A new community website for the Thornton area, which includes Clapham Park and parts of Balham, has been established. Maintained by local Labour councillors and campaigners, the site features local information and updates on issues affecting the area.

Above is a video of the recent topping out ceremony at NHS Baldry Gardens, a fantastic new health facility in Streatham.

The £3.86 million primary care centre is located near Streatham Common and will open in the summer, providing a new home to the Drakewood GP practice and offering primary healthcare services including nursing, foot health, therapy and midwifery.

Keith Hill, Labour MP for Streatham took part in the ceremony, along with Chair of NHS Lambeth Caroline Hewitt and Dr Jim Hill, a GP at Drakewood Surgery.

Our local area has also benefitted from new and improved health facilities at the Streatham Hill Group Practice, Streatham Vale Surgery, Whittington Health Centre and Streatham Hill Clinic thanks to
Labour government investment.

For more information about NHS Baldry Gardens, visit this page

An investigation by structural engineers last November revealed widespread structural problems at Streatham Leisure Centre. Lambeth Council consequently decided to close the Centre on 25 November 2009 for the foreseeable future while further investigations took place to find out the extent of the work needed.

In the meantime alternative arrangements for users and all schools have been arranged during the period of the Leisure Centre’s closure at other locations including Crystal Palace National Sports Centre.

Future of Streatham Leisure Centre

Many local residents have raised the issue of the future of the pool with me in person and in correspondence. I started using Streatham Swimming Pool as a child when my swimming club, Leander S.C., used to compete there against other local clubs such as Streatham S.C., Battersea Jacs S.C. and others. Until recently we used to hold Keith Hill MP’s constituency surgeries there too, where Keith and I dealt with hundreds of constituents problems. So, rest assured, I completely understand the strength of feeling on this issue – the current situation regarding leisure provision here is clearly unsatisfactory.

The closure of the pool has become somewhat of a local political football but all local residents want is for their pool to re-open – that is their priority.  The fact is that Council administrations of all different political persuasions have not invested enough in the pool for a long time and they should all be big enough to admit as much.

Streatham Hub Scheme

Why have Council administrations underinvested in the pool? Because they expected the Streatham Hub scheme – of which a brand new leisure centre and ice arena are a part – to be developed by Tesco in return for the retailer being allowed to build a big supermarket in the area. Both the current administration and the Lib Dem/Tory one before that spent much time negotiating with them and pinned their hopes on Tesco sticking to their promises.

Next week at a special public meeting organised by Streatham Action, the Council and Tesco will tell us the result of their negotiations on the future of the scheme. The meeting takes place at Hideaway at 7pm on Wednesday 10 February 2010.

Action

I have lobbied my Council colleagues to take a tough line with Tesco – I do not see why the community should put up with Tesco’s dithering and prevarication any longer. I have sought to put as much direct pressure on Tesco to live up to their promises in relation to the Streatham Hub scheme through the Keep Streatham Skating! campaign and in other ways.

In the short term, I think the Council should at least look into providing temporary arrangements for non-pool activities (e.g. Step classes, gym facilities) at other locations in Streatham area.  This is something I will be pressing the Council to do to the extent it is not already happening.  Please do not hesitate to contact my office for further information.

Chuka

Those wishing to benefit from cash savings to buy a new car have a month left to take advantage of the government’s hugely successful car scrappage scheme.

Almost 290,000 new cars have been registered through the car scrappage scheme according to the latest statistics from the SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders). 38 manufacturers have taken part in the scheme, covering all the major car brands.

Having been announced in the government’s budget early last year, it provides a cash discount of £2,000 for customers who trade in a car older than ten years when buying a new model.

As well as boosting the motor industry, the scheme has helped reduce Britain’s carbon footprint by putting cleaner, more environmentally friendly cars on the road to replace more polluting older models.

According to the SMMT, new cars bought through the scheme emit on average 10.9% less carbon than the vehicles they replace. Additionally, up to 85% of materials from the scrapped cars can be recycled.

The scheme was launched on 18 May 2009 and will last until the end of February.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Yvette Cooper has announced reforms enabling millions of people to save in a pension for the first time, describing them as the “biggest change to support for working people since the introduction of the minimum wage”.

Under the plans around nine million workers will be able to save in a pension with guaranteed contributions from their employer and the government from 2012, many for the first time. In particular, previously disadvantaged groups including women and carers are set to benefit; this year the number of women qualifying for a basic state pension will rise from 50% to 75% of the female population.

The Labour plans will benefit Streatham’s over 60s population of almost 13,000, providing support in retirement for those who were unable to work the previous 44 years for men and 39 years for women.

Under the plans both men and women will only need to work for 30 years, with allowances made for those who have made up gaps in their employment record. In addition grandparents who care for their
grandchildren will now earn credit and a more generous state pension.

Streatham’s businesses will be offered help to adjust to the changes. Start-up businesses created from 2012 will be given until 2016 to start enrolling staff in the scheme, and other local businesses will see their contributions phased in over the next three years. These changes will help Streatham businesses through the recovery whilst ensuring a decent retirement income for the area’s residents and employees.

Speaking about the reforms, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Streatham Chuka Umunna said:

“These reforms are vital in giving thousands of people locally the chance to save in a pension. Along with our changes to the state pension later this year, this will ensure that pensions are fair and sustainable in the longer term.”

Streatham has been boosted by news of falling unemployment figures both in Lambeth and nationally. Across the UK, unemployment is 450,000 lower than expected at the time of the last budget and 53% lower than during the last comparable recession in 1992.

In Lambeth, there are 14,901 fewer unemployed people compared to 1992. This means that thanks to the government’s efforts, unemployment is 56% lower here than during the last recession when the Tories were in charge.

The government has provided extra investment in Job Centres, education and training to help people through the economic recovery.

The Future Jobs Fund was launched to tackle employment for young people, while the government’s September guarantee ensures that there is a place in education, training or a job for every young person leaving school.

Speaking to the BBC, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Yvette Cooper said that Labour government investment in jobs would continue in the long term, even after full economic recovery.

Job Centre Plus in both Streatham and Brixton, alongside the local Connexions centre for young people, are all working hard to help people out of work find jobs and training.

Follow this link to see a map showing the difference in unemployment rates from 1992 to 2010.

The Prime Minister has praised Louis Desa for helping turn Bishop Thomas Grant School (BTG) into one of the most improved schools in the country.

Mr Desa was among 150 headteachers invited to a reception at 10 Downing Street to recognise their innovative approaches to education and their commitment to raising achievement in their schools.

Over the last five years BTG has improved significantly scoring exceptionally and consistently high in its latest Ofsted inspection and achieving excellent exam results.

Congratulating Mr Desa, Chuka commented “Successes in Streatham like these need to be constantly recognised and celebrated. This particular achievement highlights how schools in our area are aiming and achieving high”.

This week, Chuka spoke at the annual Campaigns Conference of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO).

He also took part in a panel discussion on the upcoming general election and its impact on the community and voluntary sector chaired by Liz Atkins, the NCVO’s Director of Public Policy, alongside Oliver Letwin MP and Danny Alexander MP.

Having been active in the third sector as a trustee of youth charities including the 409 Project, the Anthony Bourne Foundation and the Generation Next Foundation, Chuka told the audience how Streatham has one of the most densely populated community and voluntary sectors in the country.

Emphasising the importance of the upcoming general election, Chuka described it as a choice between very different approaches to the economy, society and the third sector.

He praised voluntary organisations’ ability to help “groups which the state, local authorities and statutory bodies often have difficulty in reaching”.

In his speech, Chuka also questioned purely monetary measures of happiness and also took issue with the Tories’ ‘broken society’ rhetoric.

He said: “I have serious problems with the ‘Broken Britain’ mantra, which feeds into the negative images of young people portrayed by the media.

“David Cameron’s talk of ‘Broken Britain’ is part of a broken political strategy.”

The NCVO is an umbrella body and advocate for the community and voluntary sector. First set up in 1919, it has more than 7,000 members.

To find out more about the NCVO and its work, follow this link.

To find out more about what Labour has delivered locally, follow this link.