Every story filed by Tomasz Nowak, who covers high streets, venues, licensing rows and what Londoners are arguing about.https://thesmoke.london/en-gbhttps://thesmoke.london/story/2026-08-14-brockwell-live-s-park-fee-stays-confidential-as-lambeth-publ/https://thesmoke.london/story/2026-08-14-brockwell-live-s-park-fee-stays-confidential-as-lambeth-publ/The planning consultation drew 395 objections and 127 letters of support, and each of the five festival days was capped at 29,999 people.Fri, 14 Aug 2026 20:46:21 GMTNeighbourhoods & Culturehttps://thesmoke.london/story/2026-08-14-vauxhall-one-bid-levy-set-at-1-56-would-raise-up-to-1-44m-a/https://thesmoke.london/story/2026-08-14-vauxhall-one-bid-levy-set-at-1-56-would-raise-up-to-1-44m-a/Lambeth's cabinet member is due to order the ballot on 21 August, and the report's own timetable instructs the returning officer the day before.Fri, 14 Aug 2026 19:50:24 GMTNeighbourhoods & Culturehttps://thesmoke.london/story/2026-08-14-lambeth-grants-a-month-long-brockwell-park-event-permit-up-f/https://thesmoke.london/story/2026-08-14-lambeth-grants-a-month-long-brockwell-park-event-permit-up-f/The council's own events framework for the park provides for a summer season of one month and forecasts £445,968 of income from it in year one.Fri, 14 Aug 2026 16:53:53 GMTNeighbourhoods & Culturehttps://thesmoke.london/story/2026-08-14-lambeth-logs-18-of-35-recent-decisions-as-closed-to-councill/https://thesmoke.london/story/2026-08-14-lambeth-logs-18-of-35-recent-decisions-as-closed-to-councill/The same exemption covers the council's key decisions on Brockwell Park events, both of which fall outside the window counted here.Fri, 14 Aug 2026 13:51:44 GMTNeighbourhoods & Culturehttps://thesmoke.london/story/2026-08-14-city-hall-is-due-to-start-commenting-on-london-licence-appli/https://thesmoke.london/story/2026-08-14-city-hall-is-due-to-start-commenting-on-london-licence-appli/The Mayor's powers, in force since 29 June, also let him call in strategically important licensing decisions taken by boroughs.Fri, 14 Aug 2026 09:48:17 GMTNeighbourhoods & Culturehttps://thesmoke.london/story/2026-08-14-lambeth-awards-150-000-rookery-contract-to-streatham-co-oper/https://thesmoke.london/story/2026-08-14-lambeth-awards-150-000-rookery-contract-to-streatham-co-oper/The co-operative has held the work since 2019 on rolling extensions, taking the council's spending on it to £535,000.Fri, 14 Aug 2026 08:45:19 GMTNeighbourhoods & Culturehttps://thesmoke.london/story/2026-08-14-lambeth-approves-983-912-of-london-eye-planning-money-for-wa/https://thesmoke.london/story/2026-08-14-lambeth-approves-983-912-of-london-eye-planning-money-for-wa/The allocation is £220,631 more than last year's and goes to the South Bank Employers' Group under an agreement running to 2029.Fri, 14 Aug 2026 06:43:08 GMTNeighbourhoods & Culturehttps://thesmoke.london/story/2026-08-14-lambeth-is-due-to-order-a-2-500-ballot-on-vauxhall-one-bid-s/https://thesmoke.london/story/2026-08-14-lambeth-is-due-to-order-a-2-500-ballot-on-vauxhall-one-bid-s/The estimate matches what the council logged for the Brixton and South Bank ballots, and its record gives no levy rate and no count of the businesses voting.Fri, 14 Aug 2026 05:25:29 GMTNeighbourhoods & Culturehttps://thesmoke.london/story/2026-08-14-southwark-s-6-09m-leisure-heating-contracts-rest-on-a-strate/https://thesmoke.london/story/2026-08-14-southwark-s-6-09m-leisure-heating-contracts-rest-on-a-strate/Two more centres, Camberwell and Dulwich, are queued for contract awards in September and December, both subject to planning permission.Fri, 14 Aug 2026 04:05:21 GMTNeighbourhoods & Culture