Lambeth Council Watch - news and updates about the 'co-operative' council

[urbanspaceman]

Below is a comment I made on Brixton Buzz. While it's not a panacea, fixmystreet.com at least records problems in the public realm for everybody to see, and sometimes shames Lambeth into dealing with them. As I say, not a universal solution to Lambeth's frustrating combo of sloth, inefficiency and secrecy, but at least it's something.

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fixmystreet.com

The above is a convenient and user friendly website that allows you to register all sorts of problems in the public realm that Lambeth should attend to.

The advantage of using FMS over the Lambeth website is that a permanent public record is maintained of the problem. If you contract Lambeth directly, the issue disappears into a black hole, and nobody can find out what happens. For instance, I reported directly some flytipping once, and when I called later to check on progress, Lambeth told me that I would need to make a Freedom of Information Act request to find out !

Lambeth, like most bureaucracies, is reflexively secretive – its primary and overriding desires are to hide any information that might embarrass it and to bury any problems that are reported.

The public airing of problems through FMS, and risk of corresponding institutional embarrassment, is a way of shaking it out of its customary lethargy.

For instance, Lambeth finally attended to the almost complete failure of the lights on Windrush Square because of FMS activity.

Having said this, I’ve noticed that lights are again failing in Windrush Square, so I invite my fellow citizens to report this public (especially women's) safety issue, if you want to experiment with FMS - you can post photos for corroboration and persuasiveness.

 

[Gramsci]

South London estate has so many empty homes they've been 'taken over by foxes'

Residents of the Central Hill estate in South London are angry ‘perfectly good homes are going to waste’

www.mylondon.news

Article about Central Hill Estate.

Council are further running down the estate. Many empty flats and renting flats on a non secure "temporary" basis at higher rent. Justification is that the estate is to be "regenerated" long term so no one new on estate will get secure tenancy meanwhile.

This is all contributing to the estate getting further run down.

Journalist interviews several of the " temporary" residents. All shows the abysmal management of the estate by Lambeth.

 

[editor]

Danny Adilypour - the current deputy leader and cabinet member for sustainable growth and new homes at Lambeth - wants to fuck off to be Worcester's next MP.

Labour candidates for Worcester's next MP revealed - with some surprising omissions

THE list of candidates vying to be Labour’s next parliamentary candidate for Worcester has been revealed.

www.worcesternews.co.uk

 

[Adblock Lambeth]

Hi all,

It's been a while so I just wanted to give you a bit of an update on our activity.

Monoliths
Although we are still waiting on Lambeth Council to decide on the rest of the ad screen invasion, 22 of the digital units have now started to pop up across the borough's pavements, including on Coldharbour Lane and Acre Lane. On top of those 22 new screens, there are still a further 25 waiting for planning permission. Read our previous blog post to see locations and learn more here or our read recent coverage in Brixton Blog here.

As a reminder, each bus stop style advertising screen uses the equivalent of four average UK homes, so the energy consumed by 47 Lambeth screens alone would be equal to that used by 188 homes.

Cover-up day of action
Adblock Lambeth were joined by members of Fossil Free London, XR Lambeth, Adfree Cities, Adblock Hackney and the Stop Shopping activist community choir on Saturday 29th October as we staged an advertising cover-up on a busy Brixton street corner. More pictures and a report of the day can be found in our latest blog post.

Murals
Corporate advertising murals are increasingly common but often they are going up on the side of buildings without planning permission. We've had a couple of successes in getting these removed recently - one for Brooklyn Brewery that appeared in Brixton and another for Skoda in Herne Hill

Next meeting
Adblock Lambeth’s next meeting will be at the Prince Regent in Herne Hill on Tuesday 22nd November from 6pm – 7.15pm. If you’ve not joined before and would like to, feel free to come along or drop us a line via adblocklambeth@protonmail.com if you have any questions. All are welcome! If you'd like to join our newsletter list you can add your details on the right hand side of the blog post above.

Cheers,

Christopher
Adblock Lambeth

 

[editor]

Sinking ship Lambeth Council wasting millions....


. Homes for Lambeth – Lambeth council’s private developer – staggers from one calamity to the next

 

[Gramsci]

Tricky Skills posted up about the Kerslake report on housing in the Cressingham thread.

After reading some of it thought it was about Lambeth in general.

Here is what I said on the Cressingham page

Post in thread 'Lambeth's plans to demolish Cressingham Gardens and other estates without the consent of residents' Lambeth's plans to demolish Cressingham Gardens and other estates without the consent of residents

 

[Gramsci]

The Kerslake review is a good report. He went out of his way to talk to residents not just officers.

Ive read chapter three of report which covers delivery of affordable housing.

There are three ways Lambeth delivers:

Section 106 aggreements. On large private developments developers have to build a certain amount of affordable housing.

Homes for Lambeth. A "Special Purpose Vehicle" set up and owned by Lambeth to deliver housing.

A new programme to "partner" with developers on Council owned sites. The first and so far only project being the Pop/ International House site. This means the developer puts up most of the funds and works closely with Council to deliver housing and mixed use development.



On the first Kerslake thought that Lambeth was delivering fairly well.

Homes for Lambeth was delivering very poorly

The last was untested as only in early stages. It seems to be how the Council is going. The Somerleyton site has been taken from the failing HfL to be project for the neww Lambeth development programme ( option three)

{ Im not sure option three is that great. The idea is that the developer funds it and Council makes sure affordable housing targets are met etc. Considering that developers run rings around the Council I dont see over long term Council having capacity to make these schemes work for benefit of local people.}

Chapter three had extended section on history of HfL. And yes it says everything those who criticised it over the years were saying.

It all started out with big hopes and after all this time is frankly not fit for purpose.

Among other things the report ( which does try to give Lambeth a fair appraisal ) says personal relations between Lambeth officers and HfL staff broke down. That the estate regeneration programme, which was handed over to HfL, was going to lead to insignificant increases in social housing. With possibility on three estate a slight loss. Which is against guidelines about replacing like with like.

The issue of residents ballots came up. {Lambeth has historically always resisted them} Report points out that any future funding from GLA would mean ballots are required.

The report recommends on three estates that the regeneration continue. On Cressingham a rethink. Recommends improved and what it terms genuine consultation, With ballots. Reading the report and cant help but think Kerslake sees how Lambeth has dealt with residents on estates as very poor.

Report says all the residents it talked to complained about poor communication from Lambeth and very poor consultation.

This from a self styled Cooperative Council.

On Somerleyton road-- this was handed over to HfL. Who have failed to bring the project forward. This Council owned site waas supposed to be a win for HfL to bring forward to show how it could work. After all these years nothing.

The report does not all blame this on HfL managers. It says poor oversight and lack of clarity on aims by the Council led to this situation.

I wonder what Cllr Matthew Bennet has to say on any of this?

As a resident the report shows the insular opaque way Lambeth Council operates. Comes across as a closed system where resident occasionally get asked what they think. Questioning things as a resident is very difficult.

The reports does say that there must be more transparency and accountability.

 

[Gramsci]

Tricky Skills summary of Kerslake report

Post in thread 'Lambeth's plans to demolish Cressingham Gardens and other estates without the consent of residents' Lambeth's plans to demolish Cressingham Gardens and other estates without the consent of residents

 

[Gramsci]

The glossy Council video. Trying to make the best of this report. He does say they will ballot residents in the future.

 

[Gramsci]

Not sure how new this approach will be.

On taking back in-house. The report recommends a two year transition period.

Don't know how that will work

 

[Tricky Skills]

I think taking HfL in house is the only option. But I do fear that the Council will be over-stretched when you remember that the leisure contract also comes back in-house next year as well. Under Reed's failed leadership the Council couldn't wait to offload services and let the private sector clean up. When the market fails then it is the Council (and Council Tax funds) that suffer the consequences.

 

[Gramsci]

On the Leisure contract. I'm no great fan of the Council at times or Better but imo it wasn't going that badly.

Problems at Rec are due to how the contract is over seen and Lambeth not doing long term maintenance.

Lambeth don't have the skills to run large leisure centres. Better do.

The Leisure centres are income generating. So not the burden on Council tax payer they are made out to be.

Taking back in-house management of Leisure services is imo risky project in light of how the Council bright idea to set up HfL has gone.

The Kerslake report points to a Council where management is at cross purposes. Looking at the report and it doesn't appear the Cllrs use much oversight. Poor governance is a word that crops up in the report.

HfL and estate regeneration were political decisions by senior Cllrs.

Once set going any junior local Cllrs isn't going to scrutinize or ask questions for fear of their job ( being a Cllr).

Hence the Kerslake report is saying what residents/ Brixton buzz and others has been saying for years

What the report does shed light on is the actual way Lambeth is run.

If local backbench Cllrs had the leeway to scrutinize what the leadership/ senior officers did ,raise issues the residents bring to them ,then things like the HfL debacle might not happen.

But that is not how the Council works. Kerslake doesn't go into the politics much. As that was not his brief. Though I noticed he stretched the brief to include voices of residents on estates and past history.

His brief was to be forward looking. I think the Council weren't expecting it to go the way it did

In light of this Im concerned about future of Leisure centres. Particularly as thing are going to get tough next year economically.

I can already see in Leisure services that a political decision has been made and no Cllr is going to raise issues of how it's implemented.

 

[Gramsci]

Started reading Kerslake recemmendations. I will quote this section a it lead to me choke on my cornflakes so to speak this morning.

I get so angry at way residents get treated in the borough by Lambeth One Party State:


5.11.Priority Recommendation 2 – HfL should carefully progress the development of
its ‘front-running estates’ and completely reset its approach for future estate
renewal programmes, including Fenwick, Cressingham Gardens and Central
Hill. The Council should acknowledge that the HfL estate renewal programme will
provide limited uplift on social rent homes. However, it does provide an opportunity to
resolve existing poor stock conditions and to ensure existing residents can experience
high-quality housing, whether in newly built homes or refurbished existing homes. The
Council should also acknowledge the significant shortcomings of its approach to
engaging with residents across the estates in the past, in recognition of a number of
residents that we spoke to who reported to us physical and mental health impacts that
they felt aspects of the Council’s engagement has had on residents.

 

[Gramsci]

The Labour party video posted above does not contain an acknowlegement that the Council estates renewal programme was flawed. Nor an apology of the way residents on estates have been affected by the Councils behaviour.

Social housing is one of the things that should be basic to a Labour party. Over the years in Lambeth residents have had imposed on them ALMOs , PFI schemes and then SPVs ( HfL).

All of which are new Labour type policies. They have all failed. Worst aspect of them is that despite this being a a Cooperative Council residents who have criticised them or opposed them have been treated with contempt.

 

[Gramsci]

Im also wondering to what extent the Council will "reset" its approach to Fenwick, Central Hill and Cressingham.

 

[nagapie]

However it does provide an opportunity to
resolve existing poor stock conditions and to ensure existing residents can experience
high-quality housing, whether in newly built homes or refurbished existing homes.

If this is the actual result. Many of the residents of the estate near Myatts Fields that was rebuilt within the last 10 years tell me the new builds are inferior to what they had before, flimsy with poor sound insulation.

 

[Gramsci]

If this is the actual result. Many of the residents of the estate near Myatts Fields that was rebuilt within the last 10 years tell me the new builds are inferior to what they had before, flimsy with poor sound insulation.

Myatts Fields was flagship New Labour project - a PFI scheme. Such a failure that not even this right wing Labour council will go down that route again.

I've been reading more of the report today. One theme in report is ensuring high build quality. As residents have been raising concerns about recent new builds.

The report was commissioned to advise on how the Council does a zero carbon approach to housing.

From chatting to people over years a zero carbon approach requires high quality building standards . Or insulation etc won't work properly.

The report recommends more training for officers on zero carbon building. More examples of Passiv Haus build to give Council experience in this.

I personally don't see this happening. Unless there is sea change in how Council operates in practice.

Council built a few Passiv Haus in Ackerman near LJ. This appears to be one off project. I don't know if Council have gone back to see if it's working ok.

 

[Gramsci]

Ive already read chapter three of the report and some appendix on residents.. Today gone back to read chapter one the intro and chapter two " Lambeth strategy , structure and overall approach to affordable housing.

In short Lambeth does not have a clear strategy that goes across all Council sections. Nor does it have good scrutiny and governance in place.

On governance Kerslake notes that a previous review of governance of HfL was done a few years back. However Kerslake has been unable to find officers responsible for the implementation of its recommendation. Council have said they implemented some recommendations. But Kerslake hasn't been able to access impact due to not finding specific officers.

FFS.

Makes me wonder what will happen to this report.

There is whole sections of chapter two describing the labyrinthian set ups that exist in the Council and between Council/ HfL. Homes for Lambeth also has separate business sections. My mind was boggling at that complexity of it all.

As some residents who have dealt with Council over years will know different departments are at cross purposes. Kerslake found different departments dealing with land and housing were using different consultants to write reports on land use.

I've seen this over issue in LJ and Rec. One department see land as high value land to sell in order to get Council capital receipt. Another look at Council land to see what affordable housing could be built on it.

Kerslake say Lambeth should have a policy on affordable housing that covers all Council departments.

On HfL. Its like watching some comedy from Monty Pythons. Be funny if it was not for all the money wasted and affordable housing not built.

Kerslake found that GLA had given Lambeth millions in grants to build affordable housing. HfL/ Lambeth have been so incompetent that its highly likely they will lose the money. Its time limited and they will have to give it back to GLA/ Mayor.

The GLA/ Mayor are not at fault here. This is all HfL/ Lambeths fault.

I say HfL/ Lambeth as the complicated relationship between Lambeth and HfL means to a layman like me that in practise they are linked. Bizarrely Lambeth owns HfL and is also its client. Lambeth funds HfL. Another thing this funding is a "loan" which is supposed to be repaid over lifetime of the houses. ie a long time. Kerslake points out that due to HfL being crap there is a possibility that unless Council quickly deals with this it could lose a lot of money. Kerslake does say that as HfL is so crap it only got part of money. Money was lent when schemes were to start. The pitiful number of schemes it started mean not as much money was lent by Council as was envisaged. Phew.

Kerslake also mentions the large number of staff HfL had About 70. What were these desk jockeys doing all this time?

Kerslake says bringing HfL inhouse will need to be done carefully and take two or three years. So that's going to be straightforward and risk free. Not.

I do love the report its couched in such polite language. Report says that when bringing in back inhouse experienced able staff from HfL should be transferred to Lambeth. Who are they? Given HfL track record Id sack all these desk jockeys. They've been sitting on their arses doing nothing. Getting well paid as well. And pissing off residents.

 

[Gramsci]

Reading chapter four now. Whole long section where Kerslake makes recommendations of how the Council in the future should treat residents. Good to see Kerslake put this in. Report does give Council/ HfL opportunity to answer back. They lamely say they are changing.

But Kerslake would not have put such a long section of recommendations if didn't feel it was warranted.

Council officers should treat residents respectfully, with acknowledgment and
empathy to the disruption that estate renewal and development has on people’s
lives.

Kind of think this should be a given. Says something that this expert report has to tell the "Cooperative" Council this.

 

[Gramsci]

This is what Kerslake recommends in chapter 4 of the report. So on Cressingham Gardens its back to square one.

I wonder if the Council will engage with these residents. Its treated them so poorly in the past.

I like the way Kerslake says "genuine". This word is used a lot throughout the report. Just goes to show that Kerslake sees through what Lambeth Council regard as "consultation. There is a difference between Lambeth style "consultation" and a genuine version. This imo applies across the board with Lambeth. Not just about housing issues.

4.26.For Cressingham Gardens, the Council should re-engage genuinely with residents on
their ideas for the future of the estate. We recognise ‘The People’s Plan’ as an
example of one such resident contribution, but it will not be the only one.
55
Resumption of genuine collaborative working with residents to work through the future
of the estate would be a helpful way to rebuild trust with residents and to minimise
losing the estate from council ownership via Right to Transfer mechanisms.

 

[Gramsci]

Given what I've read Id like to see an Action plan from the Council outlining exactly what actions it will take to fulfill the recommendations of this report. Which it says it supports. Which officers/ department of the Council will deliver on these recommendations. And how it wil communicate with residents how this is going.

 

[editor]

Great piece here: Kerslake review sinks Homes for Lambeth and recommends ballots for estate regeneration

 

[Gramsci]

Great piece here: Kerslake review sinks Homes for Lambeth and recommends ballots for estate regeneration

I agree with this interpretation of the review

Also this:

If Lambeth want to regain residents’ trust it will take an awful lot of work. It surely needs a few Lambeth officers and councillors to resign or be removed for this to happen

 

[Gramsci]

On Cressingham from what I've seen no Labour Cllr ever gave them support.

 

[Gramsci]

The poor way that residents on the Council estates like Cressingham have been treated is symptomatic of how this Council "consults" residents in general.

I'd say the Kerslake review points to a systemic problem in Lambeth in way it deals with residents

 

[Gramsci]

Had a rather shirty letter from Council about getting access to my flat for Savills surveyor. To do stock condition survey.

Savills don't answer the number in the letter.

Rang Council today to say I am prepared to give access to my flat but Savills need to able to be contacted. Told by council they will call me back in ten working days. And given a reference number for my query.

This and builders for council not keeping appointment is annoying me.

 

[editor]

Lambeth being Lambeth Lambeth Council apologises for maladministration in allowing Festival Republic to proceed without consent

 

[Rushy]

Lambeth being Lambeth Lambeth Council apologises for maladministration in allowing Festival Republic to proceed without consent

“The Council must be mindful of the impact its decision-making has on public confidence and trust. It sets a poor example when the Council does not hold itself to the same standards it holds the people it serves to.”
Local Government Ombudsman

 

[Gramsci]

Lambeth being Lambeth Lambeth Council apologises for maladministration in allowing Festival Republic to proceed without consent

It's the bullshitting that's typical Lambeth behaviour.

Telling Friends of Clapham Common that they could get retrospective planning consent whilst knowing full well planning had told them no.

And saying they had legal advice saying it could go ahead but were unable to supply it when asked by Ombudsman.

It's this kind of thing that does ones head in. You know what they are saying probably isn't right or the full story but have to be prepared to go to extensive lengths to prove it.

Most of time this kind of passive agreessive bullshitting works.

I can see the officers telling the Friends group all this with a straight face and getting annoyed when they persist in objecting.

It's another example following shortly on from the Kerslake report. This is systemic in Lambeth. Not just one off cases in how they deal with residents who object to what they are doing.

 

[CH1]

Seasonal greetings - from the ghost of Christmas Past.
There is much play currently about voter ID, something the Tories seem to have caught from Trump and the Alt-Right.
My mind turned to the last Conservative Mayor of Lambeth, Councillor Tony Bayes.
In common with many Lambeth Councillors he yielded to temptation and lost his reputation, albeit in Tony's case after he had left Lambeth and become a councillor in Guildford. Just look at this

https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/tory-councillor-rigged-election-ballot-papers-2479799?amp=

Councillor jailed for election fraud

A former Conservative councillor has been jailed for four months for vote-rigging in an all-postal local election pilot.

www.theguardian.com

BBC NEWS | England | Southern Counties | Ballot forgery councillor jailed

In happier times Tony made a really good fist of greeting Nelson Mandela, President of the Repulic of South Africa, and Prince Charles to the Brixton Rec:

Mayor of Lambeth waiting outside Brixton Recreation Centre to welcome Nelson Mandela during his visit to Brixton. 12 July 1996. Copyright Rhoda Webb.
Arrival:


Unveiling the commemorative plaque - Mayor Tony Bayes extreme right (actually he was was possibly the most left-wing Tory councillor - always the pick for the Equalities Committee etc). South African President Nelson Mandela unveiling a plaque to commemorate his visit, along with HRH the Prince of Wales, to the Brixton Recreation Centre on 12th July 1996. The event included a 78th birthday tribute with speeches and performances. From Lambeth Public Relations Photographs


And the moral of the tale is..............
1. Just as the newspapers above have noted it is postal and proxy voting which generally cause voter fraud. "Personation" at polling stations is incredibly rare.
2, Parties in glass houses shouldn't throw stones!

Further comment from me - it's incredibly difficult to get historical info via Google these days. I got the newspaper references from a friend whose data mining abilities greatly exceed mine. I'm thinking of switching to DuckDuckGo - permanently. Seems to get more wide-ranging results. Anyone got any views on this?

And finally - I was hoping for a balcony scene in the Rec. When Mandela made his speech to the people of Brixton he was introduced by Mayor Tony Bayes, and was also flanked in the balcony by the party leaders - Jones, Tuffery and Dickson - and Lambeth Chief Executive Heather Rabbatts ("The Crow" as the Tories used to call her).
I would crawl over broken glass to see this view - and I'm sure many such pictures did exist back in 1996..
As compensation here is "The Crow" flanking Nelson Mandela in Brixton Station Road - from Lambeth Publicity