Meanwhile in Streatham Hill, there has been a variety of concerns expressed about the current ward being "carved up" between four different wards.

Firstly a reminder that a Streatham Hill ward straddling the A23 has only existed since 1978.
Prior to that there was a three member "Thornton" ward to the west including Hyde Farm in Balham and a three member "Leigham" Ward stretching to Tulse Hill station and beyond.

I think there is a good argument for uniting the Leigham Court Estate ("ABCD" Avenues) on the side of Streatham Hill with the roads north of Leigham Ct Rd currently in Streatham Wells as they share many traffic/parking and crime concerns.

However, that move alone would make Streatham Hill too big.
I also think* most people who live east of Hillside Rd/Hillside Gardens Park look to Tulse Hill rather than Streatham Hill.
@LGBCE were convinced by argument to recreate a "St Martins" ward focused on Tulse Hill station

*based on small sample of views (Do tell me and more importantly tell the @LGBCE what you think!)

I believe @LGBCE may have got the boundary wrong - it does seem very odd to have Kingsmead Rd in Streatham Hill if the eastern end of Palace Rd is in new St Martins ward?

However, Lambeth Council's latest response to the boundary commission rejects a ward focused on Tulse Hill station and proposes to unite east of Streatham Hill with St Martin's estate north of the South Circular.
https://moderngov.lambeth.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=115&MId=15266
Is there a shared community???

Although the opening of City Heights academy means there are more north south links than there once were, this stretch of Christchurch Road still feels like a barrier between communities.

It is important people living on both sides of Christchurch Road make their views known on what you consider your local neighbourhood to be. Would you prefer to be part of a two member Tulse Hill focused ward or a three member Streatham Hill & St Martins?

And finally, moving over to one of the most contested sets of ward boundaries of all...
My own home patch is on the western side of Streatham Hill
[pours stiff gin]

People in Telford Park have a strong sense of their local community identity... https://twitter.com/RJDoyleSW2/status/537737195369426944?s=20

One of the difficulties in coming up with new wards in this part of Lambeth is that the post-1965 borough contains the Hyde Farm estate - an area with SW12 postcode in historic Clapham parish but in which most residents think of themselves as more Balham than anywhere else.

And Hyde Farm on its own has too few electors (c3,100) to be a one member ward on its own (c.4,000.) It is currently paired with the Clapham Park Estate and areas around Clapham South to make the current iteration of Thornton ward.

In first consultation on new ward boundaries last autumn @LambethLibDems suggested that Hyde Farm and Telford Park had shared interests - common centre at parade of shops at Emmanuel Rd and @TootingCommon Emmanuel Field and proposed a new two member Thornton* ward covering both.

*further digression - Thornton Road, Thornton Avenue and the various incarnations of the electoral ward "commemorate the Thornton family, and Henry Thornton (1760=1815) in particular.
He was economist, banker, philanthropist and parliamentarian, evangelical and abolitionist."

Given desire to remove ward names that commemorate local land-owners who were either slave owners and/or apologists for slavery - Thurlow, Tulse & Vassall - there seems to have been a desire to keep the one name with an association with Clapham Sect on the right side of history!

However, the proposed new Thornton had the disadvantage of splitting western Streatham Hill by moving Tierney and Montrell roads into a new Clapham Park ward, which upset many (but not all) residents of those roads who said they look to Streatham not Clapham Park.

My sources had told me that @LambethLibDems were rethinking their ideas. ,This has been confirmed when their revised plan has been shared, which would reunite Tierney and Montrell with Telford Park.
They also propose adding Streatham Hill to the ward name. https://twitter.com/RogerGiess/status/1380133804526944261

At the same time, Lambeth Council had been coming up with their own counter-proposals that were unveiled at a special meeting of the council Corporate Committee this week.
https://moderngov.lambeth.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=115&MId=15266

Ward names are same, but areas they cover are shifted dramatically

Telford Park divided asunder along Telford Avenue.

Tierney/Montrell not in Streatham

Council's proposed Thornton ward stretches from Streatham Hill to Cavendish Rd/Abbeville Rd junction.

This is most curious!

So in conclusion. I would encourage everyone with a view on what makes up the neighbourhoods of Streatham and surrounding areas to feed in their views to the @LGBCE before 11pm on Monday 12th April
https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/have-your-say/21383

As with many consultations, It is important to let @lgbce know if you *agree* with their proposals, and not just let responses come from a minority of people who strongly disagree with particular proposals

[pours another stiff gin]