Lambeth Green Party - Official Response to Lambeth Air Quality Action Plan 2017 to 2022

It is estimated that nearly 9500 persons die prematurely every year due to high level of air pollution in London [1]. Deprived communities and notably the Black populations in Lambeth are also disproportionately impacted by illegal levels of air pollution [2]. In the light of these scientific reports, Lambeth Council should take a strong line and use all its powers to be a force for change.

The draft plan currently published for consultation is lacking in both ambition and scope. No plan is made to stop or even reduce the incineration of collected household waste, no commitment is made to develop cycling infrastructures, no concrete action to encourage modal shift is proposed, and no resolution is taken to use the policing powers given to local authorities to stamp out engine-idling.

Air pollution is a massive threat to our health that requires public action at all levels. While we recognise that our council alone cannot solve the issue, the council should fully acknowledge the shortcomings in our borough and start pulling its weight. The draft Air Quality Action Plan falls short on this account.

Lambeth Green Party was not consulted on the content of the draft prior to its publication by Lambeth Council. We have, however, responded to the consultation questionnaire as an organisation, with the full text of our response reproduced below.   

The Lambeth Council Air Quality Action Plan 2017 to 2022 can be found here.

The questionnaire allowing you to respond to the plan ends on November 15th and can be found here.

Green Party activist, Chris Holt, installs an air quality monitor outside a school in Streatham

Topic 1: Emissions from developments and buildings

Question 1: Looking at Topic 1: Emissions from developments and buildings on pages 17-19 of the draft Air Quality Action Plan do you, generally speaking, agree or disagree with the proposed actions?

Lambeth Green Party Response: Tend to agree

Question 2: Looking at individual actions listed in 1: Emissions from developments and buildings on pages 17-19 of the draft Air Quality Action Plan what, if anything, would you say is missing, should be removed or should be amended, and why?

Lambeth Green Party Response: Whilst the intentions set out on the topic point in the right direction, educating and raising awareness among property developers alone cannot make a serious impact on the pollution levels created by building sites. The Council should take stronger leadership by using its planning prerogatives and legal powers to enforce the highest standards defined by the Great London Authority. At a time when the borough is already suffering from alarming levels of pollution, it is particularly disappointing that the Council is allowing developers to financially compensate the pollution they create, through s106 agreements.  

Topic 2: Public health and awareness raising

Question 3: Looking at Topic 2: Public health and awareness raising on pages 20-23 of the draft Air Quality Action Plan do you, generally speaking, agree or disagree with the proposed actions?

Lambeth Green Party Response: Tend to disagree

Question 4: Looking at individual actions listed under Topic 2: Public health and awareness raising on pages 20-23 of the draft Air Quality Action Plan what, if anything, would you say is missing, should be removed or should be amended, and why?

Lambeth Green Party Response: The list of proposals to improve awareness lacks two key aspects to make an efficient public health plan. Firstly it fails to involve the local GP surgeries. Medical professions are in regular contact with the most vulnerable people who are also the primary sufferers of air pollution. Nurses and doctors are best placed to implement effective measures and report health issues. Secondly, the plan is extremely limited in terms of monitoring actual air pollution levels in Lambeth. Residents have a right to know the level of air pollution they are exposed to. In particular, plans should be made to assess air quality scientifically around nurseries, schools and care homes as young people and the elderly are among those that suffer the greatest health consequences as a result of poor air quality.

Topic 3: Delivery servicing and freight

Question 5: Looking at Topic 3: Delivery servicing and freight on pages 23-24 of the draft Air Quality Action Plan do you, generally speaking, agree or disagree with the proposed actions:

Lambeth Green Party Response: Tend to agree

Question 6: Looking at individual actions listed under Topic 3: Delivery servicing and freight on pages 23-24 of the draft Air Quality Action Plan what, if anything, would you say is missing, should be removed or should be amended, and why?

Lambeth Green Party Response: The Council’s plans to provide preferential scoring to bidders delivering goods and services with zero or low emission vehicles has the potential to make good use of the Council’s buying power to influence its wider stakeholder network. However, the Council will have to ensure that scoring systems are designed in such a way that the air quality credits of different bidders actually make a material difference to the final score of bidders and therefore the procurement decision.

Furthermore, the Council should review whether FORS Silver Accreditation delivers any real air quality benefits. As presented, the requirements for FORS silver accreditation do not seem to provide air quality benefits as it does not ask for the vehicle fleet of accredited companies to meet targets on engine standards (i.e. Euro 6), fuel use or air pollutant emissions.

Topic 4: Borough fleet actions

Question 7: Looking at Topic 4: Borough fleet actions on pages 24-25 of the draft Air Quality Action Plan do you, generally speaking, agree or disagree with the proposed actions?

Lambeth Green Party Response: Tend to disagree

Question 8: Looking at individual actions listed under Topic 4: Borough fleet actions on pages 24-25 of the draft Air Quality Action Plan what, if anything, would you say is missing, should be removed or should be amended, and why?

Lambeth Green Party Response: The Council should stop investing in diesel vehicles and favour low emission technologies. It is paradoxical to request the expansion of the ULEZ or to welcome the introduction of clean buses on the A23 routes while planning to continue to buy and use diesel engines. The Office for Low Emission Vehicle, part of the Department for Transport  provides grants to Councils to help them transition to cleaner vehicles.

The Council is also one of the major employers in the borough. As a public authority it should lead by example, and incorporate plans to incentivise modal shift among its employees. The use of cars to come to work should be discouraged.

Topic 5: Localised solutions

Question 9: Looking at Topic 5: Localised solutions on pages 25-26 of the draft Air Quality Action Plan do you, generally speaking, agree or disagree with the proposed actions?

Lambeth Green Party Response: Strongly disagree

Question 10: Looking at individual actions listed under Topic 5: Localised solutions on pages 25-26 of the draft Air Quality Action Plan what, if anything, would you say is missing, should be removed or should be amended, and why?

Lambeth Green Party Response: Lambeth is home to the successful Brixton Energy, a social enterprise which installed solar panels on 3 estates of the borough (and counting). The council should build on this experience and encourage more initiatives aiming at developing the production and use of renewable energies in the borough. The fact that the terms “solar” or “renewable” don’t appear once in the plan document is staggering.

Brixton tube station, at the end of the Victoria line is crying for bike infrastructures, with the few bike racks there are constantly overcrowded. The aims to roll-out the London bike-hire scheme in the south of London in 6 years demonstrates a distinct lack of in ambition.

Topic 6: Transport & Highways

Question 11: Looking at Topic 6: Transport & Highways on pages 26-28 of the draft Air Quality Action Plan do you, generally speaking, agree or disagree with the proposed actions?

Lambeth Green Party Response: Strongly disagree

Question 12: Looking at individual actions listed under Topic 6: Transport & Highways on pages 26-28 of the draft Air Quality Action Plan what, if anything, would you say is missing, should be removed or should be amended, and why?

Lambeth Green Party Response: In 2015, Local Authorities received new powers to fine idling motorists. In combination with the actions of information and prevention, actions should be taken to use the fining powers in sensitive areas, such as around schools, to end idling for good.

Whilst promoting cycling use is necessary, it will remain inefficient if cycling is not made safer and more accessible. The plan makes no commitment to develop the much-need cycling infrastructure to encourage the modal shift.

One annual car free day is a token event unlikely to change transport habits and make any significant impact. We urge the Council to organise regular car free days across the borough. We disagree with the idea to devolve this responsibility to BIDs, when business are traditionally opposed to motor traffic reduction; other stakeholders such as cycling groups and resident forums need to be included for a better balance of opinion.

Lambeth Council should also make clear its opposition to the expansion of both Heathrow and City airports. An increase of traffic at any of those airport would affect negatively the air quality in our borough.

Three main priorities listed on page 15:

Question 13: Looking at our three main priorities listed on page 15 of the draft Air Quality Action Plan do you, generally speaking, agree or disagree with them?

Lambeth Green Party Response: Tend to disagree

Please tell us more if you wish:

The focus of the plan should be on areas over which the council has directly responsibility. The first priority of the plan should be to transform the Council as a leader by example, with a clean fleet of vehicles and a strong plan to avoid waste incineration.

Question 14: Is there anything else that you would like to add to the feedback you have given us so far:

Lambeth Green Party Response: No mention is made in the plan of Lambeth’s policy of waste incineration. Actions should be taken to improve the recycling and composting rates, to reduce the amount of waste sent to Belvedere incinerator in Bexley. Although this incineration takes place outside the borough, it clearly has an impact on air quality in Lambeth as well as in other boroughs.

We also worry about the governance of this plan. It contains no clear metrics to measure the impact that various activities will have. This makes it very difficult to assess the efficiency, effectiveness and adequacy of the plan efficiency. We will advise the steering committee to set clear and transparent targets that will consistently measure progress and impact of actions throughout execution.

Bruno putting up a pollution monitor outside Effra nursery on Barnwell Road.

[1] Understanding the Health Impacts of Air Pollution in London:

https://www.scribd.com/document/271641490/King-s-College-London-report-on-mortality-burden-of-NO2-and-PM2-5-in-London

[2] Analysing Air Pollution Exposure in London

https://www.scribd.com/doc/312760725/Analysing-Air-Pollution-Exposure-in-London?secret_password=UjnUA1OxDIURIebGARhZ

Why I marched with Cressingham Gardens

By Councillor Scott Ainslie

It was a privilege to march on the Town Hall with residents from Cressingham Gardens in Tulse Hill two weeks ago, as part of the campaign to save their homes from demolition.

Armed with drums, banners and whistles, many had never protested before.  Grandparents, carers, children, key workers and many others created a peaceful carnival feel.  But all were united behind a very serious issue - the threat to their 300 homes and beautiful community.

The issue is so important that national news outlets such as The Guardian and ITV news covered it.  One journalist told me he just couldn’t believe what Lambeth Council is proposing.  Labour want to bulldoze the estate rather than invest in it, so they can bring in rich developers and build expensive housing next to Brockwell Park. 

Labour councillors in Tulse Hill won’t help the residents. Nor has their MP Chuka Umunna, whose role is now to develop Labour’s relationships with big business. So local people have turned to the Green Party for help.   They have collected thousands of signatures on a local petition to save their homes - many more people than voted Labour in Tulse Hill.  

Many are saying they will never vote Labour again.  Who can blame them?  Before May’s council elections, Lambeth Council’s Labour leader Lib Peck issued a press release saying: “I want to reassure people that we are not interested in doing anything to the estate that doesn’t command the confidence and support of its residents.”  Now she won’t even support resident’s requests to have a vote on the future of their homes.

In the same week that we marched on the Town Hall, Lib Peck was at a £300 a ticket property fair in central London.  Whilst Labour has an eye for the pound signs, dining with rich property speculators, Cressingham residents are acutely aware of the true value of housing and are taking all the steps they can to keep their homes.

This article was first published in the Lambeth Weekender

Cressingham Gardens residents to march on Lambeth Town Hall this Saturday

Residents of Cressingham Gardens in Tulse Hill are inviting local people to come and support their demonstration this Saturday 18th October, 11:00am to save their homes from Lambeth Council's proposals to knock them down.

In case you missed it, there was a great piece on Brixton Buzz yesterday, about their preparations.

They are meeting outside the Cressingham Gardens estate Rotunda Hall at 10:30 - 10:45 ready to march down Tulse Hill and Effra Road at 11:00am.

When they get to Brixton they will assemble and demonstrate outside Brixton Town Hall with banners, placards and petitions.

They expect to stay there for up to 2 hours, but everyone is invited to stay as long as they can.

The campaigners are also asking for the word to be spread on facebook and twitter.

Why was Trinity Free School in Brixton allowed to open with just 17 pupils?

'Why was Trinity Free School (in Lambeth) allowed to open with just 17 pupils?' asks Streatham MP Chuka Umunna.

Part of the answer is here in this article in the Brixton Blog from January which states:

MP Chuka Umunna has refused to come out in support of, or against, the school.

The fact is, that as with many other issues, the MP has sat on the fence and failed to take a position.

Visit to Livity in Brixton with Jenny Jones

I went with our mayoral candidate Jenny Jones this morning, to visit an inspiring project in Brixton called Livity.

We spent an hour or so with half a dozen young people who work there, talking about Jenny's campaign, Green policies and proposals for London. We seemed to cover everything from ideas to tackle youth crime, through to campaigning to restore the EMA, transport, congestion, pollution, sustainable energy and the increasing price of food. This was more a testament to their own formidable knowledge and breadth of questioning than anything else.

The initiative which they are part of is also impressive.

One of their projects is to produce Live magazine, written by and for young people, with a circulation of around 50,000.



Livity itself, is a youth engagement agency which works with young people to co-create campaigns, content and communities. They have experienced cuts in their funding from Lambeth amongst others, but despite this, have come up with a very creative model to try and move themselves towards a more sustainable footing. As part of this they have engaged clients including Google, PlayStation, 02, even the BBC and the Home Office.

There are some paid employees, but also young people who come in from all over London, and received training, equipment, support and opportunities to plan and build for their future.

Air pollution hitting dangerous levels in Brixton

I've done some research and discovered that air quality in Brixton has been steadily deteriorating since the start of the year and is now hitting dangerous levels in Brixton.

This is a graph plotted using the Kings College London Air Quality data from the monitoring station in Brixton, which shows average levels of PM10 particulates since the beginning of the year.

(The gap in the graph is due to absent data on the King's website during this period)

These are invisible particles which cause damage to the lungs and airway causing coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, aggravate asthma – including lifelong respiratory disease, and even premature death.

The London Mayor has now accepted that around 4,200 people are dying as a result of long term exposure to air pollution in the capital each year.

The trend upwards also masks “spikes” in levels during the day. This graph shows that it has sometimes hit levels of 140 where the advice is that people with asthma or other lung conditions should avoid the area, and certainly the elderly and children should stay away.

These are some of the worst levels in London. To give you an idea of how this compares, the average reading in Brixton last year was 39 – and even this exceeded the government’s stated target.

The pollution monitoring station is located on the Brixton Road, just north of Brixton station.

At the end of last year we made public our findings that almost 50 of Lambeth’s schools are located close to London’s busiest, polluted roads. Two weeks ago we invited air pollution expert Simon Birkett down for an air quality summit to see what might be done.

I will ask Greens on the London Assembly to raise this urgently and ask Lambeth Council if they are even aware of what is going on. Lambeth don't seem to have produced an air quality report since 2009.

Boundary Review: All change for Lambeth

So, it seems it's all change in Lambeth as far as Parliamentary constituencies are concerned.

The Boundary Commission Review, due for public consumption at midnight, has already been leaked on the net and is being discussed widely. Under the proposals it appears as if Battersea, Streatham, Tooting and Vauxhall constituencies would be abolished and several new constituencies created instead, which would take in parts of both Wandsworth and Lambeth.

Three new constituencies are being proposed that each contain parts of the two boroughs. In addition a fourth new constituency would be created comprised of remaining wards in Lambeth.

Streatham and Tooting Constituency

The first is 'Streatham and Tooting' which would take four wards in from each borough. These are not specified by name, but look likely to be Tooting, Graveney, Furzedown and Bedford from the Wandsworth side, and Steatham Hill, St Leonard's, Streatham Wells and Streatham South from Lambeth.


Battersea and Vauxhall Constituency

The next is 'Battersea and Vauxhall'. Again, this would take four wards from each borough, and again they are not specified in the leaked Boundary Review.


Clapham Common constituency

The third is a new Clapham Common constituency, which would be slightly different in that it will take in just three Lambeth wards (probably Thornton, Clapham Common and Clapham Town) and five Wandsworth wards.


Brixton Constituency

A fourth constituency would also be created made up of the remaining eight Lambeth wards in the central part of the borough.

Predictably, jokes are already being cracked about which of Miliband's MPs would get the Labour nomination to fight the Streatham and Tooting seat - Chuka (Umunna) or (Sadiq) Khan. It's quite possible that Sadiq could fight Streatham and Tooting, whilst Chuka ends up fighting Brixton. But there is likely to be some healthy competition for the Labour nomination in Brixton, given that Tessa Jowell's seat would also go.

But that is to get ahead of the game... There will now be a 12-week consultation period on the proposals, and later a vote in the House of Commons. Given the many changes throughout the country, a lot of MPs may yet have a change of heart on whether scaling down their number in the House of Commons is such a good idea after all.

Lambeth Ward map available here and Wandsworth ward map here

Responding to Tottenham - and now Lambeth

The trouble that began in Tottenham has now spread to Lambeth.

Some politicians and commentators have gone no further than expressions of outrage, suggesting simply that what has happened isn’t supported by the overwhelming majority of people in a community, and heaping the blame on a few ‘criminals’.

But this does nothing to explain the timing, let alone make any headway in getting to the root of the problems and issues involved.

Several observations can be made, and there are concrete actions that should be taken:

1. To locate those involved in the rioting and looting ‘outside’ our communities is to wash our hands and abdicate responsibility. No one exists in a vacuum. What is taking place affects all our lives. Those directly involved also have friends, families, and surrounding networks, whose attitudes, opinions and behaviour will have a direct influence and bearing on what is going on. This is not simply about the behaviour of a handful of people, but the feelings and actions of whole communities.

2. Central are the relationships of these communities with the police, both in the broadest sense, but also in the events which were the catalyst for the rioting and looting - the shooting of Mark Duggan and the subsequent protest.

3. The Broadwater Farm riots in 1985 were triggered by the death of Cynthia Jarrett, who suffered a stroke after police officers searched her home. As we saw over her death the truth is a vital part of the healing and restoration process. A full and urgent investigation is needed into the shooting of Mark Duggan.

4. We need an urgent independent review of the wider relationship between police and local communities, and in particular of stop and search powers. I travelled through Brixton every day at the time of the Brixton riots 30 years ago, when the 'Sus' law under which anybody could be stopped and searched if officers merely suspected they might be planning to carry out a crime, were used. The Scarman report which looked into the riots eventually led to their abolition. But the impact of current laws needs to be urgently examined.

5. It is notable that the trouble has not taken place in the leafy suburbs, or the richer areas of London. The wider economic climate, in particular large rates of youth unemployment must be taken into account. The situation is made all the more worse by cuts to youth services. In Lambeth there have been cuts of £11.85m to the council’s children and youth services budget, including a £250,000 reduction to the youth offending team budget alone. This makes the possibilities of addressing the underlying problems even more remote. We need swift action to restore vital youth services.

Hundreds protest council budget

On Wednesday night around 300 protesters lobbied Lambeth councillors to vote against the Labour-led budget. The demonstration was organised by a wide coalition of groups in the borough, including public service and voluntary sector workers facing redundancy, disabled people, youth workers, pensioners and others who rely on the continuation of vital services.

As the scale of the protest became clear, the councillors retreated to an adjoining room to vote through the cuts while demonstrators occupied the council chamber and held our own People’s Assembly.

It was an impressive example of people power. The scale of the demonstration and the enormous support from people passing by will have sent a potent message to the council, and perhaps also to Parliament.

But the draconian budget was passed all the same and now we face a long, hard struggle to protect vital services in the face of massively reduced budgets.

What is getting cut?

• More than 800 of the council's 3,500 jobs
• The entire park ranger service
• The school crossing patrol service, serving 24 schools
• Durning, Waterloo, Carnegie and Minet libraries, plus two mobile libraries
• Youth clubs, adventure playgrounds and the Young and Safe programme, which combats youth crime
• All but one public toilet facility
• Regeneration, management and repair on housing estates
• Adult social care and discretionary freedom passes for adults with mental health problems
• Street cleaning and repairs
• The noise nuisance service
• The Faith Engagement Programme

What is the alternative?

• Bring the failing Lambeth Living ALMO (the external housing management firm) back in house, saving millions
  
• Cut all senior management pay – the chief executive earns £270k a year, enough to staff an entire library!
• Reduce council fuel bills by making our schools, libraries and other buildings more energy efficient
• Reduce the millions spent on expensive private-sector consultants
  
• Use council reserves to reduce the impact of the front-loading of the cuts and allow time to make improvements
• Cut down on glossy PR and council spin
• Work more closely with other public sector bodies to cut admin costs

Protest against the cuts - demo this Saturday!

Join us in Brixton this Saturday 30th October to protest against the coalition government's brutal cuts. These cuts are unprecedented in scale, will wreck local services and will hit the poorest hardest.

The demonstration - in Windrush Square, central Brixton, from 12:30 - has been called by Lambeth Save Our Services, Right to Work, NUT, Unison, UCU, Lambeth Pensioners and Lambeth Green Party.

Greens are strongly opposed to the government's cuts programme. We take the deficit seriously, but rather than getting the economy back on its feet the government's plans risk making things much worse by putting huge numbers of people out of work, reducing vital services and making the poorest and most vulnerable people pay most.

Instead of cutting vital services the Council could make savings in the following areas:

• Reducing salaries for top council executives - A number of senior council employees are paid more than £100,000 per year. Greens say the public sector cannot afford to pay such exorbitant salaries at a time when vital services are under threat
• Saving money by conserving energy - Big cash savings are possible if we make our schools, libraries and other council buildings more energy efficient
• Reducing administrative and management costs by co-operating with other public sector services
• Reducing money spent on expensive consultants, glossy PR and spin

Read more about the Green Party's policies on the cuts here.

You can't believe everything you read

Have you seen the 'Election address' editions of Labour News that are doing the rounds for the council elections? The Herne Hill one has the grand headline 'TWO HORSE RACE IN HERNE HILL - Only Labour can beat the Tories', accompanied by an unreferenced graph, with no scale, suggesting that in Herne Hill Ward Labour have approx 45% of support, the Tories around 40% and the Liberals around 15% (my estimates, based on the sizes of the 3 bars) - and no mention of the Greens.

I'm one of the Green Party candidates in Herne Hill. In the last local election we got 36.7% of the vote (aggregated over 3 candidates), to Labour's 37.3%, and one of our candidates (Becca Thackray) got elected with more votes than any of the Labour candidates. The Conservatives came a distant third with just 16%.

We've asked Labour for an explanation for where they got the figures from and why we're not even featured on their graph.

So far we've received two different stories. First, they tried to tell us the graph was based on the results of the London Mayor election, but then we pointed out that in Herne Hill Ward 58% of people voted for Ken and only 21% for Boris - hardly a tight 'two-horse race'. Now their election agent has told us the graph is "an illustration of our view of the respective strengths of the three main national parties in this area." In other words, they've made it up!

At risk of engaging in boring old Punch-and-Judy politics, these Labour lies really are breathtaking. Not only are they pretending we don't exist - which you'd think was brazen enough seeing as we've already got one councillor in Herne Hill Ward - but they're also fabricating data. The reason? To mislead voters.

No wonder people despair of politicians.

Record number of Greens to vote for in Lambeth

Just a few days after the news that a record number of Green candidates will fight the General Election, I’m very happy to report that we’ve also achieved our own mini milestone here in Lambeth.

On 6th May, there will be 63 Greens standing in the local elections in the borough – our first full slate of candidates.

It may sound like quite a small triumph, but the Greens are not like other parties – we don’t have enormous sums of money to spend, and although we have many hard-working and dedicated members, this doesn’t automatically translate into having 63 would-be councillors ready to put themselves forward for election.

What does it mean to have a full slate? Well, it means that we can now test ourselves in a direct head-to-head with the three main parties.

In the last European elections we came 4th across Lambeth, but had we polled just 1.6% more we would have come second, ahead of both the Lib Dems and the Tories.

And in the last local elections we came second in 5 wards out of 21 and a close third in many other areas. With 63 candidates we’ve every chance of doubling our vote, pushing the Tories into 4th place borough-wide, and – who knows? – even giving the LibDems something to think about.

Of course, we’re not just interested in being triumphant runners up. The big picture for us is about how many councillors we can get elected. We’ve been targeting Herne Hill and Brixton Hill wards, where we’re getting a fantastic response from local residents. I think people see us as a breath of fresh air and something, finally, to get excited about in local politics.

If you’d like to get involved, or to hear more about our campaign, please do drop us an email.

Call for Green and Black people to register to vote

Shane Collins, Green Party Parlimentary Candidate for Dulwich and West
Norwood presented Rev Al Sharpton with a Brixton pound at the Operation
Black Vote 'Register to Vote' meeting Thursday 21st Jan at Friends
Meeting House in Euston.

Shane said 'The Rev Sharpton comes from Harlem, the spiritual home of
Marcus Garvey and his message of keeping economic power in the community
is more relevant than ever today with the corporate takeover of much of
our lives. This message has been taken up by Transition Town as
exemplified by the Brixton Pound which i was proud to present to the Rev
Sharpton'.

'Voter registration amongst the black community is around only 45% in
younger age groups, similar to the black youth unemployment rate. There
is a connection. Black and green people have the power to change the
results in the local and general elections but only if registered and
voting.

'So remember Rosa Parks, honour Nelson Mandela, take heart from President
Obama and register to vote by contacting your Town Hall or
www.electoralcommission.org.uk. Remember racists register and racists
vote.' For elections on 6th May the deadline to register is 20th April.

Quote from Rev Sharpton speech

“How you define yourself is how you confine yourself. You have all this
technology, Facebook, Twitter, Blackberry’s. And you can’t get ten black
Britons to go and vote?

“At a time when we can elect Presidents, there is no excuse for us to be
sitting down and not doing anything, and avoid recognising that it’s a
new time.”

Loughborough Junction Action Group – Get Involved!

The new Loughborough Junction Action Group is holding its next meeting on Monday 16 February at 8pm at the Harry Caddick Centre, 63 Lilford Road (on the corner between Lilford Road and Carew Street).

Anyone local or interested in supporting the Loughborough Junction area is encouraged to go along. The more people who attend the more we'll be able to create change for the area.

• Current working groups include:
  Promotion, PR, website and visual identity
• Trees and greenery
• Public realm, waste and road safety
• Arts and LJ events
• Railways and bridges

If you have any suggestions/ thoughts or would like to help out on a specific theme, please contact Elise.

A Living Wage for Lambeth

Lambeth's Green Party councillor, Becca Thackray, has successfully passed a motion to commit the London Borough of Lambeth to paying a ‘Living Wage’ for all its employees.

However, a wrecking amendment put forward by Labour means that the Council can continue underpaying hundreds of staff who work for the Borough as contractors. These include cleaners, security/reception staff and labourers, many of whom are paid much less than regular Council staff.

The original motion stated that, "Lambeth Council reaffirms its support for the establishment of the London Living Wage, set at a level calculated by the Living Wage Unit to avoid the 'working poverty trap' in the capital, a situation affecting around 400,000 Londoners who are paid less than can reasonably fund the basic costs of living in London."

By watering the motion down, Labour have let down precisely those working people who they claim to represent. Their rhetoric about helping the people of Lambeth get through the recession will sound particularly hollow to those earning poverty wages on Labour-run Lambeth contracts.

Urban Green Fair

Bake Oven at Urban Green Fair

Join us for a festival with a difference. Learn about current environmental issues and solutions, discover practical innovations in sustainable living and reducing climate change and, of course, have fun!

An ideal family event, with films, talks in the social justice zone and energy transition zone, workshops, kids activities, stalls, sunshine and unusual bicycles. With no bars or big stages the emphasis is on education and communication. A chance to share ideas, meet familiar faces and make new friends.

With little government action on peak oil and climate change there is plenty to discuss and lots we can do as individuals.

Click here to find out more.

In The News

New Labour's Climate Change figures do not seem to be scrupulously accurate (The Guardian)

Worries over plans for Granville Arcade (South London Press)

Streatham's Labour councillors can't tell the difference between their party and the Tories any more(thisislocallondon)

Green Party launch London campaign (Green Party)

Brixton Tesco wants to be even bigger (South London Press)

Green Light for Lambeth Recycling

But more needs to be done

View Full Details
Lambeth exceeded its recycling targets this year with nearly a quarter of all household waste being recycled or composted. In 2008, energy-saving lightbulbs will join the long list of items that Lambeth residents can get recycled.

Becca Thackray, green party councillor for the Herne Hill war said: ‘It’s great news that we passed our targets for 2006/7, but more needs to be done. A proper recycling regime keeps our Borough beautiful, reduces waste and saves money. Bexley managed to recycle 40% of their waste last year, and that’s the kind of level we should be looking to achieve.”

We've created a rather fine map of Lambeth's recycling facilities to help you with your own personal targets, which you can see above.

Lambeth Green Party Launch New Website

And We Need Your Help

The new Lambeth Green Party website is live, and it includes this blog. We want to make it the most useful tool possible for anyone who lives in the Borough.

Please get in touch if there's anything you think we should have on there.

In the long run, we want dedicated areas of the site for Brixton, Clapham, Kennington, Waterloo, Herne Hill, West Norwood, Crystal Palace and Streatham. Drop us a line if there's a great organic greengrocers, a useful recycling service, or an important community organisation you'd like us to link to.