For a better, fairer Lambeth Labour manifesto 2018

@lambethlabour lambeth-labour-manifesto.org 1 For a better, fairer Lambeth

4 Standing up for Lambeth

7 A more equal Lambeth

11 Tackling Lambeth’s housing crisis

16 A cleaner and greener Lambeth

20 A safer Lambeth

23 A Lambeth where young people thrive

27 A healthier Lambeth

31 Our vibrant town centres For a better, fairer Lambeth Lambeth is an amazing We said back in 2010 that we couldn’t If re-elected on the 3rd May, place. We are an open, confront austerity on our own. we will work for: tolerant and diverse We pioneered a co-operative approach A more equal Lambeth — delivering borough with a rich history to saving public services, we’ve worked the recommendations of Lambeth’s in partnership with local community Equality Commission to tackle the and an exciting future. groups and partners to find ways to inequality faced by Lambeth’s disabled, prevent services from closing completely. black and ethnic minority residents. In 2014 you elected Lambeth Labour We’ve made sure services our most on a pledge to be fair to everyone and vulnerable residents rely on, such Tackling Lambeth’s housing crisis — Eddy Grant, Lib Peck and Sadiq Khan on ambitious for all. By listening and using as children’s centres, mental health Electric Avenue building genuinely affordable new your money wisely we’ve kept our services and housing advice support, homes, driving up standards for promises to you. have been protected. private renters and investing in We’ve listened to thousands of residents council housing. Our Labour values drive our vision We’ve also been proud to work with the and hundreds of Labour Party members to for the borough. We have built the Labour Mayor of Sadiq Khan, who create a manifesto that builds on our track A cleaner and greener Lambeth first new council homes in a generation, was elected on a platform to deliver on the record of standing up for Lambeth. — improving air quality, boosting made a record investment in our roads issues that matter to Lambeth residents recycling rates and showing pride in and clamped down on crime and anti- — tackling youth crime, delivering Under Labour, Lambeth has become Lambeth by keeping our streets clean. social behaviour. affordable housing, investing in better a modern, innovative and radical transport, improving cycling and clean air, council focused on building a better, A safer Lambeth — working with the We’ve been ambitious for Lambeth and fighting against the Conservative’s fairer borough. police and the community to reduce by attracting new investment into the hard Brexit. We’re working with the Mayor crime and make Lambeth safer for all borough, creating thousands of jobs for to get the best deal for our borough. On 3rd May, I hope that you will put residents, young and old. local people (with the highest employment your trust in Labour to deliver a better, rate in London), more affordable housing, fairer Lambeth. A Lambeth where young people thrive new schools and kept our award-winning — creating more apprenticeships and parks as great places for our residents opportunities for Lambeth’s young to enjoy. people and investing in children’s Councillor Lib Peck education to give every child the best We’ve achieved this despite a Conservative Labour Leader of Lambeth Council start in life. government in Westminster that has made huge cuts to public services and A healthier Lambeth — protecting has cut Lambeth’s budget by 56%, one Lambeth’s elderly and vulnerable of the highest cuts to local councils in residents by investing in health and the country. social care, working closely with our NHS to provide the best possible care.

Lambeth Labour Manifesto 2018 Lambeth Labour Manifesto 2018 3 Lambeth is one of the most diverse and open places on the planet. People from all over the world come to Lambeth to build a life for themselves and their families. Hundreds of languages are spoken in our schools and on our streets; it’s part of what makes Lambeth such a special place. We’re home to the largest Portuguese community outside Portugal, one of the largest Somali communities outside Somalia and are the historic home to Standing Chuka Umunna MP at Lambeth for Europe Rally Britain’s Caribbean community. We will celebrate our borough’s diversity together with local communities and by 56%, demonstrating how little they up for schools to commemorate the 70th value the vital difference local services anniversary of the arrival of the Empire and public sector workers make to Windrush this summer. people’s lives. Lambeth We’re proud that 79% of Lambeth voted to Inner city areas like Lambeth have faced remain in the EU referendum and we’ve far deeper cuts in government funding lobbied the government to protect the than wealthier parts of the country. Figures rights of the more than 30,000 European from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation citizens in Lambeth. We don’t believe that calculated that the 20% most deprived our friends and neighbours should be local authorities, like Lambeth, had faced a treated as a bargaining chip — but sadly cut of £220 in government funding for the Conservatives both nationally and every resident while the wealthiest areas locally refuse to support a guarantee of had only lost £40 per person. their rights. And already we’re seeing the effect of Brexit on our economy, on the Since 2010 Lambeth has had to costs in the construction market which find £250 million in budget savings affects the building of affordable homes, because of government cuts, which is and on the numbers of EU workers coming equivalent to more than three and a half to support our public services. We have times the council’s total budget for been fighting against the Conservative children’s services. government’s disastrous hard Brexit and a re-elected Labour council will fight for the We have campaigned against government rights of EU citizens, and membership of cuts since 2010, fighting to protect our the single market and customs union. fantastic public services. Together we’ve saved fire station and Since 2010 Lambeth has been the target of police station from closure, fought against deep government cuts in funding from cuts to local schools and to protect our local both the Conservative government and the NHS. We are now standing with London’s Conservative/Lib Dem coalition. The Labour Mayor, Sadiq Khan, to oppose the Conservatives have cut our core funding latest round of Tory police cuts.

Lambeth Labour Manifesto 2018 5 Locally we’ve been bold and innovative in And for residents who are on low incomes our approach to defending local services we offer discounts or exemptions to and protecting Lambeth’s most vulnerable council tax. We will protect those residents. By working with the voluntary discounts or exemptions through our sector, community groups and changing Council Tax Support Scheme for our own approach, we’ve kept all ten residents including pensioners, libraries, and our 23 outstanding children’s registered disabled residents, carers, centres open. We’ve also been prudent in families subject to the benefit cap and managing the council’s finances,reducing war widows. And because we know that A more the number of council buildings from council tax debt can be a cause of fourteen to two, saving £4.5 million a concern, we will continue to ban the year for frontline services. use of bailiffs for vulnerable residents. equal We’ve also saved millions from Under Labour’s leadership we’re renegotiating council contracts, moving weathering the storm of Tory cuts in services online and cutting the back-office Lambeth. While Conservative-run Lambeth to protect spending on the front-line. Northamptonshire council has effectively We saved £2 million by bringing Lambeth’s gone bust and the experiment of a park service back in-house and saved over Green-run council in Brighton ended in £2 million a year on our customers failure with rubbish piled high on local services contract. Our decision to bring streets, Lambeth Labour is building a housing management back into the council better and fairer borough for all. in 2015 saved £3.7 million last year, meaning more money for repairs, fire safety, and improved tenant services. Where we can improve services for residents and deliver better value for money by bringing more services back in house, we will.

Lambeth has the ninth lowest council tax of the 32 London boroughs. Over the past few years we’ve all paid more to protect local services, while also keeping council tax affordable for local families. Lambeth residents shouldn’t have to pay the price for the failure of Tory austerity and we will continue to fight for fair funding from central government. If re-elected Labour will keep council tax one of the lowest in London, giving a fair deal to Lambeth residents and explore a new voluntary top rate of council tax for the very richest in our society.

Lambeth Labour Manifesto 2018 6 Lambeth is an open and establishing a relief fund to help struggling contracts. Earlier this year the London welcoming borough where families pay their bills and providing debt Living Wage was extended to the men and and benefits advice services that support women who sweep our streets and empty people care about one another over 12,000 people a year. our bins. and about how well their We’ve introduced an employment service We will make it a requirement for neighbours are doing. The to help over 170 residents affected by organisations that receive council Labour Party was established the benefit cap to get into work. Through grants or that rent commercial property to build a fairer, more equal programmes like Every Pound Counts from the council to pay the London we’ve put £13.5 million into the hands Living Wage, because a hard day’s country and we are delivering of Lambeth residents by helping them work deserves a fair day’s pay. We will Working with the Somali community to on those values in Lambeth. access benefits that they were owed and go further, partnering with our local tackle inequality supporting residents facing indebtedness. Business Improvement Districts to Through support for early years, our We will extend our partnership with the promote Living Wage Zones, supporting Key to this is making sure that the talent excellent schools, strong partnership with local voluntary sector to provide advice local businesses to become Living Wage and potential of Lambeth’s young people the NHS and by building more homes and support to Lambeth residents and Employers and encourage businesses isn’t wasted. We are committed to we’ve established a strong track record in ensure that all the advice is consolidated to adopt the Mayor’s new ‘Good Work improving the educational experience fighting inequality. As a result, Lambeth in one clear location on our website. Standard’ which includes paying the and attainment of Black Caribbean has been recognised by the Social Mobility Living Wage. and African children and those from Commission as one of the top 5% of local We will fight against a cruel and unfair the Portuguese and Spanish-speaking authorities in the country for giving young Universal Credit system being forced The real answer to poverty pay rests in communities by working with our people from disadvantaged backgrounds on Lambeth by the Government and we a proper national living wage. A Labour schools partnership and lobbying the best opportunities in life. But we know will continue to ensure that nobody is government will introduce a £10 minimum for the government to reinstate the there is still much more to do. evicted because of errors or delays in wage, giving a pay rise to millions of people. ethnic minority achievement grant the benefit system. which the Tory-Lib Dem coalition That is particularly true for the hundreds Despite the huge growth in jobs, government stopped. of children in care that Lambeth looks And to support parents on Universal Credit, investment and opportunity in the after. We are proud of the support we will partner with a local credit union borough in the past few years, there People come from all over the world to provided to these children, the help we to introduce an affordable childcare remains deep and persistent inequality make their home in Lambeth. Government give them to move into higher education, loan for local parents so that they can facing some of our communities. cuts to English-language teaching make apprenticeships or work, but we also return to work without ending up out Lambeth set up an independent Equality it harder for people to make the most of know that becoming independent of pocket. Commission to work with representatives everything our borough has to offer. when leaving care is hard. To make that from across the borough and to We will improve the take-up of English transition easier we will exempt Lambeth Since 2012 the employment rate in focus on the lived experiences of our for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) care leavers from paying council tax Lambeth has risen to over 83%, the highest Portuguese, Somali, Black Caribbean provision, especially for parents using until their 25th birthday, helping over in our history, while unemployment has and disabled residents. The Equality our children’s centres and at schools. 250 young people. fallen from over 9% to just 5%. Despite this Commission reported in 2017 with a huge improvement, too many residents range of recommendations to make our We will introduce a Black and Minority Many families have faced the impact of are in low paid jobs and struggle to make borough a fairer place to live. Lambeth Ethnic leadership programme within huge Tory cuts to benefits, the bedroom ends meet. Lambeth led the way in London will work with our partners and the council to help talented staff reach tax, the threat of the tenant tax and the by becoming a Living Wage Employer in community groups to implement all their full potential and become senior arrival of a flawed Universal Credit system. 2012, ensuring that all Lambeth Council recommendations in the Equality managers. We also believe that Lambeth We have invested to protect residents employees are paid the London Living Commission’s final report. must lead by example on pay inequality. from the impact of those cruel policies, by Wage as are employees in 99% of council We have reduced the pay of Lambeth’s

Lambeth Labour Manifesto 2018 8 Lambeth Labour Manifesto 2018 9 chief executive and senior staff andwe will ensure that the pay ratio between the highest and lowest earner in the council continues to come down and does not exceed 10:1, making Lambeth one of the most equal large employers in the country.

Lambeth’s disabled residents face some of the biggest barriers to work. Cllr Paul McGlone in the Calais jungle The unemployment rate for disabled residents is almost ten times that of the borough average and this unfairness residents have been at the forefront of Tackling Lambeth’s must be tackled. We have launched a new reaching out to support refugees fleeing programme with EU funding to support the Syrian civil war. Over the past few residents with disabilities or long-term years Lambeth has shown national health problems into work. We will leadership by taking in 23 refugee housing crisis expand our work with key partners families, finding homes and safe shelter to increase the quality and range of for over 100 people who are now part targeted employment opportunities of the Lambeth community and we will for disabled residents, residents with welcome more refugee families to mental health issues and residents with Lambeth over the next four years. This complex needs. has been made possible by the fantastic work of community groups in Lambeth, in Disabled residents face unacceptable particular Lambeth Citizens. barriers not just to work, but to travelling around our borough and accessing shops We will also support Lambeth Citizens and services. We’ll expand and provide in their campaign to make securing additional funding to the DisabledGo UK Citizenship easier and more scheme to improve access, and ask affordable, especially for under 18s. all businesses in Lambeth to sign a The Government currently charges £973 pledge to make all premises wheelchair for under 18s to become citizens, which is accessible by 2022. unfair and disproportionate.

Lambeth is home to one of the largest We will also place Lambeth at the LGBT+ communities in the country. Over forefront of the fight against modern the past few years we’ve worked closely day slavery by being one of the first with the police to tackle homophobic hate signatories to the Co-operative Party’s crime and successfully campaigned to Modern Day Slavery Charter. protect historic LGBT+ venues like the The Royal Tavern (RVT).

Our commitments to supporting one another don’t stop at the border. Lambeth

Lambeth Labour Manifesto 2018 10 London is in the grip of a and have one of the highest take-up rates homeless and provided with temporary severe housing crisis, and in the capital. We will name, shame and accommodation. Our homelessness prosecute rogue landlords who fail to prevention service is one of the best in Lambeth is no exception. provide decent homes, doubling the London; over 3,000 families have been For too long we have faced number of inspections of private rented prevented from becoming homeless homes over the next four years so since 2014 and we will continue to cuts to affordable housing dodgy landlords have nowhere to hide. prioritise keeping local families in and council housing budgets Where landlords fall short, we’ll use our their homes. by a Conservative government. powers to levy fines of up to £30,000 and to ban rogue landlords from Our partnership with charities like John Healey MP, Cllr Matthew Bennett Over the past four years we operating in Lambeth. St Mungo’s provides supported and Jeremy Corbyn MP supporting Lambeth fought against the divisive accommodation for single homeless Labour’s plans for 1,000 new council homes We will act to improve quality and people with complex needs and we Tory plans for housing. Labour security for private renters by support the Mayor of London’s more profit than they claimed in their councillors joined tenants and supporting the building of new No Second Night Out scheme. viability, the council takes 80% of the activists to march and protest affordable homes for rent at London additional profit for the delivery of new Living Rent with three-year tenancies as We will build on this track record of affordable housing. against the Housing and standard alongside our core tackling homelessness and rough Planning Bill and we’re proud commitment for more social housing. sleeping by building pop-up housing to We will always take a tough line with quickly house homeless families. We developers: securing more affordable we now have a Labour Mayor, As part of our commitment to providing are investing £15 million in a social homes, affordable workspace, jobs and Sadiq Khan, who’s putting the advice and support to private renters investment fund in partnership with apprenticeships for local people from London housing crisis front we will introduce a new private renters the Mayor to boost the supply of new private developments. We also introduced charter, setting out renters’ rights and homes for families who have become a developers tax which has raised nearly and centre. Lambeth’s powers to intervene. We will homeless. We will invest £1.3 million £20 million to invest in local community set up a new housing advice hotline and over the next three years in better infrastructure and community projects. More Lambeth residents are private online service to improve support for advice and support for people facing We will increase this developers tax so renters than are homeowners or council private renters and those at risk of homelessness in Lambeth. more money goes to benefit the local tenants. We have a strong track record in homelessness. community across the borough. clamping down on rogue landlords and Despite this, we know that the only way those who put tenants at risk with We will continue to campaign for more to solve the housing crisis is to build Being tough with developers is working. 43% dangerous overcrowding or substandard powers from central government to thousands of genuinely affordable homes of new homes built in the borough in accommodation. Lambeth already has a improve the standard and security of for local people. 2016-17 were affordable housing — beating compulsory landlord licensing scheme for the private rented sector and for our own planning target of 40% affordable homes of multiple occupation (HMOs) and controls on rent rises. Last year Lambeth was the best homes and far above Tory councils like we will be expanding our landlord performing London borough for building Wandsworth, which push for much less licensing scheme to double the number The lack of security and affordability of the new homes, delivering 80% more than affordable housing. Lambeth continues to of HMOs covered. private rented sector is one of the biggest the target set by the Mayor. We have prioritise genuinely affordable homes at causes of homelessness. We have all been introduced tough new rules on private council rent, as the core aim of our The Conservative government has failed to shocked by the rise in rough sleeping and developers. We force them to make their affordable housing policy. We aim for 70% of act to drive up standards and improve street homelessness over the past few viability figures public to stop them affordable homes to be for social rent and security for private renters. We work with years. More and more people are being dodging their obligations to build the remaining 30% to be affordable home the Mayor of London to run an left behind and in Lambeth, 2,000 families, affordable homes. We introduced a ownership or intermediate rent for people accreditation scheme for private landlords, including nearly 5,000 children, are now new ‘clawback’ power: if developers make on middle incomes.

Lambeth Labour Manifesto 2018 12 Lambeth Labour Manifesto 2018 13 housing for local families, affordable We’ve taken tough action on empty anywhere in the country. Council estates homes and homes for private renters with properties by introducing a 150% council have been fully refurbished, with tenants long-term tenancies. We will complete tax on them. We’ll increase the penalty receiving new kitchens, bathrooms, our programme of estate regeneration for leaving homes empty to a 200% windows and doors — making sure homes to rebuild six of our estates to give council tax levy. We are also using our are warm, dry and safe. Over the next existing residents better homes and to power as a council to buy back homes for four years we will invest millions more create more social housing to tackle the local people or to compulsorily purchase to modernise Lambeth council homes housing crisis. land, using Compulsory Purchase Orders and bring them up to a good standard. (CPOs) where necessary, so that we can We’re committed to rebuilding those build more homes for council rent for Since the tragedy of the Grenfell fire we’ve Councillors and Sadiq Khan at the building of estates with no loss of social housing, local families. worked closely with local tenant and new council homes in Vauxhall building additional homes at council leaseholder groups to reassure residents rent, providing a new home for every We also need to build homes to meet the about the council’s fire safety record. But there is still much more to do to build existing council tenant and doing all of needs of the borough’s growing older and We’ve invested £5 million on additional fire the homes Lambeth needs. There are still this without private developers. disabled population. 10% of all the new safety measures over the last eight 28,000 Lambeth families on the council’s homes we build are wheelchair accessible months, completed stringent fire risk waiting list for social housing. These are We’ve worked hard with tenants and and all our homes are built to the Lifetime assessments on our high-rise blocks and families who are living in the borough leaseholders to make rebuilding our estates Homes Standard. We will also build a we will always follow the advice and already, most of whom are stuck in fair to our existing residents, and offering new disability resource centre at recommendations of the Fire Service to expensive and insecure private rented the hope of a new home to Lambeth’s Coburg Crescent with disabled access keep our residents safe. housing. While the Tory government has homeless families and those in housing need. housing. We’ve already worked with failed to tackle the housing crisis, we’re not partners to build extra care supported In 2015 the council closed down the prepared to sit on our hands while local On each estate, the council has carried out housing for older people in the borough council’s housing management body, people suffer. full and independent consultations which at Cheviot Gardens and Bank House, Lambeth Living and brought housing have demonstrated resident support for we will build more extra care housing management back in-house. In the past A Labour government would build 100,000 more and better homes. Our commitment across the borough, including at year we’ve saved £3.7 million on housing new council homes a year and we’re to a fair process and guaranteeing the Somerleyton Road. management, which we are spending on playing our part in Lambeth. At the last rights of residents to remain on their repairs and improving our council housing. council election we pledged to build 1000 estates is recognised as best practice in The council can’t solve the housing crisis on extra homes at council rent by 2019. By London. We’ve worked closely with the its own. We work closely with housing We’ve been tough on repairs contractors, early 2018 we had over 950 homes Mayor of London on his Estate associations and other partners to drive up firing contractors who didn’t deliver for completed, being built or already Regeneration Principles and will fully the number and quality of homes for social residents, and our tenant satisfaction is approved by Lambeth’s cabinet meaning implement his recommendations when rent and affordable home ownership. For the highest it’s ever been. We will give that we will complete our ambitious published this summer. the first time we’ve consulted on recognising tenants and leaseholders more control programme of building 1000 extra innovative approaches like Community Land over improvements on their estates homes at council rent for local families. Over the next four years we’ll build Trusts in our planning policy. We’ll also through estate action plans and hundreds more homes for council work with local groups like South London support new resident boards to hold To build even more homes we’ve set up a rent on council-owned land across the Citizens to bring forward Lambeth’s first council officers and contractors to 100% council-owned not-for-profit borough. We will push other public Community Land Trust. account for performance. We will company, Homes for Lambeth. Through sector land owners to release land for introduce greater transparency on better use of council land, infill on estates more genuinely affordable housing In the past six years we’ve invested £480 performance and repairs, making it and rebuilding some estates that are of and we’ll maximise the number of million to refurbish and improve the easier for residents to see how much poor quality and which the council cannot genuinely affordable homes delivered standard of council housing in Lambeth, work is planned for their estate and to afford to refurbish, we’re building a new from developments. one of the largest single investments track the progress of work. generation of the highest quality social

Lambeth Labour Manifesto 2018 14 Lambeth Labour Manifesto 2018 15 Lambeth residents take pride that only Lambeth residents can use the in the cleanliness of their service. We’ll keep Vale Street open and free to use for Lambeth residents. streets, estates and neighbourhoods. We’re We’ve led London on cycling, being recognised by winning the award for committed not just to keeping Excellence in Cycling and Walking at the our streets clean, but also London Transport Awards in 2017. We improving air quality and have trained 13,000 cyclists, more than any A other borough. We’ve redesigned dozens making Lambeth a more of dangerous junctions including in environmentally friendly , and Vauxhall, with cleaner and place. We’re showing further work planned at Waterloo roundabout and Road. leadership in doing all we We will work with cyclists on can to fight climate change, incorporating the recommendations greener from our Healthy Routes programme boost recycling and preserve into the forthcoming Lambeth the environment for future Transport Strategy to make roads generations. quieter and safer. We will open over ten Lambeth miles of new, safe cycling routes and will campaign for funding for the We’ve protected street sweeping and litter to Peckham Quietway. picking, including keeping daily litter picking in busy areas. We’ve introduced We successfully campaigned to bring food waste bins and our new pest-proof Santander cycle hire bikes to and recycling bins have cut down the use of will push for the extension of cycle hire plastic bags, increased recycling rates and helped us save £450,000 per year. We’ve kept our garden waste collection and we’ve made sure all the people who collect our bins are paid the London Living Wage.

In Brighton the country’s first Green-run council collapsed amid a bin strike, with rubbish rotting on the streets. Labour in Lambeth will maintain a full weekly bin collection of recycling, food and residual waste, and boost recycling rates further by 2022.

We improved our recycle and reuse centre on Vale Street in by banning commercial users and ensuring Labour councillors committed to cleaner air

Lambeth Labour Manifesto 2018 17 bikes across the rest of the borough. scale of charges to incentivise cleaner, uneven. We’ve made a record investment We introduced secure cycle hangars to our lower emission cars. To support the to repave our roads and improve our streets with over 220 hangars already transition from internal combustion to pavements, investing £40 million since delivered. To meet the growing demand cleaner electric cars we will install over 2014. Our roads are far safer and our for secure cycle parking we will double 200 new electric vehicle charging points. pavements are better, especially for the number of bike hangars, providing parents with small children, older residents 1,000 additional cycle hangar spaces We’ve planted over 4,000 trees in the past and those with mobility issues. We will over the next four years. few years and supported community continue this record investment in initiatives like Open Orchard to plant new roads and pavements over the next Lambeth has led the way in tackling air fruit trees. More street trees are part of four years. pollution and improving our air quality. We our commitment to improving air quality in have adopted a comprehensive Air Quality the borough, with evidence showing that We must meet the challenge of climate Action Plan and successfully lobbied the just one street tree can reduce some change head on. We’re making Lambeth London Mayor for one of the first clean measures of dangerous particles by greener by investing in solar panels, bus corridors in London which has already 15-20%. We will continue with our community energy schemes like led to significant improvements in air record investment in planting trees by Repowering South London, new low- quality on Brixton Road. We will push for planting another 1,000 by 2022. carbon LED street lighting — which saves Councillors taking part in community litter-picking the Mayor to introduce more low £650,000 a year — and requiring high emission buses to Lambeth. Lambeth Labour has protected our environmental standards in new fantastic parks, commons and open council buildings. We take a zero tolerance approach to Air quality has improved, but there’s more spaces. We’ve brought our parks those who dump rubbish and drop litter to be done. We will campaign for the maintenance team back in-house and our We’ve already committed to becoming on our streets. We’ve deployed mobile Mayor to extend the Ultra Low Emission parks improvement has been recognised carbon neutral by 2050 and we will CCTV to fly tipping hotspots to make it Zone to cover the whole borough and to with 14 Green Flag Awards. A new ‘Good work towards divesting from fossil fuels easier to prosecute offenders. Our new bring it in sooner. Our children can’t wait Parks for London’ report, which examines and invest our pension fund in a socially enforcement agents are delivering on our for clean air. how local authorities are using innovation and financially responsible way. zero tolerance approach. In 2017 they to protect London’s parks, and green We’ve all been shocked by the damage issued over 6,000 on-the-spot fines for Children are among those most at risk spaces puts Lambeth top of the league that single-use plastics are causing to littering, fly tipping, graffiti and dog from toxic air. We’ve already introduced table in London. the environment, so we will work to fouling. We will expand our street funding for the first clean air screens at introduce a ban on all single use enforcement team, issuing on-the-spot local schools. We will provide funding Since 2014 we’ve invested over £10 million plastics used by the council and fines for anti-social behaviour including for clean air green screens at every in our award-winning parks. We’ve worked all major council suppliers. spitting and street urination. We won’t Lambeth school on a main road and we together with community partners and allow a minority to blight our environment. will encourage walk-to-school schemes Friends groups to secure funding from the We delivered on our promise to roll out so fewer parents have to rely on a car Heritage Lottery Fund for West Norwood 20mph zones across the borough and this for the school run. Cemetery and are working on a bid for has successfully reduced average speeds Brockwell Hall. We will continue to on our roads. We will support more A national Labour government protect and champion our parks and enforcement of 20mph zones by would introduce a new Clean Air Act open spaces and are supporting the working with the police and funding to deal with the Conservative legacy of Mayor of London in his campaign for more Community Speed Watch events, illegal air quality. London to be a National Park City. especially near schools and in residential areas. In areas of the borough with resident Years ago Lambeth’s roads were riddled parking permits we’ve introduced a sliding with potholes and our pavements were

Lambeth Labour Manifesto 2018 18 Lambeth Labour Manifesto 2018 19 Together we’ve worked with through the Safer Lambeth Partnership. the community, the police, We will work to cut youth violence and knife crime using a ‘public health’, our partners and the Mayor community-focused approach. We will of London to combat crime work with youth groups, including the Young Lambeth Cooperative and in Lambeth. For years we’ve community organisations such as Black seen crime fall and more Thrive, alongside other public services A young people prevented in Lambeth to combat violent youth crime. Our estate-based approach to from falling into violent crime. tackling youth crime will bring together safer Now all that work is being put residents, the council’s housing management services, housing at risk by the Conservative associations and community partners to government’s deep cuts to the develop a bespoke action plan for each Lambeth Metropolitan Police and the estate where gang and youth violence has been identified as a concern. threat to effective neighbourhood policing.

We want the police to be properly funded so that they can keep our streets safe. As a Labour council we want the police to be able to do their job well, in a way which respects our local community and protects local people. We’ll always fight against the Tory government’s police cuts and will campaign for a Labour government which will properly fund our police and would recruit 10,000 more police officers to work on community beats. We were one of the first councils in the UK to develop an integrated VAWG (Violence To ensure that local residents Against Women and Girls) strategy, have access to police officers in bringing together all strands of violence their neighbourhood, we will look that either only, or disproportionately, to share premises such as public offices affect women under the same umbrella and housing offices on estates with through our work with the Gaia centre. Lambeth Police, as a response to We will continue to lead London in our the eight station closures forced on Violence Against Women and Girls work, Lambeth by the Tory government. maintaining the number of refuge beds. We will expand our work to Locally we have a strong partnership with address the rising rates of sexual the police, the fire service, NHS, probation violence reporting and support for service, voluntary and community sector survivors of sexual violence.

Lambeth Labour Manifesto 2018 21 We have protected the number of refuge On our estates we will tackle persistent beds in Lambeth and have the highest anti-social behaviour by introducing number in London. But the government’s tougher sanctions for noisy and cuts to funding have seen the loss of nuisance neighbours, including eviction hundreds of beds in other boroughs, where residents make their neighbours’ meaning that women and girls face a lives a misery. The police and the council’s postcode lottery of services that is noise team have been stretched thin by unacceptable. A re-elected Labour council austerity. We recognise the need to will also campaign for the government improve the service and will work with to have a ring-fenced, centralised the police on a simpler, more funding pot for Violence Against Women straightforward approach to anti-social A Lambeth and Girls services. A Labour Government noise nuisance. would establish a National Refuge Fund and ensure stability for rape crisis centres. We will deter crime by expanding CCTV where young We will also continue our work with in crime and anti-social behaviour the Mayor of London to develop a hotspots on streets, estates and in town pan-London strategy to tackle VAWG centres. We will expand our street across the city. enforcement teams, issuing on-the-spot people thrive fines for anti-social behaviour including We have also taken action to stop protests spitting and street urination. and harassment of women accessing abortion services in the borough by Lambeth is a great place for a night out. supporting a public space protection We have fantastic pubs, bars, clubs and order (PSPO) to ban attempts to restaurants and people travel from all over intimidate women at abortion clinics. to enjoy our nightlife. We will continue to work closely with businesses and the Our work with women who are at risk of, police to strike the right balance or who are affected by, the criminal justice between the needs of local businesses system through the Beth Centre has and local residents. We introduced the recently been recognised by the Mayor of Clapham Saturation Zone to put more London so we will be able to increase control in the hands of local residents in the size and scope of the Beth Centre’s resisting increases in the number of work, including reducing re-offending. late-night bars and we are working closely with the Mayor’s Night Czar to Lambeth’s diversity is at the heart of our protect long-standing and celebrated identity as a community and as a place. venues across Lambeth. Everyone needs to feel safe and protected on our streets. We’ll work together with the police, our community safety teams and others to fight racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic and disability hate crime and harassment across the borough.

Lambeth Labour Manifesto 2018 22 Growing up in Lambeth We will work with our children’s centres Schools Partnership ‘Multi Academy chances of our children and young can give young people the and partners to make sure that all Trust’ to keep local schools part of the people by encouraging businesses eligible families are able to take up local community rather than remote and the community to pledge best start in life, with the their right to 15 hours free childcare academy chains. more resources and create more independent Social Mobility a week for 2 year olds and 30 hours a opportunities. We will coordinate the week free nursery provision for 3 and We know that young people today face campaign with other public sector partners Commission recently 4 year olds. And we will campaign for a pressures that older generations didn’t. and the Young Lambeth Cooperative. recognising Lambeth as being Labour government which would extend NHS mental health services are being in the top 5% of areas in the the 30 free hours to all two year-olds, and stretched to breaking point and this needs We already offer discounts so that move towards making some childcare to change. We’ll work with our schools pensioners and people on low incomes can country for young people’s available for one year-olds and extending and health partners to improve access benefit from our excellent swimming and life chances. maternity pay to 12 months and increase and quality of mental health support. leisure facilities. We will continue to offer paternity leave. cheap, discounted access to leisure and All 23 of Lambeth’s children’s centres are Too many young people still feel that the sports facilities for young people and rated Good or Outstanding by OFSTED. Lambeth children go from outstanding opportunities in the borough aren’t for work with Lambeth’s world-famous We secured a £36 million investment from children’s centres to outstanding schools. them, or that they’re ignored or excluded cultural partners to improve access to the Big Lottery Fund over 10 years for our 96% of Lambeth secondary schools from everything our borough has to culture and the arts for children and Lambeth Early Action Partnership (LEAP) and 90% of primary schools are rated offer. To give young people more power young people in Lambeth. project which, alongside partners in local Good or Outstanding. The tremendous over their lives and the services they services and community groups, is improvement in our local schools didn’t use we established the Young Lambeth We’ve put in place a Youth Mayor, Youth working with families in some of the happen by accident: it required strong Cooperative (YLC), putting youth services Council and participate in the the UK most deprived parts of our borough from local leadership, the dedication of teachers in the hands of our young people. We’re Youth Parliament scheme to give young pregnancy until their child is aged four. and the involvement of parents, together proud of the YLC and will continue to people a voice and a platform to speak We will roll out the lessons learned with significant investment from the last work with them to provide more for to those in power locally and nationally. from the LEAP project across the Labour government. That progress is young people to do. By working in a We’ll champion and support our youth borough to tackle inequalities in being put at risk by the Conservatives’ different way we’ve kept 14 adventure representatives and work with them to children’s health and achievement cuts to education. Together with parents playgrounds and all our youth clubs involve and empower Lambeth’s youth; so more children are school ready. and teachers, we fought against huge open. We will support youth projects we’ll also campaign to lower the voting Tory cuts to local schools last year and we with rent-free premises, advice on age to 16 to give Lambeth’s young will continue to fight for an increase in fundraising and financial support, people the voice they deserve. school funding that will give our young ensuring Lambeth benefits from people the education they deserve. the Mayor’s £45 million Young As young people leave school, we want Londoners Fund. to provide more opportunities for better We are opposed to the forced jobs in the borough. Over the next academisation of Lambeth’s community We will ring-fence funding from our four years, we will ensure that over schools by the Tory government against developer tax to invest in services for 1,500 apprenticeship opportunities the wishes of parents and teachers. children and youth services in every are created in Lambeth. As a leader We established the Lambeth Schools part of Lambeth. in the public sector Lambeth Council Partnership to maintain a community will directly create at least 240 of Lambeth schools in response to the We are promoting policies to make apprenticeships within the council fragmentation of community education Lambeth London’s most child-friendly by 2022, with priority for new from the Conservative academy agenda. borough. We will launch a borough- apprenticeships given to young people, We will work together with schools and wide campaign and awards scheme, adults with disabilities and those parents on the possibility of a Lambeth “Lambeth Made”, to boost the life furthest from the jobs market.

Lambeth Labour Manifesto 2018 24 Lambeth Labour Manifesto 2018 25 We will also create a new, dedicated apprenticeships advice service and online brokerage to make it easier and simpler to access these opportunities. We’ll work with the NHS, the Police and other large public sector employees to provide a joined-up approach to training and apprenticeships.

With hundreds of millions being invested in creating new homes and businesses Councillors with John McDonnell MP, Andrew in the borough we want to open the Gwynne MP and a local mum at one of Lambeth’s A healthier door for young people to access the new excellent children’s centres opportunities. Lambeth’s Next Generation Project which improves young people’s access to the borough’s cultural workforce, Lambeth won a £200,000 cultural impact award by the Mayor of London. Lambeth will host the Eric Festival, our first creative industries employment fair for creative and digital careers, and create links between schools and the cultural and creative institutions in the borough so we can support the aspiration and ambitions of Lambeth’s young people to have exciting and rewarding careers.

Lambeth Labour Manifesto 2018 26 Caring for our older, disabled all our care services with the NHS, The Living Well network prioritises and vulnerable residents is creating seamless services for older prevention and early engagement with people, those requiring mental health residents with poor mental health. We’ve one of the most important jobs services, and children. This health and seen a 40% reduction in people requiring we have as a society. Lambeth care integration programme will improve acute psychiatric care in only two years. care quality and health outcomes whilst Council spends the majority saving money for residents. We’ll build on our innovative of its budget on adult and partnership with residents to make children’s social care, providing Social care goes far beyond what Lambeth’s mental health services the professionals provide. Lambeth is a best in the country. We’ll fund the crucial day-to-day or hour by community where we look out for one training of Mental Health Champions hour support for people who another and check on our neighbours. across the borough to complement the We will continue to support ground-breaking work of the Lambeth depend on our care. Over the organisations and community groups Living Well Network. coming years this work will tackling loneliness and social isolation become even more important across the borough and introduce Lambeth now leads HIV prevention across a good neighbour befriending London, increasing early testing and Santander bikes arrive in Brixton after successful as our older population scheme to support older people diagnosis as part of our award-winning lobbying by Lambeth Labour councillors continues to grow. and disabled people. ‘Do It London’ campaign. We support the Mayor’s commitment for London to be a Over the past few years we’ve helped Lambeth is also one of only two places Fast Track City to end HIV/AIDS stigma and with next to Kings College keep 3,000 elderly Lambeth residents in in the country with a pilot scheme to discrimination as well as campaigning and Maudsley Hospitals and roll out their homes by providing better care in promote a whole system approach in for the NHS to properly fund universal innovative health, recovery and fitness the home. And we’ve improved the pay tackling inequality in both healthcare availability of PrEP (Pre-exposure projects across other Lambeth parks and conditions of care workers by using and mental health wellbeing for our Prophylaxis) so that we can eliminate and open spaces. our powers as a council to extend the LGBT+ community. the transmission of HIV in Lambeth London Living Wage to 2,200 staff.As a and London by 2030. Lambeth Labour have a proven track Labour council we’ll defend investment As a Labour party and a Labour council record in providing high quality leisure in social care, protecting our most we will always champion our NHS, our Good health isn’t confined to the GP centres across our borough that are visited vulnerable residents from the failing doctors, our nurses and everyone who surgery. We’ve supported free healthy by hundreds of thousands of local people Tory government. works in our NHS. A Labour government activities by welcoming parkrun into every year. will properly fund our NHS and restore our parks, and we’ll continue to While the Conservative government is our health service to its place as the reduce childhood obesity by spending We’ve opened a brand new leisure centre trying to privatise the NHS by the back envy of the world. Sugar Levy cash to focus on healthy in Clapham in 2012. In 2014, we opened door we’ve worked in Lambeth with the outcomes. This includes adopting the the new Streatham Ice and Leisure Centre NHS to improve services and provide We have worked to transform our mental Daily Mile (ensuring all children walk at no cost to the taxpayer. And to complete better outcomes for patients without health services and were the first council in at least a mile a day in school), fighting the hat trick a leisure centre with a 25m privatising services. the country to appoint a councillor Mental the spread of fatty food and drink pool, gym and GP surgery opened in West Health Champion. We recognise the across the borough and pioneering new Norwood in summer 2014 after a long Through our Lambeth Together Alliance we disproportionate impact of poor mental ‘healthy high streets’. And to protect campaign by residents and councillors. are integrating all Lambeth’s care services health on our African and Caribbean children’s lungs we’ll introduce a ban And we have invested in upgrading the with the NHS, creating a seamless service community. We will continue to work on smoking in Lambeth’s playgrounds. Brixton Recreation Centre. for older people, those with physical and with Black Thrive, a community-led learning difficulties, mental health services initiative to inform how mental health Our parks are key to good physical and We will build on this excellent record and for children. We’ll work via our services can improve and genuinely mental health, so we’ll pilot a new and open a new leisure centre in ‘Lambeth Together’ Alliance to integrate meet the needs of black communities. programme of ‘Health Parks’, starting North Lambeth.

Lambeth Labour Manifesto 2018 28 Lambeth Labour Manifesto 2018 29 Lambeth Labour has invested affordable workspace for local businesses in our town centres, opening on council land. At Pop Brixton we’ve helped over 200 local businesses have new leisure centres in West space to succeed, supporting 400 jobs. Norwood, Streatham and We’ve created discounted space for Clapham and delivering major start-ups in the refurbished Town improvements to the public Hall and we’re building a new space realm across the borough. for catering businesses to expand in . We’ll create at Our vibrant Working together with the Mayor least 140,000 square foot of affordable of London we’ll deliver a new workspace across Lambeth over the town square in Waterloo, further next four years, helping to create improvements along Streatham High hundreds of new jobs. We’ll prioritise town Road and remove the dangerous local businesses and start-ups, offer Vauxhall and Gyratories. discounted space on council land and require it in new commercial Libraries are at the heart of our developments so that local businesses centres neighbourhoods but across the country, aren’t priced out of the borough. hundreds of libraries have closed. Despite huge funding cuts from central Lambeth is a borough which relies on public government we’ve kept all 10 of our transport. We’ve secured cleaner, low- libraries open. We will open the fully emission buses and worked with the Mayor refurbished West Norwood Library this to bring in the hour-long ‘hopper’ ticket to summer, maintain our fantastic library make bus travel fairer and more affordable. service and support groups like the Brixton, Stockwell and Vauxhall are all served Library Trust and the by the Night Tube with the Mayor travelling Carnegie Community Trust. from Brixton on the first Night Tube train. We’re also investing millions in the extension We’ve worked with local businesses from of the Northern Line from Kennington to our high streets to the to Nine Elms and on to Battersea. establish seven Business Improvement Districts, winning the ballot to renew Train travel, especially in the south of Streatham’s BID with over 90% support the borough is just not good enough. from businesses. We campaigned against We’ve been campaigning for years to sack the Conservative government’s anti- Southern Rail and hand control of our London business rate hikes last year and commuter train services from Southern, supported hard-hit businesses through a Thameslink and Southeastern to TfL discretionary discount scheme. and the Mayor of London. This has been We’ll support Brixton BID in their blocked by the Tory government, u-turning renewal ballot this autumn and on a previous commitment to bring the continue to support local employers London Overground to Gipsy Hill, West and shops on our high streets. Norwood and Streatham’s train stations. We will continue to fight for better Local businesses and entrepreneurs have train services, bringing all commuter been supported by Lambeth Labour. services under TfL and the control We used our planning powers to protect of the Mayor of London, not failing business space from being converted privatised rail companies. into substandard flats, and we’ve set up

Lambeth Labour Manifesto 2018 31 Royal Vauxhall Tavern (RVT) Lollard Street We helped get the RVT listed as an Asset of Community We are building 70 council homes for Value and will continue to support the campaign to families on the waiting list, along with a keep the iconic venue open new children’s centre

Vauxhall Gyratory Vauxhall City Farm We are removing the dangerous gyratory and We have continued to support the creating an attractive new town centre, helping much-loved Vauxhall City Farm to make Vauxhall a destination in its own right

Hubert Grove Bridge Clean air corridor After a long-running campaign local Thanks to Labour, now only the lowest emission buses councillors secured £1m to replace the are permitted to travel through Brixton – cutting harmful dilapidated Hubert Grove footbridge air pollution connecting Brixton and Clapham

Stockwell skate park Clapham Library We are spending £240,000 renovating the The state of the art library was opened at iconic Stockwell Skate Park no cost to the taxpayer and receives over 400,000 visitors per year

Electric Avenue Over £1m has been invested in returning Electric Avenue to its former glory Clapham Old Town Clapham Labour Team successfully lobbied for £2m to transform Celebrating our borough’s diversity Clapham Old Town into We’re holding a series of events to a greener, quieter, more celebrate the 70th anniversary of the pleasant space arrival of the Empire Windrush

Protecting local businesses in Lambeth We’ve supported and sustained Herne Hill’s We have blocked thriving Sunday market; and in partnership developers from with the community we’re investing in the converting offices in refurbishment of the station underpass Clapham into flats unless they receive specific permission from the council Tulse Hill Gyratory Plans are now in place to improve Norwood Road and remove Tulse Hill’s dangerous gyratory, making the area a more pleasant Schools place to live, walk and shop Supported and expanded our excellent local primary schools like Telferscot and Henry Cavendish West Norwood Library and Cinema A superb new town-centre library and four screen cinema will open later this year

St Leonard’s Junction Work has started on major safety West Norwood Health improvements, after Labour councilors and Leisure Centre secured funding to redesign this A leisure centre with 25m notorious junction pool, gym and GP surgery opened after a long campaign by residents Streatham Library and Leisure Centre and councillors We have delivered a fantastic new leisure centre and spent £1.4m on refurbishing Upper Norwood Library Streatham Library We secured the library’s future, doubled the Streatham stations Streatham playground opening hours and We have led the campaign for much-needed £800,000 has been spent on providing a invested £300,000 improvements to make Streatham stations new area for families to enjoy with new in a comprehensive accessible for all play equipment for children refurbishment Photos: Aerial view of the skyline of London from the South By Vittorio Caramazza / Shutterstock.com; Streatham High Street sign with in background by Willy Barton / Shutterstock; Morning jogging in Kennington Public park autumn trees season by nastalapat dilokpad / Shutterstock; Lambeth Borough Council Town Hall building on Brixton Road, south west London by Willy Barton / Shutterstock.com; other photography: © Lambeth Labour.

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