Is this the worst designed building in Waltham Forest?

 

The Council, in partnership with the Waltham Forest Guardian, is running a design awards scheme for 2011. They are looking to recognise and reward quality design.

Leyton Ward Councillor and Liberal Democrat Group Leader Bob Sullivan would like to put forward this building as the worst designed building in Leyton Ward. This is in Ruckholt Road, sandwiched between the iconic Leyton Library and a row of Victorian houses. The design does not relate to any of the nearby architecture, but is just a plain dull block of flats.

Considering its position on a prominent corner, housing the Library and the Old Town Hall, you may wonder how the Council agreed it to be built. Councillor Sullivan can only assume that in their rush to get more flats built, as they have been doing, they allowed this monstrosity to be built without caring about the design and impact on Leyton.

PROUD OF YOUR FRONT GARDEN – THEN ENTER IT FOR AN AWARD

Best Kept Front Garden Award competition for the Council’s next ‘Love your Borough Awards (2012)’ is now open.

If you have a front garden that you are proud of, or know a neighbour who does, then why not enter and have a go at winning. You can enter your own, or a neighbour’s, front garden or balcony.

To apply please send a photo and address of the front garden or balcony you are entering to:
liza.sumpter@walthamforest.gov.uk

or you can apply online at:

http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/index/environment/wipeitout/love-your-borough/lyb-awards/best-kept-front-garden-award.htm

Closing date is 31st July 2011

Footbridges over the Central Line – update!

John Howard checking some of the graffiti

There are three pedestrian/cycle bridges between Leyton and Leytonstone Underground stations on the Central Line. When they were being planned as part of the A12 Link Road works, London Underground insisted that they had to be fully covered. The resulting polycarbonate structures proved to attract gatherings of young people at night with the result that they were avoided by other pedestrians. Unfortunately, they also attracted graffiti which the council was responsible for removing – the chemicals necessary for the removal caused the surface to become scarred and less transparent, making the bridges even more unwelcoming.

The Leytonstone FOCUS Team ran a campaign to get the polycarbonate replaced, with TfL finally advising that improvements were to be included as part of a review of the operation of the whole of the Link Road.

FOCUS later heard that other interested parties were insisting that there should be a full public consultation, which needless to say has caused long delays in getting things moving.

The latest news from Transport for London (TfL) is that is now their intention to include these structures in their preliminary works programme which will commence in 2013. As usual they include the note that this programme is subject to change and to funding being confirmed.

So much for getting our area spick and span for the Olympics!!

The FOCUS Team has asked Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat Chair of the Transport Committee at the London Assembly, to see if she can bring any pressure to bear to get these works brought forward.

Watch this space for any news!!

Drapers Field – planning application received!

Drapers Field to be closed to the community for at least 16 months

A planning application has finally been lodged with the Council for the temporary use of Drapers Field as a service centre/store for the Olympic Village.

The application number is: 2011/0623, and comments can be made online at the Waltham Forest website, or by post to the Planning Officers at the Town Hall.

Local residents have been very concerned about what the Labour Council has in mind for the reinstatement of this historic playing field when it is returned in 2013.

Kinnear Landscape Architects were commissioned to develop improvements, and their plans will be subject to a public consultation event to be held at Drapers Field on Tuesday 14 June, between 3 and 7 pm. Council officers and the design team will be present.

Don’t miss this opportunity of seeing what the Council has in mind, and making your views known.

LIB DEM CLLR MAHMOOD HUSSAIN URGES REJECTION OF CINEMA PLAN AND WELCOMES DECISION

Lib Dem Councillors Mahmood Hussain and Bob Sullivan with local residents at the Planning Meeting

Liberal Democrat councillor Mahmood Hussain on Wednnesday 18 May told Waltham Forest’s Planning Committee that the council should refuse the planning application submitted by UKCG to turn the EMD Cinema into a religious assembly hall.

Councillor Hussain, who represents High Street ward which includes the EMD Cinema site, said:

“The key questions can be summarised very simply. Does the proposed development respect the building’s heritage and listed building status? Is the impact on the area and particularly on nearby residents acceptable? Does the proposed development contribute satisfactorily to the regeneration of Walthamstow Town Centre? On all three counts I believe the answer is no.

“This view is shared by an enormous number of local residents. Our borough has hundreds of places of worship of all types and sizes. But it does not have a single cinema. We have clear evidence that the building is potentially viable as a cinema, arts and entertainment venue.

“This would bring new life to the area and stimulate the local economy – unlike the proposal before you. The proposed changes to the building would destroy much of what is special about this unique building, which is one of the oldest, largest and best preserved cinema buildings in the country.

“Residents would suffer from the absence of a proper noise management scheme and from parking problems generated by cars descending on the area from miles away.

“For the sake of Walthamstow please listen to local people, weigh up the planning merits of the case and refuse the application.”

Speaking after the decision to refuse the planning application Councillor Hussain said he was delighted that the Planning Committee had listened to the arguments put forward by objectors.

“This is good and important news for Walthamstow Town Centre but it is only one step forward. Following two planning refusals and endless discussion I hope UKCG will now abandon their plan. We must allow those who are able to bring the cinema back into use the chance to realise the cinema’s true potential.”

Parking nightmare for Waltham Forest residents

Leyton ward Liberal Democrat Councillor Bob Sullivan reports that parking in Leyton has reached a point where residents’ are continually unable to park in their road or in some cases near their road.

Meanwhile the Labour Council continues to agree plans for multi flats that have little or no parking facilities and seem reluctant to consult with residents about a residents’ parking scheme.

Supposedly the Council has a policy of encouraging family housing, but the Council seems obsessed in agreeing to developers building more and more flats – what hypocrisy!

Residents of Leyton and Waltham Forest do not want more flats – they need family housing with adequate parking included in developments.

It is about time the Council listened to them!

Drapers Field update!

This all-weather pitch is scheduled to be destroyed and replaced by hard standing

A planning application was anticipated to be presented to the Council’s Planning Committee in January, regarding the Labour Cabinet’s desire to lease Drapers Field to the Olympic Delivery Authority for a period of 16 months.

During this time the all-weather pitch and the grass football pitches would be ripped out, hard standing installed to allow Drapers Field to be used as a storage centre and laundry for the Olympic Village.

So far, there is no sign of this application!

Liberal Democrat Group Leader Councillor Bob Sullivan has raised this question at the Town Hall, as the Lib Dems are anxious that residents’ views should not be ignored.

We will let you know about any developments.

More Flights – More Air Pollution

‘Fight the FlLondon City Airportights’ loses Judicial Review

Local people and green campaigners reacted with disappointment after a High Court judge refused to overturn Newham Council’s decision to expand London City Airport.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Farooq Qureshi commented: ” Many people in east and south east London are already facing serious problems with noise and disturbance from overflying aircraft. Further airport expansion will have a terrible impact on local people’s quality of life, as well as an increase in air pollution breaches and undermines efforts to tackle climate change.”

Leader of the London Assembly Liberal Democrat Group Caroline Pigdeon said: “I remain convinced that greater scrutiny should have been given to the original planning decision by Newham Council. Questions remain as to why Waltham Forest Council never objected to the planning decision despite the serious impact that the airport is already having on so many of its residents.”

Lib Dems slam Waltham Forest pest control increases

Liberal Democrat councillors have slammed Labour for sneaking through massive rises in pest control charges just before Christmas, with only two week’s notice of implementation and just eight months since the last price increase in April 2010.

Labour Council Leader Chris Robbins’s decision will force residents to pay:

  • 60% more for bedbug control (now costs £155, up from £97)
  • 53% more for flea control (now £115, up from £75)
  • 40% more for mice control (now £105, up from £75)

The poorest residents (concessions for those on Council Tax Benefit) are also hit hard with increases of up to two-thirds:

  • 64% more for bedbug control (now £90, up from £55)
  • 51% more for flea control (now £65, up from £43)
  • 28% more for mice control (now £55, up from £43)

Liberal Democrat Environment spokesperson Councillor Naheed Qureshi said:

These massive price increases are an another extra burden on local residents, Many people may now think twice about whether to call out the pest control service. This risks further infestations as the pests will spread further and possibly affect neighbouring houses before action is taken.

It’s a short-sighted decision which shows Labour councillors simply don’t care about the effect of their decisions on local residents.

The council’s Chief Finance Officer estimates that the price increases will generate an extra £75,000 for council coffers. The decision was taken by Councillor Chris Robbins on Tuesday 21st December 2010. The new charges came into effect on Tuesday 4 January 2011.

Two days left to give your views on London City Airport expansion

Sarah Ludford MEP and Cllr Farooq Qureshi have raised concerns over the expansion of London City AirportAre you affected by flights from London City Airport? Many Waltham Forest residents have told the Liberal Democrat team that they have noticed a difference in the number of noisy flights passing overhead.

The flightpaths from the airport were changed last year to direct more planes over our area.

Cllr Farooq Qureshi is reminding local residents that there are just two days left to complete the London Assembly’s survey into the environmental impacts of the expansion of London City airport.

The survey won’t take long to complete but will help ensure that local people’s voices are heard by the London Assembly and Mayor of London.

You can fill in the survey here: www.surveymonkey.com/s/YNDKMXS. The survey will close on Thursday 30 September.

The London Assembly Environment Committee, including Lib Dem Assembly Member Mike Tuffrey is carrying out an investigation into the expansion of London City Airport. The survey is part of the investigation.