Met launch ‘crime map’

Mayor of London Boris Johnson has fulfilled another election pledge with the launch of a crime map to help the Police target problem areas. You can find it HERE.

The idea behind it is to show where crime is occurring at a local neighbourhood level – grouped by no more than a few streets – and compare crime levels in different parts of the capital. Simply type in your post code and you will be able to access details about local crime statistics.

Previously the Police only published details of crime broken down on a borough by borough basis.

The site shows that reported levels of burglary, robbery and vehicle crime in Lambeth are ‘average’ compared with other parts of London. A more detailed inspection unsurprisingly shows that crime levels vary across different parts of the borough – from ‘below average’ to ‘high’ – and often between different parts of the same town centre.

Conservative Group Leader John Whelan says: “Crime mapping has revolutionised the way they fight crime across American cities – and it can do the same here.

“Allowing residents to see exactly where crimes are being committed should act as incentive to pressure the Police and Lambeth Council to take action and do everything they can to prevent them.”

Clapham Police Stations under threat

Closures as Police plan to retreat to industrial estate

Metropolitan Police Officials have confirmed that Clapham Police Stations are under threat as part of a programme that would see over 60 stations across London close.

Scotland Yard bureaucrats want to see police based in shops, supermarkets and even industrial estates, despite concerns expressed by many front line officers.

Local residents have voiced disquiet about the plan saying there needs to be a permanent police station in our area. Under the plan the nearest Operational Police Base would be on an industrial estate in East Brixton, meaning a poorer service in Clapham as response times would increase as police vehicles would have travel through Brixton to get here.

Conservative Action
Conservative Councillors are putting pressure on Labour Lambeth to reverse their support for the closure plans which are supported by the Labour Assembly member for Lambeth & Southwark at City Hall.

Conservative members of the Metropolitan Police Authority have already forced the Met to consult on each proposed closure after it emerged they planned to railroad the closures through.

Local campaigner Nick Maund said: “Labour seem to want to destroy all our local services. Not content with closing our library, demolishing our swimming pool and shutting our sub post offices they now want to close our local police station and move our bobbies to the other side of Brixton.”

Conservative councillor has pedal power

Cllr Clare Whelan, Lambeth’s Conservative spokeperson for transport, has topped the borough’s councillor cycling league for the second year in a row – clocking up an impressive 198 miles in June alone.

As part of the Workplace Cycle challenge, organised by Transport for London, ninety eight council staff cycled more than 16,000 miles during the month long project. The aim of the challenge was to get people cycling to and from work, improve fitness, and reduce car use and CO2 emissions.

“Cycling is a great way to travel around our congested city, stay fit and healthy and help the environment,” says Clare.

“I really hope that next year we can encourage more people to take part and achieve even more mileage. Since my tuition lessons last year I feel much more confident and safer on the roads, which has encouraged me to cycle more often.”

Thurlow Park Controlled Parking Zone: Round 2 consultation

Lambeth Council will shortly start consulting local people in parts of Thurlow Park for the second time about an extension to the existing Controlled Parking Zone centred on Tulse Hill Station.

The proposals have been reduced in scope because some residents view the plans as a “stealth tax.” The detailed proposals involve part of Croxted Road, Hawarden and Guernsey Groves, Trinity Rise, Brockwell Park Gardens, Elmcourt Road, and the Harpenden Road area. The existing area will also be re-consulted.

John says: “The consultation has been a long drawn out process. Anyone who is worried about having to pay to park near their home can check with us as to where they stand.”

Salters Hill safety improvements

Lambeth Council had installed a money-making camera trap at the foot of Salters Hill. Following an extensive campaign by Gipsy Hill Councillor Graham Pycock and several irate drivers the camera was removed. Graham also called successfully for genuine safety improvements at the school crossing at the bottom of the hill.

Graham says: “At last, the turning from Gipsy Road into Salters Hill will be redesigned to slow traffic where the children cross to get to and from Kingswood School. This is what was needed. I shall continue to press for the permanent removal of the cash-generating camera at the bridge, which I fear the Council wants to bring back.”

Meanwhile, Councillor Suzanne Poole has been working with council officers and local businesses to find ways to ease parking and congestion along Gipsy Road without harming local businesses. Contact Suzanne for details.

Rail cuts for Norwood will harm local community

Lambeth Councillor Clare Whelan, Conservative spokesperson on transport, has slammed plans to cut services between Norwood and London Bridge and remove ALL services between Norwood and East Croydon.

A reduced service to two trains per hour will affect people working and shopping Croydon, and also going to Gatwick Airport.

“Once again Norwood is the poor relation,” says Clare.

“We are having our services removed to benefit people elsewhere. This is despite the fact that the services are popular now, and with all the new properties being built in the area more good rail services will be needed, not fewer.”

This announcement comes on top of the news that all Thameslink trains will soon be curtailed at Blackfriars, instead of going straight through to all stations to Luton.

Conservative councillors have appealed to the Rail Regulator but it seems that the decision is as good as made and not a consultation at all.

Clare adds: “Norwood seems to be the bottom of everyone’s priority list – the Council, the train companies, and our local MPs. I urge all residents who are unhappy with these changes to email me at cwhelan@lambeth.gov.uk so we can pass their protests on to the rail authorities.”

Gipsy Road Post Office closed by Government cuts

Despite a well-supported campaign by local shopkeepers and residents, Gipsy Road Post Office is being closed under a Government cuts policy. The closure is especially disappointing because at one stage it looked like the branch might have been reprieved. Also, it is profit-making, which makes the closure decision all the more bizarre.

The local Labour MP made great play of her support for the Post Office, but then voted against a Commons motion that would have kept the branch open. Indeed, she was and is a member of the Government that initiated the cuts programme.

A number of Labour ministers did the same thing – they campaigned to “save” their local Post Offices, but then effectively voted for closure in the Commons. In this way they signalled that their opposition was not serious, and thereby undermined local campaigns. Post Office chiefs are now pushing through with closures, secure in the knowledge that Labour ministers support them.

As a result, in Gipsy Hill, local pensioners and others will have to make their way up a steep hill, or across a busy junction and housing estate, to get to the remaining Post Offices.

These closures continue a trend of public sector closures in West and Upper Norwood. The Post Offices are to go, the police station is under threat, and Lunham Road Housing Office and West Norwood Housing Office have both been cut back. Rather than help the area, Labour-controlled Lambeth Council made matters worse by siting a dustcart depot on Vale Street.

Gipsy Hill Councillors and their colleagues are in urgent talks to see if the Council can support for local Post Offices, as councils have done elsewhere in the country.

Pictured: Graham and Andrew on Gipsy Road where they have supported the shopping parade – losing the Post Office would be a big blow

Council in turmoil over housing fiasco

Labour Lambeth’s £5 million Housing Scandal

Investigations have uncovered a £5 million overspend in Lambeth Council’s housing budget. The money was apparently used to purchase temporary accommodation which unbelievably was then kept empty! The scandal only came to light when the accounts were being audited, leading to claims of a cover up.

Conservative Group Leader Cllr John Whelan said: “This is a disgraceful situation. To have a £5 million overspend is bad enough but for the Labour administration not to know is almost beyond belief. We are determined to get to the bottom of this and to establish if a cover up has taken place.”

Former Clapham Councillor Bernard Gentry added: “This is a triple whammy against the residents of Lambeth by Labour. £5 million extra of our money has been spent, property which could have been used to house people has been left empty and the housing market has been distorted by these properties being taken off the market, meaning fewer for people to rent or buy, and pushing up prices. Labour just doesn’t care.”

Lancaster Avenue – Norwood Road crossing victory

After more than three years of campaigning local community leaders — backed by Norwood councillors — have succeeded in getting Town Hall officials to provide a “green man” crossing at the junction of Lancaster Avenue and Norwood Road.

Although there have been some “teething problems” the switch on has been welcomed by local people and businesses as the crossing was a notorious accident hot spot.

Local residents Alan and Lucy Smith were prominent in the campaign throughout. Imagine their surprise to read in the local press announcements from Labour’s City Hall and Town Hall politicians claiming the credit.

Councillor John Whelan, Conservative Group Leader, says: “It was absolutely shameless — the sheer brass neck of it. So we got together for a photo with the original newspaper clipping showing who really did the work. I take my hat off to our community campaigners — they are the real champions.”

Pictured: John with local residents and the newspaper cutting from 2005 that launched the crossing campaign

Councillors join ‘Clean Up Tulse Hill Action Day’

Tulse Hill Station is no longer quite such a litter strewn “grot spot” thanks to a community campaign supported by local councillors Irene, Clare and John.

Local residents joined enthusiastically in a clean up day supported by staff from Southern Rail and Lambeth Council. As well as clearing litter, the street furniture was given a lick of paint and a planter that was attracting street drinkers was removed to the council depot.

Irene says: “It’s tough being a street sweeper for a day but there’s a great sense of pride among local people about the environment. We’re looking forward to having another crack at it in the autumn.”

Pictured: Clare gets stuck into the clean up day with local residents