Councillor Helen O’Malley will be taking this weekend’s surgery – if you cant make it then you can contact her and your two other Labour councillors at the below email addresses:

Councillor Nigel Haselden

Councillor Helen O’Malley

Councillor Christopher Wellbelove

Helen O’Malley will be at the Methodist Church on Clapham High Street, while Christopher Wellebelove will be at Heathbrook Hall.

Each surgery will take place between 11am and noon so come along if you have any local issues you’d like to discuss.

In total (the housing budget from central government) amounts to £233 million for Lambeth Living; and £25 million for United Residents Housing. This money is desperately needed so that our homes can be made safe, warm and secure.

Unfortunately the new government is yet to match the last government’s pledge to secure this funding – so this petition is aimed at persuading ministers not to throw yet another vital piece of community support on George Osborne’s great big bonfire. Sign up here to show your backing for this pledge.

“Of all the measures to restore the public finances it seems to me that a VAT rise has to be among the least welcome of all of the alternatives”

This went down like a lead balloon with his colleagues – dont expect an Xmas card from Nick Clegg this year Andrew. A further amendment from Labour that would have exempted groups such as charities, local authorities and other groups was also voted down by the Conservative government.

This isnt, as some Tories claimed yesterday, a courgeous move, its one that is going to hurt millions across the country, as well as those on low and middle incomes throughout Clapham Town. Every part of the government needs to save money to combat the aftermath of the global recession, but we need to protect those services and sections of society – charities and pensioners in this case – that can least afford more taxes and less support.

Also don’t forget the Lambeth NHS public meeting which will be taking place this coming Wednesday, as we flagged up earlier this week. Remember to send your view to your local councillors if you have any.

This survey is about what we can do about it – how community groups, voluntary organisations and their members can have their say about reducing crime, improving policing and increasing safety.

The Safer Lambeth Partnership (Lambeth Police, Lambeth Council and others) has asked the Lambeth Community Police Consultative Group to look at how people would like to have their say and to be involved in improving community safety in Lambeth.

If you would like to complete the survey, please complete the community safety survey on-line.

To get access to the building you need to round the side of the church, down Nelson’s road, and ring the bell – someone will answer! The only time the surgery wont run is on bank holiday weekends.

If you can’t make it down then feel free to email anyone of your councillors at the below addresses:

Helen O’Malley – homalley@lambeth.gov.uk

Nigel Halesden – nhalesden@lambeth.gov.uk

Christopher Wellebelove – cwellebelove@lambeth.gov.uk

Local Clapham Town counsellor Nigel Halesden gives an interview with local Clapham blogger Jason Cobb, which was uploaded on the 19th January (for those searching through his back catalogue). It is a tough interview in which Nigel talks about the scope of the project and when it will be finished, as well as answers some of the questions about how the redevelopment has been conducted.

Have a listen to the interview and give us your feedback on what you have heard.

Information about where classes at the leisure centre have been moved to are available at this page.

The petition close on Wednesday, so if you havent already signed the petition please put your name on the site and forward a link onto your friends and family. Its vital we get this funding to meet the unexpected surge in demand for primary school places in Lambeth – it sounds like a cliche, but your voice really will count!

The council’s website has once again been updated with news on services across the borough – this link outlines the state of play yesterday, but is still fairly accurate. Keep monitoring the main page for further updates as well as TFL’s main site for news about the transport network across the captial – it also has a handy five day weather forecast. The BBC, as ever, is also running a pretty effective weather and news page on the big freeze, which alas is predicting some sharp icy winds and snow over the next 48 hours.

If you have any comment or views on how services are working – or any urgent issues – please contact your local Clapham Town Labour councillors:

Helen O’Malley – homalley@lambeth.gov.uk

Nigel Halesden – NHaselden@lambeth.gov.uk

Christopher Wellbelove – CWellbelove@lambeth.gov.uk