x2 parking bays) for safety reasons these bays be removed bay be, and that consideration is given to the introduction of new disabled bays so that those less able to walk, cycle or use public transport are assured a parking space.


Sancroft Street 

Ten responses were received. Respondents are in favour of both proposals to permit two-way cycling on the entire length of Sancroft Street between Vauxhall Street and Kennington Road. There was also support to remove two parking bays on Sancroft Street at the junction with Vauxhall Street. There was broad support from the wider community.

Recommendation: Proceed with the proposals outlined in section 2 of this report.


Tyers Street 

The response was low but this may be because respondents did not feel strongly about the proposals. There was unanimous support from those who did respond: all of them supported the proposals to implement a flat top speed table on Tyers street at the junction of Tyers Street and Black Prince Road.
The information letter about two-way cycling did not elicit significant responses; residents will have further opportunity to comment at the statutory consultation stage.

Recommendation: Proceed with the proposals outlined in section 2 of this report.


Wincott Street 

25 responses were received.
The majority of respondents were in favour of both aspects of the scheme.  Some respondents expressed reservations about the behavior of cyclists in general. Some respondents pointed out the difficulty that large vehicles have in negotiating the corner of Wincott Street and Reedworth Street because of recently introduced parking bays.

Recommendations: Proceed with the proposals outlined in section 2 of this report. Consider a review of parking on the corner of Wincott Street and Reedworth Street.


Tuesday 20 November 2012

Nominate roads and pavements which need renewing

Lambeth's highways manager has asked us to nominate roads and pavements in our area which need renewing.

Please email us to let us know if you think your road or pavement should be resurfaced.

We've already nominated several roads and pavements which officers have already inspected and added to the backlog list:

Roads:
Wigton Place
Jonathan Street
Walcot Square
Chester Way
Brook Drive
Vauxhall Walk
St Mary's Walk
Glyn Street
Newport Street
Monkton Street
St Mary's Gardens
Oakden Street

Pavements:
Kennington Road
Denny Street
Walcot Square
Sancroft Street
Denny Crescent
Vauxhall Walk


Pictured: Mark pointing out a pothole on Stannary Street, which was resurfaced after pressure from SE11 councillors

Park Plaza Riverbank plans to grow taller


The Park Plaza Riverbank Hotel is inviting residents to a public exhibition about proposals for a forthcoming planning application to add further floors and a new frontage to the Park Plaza Riverbank Hotel on the Albert Embankment.

Where:  Plaza Suite 10, Park Plaza Hotel Riverbank, Albert Embankment

When:  Monday 26 November, 1pm to 8pm

The scheme will have a particular impact on residents of 9 Albert Embankment. You can find out more at their website.
       

Follow up Northern Line Extension meeting


Lambeth Council held a public meeting on the 10 September where residents  were invited to raise any queries or concerns they had related to the proposed extension to the Northern Line. At that meeting officers undertook to take those comments away and investigate them further and to provide answers once they had them.

Lambeth officers and the council’s technical consultant Ramboll have been working through the issues raised and are proposing a follow-up meeting to give an update on where they are and allow residents to engage in discussion on outstanding issues. The meeting will be from 6pm – 9pm on Tuesday 4 December in the South Lambeth Library, 180 South Lambeth Road, SW8 1QP. An agenda will be circulated prior to the meeting and it is likely that it will take the same format as the September meeting with each different area dealt with in turn.

You do not need to register to attend this meeting but to help estimate numbers in advance it would be useful if you could email transportplanning@lambeth.gov.uk to indicate whether you will be attending.

Ramboll's work and the meeting are focused on some of the practical issues around the construction and operation of the project. However, some residents have been questioning whether the Northern Line Extension is the best transport option to be pursuing. Lambeth officers have provided the following briefing explaining some of the reasons why TfL is pursuing the Northern Line Extension:



Reason for Choice of the Northern Line Extension

The NLE has been identified by TfL as the only viable option that will provide enough public transport capacity in the long term to accommodate the scale of development proposed for the VNEB Opportunity Area. This note explains the rationale behind this decision.

Background

Five development scenarios were initially investigated for the VNEB Opportunity Area ranging from low levels of development to significant increases in jobs and residents. A transport study was commissioned by TfL in order to identify the level of public transport provision that would be required to support the amount of development proposed for each of these scenarios.

This transport study identified a range of public transport improvements that would be required ranging from a series of bus based improvements for the low level scenarios to proposals that provided significant amounts of additional capacity for the high level scenarios.

It was eventually decided that a revision of Scenario 5 with 16,000 new dwellings and 24,000 new jobs would be pursued. The transport study had identified that the only 2 interventions that would provide enough capacity to accommodate this level of development were tube or tram-based options. These would provide direct, high speed connections to central London with much more capacity than could be accommodated by additional bus routes. Without this route the public transport system would be unlikely to cope with the additional demand.

Tube based option

The tube based option forms an extension to the Northern Line from Kennington. This is the easiest option to deliver because of the terminating tracks on the Charing Cross branch which allow an extension to be delivered without directly affecting the rest of the line.

Four initial route options were proposed. These were:

1. A direct line from Battersea to Kennington,
2. A mid-station at Vauxhall to allow interchange with the Victoria Line,
3. A station close to the proposed US Embassy, and
4. A station on Wandsworth Road (Sainsbury’s).

The first two options were discounted by TfL as not providing effective relief for Vauxhall station to accommodate significant levels of additional trips relating to developments at the northern end of the OA such as New Covent Garden Market, Sainsbury’s, CLS, etc.

In particular, although the second option would have provided interchange between the Northern and Victoria Lines TfL has always raised significant concerns that Vauxhall station would be unable to cope with additional numbers of passengers. This relates both to those entering the station to use the Northern Line at peak times leading further congestion within the station, and those interchanging onto the Victoria Line which would be likely to have implications for capacity before trains reach the more strategic part of the line at Victoria. For this reason, TfL has never supported this option.

Of the remaining options, that which provides most benefit for Lambeth residents is the 4th option with a station at Wandsworth Road (Sainsbury’s). This option provides the best improvements to public transport accessibility levels in Lambeth compared to the US Embassy option which would have been on the western side of the railway viaduct. This was also the most supported option in the public consultations that were undertaken in 2010 and 2011.

The possibility of creating a branch from the Victoria Line was considered but dismissed due to operating concerns. The Victoria Line is congested north of Vauxhall in the morning peak and the addition of additional passengers would lead to capacity problems on more strategic parts of the line further north from Vauxhall. The existing service to Brixton would have been affected by the loss of services as the trains would have had to alternate between Brixton and Battersea.

Tram based option

The tram-based option was originally devised as a connection from Battersea Power Station along Nine Elms Lane to Vauxhall, Albert Embankment and Waterloo where it would connect with the Cross River Tram (CRT). The CRT was, however, dropped from the TfL business plan following the Mayoral election in 2008.

The two main reasons why this is not supported by TfL are:

1. Impact on Vauxhall gyratory.

The tram route was proposed to run through the gyratory which is already operating close to capacity and the impact on traffic flow was deemed unacceptable by TfL. One of the Council’s key aims is the removal of the gyratory, with significant improvement to the public realm, and officers are currently in discussions regarding this. It is unlikely that a tram route could be accommodated in these proposals due to the impact on capacity. It is likely that the provision of a tram route would compromise the Council’s aim.

2. Interchange implications.

The tram was proposed to connect with the CRT at Waterloo which would have provided a direct route into central London without the need to change at Waterloo.  Without the CRT, all those using the tram would arrive at Waterloo and need to change to alternative modes of transport. Waterloo is the busiest station in London and there are already issues relating to interchange from train to tube and bus. For example, there are currently long queues for buses at peak times and it is likely that the interchange could not cope with the additional passengers.

TfL also raised concerns about potential interchange implications at Vauxhall station, with a potential increase in passengers looking to change to the Victoria Line.

Other Public Transport Improvements

The transport study identified that either a tube or tram based option would be the only solutions to provide the long term public transport capacity required to accommodate additional development trips. However, the Council has always stated that a wider transport strategy, with a significant emphasis on bus improvements, is required and that this would link the new developments to existing residents and businesses in Lambeth. Such improvements formed a key part of the Council’s initial support for the NLE.

The VNEB transport study showed that bus improvements would be required in the short to medium term, until the high capacity improvements were constructed. Given the number of developments that have now obtained planning permission TfL is currently undertaking an initial study into short term bus improvements and the Council will feed into this study to ensure that the proposals provide the required level of improvements to Lambeth residents.

Issues raised on the NLE

The Council has received a lot of correspondence from residents regarding the NLE. In order to be able to respond to these issues and ensure that TFL, as scheme promoter, takes them on board the Council has engaged consultants Ramboll to act on its behalf and provide advice. At present Ramboll are reviewing the work done to date on behalf of Treasury Holdings and latterly TfL. It is hoped that they will continue to advise the Council on the Environmental Impact Assessment that TFL is required to submit in support of the Transport and Works Act application.

Conclusion

The need for the NLE is development led, with significant additional transport capacity being required to accommodate the additional trips that will be generated by all developments in the VNEB OA. The Planning Framework concludes that in order to enable and support a revised scenario 5 development a package of strategic transport measures, supported by a series of more local transport improvements will be required to support growth and development of the OA. These include:

• An optimum package of bus service enhancements including the introduction or extension of bus routes
• An extension to the Northern -Line, from Kennington to Battersea Power Station, with an intermediate stop in the Nine Elms area
• Improvements to the National Rail, Underground stations and interchange facilities at Vauxhall and Battersea Park stations
• A step change in the walking and cycle environment both within and to/from the OA and ensuring improved legibility and connections
• An approach to development which reduces the need to travel by car/reduces the number of private vehicle trips within the OA
• Improving conditions for taxis, coaches, freight and river services within and to/from the OA
• Private investment to enable these improvements to be secured and delivered in line with the future development of the area

It can be seen, therefore, that the NLE is not the only transport improvement that will be delivered. The Council has always supported and promoted additional bus enhancements in the area that will be of benefit to Lambeth residents.


Tuesday 13 November 2012

Christmas tree for Vauxhall courtesy of Vauxhall One


Local business group Vauxhall One are sponsoring a 10 metre Christmas Tree to be sited outside the Royal Vauxhall Tavern at the entrance to the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. The tree will be in place for the festive season with the lights being switched on by a very important local person.

Come and see who it is at 7:15pm on Wednesday 28 November and celebrate the start of Christmas with Vauxhall One.

This is just one of many improvements introduced by Vauxhall One - which include refurbished railway arches, hanging baskets, and patrolling street wardens.

Kennington won't be left out - the Tree of Hope continues to be lit up outside St Anselm's Church during the dark evenings. The Tree of Hope was set up in 2009 by the Kennington Association, with help from local councillors' 'Ward Purse' fund.

Photo from Freefoto.com

Friday 9 November 2012

Join local people to improve 'Bird Walk'

This Saturday and Sunday local volunteers will be planting and tidying in the alleyway between Wincott Street and Oakden Street. Local residents are welcome to join the volunteers between 10am and 3pm - donations of plants, bulbs and seeds very welcome (hardy plants which like the shade would be most suitable).

The alleyway has recently been resurfaced with new planting beds, to coincide with Archbishop Sumner School's reception classes' move to the Oakden Street site.

The planting is a resident-led initiative to help improve the alleyway. We are also looking into naming the alleyway and getting it properly 'adopted' by the Council. The frontrunner name is 'Bird Walk', as nearby Monkton Street used to be called 'Bird Street'. The school is also investigating whether mural painting might be a way for the children to help brighten up the route.

Tuesday 6 November 2012

Lambeth Labour freeze council tax for another two years


Labour in Lambeth will commit to freeze local council tax for the next two years running at the Cabinet meeting on 12 November.

With living costs rising and the price hikes recently announced by the energy companies, the Labour group of councillors want to support residents. Labour has frozen Lambeth council tax levels since 2008 – in total a six year freeze.

Labour cabinet member for Finance and Resources, Councillor Paul McGlone said

'The economic failure of the Coalition Government means the cost of living is increasing and many local people are now struggling to make ends meet.

'We are doing what we can to help residents and the council tax freeze is part of that. It is a historic decision that means council tax will have been at the same level for six years running.'
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