Part of the depot in Myatt’s Fields Park into a new community hub is to be converted into a prestige new community hub.
The new facility – funded by Lambeth Council to the tune of more than £800,000 – will result in new community meeting, cooking and education spaces and provide a much-needed income stream for the park. The work follows year of hard work and lobbying from the resident-run Myatt’s Fields Park project.
The re-development plan includes demolition of the existing depot buildings and replacing them with a greener and more efficient building. The works will transform the space to create:
A 30-seater hall with a kitchen
A foyer overlooking the greenhouse and providing easy access from the street through the new building and to the park.
Office accommodation for the Park Manager
Income from hire of the new meeting space and kitchen.
The council says that redeveloping the park buildings will make the centre more visible and a more attractive hub for community activities. It will also allow the community group to nurture local enterprise.
The current park depot building.
It’s hoped that construction work will begin shortly and finish within a year. The full details can be found here.
Myatt’s Fields Labour councillors Annie Gallop and Paul Gadsby said:
“It is excellent to see this project getting off the ground: we want to pay particular tribute to the hard work of volunteers and local residents who have worked hard over many years to bring these plans to fruition.”
Lambeth’s most senior police officer has been urged to provide more resources to deal with a perceived upsurge in crime in Myatt’s fields.
Local MP Florence Eshalomi, along with your local Labour team, Cllr Annie Gallop and Cllr Paul Gadsby, say they want extra effort to support measures already being taken by police and council safety teams in the ward.
In a letter to acting Lambeth and Southwark Borough Commander Detective Superintendent Emma Bond, they point out that although there have been recent arrests in the area more needs to be done to deal with what appears to be an upsurge in robberies on the Myatts Fields North and Cowley estates, and around Myatt’s Fields Park.
They write: “This has created significant anxiety in the community, especially as these incidents have been ongoing for some time.”
Florence Eshalomi MP and Cllrs Gallop and Gadsby have written to the Borough Police Commander.
While praising the actions of the local police Safer Neighbourhood team, they point out that more effort is needed to reassure our communities that everything is being done to keep residents safe.
“We are … aware that their hard work and diligence, as well as that of Lambeth Council officers attached to the community safety team, have borne results,” the letter says. “From what we have been told, 8 suspects have been arrested for robbery, another known gang member has recently been apprehended and at least one property search warrant has been executed. This is incredibly welcome.
However, they insist that local initiatives need more support from the Met, and invite the Commander to address a future Safer Neighbourhood Panel — the local body through which police liaise with our neighbours.
The letter is signed by the councillors, Vauxhall and Camberwell Green MP Florence Eshalomi, and Safer Neighbourhood chair Lucy Williams and secretary Mark Mitchell
Update 14/3: Local police report they have arrested and released on bail a pair of suspects following two knifepoint robberies in Myatt’s Fields Park last month. They say they are working with CCTV and Robbery teams to identify “two other males”.
Some of the flats in the new Patmos Lodge development will have more work done to enable better access for people with disabilities, it has been revealed.
Dozens of residents will shortly begin moving into the blocks, on the site of the old care home in Cancell Rd.
The development of 31 new homes includes social rent one and two-bedroom apartments, as well as accessible and much-needed larger family homes with three or four bedrooms and some private homes.
At a site visit, Cllr Claire Holland, who leads Lambeth Council said: “Patmos Lodge is a prime example of the high-quality, energy-efficient, sustainable, modern homes we want to provide for our residents. The new homes will meet the needs of some of the homeless families in Lambeth who desperately need a permanent place to live.
“I am delighted that over 56 residents will be moving into their new homes shortly and we are also making further modifications to the accessible homes to suit the needs of those vulnerable residents so they can also move into their new homes soon.”
Patmos Lodge has been built to high- energy efficiency standards with air-source heat pumps and solar panels included in each property.
Myatt’s Fields Labour councillor Annie Gallop — herself a disability campaigner — said: “It was great to see these beautiful new homes ready to let, all fully adaptable and very accessible. Secure tenancies build better, happier and much stronger communities”.
Cllrs Gallop and Holland at the Patmos Lodge development, with Lambeth’s deputy leader, Cllr Dan Adilypour.
Councillor Gallop, along with Cllr Paul Gadsby, have been instrumental in bringing the project to the area. Cllr Gadsby said: “I was very pleased to speak in favour of this development at Lambeth’s planning committee a number of years ago: it is incredibly important we build more council homes as part of a mix of genuinely affordable housing for our residents. More of this please!”
Cllrs Gallop and Gadsby have long campaigned for the Patmos Lodge development
Twelve homes at the Lodge are being offered for private sale, the proceeds from which will be ploughed back into providing affordable housing in Lambeth.
A group which works to save children and young people in Myatt’s Fields from educational failure and other effects of social problems is the big winner in a list of cash awards worth almost a quarter of a million pounds, announced by Lambeth council.
XLP, which supports young people in Lambeth facing challenges like family breakdown, unemployment, and educational failure, often in areas impacted by antisocial behaviour and gang violence, will get £156,814.
The organisation, which works alongside bodies including St Gabriel’s School in Myatt’s Fields, focuses on creating positive futures through long-term relationships and belief in change, regardless of background. Initiatives include a school exclusion reduction programme, mentoring, sports and arts and a mobile youth centre. Read about XLP here.
Three other local community projects are celebrating their share of the combined windfall from the Borough’s Community Connections fund.
Breath Arts Health Research — £77,000. Breath are world leaders in combining creativity and scientific research to improve health and wellbeing in communities. The Melodies for Mums programme aims to support new mothers in Brixton and Stockwell experiencing postnatal depression or low mood. This free, 10-week group singing initiative, delivered in local community settings including the Liz Atkinson Children’s Centre, has been proven to improve mental health, boost confidence, and strengthen social connections. More details here.
Longfield Hall Trust — £10,000. The famous local landmark bid will receive the funding injection to help continue it’s work in the community: read about the Hall’s work here.
The Remakery – £9,995. This renowned sustainability organisation which includes a collection of workshops and community space in Lilford Rd will use the grant to support its ongoing community outreach work. Read more about this project here
Community Connections encourages initiatives set up to make our borough fairer and safer — more details can be found here.
Cllr Annie Gallop and Cllr Paul Gadsby said:
“It’s great to see Lambeth stepping in and putting our cash where it’s going to have a significant effect on the lives of many vulnerable people. We’re also please to see big financial boosts for organisations which have been working to improve lives in our neighbourhoods for many years.”
Myatt’s Fields councillors have confirmed their public surgeries for 2025, including a change to the first surgery of the new year.
As in 2024, Myatt’s Fields Labour councillors will hold a regularly monthly surgery (apart from in August) at Longfield Hall on the first Thursday of each month, between 6pm and 7pm. Either Cllr Gadsby or Cllr Gallop will be on hand, accompanied by support volunteers, to speak to residents about any local issue they might have. No appointments are necessary!
Residents can also contact councillors at this page.
The schedule for 2025 is below: the councillors have opted to move the first surgery of the new year to the second Thursday in January to avoid a clash with the start of the year.
Surgery details for 2025 (all held at Longfield Hall, 50 Knatchbull Road, London, SE5 9QY between 6pm and 7pm)
Councillors have promised to monitor closely a new pilot scheme which will see Myatt’s Fields Park open to the public 24/7.
Paul Gadsby and Annie Gallop say they have heard from residents and park users worried about a possible overnight upsurge in anti-social behaviour. Others have welcomed the move because, they say, it will make the park more convenient and accessible.
For many years, the gates have been locked between dusk and 7.30am. Now the local authority has decided to — possibly temporarily — leave them open all the time.
The pilot began earlier this month and is scheduled to continue until next Summer (July 2025). The council points out that Myatt’s Fields is one of the very few open spaces in the borough to have been regularly locked overnight and that no uptick in anti-social behaviour has been experienced when other areas have been left open: recent pilots elsewhere in the borough had been “successful”, Lambeth claimed.
The council insists that cost-saving is not the main reason for the decision. In a statement — the text of which may be read here – Cllr Fred Cowell, Lambeth’s Co-Cabinet Member for Equalities, Governance and Change said three other parks in the borough had been allowed to remain open all the time in the first phase of the trial.
He said: “no increases in crime or ASB were recorded during the first phase. Following relatively positive reports from stakeholders and the police during the first phase I took the decision to move onto the second phase which involved Myatt’s Field as one of the parks in the scope of this trial.”
Cllr Cowell said that £140,000 was being spent each year locking parks but this was unlikely to represent a good use of public cash because it didn’t necessarily deter crime or vandalism.
He went on: “Crime and anti-social behaviour in parks [is] not deterred by the locking measure in isolation. It also can be counterproductive for access for policing or emergency vehicles which can actively be counterproductive to prevent crime and disorder. Furthermore, there are large parts of the year where the locking policy closed access to parks for many park users, [whose] only option for going for a run or walking their dog during the winter months is when the park has closed.”
An earlier study carried out alongside the Myatt’s Fields Park Project, which runs the open space on behalf of Lambeth, had agreed to leaving the facility permanently unlocked, he said.
“A few area-specific factors were looked [at] in relation to proceed[ing] with the unlocking of the park. These included the ongoing authorised evening use from the floodlit 3G pitch […]. This will act to some extent as a deterrent to anti-social behaviour specifically in the park.
“Current health and safety protocols require park workers to leave at least one set of gates unlocked if people refuse to leave the park at locking-up time, so there always has been access to the park through one entrance after dark. Before taking this decision, we had heard from park officers and the staff that help run Myatts Field that during the summer months it is common to leave the park unlocked.”
Cllr Cowell said the pilot is due for review in late July next year although he urged interested parties — including ward councillors and the park project — to report any concerns in the meantime.
Councillors Gallop and Gadsby said:
“We recognise that this change has worried a lot of people — not just in our ward, but also in the wider community of users. We will insist that the council closely monitor the pilot and, listening to residents and users, respond swiftly to any problems, bearing in mind that the park must be kept accessible for as many people as possible. We would encourage all residents to send any feedback on this issue, or raise any specific problems they see during the pilot’s operation, to parks@lambeth.gov.uk.”
Local Myatt’s Fields councillors have raised objections to proposals that would allow noise from heavy machinery beyond 11pm at night from a light industrial complex on Lilford Road – despite a promise to respect the local neighbourhood by the private business outfit running operations from the site.
The plans for the redevelopment of the old business centre at 61 Lilford Road, which is currently nearing completion, drew considerable public comment when first announced at the end of 2022. Local councillors, and many residents, believed there were positive aspects to the proposals, including a commitment to bring new jobs to Myatt’s Fields and breath life into a derelict site scarred by decaying buildings and anti-social behaviour.
However, the original plans from AG Bloom, the developer behind the scheme, included 24 hour traffic movements to and from the site, as well as the operation of so-called “dark kitchen” businesses from the site. Both were eventually ruled out by the developer following pressure from Cllr Paul Gadsby and Cllr Annie Gallop, as well as local residents and community groups. An outline of the range of restrictions placed on the development by Lambeth’s Planning Committee in June 2023 can be read here.
However, AG Bloom have now submitted a request to Lambeth’s planning department which would allow mechanical equipment, including heavy machinery, to operate on the site past 11pm at night.
Cllr Paul Gadsby and Cllr Annie Gallop said:
“It is incredibly disappointing that after a huge amount of discussion during the early part of 2023, the developer is attempting to unpick important noise protections placed on the development by Lambeth’s planning committee.
“As we said at the time the original proposals were moving through the planning system, there are positives behind these plans, however, they must respect the fact that the new commercial complex is situated in the middle of a residential area. Residents have a right to enjoy their homes in peace and quiet, especially late at night.
“We are putting in an objection to these proposals and will be asking AG Bloom to withdraw their request that will generate late night noise. We would encourage residents to make their views clear through the consultation currently taking place here.“
Artists impression of the new industrial complex at 61 Lilford Road
Lambeth Council have confirmed that from June, new measures will come into force to protect children from speeding vehicles around Christ Church School in Myatt’s Fields.
Following lobbying from local councillors Cllr Paul Gadsby and Cllr Annie Gallop, the Council confirmed last year that a “safer street” would come into operation near the school: under the updated details for the scheme, Cancell Road, between the junctions with Eythorne Road, Elliott Road, and Russel Grove in its entirety, will close temporarily to motor vehicles between 8.30-9.30am and 2.45-3.45pm, Monday to Friday during term time. These changes will take affect from 17 June 2024.
Residents and Blue Badge holders will still be able to access the road at all times by applying for an exemption. Emergency vehicles will also have access. Other motor vehicles will be restricted during these times.
If residents have any questions, or wish to enquire about exemptions, they can visit this webpage, email schoolstreets@lambeth.gov.uk or call: 020 7926 9000
Lambeth Council will be collecting feedback on the School Street for six months from 17 June 2024.
Cllr Paul Gadsby and Cllr Annie Gallop, said:
“We are really pleased that the Council has listened to local residents and placed restrictions on motor vehicles from outside the area driving around Christ Church school at peak times for the school. This will really improve safety for local children. We will continue to press for further action to make our roads and streets safer for all residents across Myatt’s Fields.”
30 May 2024 Update: Please note this article has been amended to reflect the new implementation date which will now be on the 17 June (as opposed to the 3 June originally).
Following lobbying from local councillors, Lambeth Council has given the green light for two sustainable drainage (SUDs) gardens, aimed at reducing flooding by planting water retaining plants and surfaces, on the Myatt’s South estate.
Cllr Paul Gadsby pressed for an update on plans for the SUDs on the estate at a recent meeting of Lambeth Council, while highlighting the impact of Tory cuts on the local authorities budget. In response, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Lambeth and Clean Air, Councillor Rezina Chowdhury, said:
” You are right (Cllr Gadsby) to highlight the government’s woeful record on funding for adaptation to climate change. It is left to local authorities to bid for little pots of funding and lobby Thames Water to deliver work that we know to be essential as we continue to break temperature records.”
“However, we are determined to deliver for and with our residents, and Myatts Fields estate is an excellent example of this. We have commissioned construction of the rain gardens at Myatt’s Fields, scheduling this around ongoing deep retrofit work to properties on the estate, which temporarily requires the green space where the SuDS will be positioned. The SuDS works are now scheduled to be implemented in Spring 24.”
“We liaised with the local resident association and those living directly adjacent to the proposed scheme location at St Lawrence Way. We have updated the design to reflect resident input. The rain garden will be set back further from the property boundaries and will also take on a more natural shape and form. The engagement process has enabled us to develop a more aesthetically pleasing scheme. The local resident association has supported us to develop the Lord Holland’s Way rain gardens. We will soon liaise with residents to go through in detail the works involved and how they will be affected.”
Local councillors Paul Gadsby and Annie Gallop have both welcomed the new investment on the estate, saying:
“It is fantastic news that the Myatt’s South estate will benefit from this investment into two rain gardens: we will continue to press for more across Myatt’s Fields.”
Myatt's Fields Labour 