Comments for News from Crystal Palace – News & stories from the fresh air suburb – Crystal Palace, London SE19

Comment on LAMBETH DEFEND CARNEGIE LIBRARY BOOK SALES by Jeff Doorn

Jeff Doorn — Fri, 19 May 2017 10:58:26 +0000

Who decided which books were “still of use” and which “no longer needed/required”? With the library closed nearly 14 months, we have not had a chance to browse or borrow, so how can anyone decide what we require? Our Library Manager kept a close eye on the stock, knew what we needed and ensured the stock was fresh and steadily increasing to cope with the growing demand. Also, some of the older books, e.g. in the local history section, are irreplaceable.

Re the knotweed, I am glad officers are responding and hope they way they deal with it does not involve random spraying but rather careful treatment which does not affect other plants. Also, the treatment must be repeated every year for many years; and nothing should be done which disturbs the rhizome. Any work in or near the gardens by GLL or their contractors installing their proposed gym and related building/plant would result in disturbance, causing the knotweed to spread.

Comment on ARCHIVES DECISION IN JULY? by Lis

Lis — Fri, 21 Apr 2017 20:39:42 +0000

Lambeth emptied the bunker under ear treehouse last summer 2016

Comment on “LABOUR COUNCILLORS ‘WHIPPED’ SO HARD THEY DARE NOT SPEAK OUT” – Bullying allegations in Lambeth finally made public by Jeff Doorn

Jeff Doorn — Fri, 07 Apr 2017 11:49:51 +0000

Looks like it’s Cllr Gadsby making personal attacks, not Cllr Heywood. Also, sadly, Herne Hill ward cllrs are not “working with residents to find solutions”, just trying to impose unwanted non-solutions.

Comment on LAMBETH COUNCIL “AGREED £7 MILLION FEE REDUCTION WITH GREENWICH LEISURE” OVER CONTROVERSIAL LIBRARIES PLANS – “Sponsorship of Black Cultural Archives was contingent upon deal” by HerneHillGreens

HerneHillGreens — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 18:27:10 +0000

It’s a very murky business. The refusal of Lambeth to consult with local people made residents extremely angry (an official letter was sent to residents only 1 day before the closure) & this was a big factor in the occupation of the building. Since then the lack of consulation has continued, the 300+ objections to the planning application for the gym were ignored by the council representatives hell-bent on this deal with GLL. The ‘Community Trust’ have not worked with the community and represent only themselves. Meanwhile no business plan has been published for the gym & no evidence that it will succeed or provide any financial support to sustain the library service.

Comment on LAMBETH PARENTS URGED TO UNITE AGAINST SCHOOL CUTS by Cllr Tim Briggs

Cllr Tim Briggs — Sat, 11 Mar 2017 15:54:07 +0000

This is appalling Labour spin. Contrary to the Labour’s nonsense of a 20% cut, London Councils figures show that the reduction in grant from central government for schools in Lambeth will be 1.4% this year.

Such a shame that well-intentioned parents have swallowed Labour’s spin on such a sensitive issue. But that is the Labour Lambeth way: personal attacks, smears and trying to frighten people into voting for them. This will only get worse running up to 2018

Comment on CAMPAIGNER BLASTS LAMBETH LABOUR COUNCILLOR OVER CARNEGIE LIBRARY COMMENTS by Jeff Doorn

Jeff Doorn — Sun, 26 Feb 2017 12:47:13 +0000

Laura hits the nail on the head. Dickson first proposed closing Carnegie Library & 4 others in 1999 – no Tory cuts from Blair’s govt then. Current planning consent allows carte blanche to reconfigure ground floor, despite it supposedly being guaranteed for library use.
As for the ‘derelict’ basement: the Home Visit Service was successfully based there over 10 years, the toilets & lift were recently refurbished and the boiler replaced. The undercroft stores furniture and heritage items from the listed building (e.g. windows & doors). The test drills for excavation left holes & dirt. The rest of the building is in danger of deterioration after being closed 11 months so far, with no maintenance or repair of water igress damage caused by Lambeth’s dereliction of duty.
We had many library-compatible uses, including income generating ones before closure and could revive & extend these if Lambeth & their agents do not impose new uses they, but not the community, want.

Comment on GIPSY HILL WARD OF THE LABOUR PARTY HAVE A NEW CHAIRMAN – TED KNIGHT. LOL!* by Cllr Tim Briggs

Cllr Tim Briggs — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 07:38:06 +0000

Notwithstanding that I might not agree with other things said above, let me correct you on one point. We have been very careful not to smear the Greens. Cllr Ainslie has a tough job and the pressure is huge, so we don’t believe for example that it is reasonable to criticise him for not being able to attend every committee. He does what he can. Labour councillors love to personalise everything, make it all about good people and bad people (they are the good people of course), smear individuals, and frighten people into voting for them.

We go hard at Labour as we are the Opposition and Labour is running the council, that is our job, but we try never to make it personal as we all have homes and families and loved ones to go back to at the end of the day

Comment on GIPSY HILL WARD OF THE LABOUR PARTY HAVE A NEW CHAIRMAN – TED KNIGHT. LOL!* by Andrew Sherman

Andrew Sherman — Mon, 21 Nov 2016 13:44:51 +0000

While I agree with most of your reply, I take issue with the final sentence. “Good time” is what some of us – such as the six estates slated for regeneration; Brixton Arches; just about every statutory service – don’t have. Promises of future relief are fine and dandy, but they don’t achieve anything NOW, and resurrecting estates, shops and services for working class locals will be a hell of a lot harder than taking action now through ideas such as “Stand Up to Lambeth Council” (which your group bottled out of in a big way, incidentally) and the various legal actions being taken against the council.

Stop talking a good game, and start playing one, or get the hell off the field and stop distracting the other players.

Comment on GIPSY HILL WARD OF THE LABOUR PARTY HAVE A NEW CHAIRMAN – TED KNIGHT. LOL!* by MSED

MSED — Sun, 20 Nov 2016 19:14:46 +0000

Cllr Briggs needs to get back in his box. Hell will freeze over before you tories take Lambeth. Us Momentum members aren’t the same as Cllr Bennet and the like, so stop deliberately confusing the issue. We oppose Lambeth Council for the same reason we oppose you – tory policies that hurt people. Locals haven’t forgotten what your party did, back in the eighties and recently. They loathe you, which is why you keep losing. We’ll deal with the council in good time.

Comment on GIPSY HILL WARD OF THE LABOUR PARTY HAVE A NEW CHAIRMAN – TED KNIGHT. LOL!* by Andrew Sherman

Andrew Sherman — Sun, 20 Nov 2016 13:13:55 +0000

In common with Lambeth Labour, Lambeth Conservatives have been trying desperately for the last 2 years to smear Lambeth Greens. Streatham CLP’s Progress faction have taken every opportunity to impugn Scott Ainslie (Lambeth’s sole Green Councillor) because he hasn’t been afraid to challenge the wheeler-dealing of the Cabinet and its members. The Tories too have had Lambeth residents reminded of what an appalling job the Tory/Lib-Dem coalition did for the people of Lambeth.

Lambeth Greens are an alternative, and therefore a threat to the “established order”. The fact that Pete Elliot, the Green candidate for Gypsy Hill ward earlier this year, got within 35 votes of winning the ward against a Labour operation that involved using Dulwich and West Norwood CLP members to blanket-canvass the ward; “dirty tricks” from Labour canvassers involving advising people to vote “anything but Green” and circulating personal slurs against the Green candidate shows just how clearly the two main parties see the threat to the votes they take for granted.

Just to be clear, I’m neither a member of the Green Party, or a supporter of them. What I’m supportive of is the way that the Greens proceed at a ward level from active participation within communities, not just from party members, but from all residents that wish to air a view. Labour and the Tories proceed from the view that residents are useful for just one thing – voting in members of their parties. Not primarily to represent the views of the ward’s constituents – Rachel Heywood has done so and paid the price – but to start their climb up the ladder of political power. The differences between Labour, Conservative and Lib-Dem are differences of detail. Their social and economic prescriptions are much of a muchness, otherwise. The Greens offer at least a local alternative.