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.

Customer Care Centre changes

Lambeth council intends to consolidate its customer centre operations, due to significant changes in customer demand and an increase in residents’ use of our digital services. Following a review of our customer services at Brixton Customer Centre, West Norwood Health Leisure Centre and Gracefield Gardens sites, the following changes are proposed.

From Monday 31 October 2016, Lambeth will no longer be offering a counter service at West Norwood Leisure Centre (WNHLC) for benefits, council tax, housing and parking permits or Gracefield Gardens for document submission.  We also intend to amend our opening hours at Brixton to 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, the current arrangement whereby Brixton Customer Centre closes at 7pm on Thursdays will change to 5pm.

The reasons for the change are that demand at WNHLC and Gracefield has remained at very low levels since opening, and the vast majority of services are available online.  Resident demand for our late night opening at Brixton is also very low, with only 12 visits per week, with all services requested face to face, available online.  The proposed changes will not only improve the customer experience at Brixton by consolidating our resources into our most popular location but it will also enable the council to reduce operational costs.

At both WNHLC and Gracefield Gardens access to self-service terminals and telephones will remain in place.

Lambeth will be putting up posters with these details in the fortnight prior to the change in service in respective buildings. These will also include information about how residents can contact Lambeth to raise any concerns

The Rosendale Road Christmas Market will return on Saturday 26 November, as part of the Love West Dulwich Christmas Fair.  10am – 4pm. 

Supporting local artists and residents, stalls at the market include, Christmas cards & crafts, art & prints, handmade jewelry, cakes, handmade baby & children’s clothes, textiles and much more.  There will also be stalls supporting local charities, including L’Arche, Norwood Foodbank, All Saints and West Dulwich Girl Guides.

As well as the market, lots of the local shops and businesses will be joining in with special in-store activities for all the family to enjoy.  Across West Dulwich there will be:
– Santa’s Grotto and face painting at Wigwam Toy Shop;
– Pulled pork and homemade sausages from Scotch Meats;
– A visit from Miss Christmas;
– Christmas decoration workshop at the dulwich trader;
– Mulled wine and craft beer hut at The Rosendale Pub;
– Live entertainment on Croxted and Rosendale Roads from local choirs and GDND Street Dancers.

Lambeth launches two new air quality projects

1.       Engine Idling Action Days – http://www.projectdirt.com/project/17108/

City of London has received widespread praise for its anti-idling campaign. As part of the Mayor’s Air Quality Fund, this project is now being rolled out to 11 other boroughs, including Lambeth. Citizens and councillors are being asked to volunteer two hours a month to go out in pairs to selected air quality hot spots and talk to drivers and pedestrians about unnecessary engine idling and its impact on air quality. 

Citizens and councillors can register interest here or email Paula paula@greengumption.co.uk who has been appointed to carry out this project on behalf of Lambeth. The project will be launched on 17 October in Windrush Square between 12 and 2pm and the dates for action days for the rest of the year will be decided with volunteers, when we know who is interested in working with us. A workshop will also be organised for anyone interested in volunteering.

To register for 17th October launch:
http://www.projectdirt.com/apps/event/43164/

2.    Love Lambeth Air – http://mappingforchange.org.uk/

Measure air quality outside your home or office. Lambeth council, in partnership with Mapping for Change, is providing diffusion tubes to residents and businesses to measure nitrogen dioxide outside their home or office. There will also be workshops for citizens to explain how diffusion tubes work and to discuss ways to help improve air quality and reduce personal exposure to air pollution. To register your interest please email Louise at lovelambethair@mappingforchange.org.uk by 14 October 2016.

Consultation for a new CPZ on Trinity Rise and Brockwell Park Gardens

Lambeth has launched an informal consultation on a proposed controlled parking zone including Trinity Rise, Brockwell Park Gardens and part of Norwood Road. We have received many emails from local residents about parking, and through working closely with the Trinity Rise residents’ association understand that there are concerns with people parking to use the park or who commute from Tulse Hill and Herne Hill stations.

All residents in the area will receive a letter and can comment online.

Events Strategy Call in – summer 2016

Towards the end of the summer Cllr Max Deckers Dowber was part of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee which looked into the ‘Events Strategy’. This was based on the Cabinets approval for the future coordination a new event strategy in Lambeth.

The call-in had been brought to the committee because of questions raised about noise, the size and scale of possible future events, the structure, the purpose, the community funding pot, the licensing of future events and resident involvement in what type of events might be held in Lambeth’s open green spaces.

Our very own former Labour Thurlow Park ward cllr Ann Kingsbury spoke as did a range of people including cllrs from both Lambeth and Wandsworth, resident groups and individual residents.  

Of direct relevance to our part of the borough there was a discussion about Brockwell Park regarding damage, whether the park could handle eight major events a year, and what the impact there might be in terms of its ability to recover from such events.

It was clear from the various conversations residents from across the borough valued our open green spaces and that greater input from residents was needed.  

In response to questions Cllr Jack Hopkins, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Business and Culture, responded by acknowledging the importance of the relationship between residents, open green spaces and the Council, that the strategy proposed tighter governance involving ward councillors and Friends groups, and that it was about establishing and understanding baselines of what was acceptable. That cllrs would be expected to provide input on the standard licenses and that while there would no longer be a Council out-of-hours noise team acoustic consultants were employed to monitor levels of noise.

It was accepted that councillors should be involved in pre-event processes in order that the concerns of local residents be incorporated, while the post-event debrief would review conditions, breaches, improvements, and whether event producers or their sub-contractors were at fault, so that the Council could share good practice with future partners or sub-contractors for future events.

In ending the meeting resolved not to refer the decision back to Cabinet but nonetheless to make such recommendations to Cabinet as it sees fit. There were almost 20 such recommendations.

To see the recommendations and any further information please visit;
https://moderngov.lambeth.gov.uk/mgCommitteeDetails.aspx?ID=113

Lambeth Air Quality Action Plan – open for consultation

Lambeth has drafted a new Air Quality Action Plan, which details proposals to improve air quality, raise awareness, and reduce exposure to air pollution during 2017-2022. The plan will be presented to Cabinet for approval, but first an open consultation on the plan will run until 15 November. 

For more information about the consultation and to see a copy of the Air Quality Action Plan, please visit www.lambeth.gov.uk/AQAP. To give your comments on the plan, please complete our online feedback form or email sustainability@lambeth.gov.uk.

On average, air pollution in Thurlow Park ward is lower than in many other parts of the borough. However, air pollution knows no borders, and also this does not mean that there are no air quality hotspots, ie local areas where air pollution is above limits.  As a rule of thumb, the closer to any main or busy road and the less natural air flow, the more likely it is the air pollution will be higher in any place in London. 

4ALL Community Autumn Fair – Saturday 17 September 2016, 2.00-5.00pm

There’s something for everyone: stalls from craftspeople and local charities, performances by school choirs, fun for children of all ages, bike repair, fire engine, burgers, teas and cakes etc. It’s a great local occasion with a very friendly atmosphere. Entrance is free.

This year’s Fair, the 8th, will take place at All Saints Church and outside in Lovelace Road, West Dulwich, SE21 8JY. In 2015 well over 500 people came along.

The Fair supports 4ALL’s community activities in and around the local community. Among other things, 4ALL runs two successful after-school clubs for young people living on the local Peabody estates and, for older people, a lively community choir and a low-cost exercise class.

Vale Street Reuse and Recycling Centre – for Lambeth residents only. 

From 1st October 2016 the Vale Street Reuse and Recycling Centre (near Clive Road/Tritton Road) which many local residents use will be restricted to Lambeth residents only on production of proof of address.  The staff at the centre have been handing out leaflets to help with the transition. 

In recent years Southwark residents have been able to use the centre as part of a reciprocal arrangement with Lambeth but this will change from 1st October.

If you would like any further information please visit – www.lambeth.gov.uk/recycling