Celebrating the new Evelyn Grace Academy

I’m at the new Evelyn Grace Academy in Loughborough Park this afternoon with Councillor Paul McGlone and others to celebrate this great development and investment in our children’s education. The school is due to be completed next summer and I’m looking forward to seeing students being taught in this state of the art facility.

Lambeth Living’s new Chair

Lambeth Living Board have confirmed that Keith Hill has been appointed as their Chair. Keith is a former housing minister as well as a hard-working MP here in Lambeth. He knows the patch, he knows the people, he knows housing policy and he has the energy and enthusiasm to make things happen. 

Keith is the champion our residents need to shake up Lambeth Living and get their services working better for the tenants and leaseholders they exist to serve. Keith has my full support and, on behalf of the whole council, I look forward to working with him to improve the lives of residents up and down Lambeth who want to see Lambeth Living turn around housing in Lambeth after decades of underperformance by the council.

Your borough, your budget, your choice!

This week we launched a new scheme as we want more people involved in deciding how the council’s money is spent. So, we’re inviting local people to choose which projects will get a share of £250,000.

The idea is that you can vote for one of the projects listed on our website. The projects include an upgrade to the BMX bike track in Brockwell Park, new computer facilities at the Darby and Joan pensioners’ club, a new children’s wet play area in Norwood Park or new street signs in Vauxhall and Kennington. These are all decisions that would have been taken by councillors in the past – but now we’re opening up the doors to the public.

I hope people will log on and have their say. For information on how to vote visit the council’s website by going to www.lambeth.gov.uk/yourchoice or return the voting form that arrived with this week’s edition of Lambeth Life. You can vote anytime until 18 October 2009.