Day of Portugal - Sunday 8th June Kennington Park

On 8th June there is a festival of Portuguese culture, food and music just up the road in Kennington Park, organised by the local Portuguese community. Come and enjoy some bacalhau in the sunshine!

Local residents in Larkhall ward probably know that Stockwell is home to the largest population of Portuguese people outside Portugal.

On Landor Road there are the headquarters of FC Porto's official London supporters' club, and on Stockwell Road there are numerous Portuguese cafes and restaurants.

Summer Activities for Young People in Lambeth

The annual programme of summer activities in Lambeth for 0-19-year-olds is currently being organised.

The Holiday Activities Programme (HAP) brochure will be packed with ideas for things to do, places to go, special events and lots of information about what's happening in the parks, libraries and leisure centres over the summer holidays. The brochure is due out at the end of June 2008 and will be available from Schools, Youth Clubs, Community Centres, Adventure Playgrounds, Libraries, Town Centre Offices, Sports Centres and Children's Centres. I will be happy to track down a copy for anyone who needs one - just email me.

Lambeth Summer University (LSU) is a new four week HAP programme that provides accredited and non–accredited educational short courses and activities for 11 -19 years olds from 28 July – 24 August. A separate brochure for LSU will be available in early June and enrolments for the courses and activities will take place in the first week of July. For further information on the HAP, please call the Families' Information Service on 0845 601 5317.

Post Office at 16 Clapham High Street WILL CLOSE - our objections overruled

The Post Office in Larkhall ward at 16 Clapham High Street (opposite Clapham North tube, next to the railway bridge) will definitely close as a result of the Post Office's 'Area Plan for London'. The Crown Post Offices at 255 Clapham Road (opposite Stockwell tube station) and at 161 Clapham High Street (just up the road from Sainsburys) are will remain open.

We Love Larkhall previously asked interested residents to respond to the formal consultation, and many people objected including two petitions. Larkhall councillors also wrote to the Post Office to object, citing the difficulty many older residents would have in reaching other Post Office branches. Unfortunately the Post Office rejected our arguments, with this ruling:

Post Office® Clapham High Street branch

The main concerns expressed by respondents during local public consultation in relation to our proposal for this branch related to the potential that the proposed closure might extend waiting times at the nearest alternative branches (which were already perceived to be long) and concerns regarding the distance to nearest alternative branches which might pose difficulties for elderly customers in particular. Respondents also commented that Post Office® Clapham High Street branch is customer friendly and suggested it should in fact be expanded.

Post Office Limited received two petitions in relation to this branch during the local public consultation, both opposing the proposed closure.

Post Office Limited has considered all responses received and a review of this proposal has been undertaken. The two nearest alternative branches, Post Office® Clapham Common branch and Post Office® Stockwell branch, are both within three quarters of a mile of Post Office® Clapham High Street branch. Both offer longer opening hours and a wider range of products and services to customers. Post Office Limited has also considered the capacity of the nearest alternative branches to absorb the expected increased customer levels arising from the proposed closure of Post Office® Clapham High Street branch and is satisfied that good service levels can be maintained. Taking these and all other relevant factors into account, including the needs of more vulnerable customers, Post Office Limited has decided to proceed with the closure of Post Office® Clapham High Street branch.

Larkhall Safer Neighbourhoods Panel - meeting 4th June 2008

The next meeting of the Larkhall Ward Safer Neighbourhoods Panel will take place on Wednesday 4th June at 7pm in St Johns Church Hall, St Johns Church, Clapham Road SW4.

The Safer Neighbourhoods Panel, which consists of a dozen or so local Larkhall resident representatives, meets every three motnhs to discuss local policing issues and to decide what priorities the local Safer Neighbourhoods Police Team are to follow for the next quarter of the year. The Larkhall Safer Neighbourhoods Police Team are all based at the Clapham Police Station in Union Grove and spend all of their time tackling issues in Larkhall ward. This will be the first chance for many panel members to meet the new officer in charge of the Team, Sergeant Graham Williamson.

The Team is a permanent fixture in Larkhall, not a 'quick fix' brought in to respond to local changes in crime and disorder. These officers work at grass roots level in addition to London's other policing teams and specialist units. The Team’s priorities are decided by the ward’s Safer Neighbourhoods Panel. This Panel decides – in liaison with local authorities and other local organisations – what local issues the local officers will tackle.

The three current priorities for Larkhall are anti-social behaviour in the Atherfold Road area, commercial premises that cause local problems, and youth liaison.

Follow WE LOVE LARKHALL on Twitter!

Twitter is a social networking service that helps people communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?

Larkhall councillors are now Twittering at the We Love Larkhall Twitter - so you can find out what we're up to on your behalf.

Follow us at http://twitter.com/WeLoveLarkhall

Or you can see the most recent updates in the sidebar on the right of this page =>

Street Lighting Renewal - works continue

Street lighting across Larkhall ward is being upgraded, to provide a more secure environment and reduce crime.

During May 2008, Lambeth will begin to replace lampposts in Tasman Road.

Work should already have begun in April 2008 on the following roads:

Cranmer Court, Gauden Close, Killyon Road, Lingham Street, Clitheroe Road, Crossford Street, Grantham Road, Hemberton Road, Irving Grove, Mayflower Road, Rhodesia Road, Tregothian Road, Arlesford Road, Edithna Street, Kay Road, Kimberley Road, Mordaunt Street, Nealden Street, Prideaux Road, Stockwell Green, and Argyll Close.

If you want to enquire as to when works on your own street will begin, please contact a Larkhall councillor. Under the new street lighting contract all the new lights must be repaired within 24 hours should they fail - so please let us know immediately if there is a problem with a light in your street.

Stockwell Festival returns to Larkhall Park for 2008

The Stockwell Festival is returning to Larkhall Park after an absence of three years, due to major works on the football pitch.

The event will be held on Saturday 20th September 2008, between 1pm and 8pm.

This year's attractions will include the ColourDome, kids activities, a music stage, lots of food and a finale firework or laser display. If you would like to get involved or find out more contact Claire Horan at claire@stockwell.org.uk

Larkhall roads and pavements - Hubert Grove and Albion Avenue set for upgrade

Hubert Grove (off Landor Road) and Albion Avenue (running between Wandsworth Road and Larkhall Rise) are set for major improvements in the next few months.

Hubert Grove is to have the pavements resurfaced in July 2008, with the carriageway resurfaced the following month.

Albion Avenue will have the pavement resurfaced in August 2008.

In November We Love Larkhall asked for suggestions from residents for Larkhall streets and pavements that needed resurfacing. We had a huge response, with many different roads put forward, inlcuding Hubert Grove and Albion Avenue. We passed on all residents recommendations to Highways officers. Unfortunately the other suggestions were not successful this year, but we will ensure they are considered for 2009/10.

This is the full list of carriageway and footway planned maintenance schemes to be undertaken in Lambeth during on borough roads 2008-09.

Carriageways:-

July 2008- Alexandra Road (Gipsy Hill Ward), St Gothard’s Road (Gipsy Hill Ward), St Louis Road (Gipsy Hill Ward), East Place (Gipsy Hill Ward), Avenue Park Road (Thurlow Park Road- part funded by Thames Water Utilities), The Spinney (St Leonard’s Ward), Sulina Road (Brixton Hill Ward), St Saviour’s Road (Brixton Hill Ward)
August 2008- Shakespeare Road (Herne Hill Ward- uncompleted section), Haredale Road (Herne Hill Road), Pomfret Road (Herne Hill Ward), Haselrigge Road (Ferndale Ward), Hubert Grove (Larkhall Ward), Fitzwilliam Road (Clapham Town Ward), Moat Place (Ferndale Ward), Hillyard St (Vassall Ward), Hackford Road (Vassall Ward),
September 2008- Crimsworth Road (Stockwell Ward)

Footways:-
July 2008- Fentiman Road (Oval Ward- uncompleted section), Albion Avenue (Larkhall Ward)
August 2008- St Michael’s Road (Stockwell Ward)
September 2008- Hubert Grove (Larkhall Ward)
October 2008- Norwood Road (Herne Hill and Thurlow Park Wards- East side)
November 2008- Elder Road (Gipsy Hill and Knight’s Hill Wards)
December 2008- Thorne Road (Oval and Stockwell Wards)
January 2009- Rosendale Road (Thurlow Park Ward- unimproved shopping terrace)

2008 London Elections - results for Larkhall ward

The ward by ward results for the 2008 Mayoral and London Assembly elections have been released and are available at the London Elects website.

I have reproduced the 2008 Mayoral results in Larkhall ward, and Lambeth wide, below. The good news is that turnout increased to around 33% in Larkhall ward. Although this is still too low, it is a great improvement compared to the 2004 election, where turnout was just 27%.

The Conservative candidate Boris Johnson was elected as Mayor of London for a four year term, replacing Ken Livingstone. Labour's Val Shawcross was re-elected as London Assembly member for Lambeth and Southwark and increased her majority from 5,000 to 24,000.

An apple a day...

The Worshipful Company of Fruiterers has offered to supply and plant Bramley apple trees at community projects across London.

To find out if you’re eligible and to put forward your interest, email Susan Haddleton at susan.haddleton@gol.gsi.gov.uk and she will forward your details on.

WARNING: Bramley apple trees can grow to a considerable size!

Future Clapham - briefing and presentation 21st May

The Clapham Society have organised a meeting for its members about Future Clapham at 7.30pm on the 21st May at Clapham Manor Primary school, Belmont Road, SW4.

This is a presentation of the final plans for the new leisure centre on Clapham Manor Street and the library and health centre on the site of Mary Seacole House, Clapham High Street.

The presentation is by Martin Wood, Project Director of developers, Cathedral Group, Mike Lawless of the architects for the Leisure Centre, LA Architects, and Christopher Egret of Studio Egret West, architects for the library. Council staff will also be available to answer queries.