Ishbel Brown Speaks Out on Cuts to Lambeth Services

Ishbel Brown, Lib Dem Councillor for Oval, was due to speak last Wednesday in the debate on Lambeth Council's budget; however, following the occupation of the Council Chamber by protesters, Ishbel was unable to speak.

Ishbel's planned speech outlined options that the Council could have followed in order to lessen the severity of cuts to Lambeth's front-line services, and is reprinted below:

I am impressed that Lambeth Council has managed to accumulate so many reserves (almost £120 million) in the last four years.

One may be fooled into thinking that they were terribly prudent, and had full control of the financial situation; until, of course, you scrape away the veneer and realize the millions that have been wasted.

I want to talk specifically about the reserves. Firstly an interesting concept, but a truth nonetheless, is that one saves to spend. I believe the ‘invest to save’ scheme (containing £7 million) was established some years ago, and yet there are no significant Labour proposals to use this money – they have had 3 years to come up with ways to invest this money to generate future savings, and yet nearly all of the money still remains stashed away in a bank.

Additionally, I would like to know exactly what the earmarked reserves are earmarked for – what is more important – squirreling away money, or putting, say, lollipop people on the street to protect children crossing dangerous roads?

This Council is not a bank. Our job is to spend the resources in a way that best serve the people of Lambeth, not have millions sitting in accounts doing nothing but earning negligible interest. In the current climate, it is both immoral and uneconomic to be hoarding such cash.

As stated, we save to spend at a later (usually rainy) date – has this wet day not arrived?

It is not acceptable to hit the vulnerable and those in need when the Council is awash with money held in reserves. We propose to use £10m (a mere 8% of the total) to mitigate the cuts – a proposal the S151 officer says is legal and I think it is fair.

Instead of spending these reserves, this Labour administration has chosen to cut front line services whilst stating publicly that the coalition government is to blame. In my short time in this chamber, I am yet to hear Labour take responsibility for any of their actions – instead bleating that it is someone else’s fault.

Sainsbury's and Covent Garden Market Consultations

Next weekend sees two further consultations on proposed developments in the local area;

Sainsbury's will be holding a consultation on the proposed redevelopment of their Nine Elms store, on Wandsworth Road. This follows a consultation session late last year, and presents revised plans with improved roof gardens and enhancements to the pedestrian environment.

Artist's impression of the proposed new store. Copyright Sainsbury's.

The consultation meeting will be held at the Nine Elms store on Wandsworth Road, at the following times:

• Friday 4th March, 14:00 - 20:00
• Saturday 5th March, 10:00 - 16:00

The plans can also be viewed online at http://www.sainsburys-nineelms.co.uk/.

The Covent Garden Market Authority will also be holding a consultation event this weekend, to present their latest plans for the redevelopment of the New Covent Garden Market. The redevelopment will see the construction of a new market specialising in fresh produce - food, flowers and plants, with the construction of new homes, shops, offices and open spaces.

Artist's impression, Copyright Covent Garden Market Authority.

The consultation meeting will be held at the Yvonne Carr Community Centre at 2 Thessaly Road, at the following times:

• Thursday 3rd March, 16:00 - 20:00
• Friday 4th March, 16:00 - 20:00
• Saturday 5th March, 10:00 - 17:00

Do also let us know what you think of these proposals, either by email or via the comments box below.

£9m Council Tax Black Hole

A Freedom of Information request submitted by the BBC has revealed that Labour-run Lambeth Council has failed to collect a mammoth £9 million in Council Tax just in the 2009/10 financial year.

At a time when Labour has approved savage cuts to services in Lambeth, it is galling for the borough's taxpayers that such poor collection rates exist, with Lambeth being the worst out of the 32 London Boroughs. Such cuts to services could have been lessened if Lambeth was able to effectively collect the taxes that it levies.

In addition, the news came as Lib Dems announced their proposed alternative budget, which would have saved many front-line services, by identifying savings and efficiencies elsewhere in the budget. For example, selling Phoenix House, a Lambeth Council office in Vauxhall, could raise millions of pounds - the block was worth a staggering £24.5m when it was bought in 2004. We also proposed savings to reduce costs, such as a reduction on spending on publicity and advertising by £900,000 and a move to Open Source software, saving £500,000 - with both of these sensible proposals rejected by Labour.

With our financially sound proposals, which were approved by Lambeth Council's finance officers, Labour Councillors had a real alternative to protect some of Lambeth's most vulnerable when they voted through massive cuts to the Council's services last week - making the decisions taken by Labour last week all the more infuriating for residents.

£100m of Decent Homes Funding Announced for Lambeth

The government has announced the funds that will be given to councils to help improve the standard of housing, bringing them up to the Decent Homes Standard.

As part of the £2.1bn proposals, Lambeth will be receiving over £100m over the next four years to help clear the backlog of repairs - this is more money than received by any other area in the country, recognising the need to improve the standard of housing in our area.

In addition, Lib Dem MPs have successfully lobbied the government to drop the proposal to reduce housing benefit for long-term jobless; Bermondsey MP Simon Hughes fought especially hard for this, and the Lib Dems were able to win this vital concession, ensuring that the long term unemployed who are struggling to find work are not punished again and placed at risk of homelessness.

Update on Vauxhall "Island Site" Proposals

As mentioned in our article earlier this month, the proposal for the construction of two towers by Kylun Ltd on the Vauxhall "Island Site" at the centre of the gyratory was discussed by Lambeth's Planning Applications Committee on 15th February.

The proposed development at Vauxhall. Copyright Squire and Partners.

The meeting was specifically to discuss the pedestrian environment; Lib Dem Councillor Brian Palmer, who sits on the committee, spoke out about the necessity of having a pedestrian crossing at Wandsworth Road, between the development and St George Wharf, to ensure that the gyratory is "tamed" and to protect the safety of the residents. Councillor Palmer also spoke out in favour of greater Section 106 contributions from the developer, to help improve existing green space in the local area.

The meeting resolved that a crossing is needed across Wandsworth Road in order for the development to become a suitable location for family homes; a decision on the application as a whole will be made at a later date, following a site visit for the Committee with a TfL Officer in attendance.

St George Wharf Pier Approved

As we reported in October, St George Wharf has been seeking planning consent for the construction of a commuter pier., which would be located at the centre of the development.

Last week Lambeth Council granted planning consent for the pier, bringing us a step closer to river services being able to stop at Vauxhall. When granting their consent, Planning Officers also applied conditions to ensure that fish and other wildlife using the river will not be impacted by the development.

Whilst the final pattern of services is not yet known, the Putney to Blackfriars commuter service currently passes Vauxhall; if it were to stop at the new pier, commuters would have a direct boat link to Embankment and Blackfriars piers. It could also help to alleviate some of the rush-hour congestion on other transport modes at Vauxhall Cross.

"Vauxhall Island Site" Towers to be Discussed by Planning Committee

The proposed development by Kylun Ltd to construct two towers at the centre of the Vauxhall gyratory system, will be discussed by Lambeth's Planning Applications Committee on 15 February.

The proposed development at Vauxhall. Copyright Squire and Partners.

The council has received 57 letters of objection, 23 letters of support, and 5 letters of comment regarding the proposal, which would see the construction of a 41-storey tower and a 32-storey tower, containing between them 291 apartments, a 179-room hotel, office, retail, and community and leisure facilities.

The proposal is to be discussed at the Planning Applications Committee so that council Officers can get a steer as to the acceptability of the development; in addition, there is an unresolved issue regarding the proposed road crossing between the development and St. George's Wharf (a proposal that TfL, who are responsible for the road, object to) - there is a concern that without a formal crossing, people may try to cross the road in any case, at great personal risk.

It is expected that a final decision regarding the scheme will be made at a subsequent meeting, once the road crossing issue is resolved, but this decision will be largely informed by the output of the meeting on the 15th February.

The planning meeting will be held at 7pm on the 15th February, in Room 8, Ground Floor, Lambeth Town Hall, SW2 1RW. The committee will have details of all of the submissions received thus far, but if you would like to address the meeting on this topic, you can do so by emailing the Governance and Democracy office at democracy@lambeth.gov.uk (Tel: 020 7926 2170), by 12:00 on Monday 14 February with the following information:

• Your name
• Whether you object to / support the application
• Your contact details
• The application you wish to talk about (10/02060/FUL)

You can also download the report prepared for the committee via the Lambeth website. The meeting agenda can be found here, and the specific report regarding this application here.

20 More Cycle Hire Docks for Vauxhall

Following the initial popularity of the TfL Barclays Cycle Hire scheme, and issues raised by Vauxhall residents and commuters regarding peak-hour availability, Lambeth Council has approved the addition of 20 Cycle Hire docks to the existing Cycle Hire point under the Kennington Lane railway bridge, by the Royal Vauxhall Tavern.

This will increase the number of cycle docks in the immediate vicinity of Vauxhall Station by 69%, from 29 to 49, hopefully easing some of the difficulties that local residents have in either finding either a bicycle, or a dock.

TfL has not yet announced when the docks will open, but we will be sure to keep you informed of the progress.

"Vauxhall Square" and Linear Walk Proposals

Vauxhall-based property company CLS Holdings have announced proposals for the redevelopment of the site bounded by Bondway, Parry Street, Wandsworth Road, and Miles Street, and for the construction of a 'Linear Walk' through the centre of Vauxhall.

Linear Walk, and Proposed Vauxhall Square development. Copyright CLS Holdings plc.

The developer's proposals include two residential towers, approximately 40 storeys in height, 200,000 sq ft of offices, 80,000 sq ft of retail, a 300-bed hotel, 240-bed student housing and a six-screen cinema, with the creation of a public square.

The linear walk would be a landscaped walkway that connects the proposed Vauxhall Square with the station, Albert Embankment, and the proposed developments in Nine Elms and Battersea.

Artist's Impression of the Linear Walk, above the bus station, with
proposed Vauxhall Square on the horizon. Copyright CLS Holdings plc.

The proposals are in an early stage, and the developer plans to submit a planning application late this year. In the meantime, the developer has created a website with their proposals, at http://www.vauxhallsquare.co.uk/ and will be holding a public consultation next weekend, to which all are welcome:

Date:
Friday 11 February, 10:30 - 20:00
Satuday 12 February, 10:00 - 14:00

Venue:
19th Floor, Market Towers, 1 Nine Elms Lane

Market Towers is the building on the corner of Wandsworth Road and Nine Elms Lane, opposite Lassco and Cap Gemini. As well as having the opportunity to inspect the plans, use the opportunity to make the most of the spectacular views of South London.

These plans represent a significant redevelopment of a three-acre site, as well as quite radical proposals for the urban environment of Vauxhall - please do also let us know either via the comments box below, or by email, as to what you think.

Save South Lambeth Library

Councillor Ishbel Brown and the Oval Lib Dem Action Team joined Friends of Tate South Lambeth Library this morning to campaign against threatened cuts to libraries in Lambeth, collecting signatures for a petition and speaking to local residents who were furious about the risk to their local services.

The Tate South Lambeth Library plays a vital role in the local community, and a cut to services would hit local residents hard. Whilst collecting signatures for the Friends of Tate South Lambeth Library's petition, we met many local people who used the library for a whole range of activities, including after-school clubs, to look for jobs, or to help build their English skills.

This is not the first time that the library has been under threat - Labour have previously tried to close the library in the period 1998 - 2002, which was only stopped by a strong local campaign, supported by the Lib Dems. The Lib Dem council of 2002 - 2006 extended the library's opening hours, and in recent years Lib Dem Oval ward councillors supported the creation of an outside reading area and highlighted the problems caused by poor electricity supply and heating.