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.

Thursday 30 August 2012

Vauxhall Gardens Community Centre is moving and applying for a new licence


Vauxhall Gardens Community Centre is moving from its current home (pictured) to a building at 5 Glasshouse Walk, round the corner, facing Goding Street. They are applying for a new premises licence for 5 Glasshouse Walk:

Applicants Name: Vauxhall Gardens Community Centre
Premises Address: Vauxhall Gardens Community Centre - 5 Glasshouse Walk London SE11 5ES

Activities/times requested:

Plays
Friday & Saturday   09:00  - 02:00
Monday - Thursday   09:00  - 23:00
Sunday   09:00  - 00:00

Films
Friday & Saturday   09:00  - 02:00
Monday - Thursday   09:00  - 23:00
Sunday   09:00  - 00:00

Live Music
Friday & Saturday   09:00  - 02:00
Monday - Thursday   09:00  - 23:00
Sunday   09:00  - 00:00

Recorded Music
Friday & Saturday   09:00  - 02:00
Monday - Thursday   09:00  - 23:00
Sunday   09:00  - 00:00

Performances of Dance
Friday & Saturday   09:00  - 02:00
Monday - Thursday   09:00  - 23:00
Sunday   09:00  - 00:00

Late Night Refreshment
Friday & Saturday   23:00  - 02:00
Sunday   23:00  - 00:00

Supply of Alcohol
Friday & Saturday   12:00  - 02:00
Monday - Thursday   12:00  - 23:00
Sunday   12:00  - 00:00


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

Deadline for representation is 18 September 2012

Read our guide to licensing

Feel free to contact us for advice about making a representation.

What environmental issues need sorting by the Council's Freshview?


It’s time to start thinking about the September Freshview which takes place in Oval and Prince’s Ward.

This year the Council is focussing its attention on issues that are of importance to local residents and businesses, so they are asking you to tell them about anti-social behaviour, burglary, litter and rubbish, street drinking and any similar problem.

Email Freshview@lambeth.gov.uk and let officers know specific details about the issues. This feedback will then form the basis of the operation.

Please send your ideas to Freshview@lambeth.gov.uk, by the end of Monday 3 September 2012.

Wednesday 22 August 2012

Have your say on cuts to Council Tax Benefit


Next year Council Tax Benefit (CTB) will stop being a benefit which Lambeth pays out on behalf of the Government, and will become a Local Council Tax Support Scheme set up by the council.

The Government are giving councils less money to pay for the new Local Council Tax Support Scheme than they have paid out to residents in past years.

In 2013/14 Lambeth will receive £2.6 million less to give out in support to claimants. This means Lambeth must save money through the new scheme - not everyone will get as much benefit as they do at the moment. Only pensioners are guaranteed to receive the same amount (because the Government has told councils they have to protect the level of support they receive). Because pensioners are protected there will be even less money for working age people receiving the benefit.

Lambeth wants residents' views on how the new Local Council Tax Support Scheme should operate.

Visit the Council's website for details of the consultation and the online questionnaire.

Pictured: Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles is cutting Council Tax Benefit for working age people.

Tuesday 21 August 2012

Mansion House pub tries to push back opening hours just weeks after licence compromise

Most residents were pleased to hear that the Mansion House pub is being brought back into use, but were unimpressed by the owners' attempt to sneak through a licence allowing them to open till 4am every morning.

After many residents objected, at a Licensing meeting on 17 July the Committee agreed a sensible compromise, allowing the pub to be open till 12:30am every day, and 1:30am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Now the owners have returned to the Licensing Committee with a new application attempting to push back the opening time by another half hour every morning.

The full application for a variation is as follows:


To remove the condition imposed by the licensing sub committee restricting use of the outside frontage to a terminal hour of 22:00.

Late Night Refreshment
1. To add 30 minutes consumption time at the end of each trading session.
2. To submit a new plan to allow the use of the area now marked in red on the plan to the front of the premises as a consumption area for alcohol and food between 07:00 and Midnight all week. This is to correct an omission on the pavement licence granted until midnight every day.

Supply of Alcohol
1. To add 30 minutes consumption time at the end of each trading session.
2. To submit a new plan to allow the use of the area now marked in red on the plan to the front of the premises as a consumption area for alcohol and food between 07:00 and Midnight all week. This is to correct an omission on the pavement licence granted until midnight every day.

Opening Hours

Proposed Hours:
Monday 07:00 - 01:00
Tuesday 07:00 - 01:00
Wednesday 07:00 - 01:00
Thursday 07:00 - 02:00
Friday 07:00 - 02:00
Saturday 07:00 - 02:00
Sunday 07:00 - 01:00

Current Hours:
Monday 07:00 - 00:30
Tuesday 07:00 - 00:30
Wednesday 07:00 - 00:30
Thursday 07:00 - 01:30
Friday 07:00 - 01:30
Saturday 07:00 - 01:30
Sunday 07:00 - 00:30


Queries and representations: licensing@lambeth.gov.uk, 020 7926 6144

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 28 August 2012

Your local councillors can advise and help with your objection - please read our guide to licensing or email us.

Pictured: Mark, Steve and Lorna outside the Mansion House earlier this summer.



Monday 20 August 2012

Northern Line Extension residents' meeting


Plans for the Northern Line Extension are progressing quickly.

In order to ensure that Lambeth Council secures the best possible outcome from the NLE and minimises any negative impact on residents and businesses both during the construction phase and once it is operational the Council has appointed technical consultants. Ramboll have extensive experience on major tunnelling projects including Crossrail and will advise on all issues related to both design and implementation.

Ramboll are undertaking a review of the design work completed up to this point by TfL and Lambeth Council has asked them to give particular consideration to some key areas such as noise and vibration, shaft locations and construction methodology.

To ensure that Ramboll are able to concentrate on the right areas the Council has organised a meeting with residents and resident groups on Monday 10 September in the Ashmole Tenant’s Hall, Meadow Road, SW8 1AA.

As the NLE route covers a large area and spans three Wards it is proposed that the agenda of the meeting would be divided geographically between Prince’s, Oval and Stockwell allowing people to come and go for the parts that concern them.  It will run from 6pm to 9pm with roughly an hour given to each Ward with Prince’s dealt with first followed by Oval and then Stockwell. Prince's ward issues will be dealt with between 6pm and 7pm. An agenda will be circulated in advance of the meeting giving the exact timings and these will be based on the relative interest shown for each area.  Please note that TfL have not been invited to this meeting.

Please bear in mind that this meeting will have a clear focus on detailed issues such as noise and vibration, shaft locations and construction methodology - not the overall principle of whether or not to go ahead with the NLE.

If you would like to attend this meeting please email William Howe.

Friends of Lambeth High Street Recreation Ground AGM - 19 September


The next Friends of Lambeth High Street Recreation Ground Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday 19 September at 7pm in 125 Lambeth Walk.

This will be an important opportunity to catch up on the plans to refurbish the park and question officers on the continuing delays to the work.

The Fire Station redevelopment appeal will also be an issue for discussion - as the proposed building will severely overshadow the park, especially in the winter.

Please come along and support one of our loveliest little parks!

Developers to appeal fire HQ redevelopment

On 31 July it was announced that developer Native Land and the London Fire Brigade are going to appeal Lambeth Council's decision to reject their plan to redevelop three sites around Albert Embankment and Whitgift Street.

Residents of Whitfgift House have been fiercely opposed to the scheme, which will deprive most of their homes of sunlight for much of the year. Local councillors supported residents by making our own objection when the scheme went to the Planning Committee last year.

The appeal means that the Planning Inspectorate will now decide whether the multimillion pound redevelopment goes ahead.

Fire Authority spin doctors messed up the announcement of the appeal by accidently copying Kate Hoey MP into their email discussion about when to reveal the news. They revealed their main motivation by saying 'I am keen the timings are exact on this. £40million is not a sum to be sniffed at and the comms are important to get right to help with the appeal.'

Kate Hoey responded:

'We will fight the fire authority tooth and nail over this ridiculous scheme. As a publicly accountable body they have totally ignored the wishes of the local community. The developer they are in cahoots with are being greedy and involved only to make huge profits. They will not get away with this.'

Kennington Park retains its Green Flag!


The Friends of Kennington Park are delighted that for the second year running, Kennington Park has been awarded a Green Flag. The Green Flag is an independently assessed and nationally- recognised standard of excellence. It recognises a park that is welcoming, safe and well-maintained.

It has required a great team effort. Lambeth’s park staff, the staff of Veolia who maintain the park and many members and park users worked hard to   ensure that the park was looking at its best when the judges came in May.

The actual Green Flag will be flown from the flagpole in the park; Kate Hoey MP has agreed to hoist it at the Friends' 10th Birthday celebration on Saturday 8 September.

If you haven't done so already, please join the Friends at their website: www.kenningtonpark.org

Lambeth takes a step closer to becoming a London Living Wage council


Lambeth council is continuing to make progress in its plan to become a London Living Wage Council after agreeing a new services contract at Monday night's council cabinet meeting.

The Living Wage campaign was launched in 2001 by London Citizens. Every year an hourly rate is set by the Greater London Authority (GLA) which allows workers to earn enough to provide their families with the essentials of life. Employers then volunteer to pay their staff at this rate.  This year's rates are £8.30 an hour (London) and £7.20 (outside of London).  This compares to the legally enforced, country-wide National Minimum Wage of £6.08 an hour for those aged over 21.

The council had made payment of the London Living Wage a fundamental requirement of the services contract bidding process.  The successful bid was made by Balfour Beatty and, as a result, more than 150 staff who provide cleaining, maintenance and security services to the council will see their wages increase.  This will put them in line with the pay for all staff employed directly with the council, who have recieved the London Living Wage since 2006.

Sarfraz Jeraj, Chair of Lambeth Citizens said 'We congratulate Councillor Steve Reed and Lambeth Council for their pledge to become a fully accredited Living Wage Employer. Our member communities in Lambeth are delighted with the leadership shown by the council. This bold step will make a huge difference to the lives of hard working families in Lambeth. We look forward to seeing the Living Wage Employer Mark proudly displayed at council buildings across the borough.'

Vauxhall Street Wardens making their mark

In June Vauxhall One, the new Business Improvement District, in conjunction with Lambeth community safety and the Police, introduced the local Street Warden service for Vauxhall, to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour. They are dressed in distinctive purple uniforms and patrol the central area of Vauxhall.

To find out more about Vauxhall One you can visit their website at:

If you have any questions about the wardens you can contact Chris Law - 07725 960698.

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