January 10, 2012 · 10:54 am

New Pool gets closer

Swimming PoolPlans for a health and leisure centre with a 100 station gym , dance studio & 25m swimming pool in West Norwood  are now awaiting the last  stages of approval by the NHS and Government.

Lambeth council and NHS Lambeth have  agreed  their final detailed proposals  for the centre, on the green opposite West Norwood train station. The plans are now with NHS London and  civil servants, firstly at  the Department for Communities and Local Government – which has already approved the funding in principle, and then at  The  Treasury.

Once agreed, building work could start in the summer 2012.

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January 9, 2012 · 10:13 am

Fire station planning appeal

Proposed Fire Station site

Proposed Fire Station site

Lambeth council refused planning  permission  to build a new firestation for West Norwood on the site of the care home at 210 Knights Hill in January 2011. The main reason for refusal was that regular activities such as training for fire fighters would cause  too much noise in a  residential area.

The Fire Brigade then appealed to the independent Planning Inspector against the council decision. The Planning Inspector has arranged to  listen to the arguments for and against the proposals at the YMCA , 40 Stockwell Road SW9 9ES  on Wednesday 25th January . The hearing is in public but anyone wishing to speak to the Planning  Inspector must be present  at 10am to indicate they wish to do so. For advice on planning appeal hearings see: http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/pins/taking-part_planning-hearing.pdf

If you would like an more information about this hearing please contact Cllr Jane Pickard  jpickard@lambeth.gov.uk.

Details of the original planning application can be seen via  the Public Access database quoting  ref 10/02504  : http://planning.lambeth.gov.uk/publicaccess/. For detailsof the appeal quote case 2156756  at http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/planning/appeals/online/search

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January 4, 2012 · 10:12 am

Fares up again

It wasn’t only the gloomy weather greeting commuters at West Norwood Station Tuesday  morning, but also higher fares.  Fares on London’s public transport, are rising again, by 5.6% overall,  as people head back to work after the New Year break.

Local Labour councillors were at the station this morning handing out fliers as part of the Labour Party’s Fare Deal campaign. 2012 is an election year for the Mayor of London and London Assembly members.  The cost of public transport is set to be a key election issue with The Labour Candidate, Ken Livingstone, promising to cut fares if he is elected in May.  In contrast, a single bus ticket is up 50% and a weekly zone 1 – 4 travel card is up 21% under the current Conservative Mayor.

 Oyster bus fare are now  £1.35 ( £2.30 if you pay cash) . Peak time zone-3 oyster rail ticket up 6.9% to £3.10 (£4.30 if you pay cash) . 7-day zone-3 travel card up 6.2% to £ 34.20

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January 2, 2012 · 7:28 pm

Your favourite business deadline

Favourite Business AwardThursday 12th January is the deadline for voting for your favourite West Norwood business . Look for the pink poster in your favourite business… To vote – text 60777 with Westnorwood & number of the business on the poster. The results will be announced on 31st January.

See for details: http://www.southlondonbusiness.co.uk/west_norwoods_favourite_business.php

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December 23, 2011 · 11:09 am

What’s the future of West Norwood Library?

Councillor Smith outside closed library

Cllr Mike Smith at library closed for repairs

West Norwood Library & Nettlefold Halls remain closed since June 2011 as a consequence of damage from vandalism and theft. When repairs started, asbestos was found and this caused a long delay. The asbestos has now been removed but the building is still in a very poor condition and  will take a lot of money to fix. A condition survey is being undertaken to identify  what further work is needed. The survey should  be completed during January 2012 and it is not possible to estimate an re-opening date for the  West Norwood Library and Nettlefold Halls until this survey is done.  In the meantime the building is secured to reduce the risk of further vandalism.

Cllr Nosegbe, chair of the Lambeth Libraries Commission, says  “There  will be a fully functioning library in West Norwood. Our libraries are essential, they are open to all and benefit everyone and we are working with the community to make sure a full library service is back serving our residents as soon as possible. The temporary library service currently available at the Lambeth Resource Centre is unsatisfactory. We want to deliver more for Norwood and we are looking at alternative sites, like the Old Library, for a better library service in the meantime. “

At a meeting in November with local residents there were  lots of constructive ideas on what people wanted in their future local library in West Norwood. A consultation process about the future of the building  is underway and the council is  seeking the views of the community, residents, library users and members of the Friends groups.

The Libraries Commission looked at the future of Lambeth’s library service bearing in mind  the council has much less money to spend. For details of the work of the Library Commission see http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/Services/CouncilDemocracy/MakingADifference/LibrariesCommission.htm

To get involved in the future of all of Lambeth’s libraries contact the council by emailing  LibrariesHaveYourSay@lambeth.gov.uk , text  07772 103 628 or phone  0800 013 1497 or 020 7926 6397.

The Friends of West Norwood Library welcome new members – email FWNL@hotmail.co.uk or see them on facebook.

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December 23, 2011 · 11:05 am

X68 bus campaign success

For the first year ever campaigners have persuaded Transport for London to keep the X68 bus running on all non-bank holidays in December.

Photo of X68 - by Nicobobinus

Photo of X68 - by Nicobobinus

The X68 bus will run in 2011  on:

Wednesday 28th December,

Thursday 29th December  and

Friday 30th December 2011 to the normal timetable.

If you can, please do use this important Norwood bus service on those days to help ensure the X68 runs on all non-bank holidays every year. Until now there has been no service between Christmas and New Year.

For  details of London’s public transport services over the Christmas- New Year break see:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/festive-leaflet.pdf .

Travel Watch can help  improve public transport in London – see: http://www.londontravelwatch.org.uk/

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December 13, 2011 · 10:46 am

Sharing the feast

St.Lukes Foodbank

Some of the items at St.Lukes Foodbank

Last September, St Luke’s church launched Norwood Foodbank, a project aimed at providing food for people in crisis within our community.

Whether the result of family breakdown, job or home loss, crime, or mental or physical impairment, many local people are currently forced to choose between eating and paying their bills.  Norwood Foodbank attempts to help alleviate this struggle by providing practical assistance in the form of food donations, as well as signposting people to further support where needed.

Having collected over 2 tonnes of food since the project began, church stocks are now down to just 500 kilograms, indicating both the success of the programme but also an ongoing demand for such support.  With the advent of Christmas and trying economic times being felt all round, such charity has never been more pertinent.

St Luke’s on Knights Hill SE27 0HS welcomes any food donations  on Tuesday to Friday between 9am and 3pm –  or at any Sunday church service 10.30am.

For more information and a list of suggested foods see http://norwood.foodbank.org.uk/

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December 13, 2011 · 10:39 am

Emmaus second hand bookshop

Emmaus Bookshop

Browsing the books in the Emmaus Bookshop

The Emmaus shop at 5 Knights Hill SE27 0HS has won the 2011 award for West Norwood’s  Best Dressed Shop  – see  their website.

Most West Norwood shoppers will have noticed Emmaus’ impressive furniture and clothing boutique on Knights Hill. But have you  ventured down the adjacent alleyway (take a left after the clothes store when heading south down Knights Hill) to find the extended furniture and book emporium which Emmaus also boasts ? A fortuitous happenstance given the extended closure of West Norwood Library for repairs.

It may not be quite the same as borrowing, but it’s reassuring to know that reading enthusiasts can treat themselves to modern classics like Graham Greene, Kingsley Amis and Umberto Eco for a mere £1!  There are also a number of Dickens titles as well as those by esteemed authors such as Gore Vidal and Jeffrey Eugenides, not to mention contemporary page-turners such as Stephanie Meyer and James Patterson.  Prices range between £1 to £1.50 – a small price for a good book and a worthy cause.

As a charity dedicated to providing assistance to those moving on from homelessness, Emmaus relies heavily on local support.  So if you haven’t checked their shops out already, do! Opening hours are 10-5, Monday to Saturday.  Donations welcome too.

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November 17, 2011 · 10:04 am

Lighting up West Norwood for Christmas

As Christmas draws closer, so too do the events and festivities leading up to it.  For shoppers  in West Norwood, the advent of the festive season is heralded by the arrival of the Christmas lights – just in time for the 3rd /4th December weekend of Feast markets.

Come along to the area around St Luke’s church and Portico on Saturday 5pm to 8pm  for  carol singing, the fabulous Carribe Steel Band, a light installation, children’s christmas decoration and activities, neon ball juggling and street entertainment, and last but not least delectable winter warming food, mulled wine, snacks and treats. On Sunday between 10am and 4pm the Feast will have its Artisans market at Chatsworth Way,  Garden Corner by York Hill,  Food Fair  at St Lukes church and Retro Village outside Rosebery’s the auctioneers on Knights Hill.

For more details  see http://westnorwood.spacemakers.org.uk/blog/very-festive-december-feast-weekend

The Christmas lights will extend from Tulse Hill Station to West Norwood station. The original lights were funded some years ago by Norwood Action Group,  local traders and the council. To  give West Norwood’s shopping street a boost this year there is new lighting in the street trees – courtesy of the Mayor’s Outer London  Fund – and a christmas tree outside St Lukes’s churchyard.

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November 12, 2011 · 10:22 am

WHAT’S HAPPENING TO OUR LIBRARY?

Olu Opanuga, chair of Friends of West Norwood Library

Olu Opanuga, chair of Friends of West Norwood Library

The Friends of West Norwood Library have arranged a meeting at 7pm on Monday 14th November 2011 at the Old Library, 16 Knights Hill ( near the Post Office)  to hear the latest news on the library from the council and talk about the services local people want to see in the  re-opened library in West Norwood.

West Norwood Library & the Nettlefold Halls have been closed for repairs since June..For further information contact  FWNL@hotmail.co.uk

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