Lambeth Community Strategy
Consultation Draft
February 2004
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................ 3
Facts about Lambeth............................................................................................... 6
Creating a Cleaner and
Greener Environment.................................................. 8
Making Safer Communities.................................................................................. 10
Investing in Children and
Young People.......................................................... 12
Supporting Healthy Citizens................................................................................ 14
Building Better Homes.......................................................................................... 16
Encouraging Enterprise,
Employment and Culture...................................... 18
North Lambeth......................................................................................................... 21
Clapham and Stockwell........................................................................................ 23
Brixton....................................................................................................................... 25
Norwood................................................................................................................... 27
Streatham.................................................................................................................. 29
Appendix One – Action Plan................................................................................ 31
Introduction
Purpose of the Strategy and Action Plan
The Lambeth Community Strategy sets out the long-term vision for the borough to 2015. The strategy and the accompanying action plan are designed to promote the social, economic and environmental well being of our residents. It provides a framework for joined up solutions and brings together existing plans and partnerships in Lambeth, helping to co-ordinate the delivery of services and share information more easily. It establishes a mechanism for planning for change and acts as a link between social, economic and environmental improvement.
The strategy is one phase of a continuous process. Future phases will be about delivery and continuous improvement. The current phase of setting out a strategy will enable us to use our existing resources better and allow access to sources of funding for improving Lambeth.
Our Vision
Lambeth will be an inclusive place where people are treated with fairness and respect. We will maximise the opportunities the borough can offer for the benefit of individuals, communities and Lambeth as a whole.
Lambeth 2015
By 2015 the
The population and its density will increase with accompanying pressures on land, open spaces, transport, infrastructure and housing type and prices.
Lambeth will be a younger place with high levels of diversity. Two changes will develop – some parts of the borough will become more diverse, while other parts will continue the trend of gentrification. This could potentially lead to greater disparities between rich and poor.
All of these factors will have a huge impact on services – how we are going to provide them, where they will be provided and how well they are delivered.
This Strategy will manage the risks associated with these changes and enable us to respond flexibly to the changes and opportunities in Lambeth.
Our Partnership
Lambeth First, the Lambeth Local Strategic Partnership (LSP), brings together the Council, the Police, Primary Care Trust, the community and voluntary sector, Lambeth College, local businesses, Jobcentre Plus, faith organisations, the Tenant’s Council, housing associations and resident representatives of the five town centres in the borough.
Governance and Accountability
The Lambeth Community Strategy sets out the shared commitment of the Council and its partners for the borough. The government requires every borough to produce a Community Strategy. The strategy must describe how partners will promote economic, social and environmental wellbeing, give a long-term direction for the borough and include an Action Plan for delivery.
This Strategy is based on what our residents tell us are their priorities – the environment, community safety, children and young people, healthier citizens, better housing and encouraging enterprise, employment and culture. The Strategy sets out a long-term direction for Lambeth up to 2015. The Action Plan will help us begin delivering these long-term objectives.
Lambeth Council is responsible for the performance management of the Community Strategy. As the lead authority the council will ensure objectives are realistic and achievable and the action plan clearly establishes how to meet these objectives.
A lack of joint working at the local level is one of the key reasons for a lack of progress in delivering sustainable economic, social and physical regeneration in Lambeth and this strategy will help us to work more closely.
Delivering the Strategy
This strategy will be judged not by what it says but by what it achieves. Our residents want to see the objectives we have set turned into an action plan delivering positive results.
There are three aspects to delivering the plan:
· Locally co-ordinated action,
· Quality services, and
· Active citizens,
Locally co-ordinated action
Services working together and working with residents will deliver better results.
There is already a lot of locally co-ordinated action – for instance, we have neighbourhood safety teams, town centre teams, local regeneration partnerships and voluntary sector networks and projects. The police, council and voluntary organisations are working effectively to improve community safety at the local level. Community-led initiatives, responding to local needs and solving local problems are a real strength of the partners in Lambeth First.
In many areas we are already working successfully at a local and area level – for example the Safer Estates Task Force has police, youth and community safety workers and housing staff is based on a local estate responding to residents’ needs. Local housing associations working to regenerate the estate are also involved. As well as estate-level work, joint service centres, town centre teams and housing Area Offices, are all successful examples of integrated service delivery.
Quality services
Providing high quality services is the most important work of every public authority. We must build and maintain an infrastructure that works – healthcare, environmental improvement, good quality housing, proper transport systems and excellent education for our children.
Culturally sensitive services are vital and access to information and services by electronic and digital means are just as important. All our services must be accessible to people regardless of their background – services that give our residents value for money must be accessible and draw upon our commitment to equality.
Services are increasingly being challenged to enable access through computer networks and there is great opportunity to use electronic information and communication in a more collaborative manner.
Many of our services are working in innovative ways to increase access to their services. There is a major opportunity, through partnership working, to pool this expertise and develop shared approaches.
Active citizens
The communities of Lambeth have a long and proud history of voluntary involvement. Residents have told us how much they value being involved in developing the strategy and continuing to be involved as the plan moves from development to action. The amount of time people freely give to their community is impressive and underlines the importance of voluntary and community activity.
We have a strong culture of people helping themselves – for example refugees and newly arrived residents. There are already a series of networks and forums encouraging activity and involvement across Lambeth. Some are based on community locations such as Area Committees and Forums, some on shared interest such as Tenants’ and Leaseholders’ Councils and the Public and Patient Involvement initiatives of the Health Trusts.
Providing services that support communities to help themselves and enable them to work together will be the most effective way of delivering change.
Short Term Priorities
Action: Ensure that
effective partnership and delivery arrangements are in place to deliver the
Community Strategy.
Action: Develop
a performance management framework for delivery of the Community Strategy.
Action: Maximise
the physical opportunities for joint service delivery.
Action: Increase
the delivery of services by electronic means.
Action: Ensure
inclusion and equality in the implementation of the Community Strategy.
Action: Involve
users in the development and delivery of services.
Action: Promote
collective action, self-help and volunteering.
For more information on this strategy see Lambeth First’s website at www.lambethfirst.org.uk or contact Ian Jackson on 020 7926 2462.
Facts about Lambeth
Lambeth is a place of contrasts. World-famous tourist landmarks sit alongside some of the poorest areas in the country. Diversity and tolerance for others are hallmarks of the area. Vibrant nightlife, bars and restaurants attract people to the borough. Crime, poverty and deprivation are problems to be solved, but there is a lot to be proud of in Lambeth.
Our streets are cleaner. Our schools are improving faster than the national average. New schools are being built. Crime is coming down. The creative and cultural industries are growing, with music companies, design companies and artists’ spaces proliferating.
Reducing inequality is a key aim for the partners in Lambeth First – and can only be achieved by cutting unemployment, tackling crime, improving the environment, raising educational achievement and reducing ill health.
We want to celebrate and promote Lambeth, showing its potential for investment. Most importantly, we want our residents and others to know what we’re doing to make Lambeth a safe and thriving place to live.
People
· 266,170 people live in Lambeth
· 118,440 households in the borough
· 38% of our residents are from minority ethnic communities
· 45% of people are aged between 20 and 39
Lambeth has the largest population of the inner
Housing
· 41% live in council or housing association properties
· 22% live in private rented homes
· 37% own their own home
Households with one person, not on a pension, far outnumber any other type of household.
Children and Young People
· 72 primary schools, 10 secondary schools
· 157 languages spoken in schools
More places are being created at the secondary school
level. New facilities are being built at St.Martin-in-the-Fields in Tulse Hill,
Healthy Citizens
· Population density of 99.2 people per hectare
· Life expectancy of 70 years for men and 80 years for women
· 71% of residents describe themselves as being in good health
Safer Communities
· Street crime down 42% since 2002
· Crime still the biggest concern for Lambeth residents
Crime in Lambeth remains high compared to the rest of
central
A Cleaner and Greener Environment
· 64 parks and open spaces
·
Five major transport hubs
including
· 85% of street lighting needs replacing
Enterprise
· 46% of Lambeth residents are in full time employment
· 9,200 businesses in Lambeth
· 53% of all jobs in the borough are in the Cultural and Creative Industrial (CCI) sector - the CCI sector in the borough generates £654 million each year.
· Retail and hospitality (hotel, restaurants and bar) are the fastest growing sectors in Lambeth accounting for 19% of all employment,
· Business and financial services accounts for 28% of all jobs.
Creating a Cleaner and Greener Environment
We will create and maintain well-designed,
safe, clean and accessible public realm. We will promote
a high-quality, integrated public transport network.
The quality of Lambeth’s environment is improving. But it needs to remain a priority where it is in poor condition. A low quality environment undermines the confidence of our residents and business and gives rise to crime.
Lambeth residents care about their environment and want to see their neighbourhoods improved, made safer, and more accessible.
In the recent residents’ survey, there was great dissatisfaction (56%) with the quality of our roads and pavements. Half of all the households in Lambeth don’t own a car, so it is understandable that residents also place improved public transport services high on their agenda. The need for improvement becomes particularly important when looking at the figures for car ownership:
· In wards such as Coldharbour, Vassall, Stockwell and Larkhall up to 89% of households don’t have a car;
· Over 80% of the borough’s pensioners and 62% of Lambeth’s lone parents don’t have a car;
· Three quarters of people in employment rely on public transport to get to work.
Car ownership is decreasing. Many households have a choice and now choose alternative means of transport such as walking and cycling. More people than ever need safe and accessible routes to reach the public transport network and ideally this should be close to their homes.
But Lambeth is dominated by routes serving
This isn’t just a local problem. Action is needed across
Many areas need substantial work to improve the environment. Streets are poorly lit and littered. Parks and open spaces need major investment. Roads and pavements are in serious need of repair. An environment like this undermines the confidence of residents and business and fosters crime.
In Lambeth 85% of the street lighting is below the national standard. The quality of lighting impinges directly on people’s perception of safety and where lighting is poor the fear of crime grows. Continued effort and investment in the quality of the public realm is needed to create and maintain safe, accessible, well designed attractive street environment.
· We will begin a programme of replacing 80% of Lambeth’s public lighting in April 2004, using £35.2m of government funds.
· We must continue to invest in street cleaning to create and maintain a safe, accessible, well-designed and attractive street environment.
· We need to lobby to improve the current transport network and improve the quality of services. Better integration, reliability, accessibility, safety and availability day and night will help improve our public transport system.
Lambeth manages over 64 open and green spaces,
representing an average of 9.87 square metres per person. This is low compared
to the national standard of 24 square metres per person. It’s a problem that
directly affects the health and wellbeing of our residents, especially in wards
such as
Our work to increase recycling in Lambeth is expanding. For example, the Lambeth Total Recycling pilot scheme began in October, covering 500 residents in the Clapham area. Despite the availability of local recycling facilities, before the scheme got underway residents were recycling in line with the borough average of 10.6 per cent of their rubbish. Four weeks later, a massive 50 per cent of the rubbish was being recycled.
Strategic Objectives
Objective: Establish a safe, accessible and attractive transport network prioritising walking, cycling, and public transport.
Objective: Improve local street and environmental cleanliness (BV199).
Objective: Improve environmental quality in Town Centres, around transport hubs, on estates and along transport corridors.
Objective: Promote and encourage good quality urban design.
Objective: Extend the range of recycling facilities.
Objective: Protect and enhance open and green space.
Objective: Improve the condition of highways and footways.
Short Term Priorities
Action: Introduce
new cleansing service.
Action: Introduce additional and improved
roadside arrangements for recycling.
Action: Commence street lighting replacement programme.
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Making Safer Communities
We will reduce crime and the fear of crime.
Crime in Lambeth is falling. Increased policing and concerted action by the Council, voluntary agencies and local communities have begun to make a difference. There is now a clear and sustained downward trend in street crime, burglaries, drug offences and motor vehicle crimes.
But crime remains high. The intensity of action and effort needs to be sustained.
Reducing crime and the fear of crime is a critical factor
in transforming the quality of life and well being of our residents. Crime affects
everyone, determining how people view their homes and neighbourhoods and
affecting the choices made in daily life. Crime has stigmatised Lambeth,
effecting our outside reputation and limiting our potential to attract
investment and take advantage of the opportunities of the borough’s central
Domestic violence in Lambeth is shockingly high. In 2002-03 there were 4,184 domestic violence offences, six of which were murders. In 2003-04 there have been 3,372 offences.
Equally shocking, women suffer on average 35 incidents of domestic violence before going to the police. Reducing domestic violence means enabling and encouraging victims to come forward. We need to increase the rate of reporting, using awareness campaigns, education, information and prevention measures.
Burglary and Street Crime are still high. In this year there have been 2,818 burglaries and 3,305 incidents of Street Crime. Good partnership working has already had an impact in reducing these figures but we are clear that reducing these crimes needs to be a key objective of this Strategy.
Lambeth is unique and diverse – and we do not accept racist or homophobic crime. We will reduce hate crime through increased reporting and preventative partnership working. Victims of these crimes frequently believe that nothing can or will be done and we need to work hard to change this perception.
We have had notable success against crack cocaine in the borough, but this momentum must be maintained to keep it off our streets. The council’s housing and legal teams will support police and other agencies in the campaign against crack.
Transport hubs in Lambeth are crime ‘hot spots’. Of all the people arrested by local police and referred on for drug related issues, half come from outside Lambeth. There is a perception that Lambeth is a place to buy drugs. We must reduce the drugs market, improve the environment around transport hubs, improve the treatment services available – and work to change the image of the borough.
On our housing estates we need to work together to reduce crime, antisocial behaviour and environmental degradation. The Safer Estates Task Force, launched in November 2003, shows how effective joint working can be when agencies act together, providing resources concentrating on reducing crime and the fear of crime on our housing estates.
Unfortunately, young people are disproportionately represented as both victims and perpetrators of crime in Lambeth. Drugs, violence and theft are the main offences. We must reduce young people’s involvement in crime through Improved educational attainment, support for the most vulnerable young people and increasing out of school hours activities. For example, summer and half term youth activities in 2003 reduced street crime in Lambeth by 20% on the same period in 2002 when these activities were not available.
Over the next 10 years all the partners involved in Lambeth’s Community Strategy, including local residents, will work together to reduce crime. We know that success will come from a number of approaches.
· Using our excellent data, so we know where and when crimes are committed and where the ‘hot spots’ are;
· Using problem-solving approaches with agencies and working together to improve environments that encourage crime;
· Taking appropriate measures to tackle anti-social behaviour and resolve the many issues that can result in crime;
· Promoting Warden schemes and more visible policing to provide greater confidence and community collaboration;
· Co-operating closely with agencies to target work on reducing particular crimes, such as closing crack houses;
· Encouraging collective responsibility to improve the local quality of life.
Strategic Objectives
Objective: Reduce crime in the borough.
Objective: Reduce incidents of domestic violence through the increase of reporting and partnership working.
Objective: Reduce incidents of hate crime.
Objective: Successfully close down crack houses.
Objective: Reduce crime in crime hotspot areas at transport hubs and on estates.
Objective: Reduce anti-social behaviour.
Objective: Increase the number of substance users accessing treatment.
Short Term Priorities
Action: Deliver
additional warden and park ranger schemes.
Action: Increase the means of reporting and
responding to racial and domestic violence incidents.
Action: Close down crack houses
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Investing in Children and Young People
We will enable children and young people to
enjoy life and achieve a successful progression to adulthood. We will enable
children and young people to value learning as a route to their health,
well-being, prosperity and future potential.
Lambeth is young. There are over 57,000 children and young people in the borough and this number is expected to rise to over 62,000 by 2006. The children and young people of Lambeth are our most valuable asset – not just for their potential but also for the energy, enthusiasm and vision they bring to the borough.
The progression from home to childcare, early years learning and into school provides many opportunities for children. Lambeth schools are vibrant and exciting places. Over 150 different languages are spoken. The school age population is even more diverse than the borough, with 80% of school children and young people from black and ethnic minority communities. However schools need to address the issues their pupils arrive with – issues often shaped by deprivation and poor physical and social environments. One in four Lambeth pupils have special educational needs. The same number has poor levels of literacy and numeracy. Four out of 10 pupils are eligible for free school meals.
The longer a child or young person stays in school the better they will do in life. But with many pupils moving in and out of the borough achievement can be significantly affected. Further, the achievement of children with English as a second language initially is much lower than children with English as a first language
It’s crucial we provide enough facilities and places for children: We aim to create 591 new childcare places by 2006. By 2010 our services will reach 8,840 under fives.
The creation of a network of Children’s Centres will help ensure every child gets the best start in life. It will ensure there are better opportunities for parents, that there is affordable and good quality childcare and as a result, stronger and safer communities. Positive experiences at home, in childcare and in early education, as well as health and family support, make a real difference to the life chances of every child.
Lambeth schools will continue to focus on underachieving groups. We must ensure standards are improved for all groups and that increasing numbers are included in the raised standards. A drop in achievement, attendance and behaviour often marks the transition between primary and secondary school, so we must continue to find ways of making this transition easier.
Around one in five 16-18 year olds are not in education, employment or training. We need to ensure there is more focus on this group. The work of Connexions, the Youth Service and a range of community and voluntary organisations is vital to encourage and guide young people. Currently, 70% of Lambeth pupils over the age of 16 stay on in education. Nationally this figure is 75% and we plan to improve our performance to above the national average.
We also need to develop a curriculum for those who may not be receiving their full educational entitlement due to mobility, exclusion or other factors. This ‘virtual’ curriculum, or school-outside-school, could help to fill an important gap.
In the face of these challenges Lambeth’s schools continue
to improve. New developments will continue this improvement, with more places
at the secondary school level and new facilities at St.Martin’s in the Fields
in Tulse Hill, Dunraven in Streatham, at the new Academy in Clapham and the new
Lillian Baylis on
New developments in schools are ensuring that the facilities that schools have to offer are extended beyond the school day to the benefit of pupils and the wider community. This will create a learning culture in our neighbourhoods and will ensure that schools are the hubs at the heart of strong and sustainable communities.
We are committed to setting up a Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership to oversee the delivery of quality services. The Partnership will focus on vulnerable children and young people – those in care, in the youth justice system or excluded from school; or who are disabled or have learning difficulties. It will also co-ordinate services for children and young people across the borough.
We want two things to happen for our children and young people. Firstly, that the experience of growing up in Lambeth is a positive one, enjoyed, celebrated and lived to the full. Secondly, that children and young people grow into educated, employed, secure and healthy adults. It’s a challenge that we have set a number of objectives to meet.
Strategic Objectives
Objective: Establish 10 Children’s Centre networks
Objective:
Increase educational attainment
across all schools particularly targeting the attainment gap of underachieving
pupils including Caribbean , Portuguese,
bi-lingual and newly arrived.
Objective: Provide enough good quality school places for all children who want places in the borough.
Objective: Increase the number of pupils staying in education or moving into employment or training at age 16.
Objective: Deliver integrated services to young people, particularly vulnerable young people.
Objective: Increase the use of libraries by children and young people.
Objective: Create more opportunities for young people in out of school education.
Objective: Reduce teenage pregnancy.
Short Term Priorities
Action: More
children achieving better results.
Action: Build
new secondary schools.
Action: Increase
the range of out of school services for young people.
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Supporting Healthy Citizens
We will improve the health and well being of Lambeth residents and reduce health inequalities.
Lambeth is the capital of
But many factors affect the health of local people.
Life expectancy for men is 73 years and for women, 80
years. The major causes of death in men under 75 are heart disease, stroke, injury and suicide. Rates of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and stroke are all above the national and
These high rates are seen across the borough, not just the
most deprived wards. There
are similar patterns for most causes of death and other measures of illness,
with Lambeth residents having higher rates than the
The outside environment has a drastic effect on the quality of people’s lives. Crime, poor housing, lack of work and money and poor nutrition can all reduce the health of our residents. Low quality housing is often central to our residents’ health, particularly if the problems are outside their control. High rents or mortgage payments can impact on health by reducing money for food, heating or normal social activities. Nuisance or noise from neighbours causes stress and can lead to social isolation. Lack of suitable accommodation can isolate people with disabilities and limit the independence of people with chronic health and social problems.
Work is usually good for a person’s health – as long as their income is adequate and they have reasonable control over their work. Individual loss of work is a stressful event. It increases the risk of health problems for our residents, partly through the impact on income and partly through the loss of peer support and status. The work environment can promote individual health by providing a healthy environment, supporting access to sport and leisure facilities, promoting healthy behaviour through smoking and alcohol and drug policies and through access to advice services.
Good community networks, involvement with local groups and organisations and a supportive social environment all contribute to better health and well being: places where people can meet, associate and organise are vital. But places accessible to local communities, such as schools and private facilities, are often closed to the public. We plan to set up community use agreements providing a programme of activities at a local level, targeted at specific needs and potentially delivered by local people.
Schools can be a major influence on health, both through education programmes and the influence of the school community. We plan to expand existing local initiatives, such as the Healthy Schools programme, free fruit in schools, safe routes to schools and ‘walking buses’.
We look at solving the problems of housing, environment and employment elsewhere in this strategy. We recognise they are central to improving the health of our residents and reducing health inequalities.
Closer working between agencies can produce many benefits for our residents’ health. Research has shown the economic cost of inactive lifestyles – lack of exercise can lead to serious health problems such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Government research has highlighted the economic costs of inactive lifestyles. For example, Sport England found that only 32% of the population undertakes moderate physical activity, about five 30 minute sessions each week. The resulting cost of this inactivity is obesity, coronary heart disease, diabetes and a range of other health problems.
Gardening, DIY and walking are
the most popular leisure activities. In Lambeth there is 115,000 square metres
of allotments – 81,000 of these in
Strategic Objectives
Objective: Work in partnership to tackle local health issues and assess the health outcomes of policies.
Objective: Develop a programme for the delivery of health and health related services including prevention, targeting areas where residents’ health is poor.
Objective: Improve access to high quality primary care.
Objective: Reduce sexually transmitted diseases.
Short Term Priorities
Action: New
health centres.
Action: More
preventative services.
Action: Reduce
incidence of Sexually Transmitted Diseases
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Building Better Homes
We want to increase the supply of affordable
housing in Lambeth and improve the quality of existing homes.
We have the fifth-highest population density in the country and we continue to grow. The Mayor of London’s target for new homes in Lambeth over the next 15 years is 29,000 – we think this is unrealistic and have set a target of 15,000 new homes to be built, half of which are to be affordable.
At the moment one in four council houses don’t meet the Government’s Decent Homes standard. At current costs it would take an estimated £265 million to bring all these properties up to standard.
In Lambeth over the last decade
there have been many changes in the population of the borough and the numbers
of people owning or renting their homes. There is a wide range of housing from
large Victorian and Georgian properties in Kennington to small workers’
cottages in Clapham, larger family homes in Streatham and one bedroom flats on
large housing estates. A lot of homes have been converted to flats, increasing
population density in areas like Brixton, Clapham,
As the demand for homes increase, so does the price. The facts illustrate the challenges we are facing to provide a home for everyone who wants one:
· At the start of 2003 the average house price was £233,000.
·
Property prices are rising faster
in Lambeth than in any other borough in
· In Kennington, the rent on a three-bedroom home has risen by 103% in the last five years.
People coming into the borough to buy or rent often have high incomes, while local people on lower incomes are effectively being priced out of the housing market. If they have the means and the choice, they are moving to cheaper areas south of the borough.
These supply issues, coupled with the impact of ‘right to buy’ has led to a reduction in available affordable housing, particularly in the north of the borough. There are now over 24,000 people on Lambeth’s housing waiting list and nearly half of the people on the homeless register have children.
A quarter of the Council’s housing stock doesn’t meet the Government’s Decent Homes Standard. One in ten homes in the private rental sector are considered unfit for living in. This low standard of housing affects people’s health, their ability to work and study and their quality of life.
People living in areas where there are large concentrations of social housing – for example in the Coldharbour and Princes wards – are more likely to have long term limiting illness, be victims of crime, underachieve at school and to be long-term unemployed. Residents from Black Caribbean and Black African communities are worst affected, with 68% of Black Caribbean and 71% of Black African residents living in Council or other social housing properties.
We know we have a long way to go to improve our existing housing. Providing better quality homes is central to improving opportunities for our residents.
Strategic Objectives
Objective: Optimise the supply of affordable housing by 500 homes a year consistent with the application of Unitary Development Plan (UDP) policies.
Objective: Facilitate high-density development in accessible and central locations consistent with the application of UDP policies.
Objective: Achieve the decent homes standard for all our properties by 2010.
Objective: Bring back into use residential space above commercial premises around transport hubs and in Town Centres.
Objective: Promote good quality design and environmental sustainability in new housing developments.
Short Term Priorities
Action: More affordable
homes
Action: Improve Council
housing
Action: Tackle quality
of life issues on estates
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Encouraging Enterprise
We will create a place where businesses and individuals
achieve their full economic potential.
Lambeth is a key part of the expanding central
There are wide disparities, both economic and social, between our residents. Research shows that some of Lambeth’s poorest residents live close to the most highly qualified and well paid people in the capital.
For Lambeth, the challenges and opportunities for our
economic growth and sustainability will be to compete as part of the
As in many other parts of
Between 1998 and 2001, jobs in Lambeth grew at the rate of
2.8% per year, compared with 2.2% a year across
Five of Lambeth’s wards were in the top 10% of employment
deprived wards in
Eight out of Lambeth’s 22 wards account for almost half the unemployment, mainly around Brixton and Streatham. New Deal and ‘back to work’ initiatives have benefited eligible groups – particularly young people – but other unemployed residents have fared less well.
In 2000 Lambeth was the 17th most employment-deprived
borough in
Low income and unemployment are clear indicators of deprivation. One in five households in Lambeth have a gross income of less than £10,000 a year. By contrast, almost another fifth have gross incomes of over £50,000 pa.
Lambeth has 9,200 businesses, 8,000 of which employ 10 employees or less. Town centres such as Brixton and Streatham have a wide range of minority ethnic-owned businesses. The local economy is expanding in the service sectors, notably in shopping, leisure and the night-time economy. Public sector employment, the second highest employment sector in Lambeth, has been diversifying through new forms of public service delivery.
The challenge for the future is to maximise opportunities for economic growth, particularly in the CCI sector and support local people into jobs.
Strategic Objectives
Objective: Use the development process to facilitate economic growth and local employment.
Objective: Reduce financial exclusion.
Objective: Reduce long term unemployment.
Objective: Maximise the potential employment opportunities for local people amongst partner agencies.
Objective: Maximise potential of the Cultural and Creative Industries.
Objective: Strengthen the business support infrastructure.
Short Term Priorities
Action: Develop Lambeth Credit Union.
Action: Pilot
Employment Task Force on estates.
Action: Improve
support to small businesses.
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Area Sections
North Lambeth
Clapham and Stockwell
Brixton
Streatham
North Lambeth
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North Lambeth is home to icons such as the London Eye, Royal Festival Hall, the BFI, Hayward Gallery, County Hall, and the Oval Cricket Ground. But at least half the households in the borough’s four wards have an income below £20,000 a year and 70% of homes in Vassall ward are deprived or seriously deprived. The area has the lowest rate of car ownership in Lambeth and nearly half the homes in Princes ward are rented from the council.
It contains
Because of North Lambeth’s unique location and tourist attractions, there are more policies on land use than anywhere else in Lambeth and a pressing need to balance the requirements of local residents and the demands of developers.
There are three distinct areas in North Lambeth –
As well as major historic and architectural landmarks,
An expansion in public transport capacity will be needed to support new developments and increasing capacity to an acceptable level may take a number of years. Waterloo Station is considered to be reaching capacity, as is the Tube Station. Some measures depend on the remodelling of Waterloo Station, but in the short term we can improve bus capacity and the main pedestrian routes.
Vassall ward is the second-most deprived in Lambeth. More than half the households in the area have an income less than £20,000. Unemployment is around 7%, above the Lambeth average. There are also a high number of single parent households, at 15% again above the average for the borough.
Vassall suffers from a severe lack of childcare provision and a lack of healthcare facilities. Levels of cancer and stroke-related death are the highest in Lambeth and there are not enough GPs for the area. There are high rates of drug offences and vehicle crimes as well as a poor quality environment, with graffiti, dumped cars and rubbish. It has a high rate of teenage pregnancies. It has a high density of social housing and a large quantity of poor quality housing such as that on the Myatts Field North Estate.
A railway viaduct and the Albert Embankment divide Vauxhall, effectively cutting off the riverside from the residential areas. It means much of Vauxhall is a place people pass through rather than visit. Vauxhall Cross is particularly intimidating for pedestrians and a key challenge will be linking the river to the community. Lambeth has been pursuing ambitious proposals to transform Vauxhall Cross for a number of years.
Away from the railway the area many areas have large social housing estates, with severe problems of deprivation and social exclusion. However much of Vauxhall also has interesting arts and community projects and places of significant employment.
Kennington Cross is expanding as a specialist restaurant area and has a strong local interest in keeping the area's identity. There are significant challenges from traffic engineering work related to congestion charging.
The Oval area is dominated by the Oval Cricket Ground, which has plans to redevelop its northern spectator stand. Oval has a number of significant development sites north of the cricket ground. The adjoining Oval Neighbourhood housing estate has prepared a neighbourhood plan for the regeneration of the area, which we fully support.
Opportunities
Promoting the creative and cultural industries around
Festival Hall and the South Bank complex by supporting smaller businesses and
clusters of projects offers substantial opportunities, including the creation
of a
There are significant employment opportunities around
Unused assets could be returned to use for community
benefit – such as the Beaufoy Centre. We also need to work to protect existing
green spaces in the area, such as
Strategic Objectives
Objective: Reduce deprivation on estates.
Objective:
Protect the interests of local
residents and businesses and optimise the opportunities of the area’s central London
Objective: Improve the quality and availability of local leisure and community facilities.
Objective: Co-ordinate delivery of borough-wide objectives at a local level.
Clapham and Stockwell
[strapline]
Stockwell is where many immigrants and refugees settle and
has large areas of public housing. Clapham benefits from links to the City and
central
Stockwell is the third -most deprived ward in the borough while Clapham Common is one of the most affluent. Over 65,000 people live in the area, with marked differences in opportunity and income between them. Stockwell has 72% of households classified as deprived or severely deprived. More than half the residents of Stockwell and Thornton have incomes below £20,000 a year, while in Clapham Common nearly one in five residents earns more than £60,000. Resolving the high levels of inequality faced by residents is a major challenge.
Stockwell has a large Portugese community and the area is
becoming even more diverse with the arrival of many new Black African
residents. Many BME self-help groups provide support and assistance to the
local communities, especially to refugees and asylum seekers from
Large public housing estates were built in Stockwell before and after the Second World War –these estates have benefited from investment, there is a continuing need to support local people develop community services, employment and enterprise initiatives and environmental projects.
Stockwell borders Vauxhall and
Clapham is popular but expensive – the average cost of a two-bedroom flat in the area is now over £230,000. For many people this is simply too expensive to ever afford. The main shopping and entertainment areas of Clapham are popular and well served. Bars,restaurantsand gay venues dominate Clapham High Street’s night time and evening economy.
But this vibrancy hides the situation faced by many people. There is a distinct lack of choice for people who cannot benefit from the more expensive facilities and amenities because of low incomes.
Clapham has good bus, tube and rail links. But crime remains a problem around stations and transport hubs. Investment is needed to improve these areas and their physical environment – less half the households in the area own a car.
There are also few facilities for children and young
people. Quality childcare places are lacking. However primary schools are all
of high standards and Stockwell Park Secondary is now one of the fastest
improving schools in the country. A
There are many groups working together in the area
demonstrating the extent of local activist. For example the Clapham Park New
Deal for Communities (NDC) is community-led and has a 10-year programme setting
out objectives to transform the area. Over 7,300 people live in
Opportunities
There are significant opportunities across Clapham and Stockwell for developing and improving the area. Clapham Common would benefit from improved recreational facilities, as well as an agreed strategy for public events.
There is an existing network of local partnerships who can help deliver change in specific areas, such as Stockwell. We can also draw upon the network of groups in Stockwell to support delivery within BME communities – for example, there are local churches, the Stockwell Green mosque and local youth groups.
The Stockwell Urban II programme will sustain regeneration and improve prospects for people in the area. The extension of the Cross River Transit to Stockwell would bring huge benefits and we will continue to campaign for its extension.
Strategic Objectives
Objective: Develop projects that meet the needs of Africans, refugees, asylum seekers and young people.
Objective: Reduce deprivation on estates.
Objective:
Support and further develop the
work of existing partnerships, with a focus on Clapham
Park
Objective: Co-ordinate the delivery of borough-wide objectives at a local level.
Brixton
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Over 27,000 people use Brixton tube station each day. More
than 200 buses travel through the town centre every hour. People come to work,
to shop at the
Stereotypes still persist – but Brixton is changing. Crime is down by a third since 2002. Cultural and creative industries in the area generate over £150 million and employ over 3,000 people. Significant funding for regeneration in the 90’s led to new businesses such as nightclubs, bars and restaurants which in turn attracted younger residents.
Brixton is a young place. One in five residents are under the age of 16. A quarter of Lambeth’s population lives in Brixton.
The area includes Coldharbour ward, one of the 10 most
deprived wards in
Brixton has significant deprivation in all its wards. As
well as Coldharbour, there is a high number of
overcrowded council homes in Tulse Hill and
But of all the borough-wide themes, in Brixton, community safety is the most important.
Fear of crime is the area’s biggest problem. Street crime around Brixton tube and railway stations is the highest of any transport interchange in Lambeth and nearly half the drug offences in the borough are committed in Brixton. This in turn encourages related crime such as robbery, vehicle crime, burglary and prostitution.
Brixton is a major transport interchange. Three overland
train stations and the tube station provide easy access to
· Open, residential areas to the north and south
· The retail centre between these open areas
· Small independent shops, railway arches and market arcades to the east
Brixton has a lot of potential for redevelopment and preservation as a niche retail centre. Instead of trying to compete with larger centres, consultation with local businesses and residents has emphasised the unique nature of Brixton.
Opportunities
There are many opportunities in Brixton. The area’s niche
retail market can be expanded and the creative and cultural industries encouraged.
There is a lot of redevelopment potential east of
In addition the area hosts a number of partnerships and voluntary organisations that continue to play an active part in the regeneration of the area.
Strategic Objectives
Objective: Reduce deprivation on estates.
Objective: Develop and promote cultural and creative industries.
Objective: Optimise redevelopment opportunities in Brixton to reinforce its unique role as a key retail centre.
Objective: Co-ordinate delivery of borough-wide objectives at a local level.
Norwood
[strapline]
The area’s three wards contain one of the poorest in the
Borough – Gipsy Hill – and one of the wealthiest –
Despite pressures on land use from commercial and housing
needs,
Isolation affects the area in a number of ways.
The area around Tulse Hill train station is a major
transport hub, with the station bringing residents from across Streatham, Tulse
Hill and
Many residents, both young and old cite the lack of youth centres and facilities for young people generally. There is also an under provision of secondary school places with only two schools, both for girls, in the area.
Local people believe
Opportunities
Developing and implementing a strategy for the West
Norwood Industrial Area would help existing businesses, attract new business,
provide an enhanced environment and give a much-needed
boost to the local
Libraries are key community hubs, reaching varied sections of the community. What is on offer could be improved, bringing in a variety of services and ensuring the libraries are places promoting community involvement, self-help and a range of activities. Bringing the Old Library back into use provides many opportunities for increased facilities for young people and community involvement. The refurbished Upper Norwood Library can be expanded to provide more services and improved community access.
The new children’s centre and secondary school will become
a community hub providing a range of services for people from across
Outdoor leisure and sporting facilities need improvement
through developing local parks and sites such as Rosendale Playing Field, St
Luke’s
Around
Retail parades on housing estates are extremely valuable, especially for older, more isolated members of the community. By expanding these commercial units, small community businesses could be created and local community and voluntary organisations could make use of shop fronts.
Strategic Objectives
Objective:
Regenerate the industrial and
commercial area in West Norwood .
Objective: Increase parking facilities in West Norwood District shopping area.
Objective: Reduce deprivation and isolation on estates.
Objective: Co-ordinate delivery of borough-wide objectives at a local level.
Streatham
[strapline]
Streatham is one of the two major shopping areas in
Lambeth and has over 300 shops along the length of Streatham High Road. There
are also nightclubs, many restaurants and bars as well as a large cinema and
bowling alley. The
area still has the only ice rink in
Many of the shops along the High Road are locally owned and independent. Although the shopping area has suffered as a result of the development of modern shopping areas in nearby areas, the number of vacant shops is falling. But the two-kilometre length of the High Road and the lack of parking provide real challenges to its development potential. A new road layout will soon be in place with priority for buses, cyclists and pedestrians. The improvements will help encourage residents to make better use of local shops.
In the last ten years Streatham had the highest rise in population of any town centre area. All of Streatham’s wards have had population increases of over 11% with Streatham South increasing by over 21%. Over 16% of the population in Streatham South are Asian or British Asian, above the borough average of 4.6%.The original shopping area known as the ‘Dip’ has many Somali businesses and is a focal point for the local Somali community.
Streatham is quite affluent compared to the rest of Lambeth with the highest proportion of households not suffering from any form of deprivation. There remain pockets of deprivation in some areas – over one in five people between the age of 16 and 24 in Streatham South are unemployed.
While a range of housing exists in Streatham there is still pressure for increased density. Street properties range from very grand to small, ideal ‘first homes’ such as in Streatham Vale, but many of the larger houses have been converted to flats – often six or more in one house – bedsits and hostels.
There are few, if any significant development sites other than that between Streatham station and the Bus Garage. There is considerable pressure to build more housing and local people are concerned about loss of office space, as this would result in fewer people in the area to contribute to the daytime economy.
Opportunities
Despite the issues of congestion caused by through traffic and the loss of some major retailers, Streatham High Road remains central to Streatham and its major area of opportunity.
There are clear opportunities in managing the High Road to ensure competitive advantage over other nearby retail destinations. Furthermore there are opportunities to use the substantial floor space above commercial units.
Streatham Hub can bring a number of significant benefits to Streatham – improved transport, enhancement of conservation areas, development of housing and the creation of regional and local leisure facilities.
Lambeth Primary Care Trust is developing new plans for delivering primary care and public health services. There has been recognition of the need for more capital improvements and most of these schemes will be implemented through the Local Investment Finance Trust (LIFT) programme. The Council has agreed to be a Level Two partner in the LIFT Company.
The growth of new communities in the area and the need to develop stronger community cohesion offers both challenges and opportunities. Much of the population growth is made up of young people and the lack of facilities is a further challenge.
Community, voluntary and faith groups can become increasingly involved in both planning and delivery of services. This would build on the work already happening in the area and promote new partnerships between these groups and public sector agencies. There is also an opportunity to link this objective to the enthusiasm and expertise of the growing arts community.