Tag Archives: Jackie Meldrum

November 13, 2010 · 7:21 am

Secret location of new primary school uncovered! Latest Update

 

Photo : Jackie Meldrum & Jane Pickard at site of new school

Councillors Jackie Meldrum & Jane Pickard at site of new school

Update: Due to public pressure the meeting at Nettlefold Hall extended opening to 9.30pm

The new primary school for West Norwood will be in Wolfington Road and this November everyone can have a say about the new plans. Drop in to Nettlefold Hall, upstairs from West Norwood Library, between 2pm and 9.30pm on Wednesday 24th November 2010 to meet the people working on the new school. The architects, Shepheard, Epstein & Hunter, want to know what you think of the plans before they submit a planning application to convert the office block on Wolfington Road into a new primary school.

This  new primary school for  West Norwood is due to open in September 2011 thanks to funding agreed by the Labour government before the May elections. Julian’s school will manage the two schools together and for the first year temporary classes will be on the Julian’s School site at the top of St Julian’s Farm Road. In the next week or so the school admissions pages on the Lambeth web site should have information on how to apply for reception places at the new school for the 2011/12 school year – before the closing date of 14th January . Click here for the admissions page.

There is an increasing demand for primary school places across London, particularly in West Norwood, and as a next step the council wants to rebuild  the Julians School on Leigham Court Road as  a 2-form entry school so  doubling the number of places.  The council is struggling to make £80m of cuts to its budgets and is looking for money from the government to rebuild Julians School. Like other councils Lambeth is waiting to hear about the new coalition government’s funding plans to help tackle the shortage of school places in London.

Local councillors, Jackie Meldrum and Jane Pickard, know how important it is to have a good local primary school and have been pressing the council to expedite plans for the new school. Families living just south of West Norwood station have struggled to find a  primary school in easy walking distance. This new school will be a welcome addition to the West Norwood community.

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November 1, 2010 · 7:26 pm

Local Policing

Knights Hill police team , councillors & Val Shawcross

The Knights Hill police team , councillors & Val Shawcross

The introduction of local policing by Ken Livingstone, with a dedicated local team out and about in every neighbourhood , has been welcomed by residents throughout London. The teams have been a success and helped  create  safer neighbourhoods and reduce  crime.

Responsibility for policing in London lies with, the London Mayor . Police borough commanders are worried the massive cuts in public spending expected next year will have an impact on police numbers on the ground. We  will  post the latest news on this web site.

If you live between Elder Road, Crown Dale, Leigham Court Road, Knollys Road and Norwood Road (in Knights hill ward) your local team is the Knights Hill Safer Neighbourhood Team based at Gipsy Hill police station. Last weekend the police team met up with local ward councillors and Valerie Shawcross, our elected representative on the London Assembly. You can email Valerie about London and policing matters  at  Val@valshawcross.com.

For more information on the Knights Hill police team  see http://www.met.police.uk/teams/lambeth/knightshill/index.php. Contact the team by email  KnightsHill.snt@met.police.uk or by telephone  020 87212618  or 07920 233844. Of course in an emergency always call 999.

If you would like to know more about policing matters in your local area you can sign up to receive regular  email/text  alerts at   http:///www.communitysafe.gov.uk. Email is free and text messages should cost no more than 10/12p per message. You can opt in or out of the service at anytime.

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September 5, 2010 · 10:03 pm

Norwood Community Projects Funding

Opening the Norwood Park new play ground

Opening the Norwood Park new play ground

Last year residents voted to spend money on projects which included the new water playground at Norwood Park.

This year the council has set aside £250,000 for 4 new projects. The council is looking for suggestions for projects needing £25,000, £50,000, £75,000 or £100,000 that would benefit the local community.

Suggested projects  will be shortlisted before being put to the public to vote on final projects. The closing date for submissions is 30 September 2010. For more information on how to submit a proposal please contact 020 7926 2583, email yourchoice@lambeth.gov.uk .
See www.lambeth.gov.uk/yourchoice for details

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Filed under Arts, Charity, Churches, Education, Health, Kids, Labour Councillors, Lambeth Council, Leisure, Parks, West Norwood

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August 31, 2010 · 6:03 pm

Norwood’s newest art gallery

Cllr Jackie Meldrum at the Portico Gallery

Cllr Jackie Meldrum at the Portico Gallery

Portico Gallery on Knights Hill, near Wolfington Road, is holding an exhibition of paintings by Harriet Muller from Saturday 11th September to Saturday 25th September.

Opening hours are 10am to 7pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 5pm on Saturday.

For more information on the Portico Gallery see http://www.porticogallery.org.uk . Harriet Muller also has her own web site at  http://www.harrietmuller.com

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June 28, 2010 · 9:03 am

Community oppose Tesco Express on Crown Lane

Campaign to oppose Tesco Express

Campaign to oppose Tesco Express

Tescos want to open a Tesco Express in December 2010  on the site of the Rose & Crown pub at 4  Crown Lane . The pub closed over a year ago.

Local residents and businesses are opposed to having  another Tesco’s in the neighbourhood. There are 9 local shops in the immediate area of Crown Point that are likely to be badly affected by a new Tesco. Do let local councillor Jane Pickard know what you think about another Tesco. Jane’s email is JPickard@lambeth.gov.uk

This proposal  is similar to the Tescos on the  former Jack  Stamps pub at 551 Norwood Road . Planning laws do allow pub premises ( use A4)   to change into a shop (use A1)  without the need for a planning decision.

Tescos have applied for planning permission ( ref 10/ 01604)   to  alter the existing  ground floor rear extension  – raising the flat roof, remove the  external staircase and balustrade, blocking up of an existing door and window at first floor level. See Lambeth council web site for details.

It is not too late to send in comments to Lambeth  Planning. Write to Andrew Byrne at Phoenix House SW8 2LL  or email planning@lambeth.gov.uk quoting the planning ref 10/ 01604.  Your local councillors have asked for the decision on the planning application to be taken in public where there will be another opportunity for residents and local businesses to put their views forward.

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June 16, 2010 · 9:09 am

Norwood Fire Station Visit

Picture of Councillors at fire Station

Knights Hill councillors welcomed to Norwood Road fire station

The fire station at 445 Norwood Road opened in 1914 an age when fireman lived with their families in flats above the engines. The site is fully operational but is now too  small for most up to date fire engines . There is no  space for  engines to turn around so they have to reverse in from the main road. The offices and spaces for cleaning equipment  and rest rooms are too small and inadequate for a 21st century fire service. In 2006  the building was listed by English Heritage so  the options for adapting the building into a modern fire station are extremely limited

Fire chiefs invited local councillors, Jackie Meldrum, Jane Pickard and Mike Smith to discuss the plans to upgrade West Norwood’s fire service. The Fire Brigade want to build new 2-storey premises halfway up Knights Hill on the site of a derelict care home.

Residents in the local neighbourhood have been invited to see the plans. On Saturday 19th June the plans will be displayed at West Norwood Library, 1 Norwood High Street  SE27 9JX. Fire Brigade staff will be present to answer questions. A planning application should be submitted in a few weeks time.

Cllr Pickard said: “On the whole, this looks like good news for residents. West Norwood gets a modern fire station . 210 Knights Hill will not be turned into  high-rise housing and the local drainage problems will finally get sorted. But first we must make sure any concerns among residents are fully addressed.”

For more information contact Andres Monsalve  on 020 8555 1200 x 31293 or andres.monsalves@london-fire.gov.uk

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June 7, 2010 · 9:27 am

Lambeth’s cooperative council challenges Cameron’s Big Society

Lambeth cooperative councilLambeth Council is launching detailed proposals that will see the South London authority become Britain’s first-ever cooperative council.

Lambeth’s cooperative council model – first trailed in the national media in February  2010, months before David Cameron announced his Big Society proposals – will see residents take on a bigger role in running and shaping local services.  The model contrasts with the Tory ‘EasyCouncil’ model in the London Borough of Barnet that aims to create two-tier services with substandard services for the majority and better options available only to those wealthy enough to pay for them. Find out more about the Council’s plans here.

While there are some similarities with the coalition Government’s Big Society proposals, Labour’s model in Lambeth takes a more thorough-going approach applying the cooperative values of fairness, accountability and responsibility across a broad range of services.  It is built on four years experience trialling the approach in specific services in Lambeth.

Read more here

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May 8, 2010 · 10:47 am

Council Election Results

An exceptionally high number of people turned out to vote in the council elections on May 6th and the newly elected councillors for West Norwood are:

Gipsy Hill ward
Matthew Bennett – Labour
Jennifer Brathwaite – Labour
Niranjan Francis – Labour

Knights Hill ward
Jackie Meldrum – Labour
Jane Pickard – Labour
Mike Smith – Labour

Thurlow Park ward
Ann Kingsbury – Labour
Clare Whelan – Conservative
John Whelan – Conservative.

Lambeth  council now has 44 Labour councillors, 15 Lib Dem councillors and 4 Conservatives.
For details of the election results see:

election results

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May 5, 2010 · 9:33 am

York Hill play area

York Hill Playground

Mike Smith at the re-opened York Hill play ground

The children’s play ground on York Hill has now been repaired and re-opened.

This popular play area has unfortunately suffered from vandals who selfishly spoiled a valuable community facility and forced the council to close it down until the money could be found to carry out necessary repairs.

Mike Smith of the West Norwood Labour action team says “I am very pleased to see the play ground has opened at last  – just in time for the warmer weather.  Many residents have been disappointed at the closure of the  playground and we have kept chasing Lambeth Living to get the work done.”

New local play grounds are nearly completed on Eden Road, Franklin Close and Lakeview Road. Plans  are underway for a new playground in Streatham Common (by the paddling pool) and a water playground  in Norwood Park.

To report vandalism and other anti social behaviour you can phone Sgt  Matt Cox and the local Safer Neighbourhood Police on 020 87212618 or 07920 233844. Or in office hours call Lambeth’s Anti-Social behaviour hotline 020 7926 4000 – you don’t need to give your name or address.

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April 9, 2010 · 11:00 am

Swimming Pool for West Norwood!

Campaigners for West Norwood Swimming Pool celebrate success

Campaigners celebrating with Jackie Meldrum and Tessa Jowell

Its official! The swimming pool for West Norwood is going ahead!

Last month NHS Lambeth and Lambeth council launched the joint leisure and health centre project at  Norwood Hall. The leisure centre will have a 25m swimming pool, 100 station gym & dance studio. One of our local GPs will move into the  health centre with local dentists and clinics.

With £14.2 million agreed from the Labour government Lambeth can now get started on the project to build a brand new joint leisure and health centre on the Norwood Hall site opposite West Norwood Station. Soil samples have been taken recently  as part of getting  the designs  ready for a planning application when local people will have another  chance to comment on the scheme. Building work could start by the end of 2010 and be finished before the Olympics in 2012!

A  leisure centre will give West Norwood the boost it so desperately needs. For the last two years the West Norwood Labour Action team has  been campaigning with Tessa Jowell, our MP, for a swimming pool for the area. Without the support from hundreds of local people the campaign would have got nowhere.

Only last month Lambeth Conservative and Lib Dem councillors voted against the leisure centre. The Tories and Lib Dems did nothing for our area when they ran Lambeth. Now West Norwood is finally getting the investment it needs – thanks to Labour.

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