Free bike checks and repairs tonight near Oval tube

Lambeth Council's Sustainable Transport team will be running a free Dr Bike service this evening from 5:30-7:30pm near to Oval tube station. Come along for and have your bike checked, advice on maintenance and for basic adjustments to keep you up and cycling through the winter.

More information on the Lambeth Cyclists website

Young people: could you be Lambeth's next youth mayor?

Applications are now open for the post of Lambeth Youth Mayor, deputy youth mayor, or youth parliament member. Put yourself forward for one of

The youth elections allow young people across Lambeth to vote for their local representatives. The youth mayor is given a budget of £25,000 to spend on projects that help improve the lives of young people in the borough.

All 11 to 19-year-olds who live, work or study in Lambeth are entitled to vote in the elections, with the ballots taking place in March. Eighteen schools and colleges as well as five youth centres in the borough will host the elections. Young people who do not go to school in the borough but live in Lambeth will still be able to vote in the elections by registering online.



For further information and if you are interested in standing see www.younglambeth.org/elections - the applications deadline is 27 January 2012.

Ken's new ad campaign warns about Boris' fare rises

Follow Vassall View on Facebook

You can now follow Vassall View on Facebook - go to www.facebook.com/vassallview and 'like' us to receive updates in your Facebook news feed.

Recycle your Christmas tree in Vassall Ward week of 9 - 13 January 2012

As we reach twelfth night many of us will be wanting to dispose of Christmas trees.

Lambeth Borough Council will be collecting Christmas trees for recycling next week (9 - 13 January 2012)

If you live in a kerbside property just put your Christmas tree out along with your normal rubbish on the collection or take it to your estate recycling bin area where it will be collected.

Alternatively take your Christmas tree to one of the recycling sites across the borough 9 - 22 January 2012:

* Clapham Common, Windmill Drive, SW4

* Kennington Park, Bolton Crescent entrance, SE5

* Streatham Common, Upper Car Park, SW16

* Lambeth Reuse and Recycling Centre, Vale Street, West Norwood, SE27

The trees collected and taken to the recycling sistes will be composted and the results used to improve the soil of Lambeth's parks and gardens.

Lambeth Labour highlight Mayor of London's fare rises

Tomorrow Lambeth Labour will be out across Lambeth's railway and tube stations to highlight the transport fare rises that took effect today (Monday 2 January 2012).

Most single tube and rail fares have gone up by between 10p and 30p if using Oyster cards. Bus fares have increased 10p so that it now costs £1.40 a bus journey. Travelcards have risen by a similar amount - a zone 1 and 2 weekly travelcard now costs £29.80 - an above inflation on 2011 levels.

Lambeth Labour will be highlighting these fare increases to travellers tomorrow and giving out details of Labour Mayor of London candidate Ken Livingstone's fare pledge. Ken has pledged that if he is elected he will reduce fares to at least 2011 and bus fares will be reduced to 2010 levels. Ken has also pledged that there will be no fare increases in 2013 and that after that any increases will not exceed inflation.

Vassall Labour Councillor's surgeries January 2012

Vassall Ward Labour Councillors Kingsley Abrams and Adrian Garden will be holding surgeries in Vassall Ward in January 2012 on the following dates


Tuesday 3 January 2012 - 6:30-7:30pm The Holland Room, Christ Church, Brixton Road, SW9 6BE
Thursday 19 January 2012 - 6:30-7:30pm, The Annex, Cowley Estate, Brixton Road, SW9 6LZ
Saturday 21 January 2012 - 2-3pm, Myatts Field North TMO Boardroom, Foxley Square, SW9 7RY
Saturday 28 January 2012 - 10-11am, Myatts Field South Tenants Hall, Burton Lane, SW9 6NX

(Click on the address for a link to a map showing the location)

If these dates are inconvenient for you or you have a problem or issue that requires immediate attention please contact the Vassall Labour Councillors directly:
Kingsley Abrams - email kingsleyabrams@hotmail.com tel 07932 447763
Adrian Garden - email agarden@lambeth.gov.uk tel 07814 568 024

Waste collections and Lambeth Council office opening times over Christmas

Lambeth have given details of Council service opening times over the Christmas and New Year period.


Your rubbish and recycling will be collected on your normal day as usual over Christmas and the New Year.

The Lambeth customer centres  will be open as usual over the Christmas and New Year period apart from the bank holidays Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 December and Monday 2 January when they will closed.


Lambeth libraries inclduding the Minet Library in Vassall Ward will be open as usual over the Christmas and New Year period apart from bank holidays Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 December and  Monday 2 January.

The Lambeth Living call centre will only be taking calls on urgent issues or emergency repairs from Saturday 24 December to Tuesday 27 December 2011 and from Saturday 31 January 2011 to Monday 2 January 2012. Ring 020 7926 6666 (24 hours a day) if you have an urgent issue or emergency repair. A normal service will resume again at 9am on Wednesday 28 December 2011 and Tuesday 3 January 2012.

Christmas message from Lambeth Council Leader Steve Reed

Councillor Steve Reed, Leader of Lambeth Council, has released a Christmas message to all residents of Lambeth

(taken from Lambeth website)

Happy Christmas from Steve Reed, Leader of Lambeth Council

This has been a difficult year for many people in Lambeth. Many residents have faced the loss of jobs, income or benefits, youth unemployment is soaring and we all faced the turmoil of the riots across London in early August. Yet despite all of that Lambeth remains a confident place buzzing with new ideas, energy and creativity that I know will see us through the difficult times in better shape than ever.

We recovered quickly from the summer riots. Our main high streets were reopened within hours, most affected businesses were open and trading the same day, and we were all inspired as our community showed the world that the rioters do not represent us. People across Lambeth came out to help with the clean up and hundreds of new volunteers signed up to help their community.

That powerful spirit of cooperation is what makes this such a wonderful place to live and it's the driving force behind our plans to turn Lambeth into Britain's first cooperative council. We are looking at new ways to hand more power, choice and control to local people over the place they live and the services they use.

No one will have to run their own services, of course, but you will get a much bigger say in how they're run on your behalf. It's a bold experiment that's put us at the centre of a national debate about the future of local government.

I was disappointed at the way the Government has shared out the spending cuts as they pay down the national debt. They chose to impose cuts of £37m on Lambeth this year, which is one in every three pounds we had to spend, while wealthier boroughs such as Richmond lost only £1m.

We have worked hard to protect the front line services local people depend on, and I am proud that over 90 per cent of our savings have been found by cutting back office costs. This helps us to meet our objective which is to protect the most vulnerable while also keeping Lambeth safe, and investing in a better quality of life through improved schools, housing and a cleaner environment.

Looking to the coming year and, while acknowledging the challenges we face, I feel a sense of confidence. Our town centres remain busy despite the recession, our communities are coming together to support each other and our council is exploring new ways to run services that give more control to local people.

The London Olympics will be a highlight for 2012 and I hope our young people will be inspired by the world class athletes visiting our city. We must never forget our duty to help those who are most vulnerable but we are a strong and resilient community and that's why I know that the New Year will be a good one.

I wish everyone who lives or works in Lambeth a very Happy Christmas.

Older peoples Christmas lunch in Myatt's Fields Park this Friday: everyone welcome

After a successful Christmas market and carol singing in Myatt's Fields Park last Sunday (pictured) events in the park continue this week with a retired people's Christmas lunch on Friday.


All older people in the local area are invited to celebrate Christmas in Myatt's Fields. The lunch will be held in the park depot building (Cormont Road/ Brief Street side of the park) from 1-2:30pm this Friday, 16 December 2011. Suggested donation £2.

The food will be prepared by volunteers in the park depot kitchen 10:30am onwards - if you can help with the preparations contact rebeccamaddox@myattsfieldspark.info.

Myatt's Fields Park is situated in Camberwell: between Calais Street, Cormont Road and Knatchbull Road, SE5 in Vassall Ward in Lambeth.