Author: thurlowparklabour

Thurlow Park's Labour councillors sharing news and ways to get involved in the local area - including West Norwood, Herne Hill, Tulse Hill and West Dulwich.

Events in Brockwell Park

Brockwell Park has been holding a number of different events recently, ranging from dance festivals to fun runs. We know from speaking to residents who often enjoy going to these events, that ensuring they are well run, not unduly disruptive and that the park is kept tidy is very important to them. 

We have been doing a lot of work with the Brockwell Park Community Partners and Park officers to try and improve the way these events work in the park, and in terms of the impact they have on local users. 

One area where there has been considerable concern is the amount of rubbish in the park which significantly escalates during and after events but also when the weather is warm on weekends leading to overflowing bins. 

We have continued to work with officers to help secure extra resources between April and September to better manage the increase in litter. This includes weekend litter picks and dustcarts around the park, larger bins to absorb the increased waste at key points and new mechanised sweepers. This should hopefully keep the park clean for residents to enjoy the sunshine.

Earlier this year, one of our local residents, Jaz, was tragically killed crossing Thurlow Park Road on the zebra crossing at the bottom of Birkbeck Hill. This is not the first accident on the South Circular, and we want to work with Transport for London and local residents to make it the last.

Together with local residents, we want to find a way to improve safety at this dangerous crossing and so arranged a walkabout in March with Jaz’s friends and neighbours, local residents and parents, TfL officers, our local Assembly Member Flo Eshalomi and MP Helen Hayes. 

The walkabout was attended by around 25 people and was followed by a meeting to discuss potential solutions.

During the walkabout a number of points were highlighted; the possible need for a countdown timer on the crossing, the general speed of drivers rushing to ‘get away’ from the gyratory junction, the fact that the two lanes moving away from Tulse Hill move into one lane occurs fairly quickly with little signage pre-warning drivers of that change, the shift in speed limit around the neighbouring roads between 20mph (Lambeth) and 30mph (TfL) and lack of driver awareness of the change, that the sunlight both in the morning and the afternoon can be blinding to drivers as they approach the bridge /crossing, which makes it hard for drivers to see people waiting to cross, and that cycle lane improvement might also help. 

During the meeting that followed the walkabout there was a general conversation about what TfL thought was causing the safety concerns, the data surrounding TfL’s understanding of the safety concerns, and what the local community could do to support TfL’s understanding of the safety concerns. 

Otherwise, there was also a conversation about what necessary criteria was required for TfL to make certain safety changes, while there was also a discussion about whether some test speed measures could be put in place down. 

Furthermore, the group talked about the general need for better signage and better visibility for drivers and pedestrians, the need for a wider culture shift amongst road users while parking was also raised. 

In terms of follow up we will continue to work with TfL, Flo Eshalomi AM, Helen Hayes MP, and the local community to try and make the crossing safer for everyone. 

Fair Funding for local schools

Our MP, Helen Hayes, along with Cllr Peter John, Harriet Harman MP and Neil Coyle MP, recently met the Schools Minister, Nick Gibb MP to make the case against the cuts to funding for our local schools.for our local schools.

Below Are the thoughts of our MP, Helen Hayes, and a link to the letter she has sent to the Secretary of State for Education. 

Over the past 20 years, the quality of education in London has been transformed. Almost all of the schools in Dulwich and West Norwood are good or outstanding. As a parent of primary aged children in a local school I see every week how our local teachers and support staff deliver a brilliant education in an area where there are high levels of deprivation, high numbers of children with English as an Additional Language and special educational needs.

The government is putting our excellent local schools at risk, with a change in the funding formula which will see money taken away from our local schools to give to schools in other parts of the country.  I am campaigning along with local parents and teachers and Lambeth and Southwark Labour councillors against this change. 

Schools Funding Formula letter – http://www.helenhayes.org.uk/fair_funding_for_local_schools?utm_campaign=mem_update_0317&utm_medium=email&utm_source=helenhayes

Rosendale Playing Fields – post engagement survey update

This is just just a short update to state that Lambeth Council are still working through some of the questions raised during the engagement survey.

This has meant that any planning application has been delayed, though we keep residents updated as and when anything develops. If you have any questions please do no hesitate to contact us. 

If you would like to see the survey results please visit – https://www.lambeth.gov.uk/places/rosendale-playing-fields

Thames Water update

Thames water will be starting further work in the local area as they aim to reline the water main on Norwood Road between the junctions of Leigham Vale and Tulse Hill South Circular. This should reduce the likelihood of further leaks and bursts on the water supply network.

Thames Water are planning to work from Monday 10 April 2017 for approximately 10 weeks. The working hours on Monday to Friday will be from 8am to 5pm, on Saturdays from 8am to 5pm and on Sundays from 9am to 1pm. If this changes we’ll let you know in advance.

Palace Road will be closed at the junction of Norwood Road. Perran Road will also be closed to traffic, with the diversion routes clearly signposted. However, residents will still be able to access their properties.

Entry to Knollys Road from Leigham Court Road is currently closed to traffic for six weeks and diversion routes are signposted on Canterbury Grove.

Bus stop number 7730 outside property number 385 Norwood Road and bus stop number 3388 outside property number 162 Norwood Road will also be suspended during this time.

Thames water are not planning to turn the water off, so the works will not affect the water supply. If you, however, experience any interruption to your water supply, please, let contact Thames Water by calling 0800 316 9800, selecting option one and quoting this reference number – BB210376. 

Free West Norwood Film Festival

Saturday 25 March and ‘Back to the Future’ saw the launch of the free West Norwood Film Festival. Over this week cult classics, art house favourites and new releases in a mix of venues across the neighbourhood will be screenings completely free. 

The festival will also feature a 48-hour film competition where filmmakers, both aspiring and established, will be invited to create a short film inspired by the local area. The shortlisted films will be screened in a gala on the closing night of the festival and judged by a panel including experts from the BFI.

For further details look at the website – http://www.freefilmfestivals.org/filmfestival/west-norwood

Mon 27 March – 8.00pm – The Goonies at Knowles of Norwood

Tue 28 March – 7.45pm – Memento at the Clockworks

Wed 29 March – 8.00pm – Babette’s Feast at tyhe Otter Cafe

Thur 30 March – 7.30pm – Paterson at Volcano Coffee House (plus poetry from Poetry Slabs)

Fri 31 March – 8.00pm – Northern Soul – The Book and Record Bar (plus DJ set)

Sat 1 April – 1.00pm – Popular Film Vote – Library of Things

Sat 1 April – 7.30pm – 48 Hour Film Competition Finals –  thePortico Gallery

Consultation for proposed Controlled Parking Zone begins

The council has taken the decision to proceed with the implementation of a Controlled Parking Zone in the ‘Brixton Hill’ area, subject to the outcome of a statutory consultation. 

This will have an impact on Trinity Rise, Brockwell Park Gardens and the section of Norwood road between the junction of Norwood road /Rosendale road up to Trinity Rise. The consultation runs from Wednesday 22 March to Wednesday 19 April 2017.

In short, the Council has agreed to proceed with a statutory consultation to:

introduce a new ‘D’ CPZ to be operational Mondays to Fridays between 8.30am and 6.30pm;

introduce a new ‘F’ CPZ to be operational Mondays to Fridays between 12pm and 2pm;

extend the existing Clapham L CPZ, with bays operating Mondays to Fridays from 10am to Noon and single yellow lines operating Mondays to Fridays between 9am and 6pm;

extend the existing Brixton Hill ‘Q’ CPZ, with bays operating Mondays to Fridays from 10am to Noon and single yellow lines operating Mondays to Fridays between 8.30am and 6.30pm;

extend the existing Tulse Hill ‘H’ CPZ, with bays and single yellow lines operating Mondays to Fridays between 12pm and 2pm.

For more information and to add your views please visit – 

https://www.lambeth.gov.uk/parking-transport-and-streets/parking/proposed-controlled-parking-zone-brixton-hill-area

https://moderngov.lambeth.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?id=3864&LLL=0

https://moderngov.lambeth.gov.uk/documents/s87198/Proposed%20Brixton%20Hill%20Area%20CPZ.docx.pdf

Community Shop recently launched its latest Impact Report, tracking the positive outcomes it is achieving in the communities it serves. Now operational across four sites Community Shop – including in West Norwood – is helping to build stronger individuals and more confident communities.

“We welcome and are grateful for the support we have received from you, and Lambeth Council as a whole, and we hope that we can continue to build on our relationships in order to keep delivering fantastic results for the people of West Norwood.”

Highlights from the report include:.

• 98% of members report feeling that they have access to the tools and skills they need to achieve their life goals all or some of the time since joining Community Shop.

• 83% of members report feeling more positive about the future all or some of the time since joining Community Shop.

• 93% of members reported feeling that their mental wellbeing is improved all or some of the time since joining Community Shop.

• Community Shop calculates over 3,832,500 meals have been made using food from its stores in 2016.

https://www.companyshop.co.uk/community-shop/news-and-enquiries/news-centre/community-shop-launches-2016-impact-report/

Council Leader, Lib Peck, Helen Hayes, MP for Dulwich & West Norwood and Councillor Claire Holland, Deputy Cabinet member for Children & Schools recently all spoke at a public forum with the Fair Funding for All Schools campaign alongside the NUT, teachers, parents and students plus other speakers to support the national parent-led campaign that opposes the governments cuts to school funding. 

The meeting was held on Wednesday 15 March at a local Lambeth school and was attended by over 250 people. The concern of parents and teachers was clear in the passion of those present.

Sign the potion here – http://www.lambeth-labour.org.uk/protect_lambeth_s_schools

We are rightly proud of our Lambeth schools. Ofsted’s annual report states that, despite high levels of disadvantage, Lambeth has “nothing but good and outstanding secondary schools” . In fact, the most recent figures tell us that 96% of our schools are good or better and 40% are outstanding. That ranks us in the top 15 of 152 local authorities.

Lambeth Labour are calling on the government to invest more funding in schools, and in particular to provide an additional £335m per year (1% of the DfE’s schools budget) to ensure no school loses funding as a direct result of the implementation of the National Funding Formula.

We are working with London Councils and we will be providing a full and robust technical response to the consultation on the National Funding Formula which ends on 22 March 2017.

http://www.lambeth-labour.org.uk/tory_cuts_to_our_schools

http://www.lambeth-labour.org.uk/schools_cuts_government_must_start_listening_to_lambeth_s_parents_and_teachers