Designing out crime

When Lambeth Council put up new street signs, they think having all of them at knee height is the best place to put them.



Problem with this is that in some locations it encourages graffiti and vandalism, meaning they need to get replaced more often. But if you secure them higher up - on nearby buildings - it can save the council money in the long run - and it "designs out" crime as they are too high to be easily vandalised.



We have persuaded the council to put up 2 signs at the Kibworth Street/Dorset Road junction on the walls of the nearby buildings. The previous locations for these were at knee height and too easily vandalised (we had to get them repaired twice)

Meet your local police team

The local Police team for Oval Ward are holding a series of street briefings and advice surgeries over the next month:

Wed 30th Sept, 7pm - 8pm, o/s Tescos, Kennington Lane

Wednesday 7th Oct,12.30pm - 1.30pm, o/s the 1 o’clock club, Vauxhall Park

Monday 12th Oct, 4pm - 5pm, o/s Childrens playground, Wyvil Estate

Tuesday 20th Oct, 6.30pm - 7.30pm, Coney Way community centre

Saturday 24th Oct, 1pm - 2pm, Café in the park, Kennington Park

Sunday 25th Oct, 1pm - 2pm, o/s Sainsburys, Wandsworth Road

Lib Dem Councillor stops Housing Sell-Off!

Labour run - Lambeth have been caught red-handed after trying to flog off two flats which were earmarked for a Housing Association to rent out to needy people.

The Labour council proposed to sell off at auction two one bed flats on the Oval's Ashmole Estate - in Stoddart House and Bannerman House, claiming that the cost of refurbishment was too high.

But residents on the estate voted to transfer the ownership of the estate to the Metropolitan Housing Association just a month ago - who would have brought these flats back into use as rented social housing.

We believe that it is incredibly cheeky of Labour run Lambeth to try to sneak off with the sale of two affordable rented flats when the means exist to bring them back into use. Either that or they have been incompetent and forgot the estate was due to transfer.


Cllr Rob Banks put in an objection, pointing out that these flats could indeed be retained as social housing rather than yet more flats being sold off. Lambeth have now replied saying that they will not after all put these flats up for auction, so it is good to see that common sense has prevailed. But we cannot believe these were proposed for sale in the first place.

US embassy and New Covent Garden Market plans develop

Two new developments that border onto Oval Ward have both taken a step further.

New Covent Garden Market Authority have announced plans to re-develop the market site and build housing at the Vauxhall end of the site where it edges onto Lambeth. Plans are expected to go to neighbouring Wandsworth council in November.

And Wandsworth Council have given outline planning permission for the plans for the US embassy - and have passed them onto the Mayor of London for his comments.

More details can be found here.

A symbol of Lambeth Labour's failure

An unknown vandal has made their anger clear after an empty council house in the Oval's Ashmole Estate was daubed with slogans saying "Empty - why?"; "People can live here" and "Rats live here - why?" .

While of course such vandalism is never acceptable, the anger at empty family sized homes is understandable. As local Lib Dem Councillors, we reported this empty house to the council 18 months ago and were told they could not afford the repair. Yet Labour's solution is to leave this house empty while spending tens of thousands of pounds on expensive outside consultants.

Labour have failed to represent hard working families in need of homes such as this. We have asked for this graffiti to be cleaned off and pest control to be put in place, but the real crime is that Lambeth Labour Councillors have sat on their hands while this property - and others - just fall further into decay and thousands linger on the waiting lists. This house is a symbol of Labour failure.

While the Ashmole Estate is due to transfer from Lambeth Council ownership to Metropolitan Housing Association, this is may not finally happen until early next year. The council should take action now.

Battersea Power Station

Just along the river, the Guardian recently had an update regarding Battersea Power Station and its future - more details here.

We will post if we hear of any further developments.

World's Oldest Man lived on Heyford Avenue

Thanks to local blogsites Tradescant Road and South Lambeth and Stockwell News for putting up the information that Henry Allingham, who was the world's oldest man, once lived in Oval ward at No. 21 Heyford Avenue.

More information on the respective blogsites.

Evening Standard article on the planned 42 storey tower at Bondway

The excellent Viva Vauxhall blogsite has posted an article from the Evening Standard regarding the proposed 42 storey tower at Bondway.

We understand that the outline plans will be discussed by Lambeth's planning committee by mid-October (this will allow them to discuss the general principles of the development) and the final plans are intended to go before the committee for a decision either later on in October or in November.

Most local residents who have been contacting us over this are concerned over the height and impact of the development and we remain concerned that in addition to the adverse impact on existing residents, the development will not adequately serve the needs of the area.

Lib Dems knock Labour for six over parking scams at The Oval!

We were all delighted that England won the Ashes back at The Oval. But Lambeth Labour have been 'caught out' over their claims that the council's parking policy is fair.

Lib Dem Councillor Andrew Sawdon has revealed that the Labour council continued to enforce a parking ban around The Oval on the Monday - the day AFTER The Ashes had been won.

Of course, had the Test continued for another day the parking ban would have been needed. But Labour run Lambeth should have lifted the parking suspension first thing on Monday morning once they had news of the England victory. It's not as though the news was a secret!

Instead they tried to fine local residents with legitimate parking permits who reasonably thought the parking ban had been suspended. The South London Press has the full story.

Lib Dem Cllr Faye Gray is also taking up the case of an Ashmole Estate resident who has been unfairly given a parking fine when the resident parked on double yellow lines that had been painted over by the council on the Ashmole Estate because the yellow lines were no longer needed.

And Cllr Rob Banks got the council to lift the parking suspension on Fentiman Road recently when the Thames Water works were finished a week earlier than planned. One thing is for sure - the Labour Council's policy on parking is not fair and Lib Dem Councillors are standing up for local residents.