Love Lambeth

The first tree was planted outside Minet Library, in Myatts Field, to mark the start of the tree planting season and to pay tribute to former Brixton resident Mr Zephaniah who died in December last year.

The event was organised by the council’s tree planting team and colleagues in the library service. They were joined by pupils from Loughborough Primary School who recited poems by Mr Zephaniah.

The council is planning to plant more than 1,700 between now and April 2025 in parks, in housing estates and in local streets to make Lambeth more sustainable.

The new Good Parks for London report ranks Lambeth Council as having the capital’s third highest performing parks service when assessed against 10 different criteria including quality and sustainability.

The Good Parks for London charity’s report recognises and celebrates innovation and best practice, aiming to inspire improvements in the quality and management of green spaces across the capital.

Meeting the standard

Councillors gave the green light for the extension of the “selective licensing scheme”, designed to tackle rogue landlords and improve conditions for people living in private rented accommodation, at a meeting this week.

It means the scheme will cover 23 of Lambeth’s 25 electoral wards, subject to approval from the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

In partnership with the American country music singer’s Imagination Library programme 12,000 children in Lambeth are being offered the opportunity to get a new book every month.

Parents can register their new-born to five-years-old children at imaginationlibrary.com, and the site also details which books will be sent out.

Councillor Ben Kind, Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education, said: “Lambeth Council is thrilled to be working with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to help inspire a love of reading in Lambeth’s youngest residents.

A series of events have already been held across Lambeth to hold community conversations about the topic.

That included community dinners at the Streatham Space Project, the Garden Museum in Vauxhall and finally at the Karibu Centre in Brixton over the summer. They saw local people come together, enjoy a meal, and contribute to the important conversation about the future of our borough at night.

The Future at night

The discussions held will help shape the borough’s new Night Time Strategy and ensure it focuses on addressing local concerns, aspirations and ideas.

As a result of legislation introduced in the Elections Act 2022, some EU citizens will no longer be automatically entitled to register to vote and stand for election.

EU citizens will only be eligible to register to vote and stand for election if they are citizens of a qualifying EU state or have retained rights. Qualifying EU citizens and those with retained rights will be eligible to vote and stand in local elections only.

Review of EU citizens

The London Borough of Lambeth has again done brilliantly at the London in Bloom Awards for 2024, with 14 Golds, 9 Silver Gilts and one Silver Award, as well as special awards recognising individuals and sites for providing Lambeth’s residents and communities with beautiful, safe, sustainable and diverse parks and public spaces to visit, use and enjoy.

Green and bright

Lambeth Council has published its latest Air Quality Annual Status Report measuring the levels of harmful pollution in different parts of the borough over the last year.

The data shows an overall improvement in air quality since 2017 with a reduction in levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particles with a diameter of 10 micrometres or less (PM10) that have been linked to health problems among vulnerable groups.

But there are parts of the borough that still exceed both government and the more stringent World Health Organisation (WHO) air quality guidelines.

This significant investment is part of the Council’s broader £10 million plan aimed at modernising leisure facilities while supporting financial sustainability and increased community engagement.

This exciting revamp will transform Active Lambeth leisure centres into vibrant spaces for fun, fitness and relaxation, offering residents and visitors a wide range of activities, building a more active future for Lambeth.

There’s still time to apply for a place on this ýear’s ‘Become A Lambeth Tour Guide’ course, based at Morley College in Waterloo. But hurry – the first term starts on 19 September.

Learning about Lambeth