Fitzroy Square

Free lunch time entertainment in Fitzroy Square Gardens for residents and passers-by. On various Thursdays from May to September the Jubilee Statue in Fitzroy Square Gardens will be transformed into a stage area. Expect international performers from the world of opera, circus, poetry, music and dance to entice you to rest and enjoy exciting, funny and thoughtful moments. Bring lunch!

Venue: Fitzroy Square Gardens (Jubilee Statue), Fitzroy Square, W1T 6ER

Date: Thu 31st May 12 at 1:15pm

Admission – free

For more info visit here.

Fresh data has been published on the council’s website giving residents the latest information on the town hall’s performance.

The updated information appears at the open council and allows residents to check on how the council is performing on a wide range of issues.

Residents can now see the latest A level and GCSE scores, new data on how long it takes to approve adoptions, the number of library books issued, the ratio of council tax being collected and how quickly new housing benefit claims are being processed.

This information sits alongside wider-ranging data showing how quickly local roads are repaired, the borough’s recycling rates, the progress of pupils in local schools and the time it takes to re-let an empty home.

Wandsworth’s performance is compared to London’s 32 other boroughs so that residents can see for themselves where the council is doing well – and just as importantly where performance is lagging.

In cases where the council’s performance is below average, the cabinet member responsible for that service explains why – and what he or she is doing to raise standards.

The information concentrates on the 27 key performance indicators which have been judged to be the most relevant to the public.

But to make sure these ratings continue to meet the public’s demands for transparency, the revamped website gives people the chance to vote on which indicators they want included in this top list and those they can do without.

The full list of more than 100 performance indicators is readily available on the Open Council section of the website giving residents the chance to gauge the council’s performance across all service areas. Accessing this wider list will help the public decide which indicators they want included in the key headline list.

Council leader Ravi Govindia launched the ‘Open Council’ initiative in January this year with a pledge to make Wandsworth Britain’s most transparent council.

Wandsworth was the first authority in London to give residents fully transparent information on how it was performing so that the public could hold local politicians and town hall managers to account.

As well as the performance indicators, this section of the council’s website also shows details of all town hall spending over £500. This will enable residents to see for themselves if the council is offering taxpayers the best value for money.

Cllr Govindia said: “The services we provide day in and day out directly affect the lives of nearly 300,000 residents. We want to make sure they have the information at their fingertips to hold us to account, so that we can be more responsive to their needs and better tuned in to their priorities.

“This drive for greater transparency and openness will raise standards and spur us on to become an even better council.”

For more, click here

London Railways

Wandsworth Council’s proposal for a new direct rail services between Waterloo and Heathrow has won support from more London boroughs.

Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham Councils are backing the scheme as a key measure to improve surface access to the airport and to ease congestion on the Piccadilly Line.

The service would include stops in the borough at Queenstown Road , Clapham Junction, Wandsworth Town and Putney.
Wandsworth unveiled the rail proposal in October last year which is based on BAA’s ‘Airtack’ scheme.

The new version – renamed ‘Airtrack Lite’ – would provide four trains an hour from Waterloo to Terminal 5. It avoids routing extra trains through level crossings in Mortlake and Egham which was the key problem with the original scheme and led to it being scrapped in April last year.

The proposals have now been discussed at top level meetings with the Department for Transport (DfT) and BAA.
The scheme has now been included in the tender documents for the Great Western Rail Franchise. The next franchisee will be expected to help develop the proposal further as a means of improving links to Heathrow.

An extract from the tender documents reads:
“Options for longer term enhancements of rail links to Heathrow, such as Western Access and Airtrack Lite, are being considered and the franchise operator will be expected to engage constructively with industry partners in developing these options. The franchise operator may have the opportunity to tender for the operation of such services in due course.”

Leader of Wandsworth Council Ravi Govindia said:
“We’ve made a good start with Airtrack Lite but there is still a lot of work to do behind the scenes building the case.
“What everyone can agree on is that Heathrow needs to be at centre of a genuine local rail network offering easy access to communities on all sides of the airport. Our scheme would provide an alternative to tortuous journeys on the Piccadilly Line and help get more cars off the road.

“Airtrack Lite was devised as part of ‘Wandsworth Travel Choices’ – an ambitious campaign to make our borough a better connected place with a broader range of transport services. One of the key aims is to reduce people’s reliance on cars by making alternative travel choices more appealing and convenient.”

Airtrack Lite would provide four trains an hour from Waterloo to Terminal 5. The plans avoid routing extra trains through level crossings in Mortlake and Egham. This was a key problem with the original scheme and led to it being scrapped by BAA in April last year.

Two trains an hour would run between Waterloo and Heathrow via the Hounslow loop. Two existing services on the Waterloo-Windsor line would split at Staines to provide a further direct link to Terminal Five.

Two services an hour would also come up from Weybridge to Heathrow – again without adding extra frequencies over level crossings at Egham.

The scheme would require a new station at Staines and a new stretch of track from here to Terminal 5. The rest of the route would run along existing lines.

Heathrow is one of Europe ‘s busiest airports but is served only by the Heathrow Express to Paddington and by the Piccadilly Line.

This forces Wandsworth residents to travel north through London to join a Heathrow bound service rather than travelling direct.

For more info click here

Wandsworth Arts Festival 2012

The 2012 Wandsworth Arts Festival will be officially launched at Southside Shopping Centre this Friday, May 11.
The council-led festival, which runs until May 27, will feature more than 40 events once it has been formally launched by Wandsworth’s cabinet member for culture, Councillor Jonathan Cook.

It culminates with an outdoor artistic celebration like no other – the Shimmy – which boasts more than 15 acts, exhibitions, workshops and craft and food stalls between Putney Bridge and Wandsworth Park over a 24-hour period.

Wandsworth Arts Festival has been organised to give residents and visitors from all over London the chance to discover the enormous wealth of culture and creativity Wandsworth has to offer.

Programme highlights include:

photoWANDSWORTH winners - The winning entries in this year’s photoWANDSWORTH competition – featuring photos taken within the borough that form a short story – will be exhibited at Southside for the duration of the festival.

Come and Play at Pump House – The Pump House Gallery, in Battersea Park , and Spots v Stripes has a weekend of fun and games planned on May 19 and 20. They have invited artists to explore the art within games and performances, while offering workshops and activities for visitors to compete in. It runs from 11am to 9pm on Saturday and from 11am to 4pm on Sunday.

Sweet Smell of Success – For three Saturdays running during the festival – May 12, 19 and 26 – Bio-Organism Substrate Industries (BoSI) will be on a mission to find out what success smells like. The group will take up residency at Southside Shopping Centre to research success in Wandsworth from 11am to 6pm on each of the three days.

Opera in the Yard – Visitors to the town hall at 6.30pm on May 24 will be treated to an evening of opera in the fountain courtyard courtesy of National Opera Studios.

Green Horses on the Wall – Alternatively, visit the Alton Estate in Roehampton to see installations by Bicycle Ballet and Recyculture – or to see the ‘Birdbrain’ performance by Emergency Exit Arts and The Street Arts Academy on Saturday 19 at 1.30pm.

The Shimmy – Finally, closing this year’s festival is the Shimmy. It was given the name by organisers because it shimmies between the variances of what outdoor art can be. It offers street art, dance, workshops, installation and interaction to visitors walking along the riverside on Sunday, May 27.

The 2012 Wandsworth Arts Festival is being run with support from local art organisations, schools and supporters.
It is managed by Wandsworth Council’s arts team and funded by Arts Council England with sponsorship from Southside Shopping Centre and St James.

For more info, click here

Newham Council

The current “tenant crisis” plaguing Newham Council has been receiving backlash from ministers and other councils alike, claiming the plan to relocate tenants away from the capital as “outrages, unfair and wrong”.

Housing minister, Grant Shapps has lashed out at Newham Council, stating that they are “playing with peoples lives” by claiming that the benefit caps does not allow these residents the opportunity to purchase a local buy-to-let property within the council.

With around 32,000 people on the housing waiting list, claims of cuts to housing benefits means that tenants are allowed to claim a monthly allowance between £250 for a one-bedroom flat to £400 for a four-bedroom property.

The Council wrote to more than 1,000 housing associations, to as far away as Stoke-on-Trent, claiming they can no longer find homes for some 500 families . The proposal, if accepted, would see families moving some 160 miles away from their communities in London.

Newham’s Mayor, Sir Robin Wales blames the government cuts for increasing the demand for homes in Newham as residents from wealthier areas were forced into other parts of the capital due to the housing benefit cap while the gap between market rent and local housing allowance has grown too large.

Sir Wales told BBC Radio 4′s Today programme – “We’ve looked at it. And we’ve done the best we can, we know it is very hard to get property in this borough, and in the East End of London. We’re not looking to push people all to one place, we’re looking for the best possible solution for our citizens.”

Fulham Riverside

Residents of Fulham have been urged by the Council to come up and “have their say” regarding it’s plan to transform it’s disused industrial land.

The land which is located on a riverside stretch of Sands End from Carnwath Road to Imperial Wharf, has already begun it’s second and final round of public consultation and residents have until Friday,May 11, to make their views known.

The South Fulham Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), first consulted on the draft proposals last spring and has now incorporated a series of changes after listening to residents’ feedback. The SPD is important as it provides guidance for regeneration in the area over the next 20 years.

While the general responses were very positive there were some areas for improvement and we have taken on board this feedback.

Key priorities for South Fulham in the draft SPD include:

*Bringing vacant and underused former industrial sites into use for residential led mixed-use, providing affordable housing and a choice of housing options. The council anticipates that the area could accommodate up to 4,000 new homes and jobs over the next 20 years if the supporting infrastructure is put in place.

*Increasing the use of the river and riverside for leisure, transport, education and riverside moorings.

*Providing opportunities for new and improved routes to the river and to complete unfinished sections of the riverside walk.

*Possible new community facilities in the area – such as schools, health centres, open space and children’s play facilities – to be paid for by developers.

For those interested in finding the out the latest development and more, the council has organised drop-in sessions, where council officers will be available for discussion and to provide further details.

Venue - The Wharf Rooms, Imperial Road, London SW6 2PY between;

Time – 12noon-2pm on Tuesday, April 17, 2012
5pm-8pm on Wednesday, April 18, 2012
10am- 1pm Saturday, April 21, 2012

The road will be shut to traffic between Hammersmith Broadway and Leamore Street during the Easter school holidays, from Tuesday April 3, to Friday April 6.

Motorists will still be able to access King Street from Leamore Street to Dalling Road, with traffic being redirected along Shepherds Bush Road. Pedestrians will be unaffected by the road closure.

Thames Water say that its team will be working 24 hours a day to install a monitoring chamber that aims reduce leaks in the area, while keeping noise to a minimum between 11pm and 7pm.

In a bid to reduce the amount of disruption for local residents and businesses, while the road is closed, Hammersmith & Fulham Council is coordinating five other sets of works to take place at the same time.

UK Power Networks will also be working in the street, to complete a road crossing from Bridge Avenue to Leamore Street, and Hammersmith & Fulham Council will take advantage of the closure to carry out some tree pruning and gully repairs.

Cllr Nick Botterill, deputy leader and cabinet member for environment, said: “This round-the-clock approach looks set to cut the length of time it will take workers to complete the jobs – from six days to four days. Had the council not insisted on collaborative working, and allowed the companies to work independently, it would have meant the area would have been affected by an extra 11 days of disruption.

“We are making the best of a bad situation by linking in other vital works, so that the road does not have to be dug up again a few months down the line. The utility works are essential and we have no choice but to allow them to take place before the Olympics.

“We will be monitoring the works closely to make sure there will be as little inconvenience to residents, motorists and workers in Hammersmith town centre.”

The council will also be carrying out road resurfacing works to a section of Fulham Palace Road between Talgarth Road and Chancellors Road, and a small section of Talgarth Road at the junction with Queen Caroline Street every night, between midnight and 5am, on April 2-5, and on April 10-13.

This stretch of Fulham Palace Road will be closed during this time period, with the southbound carriageway closed to all traffic. Fulham Palace Road will still be open to northbound traffic. Diversions for traffic will be in place and there will be road signs to show this.

Following these resurfacing works, anti-skid works will be carried out at night to reduce disruption. The works will be carried out under two-way lights, with no road closures. They are as follows:

*Fulham Palace Road, between Talgarth Road and Chancellors Road – Every night, between 10pm and 6am, from Monday 16 April to Thursday 19 April.

*Talgarth Road, between Butterwick and Queen Caroline Street – Every night between midnight and 8am, from Friday 20 April to Saturday April 21.
From 1am on Saturday 21 April to 9am on Sunday 22 April.
From 11pm on Sunday 22 April 6am on Monday 23 April.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area, where possible, and there are advanced warning signs across the borough, alerting motorists of the closure. Residents and businesses have also been contacted this week to tell them that the road will close.

During the closure, bus routes will be amended. Route 266 towards Acton will not serve Kings Mall Shopping Centre, Hammersmith Town Hall, Ravenscourt Park Tube station, John Betts School and the bus stop on Paddenswick Road at Goldhawk Road.

Routes 27, 190, 267, 391, H91, N9 and N11 towards Chiswick will be diverted via Shepherds Bush, returning to King Street at Ravenscourt Park Tube station. Please allow extra time for your journey.

You may find it quicker to walk to the bus stop at Ravenscourt Park Tube station on King Street to catch these buses. Buses towards Hammersmith will not be affected and will serve all bus stops as normal.

New Covent Garden Market

Covent Garden Market Authority (CGMA) has selected VINCI St Modwen as it’s private development partner to help with the regeneration of New Covent Garden Market.

This old industrial district which is located on the South bank of the Thames will be responsible for creating some 16,000 new homes and 25,000 new permanent new jobs in the years to come, making this 57 acre site the largest development opportunity in the Nine Elms area.

The procurement process to secure a development partner started in March 2010. From an initial shortlist of six bidders, two high quality tenders were selected to go forward to the final round.

VSM has now been selected to lead the delivery of modern new market facilities funded by developing land not needed for the new market. The Market will remain in CGMA’s ownership and there will be no call on the public purse to secure its long term future.

An outline planning application for the redevelopment scheme was submitted to Wandsworth Council by NCGMA earlier this year. The proposal could go before the planning committee in May.

History

New Covent Garden Market is the largest wholesale fruit, vegetable and flower market in the UK. Located in Nine Elms between Vauxhall and Battersea, South West London, the Market covers a site of 57 acres and is home to approximately 200 fruit, vegetable and flower companies.

The Market serves 40% of the fruit and vegetables eaten outside of the home in London and provides ingredients to many of London’s top restaurants, hotels, schools, prisons, hospitals and catering businesses.

The Flower Market, which offers an extensive range of flowers, plants, foliages, sundries and interior decorations from the UK and from around the globe, is visited by 75% of florists in London, many of whom place morning orders and return to restock during the day as needed.

The Market is run by a statutory corporation,Covent Garden Market Authority, set up in 1961 and charged with modernising and overseeing the administration of the vegetable market, which was considered strategically important as a wholesale food and flower market.

The Market opened for the first time on 11 November 1974, construction having started in 1971 on the site of the former Nine Elms Locomotive Works. The Market is so called because it transferred directly from its previous location at Covent Garden in central London.

The Big Lottery Foundation

The Big Lottery Foundation, a grant-making non-departmental public body created by the government to help fund causes that will help bring about change, growth and productivity to selected areas in London has announced it’s latest winner – Wandsworth council.

The council has announced that the foundation has chosen an area dubbed as Clapham Junction/West Battersea as their pick for this time around. The residents of Battersea are to be given £1m in lottery funding as an investment to make the area a better place within the next 10 years.

The funds are to be used on projects that will benefit the greater good of the community in the area, with ideas which have been agreed upon by the residents. They can be anything from – creating new community facilities, tackling anti-social behaviour, providing more activities for young people or starting up training and employment schemes.

To get things rolling, the Foundation will bring in a Big Local representative that will bring residents and community organisations together to learn about the scheme, to create strategies to get people involved and to start the process of exploring what priorities local people have for the money.

Subsequently, a Big Local Partnership will be set up by local residents to develop a plan for the area. Through the partnership, residents can gain access to a range of support, training and networking opportunities to enable them to make best use of their funding

The first Big Local meetings with anyone interested in finding out about and taking part in the scheme are expected to take place in May, after which a Getting Started funding programme will be launched to free up £20,000 for the community to begin work.

If you are a resident, or work in the area, and would like to be involved or find out more, contact Big Local Rep -Helen Garforth,( 0118 9582233 )

For more info on the foundation, click here

Pedestrian Crossing

This weekend, the council will begin making improvements to the pedestrian crossing facilities at the junction of St John’s Hill and Lavender Hill in Clapham Junction.

The town centre is mid-way through a multi million pound investment scheme aimed at reducing traffic congestion, reducing accidents and creating a more attractive and pedestrian friendly shopping environment.

This next phase of work will see more pavements widened and a new diagonal pedestrian crossing introduced between Debenhams and the Falcon Pub.

The existing pedestrian crossing between the Falcon Pub and JD Sports will now be closed for around 2 weeks to allow engineers to remove the traffic island and widen the pavements.

During this period pedestrians will be directed to alternative crossing points nearby and are strongly advised to take extra care while passing through this busy junction.

Once the traffic island has been removed people will be able to cross this part of St John’s Hill in one safe movement rather than stopping in the middle of the road to wait for a separate crossing signal to turn green.

Unnecessary guardrails and other ‘street clutter’ will also be removed from pavements to make life easier for people travelling through the town centre on foot.

Now that the new taxi rank has opened outside Fitness First the old rank located in the middle of St John’s Road will be removed. This will make it much safer for people to get into a cab and will improve traffic flow through the junction.

The council’s town centre street improvement scheme is backed by Transport for London and the Clapham Junction Town Centre Partnership.