Tag Archives: Myatt's Fields Park

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

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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.

Myatt’s Fields communities to benefit from Lambeth’s tree-planting promise

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Local estates in Myatt’s Fields will be among the first to benefit from Lambeth’s promise to plant thousands of trees across the Borough

Lambeth Labour have committed to plant more than 5,000 trees to enhance our communities and help address the climate emergency.

The ward’s Labour councillors have welcomed the initiative and pledged to lobby for more planting in the area.

New trees will appear on the Cowley estate, at locations including near Lauderdale and Garlinge Houses. Other sites include:

  • Myatt’s Fields South estate
  • Vassall Road
  • Penford Road
  • Templar Street
  • Tindall Street
  • Halsmere Road

Two new trees will also be planted in Myatt’s Fields Park.

Local Councillors Paul Gadsby and Annie Gallop said:

“We are delighted that twenty one new trees will be planted in Myatt’s Fields: new landscaping and green planting really helps enhance our local community, and, of course, plays its part in addressing the climate change emergency.”

“We are particularly pleased these tree planting plans come hot on the heels of other positive environmental announcements, including the Bees Road plan for the Knatchbull roundabout and the sustainable drainage scheme for Myatt’s South estate.”

“We will keep lobbying for further tree planting across our area in the years to come.”

Councillors Paul Gadsby and Annie Gallop

Myatt’s Fields Park features in a proposed crackdown on irresponsible dog owners in Lambeth

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New measures to counter complaints about dog behaviour across Lambeth are being tabled by the borough council.

The council claims that increased pet ownership due to the pandemic has brought with it a jump in the number of reports of anti-social incidents across the area. A range of responses is being proposed, among them imposing “leads-only” policies in some public spaces, including the seating area outside the Little Cat Cafe in the park.

The cafe already asks customers to keep their dogs on leads but, if Lambeth’s proposals are enforced, owners who fail to obey new borough-wide rules may be issued with a £100 fixed-penalty notice. The regulations would also cover other areas of the park including the football pitch, the picnic area, the quiet garden and tennis courts.

On the Cowley estate dogs would be formally excluded from play areas outside Durlock, Hamway, Seasalter and Knowlton houses, as well as other playgrounds elsewhere in the Ward.

Lambeth wants to hear the public’s views before pressing ahead and has launched a consultation, which closes on March 26th.

Also included in a wide range of proposals are measures to curb dog fouling and limit the number of animals controlled by commercial dog handlers.

In a report to councillors, officers noted incidents including an attack on a child in Brockwell Park, several dog-on-dog attacks elsewhere and animals left to roam freely.

Cllr Rezina Chowdhury, Lambeth’s Cabinet Member for Sustainable Lambeth and Clean Air claimed that the proposals amounted to a “fair and reasonable” response given the increase in incidents.

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

“Most dog owners in the Ward act responsibly and it is important to encourage a pet friendly borough. We are keen to see what residents think of these proposals, especially those related to Myatt’s Fields.”

Penguin Michael Joseph wants to collect your memories of Myatt’s Fields Park

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Myatt’s Fields’ Park has set up a new initiative with Penguin Michael Joseph to collect memories and reflections from local residents about the Park.

To take part, residents can until 24 November drop letters into the Little Cat Cafe in the park or send them too: jademacestudent@gmail.com

More information below:

New funding for sustainable travel in Myatt’s Fields

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Myatt’s Fields is to get a share of a multi-million pound investment by Lambeth Borough Council aimed at boosting sustainable travel across our communities.

Called ‘The Big Shift’, it follows a campaign by councillors Annie Gallop and Paul Gadsby calling for action to address serious traffic-related issues, including rat-running and heavy congestion. The councillors welcomed the move and thanked the authority for taking notice of the many residents who supported their campaign.

Launching the new funding programme, Lambeth Council said:

“The climate crisis and the rising cost of living pose very real threats to the livelihoods of people who live and work in Lambeth today. If we are to meet those challenges head on and create a more equal borough for all of us, we all need to make changes in our lives – including in how we travel around Lambeth. That’s why we have launched The Big Shift – a £17.7 million investment which brings life to Lambeth Labour’s ambitious plan to cut air pollution, reduce road danger, support access and mobility, and help people choose public transport, walking, cycling, and scooting more often.

“Over the coming months we will announce new school streets, more protected cycle lanes, a huge increase in bike storage for residents, more electric vehicle charging points, community grants for local greening projects, investment into micromobility hubs, parklets and new walking routes, and seven new Low Traffic Neighbourhood schemes. We are also supporting local businesses to make the transition to making deliveries by e-cargo bike, in partnership with Peddle My Wheels.”

Myatt’s Fields is one of the target areas that will receive part of the investment: this followed a campaign by Cllrs Paul Gadsby and Annie Gallop which highlighted a variety of traffic problems in the community, including congestion on Loughborough Road, speeding around Myatt’s Fields Park and rat running along Patmos and Akerman Roads. Recently, councillors handed in a survey of more than 200 residents about these issues and organised a walkabout in the area for Cllr Rezina Chowdhury, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Lambeth and Clean Air, to see first-hand some of the worst hotspots and meet local residents.  Lambeth Council’s research has identified parts of our ward as suffering from the worst traffic related problems in Lambeth. 

Cllr Paul Gadsby and Cllr Annie Gallop said:

“It is really positive news to see that Lambeth has acknowledged the problems on our local roads: we are particularly grateful to Cllr Chowdhury for listening to residents who contributed to our recent surveys and for visiting Myatt’s Fields to meet residents who have to live with dangerous driving or heavy congestion on a daily basis.

“Lambeth Council has given us a pledge to work with local residents to find how best to use the new funding, with discussions beginning in the next financial year.”

More information about the “Big Shift” can be found here.

Lambeth urged to act on traffic problems following two residents’ surveys in Myatt’s Fields

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Local Labour councillors are demanding new action on traffic in Myatt’s Fields, based on evidence gathered in two snapshot surveys.

The surveys – organised by Cllrs Paul Gadsby and Cllr Annie Gallop – revealed strong support for action to deal with speeding vehicles and dangerous driving around Myatt’s Fields Park and Akerman Road. The results of the petitions, based on two questionnaires, were handed into Lambeth council by Cllr Gadsby on behalf of the Labour team.  Lambeth Council are now formally required to respond to the surveys.

The councillors said:

“Thank you to all residents who took the time to fill in the surveys. They clearly demonstrate real concerns about speeding vehicles and dangerous driving in these closely connected neighbourhoods.

“As councillors, we have also received similar speeding concerns on Patmos Road which connects into Akerman Road, and a local Residents Association on Loughborough Road has been highlighting for many years problems with congestion there.

“ We are asking Lambeth Council to take a look at all these issues together and put in place a comprehensive plan that makes local roads safer.“

The headlines from the surveys, which were prompted by local concerns, are:

83 responses were received to the Myatt’s Fields Park survey, with 160 residents saying there was a problem with speeding cars in the area. In this survey, the top asks from residents were:

128 – Better enforcement of the 20mph speed limit

113 – Introduction of speed bumps

82 – Better facilities for cyclists

32 – Improvement/resurfacing of local roads

55 responses were received for a survey about speeding on Akerman Road, with 52 respondents stating there was a problem with speeding on the road.

A variety of suggestions were made about how to tackle the problem, including better enforcement of the 20mph speed limit, including the introduction of speed cameras, and  speed humps being put into the area.

Cllr Paul Gadsby at July’s Lambeth Council meeting

Brixton Chamber Orchestra announces summer tour

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The twenty two piece Brixton Chamber Orchestra has announced its tour dates for summer 2022, with two events set for the Myatt’s Fields area.

Featuring special guest vocalists and rappers, the orchestra’s free event programme includes gigs at the Myatt’s Fields Band Stand and the Myatt’s South estate.

Full details of the tour:

Friday 22nd July | 16:00 | Myatt’s Field Bandstand | SE5 9BW

Friday 22nd July | 19:00 | Stockwell Estate Hall of Fame | SW9 0TE

Saturday 23rd July | 16:00 | St. Matthew’s Estate | SW2 1LY

Saturday 23rd July | 19:00 | Holmewood Gardens Park | SW2 3NB

Sunday 24th July | 16:00 | Cressingham Gardens Estate | SW2 2QG

Sunday 24th July | 19:00 | Moorlands Estate | SW9 8QT

Friday 29th July | 16:00 | Angell Town | SW9 7JX

Friday 29th July | 19:00 | Myatt’s Field South Community Hall | SW9 6QG

Saturday 30th July | 16:00 | Clapham Park Estate | SW4 8EP

Saturday 30th July | 19:00 | Deronda Estate | SW2 3DG

Sunday 31st July | 16:00 | Edmundsbury Estate | SW9 8AY

Myatt’s Fields Park asks for residents’ help in a bid for Lambeth Community Funds

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Myatt’s Fields Park is bidding for £75,000 from the Lambeth Community Fund in order to fund its outstanding local community work – and it’s asking residents to support its application.

Talking about its bid, the Myatt’s Fields Park Project, said:

We want to: 

* Empower at least eight people a year to develop and run their own activities in the park. This will include personalised development and mentoring, accredited training, fundraising support and free use of the park’s facilities 
* Support at least five organisations a year to run events and activities in the park 
* Engage local people as community representatives, reaching out into the community, gathering information about community needs 
* Run events and activities for more than 3000 people a year 

This program will prioritise young and older people from the African diaspora and other people of colour as they are currently under-represented as park users. 

MFPP has applied to Lambeth Community Connections Fund for £75k over two years to pay for a new community engagement manager, marketing manager and community engagement costs. To be successful, we have to prove that we have local support. If you would like to see the change above, please do so.

Residents can pledge their support here.

Local councillors Paul Gadsby and Annie Gallop are backing the project, and are encouraging residents to do the same.

Local councillors launch new traffic survey and petition on Akerman Road

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Residents living along one of Myatt’s Fields’ main roads are being asked for their opinion about traffic issues there. Councillors have set up an online survey asking for views from people who live around Akerman Road following a rise in complaints about speeding vehicles in the neighbourhood. The survey includes a petition asking Lambeth Council to take action to introduce speed calming measures , including speed bumps and better enforcement of the 20 mph speed limit.

 Councillors Annie Gallop and Paul Gadsby said:

“We have heard first hand from residents who have witnessed accidents in the area or had near misses with speeding vehicles. Our survey is designed to gauge wider resident feedback on these issues along Akerman Road and ask the Council to take some immediate actions.

“We know that Akerman Road is not the only area where there are traffic related concerns.  We are also campaigning for further traffic calming measures around Myatt’s Fields Park and action to address congestion on Loughborough Road.

“The Council has acknowledged that we need have a joined up, well funded plan. We are encouraged by the consultation recently concluded on potential solutions to congestion and poor safety on parts of Loughborough Road. However, we do believe a lot more needs to be done – and quicker – by the Council.”