Tag Archives: Myatt's Fields

Lambeth Council places new restrictions on Lilford Road Business Centre redevelopment

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A range of restrictions has been imposed on the proposed controversial redevelopment of the Lilford Road Business Centre following lobbying by local residents and Myatt’s Fields’ Labour team.

The development is likely to bring new jobs to the area and create a fresh start for the dilapidated buildings at the business centre. There are also proposals to create new green landscaping around the site and install sustainable travel infrastructure for employees, like bike storage sheds.

But many residents were concerned that the original proposals would have allowed delivery vehicles to move to and from the site for more than 100 hours each week which could mean a huge increase in traffic in the heart of a residential area that Lambeth Council has acknowledged is a congestion and pollution hotspot.

The restrictions were imposed by the Council’s Planning Committee at its most recent meeting. Cllr Paul Gadsby told the committee:

“I want to focus my comments tonight on a real concern in the community about an increase in traffic from this application.

“The applicant is proposing a window of 16 hours every weekday when vehicles can move to and from the site:  the Council’s transport assessment suggests that peak hour movements will increase by 60%, this will result in hundreds of extra vehicle movements to and from the site each month, perhaps thousands over the course of a year. And while the developer has ruled out pleasingly the use of takeaway deliver firms in response to the community’s concerns, it hasn’t ruled out grocery or other high intensity delivery outfits: this model being pushed by developers across London is causing chaos in other residential areas, like Lilford Road, where residents are subject to increased noise, congestion and pollution, especially from speeding motorbikes.

“It should be noted that Lambeth Council has identified this area as a traffic hotspot with millions to be allocated to reduce traffic in the area: residents might rightly ask if this is a waste of money should this application go through unamended.”

As a result of the campaign by the community and councillors, the committee approved the application but placed more than 30 conditions on the development to address the community’s concerns.

They included:

  • Tough monitoring procedures to ensure the applicant abides by the delivery hours approved by the committee.
  • A requirement for the developer to appoint a “community liaison officer” who would be on call to answer any concerns raised by local residents.
  • The conditions also confirmed that delivery hours would be limited to 7am to 11pm weekdays – down from the 24 hour delivery window originally proposed.
  • So called “dark kitchens” (takeway food outlets) would be barred from operating on the premises.

Responding to the outcome of the meeting, Cllr Gadsby said:

“Cllr Gallop and I want to thank local residents, MPs and community groups, including the Lilford Road Action Group and the Brixton Society, for the huge amount of effort they have put into improving these proposals.

“We did not get everything we wanted and would have liked to have seen further reductions in delivery times to and from the site, however, the plans have undergone a lot of change from the original proposals from the developers last year. This includes tougher traffic restrictions on the businesses using the site to rule out the very worst high delivery businesses which are unsuitable in a residential neighbourhood. We acknowledge that the developer has also listened to local residents, with a number of the changes made voluntarily by them following a lengthy period of discussion in the past six months.

“However, we will be watching the development as it progresses. The planning committee spent more than two hours debating the traffic points made by residents and councillors: it is now over to the developer and Lambeth’s Building Control Team to make sure the promises made at the committee are upheld, especially those relating to ensuring there no adverse effects on local roads and pollution from the site.”

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.

Do you have an issue to raise with our local safer neighbourhood team?

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Local residents will have an opportunity to raise any issues, opinions or concerns they have about community safety in Myatt’s Fields at a Safer Neighbourhood Team meeting in April.

The meeting, organised by the ward’s police team, is open to all residents and will review local anti-social behaviour, crime and community safety issues in our area.

April’s meeting will be held on Wednesday, 26 April, 7-8pm at the Myatt’s North Community Centre.

If you are unable to make the meeting and have a local community safety issue to raise, please feel free to contact your local councillors here.

Request a new electrical vehicle charging point in your neighbourhood

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Lambeth Council is encouraging residents to suggest locations for the new electrical vehicle charging points that are set to be rolled out across the borough in the next few years.

Local councillors Paul Gadsby and Annie Gallop have successfully campaigned for more vehicle charging points in Myatt’s Fields following feedback from the local community: Lambeth Council confirmed in July that five would be installed in the next year. The news has been followed by an announcement of new funding for other “sustainable travel” projects in Myatt’s Fields after a petition about ongoing traffic concerns in the area was organised by Cllr Gadsby and Cllr Gallop.

Residents who own an electrical vehicle or are thinking about buying one, can suggest a charging point for their street or estate by filling in this form.

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.

Local councillors are urging council tenants to reject plans for a stock transfer attempt on their homes

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Local councillors have urged council tenants on the Lothian estate area (formerly the PACCA TMO area) to reject proposals from a for-profit company to take control of their homes.

The Greater London Authority (GLA) has approved an application by PACCA TMO Limited and Vision Homes (Lambeth) Ltd, a for-profit company, to conduct a ballot on the future ownership of the council properties on the Lothian Estate area. If they are successful in the ballot, the homes will be transferred out of the control of the local council and will be run by Vision Homes.

In a letter to council tenants, Lambeth’s Cabinet Member for Housing, Cllr Maria Kay, laid out the reasons why residents should be concerned about these proposals and vote no in the upcoming ballot: you can read her letter in full here.

Myatt’s Fields councillors Annie Gallop and Paul Gadsby have backed Cllr Kay’s comments, saying:

“These proposals have already caused a great deal of alarm in the community: we have received numerous communications from residents who are deeply concerned about how this has happened

“If successful, it will be the first time anywhere in the country where a for-profit company has taken control of council homes in this way. Vision Homes (Lambeth) Limited are a “for profit” company with no track record in owning or managing social housing. They will be able to charge residents more for their services and could pass on control of the housing, and the land on which it sits, to another organisation without a ballot.

“Although only council tenants are able to vote in this ballot, leaseholders in the area will have their lease transferred to the for-profit private company in the event of a “yes” vote”. We do think it is very unfair that leaseholders are unable to vote owing to the rules laid down by very badly drawn-up national legislation.

“We urge residents to make sure they vote No, in this important ballot: its outcome will have an impact on the daily lives of everyone in the Lothian estate area.”

A date for the ballot has yet to be set, but is likely to be in the next few months. Council tenant and leaseholder properties affected by these proposals are on the following streets:

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

If you worried or confused about this proposed takeover and want to know more, you can contact your local councillors Paul and Annie here – and give us your views on the proposals here.

How can we make Myatt’s Fields more child friendly?

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Lambeth Council’s new Child Friendly Lambeth initiative will be holding a consultation event in Myatt’s Fields asking for young people’s views on what improvements and priorities they would like to see from their council.

In its mission statement, Child Friendly Lambeth states:

Lambeth are embarking on an ambitious three to five-year programme to be recognised as a UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) Child Friendly Community.

This borough-wide partnership programme will see participation from the local authority, schools, community and faith groups, voluntary and community sector organisations, local businesses, police, health providers and commissioners.

The consultation event will be held 12:00 – 16:00, Wednesday 10th August 2022 at Myatt’s Fields South Basketball Court, London, SW9 6SN.

Further details below:

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

Petition launched to stop cuts to Lambeth bus services

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Lambeth Labour has launched a petition against planned government cuts to local bus services in the borough, some of which will affect bus routes that run through Myatt’s Fields.

Local Labour councillors, including Cllr Paul Gadsby, and Streatham MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy signing Lambeth Labour’s petition at the Lambeth Country show.

The petition states:

“Under current plans, drawn up by Transport for London (TfL) in response to Tory cuts, the following local buses are affected:

• Route 45 would be completely withdrawn and no longer run at all.
• Route 59 would no longer serve stops between Holmewood Road and Telford Avenue. It would instead extend to Clapham Park via Streatham Place.

The changes would affect a number of other buses which go through Lambeth, including the 133 & N133 – full details of proposed changes can be found at haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/busreview “

Local councillors Paul Gadsby and Annie Gallop are urging Myatt’s Fields residents to sign the petition, as well as contribute to the Tfl review.

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