Linton Grove neighbourhood residents
Residents in the area around Linton Grove are coming together to improve their neighbourhood. So far people have talked about parking, the abandoned day nursery, play area, council homes improvements and recycling.
If you would like to have a say please contact Cllr Jackie Meldrum jmeldrum@lambeth.gov.uk tel 020 8671 5595
Filed under Community / voluntary, Parking
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.
Filed under Arts, Charity, Community / voluntary, Education, Leisure, Local Business, Shopping, West Norwood
Jackie & Alex sampling cakes at Portobello
Despite the unsettled weather last month successful resident- organised fun days and street parties took place across Lambeth.
Early in August Portobello estate had a well attended funday organised by Joyce Bird and the local Tenants & Residents Association on the play ground site of Lakeview Road. Lambeth Play, a local voluntary organisation, brought along their mobile childrens play kit including a trampoline. Free ice cream, a bouncy castle, BBQ, facepainting, tea & cakes and DJ-ing were amongst the attractions. Lambeth Living staff helped out and the local police and councillors joined in.
At the bank holiday weekend more than 200 people took part in the funday at Woodvale estate including a BBQ, tombola & raffle, a bouncy castle, face-painting , tile decoration, cake decorating , egg and spoon races, skipping races and a children’s fancy dress competition. Cllr Jane Pickard judged the fancy dress contest with Lambeth Living’s representative, Joanne Hall, and drew the raffle with help from a large group of children. She thanked Mary Hannigan and the committee for organising such a wonderful day: “It’s been a fantastic day with a great community feel,” she said.
Sheila and Kim at the Woodvale BBQ
If you are thinking about organising a street party or community funday have a look at Lambeth council’s web page:
Filed under Arts, Charity, Community / voluntary, Labour Councillors, Lambeth Council, Leisure, Traffic, West Norwood
Jackie Meldrum at the temporary library in Parkhall Road
Repairs following the theft of the copper roof of West Norwood Library and Nettlefold Hall are underway . Unfortunately the repairs have revealed asbestos, a building material commonly used in the 1950s to 1970’s.
The council is taking sensible precautions to deal with the asbestos -unfortunately this means that the planned repair work is going to take longer than anticipated. In the meantime a temporary library is now operating Monday- Friday 10am to 4pm at 1 Parkhall Road SE21 8EH ( at west end of Robson Road beside the cemetery) where people can continue to borrow books until West Norwood Library reopens
Cllr Florence Nosegbe, councillor with responsibility for Libraries says “Please be assured that I want to see the library and halls reopened as soon as possible but Lambeth’s first priority is to make the building safe. We ask library users to bear with us, as the safety of those working on the site has to be our top priority.”
Local library users have set up a supporters group called Friends of West Norwood Library. They can be contacted at FWNL@hotmail.co.uk and via facebook. The Friends are encouraging as many people as possible to fill in the Library Survey – its online & will only take a few minutes to complete : http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/surveys/acs/libraries/libraries.htm
Filed under Health, Labour Councillors, Lambeth Council, Leisure, West Norwood
Map of the wood from Lakeview Road
Knight’s Hill Wood is a little known small natural green space at the top of Knights Hill opposite Tivoli Park.
Embrace, an environmental charity based in Lambeth, has won funding from the Lottery to run a three-month project focusing on Knight’s Hill Wood. They are involving local schools and also running public events which local people are welcome to come to and join in. Staff from Lambeth Parks will be supporting each event and tools and training will be provided.
1pm to 2:30pm Saturday 20th August 2011 – Knights Hill Ramble
1pm to 4pm Saturday 27th August 2011 – Bramble Bashing
1pm to 4pm Saturday 3rd September – Ivy Eradication
1pm to 4pm Saturday 10th September – Stag Beetle Habitat Creation
1pm to 4pm Saturday 17th September – Invasive Species Removal
Lambeth Parks will be supporting each event with staff and advice. Tools and training will be provided
For more information contact john.embrace@googlemail.com or see Embrace’s web site: http://www.embracecooperation.org.uk/
Filed under Community / voluntary, Environment
Cllr Jackie Meldrum at the school
The Norwood School in Crown Dale SE19 3NY is undergoing extensive building work over the summer holidays. These improvements are part of the Building Schools for the Future programme started by the last Labour government. The school is getting a new theatre which will be accessible to the public outside school hours, modern class rooms and a new dance studio, art room & cafeteria.
The Norwood School is a mixed school specialising in the performing & visual arts. Under the leadership of Denise Webster the school is one of the top 5 most improved schools in the country for achievement of 5 GCSE A-C grades including English & maths and the top school in the country for improvement in 5 GCSEs A-C grades.
Families with children looking to start secondary school next year in September 2012 can look round the school on its open days next term:
Thurs 29th Sept 4.30pm to 7pm
Monday 19th September 9.15am to 10.30am
Tuesday 20th September 9.15am to 10.30am
Wednesday 21st September 9.15am to 10.30am
Thursday 22nd September 9.15am to 10.30am
Friday 23rd September 9.15am to 10.30am
Thurs 29th Sept 4.30pm to 7pm
Monday 10th October 9.15am to 10.30am
Wednesday 12th October 9.15am to 10.30am
See web site for more information: www.thenorwoodschool.org
Tessa Jowell outside damaged Money Shop
Ward councillors and local MP Tessa Jowell visited West Norwood businesses following the disturbances on night of Monday 8th August. Everyone is keen to get back to business as usual.
Attempts made to break into several shop premises in Norwood Road and the door of The Money Shop was broken down. The break in was recorded on CCTV and the police have posted pictures of suspects: http://www.flickr.com/photos/metropolitanpolice/6025500434/in/set-72157627267892973/. What happened in West Norwood was opportunistic attempts to rob a few shops, rather than the overwhelming looting seen elsewhere.
The police are now making hundreds of arrests of people involved in looting across London and courts are sitting for long hours to process the cases quickly. To get up to date advice and information directly from official police sources you can subscribe to the Community safe web site and choose the information alerts for the areas you are interested in. http://www.communitysafe.gov.uk.
The good news is that following the widespread recent public disorders of this week there has been a fantastic response from Lambeth residents offering to come & help clean up. The council is now co-ordinating a Volunteering Speed Dating event next week. If you have been inspired by the recent community responses or you have always just wanted to volunteer then come along talk to like minded people. Just drop in between 6pm to 8pm on Wednesday 17th August at The Assembly Hall in Acre Lane SW2 1RW (between the Town Hall & Tesco). For details see: http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/News/2011/120811VolunteeringSpeedDating.htm
Gabriel House SE27 0JF to become a primary school
West Norwood’s new primary school came a step closer to reality last month when councillors on Lambeth’s Planning Applications committee approved plans for the building in Wolfington Road.
Many residents will have seen the models and drawings for the school during extensive consultations over the past few months. The plan presented to the committee has not changed significantly and involves internal adaptations to Gabriel House, built nearly a century ago, plus a new, modern building on the back.
Two hostels owned by Lambeth Council will be demolished to make way for the school’s outdoor play area which will also extend down the tree-lined bank behind the current car park as far as Devane Way.
The vast majority of residents who commented on the plans support the scheme . Some people raised concerns about parking & traffic problems in Wolfington Road and the proposed loss of the footpath from Wolfington Road to Devane Way .
Cllr Pickard put these concerns to the committee and it was agreed to carry out a detailed assessment of usage of the footpath and amend the planning permission if necessary. It was also agreed to include traffic calming near the school entrance..
The new two-form entry school building, to be managed by Julian’s School, is due to open in 2012, Building work is due to start this summer.
Children will join the new school from this September – in temporary classrooms on the Julian’s site.
For details see item 13 on agenda of Lambeth Planning Committee 24th May 2011: http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/moderngov/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=600&MId=7595
Filed under Education, Kids, Labour Councillors, Lambeth Council, Schools, West Norwood
The plans for new primary school plans in West Norwood, on the site of the London & Quadrant offices in Wolfington Road, have reached the planning application stage!
Cllr Jackie Meldrum viewing the school plans
The proposed school site includes Gabriel House and the 2 hostel buildings behind. The school’s main entrance will be in Wolfington Road and there will be a back gate onto the green space around Norwood Hall but for security reasons the existing footpath along the side of the building will have to be closed.
The formal consultation period starts now there is a formal planning application. You should be able to see a copy of the plans in West Norwood Library or on the Lambeth website under the “Planning” menus http://planning.lambeth.gov.uk/publicaccess/ quoting ref 11/00832 . Comments can be submitted online. A decision on the planning application is expected by June 2011.
Filed under Education, Lambeth Council, Schools, West Norwood
Local councillor , Jackie Meldrum, outside 210 Knights Hill
The London Fire Brigade’s proposal to move West Norwood’s fire station to a new site at 210 Knights Hill was thrown at by councillors on Lambeth’s Planning committee on Tuesday night. Objectors argued the fire station would create too much extra noise & nuisance in quiet residential streets. For details of the meeting see this section on Lambeth’s website.
Local councillor Jane Pickard backed objectors who said the Fire Brigade was wrong to think they could not modernise the existing fire station at 445 Norwood Road after it was listed as a building of historical and special interest in 2006. During discussions with the Fire Brigade over the last few months it became clear that fire fighter training could be very noisy for residents living close by to the new station.
The Planning committee agreed with objectors and fire chiefs said they would now look again at converting the station at 445 Norwood Road rather than moving elsewhere.
Jane said “ This is really the best result for everyone. The fire fighters can get a better working conditions inside the existing building, the attractive front of the building could be preserved, West Norwood will not suffer a derelict listed building which may be hard to convert to flats and residents of Knights Hill neighbourhood will be left in peace & quiet.”
Filed under Housing, Labour Councillors, Lambeth Council, West Norwood
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