Albert Square and St Stephen’s Association

A revision club aimed at helping local students preparing for their GCSEs and A-Levels is being run in the Mursell Hall, with the first session taking place on Wednesday 14th March between 4.30pm and 6.30pm. Please go along for free help and advice from university and graduate students, who specialise in Maths and Science but can provide advice on all aspects of revision.

Picture credit: Michael Flynn

At the recent ASSA committee meeting, it was suggested that we start a regular monthly pub meeting, where neighbours can get together informally over a drink and get to know each other a little better. We’ve agreed that we will meet on the first Tuesday of each month, starting next week on Tuesday 6th February, from 8.30pm in The Canton Arms. Please do come along if you are free.

The next meeting of the Stockwell Forum is taking place on Wednesday, 31st January at 7pm, and will be held at The Stockwell Centre, 1 Studley Road. The Stockwell Forum meetings, run by the Stockwell Partnership with support from Lambeth Council,  are an opportunity for everyone who lives and works in Stockwell or has any other connection to Stockwell to find out news and views.

On the agenda at the January meeting is an introduction to the Morley College courses being offered at The Stockwell Centre and details of the Lambeth Portuguese Community Wellbeing Partnership. The full agenda is available here.

The first formal planning application for the redevelopment of the South Lambeth Estate has been submitted. This application is for outline planning permission for the whole development (e.g. location and size of buildings) and detailed planning permission for the first phase of the development (i.e. the new building to be constructed between Wimborne House and Dorset Road).

This application is crucial because it establishes the look and layout of the whole scheme.

ASSA (the Albert Square and St Stephen’s Association) has discussed this proposal and the committee is in favour of the development as a whole.

The committee is keen to urge interested neighbours to write to the planners themselves because we believe the more responses received the greater the impact will be.

Submissions must be made to the planning department on-line at

https://planning.lambeth.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=makeComment&keyVal=P0T7CFBOIX100

Submissions must be made by 26th January 2018 and can be made anonymously

The Watoto Children’s Choir is performing a free concert at St Stephen’s Church on Sunday 28th May at 6.30pm – all are very welcome to attend. You can register for free tickets here

Watoto Children’s Choirs have travelled extensively since 1994, sharing a message of hope for Africa’s orphans and widows. To date, the choir has toured six continents and performed to enthralled audiences in schools, retirement homes, churches, parliaments, state houses and royal palaces.

The Choir is comprised of 18 children and 10 adults from Uganda. Each child in the Watoto Children’s Choir has suffered the loss of one or both parents and now lives in a Watoto village.

Accompanied by a team of adults, the choir presents Watoto’s vision and mission by sharing personal stories, music and dance. While on the road, the children act as advocates for the millions of other African children who have experienced the same heartbreaking pain and suffering as them.

The annual ASSA Trash and Treasure street sale will take place this year on Saturday 13th May, between 10.30am and 1pm. All local residents in the ASSA area are welcome to put up a stall outside their house and sell, swap or give away their unwanted goods. It is free and fun to take part so please join in, and spread the word to your friends and family locally.

ASSA invited representatives handling the redevelopment of the South Lambeth Estate and representatives of Lambeth Council to a special public consultation event for ASSA members and other interested residents last month. Over 30 people attended the meeting. Many residents who are directly impacted by this development have formed their own personal views, and are submitting them directly to the developers.  The ASSA Committee met recently to reach a representative perspective on the current plans, incorporating feedback we have heard from residents.
Our current view as a Committee is:

• ASSA is in favour of the development as it improves the quantity and quality of housing stock on the Estate, including affordable housing, and improves the public realm. We also believe that the plans reflect extensive engagement with both current residents of the Estate and the wider neighbourhood.
• The current plan is to move the new blocks D1, D2 and D3 closer to Wilkinson Street and the north side of Albert Square. ASSA’s view is that these new buildings should remain on the footprint and height of the existing building. We also note that any new development should account of the effect it has on the “setting of listed buildings”, notably the north side of Albert Square
• The current plan is that blocks D1, D2 and D3 would have balconies facing roughly south towards Wilkinson Street. ASSA understands that the London Plan requires the developer to install balconies and that Lambeth Council require those balconies not to be north-facing, both of which will improve quality of life for our new neighbours. However, ASSA also understands the concerns and objections as to loss of privacy for our residents who are directly impacted by this.

For details about the proposals, see http://estateregeneration.lambeth.gov.uk/south_lambeth_estate_drop_in_21_02_17_20170221

ASSA understands that there will be further consultation in April based on the next iteration of the plans. The ASSA Committee will refine its views at that time. In the interim, we would welcome further comment and engagement from ASSA members. We also encourage our residents to continue engaging directly with the developers, who have a regular Tuesday drop in on the Estate, and are planning further consultation events (please see the website).