Council waters down Green proposals to improve air quality and address the climate crisis

 

Labour councillors in Lambeth have watered down proposals made by the Green group to clean up Lambeth’s toxic air.

The move came at the full Council meeting on September 22nd, where Green councillors proposed a motion, ‘Clean Air in Lambeth’, which called on Lambeth council to act urgently to improve air quality and address the climate crisis across the borough. This included setting its own targets and adopting Clean Air in London’s (1) proposal to set an ‘Air Pollution Control Area’ (APCA) within the existing Air Quality Management Area across the borough based on the World Health Organisations most recent guidelines (2). 

This would also have given the council the ability to review the APCA every year to decide whether to maintain or lower the emission limit or to require zero emissions which could be linked to the dynamic borough wide Carbon Action Plan.

But Labour councillors amended the Green group’s motion removing the proposals which would have allowed the council to set its own targets to address air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. 

The Greens are now urging the Labour administration to reconsider their rejection of the proposals and adopt them.

Cllr Pete Elliott said, “The Labour group have missed a vital opportunity by removing the ability to set its own targets as bold action on air quality improvement comes with significant co-benefits. Many of the causes of poor air quality are the same things that have contributed to our climate emergency. So, by addressing the causes of poor air quality we will also help ourselves on our urgent journey to net zero carbon emissions in Lambeth by 2030.” 

Cllr Nicole Griffiths said, “This motion identifies, and focuses on, vitally important issues – the good health and wellbeing of our children, and all those who either have, or are vulnerable to, pollution related illness. This is particularly relevant in this time of covid. We need to do everything we possibly can to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of all kinds as air pollution is one of the biggest environmental threats to human health, alongside climate change”.

She added, “Despite some progress, Lambeth is still one of the most polluted boroughs in Europe. Hundreds of people have had their lives cut short every year and all of us in Lambeth are impacted daily by poor air quality. We’re relieved that this was recognised at Wednesday’s meeting, but disappointed that the council has missed a crucial opportunity to set it’s own targets linked to the upcoming borough Carbon Action plan”.

1.  https://cleanair.london/
2. https://www.who.int/news/item/22-09-2021-new-who-global-air-quality-guidelines-aim-to-save-millions-of-lives-from-air-pollution

Have your say on the Oval to Streatham walking and cycling changes

 

TfL have begun a consultation on the recent walking and cycling changes made over the past few months. Please share your views on the experimental scheme by taking part in this survey

https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/walking-and-cycling-changes-oval-streatham/survey_tools/oval-streatham-walking-cycling-survey

It takes about 10 minutes to complete.

The consultation on the scheme is open for six months. TfL expect views and experiences could change over time so it’s possible to respond more than once if you wish to. 

Sewer Repair Sunnyhill Road SW16 - August 2021

Residents of Sunnyhill Road will be receiving letters from Thames Water this week informing them that their road will be closed in the section close to Streatham High Road, due to urgent sewer replacement works. Please avoid the area if you can.

Dear Resident,

As you may be aware, we have been working collaboratively in Sunnyhill Road to investigate an issue with the Thames Water Sewer system and complete the mains replacement works to minimise disruption. During this investigation we have carried out a repair but have discovered other defects that need to be repaired urgently. This will involve deep excavations and to ensure our workforce can complete this work safely we will need to close the road at the junction of Sunnyhill Road and Streatham High Road. We will need to replace the old pipe under the existing directional closure from Monday 26th July for 2 weeks and then the full road closure will be from 8th August until 31st August. If this changes we will contact, you again.

Your Drinking Water Supply will remain unaffected by our work.

Our contractors will work Mon-Fri & Sat until 2pm.

We apologise for any inconvenience and hope to keep any disruption to a minimum.

Getting in touch.

If you need to contact us to discuss this further, I can be contacted Monday to Friday 8-4 on the details below. Or you can call our customer centre on 0800 316 9800, quoting your address and reference number 0042 81FSLG. This number is open 24/7.

Yours Sincerely

Trudy Earl

Customer & Stakeholder Liaison South East

Tel: 07747646525

Email: trudy.earl@thameswater.co.uk or thameswater.co uk

Streatham Station to be made Accessible for All

Finally....after years of campaigning, we have a date from Network Rail to make Streatham Station accessible for all. Here's a little clip just after I had received the good news. https://youtu.be/eDoo2t10q0c

The Senior Community Engagement Manager for the South East confirmed that the refurbishment work will commence in January, 2022, subject to the approval of the train operator, GTR and other planning stages. They have also confirmed that there will be lifts from street level to each platform.

This is something the Green Party in Streatham have been campaigning on since 2012. There have been many promises made in the past, with the buck being passed between different levels of government but, our persistence has paid off with patience and careful negotiations with Network Rail and the community.

The Access for All scheme at Streatham station will be aligned with the same delivery timescale at Tooting station.

This is great news for the people of Streatham and means that we will now have a station fit for everyone.

Please share this good news far and wide.

Many thanks.

BLOOMING LAMBETH AWARDS 2021

CALL FOR ENTRIES IN CELEBRATION OF COMMUNITY GARDENING, GROWING AND FOOD ACTIVISM IN LAMBETH

 

After a year of limited access to our community spaces it is time to highlight and celebrate all the amazing growers 
around the borough!

 Incredible Edible Lambeth are excited to open the call for nominations for
2021’s Blooming Lambeth Awards.

 There will be £150 and £75 prizes to recognise these amazing projects

 Nomination details

Full details of the eight categories and how to nominate can be found
on the website

●   All nominations must be received via https://www.incredibleediblelambeth.org/news/blooming-lambeth-awards-2021/

●   You can nominate yourself or another garden but 
please do not ask multiple people to nominate you, as the number of 
times you are nominated doesn’t influence the voting.

●   Nominations must include: the name/description of the project, 
location (including postcode), a contact name and email, 3-5 really good photographs
(or videos, depending on the category) and an explanation of why the garden/project
has been nominated (forms are all online)

 

This is the fifth year that Incredible Edible Lambeth has run this event in its present guise. 
Winners will be announced at the Blooming Lambeth Awards celebration evening 
(virtual or real!) in October.

 

Incredible Edible receives financial support for this event from Lambeth Council

 

Award categories

All information about the eight categories can be found here

 

Prize details

This year there will be First Prizes of £150 and Highly Commended at £75

 

About Incredible Edible Lambeth

Incredible Edible Lambeth (www.incredibleediblelambeth.org) is a network of 
around 120 group members - mostly community gardeners - and 500 individual
members - food growers, food entrepreneurs and food activists
who are all working to improve our communities.
 
IEL exists to re-localise the food system in Lambeth so that it nurtures us and strengthens our communities. We do this by bringing in resources and funding, running programmes and services and advocating for our members and a more localised food system. 

 

A map of IEL member growing projects can be found here

 

Previous Blooming Lambeth Awards winners can be found here

 

Councillors help clampdown on anti-social behaviour - corner of Gleneagle Road/Ambleside Avenue

Residents asked local councillors to intervene after a hit and run incident took place on 16th October 2020. Watchful local residents had been reporting a series of near-miss incidents involving pedestrians crossing at this busy corner, which often has private hire car vehicles illegally parked on the double red lines.

We continued to report incidents of illegal parking to TfL (who are responsible for enforcing red routes across London's main road network); Lambeth Public Protection and Enforcement Teams and the local police. We were assured that Penalty Chare Notices (PCNs) were being issued to drivers who continued to ignore the double red lines.

We requested a permanent CCTV camera on the corner which could automatically issue fines hoping that drivers would soon get put off flouting the rules. However, we were told that such a camera at this location would cost £250,000 and that due to the impact Covid had on TfL's budget, that was unaffordable at this time.

We then raised a member enquiry of the Lambeth Public Protection Team to ask what they could do, not only to tackle the issues of illegal parking, but for all of the other anti-social behaviour that local residents had been subjected to for years. We asked for a permanent solution to these ongoing issues.

Here is the reply we received from the Service Improvement Team at Lambeth council:

Illegal parking  

Following your enquiry our Parking Team visited the area and have confirmed they are currently deploying officers to the location daily as requested including the night shift.

They have provided a record of PCNs issued in the area since February 2021(22 PCNs in February and 7 in March.) 

The Signs and lines at the location have been checked they were found to be at an acceptable standard and are enforceable.

It has been advised CCTV enforcement will not be necessary at the junction of Gleneagle Road and Ambleside Road as there are red route lines at the entrance joining to the double yellow lines (DYL) which are enforceable.

Anti-social behaviour/Non-compliance with Covid-Guidelines

The Public Protection Team (PPT) are continuing to tackle the issue by carrying out the following measures

PPT will schedule more visits with covid wardens to ensure covid compliance amongst local businesses.

PPT are currently coordinating regular partnership operations with public protection officers and the police, the first operation is expected to be carried out in May.

PPT advise residents to call 999 immediately to report harassment.

PPT advise residents to call 999 to report large gatherings.

PPT advise residents to complete the Lambeth webform to report  Covid-19 breaches.

Urinating in public spaces

The Highway Enforcement Team have confirmed they will be adding the area to our Hotspot List where frequent visits will be conducted with the view of deterring the street urination as well as to take the relevant enforcement action if anyone is caught urinating on the public highway by issuing fixed penalty notices. 

Littering

Our Waste Management Team have confirmed Gleneagle Road and the surrounding area was placed on their Top Ten Fly Tipping Hotspot list earlier this year, the area has been continually monitored by both the Environment Managers from Veolia and our Environment Enforcement Officers(EEO). Anti-fly tipping signs have been installed as a deterrent. In a recent meeting, it has been noted, the situation in the area has improved. The Team will continue to monitor and take further action against perpetrators where necessary.

Other Measures

We run a playstreetsscheme which allows for a road to be closed for a day or shorter. This is a good opportunity to observe what the impacts of a closure are and demonstrate what the advantages could be of using our streets differently. We encourage interested local people to apply. A street closure and community event can be a good opportunity to discuss potential closures to motor traffic with other residents and see what their views and concerns are.

As your ward councillors, Nicole, Jonathan and I would like to thank the officers and residents for continuing to be vigilant in this area. Together, we can make Streatham safer, fairer, cleaner and greener.

!!URGENT!! Covid-19: All Lambeth residents should now get tested

Everyone over the age of 11 who lives or works in Lambeth is being asked to take a PCR Covid-19 test after new cases of the variant first identified in South Africa were found in the borough.  

The additional testing being introduced will help quickly identify any further cases and help limit any potential spread. Eight additional testing sites have opened across Lambeth from Monday and people are encouraged to get a test as soon as possible, even if they have no symptoms. 

It is important people take a PCR test as these can identify specific variants. Rapid lateral flow device (LFD) tests are also widely available but can only determine positivity for Covid-19, not specific variants. 

Tests are available across the borough, with details of your nearest test centre on the lambeth.gov.uk/enhancedtesting or by calling 119. There are also walk in appointments in Lambeth and home tests available. 

You can book online on someone else’s behalf if they can’t do so themselves. People who are unable to book online, and don’t know someone who can book for them, can call 020 7926 5559  from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm for help. 

For people who do test positive, Lambeth has a comprehensive Covid-19 self-isolation support service for those who need it. That includes payments of up to £500 for residents on low incomes. To find out more call 0800 054 1215, 9am to 5pm, seven days a week or visit www.lambeth.gov.uk/self-isolate-help. 

If you do have Covid-19 symptoms get tested at one of several symptomatic local test sites. You must book an appointment at www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or call 119. 

Residents are also being asked to get vaccinated if invited by the NHS for a jab. All residents must continue following national Covid-19 restrictions, which are currently at Step 2 on the roadmap out of lockdown. 

All viruses mutate over time and new variants emerge regularly. Lambeth is one of several boroughs in which small numbers of the variant have been found since the start of this year. All previously identified cases are now self-isolating and robust contact tracing has taken place to trace their contacts and ask them to self-isolate.  

 

There is currently no evidence to suggest this variant is more serious than others, or that the regulated vaccines would not protect against it.  Anyone who tests positive must self-isolate immediately and pass on details of their contacts to NHS Test and Trace when contacted. Positive tests will then be examined in a laboratory to determine whether any of them are the variant first identified in South Africa.   

The Director of Public Health for Lambeth, Ruth Hutt, said: “It is vital that all Lambeth residents take an asymptomatic PCR test so that we can identify all cases in order to stop the spread of this variant of concern.   

“Alongside taking a PCR test we are asking everyone who lives and work in the borough to continue following the guidance in place to stop the spread of Covid-19. That includes limiting your contacts with other people, washing your hands regularly and thoroughly, keeping your distance and covering your face.

“If you test positive for Covid-19 via a PCR test or rapid lateral flow test it is crucial that you self-isolate so you don’t pass on the virus.” 

Anyone who is over-18 and has no symptoms of Covid-19 can also collect up to seven free rapid response lateral flow devices (LFDs) per household when they take their test. These tests do not help track the variant first identified in South Africa, but are still useful in monitoring the spread of the virus, and stopping further infections. 

Lambeth has previously run enhanced testing in two areas in the borough after single cases of the variant first identified in South Africa were discovered. These pieces of work have been completed, and are not related to the new call for everyone in Lambeth to be tested. 

How to get a test

If you do not have Covid-19 symptoms 

You can get tested at a local testing site that is convenient for you, and you do not need to book.
 
There are two ways to get tested. You can either: 

·         take the test at the site, with help from staff if you need it 

·         pick up home PCR tests for you and any people you live with and bring them back once complete. You don’t need to bring tests back to the same site you picked them up from.

 

Sites where you can get tested, pick up home tests and return completed home tests

Location	Address	Opening times
Brixton	Lambeth Town Hall, 1 Brixton Hill, SW2 1RW	8am to 4.30pm every day
Brockwell Park	near Brockwell Park Café (use gate entrance on Brockwell Park Gardens), SE24 9BJ	9am to 4.30pm every day
Streatham	Tate Streatham Library, 63 Streatham High Road, SW16 1PN	8am to 4.30pm every day
Waterloo	St John’s Church, 73 Waterloo Road, SE1 8TY	8am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday

 

Sites where you can get tested or return completed home tests. You cannot pick up home PCR tests

 

Location	Address	Opening times
Brockwell Park	mobile testing unit near Brockwell Park Café, SE24 9BJ	9am to 3pm every day
Clapham Common	Windmill Drive, near playground, SW4 9DE	9am to 3pm every day
West Norwood	Waylett Place car park, 4 Waylett Place, SE27 9AE	Open from 12 to 3pm on 13 April and then 9am to 3pm from 14 April onwards

 

If you have Covid-19 symptoms 

The main symptoms of Covid-19 are a high temperature, a new continuous cough, or a loss of, or change to, your sense of smell or taste.  

If you have any of these symptoms, you need to stay at home and book a free NHS test. You can get a test delivered to you if you cannot get to a testing site.