Since the closure of the iconic dog track and Walthamstow landmark Waltham Forest Liberal Democrats have supported the Save Our Stow plans to retain and update the stadium to provide a modern greyhound-racing venue whilst using part of the land around the site for development in order to provide housing.  Liberal Democrats welcome this proposal which is in line with the trend for mixed leisure and housing developments used at many modern sports venues.

Waltham Forest Liberal Democrat Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council, Cllr John Macklin, said:

“Whilst we’re acutely aware that Waltham Forest needs affordable houses it must not be at the expense of what little lesuire facilities we have left. We have lost too many leisure facilities in this borough and despite promises no worthwhile developments have taken place.”

Cllr Macklin added: “I am unhappy that this development is being proposed when I have worked so hard with the Save our Stow campaigners to get London and Quadrant to talk to a group that want to develop the site so that dog racing may return.”

“I had hoped that a suitable bid from those interested in opening this site for dog racing could be bought forward and I want these proposals delayed.”

Cllr Bob Belam also raised concerns saying: “We seem to be bringing plans forward for more houses without thinking about our need for infrastructure such as schools and medical facilities. Not far from the Dog Track we are faced with the loss of another facility with plans to close the Pool and Track with plans to build more houses”

Cllr John Macklin concluded: “We must ensure Waltham Forest does not build a mass of housing with no amenities or heritage. 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.”

Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Transport Spokesperson and Chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, has condemned Labour government proposals to rob funding for London’s Freedom pass.

Commenting on the Department of Transport’s new consultation on the national bus concession in England, which proposes to remove almost £29 million of funding for London’s Freedom Pass, Caroline said:

“After Boris Johnson’s decision to hike bus fares by 20% Londoners now face a double whammy with this savage cut in funding for the Freedom Pass. 

“London is the only major city in the country to be hit by these Government proposals.   Hard up London council taxpayers, who are already facing a steep rise in fares, will now have to pay even more in their council tax to maintain London’s Freedom Pass.”

“This is an outrageous proposal by the Labour Government who are insulting London’s pensioners, disabled people, as well as council taxpayers across the capital.”

Liberal Democrat councillors were out in force at the weekend to help launch the borough’s Plastic Bag Amnesty at the Energy Fair in Walthamstow Town Square.

Cllr Patrick Smith, Farid Ahmed (parliamentary candidate for Walthamstow) Cllr Bob Belam, Cllr James O’Rourke and Cllr Bob Wheatley (all pictured right) joined residents at the launch in exchanging their plastic bags for linen bags.

The initiative is a result of a Liberal Democrat motion to Full Council in December 2007 introduced by Cllr Bob Belam and local Lib Dem leader Cllr John Macklin, which will see a raft of ‘green’ measures introduced by the Council, including a ‘climate change impact assessment’ in every council report.

Speaking after Labour and Conservative councillors agreed to accept the Lib Dem recommendations, Bob Belam said:

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

“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 their excellent uptake of waste recycling.

“A Climate Change Impact Assessment will make transparent the Council’s commitment to addressing residents environmental concerns, ensuring that the consideration of climate change issues are at the front and centre of everything the Council does.

“Liberal Democrats want to take a lead on this issue and become standard bearers for our residents, businesses and other local authorities.”

The Council’s plastic bag amnesty runs until 14 November, and during this period the Council will take ten of your environmentally unfriendly plastic carrier bags, send these to be recycled, and give you a neat new reusable cloth shopping bag in exchange.

Sound good? Well, you can make the trade at any WFD shop or, alternatively, have the amnesty brought to you when Waltham Forest staff greets shoppers this Thursday (5 November) outside Leytonstone bus station and tube entrance, or Saturday14 November at Albert Crescent (intersection of Chingford Mount Road and Old Church Road) in Chingford.

To find out more about the plastic bag amnesty call 020 8496 3000 or visit www.walthamforest.gov.uk

Labour councillors have forced through a proposal to build a swimming pool and leisure centre on the Walthamstow Arcade site by borrowing £35 million and selling off the Pool and Track site in Walthamstow.

Labour councillors ignored the recommendation from the all party Scrutiny committee which said that, before any decisions were made, the Council should obtain a financial appraisal to see if the proposal was affordable and a study as to whether the High Street was the right place for a swimming pool.

Waltham Forest councillors have recommended that a new model of governance for the borough be adopted called the ‘Strong Leader model, despite the Government proposal being described as “the least worst option” by Liberal Democrat leader Cllr John Macklin.

Councillors have been told that they have to choose between a ‘Strong Leader’ model, or a directly elected mayor, such as that seen in neighbouring Newham.  Lib Dem councillors hit out at both proposals in a heated debate at the latest Full Council meeting, claiming that neither option was good for local decision making as they both concentrated power in the hands of fewer and fewer individuals.

Cllr Macklin commented in the meeting that the Lib Dems would reluctantly support the ‘Strong Leader’ model, as it was the one that allowed a Council leader to most easily share power and give responsibility for the future of the borough to all councillors and residents.

Hale End and Highams Park councillor Jane Morgan has led Lib Dem opposition to the Government proposals, claiming that the plan represented “another example of the way in which local democracy is being centralised and local power being shrunk”.  Read her full statement on the reforms here.

Leading Liberal Democrat councillors are in discussions with Council officers over whether charges for the collection of bulky waste can be relaxed or even cut in order to fight fly-tipping in the borough.

The move is one of several initiatives that Liberal Democrat members are looking to bring forward in order to combat the dumping of waste in Waltham Forest.  Other measures currently being investigated include pre-advertised local skip placements for those struggling to dispose of waste items and further work with letting agents to inform tenants of waste collection services.

Liberal Democrat Group Leader Cllr John Macklin said:

“I’ll be speaking to the Labour members who are responsible for fly tipping and enforcement, the cleanliness of our parks and Ascham Homes to see how all of these portfolio areas can better tackle the problem.

“Our street cleaning is provided on a much smaller budget than some neighbouring London boroughs so we can’t afford to waste money collecting fly tipping.

“The Council’s current rates for catching flytippers are not nearly enough to put off those determined to dump rubbish, so we think that it makes sense to actually take some action now and be a bit more imaginative in how we use our resources.

“I believe that the Council needs to divert more funds to this service.  But it makes sense for all areas of the Council to work harder to ensure that the money we do currently have can be spent efficiently”.

Current Council policy offers each household three bulky waste collections a year, where commonly dumped items such as mattresses and washing machines are collected free of charge.  However a fee is charged for the collection of other items such as dismantled baths. 

Cllr Macklin continued:

“A resident who wanted to dispose of an item not on the ‘free’ list pointed out that the charge could be seen as encouraging people to fly tip in order to avoid paying the fee - and with the Council picking up the tab to clear the item up.

“Budgets are tight in this area, and that’s why I’m asking officers to look at ways to divert more funding to keeping our streets clean. 

Local Liberal Democrat councillor and parliamentary candidate Farooq Qureshi has met with representatives from Transport for London (TFL) to discuss how they are working with the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) were working together to secure transport improvements for the area in the build up to the 2012 Olympic games

A number of issues regarding transport infrastructure were discussed, with the Lib Dems Leyton and Wanstead parliamentary hopeful positive about the meeting and the awareness from TFL of customer concerns.

The Hall Farm Curve rail link, historically at the top of the local transport agenda, was discussed.  Despite confirmation that the restoration of the service was not part of immediate plans, TFL representatives said that, as a service partner for the Olympics, it would be prepared to work with the ODA if the 2012 body wanted to investigate the Hall Farm Curve as part of the Olympic infrastructure.

Other issues discussed included:

· Easing ‘exit’ congestion at Leyton and Leytonstone underground stations by opening up additional exits in peak periods.

· The need for better and more frequent bus routes for both Leyton and Leytonstone High Roads, including improved connections with the rest of the borough and improved services to and from Stratford.

· Improved accessibility for disabled passengers at Leyton Tube Station.

· The refurbishment of Leyton Midland and Leytonstone High road stations on the Barking and Gospel Oak lines, including lightning, platform information systems.

After the meeting, Cllr Qureshi said:

“I am very pleased that TFL were prepared to listen to residents concerns about our local transport infrastructure and what benefits 2012 could provide for local public transport links.

“Good and easily accessible public transport is vital for a sustainable economy in Leyton and Wanstead.  It plays an enormous part in efforts to bring much needed economic prosperity to our area.”

Regular meetings between TFL and ODA will include ward councillors and special interest groups so that they can have an input into priority transport improvements in the area.

The local press are reporting resident reaction to Liberal Democrat opposition to Labour plans that cast doubt over the future of the Walthamstow Pool and athletics track.  Click here to see the full coverage!

The plans being pushed through by Labour councillors will see millions of pounds borrowed to fund a leisure pool on the Arcade site in Walthamstow.  £10 million will be raised through the sale of land at the Pool and Track site or another site that has not been named. 

Local users of sports facilities are already voicing their own opposition to the proposals.

Your local Lib Dems want to know:
· What do the plans mean for the future of our competition pool and the borough’s only athletics track in the run-up to the Olympics?
· Why do Labour refuse to allow a full financial check of the plans to borrow millions of pounds to fund their plan?
· Why haven’t local people been asked whether they want a leisure pool at the Arcade site?

Explaining the opposition to Labour’s plans, local Liberal Democrat leader John Macklin said:

“These latest plans will have a serious impact right across the area, affecting the future of our sports facilities and maybe even the planning application for the former EMD cinema.

“Creating such uncertainty for local sports users is completely unacceptable for an Olympic borough”.

Liberal Democrat Hale End and Highams Park councillors have moved to set the record straight after the defferal of Tesco’s planning application to build in the area.

And despite claims of a ‘victory’ for residents, the local Lib Dem team fear that the decision may actually lead to councillors - and residents - losing control over the outcome of the Tesco proposal.

The application was deferred after committee members voted by 5-4 to ask for more information on the proposal.  No councillor voted outright for or against the plans.

In their latest Focus leaflet, the Hale and Higham team - Jane Morgan, Sheila Smith-Pryor and Nick Bason - say:

“This deferral actually means that the decision on the planning application may be taken away from Waltham Forest Planning Committee. Tesco have the right to appeal on the grounds of ‘non-determination’, which means the council have not made a decision on the application in a timely fashion. The application could now be decided by another body unconnected with Waltham Forest.

“The Planning Committee did not get a chance to discuss resident concerns on the impact of the Tesco application on traffic congestion in Highams Park and access to education and healthcare in the area.

“We are also very concerned that the decision may now be taken out of the local council’s hands.”

See the latest issue of Focus (below) for the full story:

Councillors last night voted to delay their decision on whether to allow a major new development in the Hale End and Highams Park ward.

The planning application by Tesco includes a supermarket, housing and car parking.  With all three Liberal Democrat ward councillors in attendance at a packed Town Hall meeting, Cllr Jane Morgan (pictured left with Nick Bason) spoke on behalf of local residents, detailing the many letters and emails the local Lib Dem team had recieved on the issue and detailing resident concerns about the development.

Adressing the planning committee, Cllr Morgan said:

“We’ve had many communciations from those who do not neccesarily object to the idea of a Tesco, but who have expressed concerns about the scale of this particular application.

“Any scheme of this nature will produce costs as well as benefits.  The proposal aims to create houses and jobs, and they are needed in our area.  Investment in the Highams Park economy is also needed.

“But do these possible benefits outweight the costs of the current scheme?  many of our residents our concerned that the current scale of the development means they do not.”

The planning application will now come back before councillors at a later date. 

See the full text of Cllr Morgan’s speech to the committee below:

Hale End and Highams park councillor Jane Morgan has criticised changes in the running of the local council which she believes are being forced upon residents by the government.

Cllr Morgan has hit out at both the ‘Strong Leader’ and ‘Directly Elected Mayor’ models - one of which must be introduced locally in May next year - suggesting they are “set up to place a disproportionate share of influence in the hands of just a few members”

Below is the full statement from Cllr Morgan, extracts of which are being carried in the Waltham Forest Guardian.

“I was elected to the Hale End and Highams Park ward in December last year after the sad deaths of John Beanse and Noel Penstone.  I have been involved on the fringes of politics all my life — my father was a Liberal and then a Liberal Democrat councillor for my hometown of Sittingbourne in Kent, becoming town mayor, a county councillor and eventually Chairman of Kent County Council.  You could say I have been as prepared as is perhaps possible for what comes with the role of a local councillor.

“By the time my father retired from politics, he had become increasingly disillusioned with the local political system.  He saw the dissolution of the committee system of governance, which was then replaced by the current cabinet form of local government.  He was so worried about the possibility of diminishing input from those elected to the council that he wrote an article to his local paper voicing his concerns.

“Of course, as a councillor, it is possible to help local people with specific problems through our advice surgeries and when meeting them around the ward.  In many ways this part of the role is the most satisfying.  I am lucky that I belong to a Liberal Democrat group where all councillors’ opinions are listened to and considered when our decisions are made.  However, as far as policy decisions with the local government framework is concerned, the system thrust upon local government already seems set up to place a disproportionate share of influence in the hands of just a few members. 

“Therefore I am absolutely opposed to both the new systems that are going to be imposed on Waltham Forest from next year.  Both the ‘Elected Mayor’ model and the ‘Strong Leader’ model concentrate power in the hands of even fewer people.  Whilst the Elected Mayor model does it more explicitly, the Strong Leader model simply acts as an even more concentrated version of our current cabinet system.   As a borough, we have to decide which of these models we prefer.  We cannot simply refuse to implement them.

“I believe this is another example of the way in which local democracy is being centralised and local power being shrunk.  Politicians and commentators regularly moan about low turnouts at local elections, but is it surprising when the role of the local councillor within the Town Hall appears to keep diminishing?  Any system should provide local people with a much better idea of the link between their local ward councillor and the decisions that are made within the Town Hall. 

“I will continue, alongside many of my colleagues, to voice my objections to these imposed models of local government.”

You can learn more about the options being considered to change the way your lcoal council is run - and have your say - by speaking to the Council’s Community Engagment Team on 020 8496 3000

Local Liberal Democrats are urging the owners of the Walthamstow Stadium site to meet with campaigners who want to bring greyhound racing back to the venue.

Plans being drawn up by a group led by local ‘Save Our Stow’ campaigners set out how they believe the site could be used to accommodate the development of housing whilst retaining the dog track and leisure facilities on the site — and a resident petition is being collected backing the reopening of the site as a greyhound racing venue.

After expressing his interest in the plans last year, local Lib Dem leader Cllr John Macklin has met again with campaigners to hear about their alternative proposals for the future of the site, and their concern at a perceived lack of response from site owners London and Quadrant Housing (L&Q).

Cllr Macklin (pictured above with save Our Stow campaigner Rick Holloway) said:

“I’ve been very impressed with the plans suggested by the Save Our Stow group.

“They are looking at a way in which the stadium could be retained and updated to provide a modern greyhound-racing venue whilst using part of the land around the site for development in order to provide some of the housing that it is now earmarked for.  As such they are in line with the trend for mixed leisure and housing developments used at many modern sports venues.

“Obviously an awful lot of goodwill and ambition would be needed to bring such a project into fruition.  But the Lib Dems demonstrated through our assistance in bringing local post offices back into use that when we work with residents who come up with ambitious and innovative proposals for our area, we can produce results.

“What concerns me is that campaigners have the impression that they are being ignored by L&Q and that any alternative proposals which could lead to the stadium being retained are being rejected out of hand.

“I will be meeting with L&Q to discuss their plans for the site and to urge them to meet with campaigners.”

Cllr Macklin also expressed his concern that the closure of the track was symbolic of a wider trend concerning the boroughs leisure facilities and heritage sites.

He added:

“The stadium is an iconic venue and gives Waltham Forest something that distinguishes us from other London boroughs.  We should be prepared to listen to those who have viable plans to modernise and reopen the site.”

Liberal Democrat councillors have expressed their concern at major changes to the way the Council will be run, and are asking local residents to share their views.

Government legislation dictates that the Council must adopt one of two new ‘models’ of local government, both of which Liberal Democrat councillors fear could lead to an even greater centralisation of decision making on behalf of residents.

The Government have told councillors that they must opt for either a ‘directly elected mayor’ or a ’strong leader’ model.  The new set-up will then be introduced after the local elections on May 6th next year.  The directly elected mayor model, which is used in Newham and Hackney, sees the mayor hold all executive powers and control the appointment of cabinet members.  The strong leader model is more similar to the current arrangement but further strengthens the powers of the Council Leader.  The decision will be put out to public consultation but councillors have been told they must make a decision by the end of this year.

Local Liberal Democrat Leader Cllr John Macklin said:

“Obviously we have our concerns that the only two options being presented both leave the potential for much greater centralisation of decision making.

“My experiences of being part of the Council have reaffirmed my belief that better decisions are made with a greater scope for input from councillors and residents alike.  Putting a large amount of power in the hands of one person may well make it easier for them to make decisions, but I believe it also means there is an increased chance that poor decisions will be made that don’t reflect all relevant sides of a debate.

“Lib Dems pride themselves on being community councillors, and the link between ward councillors and residents is hugely important.  But if the potential for input from ward councillors continues to decrease, what faith can residents have that their local representative can have any impact upon the actual decision making process? 

“Waltham Forest isn’t like many of the boroughs who have centralised their decision making processes.  We are an enormously diverse area and the political makeup of the Council reflects that.  Unlike some boroughs with directly elected mayors such as Newham, no political party has had a majority of councillors in our area for quite some time now. 

“The strong leader model is closer to our current position, which in itself is one that has understandably drawn criticism, and our hands are tied to an large extent by what the government wants.  However a Council Leader could work within this new model to give away an enormous amount of that power to ensure that properly representative decision-making could be made.  This would be one of a Liberal Democrat-led council’s first priorities.”

Lib Dem councillors for Hale End and Highams Park, Jane Morgan and Nick Bason, have met with council officers and Tesco themselves to gain clarity for residents on the latest Tesco planning application.

The application has been altered recently and some information circulating is now out of date.  The local Lib Dems team want residents to have the full facts about the development. As of 23 July 2009, the application contains the following features:

Tesco store

• The building itself would be 4 stories high, with a car park on the ground floor. The car park would allow people to park and shop around Highams Park for a limited time without having to use the Tesco store itself.
• It would employ 320 people. Many of these are expected to be recruited from the local area.
• If the application were to be successful, it would take around 2 years to build - so if this current application were to be successful, the store would not open until 2012.
• Tesco propose the new store would be open 24 hours a day during the week.
• The store would be a “green” store, emitting 50% less CO2 compared to an equivalent store in 2006.

Other industrial units

• The site will have some other industrial units, such as a cafe and a Primary Care Trust Polyclinic.

Housing development

• The current application includes 253 houses and flats. This is a mixture of private development and affordable housing.
• The separation distance between the proposed new terrace housing and the houses on Selwyn Avenue is a standard 30 meters. The garden depths on both the proposed terrace and Selwyn Avenue vary so each one will be slightly different.
• The design of the residential development is brick-clad, and features a ‘William Morris’ style external brick-work design.
• There will be a Streetcar facility in the residential zone, with two cars available for hire.

Trees

• Some existing trees will be kept, including the Limes on Larkshall Road. Some others will be moved (the Mulberry Tree).
• In total there will be an increase in the number of trees on the development.

Next steps

The application has been submitted and is expected to go to Planning Committee in September.

The local Lib Dem Focus Team (left) know there is a lot of interest in the development from Hale and Higham residents, as it is a long-running issue.

Cllr Nick Bason said:

“What we need is for residents to have facts, not myths. Some residents tell us they are in favour of the scheme, some are against it.

“As Lib Dem councillors we want to ensure that whatever ends up on the site, the result invigorates the local economy and provides jobs and services for people in Hale End and Highams Park.

“The final decision will be taken by Planning Committee and we would encourage any residents with strong views to get in touch with us or the Planning department at Waltham Forest.”

Residents can contact the Focus Team via Cllr Nick Bason’s website, or can go straight to the Planning department at Waltham Forest.

Hale End councillor Nick Bason has updated residents on the latest news regarding the proposed Tesco development in Highams Park.

Nick notes a number of conflicting reports about the proposals.

Nick continues:

“The issue was raised again at the South Chingford Community Council meeting on Monday 13 July.

“Your Lib Dem councillors have been in frequent contact with planning officers on the proposals. The situation as of Wednesday 15 July is this:

• The planning application will NOT go to Planning Committee in July, as reported in the press. It is tentatively scheduled in to go to Planning Committee in September.
• A number of different aspects of the plan are still being discussed. Images of the associated housing development on the site circulated in late June are out of date. The design is still being finalised.
• Issues about local traffic are also still being discussed with officers.

“Your Lib Dem Focus Team will keep you updated on the proposals. Views at the South Chingford Community Council among residents remains mixed - some in favour, some not. The decision of Planning Committee will be solely on the application submitted, not on previous applications.”

Nick Bason, Sheila Smith-Pryor and Jane Morgan - the Hale and Higham councillor team -  would be happy to hear your views on the development - you can submit them via Cllr Bason’s website.

As  local residents hit the streets of Waltham Forest to deliver a new batch of Liberal Democrat Focus newsletters to your doorstep, we have updated the Focus File page - meaning you can view all the latest news from your area online.

Highlights from the latest batch of deliveries include:

* The end of the line for Leyton and Wanstead’s Labour MP Harry Cohen.

* An update on parking provision in Cann Hall ward.

* A visit by the Lib Dem shadow Home Secretary to Leyton.

* Lib Dem action to clean up Hale End and Highams Park.

* A special Focus leaflet focusing on Beaumont estate in Leyton.

So head over to our FOCUS FILE page to check out what we have been up to in your ward.

Liberal Democrat councillors recently attended a rally in support of efforts to reopen the former Walthamstow Stadium as a greyhound racing venue.

Liberal Democrat councillors have previously spoken out in support of efforts by resident groups to purchase the site and restore it to its former use.  Cllr John Macklin, Leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Waltham Forest Council issued a statement of support in November last year after meeting with campaigners in which he told residents he was “fully in support of their efforts to keep the Stadium as both a greyhound racing track and a sport and leisure venue” adding that the stadium was an “iconic London venue and, perhaps more importantly, an enormously valuable part of Waltham Forest’s evening economy.”

He added:

“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.”

Cllr Macklin was one of the lead speakers at the rally, and expressed his concerns that the closure of ‘The Stow’ was representative of a greater decline in leisure and clute activites within the borough, and arranged to work with local MP Neil Gerrard to further efforts to reopen the facility.

READ MORE ON THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS WORK WITH SAVE OUR STOW CAMPAIGNERS HERE.

Our stats this month show that more and more visitors are heading to walthamforestlibdems.org.uk to hear about what their local Liberal Democrats are up to in our borough.

If you are one of our new readers, then welcome!

Amongst other things, you can look at your most recent local Focus leaflet in our Focus file, find contact details for your local ward Liberal Democrat team, or get in touch using the contact details on the right to pass on your thoughts or let us know how we can help.

Many of our local councillors use ‘blogs’ and online videos to keep you up to date with local developments, so check out the links in the left hand bar to head over and see what they are up to…

Tell your friends and neighbours!

Following on from their recent online video Focus update, Cllr Nick Bason of the Hale End and Highams Park Lib Dem council team is now asking residents to get him touch and let him know what they want to see in the way of cultural provision in our borough.

Cllr Bason and Cllr Jane Morgan, who were both elected in Hale and Higham in December’s by-election victory for the Lib Dems, are members of the Council Cultural Strategy panel, and they want to make sure they can best represent to Council what it is you want to see in the way of activities such as music and theatre for your borough.

So head over to www.youtube.com/nickbason to see their latest video update and to find out how to get in touch. 

As a companion to the regular Focus leaflets delivered to residents, the Hale End and Highams Park Liberal Democrat council team of Sheila Smith-Pryor, Nick Bason and Jane Morgan have launched the first of their online video updates to keep you up to date with the work they are doing on your behalf.

You can head over now to www.youtube.com/nickbason to see how the Lib Dem team have succeeded in getting Council officers to remove a fence, which residents had complained was becoming an eyesore.

Make sure you drop the team a line to let them know if you want more online Focus updates…

Remember, you can still head to our Focus file to see the latest news from our team in your area of Waltham Forest.

Local Liberal Democrat councillors have achieved the first step in assisting residents with the reopening of axed local Post Office branches, after opposition councillors agreed to a Lib Dem motion promising to look at plans to reopen those facilities recently hit by the Labour Government’s closure programme.

Hale End and Highams Park councillor Jane Morgan (pictured above with fellow Hale and Higham councillor Sheila Smith-Pryor) spoke at the Council meeting, in which the Lib Dems agreed to accept Labour amendments to the motion in order to ensure it passed. 

However Cllr John Macklin, the local Lib Dem leader warned that he would not allow the Labour amendments (which removed the responsibility of meeting with those local businesses who plan to invest in local Post Offices from the Portfolio Holder for Enterprise and Investment) to enable the Council to ‘bury’ any proposals for the reopening of local branches.

The Liberal Democrats have vowed to help after being contacted by local resident groups who presented pland for the reopening of local branches through a combination of private enterprise and outside funding.

Head to our Speeches page to see what Cllr Morgan had to say about the Lib Dems support for the plans:

Waltham Forest Liberal Democrats are to ask the Council to support resident proposals for the reopening of local Post Office branches.

Local Lib Dem councillors have been approached by residents keen to see the reopening of branches axed under the Government’s Post Office closure programme and will request at Thursday’s Full Council meeting that the Portfolio Holder for Enterprise and Investment, Labour member Terry Wheeler, meets formally with local resident groups to hear proposals to reopen local branches using private investment.

Local Lib Dem Cllr John Macklin said that he hoped councillors from all sides would take the opportunity to show local businesses and Post Office users that the Council was “on their side”.

Cllr Macklin continued:

“From an economic point of view, the closure of local Post Offices couldn’t have come at a worse time.  The presence of a Post Office brings people to an area, benefiting neighbouring businesses. 

“Residents didn’t want their Post Offices to be closed, but have had that decision forced upon them.  If we as a Council are able to give practical support to efforts to have them reopened, then surely that is something that we should be keen to support.

“The efforts of residents and local businesses to get their Post Offices back are exactly the kind of entrepreneurial proposals that we should be supporting at a time when fresh thinking by small businesses is sorely needed.”

The FOCUS file has now been updated with the latest Lib Dem news for Hale End and Highams Park, grove Green, Leyton and Cathall wards.

The FOCUS file allows you to keep up to date with you local Liberal Democrat ward team online and see how they are working for your area.  But don’t worry - you will still be recieving your regular FOCUS delivery right to your letterbox!

Head over now to the FOCUS file to read what we’ve been up to in your area.

Your local Liberal Democrats working for you all year round - not just at election time!

Local Liberal Democrats have hit out at local MPs after they failed to turn up in parliament on Friday (20th March) to support an effort to end ‘fuel poverty’ for Waltham Forest residents.

The ‘Fuel Poverty’ bill, which has the backing of organisations ranging from Help the Aged to Friends of the Earth, would promote energy efficiency and cheaper energy tariffs for the less well off.  However the Labour Government blocked the passage of the bill despite the efforts of the Liberal Democrats.

Now Waltham Forest Lib Dems have taken up the cause, calling on Harry Cohen, Neil Gerrard and lain Duncan-Smith to explain their opposition to the Bill.

Figures recently released by the group Consumer Watch revealed that Leyton and Wanstead (5th), and Walthamstow (8th) both ranked in the top ten London constituencies for the number of residents living in ‘fuel poverty’.  A household is considered to be living in ‘fuel poverty’ when it spends 10% or more of its income on energy bills.  The figures revealed that an estimated 17 out of 100 local households fell into this category.  Chingford and Woodford green ranked 30th.

The charity Age Concern have described the result of Friday’s voting as “a huge let-down for the 2.75 million older people living in fuel poverty” adding that “many will question why a Government which claims to be concerned about fuel poverty has acted in such a cynical way.”

Leyton councillor Winnie Smith, who will second the local Lib Dem motion on the issue to Waltham Forest Council at Thursday’s Full Council meeting said:

“The actions contained in this Bill would help some of the most vulnerable residents of Waltham Forest and my ward, Leyton, at a time when fuel costs are rocketing and many people are finding it tough.

“Our local MPs need to start standing up for residents by using their voices in parliament, where it really counts”.

Last year local Liberal Democrats successfully got opposition councillors to agree to a series of measures aimed at ‘greening’ the Council such as improving the energy efficiency of council buildings.

Local Liberal Democrat councillors and supporters have attended the official opening of a new ‘green’ education centre named after a former Lib Dem councillor.

‘The John Beanse Centre’, named after the former Hale End and Highams Park councillor, is located at Pimp Hall nature reserve near the Kings Road Recycling Centre, and will provide information and exhibits for young people about waste management and services featuring exciting interactive displays, interesting artefacts and videos about recycling and waste issues.

John Beanse, who was elected to the Council after years of community service in| Chingford and the Hale and Higham Ward, passed away last year.  The death of his Liberal Democrat ward colleague, Noel Penstone, forced a double by-election in which Liberal Democrats Nick Bason and Jane Morgan (pictured) were elected.

Waltham Forest councillors last night approved the borough’s yearly budget, with Liberal Democrats keeping their promise to set Council Tax below 2.5%.

The level for this year is set at a below average 1.9%, with additional funds being put into street cleaning services, mental health services and enforcement powers to clamp down on rogue property developers.

Lib Dem leader Cllr John Macklin spoke for the Liberal Democrat group and congratulated fellow Liberal Democrat members for their work on keeping local taxes low. However he criticised the government for their hike in council tenant rent costs, suggesting that this move typified a “completely outdated” central approach to local government.

Cllr Macklin also offered opposition Tory councillors the opportunity to put their ‘alternative’ budget material budget proposals - recieved just hours before the budget meeting - through a proper scrutiny process, adding that there should be “no political restrictions on good ideas for our borough”.