A developer has made an application to Lambeth council to construct almost 300 new homes on Streatham High Road.

The proposals are to transform the land between Streatham Megabowl and Caesar’s nightclub into 286 housing units and a new retail area likely to include shops and restaurants. The current façade of the Megabowl will be preserved, but the rest of the existing buildings will be demolished.

The plans also include a community centre to be built on the site, and if the application is successful, it is likely Lambeth Council will request additional contributions are made towards developing public spaces and utilities.

This is a significant stage in the plans to regenerate Streatham High Road, thought to be the longest high street in Europe. It is important that local people have their views heard on this matter. You can do this by making a comment to Lambeth Council before the 12th January 2009.

The Megabowl redevelopment application and an online comments form can be found here.

To view the application offline, you can see copies of the proposals at Streatham Library or the Town Planning Advice Centre (Phoenix House, 10 Wandsworth Road).

For further information on the Megabowl development from Lambeth Council, you can contact Samantha Wells at swells {at} lambeth.gov(.)uk, on 020 7926 1138, or at Lambeth Planning, Phoenix House, 10 Wandsworth Rd, London SW8 2LL.

Carys Afoko

Chuka Umunna, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Streatham draws attention to free swimming provision for the over 60s and under 16s with this letter published in last week’s Streatham Guardian on 18 December 2008.

Coming in the same month that the double Olympic gold swimming champion, Rebecca Adlington, came third in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, readers will be pleased with the latest investment in swimming which has just been announced.

The decision by Lambeth Council to participate in a £140 million government scheme means that our swimming pool in Streatham is amongst a host of others across Lambeth that will be able to provide free swimming to the over 60s and under 16s.

Having swum with locally based Leander Swimming Club for over 10 years at pools across South London, I am especially delighted at this decision to expand the local provision. Local residents will get to benefit directly from the scheme as swimming is one of the best ways to keep fit. I also know that it can be quite expensive, so it’s great that swimming will now be free for the age groups concerned.

The scheme demonstrates that Labour in government and in Lambeth takes the health of the community seriously. We all know that regular exercise is good for us, and we also know that, whether we are young or old, swimming is something people can do together as a family.

Above all, this initiative will help Lambeth to secure its own sporting legacy post 2012 and hopefully ensure we have many of our own Rebecca Adlingtons in the future!

Chuka Umunna, Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Streatham

The latest study of the Government’s Sure Start scheme has found that children and their families covered by the scheme are already benefitting from it.

Sure Start was launched in 1999, as an early years intervention to deliver the best start in life for every child, bringing together early education, childcare, health and family services. Streatham constituency has nine Sure Start Children’s centres, mostly attached to primary schools, where children under five and their families can receive support services and information:

• Effra Children’s Centre
• Jubilee Children’s Centre
• Maytree Children’s Centre
• Streatham United Reformed Church Children’s Centre
• Streatham Wells Children’s Centre
• Sunnyhill Children’s Centre
• The Weir Link Children’s Centre
• Tree House Children’s Centre at Holmewood Nursery School
• Woodmansterne Children’s Centre

Birkbeck, University of London’s latest study into the impact of Sure Start was published in Lancet Medical Journal in November, finding the initiative has already had a positive impact on the communities its programmes are being piloted in. The research compared 8,000 children from areas with and without Sure Start centres. Evidence showed that for 5 out of 14 indicators, families with SureStart were benefitting from the centres.

Researchers found that by the time they were 3 years old, children with Sure Start showed better social development, more positive social behaviour and greater independence. Parents of children were also affected by having Sure Start, generally exhibiting less negative parenting and providing a better learning environment at home. Sure Start families are also more likely to be aware of and access support services for child and family development.

This is great news for children in Streatham and nationwide, and evidence that when Sure Start is expanded to cover all communities nationwide, it will have a real impact on narrowing the socio-economic gap between children’s early development.

Chuka is a long time supporter of Sure start and sits on the board of Sunnyhill Children’s Centre:

“We know that the early formative years of a child’s life can determine so much of what comes after. This is why surestart is so very important to ensuring that we give all of our young the very best start in life.

“I have seen for myself in Sunnyhill the very real positive affects the scheme is having in our community.”

The complete study into Sure Start is available in the Lancet Medical Journal.

For more information on Sure Start, visit www.surestart.gov.uk.

Carys Afoko

Chuka Umunna, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Streatham, and Kate Hoey, Labour MP for Vauxhall, call for energy companies to pass on the fall in energy costs to local people or face a windfall tax.

The average annual spend on domestic energy per household has now breached £1,200. Since 2000, consumers in Lambeth and beyond have faced gas price rises of 100% and electricity price rises of 61%. Every 10% increase in energy prices leads to an extra 400,000 people joining the 2.5 million already living in fuel poverty in Britain today. At the same time, the main energy providers have seen their profits rise from £557million in 2003 to over £5billion now.

Ahead of the debate this week in Parliament on energy prices and fuel poverty, Chuka Umunna, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Streatham, Kate Hoey, Labour MP for Vauxhall (left), and others wrote in a letter to The Observer newspaper on 14 December 2008:

“We are gravely concerned at the behaviour of energy companies who are refusing to pass on price cuts to consumers, in spite of the sharp falls in the world price of crude oil.

“The record price rises coupled with the refusal of companies to pass on cost cuts could increase those in fuel poverty beyond six million.

“We urge government to introduce a new windfall tax if these companies continue to refuse to pass on their cost cuts to consumers. Revenues from any windfall tax should be targeted at homes in fuel poverty to give them immediate help and should also be used to start a programme of home insulation to protect people from future price rises.”

Commenting further, Umunna, who organised for Energy Secretary Ed Miliband MP (right) to meet with local community groups in June 2008, said:

“People living in communities like ours, containing some of the most deprived wards in the country, have struggled to cope in the face of price hikes – it is outrageous that these companies are now refusing to pass on the price cuts resulting from the drop in the price of world oil.”

Hoey is also supporting an Early Day Motion (EDM) submitted for debate in the House of Commons on the issue. The EDM, tabled on Thursday 11 December by Fabian Hamilton MP, calls on the government to actively intervene to force companies to reduce consumers energy bills and to then implement a windfall tax if they refuse to do so. So far 27 MPs have signed up to the EDM and the number of signatories is growing.

Local residents Matthew Ryder and Richard Reid have been named as national role models for young black men under the Labour Government’s REACH programme.

Matthew and Richard Reid are 2 of only 20 role models announced this month and specially selected by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).

They have been recruited to raise the aspirations and attainment of Black boys and young Black men, who are statistically less likely to do well at school, and more likely to be unemployed and involved in the criminal justice system. Black pupils make up 55% of secondary school students in Lambeth.

REACH was commissioned by the Government to examine how to raise the aspirations and attainment of young Black men in 2006. Made up of the Black community with direct experience of working with young people, it draws members from the police, local authorities, schools and community groups.

In 2007, REACH published a report with 5 recommendations for Government action, the first of which was to improve the visibility of positive Black role models. REACH argued that often images of successful black men were limited to the worlds of sports and music, and proposed a structured role model programme to provide a wider set of images and examples to show that Black men can be, and are, successful in a wide range of fields.

In response, DCLG launched a nationwide search for 20 Black men to be national role models. Over 200 applications were received, from which 50 candidates were shortlisted by a group of young men to be interviewed by the REACH panel.

Ryder and Reid are two South Londoners to have been selected. Matthew Ryder, is a leading criminal law and human rights barrister who went to a state school and won a place to study law at Cambridge and then Colombia Universities. He is a member of the England and New York Bars and lives in Brixton Hill.

Richard Reid is a fire fighter who grew up in Brixton. In addition to his usual duties fighting fires, he facilitates the Fire Service’s Open Days to encourage women and ethnic minority candidates to join the service, and has done a range of voluntary and mentor work in his community. He lives in Herne Hill.

Chuka attended the launch of REACH role models, and welcomed Richard and Matthew’s selection:

“Too often the media portrayal of young men of my background is negative or one which suggests we can only flourish in certain fields. Our REACH programme is about changing that and inspiring our young Black men to achieve in all arenas.

“In Matthew and Richard, REACH could not have chosen two better role models – it is great to see two fantastic local people step up to the plate and help younger generations stand on their shoulders, they are a real example to us all.”

Find our more about REACH here.

Carys Afoko

Last week the government annoucned it would expand the right to request flexible working, providing a boost for busy, hard-working families.

Currently, those with children under the age of six and parents of disabled children can request flexible working, but this right is now being extended to all parents with children under 16, covering an extra 4.5 million people.

Flexible working includes working from home, part-time work, compressed hours, flexi-time or other arrangements agreed with employers. It is designed to help families balance work and family life more easily, such as helping parents manage the school run and to spend more time with their kids.

The legislation is meant to benefit businesses as well as parents. Employers find they get the best out of employees when they allow them to work flexibly, being happier, more engaged and more productive. Evidence shows that over 90% of employers believe people are likely to work best when they can strike a good balance between work and family, and over 90% of workplaces who received requests for flexible working in the last year approved them all. Arrangements for flexible working are discussed and negotiated between the employee and employer, allowing both parties to appreciate eachother’s needs.

Chuka said: “This decision highlights the government’s desire to strengthen family life and support parents. I believe the dividends of this approach will help reduce crime and help forge stronger communities, by allowing parents the flexibility to give their children the best possible start in life.”

Gabriel Huntley

Chuka appeared on Nick Ferrari’s LBC Radio Breakfast show this morning to discuss government spending and borrowing with the Tax Payers Alliance’s Susie Squire.  You can listen to their exchange here: 10 12 08 – LBC Radio 97.3 – Nick Ferrari.

Chuka also appeared on Dotun Adebayo’s BBC London radio show on Sunday talking about the Communities Department’s REACH role models programme, you can listen again here: 07 12 08 – BBC London 94.9 – Dotun Adebayo.

Keith Hill, MP for Streatham, Tessa Jowell, MP for Dulwich & West Norwood and Chuka Umunna, Labour Parliamentary candidate for Streatham, welcomed a funding announcement by the Government this week to start rebuilding local Primary schools.

After a successful application from the Local Authority, Lambeth will receive £12.2m to rebuild and refurbish its primary schools over the next fifteen years.

The funding is part of the Government’s Primary Capital Programme – worth £3.55 billion across England – which will continue Labour investment in the improvement of Primary School facilities. The initiative was confirmed this week by the Schools Secretary Ed Balls.

In joint letter, Hill, Jowell & Umunna said:

“Children deserve the best facilities that we can build and teachers deserve better classrooms to work in. So this funding is a really welcome boost from the Labour government for education in our area.

“This huge capital investment will not only improve the education of our children, but it will help to support jobs in the construction industry and local businesses in these tough economic times. Talk is good but we know it is action like this that Lambeth residents want to see.”

The London Borough of Lambeth was one of 133 English local authorities to have their Primary School Capital strategies approved.

On the day VAT reduces from 17.5% to 15%, we take a look at how the Chancellor’s Pre-Budget Report (PBR) will provide real help for people and businesses in Streatham.

The 2008 PBR set out action to help families and businesses through the global credit crunch by:
• Helping people and putting money into the economy so that we come out of the economic downturn sooner and stronger
• Tackling public finance problems once the economy is growing again in a way that is fair to all.

As a result of the PBR locally:
• 4,270 pensioners in the Streatham constituency will benefit from a rise in Pension Credit – up to £130 over and above the rise we’d normally see (rising to £198.45 for couples);
• 10,500 families in Streatham will benefit from a rise in the Child Tax Credit – The £25 increase in the Child Element is being brought forward from 2010 to April 2009 (meaning it will increase by £75 above indexation to £2,235 in April 2009);
• 23,900 children in 13,740 families in Streatham will gain from the rise in Child Benefit (now rising to £20 a week for the 1st child, and to £13.20 a week for other children) – an increase the Government is bringing forward from April to January 2009;
• The Annual Christmas Bonus of £10 will be increased to £60 – a one-off seasonal payment going to 15 million people nationally including 12.5m pensioners and recipients of Incapacity Benefit, Disability Living Allowance, Carer’s Allowance and Bereavement Benefit; and,
• 12,230 local people in the Streatham constituency will be receiving their Winter Fuel Payments at the moment – as announced at Budget 2008, an extra £100 on top of the regular £300 payment for over-80s households, and an extra £50 on top of the regular £200 payment for over-60s households.

Chuka said:
“Leaving people in Streatham to struggle on alone in these tough economic times, as some would do, is not the way to go – government has a duty to intervene and we are doing so.
“The Chancellor’s pre-budget report means real help for homeowners, to protect jobs and businesses.
“We are implementing a range of measures to help people, such as the special payment to all pensioners in the constituency of £60 on top of the Christmas bonus. Families of disabled children will receive this extra cash boost too, and there is the cut in VAT this week which will provide a welcome boost to the economy locally.”

It is also hoped the measures announced in the PBR will help to kick start businesses along Streatham High Road, where a number of shop fronts remain vacant.

The effects of the PBR for small businesses locally:
• From 2009/10 empty commercial properties with a rateable value below £15,000 will be exempt from business rates, covering 70% of all empty properties;
• Consumer spending will be encouraged through the temporary reduction in VAT to 15%, from 1st Dec to 31st Dec 09;
• The Government has deferred planned increases in small companies corporation tax
• A £1bn Small Business Guarantee Facility to enable new Government supported lending by banks for sums between £1,000 and £1m, at cheaper rates and for longer periods has been introduced
• More generous temporary tax relief for businesses suffering losses – with up to £50,000 of new losses set against taxable profits from the last three years.

Commenting on the measures to help small businesses, Chuka said:
“Sure, we need to do more, but here is a package to provide help in the form of working capital, lending facilities and trade finance to small business and all who depend on them in Streatham as well.”

Learn more about how the PBR will affect you here, or visit the Treasury’s minisite to read more about the full report.

Carys Afoko