Our website will feature all the latest news, updates, campaigns and photos of the Liberal Democrats in Waltham Forest when we return from the Christmas break.

In the meantime, have a relaxing holiday, and feel free to take the time to browse through the Archives section (on the left of this page) to see what we got up to in 2008…

Thanks for your continuing support. Merry Christmas from Waltham Forest Lib Dems

Cllr James O’Rourke last night led the Waltham Forest Liberal Democrats successful attempt to get councillors to express their concern at the ongoing delays in the Arcade development in his ward with a speech which highlighted the realities of the current condition of the site.

You can now read Cllr O’Rourke’s speech in our new ‘Speeches’ page, either by following the link or by clicking on Speeches in the left-hand toolbar.

Scroll down to read Cllr O’Rourke’s Arcade speech, or take your time and have a look at what else we have contributed to other Council debates over the past year.

The Liberal Democrat Higham Hill Focus Team has presented a petition to Waltham Forest Council calling for a new pedestrian crossing to be built within the ward.

Over 500 residents have signed the Lib Dem petition calling for a crossing to be built on the busy Billet Road opposite Sinnot Road.

Higham Hill councillor Sean Meiszner presented the petition to the Mayor on behalf of residents at Thursday’s Full Council meeting at the Town Hall.

Cllr Meiszner said:

“We would like to thank all those who have shown their support and taken the time to sign our petition”

“Like the many residents who have supported our campaign, we believe this crossing is necessary because of the high volume of pedestrians who use this area.

“Users of the doctor’s surgery, the nursery, the SureStart Centre and the Essex Hall daycare centre all need to be able to cross the Billet Rd in safety.”

Local Liberal Democrat councillors have used a major meeting of Waltham Forest Council to place on record their concern at the ongoing delays in the redevelopment of the Aracde site in Walthamstow.

During a debate at the latest Full Council meeting in Waltham Forest Town Hall, the Lib Dems asked fellow councillors to publically express their dissatisfaction that the project continues to take so long to complete.

Liberal Democrat members also asked opposition councillors to agree to look at ways in which the land left vacant at the Arcade site can be usefully used prior to work on the redvelopment getting underway.

The Liberal Democrat proposals were accepted unanimously after Labour councillors withdrew a planned amendment congratulating portfolio holder Terry Wheeler for the work he has led so far on the vacant site.

High Street councillors James O’Rourke and Johar Khan led for the Liberal Democrats during the debate, and both were quick to raise residents concerns regarding what Cllr O’Rourke described as the redevelopments “moving goalposts”

Cllr O’Rourke said:

“If we try to explain to residents that a possibly unprecedented economic downturn, a local collapse in property prices and a growing recession are not going to have an effect on planned large scale redevelopment projects, I think that residents would question our grip on reality.

That is a reality that is simply not good enough for residents”.

Liberal Democrat leader John Macklin’s calls for reassurances regarding the development have recently featured in the local press.  Concerns about the viability of the development have been heightened by the news that Waltham Forest has suffered one of the worst property price crashes in London. 

Cllr Macklin said:

“The collapse in property prices is bound to have an effect on regeneration projects in the borough and I will be looking for clarification from the relevant portfolio holders regarding the timetables for work on these projects, “

“As I have said before a series of unused ‘land banks’ across the borough awaiting generation is just not acceptable.”

As always, High St councillor James O’Rourke’s excellent blog has more news and opinion on the progress of the Arcade site development.

Local councillors in Waltham Forest are supporting the launch of a new Liberal Democrat campaign for a tube and bus fares freeze.

Boris Johnson, London’s Mayor, is jacking up fare prices by an average of 6% in the New Year and in the case of some bus fares is increasing prices by a massive 11%.

Local Lib Dems are concerned that Waltham Forest residents will find it too expensive to travel in future because of Boris’s above inflation guaranteed price increases for years to come.

“London’s transport system has become one of the most expensive in the world yet fares continue to rise” said local Lib Dem councillor James O’Rourke.

Cllr O’Rourke represents High St ward, which contains three overground rail stations, two tube stations and the third busiest bus terminus in London.

Lib Dem London Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon added:

“It is not too late for the Mayor to do a u-turn. He can still bring some festive cheer to London’s struggling transport users and poorest families, by halting his outrageous fare increases.”

A new website http://campaigns.libdems.org.uk/merrychristmasboris has been launched, giving Londoners the opportunity to sign a petition.

London Lib Dems are asking the Mayor to abandon the planned increases to help struggling families and commuters during the economic crisis.

The freeze would be funded by making savings in Transport for London’s budget and by extending charges for the most polluting cars.

Pensioners and eligible disabled people in Waltham Forest were today hit by a double whammy as the Mayor of London Boris Johnson revealed that not only would their 24 hour Freedom Pass not be able to be used on Network Rail trains before 9.30am, despite this being a key election promise, but that the London Boroughs face paying out millions of pounds to fund
Mayor Boris Johnson’s’ 24 hour commitment.

At present people aged over 60 and eligible disabled people in possession of a Freedom Pass can travel after 9.30am for free on the transport network.  Boris Johnson has repeatedly promised pass holders that as from January 2nd they could use all of London’s transport network - including the overground rail network at any time.

However at Mayor’s Question Time held in the London Assembly today, under
questioning from Liberal Democrat Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon, the Boris Johnson admitted that the cost of extending the Freedom Pass to 24 hour use would have to be paid for by Council Tax payers in London boroughs.
The Mayor also said that it was not yet possible to confirm whether people could use their passes on the overground rail network before 09.30.

Caroline Pidgeon AM said:

“This is a double whammy for Freedom Pass holders in London.  Not only will they not be able to use their passes on the rail network before 9.30am, but they face the prospect of higher council tax bills because Boris expects the Boroughs to bear all the costs of a 24 hour freedom pass.”

“This is effectively a duff Christmas present from the Mayor, one with the parts missing and no batteries in it! 

“The Mayor must live up to his promise to fully fund the 24 hour Freedom Pass”

Former Liberal Democrat councillor for Hale End and Highams Park Noel Penstone has died after a period of ill health.  He was 69.

Noel Penstone was elected to Waltham Forest Council in 2006, and served until October 2008, when he resigned due to declining health.  His resignation came shortly after the death of fellow Hale End and Highams Park councillor John Beanse.  His time on the Council followed many years as a local activist.

Noel was a keen sports fan, and was a season ticket holder at Tottenham Hotspurs.  He had recently been working on plans to develop a cricket academy facility for young people in Waltham Forest.

Liberal Democrat Group Leader Cllr John Macklin said:

“All those who worked with Noel on the Council will be saddened by his death.

“Noel was a fantastic servant to Hale End and Highams Park, both as a local councillor and as a member of the community.

“He will be missed enormously by his ward colleague Sheila Smith-Pryor, his friends within the Liberal Democrats and across Waltham Forest.”

Noel Penstone’s funeral will be held at Manor Park Crematorium on Monday 22nd December at 2pm.

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson has published his draft consolidated budget and put it out for consultation.

Mike Tuffrey Leader of the Liberal Democrat group on the London Assembly said:

“A zero rise in the GLA’s precept from next April will be welcomed by many Londoners, but let us not forget that from January all of us who use public transport in the capital will be paying fares that rise by twice the rate of inflation.

“The budget Boris Johnson is proposing makes several large assumptions, including that the Met Police will be able to make large savings in their budget, a number of which have yet to be revealed, when they haven’t been able to meet all the savings targets for this financial year yet.

 ”On the transport network passenger numbers are expected to rise when all the indications are that in previous times of economic difficulty passenger levels have decreased rapidly.

“The actions of Boris Johnson’s and his advisors over the last six months haven’t exactly installed confidence that he has produced a budget that adds up, is sustainable and is not storing up major problems for our public services in London in future years.

“We will be watching closely to see if the Mayor can actually produce what he promises.”

The Waltham Forest Guardian is reporting that playgounds in Waltham Forest are to benefit from extra funding - just weeks after local Lib Dem councillors slammed the state of play areas throughout the borough.

Local Lib Dem councillor James O’Rourke led the protests regarding their upkeep alongside concerned local residents.

Now Cllr O’Rourke has given a cautious welcome to the funding boost, but has warned that the money must come alongside better standards of care and upkeep for the refurbished areas.

Read what he has to say in full over at Cllr O’Rourke’s blog.

This week’s Waltham Forest Guardian features coverage of the Lib dems fantastic double victory in Hale End and Highams Park last week.

Included in that coverage is a short Q&A sesssion where our two new councillors, Nick Bason and Jane Morgan, answer questions posed by the Guardian on their political influences and their plans for the ward and borough.

Here are the unedited versions of their responses:

1) What inspired you to become a politician?

NICK BASON:  I grew up in a council flat in North London but we didn’t really discuss politics in my house when I was growing up. I ended up studying politics at University. It really struck me that a lot of people where I grew up used a lot of public services but didn’t feel any connection with those who were running either the local or national government. I wanted to get involved and hopefully try and change that.

JANE MORGAN:  My father was the first Liberal (in those days no democrat part to it!) to become a councillor of our hometown of Sittingbourne in Kent. He worked tirelessly for his ward constituents and even as a child I was involved or was a spectator. I watched politics in action, i.e. an elected person really working for the people. I want to help people and my political background must have something to do with this!

2) Who is your most inspiring person (dead or alive)?

NB:  I’m going to say one of my teachers from college who challenged and inspired me to really push myself to get into to university, which was an amazing opportunity for me. I’m also into music and I get inspiration from bands who don’t compromise their ideals even when to do so might mean more commercial success, because they believe in themselves and what they’re trying to do. I take a lot of inspiration from that attitude.

JM:  I suppose it should be Nelson Mandela but really my influence must be my father because I saw action and service at the grass roots. Using his office he was able to make people’s life better.

3) What is great about Waltham Forest?

NB:  Waltham Forest is a dynamic and exciting borough. There’s a buzz about the place, and when I was campaigning for the election I spoke to a lot of people that were really passionate about their area. It feels like a borough that is in a state of change, and I think that is a real opportunity. I go out a lot in Waltham Forest and I love that there’s a variety of things to do, from strolling through Epping Forest to the Leyton nightlife.

JM:  Waltham Forest, aesthetically speaking, is a very beautiful borough with much history and lovely buildings with which I am glad to be associated. It has a very diverse population which makes our lives interesting.

4) If you could create one new piece of legislation, what would it be?

NB:  I think the benefits system is overly complex and creates barriers to things like training, employment and volunteer work for a lot of people, such as lone parents and carers or disabled people. At the moment it reinforces social division. So I’d like to tackle that. I’m really glad that MPs are starting to look at how to make parliament more accessible to a range of people - that is well overdue. A lot of people feel so disconnected to how they are governed - they look at parliament and don’t see anyone there like them. I’ve also got ideas about making higher education more open to kids from state schools, and delivery of health services…there’s lots to do!

JM:  Not sure about the legislation but I would certainly like the William Morris Gallery to attract national funding, simply because it is a national treasure.

5) If you could achieve just one thing while councillor of Hale End & Highams Park ward, what would it be?

NB:  I want to continue the open communication with residents all year round. If politicians only come round at election time, residents notice and mistrust that. I want to be a councillor that talks to the residents and is open about issues and decisions taken. There are tricky decisions to be taken and, even if someone doesn’t agree with what I’ve done, if I can communicate and explain why I’ve done it, hopefully people will appreciate that. I think we’ve got a great team of councillors in Hale End & Highams Park and I want us to do the area proud.

JM:  I want to continue, through the Focus newsletters, to make all people in Hale End and Highams Park feel part of the decision making processes especially regarding our ward.

DID YOU KNOW? THE LIB DEMS HAVE WON FOUR OF THE FIVE 2008 BY-ELECTIONS IN OUR BOROUGH

Local Liberal Democrats councillors and campaigners joined Walthamstow residents and business owners in a march on Saturday to draw awareness to crime in the area.

The march, which was organised by the Walthamstow Safer Streets Association, was called as a way of showing support for the deployment of extra Police and targetted CCTV cameras in the area area after a spate of violent attacks.

Amongst those in attendance were the new Lib Dem councillor for Hale End and Highams Park Nick Bason and local Lib Dem leader John Macklin.  Clr Macklin was presented with a petition from residents calling for local streets to be made safer.

High St councillor James O’Rourke was also in attendance, and he provides an excellent report on the march over at his blog.

If you agree we need more police please register your support for the Local Government Association Safe and Secure campaign by signing the e-petition on the 10 Downing Street website by clicking here.

The Waltham Forest Liberal Democrats recently revealed their concerns that the property price crash could have a major effect on redevelopment projects in the borough - and now it seems as if those concerns are being shared by others in the borough.

In the same week as the London Evening Standard bought to wider attention the severity of the problems  in Waltham Forest, the local Yellow Advertiser featured Liberal Democrat leader John Macklin in a feature on the local property crash.

The Evening Standard confirmed that Waltham Forest suffered the largest year-on-year fall in London property prices .  The local Lib Dem team recently revealed that there had been a 9.2% fall in local prices, sparking concern about building projects in the borough.

Cllr Macklin told the Yellow Advertiser:

“The collapse in property prices is bound to have an effect on regeneration in the borough, and I will be looking for clarification from the relevant portfolio holders regarding the timetables for work on these projects.

“The Government has allowed house prices and irresponsible mortgage lending to rocket almost unchecked and this completely irresponsible approach is now resulting in dire consequences for residents.”

The local Liberal Democrat team are celebrating a remarkable victory after FOCUS team members Nick Bason and Jane Morgan beat off the challenge of the Conservatives in Iain Duncan-Smith’s constituency to be elected to the Council as the new members for Hale End and Highams Park

Jane and Nick polled 1298 and 1295 votes respectively to take victory, retaining the seats won in 2006 by John Beanse and Noel Penstone in 2006.  Fellow Lib Dem Sheila Smith-Pryor completes the council team line-up for the ward.

Senior Liberal Democrat Simon Hughes MP (pictured above) joined Sheila recently to meet local residents and give his support to the campaign.

Here’s what our new councillors have to say…

 JANE MORGAN

I have lived in the ward for nearly 30 years and have been actively engaged with community work during that time through the Liberal Democrats.

I teach music in local schools and I am a coordinator of ‘Sing Up’, a project which encourages music and singing amongst primary school children.  I have an 18-year-old son at University.

As an active community member I am a regular attendee at the local Neighbourhood Watch and a frequent contributor at Community Council and Police Panel meetings.

Residents have always told me they appreciate the work the local Lib Dem Council team carry out through our surgeries and FOCUS leaflets and I want to ensure that work is able to continue on behalf of residents.

As a new councillor I want to carry on the unrivalled community work undertaken by John Beanse, Noel Penstone and Sheila Smith-Pryor.

 NICK BASON

I live in the local area with my wife and I currently work for a disability rights organisation called Employers’ Forum on Disability.  I have previously worked as an independent elections adviser, working with community, housing and regeneration projects across the UK.

As a member of the Liberal Democrat team I am proud of the work we have done for Hale End and Highams Park residents.  We are happy to be judged on that record of campaigning and responding rapidly and effectively to every resident who raises a problem or an issue with us.

The work of the Lib Dem team and the commitment to contact with local residents through the FOCUS leaflet has shown the positive, practical work that Lib Dem councillors do for our area.

Myself, Sheila and Jane will continue to  work for residents all year round - not just when there is an election on. 
 

Local Liberal Democrats are celebrating after Hale End and Highams Park FOCUS team members Nick Bason and Jane Morgan were elected to Waltham Forest Council

In a remarkable by-election victory, the Liberal Democrat Focus team candidates Jane Morgan and Nick Bason polled 1298 and 1295 votes respectively to beat off the challenge of the Conservative candidates (1223 and 1155 votes). 

The by-election was called after the sad death of Cllr John Beanse and the resignation due to ill health of Cllr Noel Penstone.

The Lib Dems were protecting a lead of less than 4% over the Conservatives in a ward represented by former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith.  The Lib Dems are still the only party with councillors in all three of the borough’s parliamentary constituencies.

Speaking at the count, new Hale End and Highams Park councillor Nick Bason said:

“We would like to thank all those residents from all sides of the political spectrum who gave us their support today on the basis of the hard work put into the ward by the Liberal Democrat FOCUS team over a long period of time.”

Jane Morgan added:

“We campaigned on our record of action and accountability to residents.  It is these principles that we will continue to stand by as the new council team for the ward.

“Local people know they can trust the Lib Dem team to produce action and not just words.”

Local Liberal Democrat leader Cllr John Macklin hailed the result as “absolutely fantastic”.

He continued:

“This victory over the Tories is made all the more special when taking into consideration the high-profile slur campaign run against the Lib Dems in the ward and the negative campaigning tactics which we were the victim of.

“The result just goes to show that our commitment to year round hard work and accountability is ultimately rewarded and appreciated by the electorate.        

“It is simply not good enough to just turn up when there is an election on and sling mud at the other parties.  Voters are not fooled by these tactics.”
          
The Liberal Democrats have won four of the five Waltham Forest by-elections called during 2008, increasing their representation on the Council to 20 seats.

FULL RESULT

JANE MORGAN (LIB DEM)  1298
NICK BASON (LIB DEM)  1295
Conservatives   1223
Conservatives   1155
Labour    264
Labour    241
Green     142

The Liberal Democrat Group on Waltham Forest Council want to hear from you!

Liberal Democrats councillors are encouraging local residents and community groups to get in contact and share any concerns or ideas they may have regarding our borough.

Cllr John Macklin, the Leader of the Lib Dem Group in Waltham Forest, said:

“I encourage any local residents or groups to get in touch and let us know what they would like to see from their local Council. 

“Liberal Democrats pride themselves on inclusive, community-based politics that reaches far beyond the confines of the Town Hall.  We led the way in the introduction of Community Councils in Waltham Forest and Lib Dem Councils across the country have worked hard to introduce groundbreaking ways in which we can engage with residents.

“Our Scrutiny chairs have also been successful in introducing new ways for residents to feed into their Committees and influence what councillors discuss”.

If there is any issue which you or your group would like to discuss with the local Liberal Democrats, please contact us in the Town Hall by phoning 020 8496 4313 or by emailing ben.wright@walthamforest.gov.uk

We will do our best to meet you at a time and venue that best suits your availability.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Waltham Forest Liberal Democrats are warning local residents and business owners to ensure that they take steps to secure their property after police figures revealed a big rise in the number of burglaries in the borough.

The crime statistics, published on the Metropolitan Police website, show a 10.6% rise in burglaries in the last 12 months, with nearly 2,000 local reports of domestic burglary in the 12 months up to September 2008.

The increase comes despite a 3.1% fall in burglaries across London.

Ward-by-ward data available on the Met website reveals that, in some areas of Waltham Forest, instances of burglary have risen in the past year by almost 50%.

However there is good news elsewhere for Waltham Forest residents as police figures show that overall crime was down by nearly 7%.  Significant reductions in car crime and violent robbery significantly contribute to this fall.

Now Waltham Forest Lib Dems are encouraging local residents to make sure they take basic procedures both to secure their house and to combat opportunistic burglaries.

Local Liberal Democrat Leader Cllr John Macklin said:

“The rise in burglaries at both domestic and non-domestic properties is obviously a real concern. 

“Burglaries from commercial properties in Waltham Forest have risen by a massive 12.8% in the last year.

“Residents and business owners can help protect their properties from instances of burglary or attempted theft by following some of the simple security measures suggested by the police.”

The Metropolitan Police Website offers a range of crime prevention measures that encourage property owners to reduce their risk of opportunistic criminals — particularly when buildings are unoccupied.

CLICK HERE to read more about the Liberal Democrats ‘We Can cut Crime!’ campaign, including our ‘5 Steps to a Safer Britain’

The Waltham Forest Guardian is this week reporting the latest developments in the efforts of the Save Our Stow (SOS) campaign group to keep a greyhound racing and leisure facility on the site of ‘The Stow’.

The Waltham Forest Liberal Democrats met with SOS to hear their plans and offer any support to their campaign.

Local Lib Dem leader Cllr John Macklin said:

“We are, of course, fully in support of their efforts to keep the Stadium as both a greyhound racing track and a sport and leisure venue.

“The success of our leisure venues is an integral part of building a sustainable community in Waltham Forest and ensuring that we are attractive to both our residents and visitors. There is no long-term sustainability in forcing residents out of the borough to spend their leisure time.”

To read the Group statement on the campaign to save the track, which was published in the Racing Post (’Local Councillors in Support of SOS Bid’, 26/9/2008), follow the link to ‘The Stow’ in the left hand panel of the screen.

Cllr James O’Rourke and his High St ward colleague Cllr Johar Khan are making a call for children’s play areas to be kept tidy.

Head over to Cllr O’Rourke’s blog to read more…

Cllr James O’Rourke of High St ward appears in this week’s media to highlight the local Alchohol Restriction Zone (ARZ), which has been implemented in the ward to try and tackle anti-social behaviour.

The ARZ has been set up after complaints from residents about drink-related crime and behaviour in the High St area.  Police will now be able to order drinkers to throw away their cans, fine them £50, or in the most serious cases use powers of arrest.

Cllr James O’Rourke told this week’s Yellow Advertiser:

“The zone will help us reclaim Walthamstow Town Centre”

“Children and families will be more inclined to use local facilities, such as the town centre park and open space and it will undoubtedly improve the image of one of the gateways to Waltham Forest”.

“We must, though, monitor the situation to and ensure that the problem is not just dispersed to a nearby area”.

Did you know that the Metropolitan Police provide a website where you can check the latest crime levels thorughout the borough.

The site even breaks down offences by crime, so you can see that, whilst total crimes in he borough are down - along with a major fall in motorvehicle crime - instances of burglary have been on the rise.

Go and check out the figures for yourself at the Metropolitan Police Website.

PS: We will provide a permanent link to the Met Crime Mapping site in the sidebar on the left of the screen, so you can continue to monitor the statistics.

The Liberal Democrats have published plans to tackle the growing problem of knife crime in London and Waltham Forest.

The document highlights several key proposals for reducing knife crime, including:

• Putting 10,000 extra police on the streets, around 2,000 of which would be in London, paid for by scrapping ID cards
• Ensuring each Safer Neighbourhood Team includes a trained, dedicated community support officer to identify and work with the young people who are most at risk through schools, youth groups and outreach work
• Creating a Greater London Youth Volunteer Force to make it easier for young disadvantaged people to volunteer. Activities would be relevant to young people but also teach them important skills

High St councillor James O’Rourke recently chaired a Council Scrutiny event in order to take evidence on how knife crime was being tackled in our borough.

Sixty people attended representing a myriad of internal and external key partners involved in tackling knife crime in Waltham Forest. A number of interested residents also attended.

Evidence was taken from a wide range of witnesses including the Police, Crown Prosecution Service, Job Centre Plus, schools & colleges and trading standards. Vital evidence was supplied by three representatives of the Youth Independent Advisory Group who gave Councillors of the committees and other attendees an enthralling account from young people’s perspective.

Cllr O’Rourke said:

“We managed to start the debate on how to eradicate this serious problem.

“The issue of knife/youth crime cannot be allowed to disappear into the ether to await another tragedy.”

For a full copy of the Lib Dems proposals, please visit the Liberal Democrat Website.

Could Waltham Forest Liberal Democrats be able to claim a tenuous link to newly elected US President Barack Obama?

Head over to High St councillor James O’Rourke’s excellent blog to find out more…

The Council’s reinforcement team have recently been out in the borough identifying estate agents whose boards were not compliant to regulations.

Now enforcement officers from both planning and street services have seized a number of estate agent’s board in a joint project to clampdown on clutter in Walthamstow. Estate agents are required by law to remove most boards within 14 days of a property being sold or let (if completion has taken place). 12 boards which broke the rules were removed in Chingford Road and Brettenham Road after the deadline for taking them down had expired.

The companies in question have also been issued a £100 fixed penalty notice for each offending board.  Should the companies elect to go to court the maximum penalty on conviction rises to £1,000.

Cllr Bob Belam said that Walthamstow residents had complained that their streets were being swamped by out of date signs.

He added:

“If estate agents don’t take their responsibilities seriously and remove their boards promptly, we will make sure the enforcement team do.”

In the past three or four months the Cann Hall Ward has seen a dramatic increase in the number of former family homes being extended or converted into multiple flats.

Many residents have complained to the Cann Hall FOCUS Team about properties suddenly having sometimes quite extensive works done, without any prior notice from the Planning Dept. to let local residents know what was going to happen.

In many cases the Council does not know because the owners have not sought planning permission to either extend or convert. In addition, small plots of land are being used to build new properties.

Lib Dem Cllr Keith Rayner and the Focus Team are clear this has to stop.

The Council has now designated Cann Hall Ward as an area where this kind of practice has to be controlled, and family housing maintained. Residents’ backing for this move is shown by the amount of emails and letters in support.

Cllr Rayner said: “Please contact the Focus Team if you see a property being converted or extended in your area and we will let you know if it has planning permission and is a legal development”

A new Fire Station is being proposed for Leytonstone.

Cann Hall councillors Liz Phillips and Keith Rayner found out about the plans recently when they visited an open evening at the Fire Station in High Road Leytonstone. The London Fire Brigade were starting their consultation and discussion process with local people and interested groups, along with local ward councillors Liz and Keith.

The basic proposals are for a whole new fire station, including a third attendance pump, better public facilities, and accommodation for personnel working out of the fire station. It would also enable improved response to providing community advice on fire safety and many other areas of helpful information, without expanding its patrol area.

Leyton and Wanstead Liberal Democrats says:

“This is great news for both Cann Hall Ward and the Leytonstone area. As the plans progress, we will keep you informed of developments. You can also contact Richard Mills, Station Manager, on (020) 8555 1200 for more information.”

A new CPZ has been proposed in the borought - and local Liberal Democrats want you to hear your views.

The proposals include the junction of Leytonstone High Road, Cann Hall Road and Crownfield Road, which could effect some roads in Cann Hall.  In the current proposal are Eve, Steele and Belton Roads on the north side of Cann Hall Road, whilst on the south side Argyle, Borthwick, Blenheim Roads could be included up to the Borough boundary at Janson Road.

There is also consultation on traffic schemes taking place.  The consultation area stretches from Millais Road to the borough boundary with Newham, and across to High Road Leytonstone.

Leyton and Wanstead Liberal democrats say:

“What do you think? Many residents in these roads have complained for years about not being able to park in their own roads, due to overflow of traffic and parking from the High Road and the Thatched House area.”

“Whatever your views please let us and the council know. Your voice and views are very important.”

Higham Hill councillor Patrick Smith has defended the rights of leaseholders in a letter to this week’s Waltham Forest Guardian:

“The legal rights and entitlements of leaseholders must be at the heart of all project works on their homes which are carried out on behalf of the Council.

Leaseholders should also be free to state when and how the project is done.

We must avoid residents being billed high amounts in one go and introduce an upper monthly limit charging structure.  This policy would respect individuals and the more vulnerable leaseholders, whom do not deserve the shock of a sudden debt in this current financial crisis.

In Higham Hill our leaseholders have told us in Carlton Road and Garnett Road that they would like their views to be fully understood in the public consultation process and to remain fully informed and updated throughout.

I advocate an explanatory booklet be issued to each leaseholder setting out their rights and entitlements and the duty of social landlords. 

The borough must aim for best practice to create a close watch on leaseholder rights in future, especially where our elderly and vulnerable families in Higham Hill are concerned”. 

Lib Dem High St councillor James O’Rourke has moved to reassure residents that local Lib Dem members are leading the fight against local crime.

In a letter to the Waltham Forest Guardian, Cllr O’Rourke reacted to claims that politicians who has attended local resident-led crime meetings were“as powerless as the non-elected”.

Cllr O’Rourke noted that the Lib Dem High St team have acted positively in setting up a task group to deal with the issues of antisocial behaviour in the area.

He continued:

“High St ward has the highest crime and antisocial behaviour figures in Waltham Forest, yet has the same number of Safer Neighbourhood Police Offices as the other 19 wards. 

“It is a unique and significant area to manage and represent.

 ”The public want to see positive action from their elected representatives.  Only Liberal Democrat councillors can offer such leadership.”

The Waltham Forest Guardian is reporting that people living in ‘E’ postcodes such as Walthamstow, Leyton and Leytonstone are ranked by the survey as having the worst debt status in the country.

Callcredit, a credit reference agency, assessed the debt status of 124 UK regions, ranking E1 as the worst, followed by Uxbridge, South East London and Liverpool.

The news follows warnings from Waltham Forest Liberal Democrats that house prices have fallen more sharply in Waltham Forest than anywhere else in London and reports that London will suffer a higher net percentage of job losses in the recession than the rest of England.

Earlier this year Liberal Democrats Treasury spokesman Vince Cable warned about the problems of excessive personal borrowing.

He said:

“There is a real complacency about the extent to which millions of people are getting out of their depth with mortgages and unsecured borrowing.”

Residents with concerns about their levels of debt can contact their local Liberal Democrat team for guidance about who can help.
 

Liberal Democrat activists in Waltham Forest have been busy - solving the case of the phantom bus stop!

Investigative work by on behalf of bemused local residents has revealed that a bus stop which disappeared in Cathall Road had never been put there by Transport for London - but by an enterprising public transport user!

Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat transport spokeswoman at the London Assembly, said: “I was contacted by Paul Olford, a long-term Lib Dem activist in Leytonstone, about a bus stop which had mysteriously disappeared from Cathall Road.

“I contacted TfL and after some investigating, they discovered the bus stop was never meant to be there in the first place.

“The sign had just been stuck on a lamppost and bus drivers were mistaking it for the real thing.”

And bus passengers will be disappointed to learn that there are no plans to replace the phantom with a real stop, as it’s located on the brow of a bridge and would be too dangerous.

TfL confirmed: “Someone had stuck the round London Buses sign on a lamp column so that it resembled a bus stop.

“We do not know who did this but it was not with the permission of London Buses.”

Fly tipping residents and traders who treat High Street ward like a dustbin have been warned they face huge fines and up to five years in prison when they are caught.

Efforts to clean up the Borough are being undermined by people dumping rubbish on our streets, and Cllrs James O’Rourke and Johar Khan has called for High Street residents’ help.

Cllrs James O’Rourke and Johar Khan said:

“If you have any information about fly-tippers please let us know. Our local area is being plagued by illegal fly tipping”.

Residents can help dispose of their rubbish responsibly

* Every household can have three bulky waste collections every year. Just contact the Council to have your rubbish collected from your doorstep.

* Take your larger waste to a household recycling centre near you

* The Council can provide more black recycling boxes — go online to order them!

* Fly tipping is a crime — Report it!

You can contact the Council to report fly tipping or to find out how to dispose of your waste responsibly on 020 8496 3000.

Local Liberal Democrat post office campaigners are celebrating after a Labour u-turn on the future of the Post Office Card Account (POCA).

The Government announced on Thursday that it is now cancelling its procurement process and awarding the contract for the Post Office Card Account (POCA) to the Post Office for a further five years.

The Lib Dems had led attempts to block the removal of the contract from the Post Office, claiming that it amounted to a deliberate attempt to encourage people to switch payment to direct debit and remove the role of the Post Office.

It is estimated that around a third of the income of many post offices comes from the POCA and Post Offices benefit additionally from the ‘footfall’ of shoppers.

Lib Dem Higham Hill councillor Patrick Smith, who recently attended the National Post Office Conference, claimed that the u-turn would come as a relief to post office employees and customers, calling the decision to put the contract out to tender the latest example of the Labour Government “attempting by stealth to wind up traditional Post Office business in order to then make the economic case for more closures.”

Cllr Smith continued:

“This Government has been running down our post offices, removing the services that local communities rely on.

“This welcome climb down over the future of Post Office Card Accounts perhaps suggests that Labour are finally beginning to realise that they cannot any longer simply ride roughshod over the wishes of the communities served by these crucial facilities.”

Liberal Democrat Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, Jenny Willott said:

“This announcement comes as a huge relief to the millions of Post Office Card Account holders, thousands of Sub Post Masters and the countless communities that may have lost their post office if the decision had been different.”

“The Government has wasted time and money and caused immeasurable heartache by dragging this process out for so long.

“This could all have been avoided if, as the Liberal Democrats have long argued, the Post Office Card Account had never been put out to tender in the first place.

“However, cancelling the procurement exercise is a peculiar means of arriving at this decision and Ministers have some explaining to do.”

Local Liberal Democrats are celebrating after opposition councillors gave their support to a Lib Dem proposal that could see aspects of the management of arts, sports and cultural venues in Waltham Forest handed over to user-led groups.

In a motion that went before Full Council, the Lib Dems asked officers to produce a report outlining the viability of, and the procedures needed to establish, a series of ‘Local Management Boards’, groups of service users who would be given areas of responsibility for “implementing ambitious and innovative ideas in our local libraries, sports facilities, museums and galleries to ensure that they fully reflect users’ needs.”

The plans first appeared as a policy commitment to residents made in Waltham Forest Lib Dems 2006 local election manifesto.

Lib Dem Leader Cllr John Macklin said that he believed local authorities “have a responsibility to let their residents take part in the process of shaping local services.”

Cllr Macklin continued: 

“The proposals we are asking officers to look at would mean real involvement and responsibility for residents, not membership of a toothless body unable to provide real management and implement inventive ideas.

“The future of our local cultural services, such as museums and libraries, is obviously one of great concern to many residents.  There is a diverse range of valuable expertise going untapped amongst those who use, lobby and campaign for these services”.

Cllr Macklin added that “although councillors and residents may not always agree, I have made it a priority to meet with and listen to as many resident and user groups as possible.

“Local management boards could provide a platform in order to give those in our Borough with progressive and ambitious ideas a way in which to turn these into practical solutions.

The motion is the culmination of a local Lib Dem campaign backed by parliamentary Culture, Media and Sports spokesman Don Foster MP, pictured above with High St councillor James O’Rourke.

DO YOU WANT MORE INVOLVEMENT IN THE RUNNING OF LOCAL SERVICES? SEE OUR WEBSITE POLL!

A local Liberal Democrat Councillor has used the party’s annual conference in Bournemouth to tackle Olympic chiefs over plans to use the 2012 Games’ to engage with young people in the Borough.

Cann Hall ward councillor Laura Sheppard attended the event alongside other local councillors and party activists from across Waltham Forest who had travelled to the South Coast to hear Nick Clegg’s first conference speech as Liberal Democrat leader.

During a packed question and answer session hosted by Olympian Jonathan Edwards, Cllr Sheppard asked for assurances that, with the 2012 Games now just four years away, opportunities for Waltham Forest youngsters to get involved were being provided.

Members of the panel of leading representatives from the London Games, including Chief Executive of the London 2012 Organising Committee Paul Deighton and Chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority John Armitt, highlighted the work that was being done within schools to raise awareness of the Games.  However they acknowledged Cllr Sheppard’s concerns regarding their ability to engage with local youngsters who had become harder to reach.

Cllr Sheppard said that the London Games represented a “once in a lifetime opportunity to better the lives of young people in our Borough”.

She added:

“I was pleased that the panel acknowledged the difficulty in reaching some of our younger people and the need to come up with innovative and imaginative ideas to ensure they are engaged. 

“Some excellent work has been done to raise awareness of the Games but it is those young people who are outside the traditional means of communication who would be able to gain the most from the benefits the Games will bring to the area.”

Earlier this year local Liberal Democrats unveiled proposals for a Waltham Forest Sports Academy, a plan which would see existing venues able to join together to create a federation of independent, borough-based ‘Centres of Excellence’. 

Local Lib Dems believe such a project could see each facility providing affordable specialist training in individual sporting activities whilst also allowing users to study for qualifications such as coaching badges.

Cllr Sheppard said:

“One of the main issues raised by Lib Dem councillors during the debate was the need to ensure that young people benefited directly from a sporting legacy that would help to foster a culture of sporting participation both before and after the Games.

“The creative use of our sporting facilities would help bring residents from all backgrounds together whilst creating opportunities for young people to learn new skills and qualifications as they enjoy their leisure time.”

The Lib Dem team for Hale End and Highams Park have said that “any proposed developments should absolutely have to compliment existing buildings and services in the area”

At a recent residents meeting, Cllr Sheila Smith-Pryor and the Hale and Higham FOCUS team spoke of the need for any development in the area to meet strict requirements regarding its environmental impact and the knock-on effect of the quality of life for all residents.

A FOCUS survey conducted by former Liberal Democrat councillor John Beanse and the local team showed that, out of over 500 resident responses, there was a range of opinions expressed regarding the proposals.  Many residents said they were concerned about the size of any proposed Tesco development.

Cllr Smith-Pryor said:

“Residents will remember that the Lib Dem team worked hard to ensure their voices were heard during the previous Tesco application.

“We will do the same again to ensure that all residents views are represented on this important issue”.

“Attendees at the recent meeting wanted to hear the views of the local councillor team, and I was pleased to be able to report back on the work that we have been doing on behalf of residents.”

Liberal Democrats in Waltham Forest have reacted with concern to new figures which reveal that Waltham Forest has suffered the biggest “negative change” in property prices of any London borough.

And Lib Dem Council Group Leader John Macklin is asking for reassurances that the collapse in property values will not further delay long-awaited redevelopment schemes across the borough.

The news comes after Lib Dem councillors warned earlier this year that Walthamstow homeowners faced an “above average” risk of suffering from negative equity.

The new figures, published in HotProperty magazine, show that Waltham Forest has suffered heavily from the collapse in property prices in comparison with other London boroughs.  The latest Land Registry figures show that the average property price in the borough is down 9.4% in the last year, with a huge 5% fall being suffered in the last quarter.  The rapid collapse means many local homeowners are now at risk from negative equity.

Local Lib Dems sounded a warning over the heightened risk of negative equity for local property owners back in March after figures released by credit rating agency Experian predicted that Walthamstow residents could be amongst the worst sufferers of the economic downturn, with those who had bought property within the last 12 months expected to be the worst hit.

At the time, local Liberal Democrat leader and Walthamstow councillor John Macklin urged government intervention to prevent mass repossessions, which, he said, would only worsen the housing crash.

Now this week he has expressed his concern about the effect that the crash in property prices will have on building projects within the borough.

Cllr Macklin said:

“The collapse in property prices is bound to have an effect on regeneration projects in the borough, and I will be looking for clarification from the relevant portfolio holders regarding the timetables for work on these projects.

“As I have said before, a series of unused ‘land banks’ across the borough awaiting regeneration is just not acceptable”.

Fellow Walthamstow councillor and deputy Lib Dem leader Cllr Johar Khan has spoken out about the situation in Waltham Forest, noting that the collapse in house prices would “cause misery for those who could end up owing more on their mortgages than their property will be worth.”

Cllr Khan continued:

“Waltham Forest looks like it will be hit particularly hard by this recession and the collapse in house prices.  Sadly, the anguish this will cause local homeowners has been all too easy to predict.

“The government has allowed house prices and irresponsible mortgage lending to rocket alomost unchecked, and this competely irresponsbile approach is now resulting in dire consequences for residents. 

Labour MP for Walthamstow, Neil Gerrard, has been accused of hypocrisy after he signed a Parliamentary motion supporting Post Offices only to then vote against it in the House of Commons.

Post Offices face a bleak future if the Government gives another company the contract to pay out pensions and benefits instead of the Post Office. They currently deliver this through the Post Office Card Account (POCA), which is used by around 4 million elderly and benefit claimants.

It is believed that up to 6,000 Post Offices could close if the POCA is taken away from them. Ministers are expected to announce their decision on POCA shortly.

The Parliamentary motion expresses worries about the damaging results on Post Offices if they lose more business. Ministers and government agencies are currently putting huge pressure on people to get pensions and benefits paid directly into bank accounts instead of through the Post Office.

The motion called on government departments and agencies to use Post Offices to make services available through Post Offices to help both the Post Office network and the people who rely on it. MPs could sign the motion over the summer and autumn. Liberal Democrat MPs then brought it to the House of Commons to debate it on Monday 10th November.

Local Liberal Democrat leader Cllr John Macklin has now accused Neil Gerrard of displaying “an almost unbelievable level of hypocrisy”.

Cllr Macklin said:

“Residents of Walthamstow will have every right to feel let down by Neil Gerrard’s flip-flopping on the future of our local Post Offices.

“This is just another example of local Labour members saying one thing about Post Offices and then voting the exact opposite way.  Their behaviour on this issue over a long period of time has been nothing short of insulting to residents.

“Neil Gerrard has chosen to vote to throw out a motion expressing concerns about the future of our local Post Offices and replace it with praise for what this Government has done to our Post Office network.”

Waltham Forest has been hit hard by local Post Office closures, and local Labour councillors faced criticism over their apparent opposition to the closure programme after it emerged that they rejected a Full Council motion from December 2003 that called for the Post Office Network Reinvention programme to be halted.  The motion, moved by the Liberal Democrats, also expressed concern at the effect of the closures on the elderly and vulnerable.

Liberal Democrats have called for the Post Office to be allowed to continue to pay out pensions and benefits. They have also called for £2 billion of investment in branches, paid for by selling part of the Government’s shareholding in Royal Mail.

They also want more Government departments to use Post Offices to provide services, to free branches from restrictions on doing business with other parcel delivery companies and to broaden the range of commercial services available across the counter.

Cllr John Macklin
Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, Waltham Forest Council

Like the many residents who have written to us expressing their views on the closure, my Liberal Democrat colleagues and I are enormously disappointed at the recent turn of events regarding the future of Walthamstow Greyhound Stadium.

The huge show of support from residents and punters alike demonstrates the obvious affection that local people have for the Stadium. A quick straw poll in a recent meeting suggests that you would struggle to find a local Liberal Democrat councillor who has not at one point enjoyed a visit to ‘The Stow’!

Farid Ahmed and myself recently met a team from Save Our Stow at the Town Hall to hear about their plans to keep the Stadium in business as a greyhound racing venue.

We are, of course, fully in support of their efforts to keep the Stadium as both a greyhound racing track and a sport and leisure venue. As we told the team from Save Our Stow, we believe that the stadium is an iconic London venue and, perhaps more importantly, an enormously valuable part of Waltham Forest’s evening economy.

The success of our leisure venues is an integral part of building a sustainable community in Waltham Forest and ensuring that we are attractive to both our residents and visitors. There is no long-term sustainability in forcing residents out of the borough to spend their leisure time.

I am more than happy to work with Save Our Stow as I believe that ambitious and enterprising local residents and groups deserve to have their ideas listened to and fully considered.

Farid Ahmed
Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Walthamstow

What impressed me about the Save Our Stow proposals was the obvious research that had been undertaken into the viability of the business. A lot of work has gone into securing the means of funding to reopen the track and attracting additional investment to upgrade the facilities and establish Walthamstow as hub for the sport.

I discussed with Save Our Stow my disappointment that a new business model could not, apparently, be made to work by the previous owners in the way it has done at successful greyhound racing venues both in the UK and overseas, where the tracks still enjoy healthy support as family venues with a greater focus on hospitality and catering for parties and group events. It was very encouraging to hear their proposals to modernise and widen the appeal of the Stadium, adapting the facility into a modern leisure facility.

What Walthamstow absolutely cannot afford to have is yet another ‘land bank’ awaiting regeneration.

I am particularly interested in such a user group led bid for the track, as I have long believed that local leisure facilities are very often better run by those who use them and who have a locally based commitment to their ongoing success

Local Liberal Democrats have used the party’s Autumn conference in Bournemouth to support proposals to change the regulations that currently prevent football stadiums from providing ’safe-standing’ areas for supporters.

The Lib Dem proposals recognise and seek to remedy safety problems that exist in all seater stadiums where, despite regulations, large numbers of fans regularly stand in areas designed for sitting only.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat councillor for Leyton ward, Bob Sullivan said:

“Whilst the reintroduction of standing areas is obviously a delicate issue, the difficulty in enforcing existing regulations and the obvious desire of a huge number of supporters to stand at matches suggests that it is sensible to look at ways of allowing them to do so in safety.

“Football has taken enormous steps in recent years to improve stadium designs. These proposals would in no way seek to undermine any of that progress and would only allow future ground developments that meet the most stringent safety requirements.

“But if some fans want to stand and many clubs want to let them, then we should at least explore safe ways of achieving it.”

The Football Supporters Federation has praised the move, whilst local football supporters in Waltham Forest have added their voices to the Lib Dems calls for the current regulations concerning standing at football matches to be reconsidered.

Mike Randall, the Leyton Orient Fan’s Trust (LOFT) committee member for stadium issues, added.

“As an organisation LOFT have always been in favour of safe standing.  We have raised the issue with the club management at every opportunity, so far with little success.  However we have not entirely given up hope, as there is still one stand to be developed at Brisbane road.

“Safe standing works at football matches in Germany and in our Rugby League grounds. What is the difference?  In some parts of the country a football fan on a Saturday is often a Rugby League fan on a Sunday.

“There is nothing wrong with terraces, it is the control of them that seems to be the main problem for the authorities.”

Liberal Democrats on Waltham Forest Council’s Planning Committee have welcomed the introduction of new guidelines that will enable members to turn down applications for further flat conversions in the borough.

The new measures mean there will be 8 restricted wards where no conversion will be allowed at all.  These are Cann Hall, Cathall, Forest, Grove Green, High Street, Hoe Street, Leyton and Leytonstone.

A new 200-metre rule will also be introduced to prevent displacement to other wards.  Applying to the whole borough, the rule will mean that if a property is over 120sq meters and outside a restricted ward, permission will be refused if there is already a converted property within 200 metres.

Labour Cabinet member Cllr Terry Wheeler, who is responsible for the Council’s transport and planning policy, recently had to deny claims from councillors that he had failed to give the committee sufficient powers to react to public concerns over the rate of conversions.  He claimed that the delays were due to a “lack of resources”.

Liberal Democrat councillor Farooq Qureshi said he was “delighted that the guidelines have finally been introduced”.

Cllr Qureshi said:

“These measures will finally give the committee the ability to show some teeth when it comes to defending local residents interests.

“Sensibly restricting the conversion of family housing into flats is crucial to the future of Waltham Forest.  Retaining family housing in the borough should be a central tenet of our sustainable communities strategy.

“The number of conversions has been a real concern for residents for a long time now, and planning committee members have often been powerless to help them.  A cutback in the number of conversions in something the Liberal Democrats have been campaigning on for years.”

Liberal Democrats councillors in Waltham Forest have slammed Walthamstow MP Neil Gerrard after it was revealed that he ignored a letter backed by councillors from all parties asking for support in opposing local Post Office closures.

The letter was sent by the Council’s interim Chief Executive after councillors unanimously backed a Liberal Democrat motion criticising the support of Labour MPs for the Government’s closure programme. 

However, in an answer to a written question from Lib Dem Chapel End councillor Bob Carey, Council Leader Clyde Loakes told fellow members that no responses had been received from Neil Gerrard or Chingford and Woodford Green MP Iain Duncan-Smith.

Cllr Carey, though, reserved particular criticism for the Labour MP for Walthamstow, accusing him of a “total lack of respect” for the Council or the views of local residents on the issue of Post Office closures.

Responding in the meeting of Full Council, Cllr Carey said:

“I am absolutely amazed, and hugely disappointed, that in the four months since this motion was passed, not one of our three local MPs has had the good grace to reply to the letter that was sent with the unanimous support of all members of this Council.

“The Government closure programme has moved on apace since the motion was passed and my own ward, Chapel End, has been hit particularly hard.

“Therefore, I would like the Leader to write back to Neil Gerrard asking why, in the last four months, he has had the time to write two-faced press statements mourning the loss of the very local post office branches which he has repeatedly voted to close but has not had the time or the courtesy to address the concerns of Walthamstow residents by responding to this Chamber — of which he was once a very prominent member.”

Cllr Carey claimed that local Labour MPs should be “embarrassed both by their record on this issue and their apparent attempts to deceive local residents who want their local representatives to fight for the protection of their local services”

Waltham Forest Liberal Democrat Leader Cllr John Macklin has explained his decision not to attend a high profile Government event in Waltham Forest, claiming the visit was “completely inappropriate”.

Government schools minister Ed Balls’ visit to Kelmscott School in Walthamstow came just a week after he caused anger by placing two other local schools — George Mitchell in Leyton and the new Walthamstow Academy — on a ‘hit list’ of “underperforming” schools that could face closure.  The move has been greeted with anger from both head teachers and parents.

Cllr Macklin, the Deputy Leader of Waltham Forest Council, chose not to attend the event, which he called “enormously ill-timed.”

Cllr Macklin, who is also a senior university lecturer in education, continued:

“Whilst it is welcome that the excellent progress being made at Kelsmcott is being recognised, it almost defies belief that the Minister feels it is appropriate to put the boot into local schools one week and then, days later, turn up in Waltham Forest to use the borough for a government press launch.

“His hit list has caused a lot of anger locally and has apparently been based on completely arbitrary targets that take no account of any of the highly individual circumstances that schools such as George Mitchell work under.

“When the Lib Dem education spokesman David Laws MP visited Walthamstow Academy earlier this year he was hugely impressed by the hard work being put in by the head, Fiona Cordeaux, and her staff.

“How on earth can threatening these schools with closure under such apparently random criteria help in their future development?

“Ed Balls’ announcement has unsettled teachers, staff and pupils who I’m sure will see the Minister’s decision to go ahead with this visit in the wake of such an announcement as entirely lacking in tact.”

The Ministerial visit came on the same day that Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg set out plans to give schools greater freedoms, promising to strip Ministers of their power to “meddle and micro-manage”.

Liberal Democrat leader Cllr John Macklin has offered his congratulations to local party colleagues after the publication of a report that has recognised improvements in the running of Waltham Forest Council.

Waltham Forest Council has been rated as a ‘four star’ Council in results just announced by the Audit Commission as part of the Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA).

The Council’s zero star rating before 2002, when the Liberal Democrats joined the administration, meant that previous Council leaders were forced to appear before Government officials to explain their poor performance.

Waltham Forest now becomes one of only ten Councils in London to receive the accolade.

Cllr Macklin said that he was pleased at the inspection results, but immediately warned that the Council still had to “up its game”.

Cllr Macklin said:

“There has undeniably been a correlation between the growing number of Liberal Democrat councillors elected by residents in Waltham Forest, our joining of the joint administration in 2002 and the Audit Commission’s award of vastly improved ratings for the Council.

“We firmly believe that our increased representation on the Council and within the administration has raised standards.  We have started to claw back much of the ground that had been lost under previous administrations.

“However, the improvements that the Commission have recognised over the last 6 years must be seen as the start of the recovery work that is still necessary, both in terms of the way the Council is run internally and the services that we deliver on behalf of residents.

“Whilst the very nature of a coalition administration will inevitably bring disagreements and up and downs, this recognition by the Audit Commission of enormously improving standards during our involvement validates the Lib Dems decision to do our best for residents by taking part in the administration rather than by simply shouting from the sidelines.

“Like residents, we recognise that there is still plenty of work to be done in Waltham Forest and we will continue to work hard to ensure that Liberal Democrat values and residents concerns are at the top of the Council’s agenda.”
“We want to take control of the Council in 2010 in order to ensure that this much-needed progress can continue.”

LIBERAL Democrats in Waltham Forest are calling for tough action to be taken against those caught selling knives to children and young people.

Local Lib Dem leader Cllr John Macklin made the call after figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats revealed that half of all traders tested in Waltham Forest had attempted to sell knives to underage buyers.

In a test-purchasing programme carried out by Waltham Forest Trading Standards earlier this year using young volunteers, 7 out of the 14 purchases attempted resulted in sales. The cases have not yet reached court, but prosecutions are currently being considered.

The worrying statistics come on the back of nationwide figures for prosecutions that were uncovered in Parliament by Chris Huhne MP, the party’s Shadow Home Secretary.

The figures reveal that:
· Only 71 people have been successfully prosecuted for selling knives to children in the last five years
· None were sent to prison and only one was given a community sentence
· 56 people were fined, but 21 of them were given fines of less than £200

Cllr Macklin claimed that the stats revealed “a completely inadequate deterrent to unscrupulous shop keepers who flout the law to sell these weapons to children and young people.”

Cllr Macklin continued:

“Whilst it is obviously welcome that offenders are being identified and caught, the number of local traders who are apparently prepared to sell knifes to those who are underage is extremely worrying.  A culture change is needed in order that shopkeepers are all fully aware of the laws and the danger which knives, when in the wrong hands, can cause.

“Liberal Democrats will be calling for officers to carry out further test purchasing programmes in an effort to really drive this message home.”

Cllr Macklin’s Lib Dem colleague Cllr Farooq Qureshi has supported the comments of the Group Leader.  Cllr Qureshi, the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for Leyton and Wanstead, also reports back on community safety activity for the Waltham Forest Lib Dems.

He said:

“Tiny fines and a lack of custodial punishment is the wrong signal to those who profit from the illegal sale of knives.

“It is far too easy for children and young people to get hold of knives. Too many are being drawn into a culture of carrying and using knives.

“Liberal Democrats believe that the courts must take a much stronger stand against those who are fuelling knife crime by illegally selling knives to children and young people.

“Cutting the supply of knives will be one of the most effective ways to reducing knife crime in the first place.”

Liberal Democrats in Waltham Forest are seeking reassurances from the council regarding progress on the long awaited Walthamstow Arcade site development.

Walthamstow councillor John Macklin, leader of the Liberal Democrats on Waltham Forest Council, stressed that the Arcade development “must fit in with the local area”. 

He is also urging local traders to get involved in ensuring that the development will “compliment and not damage existing Town Centre businesses” whilst acknowledging residents concerns over the residential building that will form a centrepiece of the development.

Cllr Macklin said:

“Whilst I accept the need for the development to be high density, this doesn’t mean that it has to be exclusively achieved through height.  I have been meeting with campaigners to make it clear that the Liberal Democrats want a landmark building that will be a source of pride for residents and a focal point for a properly regenerated town centre.

“We also echo the views of the many people, in particular our younger residents, who are desperate to see a cinema return to the borough.

“However, I am acutely aware that regeneration projects, if not handled properly, can be detrimental to existing businesses.

“Regeneration is not just about big new buildings.  It should also be about enabling local people and businesses.”

“I absolutely do not want to see any new facilities simply competing for existing trade with our current shops and market traders.  They must compliment each other if the development is to be a success.

Cllr Macklin is encouraging local businesses and traders to get involved in making sure that the Town Centre is compatible with the new facilities that will arrive as part of the development. 

“We want to see local traders and businesses taking the lead in ensuring that a regenerated town centre is mutually beneficial to both new and existing businesses.

“We need imaginative ideas from business leaders to ensure that the market, as part of a modern Walthamstow Town Centre, can provide an attractive product that shoppers will want to use.

“This could be achieved, for example, through the establishment of a Business Improvement District or a more prominent role for the Market Traders Association.

“The Liberal Democrats will strongly support any such involvement from local businesses and make sure that their voice is heard in Council.  The best way to ensure that local people are satisfied with the outcome of the regeneration project is to involve them every step of the way in the decision making process and communicate progress on the site to residents more effectively.”

Fellow Liberal Democrat councillors for High Street Ward, James O’Rourke and Johar Khan, added to Cllr Macklin’s calls by claiming that, as part of the regeneration project, the council needed to have deliverable plans to bring the EMD building back into use in a way that complimented the development and provided “a worthwhile community facility for residents that will bring them back to the High Street”.

“We want to see the council work with interested parties to bring the EMD into use as soon as the Arcade development has been accepted by the Mayor of London.”

The Lib Dems efforts in encouraging greater community involvement in decision-making is the latest part of plans to increase resident participation in the running of local facilities.  Earlier this year the party called for Local Management Boards of service users to take over the running of local cultural facilities.

Local Liberal Democrats are celebrating after councillors approved a motion proposing a rethink of Waltham Forest Council’s ethical investment and procurement policies.

As part of the resolution, Liberal Democrat Leader Cllr John Macklin asked officers to carry out a full evaluation of current guidelines and report back to councillors, highlighting both possible areas of concern and potential opportunities for improvement “in order that practices can be revised to reflect our desire to achieve the highest possible standards in these areas.”

The issue of the Council’s ethical investment protocols came to light in October last year when it was revealed  - after a Freedom of Information request by local Green Party members - that portions of the employees pension fund had been invested in companies with links to the military regime in Burma.  The Council, however, revealed that it was bound by a legal obligation to maximise the return to the pension fund through its investments.

Cllr Macklin immediately expressed his alarm at the revelations, promising in a letter to the Waltham Forest Guardian that he would “push the Treasury to get rid of the financial shackles placed on local government in this area”.

He told residents that the Liberal Democrats had long called for the removal of the legal ties that stopped public bodies making socially responsible investments

During the debate in the Council chamber, the Liberal Democrat leader told councillors that “socially responsible ethical investment is an idea whose time has come.”

Cllr Macklin continued:

“Legal obligations do exist that place restrictions on the Council with regards to our financial investments.  However residents must be confident that their Council is diligent in ensuring that it meets its ethical obligations to the best of its abilities whilst also supporting calls for the loosening of the ties placed on local government.

“I want officers to carry out a full evaluation of our current guidelines and report back to councillors, highlighting both possible areas of concern and potential opportunities for improvement in order that practices can be revised to reflect our desire to achieve the highest possible standards in these areas.

“This evaluation and possible revision of existing guidelines will enable Waltham Forest Council to reaffirm its commitment to the adoption of the most appropriate ethically responsible practices and to ensure that all Council partners are fully aware of the standards which we expect on behalf of our residents.

The motion was passed unanimously by councillors from all sides despite Tory Leader Cllr Matt Davis’ defence of the investment in Burma.  He claimed last year that such a policy of ethical investment would result in the Council only being able to put its money into “tofu companies”.

LIBERAL Democrats in Leyton and Wanstead are calling for government action to tackle homelessness after figures revealed there has been a shock rise in the number of local families living in temporary accommodation.
 
Government figures show that there were 1925 households without a home of their own in Waltham forest in 2006/7. This is a rise of 1419 (over 280%) since 1997 when Labour came to power.
 
During that decade there has been an overall fall of 450,000 affordable houses for rent from social landlords, such as local councils, in England.
 
Cllr Farooq Qureshi (Leyton) said:

 “These are very worrying figures. They mean that nearly 2,000 local families are without a proper home.
 
“There has been a lamentable failure by the Government to address the housing crisis in England. Labour are strangling council housing. Gordon Brown has ensured only a handful of new council houses have been built during the past decade across the country.
 
“The rise in the number of people in temporary accommodation here in Waltham Forest is a prime example of Labour’s failure.
 
“In March, Liberal Democrats backed calls in Parliament to give councils the power and resources to build new houses. The measure was defeated by the Government whilst the Conservatives sat on their hands and refused to take part in the vote.
 
“Had the measures been agreed, we could start to address the housing shortage here in Waltham Forest. Instead, we will end up with more people in temporary housing and many others living in over crowded conditions.”

Local Liberal Democrats have reacted angrily to the news that Labour is failing to live up to its promise to protect playing fields.

Figures uncovered by the Lib Dems show that playing fields deemed vital to local sport are being lost at a rate of one a week.

The government have been forced to reveal statistics, in response to a request by the Liberal Democrats, which show that on average 843 planning applications affecting playing fields are accepted each year.  Of those applications approved, Sport England believe that an average of 57 a year constitute a ‘threat’ to sporting provision for surrounding communities.

Liberal Democrat councillor for Chapel End, John Macklin, has led local calls for the better protection of grassroots sporting facilities within Waltham Forest, a problem highlighted by the cutting of lottery grants to sporting organisations ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games in East London.

Lib Dems on Waltham Forest Council recently unveiled proposals for the formation of a ‘Sports Academy’, comprising existing venues within the borough, which would offer specialist coaching and training in relevant skills such as physiotherapy.

Cllr Macklin said:

“It’s an absolute travesty that the nation’s playing fields legacy is being sold off under our noses.

“The mass selling off of playing fields both in our area and across the UK was supposed to be a nothing but a bad memory of the Conservative government of the 1980’s.  Instead, we have Labour MP’s admitting that they have failed to tackle the problem, as they promised to do in 1997.”

Cllr Macklin also noted that the figures released by the government did not include smaller playing fields.

“Labour announced as far back as 2002 that they were reducing the size threshold for statutory consultation on playing fields.  This has proved to be yet another broken promise.

“A real legacy of the Olympic Games in 2012 would be for our budding sportsmen and women in Waltham Forest to still have the green spaces available to be able to practice and participate in sports with their friends.

“Labour now has to stop selling off our playing fields and end the empty rhetoric and broken promises regarding its commitment to sporting activity.”

Local Liberal Democrats have expressed their concern about the recent loss of personal data records, this time from Whipps Cross hospital, and repeated their call for the Labour government to abandon plans to make people carry identity cards.

Cann Hall Cllr Keith Rayner spoke out after Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg MP published figures showing that 37 million pieces of personal information on UK citizens were lost in 2007, mostly by the Government. 

Confidential patient records from Whipps Cross hospital were found on a Hertfordshire roadside last year, sparking concern amongst Waltham Forest residents.

Cllr Rayner claimed that such a massive loss of confidential information demonstrated that the Government could not be trusted with successfully administering an ID Card scheme.

“The expensive identity cards scheme is based on the government storing large amounts of information about each one of us on a central database.  This most recent loss of data from Whipps Cross simply demonstrates yet again that, no matter how securely or professionally such information is handled, there will always be breaches of security when enormous banks of personal data are created.

“For the Government to pretend otherwise is either misleading or incredibly naïve.

“In 2007 the Government stumbled from one data loss crisis to another. The worst example came in November when the Government lost the personal details of all 25 million families with children. That has put the privacy of every family in Waltham Forest at risk.”

Local Liberal Democrats successfully led a motion last year against the Labour group on Waltham Forest Council, calling on councillors to denounce the ID Card scheme.  The proposal was passed, forcing Council Leader Clyde Loakes into an embarrassing climb down as the Council was affiliated to the ‘NO2ID’ campaign against Labour’s wishes.

Cllr Rayner promised that the Liberal Democrats would continue to lead the local fight against the plans, praising Nick Clegg’s pledge that he would refuse to sign up to any ID Card scheme.

“I am delighted that the new Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg is leading the battle to end the ID cards scheme. Liberal Democrats in Waltham Forest are right behind him.

“The scheme will be a bureaucratic nightmare. It won’t prevent illegal working. It won’t help stop crime or terrorism. If this Labour government really wants to make an impact on crime, terrorism and illegal immigration, the money it has earmarked for this scheme would be far better spent on more police and intelligence officers. That is what the Liberal Democrats would do.”

Liberal Democrat Education Spokesman David Laws MP was in Waltham Forest on Monday morning to pay a visit to the Walthamstow Academy.

Mr Laws, the Shadow Secretary for the Department of Children, Schools and Families, was joined by Lib Dem parliamentary colleague Annette Brooke MP in a tour of the school which saw them chat with pupils and view the new buildings that students are soon to move into.

Lib Dem Councillors for Higham Hill, Cllr Sean Meiszner and Cllr Peter Woollcott, the Chair of Waltham Forest Council’s Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee, Cllr James O’Rourke, and the party’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Walthamstow, Farid Ahmed, also took part in the visit.

Mr Laws took the opportunity to talk with Principal Fiona Cordeaux about Academy schools across the UK, education in the Waltham Forest area and the progression of the school since its establishment in 2006.

Fiona Cordeaux said:

“It is a privilege to have the Shadow Secretary of State come to Walthamstow Academy to view our new facilities and hear about some of our successes.”

Councillor Sean Meiszner used the visit by the Shadow Secretary of State to raise issues affecting educational attainment in the borough.

Cllr Meiszner commented:

“I really enjoyed being able to tour the Academy and speak to pupils and staff.  This was an excellent opportunity to discuss challenges facing schools in the area and how the Academy will fit into the borough’s overall educational provision in the future”.

Local Liberal Democrats have expressed their delight after Councillors last night backed their plans to put climate change awareness at the heart of the Council’s agenda.

The successful motion calls on Cabinet to undertake a series of initiatives aimed at ‘greening’ the way in which the Council works.  These include a commitment to greater heat and light efficiency in council buildings, renewed efforts to maximise the use of renewable energy and a borough-wide campaign to bring about a voluntary ban on the provision of free plastic shopping bags.

After a heated debate, Lib Dem councillors angrily rejected a Labour amendment to the motion that deleted 25 paragraphs of text and removed a Liberal Democrat proposal for a ‘Climate Change Impact Assessment’ to be included in all reports produced for Council.  Councillors eventually passed the Lib Dem motion unanimously.

Cllr Bob Belam, who moved the motion on behalf of the Lib Dems, said that the introduction of a ‘Climate Change Impact Assessment’ would make environmental considerations central to the work of the Council and provide for a more joined-up approach to tackling climate change.

Cllr Belam said:

“Local authorities are now rightly being put under pressure to deliver practical results with regard to the environment.  Waltham Forest residents are already playing their part through the excellent uptake of waste recycling that will save significant sums of money in landfill costs.

“The Climate Change Impact Assessment is central to our motion as it will ensure transparency regarding the Council’s commitment to addressing residents environmental concerns.  It will also put the consideration of climate change issues at the front and centre of everything the Council does.

During the debate, Cllr Belam also reassured councillors and residents that the proposals outlined in the motion would actually save taxpayers money.

“We are proposing simple but effective measures that will make the way the Council works cheaper and more environmentally friendly.

“Liberal Democrats want Council to become standard bearers for our residents, businesses and other local authorities by proving that making small changes to the way in which we live and work can make a significant difference in the fight against harmful climate change.”

Liberal Democrats in Waltham Forest are calling on the council to examine proposals for the establishment of a ‘Sports Federation’ within Waltham Forest.

The proposal would see existing venues able to join together to create a federation of independent, borough-based ‘Centres of Excellence’.  Local Lib Dems believe such a project could see each facility providing affordable specialist training in individual sporting activities whilst also allowing users to study for qualifications such as coaching badges.

It is also envisaged that the venues could be expanded in order to provide training in vocational skills such as physiotherapy and nutritional management.

Liberal Democrat Councillor John Macklin claimed that the establishment of a Waltham Forest ‘Academy of Sporting Excellence’ would provide a more effective use of existing facilities and would lay the ground for new sporting venues to be brought to the borough.

Cllr Macklin said:

“Sport is crucial in enhancing and encouraging community cohesion, and one thing that many Waltham Forest residents have in common is a love of sporting activity.  We should be harnessing this shared passion as a way of bringing residents from all backgrounds together whilst creating opportunities for young people to learn new skills and qualifications as they enjoy their leisure time.

“Using facilities to develop untapped potential and allow young people to complete coaching badges or take courses in related skills will enable them to use their talents and their enthusiasm for sport in a constructive way.

“Local young people could then use these qualifications to have a hands on involvement in training and coaching at the London 2012 Olympics and beyond, ensuring a real, homegrown sporting legacy in Waltham Forest”.

Local Liberal Democrats have slammed the Government’s record on dentistry after the release of a damning survey which revealed that 6% of those left without a dentist had resorted to pulling out their own teeth.

The Dentistry Watch survey, which was conducted by the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health, also revealed that a third of those who were not registered with a dentist claimed that there were no surgeries nearby, whilst 20% of those with NHS dentists had been forced to refuse treatment because of the cost.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Laura Sheppard (Cann Hall) met with the party’s Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb MP, to discuss the crisis during the recent Party Conference in Bournemouth, and she was quick to express her concern at the ongoing problems patients are facing.

Cllr Sheppard said:

“Many residents have told me of the difficulties they are having with accessing an NHS dentist.

“Last year the government promised to sort out the lack of NHS dentistry, which has been a real concern for those with dental health problems.  A new contract was introduced for dentists in April 2006 that was meant to address many of these issues.

“But the reality is that the contract has failed to stop the decline in NHS dentistry.  One in twelve dentists have actually opted out of the NHS since the contract came in.”

Liberal Democrats are leading the call for reforms to be introduced to the contract so that dentists are encouraged to stay in the NHS.

Commenting on the Dentistry Watch survey, Norman Lamb MP said:

“The Government is in denial about the crisis in the system. Ministers must admit the failings of the contract and admit the case for a thorough and urgent review of the system.

“The failure to improve access to NHS dentistry is yet another broken promise by this Government, which has lost all credibility on health issues.

Local Liberal Democrats have called for Britain’s ‘Surveillance Society’ to be curtailed.

The campaign comes after figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats under the Freedom of Information Act suggested that police are no more likely to catch offenders in areas with hundreds of CCTV cameras than in those boroughs with less surveillance technology.

Waltham Forest, one of the 5 boroughs in London with under 100 CCTV cameras, secured a ‘clearup’ rate in line with the national average of 20%.  Nearby Tower Hamlets, meanwhile, returned similar figures despite having nearly ten times as many cameras on their streets.

London’s 10,000 CCTV cameras are estimated to have cost the taxpayer nearly £200 million, yet 81% of Leyton and Wanstead residents participating in a survey conducted by the Liberal Democrats suggested that they still felt unsafe after dark.

The figures appear to confirm research by the crime reduction charity NACRO, who claim that greater investment in alternative measures such as extra street lighting would be more effective in tackling criminal behaviour.  95% of local residents also wanted more police on the streets, whilst 77% backed greater night patrols.

Liberal Democrat  councillor Keith Rayner (Cann Hall) said:

“These ‘clearup’ figures suggest that the ’surveillance society’ we are living in isn’t helping in the fight against crime.

“We need to think again to ensure that we are implementing the most effective methods for tackling criminal behaviour.  Residents have told us that they want to see police officers and wardens on their streets.

“Whilst CCTV has a part to play, the sense of security that visible street patrols give residents is crucial.

The plea for a revision of current crime prevention tactics comes after the Liberal Democrats pledged to ‘roll back’ what Cllr Rayner called an “erosion in the liberties of the British people”.

“This Government has given the state unprecedented powers to invade the lives of its citizens.  The Liberal Democrats are committed to the immediate repeal of the Identity Cards Act, the destruction of all DNA samples taken from those not charged or convicted and a greater regulation of CCTV”

Leyton and Wanstead Crime Survey Results:

Q1: Do you feel more or less likely to be the victim of crime?

More:  62%
Same: 31%
Less:  5%

Q2: Do you feel safe after dark?

Safe: 15%
Unsafe: 81%

Q3: Have you been the victim of crime, or no someone who has?

Yes: 61%
No: 33%

Q4: Do you support LD plans to abandon ID Cards and put more police on the streets?

Yes: 75%
No: 20%

Q5: What are your priority areas for policing?

Night patrols: 77%
Shopping areas: 41%
Open spaces: 27%

Q6: Should residents have more say in policing?

Yes: 89%
No: 6%

Q7: Should residents have the power to close pubs and clubs?

Yes: 92%
No: 5%

Q8: Are there enough police on patrol?

Yes: 2%
No: 95%

Local Lib Dems have welcomed a report which rates them as the top performing party on ‘green’ issues.

The report by the Green Alliance, How Green Are Our Parties?, claims that the Liberal Democrats have offered “the strongest set of policies on climate change, green taxation and green living” whilst also delivering “the most substantive policy commitments”.

The Lib Dems were the only party to recieve the top ‘green star’ rating for their action on Climate Change, Green Living and Environmental Tax and Subsidies, with the report claiming that the party’s ambitious green taxation plans were part of a “bold and far reaching strategy”.

The report, however, awarded no ‘green srat’ ratings to the Conservatives, claiming that “the gap between their aspirations on the environment and their limited policy commitments is stark”.

Liberal Democrat councillor Bob Belam welcomed the report, claiming it was “pleasing that our ambitious and forward thinking work in this area is being recognised.”

He continued:

“By ensuring we instill a ‘green’ ethic in the local community, we can do simple things to benefit our living envionment in Waltham Forest whilst also making a contribution on a larger scale”

“The report suggests that the ‘green’ rhetoric coming from other parties is just hot air.”