Local crime maps

The 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 the maps 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 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.

Using the controls to zoom in you can see crime figures in more details for small groups of streets. In our area, Knights Hill, the recorded levels of crime varied from 'Low or no crime' to 'Average' during August.

Local Action Team Member Nicholas Rogers 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."

What do you think about crime mapping? Get in touch and let us know.

Supporting parents in push for local primary school places

Carl, Nicholas and Ed are backing the parent-led campaign for a new primary school in West Norwood or Streatham.

In September the parents of 67 children from the area were denied a place in any of the three primary schools they applied for. They were eventually placed in emergency classes in Kingswood Primary in Gipsy Hill and Elmwood School in West Norwood, but parents need a long term solution for the crisis and Conservative councillors are supporting their calls for action.

Parents are due to meet education officials soon, hoping a solution can be found in time for September 2009. It is hoped the meeting will lead to a solution that fixes the "black hole" in primary school places in the area.

Conservative councillor Suzanne Poole is chair of Lambeth Council's cross-party education scrutiny committee and she has been working with parents to identify potential sites for new schools in the area.

Carl says: "We are supporting calls for the council to increase the number of primary school places available to children in Norwood and Streatham.

"Eight years ago the Labour-run Council merged several schools, selling some of the sites to property developers, and since then the problem has been getting worse. A permanent solution is needed and it's time for the Council to start looking at sites for a new primary school in Norwood."

Planning Application: 17-23 Canterbury Grove, West Norwood SE27 0NT

London & Quadrant Housing Trust has submitted a new planning application for the disused industrial site in Canterbury Grove - just south of the railway line. The new plans would replace the existing buildings with:

• 35 residential units (4 x 1 bed, 23 x 2 bed and 8 x 3 bed units);
• 4 class B1 units (i.e. businesses that are suitable for a residential area);
• 10 car parking spaces (including 4 disabled spaces);
• 1 light goods vehicle parking space; and
  
• 34 cycle parking spaces.

It is important for this site to be redeveloped, but in our view this must be done in a way that is sympathetic to the surrounding area. Lambeth's Planning Committee turned down an application earlier this year, and local residents raised a number of concerns about the scale of the building and parking provision. Measures to improve security have also been mentioned.

CLICK HERE for more information about the application on Lambeth Council's website or visit West Norwood Library for copies of the full plans. You can also see a comparison of the existing and proposed side elevations viewed from Canterbury Grove and Bloom Grove to provide an initial idea of the new design by CLICKING HERE.

We would also like to know what think about these new proposals. Get in touch by sending an email to info@knightshillconservatives.com or write to our FREEPOST address (no stamp required):

Knights Hill Action Team
FREEPOST SE5180
London SE27 9BP

The official consultation closes on Tuesday 21st October 2008 and all comments should be sent to: Lambeth Planning, Phoenix House, 10 Wandsworth Road, London SW8 2LL.

Lambeth Peace Month 2008

Throughout September, Lambeth Council is running a month long programme of events to coincide with the London Week of Peace (14 to 21 September 2008).

The aim of Lambeth Peace Month is to bring our diverse communities closer together, help address fear of crime and conflict and to get to the heart of some serious challenges facing our communities.

The programme for 2008 focuses specifically on young people with a range of events across the borough aimed at and delivered by young people within their community. There are also a range of events aimed at all ages and families.

Events are being held across the borough, with several taking place in Knights Hill ward and nearby. Details of local events are below and you can view the full programme by CLICKING HERE.

Friday 5 September - LGBT open event
Time: 7pm onwards
Venue: Ego, 82 Norwood High Street, West Norwood SE27 9NW
Opportunity for members of the LGBT community to meet representatives from the Metropolitan Police and LGBT support agencies.

Friday 12 September - Pyramid Youth Theatre: Don’t Believe the Hype!
Time: 7pm
Venue: Nettlefold Hall, West Norwood SE27 9JX
A musical play written and devised by Pyramid Youth Theatre under the artistic direction of Suzann McLean and musical direction of Jordan Xavier. Don’t judge a book by its cover. Five young people have been living their lives through fake identities and causing rife on the streets. Why? Peer pressure, fitting in and acceptance. If they were to be truthful about who they are, then the risk to their lives would be too great. The only way to survive is to keep up the disguise… or so they think… everything comes out in the wash… because the truth will set you free… or will it?

Sunday 21 September - UK Unsigned
Time: 6pm to 10pm
Venue: Old Library Centre, 14-16 Knights Hill, West Norwood SE27 0HY
Talent showcase to give young people the opportunity top perform and express their own views artistically on challenging violence in the community.

If you contact the council team responsible for organising these events , please email peacemonth@lambeth.gov.uk.

Labour blasted over failure on primary school places

The shortage of primary school places in Labour-run Lambeth has reached a critical level. Almost 200 children due to start their reception year in September don't have a place at a local school, with many forced to accept schools more than 3 miles away.

More than 500 signatures have been collected by concerned parents in a bid to force the Council to take action, but Labour councillors in Knights Hill failed to attend an important meeting on the issue earlier this week. In contrast, Conservative councillor Suzanne Poole has been working very closely with the affected parents to seek a solution - not just for this year but for the years ahead.

Local campaigner Ed Watkins said: "Labour is failing families with young children. Parents have done the right thing by applying for a place at local schools, but now Town Hall bureaucrats are telling them to send their children several miles every day."

Between 1998 and 2002 Labour councillors closed three primary schools to save money, selling the sites to housing developers. Since then a local population boom has put a huge strain on the borough's schools but the Council is not doing enought to fix the problem.

The Government recommends that that each education authority should maintain 'spare capacity' of 7%, but in Lambeth that figure is only 1%.

Last year an additional class was put into one of the schools, but now the problem is even greater it's being taken away and not replaced.

Cash and carry planning application for old college site

A planning application has been submitted to build a large cash and carry warehouse on the Knights Hill former college site.

Local residents, led by Graham Pycock, a Conservative Councillor for Gipsy Hill ward, have continued to campaign for the site to be designated for high-quality housing, as promised when the college was knocked down in 1998

Sadly, Lambeth Council insists that the site is retained for industrial use, even though Chapel Road and Knights Hill are essentially residential and the site has been empty for ten years.

Chapel Road is already gridlocked on a daily basis and Knights Hill is a major through road. Vehicle entrances are planned on both. Absurdly, the application includes a community hall, which threatens late-night events at weekends. This may be a sham to provide for warehouse expansion later.

Carl says: "Conservatives have consistently called for low-rise housing on the site, not industrial use."

Norwood Hall plans must benefit our community

Carl and Ed are supporting local residents who have been campaigning to bring the derelict Norwood Hall back into community use.

Talks are at an advanced stage between Lambeth Council and the NHS to use the building as a 'resource centre'. This could involve moving local GP services to the building, alongside council services and a police link.

Ed says: "The future of Norwood Hall must involve the local community. We're pressing for a proper consultation on Norwood's health services and the use of this important site."

Pictured: Carl and Ed outside Norwood Hall on Knights Hill.