Seven new Electrical Vehicle Charging Points unveiled for Myatt’s Fields

Lambeth Council have begun installing seven new electrical vehicle charging points (EVCPs) across Myatt’s Fields as part of a programme that will see 116 installed throughout the borough.

The new charging points will come with a dedicated parking space. Five EVCPs were installed in our community last year. This new programme will result in more than 300 EVCPs being operational throughout Lambeth.

Cllr Paul Gadsby and Cllr Annie Gallop, local Myatt’s Fields Councillors, said:

“We are delighted that more EVCPs are being installed in Myatt’s Fields, and more widely in the borough, as there is clearly rising demand for these charging points as more residents switch to electric vehicles. This also forms part of a growing, greener form of transport infrastructure in our area; following our lobbying, increasing numbers of cycle storage units are being installed.

“While these new installations are good news, we will continue to push for even more in the years ahead.”

The new points are being installed at these locations:

Vassall Road, outside number 102

Paulet Road, outside number 210

Akerman Road, outside number 48

Mostyn Road, outside number 7

Upstall Street, outside number 16

Burton Road, outside number 15

Normandy Road, near the blue plaque to Cherry Groce

New move to ensure childrens’ road safety close to a Myatt’s Fields school

Local children will be protected from speeding vehicles near a local school under plans tabled by Lambeth Council.

The “school street” initiative for Christ Church school is part of a borough wide programme that has been in operation for a number of years. Your local Labour team has been pressing for the inclusion of the school following representations from parents and residents.

Under the scheme, some nearby streets are temporarily closed at times when pupils are arriving or leaving schools — the beginning and the end of the academic day. The details are to be confirmed, but the council has set a likely starting date for Christ Church of May next year, probably briefly shutting Cancell Road between Elliot Road and Eythorne Road.

Myatt’s Fields councillors Paul Gadsby and Annie Gallop said:

“This is a good step by Lambeth Council which we do welcome: residents have been pressing for sometime for the area around Christ Church to be made safer for children during peak times for the school. We would like to thank everyone who has been in touch with us about this issue.”

Councillor Rezina Choudhary, Cabinet Member for a Sustainable Lambeth and Clean Air, commented:

“Cllr Paul Gadsby and Cllr Annie Gallop have made it very clear to the council that more needs to be done to tackle the traffic problems around Christ Church School which have been a cause of real concern for local parents.

“We have listened to their lobbying, and believe a school street will be a significant step towards protecting local children and reducing traffic around the school at peak times. We do realise there is a lot still to be done across Myatt’s Fields, including addressing the congestion issues on Loughborough Road and dangerous driving around Myatt’s Park, the Myatts North and South estates. We’ll continue to work with councillors and residents on all of these challenges, especially as the borough has announced a substantial package of funding for the area.”

More delays hit private company’s attempted take over of council homes on the Lothian Estate

Lambeth Council have confirmed that there is still no end in sight to the year long saga of an attempt by a private, for-profit company to take over council homes on the Lothian estate in Myatt’s Fields.

In April, Lambeth wrote to residents telling them that Vision Homes (Lambeth) LTD and PACCA TMO LTD, had not produced key details of their plans that would allow a consultation and then ballot to take place on their proposals to grab the ownership of more than 200 council tenant properties on the Lothian estate.

In November last year, Cllr Maria Kay (Cabinet member for Better Homes and Reducing Homelessness in Lambeth) wrote a similarly strongly worded letter to tenants warning these plans could leave them worse off financially. Local councillors Paul Gadsby and Annie Gallop also have raised concerns that leaseholders, owing to national legislation, will be excluded from the ballot, but will have their leases transferred to this private company should tenants vote “yes” to the proposals in a ballot.

Lambeth Council say that, as the summer draws to a close, key details have still not been provided that would allow a ballot to take place. Cllr Kay said:

“It is incredibly disappointing that residents around the Lothian estate have now been waiting for almost a year for this situation to be clarified. I am baffled as to why it has taken the private company so long to clarify basic information about how their financial plans stack up. We will continue as a council to raise our concerns about these dangerous and potentially disasterous plans.”

Below: a copy of the letter written to tenants in April.

New council rent homes near the old Patmos Lodge site “to be completed in less than a year”

Nineteen new council rent homes on the site of a former care home in Myatt’s Fields will be completed in the Spring, according to Lambeth Council.

The development on Cancell Road will include two four-storey buildings and five terraced two-storey houses, together with associated cycle parking and green landscaping. Besides the 19 new council homes for families on the borough’s housing waiting list, 12 homes are being built for private sale.

The Council will consult with the community about the names for the new blocks, which take the place of the vacant Patmos Lodge care home, shortly.

In addition, the contractor building the homes for Lambeth, Stack London, has teamed up with a training provider which offers employment courses, employment opportunities and careers advice to unemployed 16 to 24-year-olds. This is aimed at anyone who wants a career in the construction industry. If any resident would like any more information regarding this, please email rlo@stacklondon.co.uk

Work begins on new “healthy route” on Loughborough Road

Lambeth Council has started work on a series of major upgrades to sections of Loughborough Road as part of a new £1.4 million “Healthy Route” programme.

Improvements are being carried out on an area which stretches from Loughborough Road South, between Ridgway Road and the Fiveways junction, and leads directly into key roads into Myatt’s Fields, including Lilford Road, Akerman Road and Loughborough Road North. .

Lambeth Council says The Healthy Routes project aims to “create a safe, accessible and pleasant route for people who are walking, cycling and using the bus”. This is the first phase of improvements as part of the Loughborough Road route. It involves the creation of:

  • Improved, new cycle lanes
  • Raised bus stops
  • Traffic calming measures
  • New pedestrian crossings
  • New planted areas to reduce the risk of local flooding

This part of Loughborough Road is receiving the improvements following a consultation with local residents, and because the wider Loughborough Junction neighbourhood suffers from particularly poor local air quality; the surrounding streets are in the top 20 per cent for N02 and particulate matter pollution across London.

Talking about the investment, Cllr Rezina Choudhary, Deputy Leader of Lambeth Council, said:

“We want to bring fairness to our neighbourhoods, reducing high air pollution which impacts most of those with least, help people embrace the opportunity to be healthier by walking or cycling and ensure they can make the trips they need to by better supporting local bus services.

“Lambeth Council is a leading local authority when it comes doing it all it can to make its neighbourhoods fairer and fit for the future, with a big transformation programme underway. Projects such as this support that aim and contribute to our Net Zero by 2030 ambitions.”

Myatt’s Fields councillors are lobbying for further traffic-related funding to be directed at Loughborough Road North which is beset by high levels of congestion and problems caused by traffic. Recently, Lambeth Council announced a substantial funding package for the ward after a campaign by Cllr Paul Gadsby and Cllr Annie Gallop to reduce speeding and make local streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as cut levels of pollution.

Works on the road, which began in June, are expected to continue until 30 November, with the P5 bus diverted until the end of August. Please see the below letter from Lambeth with details of these diversions.

Join this year’s Lambeth Youth Summit

Lambeth’s Youth Council has announced plans for this year’s Youth Summit which aims to bring together young people, businesses and youth organisation’s to drive positive change in the borough.

The Summit’s organisers said:

“Coming this 12th July at the Lambeth Town Hall,our event will be packed with exciting activities, from interactive stalls to free food and a photo booth. There’s something for everyone, whether you’re into sports, arts, politics or just having a good time with friends.Our lineup features very special headliners from all over the UK (TBA),spoken word artists etc.

But that’s not all – we’re also providing a platform for young people to share their thoughts and ideas about issues that matter to them. We’ll have a range of engaging and interactive activities, from panel discussions to creative workshops, where young people can speak out and have their voices heard. It’s a chance to make connections, learn new skills, and be inspired by the ideas of others.

So mark your calendars and don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to be a part of Lambeth Youth Summit. It’s a day to celebrate youth, creativity, and community – and we can’t wait to see you there!

You can sign up for the event on the 12 July here – and learn more about the work of the Youth Council here.

Do you have an idea for a “parklet” in Myatt’s Fields?

Roaside parking spaces in Myatt’s Fields are set to be handed over to residents to be converted into an outdoor community area.

Local neighbourhoods are being asked for their ideas to make streets greener and cleaner as part of Lambeth council’s new ‘parklet’ programme, supported by the Big Shift development fund.

Parklets are car parking bays that are repurposed to become public spaces that can be enjoyed by everyone. Each Ward in the Borough will get one, including Myatt’s Fields.

Residents can submit their designs for their own local community parklet, which they would help to maintain. They could include creating new social spaces with tables and seating, extra cycle storage or new green space. Residents are also being asked to nominate areas where they would like to see a parklet.

Cllr Rezina Chowdhury, cabinet member for Sustainable Lambeth and Clean Air, said:

“Parklets are a great way to create spaces where people can meet, socialise, and make neighbourhoods more pleasant by increasing greenery.

“Parklets can play a huge role in bringing people together whether it’s to sit down and have a chat or work together to tend new community gardens.

“We want as many local people as possible to tell us why their areas could benefit from new public space.”

Local councillors Paul Gadsby and Annie Gallop said:

“Myatt’s Fields has a rich history of the community driving forward gardening, bio-diversity projects and green space improvements. Across our neighbourhood we have many parks, allotments, planters and gardens that are there because local people care and invest in them – with Myatt’s Fields Park being a particularly shining example.

With residents’ support we have helped to secure funding and support for a number of projects, including for a rewilding project on the Knatchbull Road roundabout, a new sustainable drainage scheme on Myatt’s Fields South and a tree planting programme that is particularly focused on our estates.

“We encourage residents to come forward with ideas and suggestions for the parklet project: in 2021 we successfully lobbied the Council to refurbish the Cowley Road and Vassall Road junction with new cycle paths, green planters and level accessways. This is the kind of seemingly small scale transformation that can make a real difference to the local area. So, please get your ideas in to the Council!”

Find out more about the Community Parklet Scheme and submit your designs before the deadline on May 28.

Private, for-profit company still “unable to provide key information” on plans for takeover of local council homes

A private, for-profit company which is trying to take over some local council homes in Myatt’s Fields has still to provide vital information on how it would run vital services including repairs, according to Lambeth Council.

After almost six months, Vision Homes (Lambeth) LTD and PACCA TMO LTD, are still yet to produce key details of their plans that would allow a consultation and then ballot to take place on their proposals to grab the ownership of more than 200 council tenant properties on the Lothian estate.

The claim was made in a letter from the Interim Cabinet Member for Better Homes and Reducing Homelessness, Cllr Tim Windle, to residents last week.

The message, supported by local Myatt’s Fields Councillors Paul Gadsby and Annie Gallop, re-iterated Lambeth’s opposition to the proposals – – which the Council believes could end up costing council tenants more money. A copy of the letter is below:

A date for the proposed ballot has still not yet been set. Council tenant and leaseholder properties affected by these proposals are on the following streets — unfortunately, owing to national legislation, leaseholders are barred from voting despite facing their leases being transferred to Vision Homes should there be a Yes vote:

  • Lothian Road (Dalkeith House, Silverburn House and Bathgate House)
  • Langton Road
  • Frederick Crescent
  • Myatt Road
  • Halsmere Road
  • Patmos Road
  • Tindal Street
  • Elliott Road
  • Cancell Road

Bees Road planting event on the Myatt’s South estate!

Lambeth Council and the Friends of Myatt’s South will be hosting a seed planting event on Saturday, 22 April (11am-1pm) as part of the borough’s Bee’s Road initiative.

Supported by the Mayor of London, Lambeth was awarded £440,000 as part of Sadiq Khan’s rewilding initiative last year, with this investment aimed at providing additional funding for the Council’s Bee Roads initiative. This ambitious programme is aimed at converting ten miles of roadside land, including roundabouts and verges of roads, into wildflower mini-meadows which will provide habitats for wildlife including butterflies, bumble-bees and other pollinators.

Full details of the event are below – all residents welcome!