RCDT ENEWS/EVENTS LISTING 12 October 2007

From Riverside Community Development Trust, 20 Newburn St, SE11 5PJ. 020 7820 0555. info@rcdt.org. www.rcdt.org

ENews/Events Listing compiled and edited by Sean Creighton, RCDT

 

RCDT Website Regular Activities Page. There have been several

changes to the activities so for the time being this page is being

taken off the website. If you have a regular activity you want

included in the new page please email info@rcdt.org.

 

OCTOBER IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH

For the Lambeth Programme see www.lambeth.gov.uk/News/100107BlackHistoryMonth2007.htm

 

THIS WEEKEND 13 & 14 OCTOBER

Apologies to Roots & Shoots for saying their event was Saturday in the last edition

Saturday. 10am-3pm. Oval Farmers Market. St Marks Church grounds (opposite the Oval Tube)

Saturday 11.30am-2pm. Dyeworks Saturday class: Blending and spinning alpaca. Vauxhall City Farm, Tyers St

Saturday. 3pm & 7.45pmTyphoon Live. East Asian plays in the UK: Getting Married & Dogs. www.ovalhouse.com. Oval House Theatre: 52-54 Kennington Oval

Sunday 11am-4pm. Roots & Shoots Apple Day. Apple displays – 80 apple varieties from the Brogdale Horticultural Trust (sold at end of day); apple juice pressing; producers’ and makers’ market, art for children. story-telling, corn dollies and the Corn Queene, “All Our Apple Days” film, wildlife garden, refreshments, barbecue including veggie. Adults £1. Children free. Roots & Shoots. Walnut Tree Walk/Fitzalan St. 020 7587 1131. admin@rootsandshoots.orgh.uk, www.rootsandshoots.org.uk

Sunday 12-6pm. Esther Teichmann. Silently Mirrored. Last day of exhibition at Man& Eve. See Art Galleries & Exhibitions section.

Sunday 6.30pm. St Peter’s Recital and Prayer Event. Recitalists; Diana Moore, mezzo-soprano, Christopher Gould, piano. A programme of English Song. Preacher; The Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Rev'd Tom Butler. St Peter’s Church, 310 Kennington Lane

 

THIS MONDAY 15 OCTOBER

7pm. PRINCE’S WARD INVESTMENT STRATEGY COMMUNITY REFERENCE GROUP MEETING. Alford House, Aveline St. As a result of the critical response to this initiative at the KOV Forum this week the meeting has been opened up to all local organisations – several had not been invited. Organisations may now also bring more than one person. This is a critical meeting. Below Jeffe Jeffers, Director of Margaret Hall Settlement, discusses the Strategy and the issues involved, which those attending may find useful. For background and previous debate on the Strategy see the 27 July and 17 August ENews/Events listings on www.rcdt.org

6.45pm for 7.15pm. A life in music. John White, musician/composer, has a wealth of stories – with musical illustrations! Born in 1936, he trained and taught at the Royal College of Music, is a skilled pianist/tubist and has written 152 piano sonatas, 21 symphonies, 30 ballets and stage music for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre and others – in a highly eclectic range of styles. The Friends’ contribution to Lambeth’s Celebrating Age festival, with the British Music Information Centre, Waterloo. Friends of Durning Library. Free entry. Refreshments. Durning Library, 167 Kennington Lane.

 

NEWS

 

Lambeth Policy Network – Community Cohesion. The Council is in the process of developing a Lambeth Policy Network that will be co-hosted by Steve Reed (the Leader) and Derrick Anderson (the Chief Execxutive). The Network has been created to take the Borough's thinking forward on key policy issues and challenges, and to develop a positive vision and position on how we deal with it, and articulate this position to key decision makers.  The topic for the first Lambeth Policy Network conference will be Community Cohesion. A conference to present this work has been arranged for 31 October 2007, 6-8pm at The Karibu Education Centre, 7 Gresham Road, London SW9 7PH and would be very grateful if you are able to find the time in your busy diary to attend.  This is an opportunity to learn about and contribute to a really important piece of policy thinking as well as an opportunity to meet with colleagues working on the same topic from various organisations. This conference is targeted at senior representatives from organisations. e on this matter. If you have any queries or would like to discuss further please contact Thomas Man, Senior Policy Officer, Policy, Partnership and Inclusion. 020 7926 2426, tman@lambeth.gov.uk  If you wish to book a place then you must confirm either by email as places are limited.

Riverside IT. Following the closure to the public on 28 September, 125 Lambeth Walk has been cleared and handed back to Lambeth Council today. The computers are on loan to two local organisations for their training activities. Some of the furniture has also been given or is on loan to three local organisations.

 

ArtsLav Project. Some readers may be wondering what has been happening with the Kennington Cross Grade II listed underground toilets and the ArtsLav Project proposal created by Friends of Kennington Cross. Negotiations between RCDT and the Council stalled over repairing obligations and leasehold/freehold, which can only be unblocked through political decisions.  RCDT is no longer in a position to re-start negotiations and continue to support the Friends. It has therefore notified the Council. The Friends have also notified the Council they wish to re-enter negotiations hopefully with a new partner.

 

Digital Photography Course for 15-19 Year Olds. Alford House is running a digital photography course for 15 to 19 year olds starting on Friday 16 November 11am-2pm free for 6 weeks. Enrolment day is Monday 5 November 11am-1pm. Alford’s partners delivering the course are the Dulwich Picture Gallery and Zoom in Photography.  Please pass on to anyone in touch with 15-19 years olds in the area. Further details from Tim Saunders: 020 7735 1519. tim@alfordhouse.org.uk

 

Autumn Home Ground – Beaufoy. The Autumn issue of Home Ground is out now. This issue is as always packed with local news and events taking place over the next couple of months. There’s a feature on the history of the Beaufoy family to give a context to the current interest in the possible uses of the Beaufoy Institute, and plans for a Kennington cultural quarter. If you would like to receive the pdf version (over 1MB) please email homegroundmagazine@gmail.com with your details. Hard copies are available from Stockwell Resource Centre, 1 Studley Road, SW4, Hyde Southbank Homes offices and various local venues. The editor always welcomes comments or ideas for future issues.

 

Create a Tree and decorations using recycled materials.  Oval Partnership is supporting an art workshop to create a public Xmas tree. The tree will be put in a public place and unveiled as part of the Christmas lights on 1st December.They need old CD’s, buttons, ribbons, shiny wrapping, aluminium tins, colourful plastic bags Anything that is shiny, glitters and is waterproof. See October Diary for more details.

 

Council Rejects Surrey County Cricket Club Planning Application. See Planning News and Applications section below.

REGULAR ACTIVITIES (See also Diary)

 

ART AT THE PELICAN. The Pelican Nursery School has started Saturday morning art and craft sessions for children aged 18months – 5 years. Older children and babies welcome and catered for Tel: 020 7820 6600. www.thepelicannursery.co.uk. St Anselm’s Church Hall, 286 Kennington Rd. Drop in or book in advance. £5 per artist. Refreshments available.

 

SHINE SATURDAY SCHOOLARCHBISHIOP SUMNER SCHOOL, REEDWORTH ST. 9.30-2.30pm, for ages 8-11 & enrolment essential. Tel 020 7735.2781

 

DIARY

 

OCTOBER

 

Tuesday 16 – Saturday 3 November

Double Negative. www.ovalhouse.com. Oval House Theatre: 52-54 Kennington Oval

 

7.45pm

Wednesday 17

Quadrille dancing with Elsa. Over 50's Meeting at the Durning Library. Free refreshments sponsored by the Friends of the Durning Library, 167 Kennington Lane. All over 50 welcome.

3-4pm

Saturday 20

Oval Farmers Market. St Marks Church grounds (opposite the Oval Tube)

10am-3pm

Saturday 20

CITY FARM 30th ANNIVERSARY. Lots of activities for kids. Second-hand and local history bookstall, talk on North Lambeth and Slavery & Abolition, Dyeworks activity. Refreshments. Friends of Spring Gardens display about the next plans for the Gardens. Planting on Spring Gardens. Vauxhall City Farm, Tyers St

12 noon onwards

Sunday 21

Paulette Phillips Marie-France & Patricia Martin Ruth. Last day of exhibition at Danielle Arnaud contemporary art. See Art Galleries & Exhibitions section below.            

2-6pm

Sunday 21

St Peter’s Recital and Prayer Event. Recitalists; Liquid Architecture Octet. Nielsen Serenata-Invano and Ferguson Octet Op.4. Preacher; the Very Rev'd Victor Stock, Dean of Guildford. St Peter’s Church, 310 Kennington Lane

6.30pm

Monday 22

Day Workshop: Field Recording in the City with Chris Watson. Performance: Leafcutter John and Peter Cusack. See News story above. For full details, times and prices contact the Museum of Garden History on 020 7401 8865 or go to www.museumgardenhistory.org

 

Wednesday 24

Music Performance: Biosphere and Storm by Chris Watson and BJ Nilsen. See Monday 22.

 

Wednesday 25 & Thursday 25

Create a Tree and decorations using recycled materials. Drop-in-sessions. Free to all ages. Ashmole Tenants Hall, 2 Meadow Rd, SW8 (at bottom of Claylands Rd). If you want to know more, contact Oval Partnership, tricia.anderson@ovalpartnership.org.uk Tel:  020 8297 5590.

1-6pm

Thursday 25

Music etc. Midday Interview: Jon Wozencroft & Mike Harding interview Chris Watson

Audition: Chris Watson selects his favourite Monday Workshop edits

Performance:  Biosphere and BJ Nilsen and Chris Watson

See Monday 22.

 

Friday 26

Music Performance. See Monday 22.

 

Saturday 27

Oval Farmers Market. St Marks Church grounds (opposite the Oval Tube)

10am-3pm

Saturday 27

Dyeworks Saturday class: Half Term – no class. Vauxhall City Farm, Tyers St

11.30am-2pm

Sunday 28

St Peter’s Recital and Prayer Event. Recitalists; The Brook Street Band. Handel Cello Sonatas. Preacher; Rev'd Lindsay McKenna, Vicar of All Saints' Hanworth and former Director of Cara. St Peter’s Church, 310 Kennington Lane

6.30pm

 

NOVEMBER

 

Thursday 1

A talk by Helen Dillon. Dillon’s Garden Book will roll hot off the press on 1 November and will launched by the author at the Museum of Garden History. Helen will talk about her book in which she encapsulates, in her inimitably witty and accessible style, her lifetime of gardening know-how, deep love of plants and assured sense of design. Her book is illumination for every gardener – from the beginner wondering why nothing will grow in the garden of the new house to the sophisticate aiming at exquisitely subtle effects. This will be one of the first chances to buy Helen’s book, which she will be signing at the end of the evening. Tickets £10 or £5 for Museum Friends. Museum of Garden History, Lambeth Palace Road.  Tickets can be booked by calling 020 7401 8865.  info@museumgardenhistory.org; www.museumgardenhistory.org

7pm, drinks from 6.30pm.

Friday 2

Churchill & Chartwell: The Untold Story of Churchill’s Houses & Gardens.  A talk by Stefan Buczacki. Stefan’s new book, based on an extensive study of original documents, provides a fascinating biography of Winston Churchill through the houses he lived in and the gardens he made.  It contains much new information, unknown even to Churchill scholars, and this will be the only opportunity to hear Stefan talking about his book in London. There will be the opportunity to buy signed copies of the book after the talk. Tickets £10 or £5 for Museum Friends. Museum of Garden History, Lambeth Palace Road.  Tickets can be booked by calling 020 7401 8865. info@museumgardenhistory.org

www.museumgardenhistory.org

Talk at 7pm, drinks from 6.30pm

Saturday 3

Dyeworks Saturday class: Spinning multiple plys. Vauxhall City Farm, Tyers St

11.30am-2pm

Sunday 4

St Peter’s Recital and Prayer Event. Recitalist; Jamie Walton, cello. Bach unaccompanied cello suite No.2 in D minor. Britten Suite No.3. Preacher; Rev'd Nick Mercer, Director of Ministry in the Diocese of London. St Peter’s Church, 310 Kennington Lane

6.30pm

Monday 5

Digital Photography Course for 15-19 Year Olds Enrolment day. Alford House, Aveline St.

11m-1pm

Tuesday 6 – Saturday 10

The Persian Revolution. Play. www.ovalhouse.com. Oval House Theatre: 52-54 Kennington Oval

7.45pm

Thursday 8

A conversation between John Brookes and Barbara Simms.

Following the publication of Barbara Simms’s new book John Brookes Garden and Landscape Designer, this evening provides the chance to hear a conversation between the designer and the author and to take a close look at ten projects that span John’s career as a key figure in contemporary garden design since the 1960s.  He has provided inspiration to many through his gardens, his teaching and his books, including his recent title John Brookes Garden Design Course.  His drawings will inspire the conversation and the audience will be able to view the images on a large screen as the conversation progresses. Barbara and John will be signing books at the end of the evening. Tickets £10 or £5 for Museum Friends. Museum of Garden History, Lambeth Palace Road. Tickets can be booked by calling 020 7401 8865. info@museumgardenhistory.org

www.museumgardenhistory.org

7pm, drinks from 6.30pm.

Saturday 10

Dyeworks Saturday class: Spinning with mixed fibres. Vauxhall City Farm, Tyers St

11.30am-2pm

Sunday 11

St Peter’s Recital and Prayer Event. Preacher; Rt Rev'd Lord Harries, former Bishop of Oxford. The St Peter's Singers sing the Howells Requiem. St Peter’s Church, 310 Kennington Lane

6.30pm

Tuesday 13 November

Spring Gradens Urban Development Framework Meeting. City Farm, Tyers St

5pm

Tuesday 13 – Saturday 8 December

The Lightning Field. Play. www.ovalhouse.com. Oval House Theatre: 52-54 Kennington Oval

 

7.45pm

Saturday 17

Dyeworks Saturday class: Spinning fluffy yarns. Vauxhall City Farm, Tyers St

11.30am-2pm

Sunday 18

St Peter’s Recital and Prayer Event. Recitalists; Elizabeth Roberts, soprano, Christopher Glynn, piano. Strauss Four Last Songs and Mozart Concert Arias. Preacher; Canon John Salter, Vicar of Wantage. St Peter’s Church, 310 Kennington Lane

6.30pm

Wednesday 21

Gentle exercises with Lullyn. Over 50's Meeting at the Durning Library. Free refreshments sponsored by the Friends of the Durning Library, 167 Kennington Lane.

3-4pm

Saturday 24

Dyeworks Saturday class: Children’s craft day. Vauxhall City Farm, Tyers St

11.30am-2pm

 

DECEMBER

 

Saturday 1

Dyeworks Saturday class: Dye workshop.  Browns and greys using light blues. Vauxhall City Farm, Tyers St

11.30am-2pm

Sunday 2

St Peter’s Recital and Prayer Event. Advent Carol Service. St Peter's Singers. St Peter’s Church, 310 Kennington Lane

6.30pm

Saturday 8

Dyeworks Saturday class: Spinning fine yarns from merino and alpaca. Vauxhall City Farm, Tyers St

11.30am-2pm

Saturday 15

Dyeworks Saturday class: End of Term class. Vauxhall City Farm, Tyers St

11.30am-2pm

Wednesday 19

Christmas Party. Over 50's Meeting at the Durning Library. Free refreshments sponsored by the Friends of the Durning Library, 167 Kennington Lane.

3-4pm

Sunday 23

St Peter’s Recital and Prayer Event. Christmas Carol Service. St Peter's Singers, St Peter’s Church, 310 Kennington Lane

6.30pm

 

DYEWORK’S SATURDAY CLASSES. To contact Dyework, the excellent spinners and weavers group Tel: Penny Walsh 020 8692 2958, or Diane Sullock 020 7622 4913. Email: PennyWalsh@Dyework.co.uk. Website: www.dyework.co.uk

ST PETER’S RECITAL AND PRAYER EVENTS. For a copy of the brochure email the North Lambeth Parish office on: anselm.nlp@btconnect.com

LOCAL PLANNING APPLICATIONS & NEWS

Planning Applications

Week 30 September – 6 October

57 Walnut Tree Walk. Approval of details pursuant to Condition 7 (Detailed drawings of the new window) of Listed Building Consent 07/01808/LB (External alterations involving the installation of 2 solar heating panels on the front roof slope, removal of boiler flue to the front elevation at 3rd floor level, installation of new window to the side elevation of the existing lobby at basement level, replacement of plastic soil pipe on the rear elevation with cast iron pipe and removal of redundant foul water connections. Internal alterations at Roof level involving: insulation of the roof, removal of existing boiler and installation of a new boiler within the roof.  Third floor level: Installation of a new hot water storage tank with access door from front room, Removal of part of the existing wall and enlargement and re-arrangement of existing bathroom, removal of part of the existing ceiling and formation of a new access hatch to roof space.  Second Floor level: Installation of a new shower room and wc involving removal of internal partitions and enlargement of existing opening and install new glass sliding door, alterations to the waste pipe.  First floor level: Removal of fabric covered panels from internal walls and installation of new panelling and removal of false door head and make good. Ground floor level: Removal of existing kitchen and installation of a new kitchen in the front room, opening up of existing fire places, relocation of existing fuse box, removal of existing doors between the breakfast room and kitchen, remove floor covering and sand floor boards.  Basement level: Treatment of internal walls for  lamp and insertion of a new sash window in the side elevation of the lobby) granted on 26.7.2007. Ref: 7/03985/DET.

Lambeth Palace, Lambeth Palace Road. Approval of Details pursuant to conditions 3 (Materials and finishes) and 4 (Samples) of Listed Building Consent (07/00867/LB (Structural repairs to Cranmers Tower including the dismantling and rebuilding of failing section of crenellated parapet and rebuilding of previously dismantled chimney stack within the north wall and within the elevational walls the repointing and replacement of failing brickwork, removal of metal straps and insertion of vintect anchors) granted on 06.09.07. Ref: 07/03935 & 8/DET.

190 - 196 Kennington Park Road. Approval of details in pursuant of conditions 4 [Waste Management plan] and 9 [Cycle Parking] of planning permission 05/01101/FUL )Redevelopment of site involving the erection of a five storey building comprising 28 self contained flats (4 x studio flats, 13 x 1 bed, 10 x 2-bed and 1 x 3 bed), together with landscaping and boundary treatment and associated alterations) granted 7.07.2006. Ref: 07/03900 & 1/DET. Applicant: Gara Roadside Ltd.

Land At St George Wharf. Display of 3 x non-illuminated PVC banners attached to the river walk balustrauding. Ref: 07/03208/ADV. Applicant St George South London.

Week 7-13 October

St Anselms Hallm Kennington Road. Change of use of the first floor church hall (Use Class D1) to provide Office Space for social enterprise/training (Use Class B1). Ref: 07/03692/FUL. Applicant North Lambeth Parish PPC.

http://planning.lambeth.gov.uk/publicaccess/dc/DcAplication/weeklylist_searchform.aspx. If this link does not work then go to www.lambeth.gov.uk and track through to Planning and Public Access database. And to go and see any plans is easy from the KOV area as the Town Planning Advice Centre is at Phoenix House, 10 Wandsworth Road, at Vauxhall Cross. 020 7926 1180. tpac@lambeth.gov.uk. Plans can also be seen at Durning Library, 167 Kennington Lane.

Planning Decisions

Week 30 September – 6 October

195 Kennington Road. To remove 1 x Black Poplar tree overhanging public main road. Permitted.

121 Kennington Lane. Listed building and general consent for the erection of a single-storey ground floor rear extension. Permitted.

3 Cleaver Square. Listed building and general consent for the excavation of front lightwell with railings, formation of new front steps from basement to ground floor level, replacement of existing front window at basement level with double doors, installation of an enclosed bike store and refuse store at basement level and internal alterations. Permitted.

Week 7-13 October

Land At St George Wharf. Approval of details pursuant to condition 13 (Renewable energy) of Planning Permission ref:05/00781/FUL (Redesign of block A from hotel to residential to create 294 residential units and 1,018 sq m of Class A1 (retail) floorspace and 375 sq m of Class A3 (restaurant) floorspace, along with the provision of publicly accessible open space and associated landscaping, direct access into Vauxhall Underground Station and the provision of 69 residential car parking spaces, 294 residential cycle parking spaces and 25 motorcycle parking spaces) granted by appeal ref: APP/N5660/A/05/1186739 on 28/09/2007. Permitted.

126 Kennington Park Road. Approval of details pursuant to Condition 2 (Basement door) of Listed Building Consent 07/02121/LB (Installation of a new external door to the side wall of the front entrance staircase) granted on the 26/7/2007. Permitted.

The Court Tavern Public House, 42 Renfrew Road. Change of use of existing public house (Use Class A4) into 7 residential units (Use Class C3) comprising of 2 x 1 bedroom, 3 x 2 bedroom and 2 x 3 bedroom flats, together with erection of rear extensions at ground, first, second and third floor levels, a mansard roof extension, extension of chimneys, excavation of the basement including formation of a front and rear lightwell, installation of front railings and alterations to fenestration of side and rear elevations. Permitted.

Surrey County Cricket Club, Kennington Oval. The replacement of the existing Surrey Tavern and Lock, Laker and Peter May Stands and other minor associated buildings/structures to create a new plaza and the erection of a six-storey stand incorporating 1,590 additional spectator seats, hospitality and ancillary facilities, together with the erection of a new five-storey building with set back roof plant 168 bedrooms hotel with top floor restaurant fronting Kennington Oval, incorporating basement car park for 57 spaces and the erection of a new two-storey ticket/security office and turnstile system with associated landscaping and infrastructure. Refused.

29 Oakden Street. Construction of a roof top terrace including the addition of an oversize insert dormer and glass balustrade and the installation of two solar panels and a wind turbine. Refused.

LOCAL LINKS – see www.rcdt.org

 

ART GALLERIES & EXHIBITIONS

(please note that from now on this section will only include information about exhibitions currently showing

 

Dates

Gallery

Exhibition

Times

Tuesdays – Sundays + Bank Holiday Mondays

Museum of Garden History

Lambeth Palace Rd

020 7401 8865

www.compulink.co.uk/~museumgh

 

Permanent Garden & Local History Displays.

Family Quiz Sheets to accompany the Local History exhibition are available.
One is on Environment, Entertainment & the local landscape, and the other is on Industry & Transport. Included will be a cover folder with pictures for children to colour in and keep, and inside some questions and opportunity to draw a garden or transport picture and enter our competition.

10.30am-5pm

Fridays – Sundays till  21 October

Danielle Arnaud contemporary art
123 Kennington Road
020 7735 8292
danielle@daniellearnaud.com
www.daniellearnaud.com

Paulette Phillips  Marie-France & Patricia Martin  Ruth           

     

2-6pm

Tuesdays – Saturdays till 17 November

 Corvi-Mora
 1a Kempsford Road
  020 7840 9111
  www.corvi-mora.com
 

ARMIN KRÄMER. “Where to?”

11am-6pm

Wednesdays – Sundays till 14 October

Man&Eve,131 Kennington Park Rd.

020 7582 7861. info@manandeve.co.uk. www.manandeve.co.uk

Esther Teichmann. Silently Mirrored. Brings together a series of photographs and a double screen film projection that examine the relationship of the self to the maternal body and to the body of the lover. Both relationships evoke desire and fascination as well as the fear of separation and abandonment.

12-6pm

Till 27 October

Oval House Art Gallery

Oval House Theatre, 52-54 Kennington Oval.

020 7582 0080 ext 222 or 202

nazneen.nawaz@ovalhouse.com debbie.vannozzi@ovalhouse.com

 

A Fine Balance. Sabi North’s current exhibition has been inspired by Rohinton Mistry’s prize winning novel ‘A Fine Balance’ an Indian tale of survival, about four unlikely characters whose lives come together in the most unforeseen circumstances. Free

3-10pm

30 October – 24 November

Ditto

Digital Ikebana by Italian photographer Ligeia Lugli is a series of digital photographs inspired by the Japanese art of flower arrangement called ikebana. Free

 

Till 27 January 2008

Parabola Trust

123 Kennington Road
020 7735 8292
www.parabolatrust.org

Danielle Arnaud of Parabola Trust is curating the exh;bition by Tessa Farmer  ‘Little Savages’ at the

Natural History Museum, London. Farmer’s work involves highly detailed mise-en-scenes of plant roots, bones, insects and animals engaged in ferocious battle.

 

 

PRINCE’S WARD STRATEGY

 

An Assessment by Jeffe Jeffers,

Director, Lady Margaret Hall Settlement

 

Lambeth Council are now moving the Prince’s Ward strategy forward.  A meeting of all local interested groups is being held at Alford House on Monday night at 7pm.

 

The core to their proposals can be summarised as

 

1.    A plan based on selling keys sites to pay for social infrastructure.

 

This means they will sell

 

1.    The Beaufoy Institute for a use related to its social and educational covenant.

2.    The adjacent land for housing.

3.    The Lollard Street adventure playground site with the playground being moved to a smaller site.

4.    The sale of the youth club site on Kennington Road for housing and the integration of its outdoor sports area into the adjoining park.

5.    The provision of services on the Lilian Baylis school site by non-council organisations, which can demonstrate financial viability independent of the Council.  Organisations currently in place include, Sports Action Zone, African Child and North Lambeth Health Project.

6.    As yet unidentified spare land on the school site will be offered for sale as housing.

7.    The youth club will be relocated on the Lilian Baylis old site.

 

Housing

 

The housing proposal is mixed social and private and is targeted to meet the mayor’s target of 50% social housing.

 

The Council state that the monies raised from the land sales will be spent on service provision locally.

 

Timescale

The Council is spending £600,000 on preparing the necessary tender documentation and it appears that this process is nearly complete.

 

Obstacles

 

1)    Beaufoy Institute – process not yet clear of Charity Commission: land ownership doubts remain.

2)    Adventure playground.  This process is entirely in Council control and could be the 1st.  Planning consent will be needed for the new site.

3)    Youth Club – the position here has been ambiguous for many years and to take this forward may take time.

4)    The Council still have 2 constraints on Lilian Baylis old school.

a)    A restriction by DFES who currently insist on the site remaining in education use.

b)    The restrictions due to the listing of the buildings and playgrounds.

The removal of the first is conditional on the Council convincing the DFES that they have adequate provision for secondary schooling in the north of the borough.

 

The removal of listing is always a difficult, long and tortuous process.

 

A further constraint on the Council’s plan is their own proposal to use the school as a decant facility during the alterations to another secondary school which would tie up the site until 2012.

 

Response to the Council Proposals

 

Consultation

 

The Council claim to have consulted widely on this; by this they seem to mean they have talked exclusively within the Council.  There is no sense of local grass roots consultation.  The process has been agreed by the Council and the new proposed consultation appears to be purely oversight of the implementation process

 

Strategy

 

One of the key questions is – how much of the Council’s strategy reflects the real needs of the community and creates a strong basis for its aspirations?

 

Our view is that it is a ‘social services’ view of Kennington, ignoring the real need for aspirational education in the area and ignoring the significant changes in the local economy – i.e. the growth of the arts based economy and the opportunities they offer.  The increased new social and private sector housing in the area will be more than 1500 units over the next 2/3 years.  As the area has no town centre, no significant economic base, (local offices are converting to flats), and no retail, the area will become an inner city dormitory for an unstable mix of high earning buyers and minimum wage tenants.

 

The Council’s strategy is the nanny state – you can have services but not opportunity, a youth club but no local high value employment for our youth – (the majority of young people already go to school outside the area), the highest % in Lambeth.  This is the strategy of containment.  It may solve the Council’s difficulties of funding empty buildings but creates a whole new series of problems for the area.

 

The Council’s strategy lacks vision, clear direction and the ability to make a difference.

 

Who pays for what?

 

The Council’s proposals on how they will spend the sales proceeds are unclear.

 

·                     Are all the receipts going to be used to refurbish the school, build a new youth club and a new adventure playground?  Will they be ring fenced?

·                     OR

·                     Will the Council also seek a contribution to the general rate fund?

·                     Will some of the proceeds from the sales be used to underpin the long term running costs of the service providers?

·                     How transparent will the financial processes be or will they be cloaked in commercial confidentiality?

·                     How are the Council going to ensure that chosen service providers have both the capacity and the financial strength to provide long term quality provision in a period when the voluntary sector is increasingly funded on short term (3 year) packages?

·                     They will presumably be asked to pay a rent for their space and be responsible for its upkeep and maintenance in line with government policy.

·                     What mechanisms have the Council in mind to ensure continuity of service?

·                     Are the Council also going to commit all the section 106 monies from the housing development to support the service operations?

·                     Since most of the sites are conflicted is the plan to sell the easy bits and hold the cash until the whole project can be put in place?

 

Timing is all

 

It is hard to gain a clear picture of the Council’s timeline on all these interactive proposals.

 

Key questions are – Are all the political parties in support of these proposals as the Council’s own time line crosses an electoral boundary (2010)?

 

Local experience of changes in administration has been poor e.g. Labour’s much worse offer to Vauxhall Gardens Community Centre than that of the previous Liberal Council.

 

Will the service provision be taken forward piece meal and how does this hang together?

 

As almost of all these proposals are probably open to considerable local objection how does this impinge on the timeline in the planning process.

 

The process relies on the private sector doing a quick deal and sticking to it.  In a clearly turbulent market this appears a risky gamble.  Local history is of developers agreeing A. and building B, with a long argumentative intermission.  There will be a significant amount of land banking in the process whilst the market sorts itself out and this will have a severe impact on the timeline.

 

Consultation

 

This is a community, which has lost faith in consultation –  Project Vauxhall – the Kerrin Point consultation etc.  Here we have a situation where the Council have made all the key decisions, and are asking the community – what?

 

·                     To rubber-stamp it, just go with the flow? Accept the broad sweep and chose the wallpaper?

·                     OR

·                     Are they now asking the community to take real control of the process, where they have real choices and control over core decisions

 

– it’s not clear?  The first is as pointless as a lifebelt on the Titanic.

 

The Council need to make clear what they mean.  The new Council proposals for community involvement have no local mechanisms for calling the Council to account.

 

The old system may have been full of old hack activists but they at least asked pertinent questions.

 

Any ‘consultation’ process in which participants do not have real power is a sham.  We need to examine the Council’s proposals minutely.

 

What’s the alternative?

 

The Council are looking at real alternatives elsewhere in the Borough to use government funded programmes to transfer assets to local control.  Our situation is ideal for that approach but the Council are of the opinion that there is very little capacity in our community (i.e. they do not believe there is sufficient capacity even to provide trustees for the proposed new Beaufoy scholarship fund!!!).

 

These government programmes are being used extensively around the country to create long-term viable community institutions modelled on Coin Street.  The Council are looking at this approach for Clapham/Stockwell – Kennington/Vauxhall never seem to get the opportunities.  With national and local agendas moving towards more local control we represent a unique opportunity to create an organisation of size and scale able to play a leading part in the lifting of this community.  A consultation process is not the solution.

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Unless stated editorial comments do not reflect the views of the RCDT Board

RCDT is supported by London Development Agency, and part-funded by Pedlar’s Acre Trust (Lambeth Council)