Lambeth Green Councillors are pleased to share an update of their activities over recent months, as well as some upcoming events. Read on for more details.
WELCOME, CLLR PAUL VALENTINE
| On 1 May 2025, Cllr Paul Valentine was elected to represent Herne Hill & Loughborough Junction ward! Paul’s election means that the Green Party is now the joint majority opposition group at Lambeth. This means we get more time and resources to stand up for our communities, see Scott’s comment on it here. “Thank you to everyone – there is a great demand on the doorstep for more Green Councillors who will work for the people of Lambeth. We’re community led and we’re community driven. We need our local members to step up and help us get more green councillors elected in 2026!” – Paul |
LAMBETH 4 DIVESTMENT
Lambeth 4 Divestment is running a petition demanding that the Lambeth divest from all funds complicit with Israel’s genocide, occupation and oppression of the Palestinian people. If this petition reaches 3000 signatures it can be debated at Full Council. Please give it your support and share it with your networks now!
GREENS IN THE PRESS
Herne Hill by-election sees Labour lose its seat to the Greens
Suspended over Gaza vote, former Lambeth Labour Cabinet Member finds new home in Green Party
For regular updates, you can follow Cllrs’ work here and here.
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GREENS IN THE COUNCIL
[NB: Don’t forget to click on the links to watch the video or read the minutes!]
Nicole attended April’s Cabinet to challenge the administration to address one of the root causes of homelessness by tackling wealth inequality. She ensured Green Party policy priorities, including housing and developer funds, were added to this year’s work programmes for the Housing and Overview and Scrutiny Cttees. Nicole also highlighted the lack of strategy and oversight of the council’s operational and commercial assets portfolio at the Overview and Scrutiny Cttee.
At Annual Council in April, Scott spoke out against Labour’s defensiveness and the need for more opposition voices across council committees so as to better serve our communities. Scott joined Lambeth Unison members’ calls to divest the council’s funds from occupied territories at Pensions Cttee. Please sign this petition to help get divestment debated at full council. Scott also had to recuse himself from Planning Cttee having expressed his concerns regarding the over-commercialisation of Brockwell Park. He also demanded greater clarity on the specific savings that Lambeth must make in order to meet the auditor’s statutory recommendations at Corporate Cttee.
This week the Green Group co-signed a cross-party call-in challenge of the decision to amalgamate Fenstanton Primary School and Holy Trinity Church of England Primary Schools. They also requested justification for the use of special urgency measures to rush through the decision to go ahead with Brockwell Park Live events despite a court case ruling that Lambeth had not followed the correct procedure.
LAMBETH-WIDE NEWS
Politicisation of community groups
There is growing evidence that groups and forums that originally came together to represent the views of local residents are being taken over by politicians imposing their own agendas. Nicole and Scott are particularly concerned that a council-funded forum in Streatham is no longer operating in a clear and balanced way that best serves the community. Some committee members and campaigners have expressed concerns that their views are sidelined and dismissed in a bullying manner and have stood down because of it.
Brockwell Park
Councillors have been engaging with the groundswell of local objection to the Brockwell Live events. The Greens support a managed number of outside events taking place in Lambeth’s parks and commons, but are concerned about the over-commercialisation of the park, damage to Brockwell Park’s ecosystem, restriction of local residents’ access to green space and the Council’s misuse of planning law. Councillors will do what they can to ensure that all stakeholders enter constructive talks about next year’s events.
See the below gallery for more events and actions the councillors have engaged with across the whole borough.
WARD NEWS
Streatham St. Leonard’s
Transport has been a key issue in the ward this month, with concerns that Green Cllrs have been excluded from key stakeholder and community meetings by a community forum dominated by Labour and Conservative party members.
On safety and accessibility, Scott has succeeded in finding a new venue to restart the Safer Neighbourhood Ward Panel meetings and Nicole has been advocating for better shared cycling and pedestrian access through Tooting Bec Common. Councillors and local campaigner Saiqa Ali working with local disability campaigner, Sam Jennings, to ensure pavements are safe for wheelchair users.
Local development has also been on the agenda, with Cllrs meeting the Streatham Business Improvement District to discuss empty shops on Streatham High Road, its cleanliness and a tourist tax. Councillors sought confirmation that the council will ensure the new occupiers of the former Streatham Space Project are chosen in consultation and will continue to operate the venue as a theatre and community hub as per the original agreement with the developer.
Nicole and Scott attended a community meeting regarding the future of Streatham Hill Theatre and met with the Lambeth School Streets team about the new extension at Henry Cavendish, Dingley Lane.
Nicole has been supporting a young woman and her 6 month old baby stuck in a tiny single room, in accommodation without easy access to a bathroom or kitchen, to be rehoused. She is very pleased that they have finally been moved to decent accommodation, receiving a beautiful thank you note.
Herne Hill & Loughborough Junction
Paul has been busy getting immediately involved in ward issues, primarily the event schedule for Brockwell Park. Paul attended a tour of the Brockwell Live site and asked operators about rehabilitation and biodiversity and has since been signposting residents to report any breaches of the event management so that they can be held accountable. More information can be reviewed here.
Paul also visited Brockwell Lido to speak with concerned residents about the cleanliness and accessibility of the facilities, and has a busy calendar for the coming weeks as he builds connections with local groups. If you would like to speak to Paul about a local issue you can email him on pvalentine@lambeth.gov.uk
See our image gallery below for more ward community news and events.
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COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Windrush 2025 Celebration presented by The Brixton Immortals Domino Club
- Saturday 21st June, 11:00am – 6pm, Brixton Library and Windrush Square
- Sunday 22nd June, Big Caribbean Lunch, 12pm – 7pm, Windrush Square
Lambeth’s Voluntary and Community Sector is running a free network event on Tuesday 1 July at WeAre336. The event will include a focus on demonstrating impact plus refreshments and networking opportunities. It would be great if our members could book a place here.
Streatham Common is hosting the Streatham Summer Festival and the Streatham Church Festival on 5 and 6 July 2025.
Residents can respond to consultations on Lambeth’s new engagement platform. This includes plans such as estate renewal, cycle hangars and strategic development.
Scott, Nicole and Paul could not do what they do without the help of members like you. Please get in touch to help support their work.
Best wishes – Scott, Nicole and Paul.