Celebrating Carers Week (11 – 17 June)

Carers Week (11-17 June) is an annual awareness campaign to bring caring right out into the open – recognising and celebrating the contribution carers make to families and communities throughout the UK.

This Carers Week we want to draw attention to the brilliant local carers in our area who work tirelessley, often without recognition or support.

Across the UK right now are around 6.5 million carers, looking after elderly, disabled or unwell, family and friends. As our population ages and people live longer, more and more of us will find ourselves becoming carers for those close to us. Many people don’t identify themselves as carers, they feel they are just doing what anyone else would so they don’t always know what support is available to them!

This Carers Week, caring charities like Carers UK are coming together with local communities to make sure carers stay Healthy and Connected. Caring can be a hugely rewarding experience, enriching relationships and bringing satisfaction and wellbeing. However, the hours of care that the 6.5 million carers provide for ill, seriously ill or disabled loved ones often comes at a cost to their own health and wellbeing. All of us, wherever we live, whatever we do, have a part to play. 

If you want to find out more, or help support carers week by running a local event then have a look at the links below.

If you’re reading this as a carer then thank you!

Check out Carers UK here.

Get involved with Carers Week to raise awareness for local carers here.

MS Awareness Week 23-29 April

23-29 April 2018 is MS week, which is a chance for us all to do our bit to raise awareness and money to make sure no one has to fight MS alone.

MS is a neurological life long condition which affects your brain, spinal chord and central nervous system. As a result MS can create many different symptoms, and is different for every patient.

Of the over 100,000 UK sufferers of MS almost three times as many are women than men. Typically people are diagnosed with the condition in their 20s and 30s.

If you want to learn more about MS click here. 

If you want to get involved and be Bold In Blue to raise money and awareness click here. 

DUSTBIN COLLECTIONS OVER CHRISTMAS

Christmas service changes

The Council has advised that refuse/recycling collections will be one day later than usual for the week after Christmas.

Regular scheduled collection day Changed collection day
Monday 26 December Tuesday 27 December
Tuesday 27 December Wednesday 28 December
Wednesday 28 December Thursday 29 December
Thursday 29 December Friday 30 December
Friday 30 December Saturday 31 December

WILL WALTHAM FOREST TENANTS GET A REFUND OF THE WATER CHARGE?

In March of this year Southwark Council lost a High Court case on water charges which could affect councils all over London including Waltham Forest.  Councils collect payment for water and sewerage services from tenants on behalf of Thames Water and in return the councils receive a commission fee.

The High Court found Southwark Council should have passed on any savings to tenants, as they were technically reselling water services. Southwark has already announced that they have “decided not to appeal the decision,” and are refunding current and past tenants up to £700.

Waltham Forest should do the same.

Waltham Forest Council say they accept that “establishing the legality of a practice is a matter for the Courts”. Yet instead of refunding people straight away, they are still ganging up with other councils to hire “an external firm and a barrister” to give them legal advice on what to do.

The local Liberal Democrats believe that Waltham Forest Council should follow Southwark’s example and refund their tenants without further delay.

OLYMPIC PARK PLANNING APPLICATIONS UPDATE

 This is an update on the Olympic Legacy item

27 Aug 2016

In one month exactly the committee in charge of reviewing the Concrete Batching applications is scheduled to convene and make its decision, which is likely to affect tens of thousands of East London residents.

The plans have generated a massive and highly justified public uproar: nearly 10,000 citizens have signed this petition, and Objection Letters are pouring in to the LLDC website from developers, borough representatives and members of the public alike.

OPCRD has also submitted this week their own *OFFICIAL* Objection Document – in the name of everyone affected and everyone that have signed this petition. It is a 40-page long review of all of the projects’ momentous documentation. The objection document summarizes and pinpoints all the many procedural improprieties, data omissions, implausible assumptions and shabby ‘survey’ work that was handed in to the LLDC by the applicants.

Read OPCRD’s objection, and see for yourself just what a mockery the applicants have made of the application process: https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/opcrd/objection.pdf

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan (who’s office has informed us that he “doesn’t have the authority to get involved”), was elected on a wave of big promises about ‘Clean air for Londoners’, and the need to clean and strengthen the weaker boroughs, more affected by pollution than other. So we thought he might want to see this video, shot 27 August afternoon – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlSdvBm7MKk (also at www.opcrd.org)

This is not a massive fire or the aftermath of an explosion – it’s simply a gigantic dust cloud spreading across Newham, carrying huge amounts of harmful particulate matter (PM. This concrete batching plant in this video is located less than 50 meters from where the additional 3 (!!!) are planned to be located…

Now is NOT a time to become complacent about this – share, engage and support, or these plans WILL become reality in exactly 1 month!

 

PROTECT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH POST BREXIT

PROTECT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH PETITION

Finding a cure to cancer. Saving the planet from climate change. Sending Tim Peake to space. All of these depend on European funding and co-operation.

But Brexit will seriously endanger cross-European science co-operation – a disaster for British science, and a disaster for so many of the projects that will bring us a better future.

Sign the petition ▶

The Liberal Democrats are fighting back with a petition to save our science research from the blow of Brexit, by campaigning for guarantees to continued European funding and co-operation.

But, we don’t have long to get as many signatures as possible before our scientists take our petition to David Davis.

Sign the petition ▶

If we succeed, British scientists will stay at the front of international spaceflight, combating climate change and curing cancer.

LONDON LIB DEMS CAMPAIGN FOR HALF PRICE FARES BEFORE 7.30AM

Lib Dem candidate for London Mayor calling for half price fares

Half Price Fares before 7.30am – join the campaign

Liberal Democrat candidate for London Mayor, Caroline Pidgeon, and London North East Lib Dem candidate Terry Stacy have set out plans for half price fares for journeys that start by 7:30am.

Lib Dem plans would offer half price fares on Underground, Overground and TFL Rail Services for people travelling by 7.30am. This plan builds on the Liberal Democrats pioneering work developing a one hour bus ticket.

Terry Stacy said:

This would help some of Waltham Forest’s lowest paid workers who often have to work unsocial hours. A half price fare scheme would also help to tackle overcrowding by encouraging home people to start their journeys earlier in the morning.

BARKING – GOSPEL OAK LINE TO CLOSE FOR 8 MONTHS

Artist impresssion of the electric units on order

Preparing for Electrification

The line will be closed continuously between Barking and South Tottenham on 4th June 2016 until February 2017. During this period train services will continue to operate, on weekdays only, between Gospel Oak and South Tottenham and from 24th September 2016 the whole line will be closed.

When it reopens to traffic in early February, the Overhead Line Equipment (OHLE) and power supply systems will still be under
test and commissioning, requiring continuing weekend closures and are not expected to be available for electric trains to use until June 2017. Passenger services will continue to be provided by the existing 2-car diesel trains on the same timetable until spring 2018 when new 4-car electric trains are delivered.

The footbridge across Walthamstow Queen’s Road station will be closed to pedestrians from 4th June 2016 until early February 2017.

CHANGES TO RAIL REPLACEMENT BUS SERVICES

TfL has decided to change the routing of the two existing rail replacement bus services to shorten journey times and reduce the effects of traffic congestion, but these alterations will leave several stations without a rail replacement bus service. It is understood that TfL is putting the revised services out to tender around now with the commencement date being 4th June.

Revised Rail Replacement Bus Route ‘T’ Barking – Walthamstow Central
Daily from Saturday 4th June 2016, every 15 minutes, but every 10 minutes in peak periods.
 Barking Station
 Woodgrange Park station
 Wanstead Park station
 Harrow Green, Leytonstone (for Leytonstone High Road station)
 Leyton Midland Road station
 Walthamstow Central, Selborne Road RRB bus stops
Buses will then run out of service to and from their layover point at St. James Street bus station in Courtenay Mews.

Revised Rail Replacement Bus Service ‘J’ Gospel Oak – Seven Sisters
Weekends from Saturday 4th June 2016, then daily from 24th September. Double deck buses running every 15 minutes, but every 10 minutes at peak times.
 Highgate Road (for Gospel Oak station)
 Upper Holloway station
 Hornsey Road, junction with Hanley Road (for Crouch Hill station)
 Finsbury Park station
 Harringay Green Lanes station
 Seven Sisters station (High Road bus stops by Victoria Line entrance/exits)
Buses will then run out of service to and from their layover point at Ashley Road & Burdock Road by Tottenham Hale station.

TfL justifies providing no bus service between Walthamstow Central and South Tottenham by stating that the Victoria Line between Walthamstow Central and Seven Sisters is quicker.

This overlooks the fact that while the weekday Gospel Oak – South Tottenham train service is running (6th June – 23rd September) passengers will have a 5-7 minute walk and a 8-10 minute Underground journey to link up with the Barking bus and vice versa.

BARKING – GOSPEL OAK USER GROUP’S INITIAL VIEWS

BGORUG’s initial thoughts are that the Barking bus (Route ‘T’) should:
 Have an additional stop for Leyton Underground station (Warren Road/Grove Green Road)
 Be extended, on days when the Gospel Oak – South Tottenham train service is running, to South Tottenham station and on other days to Tottenham Hale to connect with an extended Route ‘J’ and also call at:
o Walthamstow South Grove (for Walthamstow Queen’s Road station)
o Blackhorse Road station
The Gospel Oak bus (Route ‘J’) should be extended in service from Seven Sisters to Tottenham Hale to provide a connection with an extended Barking bus (Route ‘T’).

TfL have told Stella Creasy MP that affected passengers will be allowed to pass through Zone 1 without additional charge.
BGORUG also thinks Crouch Hill passengers should also be granted free travel on bus routes 210, W3 & W7. We also think that a Monday – Friday express bus linking Barking with Tottenham Hale would be useful for passengers. Running from Barking every 30 minutes 06:00 – 10:30 and every 30 minutes from Tottenham Hale 15:30 – 20:00. What do you think?

YOUR VIEWS ARE WANTED

BGORUG wants to hear passengers’ views.

Should affected passengers be given free travel on other bus routes or Underground lines? They are meeting TfL on 10th March so please let them know what you think. Either email direct  to info@barking-gospeloak.org.uk or post on their website www.barking-gospeloak.org.uk at the Have Your Say! message board.

PRESS RELEASE – WE MUST NOT ABANDON OUR HARD-WON HUMAN RIGHTS

Bob Sullivan and colleagues petitioning residents outside Coronation Gardens last Saturday

We must not abandon our hard-won human rights

Lib Dem campaigner Bob Sullivan urged the people of Leyton and Leytonstone to back a Liberal Democrat campaign to save the Human Rights Act.

So far more than 25,000 people have signed a petition calling on the Conservatives to scrap plans to abandon our commitment to human rights.

It comes as David Cameron said he would consult on the future of the Human Rights Act in the UK.

Now Bob Sullivan has urged local residents to speak up for legislation that has:

1. Stopped the state spying on us, supported peaceful protest and protected soldiers.
2. Helped rape victims, defended domestic violence victims and guarded against slavery.
3. Supported those in care, shielded press freedom and provided answers for grieving families.
4. Preserved our right to a fair trial, prevented indiscriminate stop-and-search and protected minorities.

Bob Sullivan said:

Our human rights laws have already achieved so much and we must not let the Tories trample all over them.

The Liberal Democrats blocked David Cameron from scrapping the Human Rights Act in Government and we must stop him again now.

That is why we need everyone everyone to get behind our campaign to stop the Conservatives riding roughshod over our hard-won rights.

A link to the Lib Dem petition can be found here: http://change.libdems.org.uk/human-rights-act