Forest Lib Dem councillor launches blog site

Samina Safdar, who was one of the four Lib Dem councillors elected by Waltham Forest residents in by-elections last year, has launched a blog site covering news and iterms of interest in her ward.

Samina, who was elected in Forest ward, hopes that the site will provide another way for local residents to keep in touch with the work of their local Lib Dem councillors, but has ensured residents that they will continue to recieve their local FOCUS newsletter straight to their door!

If you’d like to see what Samina and the Forest Lib Dems have been up to, please head over to the Samina Safdar blog.

Waltham Forest Lib Dems keep Council Tax promise

Liberal Democrats on Waltham Forest are “very pleased” that they have been able to keep their Council Tax pledge to residents, but have warned that the Government needs to do more to relieve the economic crisis being felt by local people.

Liberal Democrat members of the Council administration will propose a 1.9% rise in Council Tax this spring, a level below many other local authorities. However local Lib Dem councillors have called on the Government to take more responsibility for the downturn and provide more effective relief for residents.

Cllr John Macklin, Leader of the Waltham Forest Liberal Democrats Group, said:

“The Liberal Democrats always promised that, as part of the Council administration, we would keep Council Tax down below 2.5% and we are keen to keep that pledge despite very challenging financial times for local authorities.

“Lib Dem councillors have worked very hard to ensure that we are able to set local Council Tax at this low rate, and I am very pleased that residents will this year see an increase far below that likely to be felt in many other authorities.

“However I understand that our hard work will still only provide partial relief to local residents who are feeling the full effects of job losses and negative equity on their properties.

“The Lib Dems were warning a year ago that Waltham Forest residents were likely to be hit particularly hard by this recession and property slump, and the collapse in local house prices — one of the worst in London — has certainly shown this to be the case.

“A local council can only do so much to relieve the huge financial burden on local people.

“Residents will no doubt make up their own minds as to whether trying constantly to ‘spin’ this situation as a ‘global credit crunch’ rather than a recession really constitutes an effective economic policy from Labour.”

New community centre planned on site of Thatched House public toilets

Waltham Forest Council has recently received a planning application for the former public toilets on Crownfield Road.

The plan is to demolish them and, on the site, build a three storey community centre. The Catt Hall ward Liberal Democrats have already raised the issue of parking provisions through the local FOCUS leaflets and are asking residents to make their views known.

To read more about the plans, head over to the Leyton and Wanstead Liberal Democrats site.

EMD building – update

News emerges from High St councillor James O’Rourke that councillors are to be given the opportunity to view proposals for the regeneration of the former EMD cinema in Hoe Street at a presentation by the owners of the building , the UK Church of God.

We reported earlier this month that Cllr O’Rourke had been gioven access to the building after press reports that squatters were occupying the site emrged over Christmas. Cllr O’Rourke managed to take some pictures of the inside of the historic building during his visit.

Cllr O’Rourke, who has consistently fought for greater transparency from the Council with regards to the future of the site, has more on the development at his blog.

Good news on EMD site?

Following recent press reports of squatters using the EMD building in Walthamstow, local High St councillor James O’Rourke was given access to the site to take up the case.

But whilst James found no evidence of squatters, he did discover that the owners of the former cinema are apparently in talks to proceed with a new usage of the building, with a planning application expected possibly as early as late January or early February.

Cllr O’Rourke said:

“I will be contacting the relevant Cabinet members to ask urgently for details about these discussions and plans on behalf of High Street residents.”

For more information on the future of the EMD site – and some exclusive pictures from inside the building – head over to Cllr O’Rourkes blog.

Arcade speech now online

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.

Local Lib Dems want safe Billet Rd crossing

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.”

Lib Dems hit out at Arcade site delays

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.

And I can tell members about the reality in Walthamstow and in my ward, High St.

The reality is a huge, ugly expanse of fenced-in, derelict, unused scrubland at the heart of Walthamstow – bordering our High St, our main shopping precinct and the borough’s busiest transport terminus.

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.

Former Lib Dem councillor dies

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.

Playground cash arrives after pressure from Lib Dems

Cllr James O'Rourke with ward colleague Johar Khan (left) and Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Farid Ahmed (centre) 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.