Lib Dems opposed to new attempts to close Pool and Track

Local Liberal Democrats have confirmed their opposition to plans to close the Pool and Track in order to fund the long-awaited Arcade development before a consultation on the area has been completed.

A new report, which will go to Cabinet on the 15th September, asks senior councillors to agree to authorise officers to find a developer for a “mixed use scheme” on the vacant Arcade site, using £10million from the disposal of the Pool and Track, plus an option of Council borrowing, for a replacement facility on the site at the top of Walthamstow High Street.

And despite forcing last-minute changes to the report – which had already been published for consideration by the Council’s Scrutiny panel – Local Lib Dem Leader Cllr John Macklin has again expressed his concerns that the plans for the Arcade site will have serious knock on effects for a series of redevelopment projects in the area that are not sufficiently covered in the plans.

In March this year Liberal Democrat cabinet members voted against an earlier report laying the groundwork for the plan, with Cllr Macklin telling a cabinet meeting that the Council had “a history of knocking things down and leaving them derelict and I am worried about swapping one piece of derelict land in Walthamstow for another near the town hall”.

Outlining his concerns, Cllr Macklin claimed that the report would have serious knock-on effects both for the future of the Pool and Track facility and the planning application recently submitted for development of the former EMD cinema. Cllr Macklin added that, despite last-ditch efforts within the Town Hall to urge Labour cabinet members to postpone the plans, the report will go forward.

Cllr Macklin said:

“I just cannot see the logic in bringing these proposals forward at this time.

“The report regarding the future of the Pool and Track site has not even been completed and an outstanding planning application for the former EMD is yet to be heard. The approval we are being asked to give in this report will obviously have massive implications for both these developments.

“First and foremost, as a Chapel End ward councillor I am really unhappy with the lack of clear proposals for the area behind the Town hall, including the Pool and Track, the allotments and the playing fields.

“It seems obvious to me that any decision to shut any of the Pool and Track facilities as part of the Arcade development should only be taken when we know what alternatives are being proposed for the Pool and Track site. I have already met with allotment holders and other site users who are really worried about development on the site.

“What effects will the closure of the leisure centre have on the athletics track? The plans for that area currently laid out in the report seem almost laughably vague”.

The report suggests that the land “could become more fully utilised and provide an important resource for residents, and provide a wide range of facilities”. It also claims that the decision whether to agree to the funding of a leisure centre on the Arcade may be influential to the likelihood of a new cinema being built on the site, a proposal that could have an impact on the outstanding planning application to renovate the former EMD cinema.

Cllr Macklin added:

“I would love to be reassured that the pieces of these various development plans fit together, and that this report isn’t simply part of a financial gamble to get a development of any sort built on the Arcade site, but that is increasingly what this looks like. The goalposts appear to keep shifting and the reassurances we have repeatedly asked for have not been forthcoming.

“The development of these various sites needs to be part of a clear overall plan for our area, not simply piecemeal building projects that give the impression that the Council is simply chasing its own tail.”

What do you think of the plans to close the Pool and Track? Do you think the Arcade proposals will have an impact on the EMD planning application?

Below is the original report published on the Council website. Let us know your views!

Open publication – Free publishing – More report

Hale and Higham councillor hits out at local government reforms

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

Lib Dems concern at council structure changes

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.”

High St Lib Dems hit out at Labour plans for former library

In response to residents’ concerns Labour Cabinet members have suggested that proceeds from selling the former St James Street Library will be used to house the Drugs Action Team in another building.

Cllrs Ali and Robbins told High Street residents that they do not wish to raise expectations by meeting them as it is still their intention to sell the former library because they need to raise funds to find an appropriate property for the drug centre.

Lib Dem High St councillor James O’Rourke said:

“Cllrs Ali and Robbins seem to be suggesting that the proceeds from the sale of this building, which has had no previous link to a drug service, will be ringfenced to provide a drugs service. What has happened to the £350,000 PCT monies?”

“My understanding of selling council owned property is that the proceeds from a sale go into the corporate pot. The capital bidding process then allocates funds to projects from the known available receipts. I am not aware of such a capital bid. Cllrs Ali and Robbins’ assertions that proceeds will be ringfenced shows their total ignoranance of the Councils policies and a total disregard for High Street residents.”

Protect our listed buildings, say Lib Dems

Damage at the former EMD High Street Lib Dems have called on the Councils Chief Executive to do all in his power to protect the 107 listed buildings in Waltham Forest and in particular the Grade II listed former Granada cinema after reports, over the weekend, of yet more of the structure falling off.High St councillor James O’Rourke said:

“I have asked the Chief Executive to seriously consider invoking his powers under the Town & Country Planning Act 1990 to issue either an Urgent Works or Repair Notice to protect this historic building and passer-bys from being seriously injured.”

“Clearly, this buildings integrity is a major concern after a Health and Safety Prohibition Notice was issued, a couple of weeks ago, preventing anyone from entering the premises unless they are wearing full Personal Protective Equipment to protect them from exposure to asbestos. Whatever the future of this building may be its heritage needs to be protected.”

Last summer officials in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport drew up a Heritage Protection Bill to change how we list historic buildings and how we protect our heritage.

However, despite there being a very thin legislative programme last year, the Bill did not make it into the Queen’s Speech. Now Gordon Brown has listed his proposed bills for this year’s address by Her Majesty, and guess what? It is still not there.

“It seems Labour both nationally and locally are not particularly interested in the heritage of this country” added Cllr O’Rourke.

Lib Dems get the facts on Tesco application

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 Hale and Higham Lib Dem team of Jane, Nick and Sheila Smith-Pryor 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.

Council group grows as councillor quits Labour for Lib Dems

Waltham Forest Liberal Democrats have confirmed that Cllr Milton Martin of Catthall ward has left the Labour Party to become the 21st member of the Liberal Democrat team on Waltham Forest Council, completing the Lib Dems largest ever group of councillors in the borough.

Cllr Martin now joins the team in Catthall ward as a Liberal Democrat activist and councillor. The move comes after six sitting labour councillors were controversially ‘deselected’ by local labour members, meaning they will barred by Labour from standing for the Labour party in the wards in which they have been elected by voters. Since the removals took place, Liberal Democrat Leader Cllr John Macklin has confirmed that he had spoken to “a number of local Labour councillors who have expressed their intention to resign their Labour memberships and become members of the Liberal Democrats.”

Welcoming Cllr Milton Martin’s decision to join the Lib Dems, Cllr Macklin continued:

“Cllr Martin’s growing dissatisfaction with the both the Labour Party and the local Labour group had been known to me for some time and I welcomed the opportunity to discuss with him his interest in becoming a member of our party.

“As a well-known councillor in the South of the borough, I know he will contribute to our hard work both in the Town Hall and within the local community.

“To clarify the current position in response to the rumours of other defections to the Liberal Democrat group, Labour councillors Shameem Highfield (Catthall) and Faiz Yunis (Forest) also expressed verbally an intention to the Chief Executive that they wish to resign as members of the Labour Party group. However they will not be joining the Liberal Democrat group at this time and therefore their positions within their own group and on the Council obviously remain an internal matter for the Labour Party.”

Explaining his decision to quit the Labour party and join the Liberal Democrats, Cllr Martin said the decision had been “hastened by the much-reported deselection of several sitting councillors by the local party.”

He continued:

“I have increasingly found myself disillusioned with the direction of the Labour Party both locally and nationally, yet until recently I continued to hope that local people keen to do the best for their community could perform this role through service as a Labour councillor. The deselection of many local members confirmed that this is obviously no longer the case and, for me personally, acted as the final straw.”

“Having spoken to Cllr Macklin at length about the Liberal Democrats plans for the future of our borough, I had no hesitation in becoming a member of the party.

“I will continue to contribute effectively to Catthall as a Liberal Democrat councillor and an activist in exactly the same way that I know residents have always appreciated and that the Liberal Democrats expect – as a good local councillor who is accessible to local residents and who makes sure that their concerns are properly addressed in the Town Hall.”

Update on Tesco development in Highams Park

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.

Catch up with the latest news in the FOCUS file

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.

Lib Dems join forces with ‘Save Our Stow’ campaigners

Cllr Macklin speaks to campaigners at a recent protest aginst the closure of the Walthamstow Stadium 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.

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