Wandsworth Council and transport / town centre - Part 5 of 5 from Vauxhall Nine Elms Battersea Exhibition VNEB

Finally, just for the record, I wanted to add the final in the series of VNEB exhibition boards. There is so much going on locally that it's difficult to keep up! These boards mostly show Wandsworth Council's outlines on the VNEB, which is importance since the majority of the VNEB falls on their patch.  In my view, the boards aren't quite as useful as the ones that Lambeth Council supplied on account of the fact that they don't summarise all of the buildings that have been granted planning permission to date.  Maybe there are too many to list (or they've not yet been declared), but without an idea of that, it's difficult to imagine the volume of housing and commercial space that will hit the area:

This board clearly outlines the scale of the development.  16,000 new homes means the arrival of a vast number of new residents.  I fail to see how 20,000 - 25,000 new jobs will be created when industrial space is being reduced, but perhaps we'll all be surprised:

Note the mention of the "linear park", linking Vauxhall to Battersea.  This will not provide adequate green space given the likely population density, even once the parks at Spring Gardens and Vauxhall have been taking into account:

The additional 800 primary school aged children will be catered for by /one/ primary school.  Goodness knows whether the other primary schools in the locality can be expanded to meet demand.  The 600 secondary school aged pupils will presumably have to be placed in existing schools.  I'm not sure whether a school feasibility study has been completed, but this /sounds/ a tad unrealistic even to my unknowledgable ears.  Battersea gets a library.  Vauxhall probably won't (but then, libraries aren't really in vogue at the moment, are they?):

Transport.   One of my favourite topics!  This poster indicates improved bus services, new bus routes and increased bus frequency.  It also shows enhanced railway stations (but doesn't mention enhanced services) so this probably just means the stations will get a make over (see here for Vauxhall rail station refurbishment).  Cyclists are mentioned here in terms of "better provision", but it doesn't clearly outline cycle lanes or segregated cycle paths on roads or anything like that.  There's mention of the proposed Northern line tube to Battersea, with an added station at Nine Elms (my favourite option, but it probably wouldn't do much to relieve congestion Kennington tube station).  However, I think the huge cost of this project will eventually mean that the area will get a tram (which is one of the proposed options in the giant VNEB consultation document).  I suppose another option might be to add a new National Rail station between Queenstown and Vauxhall, but looking at the map, this would probably be too far from the power station to meet the new residents' needs:

Here's a model, which I think illustrates how nasty and oversized the new St George tower will look. The architecture is not even particularly imaginative, just a round tall tower.  This model is not illustrative of all of the buildings planned for Vauxhall.  For some reason, some of these have been missed off.  The orange line on the plan is the new proposed tube route:

Just for the record, here are the last few signs up at the exhibition, and completes this rather long and tedious set of plans and photos in the VNEB series.

Part 1 (Ballymore section) of VNEB exhibition is here.
Part 2 (Lambeth Council section) of VNEB exhibition is here.
Part 3 (Tideway Wharf section) of VNEB exhibition is here.
Part 4 (Sainsbury's Towers section) of VNEB exhibition is here.

Future of former Lilian Baylis School and SAZ (KOV meeting write up - Part 2)

At the KOV meeting on Monday, after we'd heard about the refurbishment of Vauxhall railway station, Brian Dickens of Sports Action Zone (SAZ) took the platform to speak about plans for the former Lilian Baylis School on Lollard Street.  A short paper was circulated (apologies for picture quality):

New readers might benefit from a little recent history.  In February 2009, Lambeth Council put together a hub group (All Nations Church, Sports Action Zone and Ethelred Nursery) to create a future at the former Lilian Baylis.  On 14th December 2009, Lambeth Concil issued a statement to decommision the hub group.  I wrote a lengthy post showing one way that the December 2009 statement might be interpreted.  Nothing more has been said on the matter, and when I sent Steve Reed a Tweet in October 2009, all he would say is "Still negotiating a consortium to run the old school site, details public soon, intending it shd represent the whole community not just part."  Go and read the 2009 update on the former Lilian Baylis  for the more recent history.  If you want to go even further back (because Lurking about SE11 takes history seriously), you can read my definitive potted summary from 2005 - 2009.

Considering all of that, I hoped that the next part of the process would be the announcement of a new consortium to manage the site (as per Steve Reed's Tweet).  I expected that a varied combination of organisations would speak about their plans for the site. Despite heartily commending their proposals, it was slightly disappointing to receive a presentation from Sports Action Zone alone.  Mr Dickens noted that since 2005, SAZ's aim has been to "develop the community through sport".  He also commented, "it's not only sport, it is a community hub, it is intergenerational.  It's about health, it's about arts, it's about music media.  It is about cycling and helping young people put bikes together.  It is about a whole range of opportunities for the local community."  Accordingly, 90% of the onsite provision is free and there are 90,000 attendances every year.  There are case studies now from young people who've changed their lives as a result of being involved in projects on site:

Working with the South Bank Employer's Group, SAZ successfully obtained £75,000 from the Government's Community Builds Program.  With that, they've examined a sustainable approach to developing a portion of the former Lilian Baylis site.  "Part of the problem," Brian Dickens acknowledged, is that "there has never been an understanding of what the site is going to become".  Well, precisely.  The site is listed in its entirety, making developent very tricky.  Despite this, SAZ have identified an area of the site (I think it's the section showing the sports courts on the board below) which looks as though it could be developed. Through the Community Builds Program, £2 million of funds can be accessed to refurbish the site and SAZ are speaking to several investors about bringing in additional money for the project:

Some of the investment on site has already been made.  Barclays have provided brand new tennis court and a fourth generation national turf pitch was donated by Nike.  SAZ want to put an athletics track at the back of the site, expand the area available for sports on site and replace the existing sports hall through bringing in external funding.  SAZ also hope to work alongside Lambeth Council with the appointed architects to review the Statement of Significance to consider how the listed buildings on the site might be used.  SAZ would like the site to be a community hub with a remit that is wider than sport.  This will require further consultation with the community.  However, proposal need to be submitted to the Community Builds Program very swiftly.  SAZ are thus hoping that their the plans will go before Lambeth Council Cabinet on the 22 November to give them the opportunity to secure the long term future of the site under the auspices of a Trust which would comprise members of SAZ, Lambeth Council and the local community.

It's an impressive overview, and quite clever, considering that the largest portion of the investment needs to be put into the listed buildings which SAZ will not seek funding to rebuild.  If SAZ can pull this off, the question will be how the rest of the funding might be secured to put the rest of the former Lilian Baylis into good use.

Brian Dickens took a number of questions from members of the audience.  One audience member asked about whether the trust would be formed for Area A (the section of the site that KOV hope to develop) or for the entire site.  Mr Dickens said that he thought that, in the first instance, the trust would be responsible only for Area A, but that would not stop the trust evolving to take in the rest of the site.  The difficulty is that  substantial  investment is required to develop the rest of the site.  In response to a later question however about getting a trust off the ground, Mr Dickens thought it might comprise only SAZ and Lambeth Council members.  I'd have thought that this might compromise its claim to independence, but never mind!

A representative from the Kennington Association asked whether Ecuadorian Volleyball could be retained on site.  Mr Dickens  affirmed that they're an important of the project and noted that SAZ were not looking to exclude anybody so, whether playing outdoors or indoors, Ecuadorian volleyball would always be a part of the project.  Somebody asked about the link up between Alford House and SAZ (especially important, considering the squeeze that will likely be placed on the funding of youth projects).  A brief response was received; "we're still working very closely with them, and we'd continue to work with them about how to involve them in anything that's going forward".  Another audience member wanted to know whether sponsorship from Barclays would be developed.  Further discussions will apparently take place about how they might be involved with other parts of the site.  SAZ hope to look at developing apprenticeships to widen the project so that it's not solely about sport.

Many questions were forthcoming about the possibility of a swimming pool on site.  Brian Dickens commented that swimming pools were very expensive to install and run, and was much more committed to the temporary swimming pool concept that resulted in this year's 12 metre pool.  It seems a number of people support these temporary pools.  Muslim women are able to use them since other facilities are unsuitable, and they are also useful for teaching children how to swim.  72% of children from Vauxhall School learned to swim in the 6 week period of the temporary pool's existence.  I'm afraid that I don't see any permanent swimming pool funding being forthcoming (from Barclays or otherwise) and would rather continue to try to support proposals for a new adequately sized swimming pool at Elephant and Castle.  In any case, Lambeth Council would argue that their new Coin St swimming pool in Waterloo should serve North Lambeth's requirements.

One of the final comments was, for me, the most telling.  "I went to look at the pool, but I found the site barren and empty, and I didn't know if it was a training pool or whether anybody could use it...".  Since SAZ continually stress their desire to look "beyond sport" and be a true "community hub" they could improve their service to the local community by providing information about what's available at present.  Perhaps a weekly schedule of classes/training sessions on site, an idea of who is entitled to attend, a cost structure and opening times might be forthcoming.  I'm afraid that, despite visiting the SAZ website, I'm still somewhat in the dark about whether SAZ is just for young people or whether it provides sporting facilities for the entire SE11 community.  I'm broadly support the proposal, but I feel that the notion of an independent trust still needs to be fleshed out, and SAZ must demonstrate how it can offer services that will benefit the entirety of North Lambeth.

Sainsbury's Towers Consultation

I've renamed the Sainsbury's Nine Elms redevelopment as "Sainsbury's Towers" on account of the fact that the only thing we know about it is that it's likely to comprise 3 towers.  Happily, we should receive more info on the plans as Sainsbury's will be consulting with the community on:

Friday 19th November, from 14:00 - 20:00
Saturday 20th November, from 10:00 - 16:00

Address: 62 Wandsworth Road, London, SW8 2LF

If you don't feel that you can bear to spend another portion of your week at a planning exhibition, you'll note that a Sainsbury's Nine Elms website will go live from the 19th November.

For the record, I think that the Nine Elm's Parkside (Royal Mail) proposal and this, the Sainsbury's Tower proposal plans should have been available at the large VNEB exhibition last month.  Conducting all of these separate consultations means that local residents, anybody trying to get an overview of how the area will look and other interested parties only ever receive a fragment of the picture, and it results in plenty of us spending our weekends trapising around viewing photoboards.  Grump over.  If you don't go, the info. should be on display here.

Learning forgiveness in Lambeth: The F Word Exhibition at St Anselm's

The F Word Exhibition (also known as the Forgiveness Project) tours prisons, churches and other venues in both the US and the UK, to highlight stories of courage from people who have been able to forgive others after they've been wronged.  The narratives are varied, containing the extraordinary testimonies of people who are learning to forgive after living through the Holocaust at Auschwitz or people offering forgiveness to those that killed their relatives in terrorist atrocities.  But the project contains stories of ordinary people too; those that learn to forgive everyday ordinary wrongdoing.

I'm keen to promote this project because being unable to forgive others can destroy individuals and communities, and yet, without examples of others who've managed against the odds, it's much harder to imagine what forgiveness might look like.  In Lambeth, there is perhaps a greater imperative to learn to forgive.  Back in 2008, I quoted an excerpt from the South London Press in which Ashley Kemete's mother said that she had forgiven her son's killer(s) in a shooting that occurred in White Hart Street, Kennington.  That's one extraordinary statement from a local woman, especially since it doesn't look as though Ashley's killer(s) have been arrested or sentenced, but I hope it isn't forgotten

The exhibition is being held at St Anselm's Church (Kennington Cross, SE11 5DU) from 29th November to 6th December.  The comment below indicates that it will be open from 10am - 8pm at night.

Nine Elms Parkside - new development planned for site of Royal Mail Sorting Office

As you'll know, I've still got one more post to make containing displays from the last VNEB exhibition.  The ink has barely dried, but I've received notice of yet another Nine Elms planning consultation, this time for a development named Nine Elms Parkside. Once again, it's over the border in SW8, but I've not seen anybody systematically collecting details for these different Nine Elms proposals so just consider us to be temporarily Lurking around the borders of SE11 too.

This exhbition ought to prove contentious.  About a month ago, I received an email from RCDT/LMHS, suggesting that Royal Mail might sell their Nine Elms sorting office site.  This particular site is home to 1150 workers.  Londonist also noted that an East London sorting station is under threat too.  Greg Charles, the Branch Secretary for the London South West Postal Branch of the Communication Workers Union commented;

"Closing Mail Centres in London will lead to a poorer service and will hit Business and homes alike at a time when it can ill afford it. We will fight these ridiculous plans of closure to ensure not only jobs are protected for our members but business & people across London are protected with essential services they require."

The Wandsworth Guardian quote Mr Charles accusing Royal Mail of attempting to make "a fast buck" through selling the site.  Obviously, a sale would make sound commercial sense, but Mr Charles is concerned that service and jobs will be affected by the closure and relocation of the sorting office.  Before everybody jumps in with the likely comments that the internet has resulted in a decline of post etc and that sorting office closures are inevitable, do read the complaints of SE1 residents, who are served by alternative sorting stations.  (Comments are here, here and here).  Also, remember that the VNEB opportunity area will contain the same number of residents as Welwyn Garden City, and imagine how this would stretch the Royal Mail capabilities in the local area.

If the Royal Mail sorting office will be sold as a result of the Nine Elms area being a new Opportunity Zone, one is obligated to keep asking "for whom is this an opportunity?".  I do not deny that the area requires regeneration (indeed, I favour a sensible re-development of VNEB), or that Royal Mail might need to make job cuts in the current climate, but talks between Royal Mail and the Unions are still ongoing.  Consequently, it seems rather churlish to consult over a new development on the Sorting Office site prior to the end of those talks...

Nonetheless, news of a consultation re. Nine Elms Parkside appeared in my inbox yesterday and they have a lovely shiny new Nine Elms Parkside website, proudly sporting the Royal Mail logo.  Without needing to look too carefully, you'll see that the development area shown on the photo in the literature below /is/ the Sorting Office (look at all of the red Royal Mail vehicles at the top left of the photo).  Of course, the unions may be prematurely concerned.  Perhaps the site will be redeveloped to allow for a Royal Mail facility on the land, alongside new residential property.  Who knows?

Consultation will take place on Thursday 11th November 13:00 - 20:00, Friday 12th November 13:00 - 18:00 and Saturday 13th November 13:00 - 18:00 at Batterssea Studios, 80 Silverthorne Road, SW8 3HE.

Jean Vanier at Meadow Road, Vauxhall Society Remembrance Night, Cinema Museum celebrate Spain NOW and Kennington Gardens Scoiety AGM

You'll notice I've added a calendar to the right hand side of site.  Do email me if you wish to submit or publicise an event in SE11 (or on the borders).  At the moment, I'm just adding events as I happen to spot them from Twitter or receive emails from people etc. but I'd like to list a good selection of plays, concerts, community events, classes, quiz nights etc.
I wanted to write a quick post re. interesting events that will be taking place in the area.  Most of them are local and either very cheap, or require only a donation, so beat those autumn blues and meet some of the fantastic community members in Kennington, Oval and Vauxhall.

Firstly, the Cinema Museum, (as part of Spain NOW! 2010), is hosting a film and music night on Friday 5th November from 7pm - 12pm.  The Cinema Museum is at 2 Dugard Way, SE11 4TH.  The event is free, but a donation to The Cinema Museum is encouraged.  It's a bit difficult to tell what the event will involve, despite having read the poster a few times.  (I'm obviously getting old, as I've no idea what a "participatory interactive happening" might involve!)  More info here.

Secondly, the Kennington Gardens Society AGM is taking place on Thursday 11th November 2010 at 7.30pm at Roots and Shoots, Walnut Tree Walk, SE11.  It will be followed by a talk by Lizzie Moore on Christmas Floral Decorations (£2 fee).  Refreshments available.

Thirdly, and also on Thursday 11th November 2010, but at 7pm, the Vauxhall Civic Society are holding a Remembrance Evening for Armistice Day at Brunswick House, (Lassco), 30 Wandsworth Road, Vauxhall, SW8 2LG.  It's free, but donations to the Vauxhall Civic Society are welcome.  Feel free to bring along, and read a favourite remembrance poem, and you'll also hear poems and stories related to Vauxhall from  Naomi Lourie Klein (the famous author of Stockwell News), Philippa Owen and Ross Davies (local authors). Refreshments available.

Finally, on Wednesday 24 November, at 19:15, Jean Vanier is visiting Lambeth to deliver a talk entitled 'To be human is to be vulnerable".  Jean Vanier is the founder of the L'Arche communities in which people with learning disabilities and those that assist them create homes together to share their gifts.  There are a remarkable 137 communities, and he's a remarkable man.  There's a L'Arche community in West Norwood (perhaps why he's visiting locally) and he'll deliver his lecture at the Residence of the Little Sisters of the Poor, Meadow Road, SW8 1QH (the same venue as September's Papal visit).  The event is run by Westminster Cathedral's Young Friends, and I've been asked to note that the talk is principally aimed at young people.  More info here.

Lilian Baylis Technology School Careers Fair

Lilian Baylis Technology School are holding a careers fair on 2 December.  Their headteacher, Gary Phillips wishes to disseminate the email below to local people:

My name is Gary Phillips and I am Head of Lilian Baylis Technology School. I am writing to invite you and/or your organisation to host a stall at our Careers Fair on Thursday 2 December from 17:00 - 19.30.

Most of our students do not come from graduate and/or professional families so events such as our Careers Fair are vital in inspiring and nourishing ambition. We run the event in the gym with each organisation hosting a stall where they engage with the students and families about the opportunities their organisation offers and/or what is required to work with the organisation.

If you are able to attend or need any further details please let Gina Mensah know on 0207 091 9500 or gina.mensah@lilianbaylis.com

I'm sure the school would appreciate a positive response from local businesses and organisations, as there is a growing commercial community throughout Kennington and Vauxhall, so do feel free to spread the request far and wide.

Refurbishment of Vauxhall station and surrounds (KOV meeting write up - Part 1)

Paula Haustead, a representative from Network Rail (first on the agenda) spoke about the improvements due to be made to Vauxhall Station. There were accompanying slides, which I requested on the night, and which should eventually be added to the text below. I felt that Ms Haustead spoke clearly, was informative and handled the Kennington Menace quite well (see below).

Network Rail consider that the main entrance to Vauxhall station, facing the bus station is fairly dark, and are looking to make improvements to the way that the station is perceived in the local area and to make it more accessible. (All good news. I had no idea that any of this was due). The refurbishment of Vauxhall Station falls into four separate Network Rail programme categories.

The National Stations Improvement Programme (NSIP) project is money that the Department of Transport have given to Network Rail nationally for improving small and medium sized stations. Vauxhall has been identified as an appropriate station to receive funding, and the programme will be delivered by Network Rail, but undertaken as a partnership project in conjunction with South East trains. Network Rail are looking at putting in a new station concourse, and they're also looking at realigning the stair access into the London Underground station. The Network Rail commercial property division hope to refurbish the arches adjacent to the station at the same time, and put in a restaurant or a supermarket (that's where the Waitrose rumours enter the picture).

In terms of external work, the arches at the front of the station will be smartened and improved. A new glazed canopy will join up the exit from Vauxhall Underground station and Vauxhall Rail Station, providing a dry route between the two. The station canopies covering all of the platforms are in a pretty poor state of repair, and Network Rail intend to do renewals work to those at the same time as lift work. Improved drainage will also be undertaken. Station power (which there are issues with at the moment) should be improved by the installation of a new sub station.

Internally, the existing stair access from Vauxhall Station to the railway platforms is very steep, and some resurfacing of the steps has taken place recently. However, the plan is to put lifts into Vauxhall Station.  The arch adjacent to the ticket hall contains a brick structure (I've not noticed it), which is an existing lift shaft. Several old lift shafts at Vauxhall are capped at platform level, but will need to be rebuilt as part of the project since they're currently too small. The shafts are now only visible from the top of platforms 7 and 8. The lifts have been out of use since postal access was required at Vauxhall! (Does anybody know when that might have ceased?). Network Rail are also hoping to break through the arches and open two new areas within the station, installing an additional ticket barrier (I think, although hopefully the plans will clear up this matter) so that passengers can circulate through two brand new areas into the station. In terms of their Access for All project, Network Rail are looking to put four new lift shafts up to each of the railway platforms. (There are no plans for a lift down to Vauxhall tube station, but I imagine that that would be a matter for TFL). Network Rail will also put tactile strips on all of the platforms so that people who are blind or visually impaired can more easily identify the platform edge.

The whole project is only in outline design at the moment, and will enter detailed design in January 2011, but Network Rail have already been talking with Lambeth about Planning. Permission is already secured for the lift project, but a full planning application will be submitted so that local people will be able to comment on the National Stations Improvement Programme, the canopy area and the adjacent commercial lets. Some elements of the funding have yet to be secured, but Network Rail are working closely with Lambeth to resolve the matter. Funding is in place for all elements except for the National Stations Improvement Programme. However, work for both Vauxhall and Earlsfield stations is being tendered for at the moment, which should improve efficiences and reduce costs. The two projects together will cost approx. £20 million. (It's a shame they couldn't do Waterloo as well, but no doubt it will take a lot of money to bring those old Eurostar platforms back into use, and that's another political battle). The contract is a "design and build" contract, which means that certain elements will be designed by the contractor once they've come on board. The aim is to complete all of the works by October 2012, although certain elements will be delivered earlier.

Some of the funding for the improvements at Vauxhall will be brought in through Section 106 and European funding. Clive Fraser (beleaguered Lambeth Planning Officer) confirmed that some of the Section 106 money was banked, and the rest should be banked during the lifetime of the project. Practicalities for releasing money are being discussed at present.

Now, on to question time... One audience member asked a sensible question about whether access to Vauxhall Station from the South Lambeth Road (Oval) side would be improved, on account of the entrance tunnel being closed quite frequently. Ms Haustead responded reasonably that Network Rail do not control when the access is open or closed, but that it is the job of the train operating company, and acknowledged that the entrance is sometimes closed on account of it being used less frequently. Fine? Well, not really, but if it's up to the train company to resolve, there's not a great deal that Network Rail can do. Did I mention that the Kennington and Vauxhall Menace were out in full force? Another person felt that it was highly "highly unsatisfactory" to say that improved access from South London Road was not possible when Network Rail are supposed to be improving access. Ms Haustead noted that the entrance from the south side would not be changed at all and confirmed that as it's physically and structurally intact, but that the rest is not up to them. The point about having to walk the long way around was repeated ad nauseum, and Network Rail were told that they /have/ to look at this point (despite it not being their responsibility)!

An anwer to one question revealed that the facade of the building will be cleaned and repairs made. Another question, regarding Access for All, yielded information that (as well as the lifts), a second wide-aisle gate will be installed in a new gate line, which will be added to the station. At the moment, disabled people are unable to access the station, so one person asked whether that part of the work might be delivered first. Unfortunately, there appears to be some kind of issue re. delivery of the refurbishment work because the arch in which the lifts will be installed has to be used as a work site, so to make the project move more quickly, the commercial arches might be started sooner, not for commercial gain, but because they, along with the canopies, can be accessed more easily. Platform extensions will eventually be looked at, but not during this project.

Cllr Jane Edbrooke (Oval Ward, Labour) spoke up to ask about planning and highlight that there's a plan to place a supermarket at the bottom of the Bondway tower (if that ever gets the go-ahead), and asked for joined up thinking on that point. Another audience member asked about whether secure cycle parking would be delivered, but Network Rail say they are unable to expand the parking on account of lack of space.

I think we can conclude that the refurbishment and renewal plans for Vauxhall Station are not momentous, but are somewhat overdue. It had never occurred to me that wheelchair users were unable to use the station at all (a naive ableist oversight), and consequently, I hope that accessibility will be a priority issue. Quite frankly, I welcome any changes that might improve the main body of the station, so commercial units and increased waiting space is a welcome development.  Now we just have to wait for the removal of the Vauxhall interchange :-)

There were numerous items on the agenda at the 2 hour KOV meeting, so expect more posts on Co-Op Council and future of former Lilian Baylis etc.

Sainsburys Nine Elms - Part 4 of 5 from Vauxhall Nine Elms Battersea Exhibition VNEB

I'm sorry that this has been delayed, but it took quite a while to upload all of the photos from the VNEB exhibition at the beginning of October.  Click on the following to see the other posts on the VNEB exhibition, Part 1 (Ballymore sections, around the new US embassy), Part 2 (Lambeth Council segment) and Part 3 (Tideway Wharf).

(Oh, and do feel free to browse the exhibition photos below, but I written a fuller and more recent debrief, after the Nine Elms Sainsbury's Tower plans were shown at an exhibition in November 2010.).

Tradescant Road blog has already mentioned the Nine Elms Sainsbury's plans shown below, but I wanted to add them for posterity.

This board gives no information about the size or scale of the development, only shows the site of building, which, predictably, is the site upon which Sainsbury's currently resides:

This board informs us that the entire site will be made more friendly for pedestrians and cyclists, potentially opening up other parts of the Opportunity Area.  It will be interesting to see how (and if) they'll connect Wandsworth Road and Nine Elms Road.  Notice that they suggest that the whole area might be improved by "a new landmark building"!  (I'm quite in favour of improving this site, but I just find it amusing that they think a new building would improve the area when it's clearly their intention to build whether it would or not!!)  See the bottom of this article for some early thoughts about the proposal.  There's a hint that a new park, open or green space might be put in place, with access to the public:  

The following two boards give no more information about what is proposed.  Quite disappointing, considering the information provided by the other developers:

Anyhow, you might be intrigued to know that our local Councillors have been given early access to the Sainsburys plans.  Consequently, we know from Cllr Mark Harrison's hints on Twitter that the proposal is likely to include three towers.  The tallest tower will come in at around 35 storeys, and Sainsbury's will be exhibiting outside their store some time soon.  Evidence here:

Kennington Park Children's Centre to close

Lambeth Council published a report on 22/10/2010 that was made public yesterday(ish), announcing that the Kennington Park Children's Centre (on its current site in the park) is to close for three reasons:

1.  Henry Fawcett School is judged to be in a position to provide leadership and support for the Centre if it's located on the school site.  (The report indicates that a national policy may be introduced requiring Local Authorities that are managing Children's Centres to outsource them to third party organisations).

2.  The new location (at Henry Fawcett School) is judged to be more accessible for catchment area (across Oval ward) families.  The report oulines the fact that the new site should "increase access by community groups that are currently underrepresented", but it doesn't say what it means by that.  [Are we talking about people who live in the south of Oval who wouldn't cross the park, or people of under-represented races, or underrepresented income?  I hate it when underrepresentation is raised, but it's not outlined what is meant by that word.]  Moving the site, in any case, puts it nearer to where most of the users of the site live.

3.  Long term sustainability for the Children's Centre will be secured.

To be fair, the report accurately records that "current users" would prefer the Centre to remain in the park, whilst non-users would prefer the site to move to Henry Fawcett.  The results of the questionnaires are quite mixed.  48% of responses would prefer that the centre stay on site, 41% want it moved and the rest were undecided.  I suspect that the decision had already been made on the basis of finance, and perhaps in the current climate, we should be relieved to retain a Children's Centre in Oval ward.  (For my last post on this matter, see "When consultation risks being lip service".)

The report outlines the fact that the Children's Centre received a budget of £304,170 (2009-2010), funding management, administration, teaching, outreach and the creche, but also notes that maintenance and running costs are high and have to be sustained through that budget.  The difficulty is that when a Children's Centre is located on a school site, the costs are shared, whereas in a stand alone site, costs fall entirely on the Centre itself.  £200,000 of income (2009-2010) was also sourced from elsewhere.  The report is not clear on where the £200,000 came from.  The entire cost of the Children's Centre was (2009-2010) £591,500, leaving a deficit of £87,500, which actually, doesn't sound to me as though it's a massive deficit that couldn't have been covered in other ways, but if the Council need the site for the PRU (see below), I can see why the Children's Centre would have to move.  (Interestingly, there's a slight risk that lots of dissenting parents will not continue to use the Children's Centre on the new site, which could leave the Council with a deficit for the next few years, but they're balancing that against capital cost savings).

There are a number of interesting statistics within the report eg. Oval Ward is one of 20% most deprived national wards and a third of users of current Children's Centre users are actually from Southwark.  Services available to those on ward boundaries often suffer and I'm not sure whether Lambeth will be able to be so partisan when the proposals for the Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham partnership are put together, but since there's a nearby Children's Centre in Southwark, I can see the rationale for the move.

The major loss appears to me to be a lack of childcare for children between 0 and 2.  This will not be offered at Henry Fawcett, but instead through "associate childminders".  I'm not too clear on what an associate childminder is, so would be grateful for comments.  The report is quite clear that the capital money to be spent on amending the school could have been used on renovating the Children's Centre, but the timeframe is not sufficient to complete a feasibility study and carry out the works, and the Council also estimates that additional repairs would be necessary.

I was wondering what would happen to the Kennington Park Children's Centre site, but apparently, it would house (if money is forthcoming, which it probably won't be now the cuts have been announced) the Primary Pupil Referral Unit (PRU).

The new Henry Fawcett site should come into use between March and April 2011.  I can't say that I'm entirely surprised, but if the PRU funding doesn't come through, it will leave the Kennington Park Children's Centre empty.  That would add it to a fast growing list of "empty" buildings; the former Lilian Baylis is in meanwhile use, the Beaufoy Insitute is empty and the Olive School (I believe) is empty .  Proposals for the former Lilian Baylis will be heard at the KOV meeting on Monday 1st November (see calendar), but it won't happen that quickly. I heard on the grapevine that the Olive School is temporarily being used as a PRU, but I'm not sure whether a new tenant has been found.  Would be grateful for comments on that too, so I can update.

20 Albert Embankment - tiny planning permission amendment

A request (10/03287/FUL) for a tiny amendment to the planning permission for 20 Albert Embankment has been submitted to Lambeth Council along the following lines:

"The planning conditions as currently worded require the submission and approval of the relevant details to/by the local planning authority "prior to the commencement of building works". The variations seek to substitute the words "Prior to the commencement of building works" with either the words "Prior to the commencement of the relevant works" or "Prior to the commencement of works above ground" (as appropriate) to allow for a staggered submission of details."

I don't know enough about planning law to know why this type of amendment would be required.  I suppose it all hangs on why the building details can't be submitted prior to works? I'm not sure why details would need submitted in a staggered manner?  Is it a stalling tactic?  Do Newlands Enterprises Ltd wish to hold until the market recovers or do they want to wait to hear from Lambeth about one part of the building before submitting the details for the next?  Questions, questions...

The closed Kennington Park Astroturf pitches and why it's taking so long...

Further to my article earlier this week on why everything (including the Astroturf court) in Kennington Park appears to be closed, I've sourced some extra info. from the Friends of Kennington Park.

Kennington Park's astroturf pitch was installed in 2006 with a 15 year warranty.  Under the warranty, the seams were fixed in 2008 and 2009.  Issues with the seams were again discovered in August this year, and the manufacturers were called to examine the pitch, after which the installers argued that the seam issues fell outside of the warranty.  Naturally, Lambeth Council argued the opposite view, but the court was closed whilst an investigation upon whom the responsibility should fall was undertaken.  The Council were unable to speed up the repairs by asking another company to look at the issue in view of the fact that it would have invalidated the warranty.  After further meetings and inspections, the manufacturer agreed to make the necessary repairs.  Work was due to commence on the 12th October, but I noticed at the weekend that it appeared to be delayed due to bad weather.  Do any of my readers use the pitch, and has anybody seen any works taking place?

The teams using the pitches have been offered refunds or credits, and from the information above, it appears that the Council have been acting in the best interest of the public.  The question is why the discussions and meetings have taken so long, but I suppose, given the context of a £200,000 pitch at stake, and the technical report requested, that 2 months isn't a great deal of time to resolve the matter.  If the pitch closure continues into a third month, I imagine that more questions will need to be asked.

Advanced notice - KOV Co-op Council Discussion & Thames Tunnel Consultation and

This is just a quick post giving advanced notice of three community gatherings.

Firstly, in view of the announcements of the Government's Spending Review, and the speculation that Lambeth Council will lose £70 million, some notion of Labour's Co-operative Council will soon become a reality in Lambeth.  Local public sector job cuts are likely (but we probably won't know the detail for a few months) and whether you call it Big Society or Co-operative Council, the result will be fewer services spread over the same (or greater) number of people.  According to Local London, considerations about pooling services such as road repairs, social care, rubbish collection, libaries and adult education between Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark Councils are under way.  I've no idea what any of this might look like, but there will be opportunites to ask questions at the next KOV meeting on 1 November at 6:30 for 7pm.  The venue is to be the Vauxhall Gardens Community Centre, 100 Vauxhall Walk, SE11 5EL.  Also announced at the KOV meeting with be "interesting news" about the future of the former Lilian Baylis school site (not sure how that will fare with all of the cuts) and apparently, some discussion of improvements planned for Vauxhall overground station.  It seems to be a rather full agenda so expect the meeting to run late.

Secondly, thanks to the good Cllr Harrison, a consultation will take place re. the Vauxhall Thames Tideway Tunnel ventiliation shaft etc. on the Albert Embankment in Vauxhall.  The consultation will be held on 6th November from 10am-4pm at Park Plaza Hotel, 18 Albert Embankment.  For more information about the tunnel, see my article "What is the Tideway Tunnel is, and how does it affect Vauxhall?".

Lastly, thanks to a commentator earlier in the week, some of you might be interested to know that former MP and local resident, Chris Mullin will be speaking at the Durning Library on Thursday 21st (tomorrow) at 6.45pm.  £2 is requested as a donation for refreshments.  The Times' Rod Liddle noted that Mullin's recently published diaries (A View from The Foothills) were "The most valuable set of diaries to emanate from the now interred corpse of new Labour; the most revelatory and also…the most entertaining."  Make of that what you will.

Lambeth High Street Recreation Ground proposals (consultation today)

There's a consultation today, until 8pm, about some proposals for the renovation of Lambeth High Street Recreation Ground in 2011. Apologies for failing to mention it before now. The consultation is taking place today from 8am to 8pm at 125 Lambeth Walk.

Also, a new Friends of Lambeth Rec Group seems to have popped up for the park and that website contains some interesting information eg. plans to change the name of the park to "Old Paradise Gardens" and gives you an opportunity to become a "Friend".

If you're curious, the park is boundaried by Old Paradise Street, Lambeth High Street and Whitgift Street.

I'll try and pop along tonight and display the plans here tomorrow.

Kennington Park Astroturf and Flower Garden closed. Midnight path under threat.

What on earth is happening in Kennington Park?  A few weeks ago, I received a tip-off that the Astro turf pitch had been closed.  I'm not sure about the date of its exact closure, but by process of deduction, I think it has been closed for about 2 months now.  A park-ranger/sports coach that I spoke to on site (last Saturday) said that the pitch had been closed due to the hockey players complaining that the pitch was not flat.  The anonymous email I received claims that the pitch has been closed for health and safety reasons on account of a "stretching" of the pitch (opposite the tennis courts).

If you go and view the pitches when they're open, you'll see that they're in almost constant use.  I'd guess that up to 1000 people use them each day (taking into account day and evening use).  According to the Friends of Kennington Park, there's been some sort of dispute between Lambeth Council and GLL over an expired warranty which has caused a delay in fixing the pitch.  Repairs are due to take place any day now, but according to Lambeth Council, they require dry weather.  A 2 month closure is unacceptable, but that's not the park's only closed facility...

The Old English flower garden is also closed.  The photo above shows the wire fence that has been erected not only around the entrance, but around the entire garden!  I discovered this particular piece of news at the memorial for the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Kennington air-raid shelter.  The flower garden contains several benches, dedicated to people who died in the blast and people who've died more recently, but nobody has been able to go and view any of them.  The flower garden, like the park, is meant to be open to the public.  Unfortunately, it was closed in May 2010.  It then opened once or twice in June, but has been closed for the rest of the summer and remains closed.  The local rumour mill (I can't guarantee accuracy) puts this down to being a dispute between the general police, and (guess who?), the Oval Safer Neighbourhood Team.  The SNT, apparently, consider the Flower Garden to be dangerous.  Personally, I've never had a problem with either the squirrels or the drinkers in the flower garden.  I always say "live and let live",  but it seems that maybe the police are closing everything they deem poses any risk.

I was going to suggest a public insurrection to reclaim our common land (the Flower Garden), but it seems that the Common Land of Kennington Common was abolished in 1852 (how dare they?) when the Common became a Park for public recreation and apparently, "extinguished all rights of common".  But let's not let the detail prevent us from gathering to free the Flower Garden!  Who is interested in a bit of late night wire cutting?  And whilst on that  topic of the Oval SNT, and their activities, I'd  just like to remind you of the generally unpublicised threat to Midnight Walk.  When I went to speak to the police at the informal consultation, they maintained that most of the people they'd spoken to on the night of 13th October 2010 (it was just ticks on a clipboard), were in favour of closing the Midnight Path.  I'd generally keep quiet if I felt that such a view represented public opinion.  I'm not sure that it does.  Thanks to the commentator, Mark, I've been told that Kate Hoey had to step in to prevent the path's closure back in 2002.  The problem back then was that men who used the park at night (when it was closed) were sometimes mugged, and since they were not meant to be in the park in the first place, they claimed that muggings had taken place on the Midnight Path.  Is this what's happening on this occasion?  Can anybody who has been mugged on this path provide any additional information?

The Friends of Kennington Park Facebook page notes the following:

"The path has been a public right of way since 1899. It is not part of the park, but used by many people living in Lambeth and Southwark at all hours.

The Friends' committee have urged Lambeth and the Police to consult widely, particularly with Residents' and Tenants' Associations and ward councillors. If there are only a few objections, the closure can be sanctioned by Lambeth officials; if there are many, the issue has to be heard in court."

I imagine that the "public right of way" legislation trumps the Kennington Common Inclosure Act of 1852.  If a public right of way has been granted, then it can't easily be removed.  Consider emailing the Oval Safer Neighbourhoods team or Hannah Wadey, the Lambeth Community Safety Officer to left them know your views about the proposed closure of the Midnight Path.

I'm not sure how many Kennington Anarchists would be interested in using bolt cutters to gain entry to the flower garden under the cover of night, so I suppose it might be better to resort to a more democratic means of dealing with the issue.  If you'd like to see the Astroturf re-opened, and nothing happens (or is happening) on that front, or you'd like access to the Flower Gardens, or you'd like to prevent the Midnight Path being closed, do feel free to contact your local Oval Ward Councillors:  Cllr Ishbel Brown (Lib Dem), Cllr Jane Edbrooke (Labour) and Cllr Jack Hopkins (Labour).