Lambeth stands united

Thankfully we have not seen any more of the violent disorder that we saw two weeks ago. However, the police and Lambeth Council remain on high alert. The emphasis has been on keeping services running and ensuring that everyone is as safe as possible. All sections of the community have said the same thing - that there is absolutely no justification for this vandalism and looting. What has been heart warming is the positive community spirit and willingness of people to help each other. Some of the positive initiatives that have come from the disturbing events have been:  

·  Cleaning up and getting back to normal – the job of Council staff is to get the borough back to normal as quickly as possible so people can get on with their lives, and they have risen to the challenge. The council will offer all the support it can to the police with their investigations, and to local residents and businesses that have been affected to get them back on their feet.

·  Re-invigorated our ‘Community Freshview’ scheme - if you would like to take an active role in improving your neighbourhood, you could get involved with a Community Freshview. These activities are led by residents who want to make a difference in the local area. All ideas are considered, as long as the activity will help to renew a sense of pride in your neighbourhood.  If you want more information or to find out about groups in your local area contact the Freshview team on 020 7926 0524 or email freshview@lambeth.gov.uk or talk to one of your ward councillors.

·  Lambeth Champions - In order to show that Lambeth is about recognising success and the great work that people do the Council has launched a ‘Lambeth Champions scheme’. This is an opportunity to recognise individuals that have made a difference to their community or neighbourhood. If you know of anyone that you think deserves to be recognised then send their name and about a 150 word supporting statement to Lambethchampions@lambeth.gov.uk or send to me directly.   

Stay safe

You may notice an increase in the number of police officers but this should not be cause for alarm. It is important that residents can keep safe and we are working with the police to bring people involved in violence and vandalism to justice. We have already provided a large amount of CCTV coverage and a number of those arrested have already been through the magistrates’ court. The best advice we can give residents is to

·  Keep yourself safe and keep an eye out for neighbours and relatives – make sure you plan your journeys before setting off and avoid confronting people on the street

·  Make sure that you know what your children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces are doing so that they are safe

·  Support your local businesses when doing your shopping and make sure they are alright

·  Contacting the police - In the event of an emergency, call 999, in a non emergency, call the police on 101

·  If you are aware of the identities of anyone involved in the disturbances or looting and you wish to remain anonymous you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

Councillor Paul McGlone

Ferndale ward

Letter to David Cameron from Lambeth leader Steve Reed

Rt Hon David Cameron MP
Prime Minister’s office
10 Downing Street
London
SW1A 2AA

12 August 2011

TACKLING YOUTH CRIME

Dear Prime Minister,

Following your statement to the House of Commons, I thought it was important and pertinent to write to you.

The recent outbreaks of vandalism and violence have been deeply upsetting to people here in Lambeth.   However in Lambeth I have been heartened by the positive response of our local community and the speed with which the police brought in additional support. I would also add that their relations with the community have been improving over many years and we are absolutely committed to developing this going forward.

You stated your personal commitment to address the issue of gang culture and to find solutions to the underlying issues that see sections of our community disengaged from their neighbours and the wider community. Lambeth has a major challenge in relation to gang culture and we have implemented a range of innovative solutions. However we see this as the right time to create a closer working relationship and want to ask for your support and involvement in addressing these issues here in Lambeth.

The gang culture is clearly not the sole source of the troubles but it is held up by others as a symbol of disengagement and enhances a culture of disaffection.  We have had a number of successes through our X-it programme, supporting community initiatives and the Young and Safe strategy. However creating longer term sustainable change is very challenging and we have seen a number of deaths this year in relation to gang related violence. You will recall the tragic incident of the 5 year old girl, Thusha Kamaleswaran, caught up in a recent shooting incident who survived but was left paralysed.

In response to this incident and others, I called a summit comprising of community leaders, the police, faith leaders, schools, youth workers and health teams.  The summit made it clear that there are no simple answers to what makes less than 1% of our young people turn to violence. These troubled young people are very few in number but the impact of their life choices reverberates across the borough.

We are working to tackle violent youth crime by creating a new partnership between the community, the council, the police and other statutory agencies that will allow the community to take the lead in finding local solutions that keep young people and their communities safe.  This is a radical departure from top-down imposed approaches that, experience shows, have only limited impact because they do not recognise the differences between communities and neighbourhoods and do not empower those most affected by the consequences of violent offending.

We will continue to take strong and decisive action and I would really welcome the opportunity to meet with you to talk through the challenges and explore how your personal commitment to tackle the issues involved can be realised here in Lambeth.


Yours sincerely,
Steve Reed
Leader of Lambeth Council
Telephone: 020 7926 1166
E-Mail: sreed@lambeth.gov.uk

A week can be a long time in politics...

August is usually called the ‘silly season’ as politicians go on their summer holidays and the media turns to the weird and wonderful for their reports.  It’s safe to say that August 2011 will be remembered for more somber events.  Before I mention the riots, however, I have been out and about in Ferndale ward and would like to share with you some highlights of the past week…

Last Wednesday, I attended a political briefing led by my colleague Councillor Rachel Heywood, who leads on Community Safety, to discuss the Council's approach to violent crime, especially youth crime. This followed a meeting the week before of a newly established Lambeth 'Community Leaders Forum' made up of community and faith leaders who will work together to agree common actions.

On Thursday, I met with senior council officers from the Regeneration Team to discuss the idea of a new 'area plan' for the wider Acre Lane area.  This is to help the local community shape planning policy and influence future local planning decisions.

On Friday morning, having requested a meeting with residents, council officers and representatives of Sainsbury's at their mini store on Clapham High Street, I demanded that Sainsbury’s stops storing its trolleys outside residential areas on Aristotle Road. Officers will need to reach a formal agreement with Sainsbury's, but I feel that these corporate entities can be very arrogant in believing they can do what they like and it is a shame that I had to get involved before Sainsbury’s would listen to local residents’ complaints.  

I spent Saturday morning campaigning in Streatham on the issue of shortage of primary school places and the failure of the Coalition Government to give Lambeth sufficient capital funding to urgently expand our schools.

On Monday evening I attended a site visit at the old Fulham Timber Yard on Acre Lane with Genesis Housing Association and local residents. Genesis have had a year to consult the 50+ households who are directly affected and surround this site in Plato Road, Ashmere Grove and Linom Road. Genesis propose to developed 60 homes for social housing, but they have not treated existing residents interests who have a common 'boundary wall' with anything like the respect they deserve. The issue goes to Planning Committee on the 16th of August.  

Riots

The biggest news story in recent days concerns the riots and disturbances which started in Tottenham on Saturday night and spread across London, including Brixton over the following two nights.  Lambeth's emergency planning procedures are well rehearsed and were quickly put into action as rioting took hold in Brixton on Sunday night.  On Monday, accompanied by much media attention, Lambeth Council Leader Steve Reed and the Chief Executive as well as many community leaders met in the Town Hall to discuss what had happened.  The reaction of those present was a firm, united belief that community relations in Lambeth are strong and can withstand this attack on our local community.

Local residents showing it is 'business
as usual' in Brixton.

I have been on several walkabouts in central Brixton over the last few days and know that the local residents I meet on the street or communicate with via emails and phone calls are very concerned for their safety and are looking for assurances from the Council and police that they will be safe.  However, they are also very clear that Brixton is a lovely place to live and that they want everyone to pull together to help Brixton recover quickly.  Local businesses have mostly reacted with a desire to return to 'business as usual' as quickly as possible.  As soon as the police removed the barriers from the cordoned off area in Brixton 5.30pm on Monday evening, Lambeth Street cleaning services quickly cleared away broken glass and rubbish and bus and traffic returned to normal.

The burned out 'Foot Locker' store
in Brixton

However, the images of the burned out 'Foot Locker' Store, smashed or broken shop windows and boarded up shops are a stark reminder of how easy it is to destroy what we take for granted as our local Brixton Town Centre.

Councillor Paul McGlone

Ferndale ward

Disorder and looting in Brixton - message to Ferndale community representatives and groups

Brixton is a strong and united community that utterly condemns the scenes we saw last night. People were shocked and appalled by the vandalism and hooliganism we witnessed and this kind of criminal behaviour has absolutely no place in our community.

Let’s be very clear that this is simply opportunistic criminal activity that has no justification whatsoever - it’s criminal disorder not riots. Relations between the community and police today are strong, and this incident will not undermine the huge progress made over the past decades.

We are now determined that the borough gets back to normal as quickly as possible and will be offering all the support we can to the police and reassurance to local people and businesses.

Please also see a message from the Leader of the Council, Cllr Steve Reed.

http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/News/2011/080811AMessageFromCouncillorSteveReed.htm

Please feel free to contact any of us if you have any concerns or questions.

Regards,

Councillors Paul McGlone, Sally Prentice and Neil Sabharwal

Ferndale ward

Brixton riots: Joint statement from the three party leaders on Lambeth council

8 August 2011

Joint statement from the Three Party Leaders on Lambeth Council

"Brixton is a strong and united community that over recent years has benefited from strong community relations and sensitive policing.

The vandalism and looting by a tiny minority in Brixton and Streatham last night has no place in our community and everyone we have spoken to has been united in their condemnation of this behavior.

Our job now is to get the borough back to normal as quickly as possible so people can get on with their lives. The community in Lambeth is strong and resilient and last night’s incidents will not damage that.

All three parties on the Council unequivocally condemn the mindless violence and looting we saw last night, and offer our support to the people and businesses that were affected."

Cllr Steve Reed                               Cllr Ashley Lumsden                          Cllr John Whelan

Leader of the Labour Group         Leader of the Liberal Democrat         Leader of the Conservative Group