EDL march – update

Lib Dem Councillors Bob Sullivan, Farooq Qureshi and Mahmood Hussain outside the Town Hall
 
 
Liberal Democrat councillors joined an all-party group of councillors and residents lobbying Parliament to ban the planned march through Walthamstow.

GOOD NEWS – the Minister for Policing Damian Green has this afternoon approved a ban on any protests in Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets, Newham and Islington for the next 30 days.

In a statement issued this afternoon the Council and Parliament said the Police would only allow the EDL to hold a static protest outside the Houses of Parliament.

A joint statement issued by the Council and the three Members of Parliament urged residents to stay away from all planned protests.

Borough Commander Chief Superintendent Mark Collins also urged the public to stay away from any counter demonstrations and said they could make the situation worse.

Lib Dem Group Leader Bob Sullivan said:

“I hope reason prevails and the community enjoys a peaceful weekend.”

Visit to National Memorial Arboretum

At this time of special Remembrance and `Poppy Appeal’ on behalf of our courageous Armed Service men and women I was a privileged invited guest of Lichfield DC to the National Memorial Arboretum(Croxhall Road, Airewas, Staffs DE13 7AR).

I saw the Armed Services monument that has a series of stone tablets containing all members of all those who died whilst in uniform whether in combat or all causes of death and it represented as the most singular human experience to witness the engraved names from 1945 to present day. I also attended the very moving pre-recorded act of Remembrance that is performed in the Arboretum Chapel daily at 11 a.m.

As part of our `Pride of Lichfield ‘ tour we also visited the replica WW1 `Coltman Trench’ at the Staffordshire Regimental Museum. If you want to book a `Pride of Lichfield’ tour contact: Visit Lichfield (Tel.No.01543-412112)

The `Coltman Trench’ is named in honour of L/Corporal William Harold Coltman VC,DCM and Bar, MM and Bar (1891-1974) who today is the most decorated NCO in British Military history. He served as a soldier did but not even fire a single shot in battle in WW1, as he performed conspicuous humane acts of courage in life-saving rescue work, taking many comrades to safety from `No Man`s Land’, as a medical orderly `stretcher bearer’.

I would encourage our local schools to include the National Memorial Arboretum and Staffordshire Regimental Museum as worthy on their organised group visit programmes as we approach the centennial of WW1 in 2014.

Patrick Smith (Royal British Legion – Walthamstow)

NEAL CHUBB

Neal Chubb

Jenny Sullivan, Abbas Yousuf and the Liberal Democrats are mourning the sudden death of former Wood Street councillor, Neal Chubb.

Known by very many people in Waltham Forest for his friendliness and good humour. Neal was a stalwart of the Grove Green Focus Team. He worked tirelessly in the ward for over 10 years despite not winning a seat on the Council.

He was often seen with his Focus Team colleagues delive3ring Focus, chatting to people in the streets and collecting grumbles.

His passion for education led him to be3come a Governor at Dawlish School, Chair of Governors at Jenny Hammond School and Chair of the Council’s School Appeals committee. He was also a gifted artist.

Jenny Sullivan says: There was no one quite like Neal and we are all the poorer without him. His energy and his ability to ask the difficult questions will be greatly missed by all who knew and worked with him.

Olympic Temporary Parking Zone consultation

The Council has decided to issue a Consultation Document asking residents in the temporary Olympic Parking Zone (G01-G10) for their views on the proposal to introduce an indefinite Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) in their roads.

The consultation document is due to be issued on 24 September and has to be returned by 19 October.

 

PLEASE NOTE: The Closing date is now 22 October

The Council’s policy on the introduction of a CPZ is based on the views of the majority of residents, who return the questionnaire.

Whatever your views the Lib Dems stress that it is vital that the Council receives a response from every household regarding this important consultation.

When you receive the consultation document, please complete and return it without delay.

Open Day at Leyton Bus Garage

Leyton Bus Garage, at Leyton Green, is celebrating its centenary this year.

It will be open to the public from 10.30 am until 4.30 pm on Saturday 22nd September as part of the national Open House event.

There will be a display of vintage buses as well as displays of the history of bus travel.

In addition there will be vintage bus tours to Stagecoach London’s newest bus station in West Ham, which will depart every 15 minutes.

The Olympic Legacy

As the Paralympics has drawn to a close, local people will be thinking about what is going to happen to the venues and the Olympic Park as a whole. The following update has been received from Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat Leader on the London Assembly:

Earlier this year the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) was established to deliver the physical, social, economic and environmental regeneration in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and surrounding area after the 2012 Games. This new mayoral body takes over from a number of organisations and will have planning powers from October 2012.

Much work has been carried out to ensure that there is a permanent future for each permanent venue in the park.

The Stadium has received four bids: from West Ham United, Intelligent Transport Services in association with Formula One, UCFB College of Football Business and Leyton Orient. They are now being evaluated ahead of negotiations. These bids would add to the legacy uses already secured for the Stadium such as host to the IAAF 2017 World Athletics Championships.

The Aquatics Centre will be operated by Greenwich Leisure Limited and will cater for all levels of swimming ability and aquatic disciplines for the community and training athletes. Similarly the Handball Arena LINK will be transformed into a multi-use arena used for a wide range of indoor sports training and competitions as well as cultural and business events.

The Velodrome will be owned and managed by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority and will be known as the Lee Valley VeloPark. The velodrome will need very little transformation and will become the hub of the VeloPark. The BMX track will remain, but be reconfigured, and a road cycle circuit and mountain bike courses will be added.

The Press and Broadcast Centre now has a preferred bidder iCITY to become the long term tenant. iCITY aims to create a leading centre for technology, design and research with the potential to generate more than 4,000 jobs. The digital hub would harness innovation and creativity in east London. The iCity vision also has a community focus including a conference centre and a pedestrian square for broadcasting major sporting events, along with cafes, restaurants and bars.

After the 2012 Games, the park will be closed and works will start to take down temporary venues and to adapt some of the existing venues for future use, as well as building more housing. The park will be re-opening in phases starting in 2013.

VIEW TUBE AND ACCESS ALONG THE GREENWAY – this facility is due to reopen towards the end of the year.

October 2012 – Summer 2013

During this period the following temporary buildings are scheduled to be removed:

  • Basketball Arena

  • Temporary bridges

  • Riverbank Hockey Arena

  • Water Polo Arena

  • The temporary seating wings at the Aquatics Centre

The new Waterden Road will be connected to give access to Park facilities and the neighbouring boroughs

Similarly a series of new bridges will also link the Park with the communities

Completion of building work on the following projects is scheduled:

  • North Park Hub is to be a community centre dedicated to nature, in the green landscape of the North Park

  • South Park Hub and Plaza will be the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’s main destination for events, culture and entertainment

  • Lee Valley Velopark will be adapted for public use, with alterations to the cycle circuits as well as surrounding amenities

  • Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centres will be adapted for public use

  • Chobham Manor housing development

February 2013

  • Canal Park scheduled for completion

July 2013

  • Multi-Use Arena and North Park are scheduled to open

August 2013

  • London Cycling Festival, a 100 mile route followed by up to 30,000 participants is the first major event schedulede to take place in the Park

Summer 2013

  • East Village – the first housing development scheduled to open. This is the area that was the Athletes’ Village.

End 2013 – Start 2014

  • Lee Valley Velopark due to open in December 2013

  • Lee Valley Tennis and Hockey Centres due to open

  • White Post Lane and Carpenters Lock will provide key access routes

  • Waterways – cleaned and refurbished before the Games – will open

Spring 2014

  • South Park and Hub due to reopen

PRESS RELEASE: THE FAILURE OF WORKNET

QUESTIONS STILL REMAIN OVER THE FAILURE OF WORKNET – COUNCILLOR BOB SULLIVAN

The recent failures of Worknet highlighted by Nick Tiratsoo still leave questions to be answered.

We know that £2 million was allocated for the contractor Widows and Orphans but we still don’t know what the targets and outputs were in each case or how much money the council actually paid the contractor in total.

Councillor Sullivan has now asked the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny committee for a review into the failure of the programme and will be pressing the council for further answers over the coming weeks.

Leader of the Waltham Forest Lib Dems, Councillor Bob Sullivan said:

“In normal times this failure would be damning for Labour councillors but in these difficult economic times it is unforgivable.”

“It is unforgivable that they have let down our Borough’s unemployed, it is unforgivable that they have allowed this failure to go on unreported for nearly three years and it is unforgivable that most of this money will now not be spent on employment programmes for our Borough at all.

“The failure of this contract could even have implications across the council. We know we’ve had problems with our schools contractor and our waste contractor and taken together it starts to paint a worrying picture for council contracts as a whole.

“We clearly need a full enquiry to get to the bottom of how this happened before the council goes down this road yet again.”

PRESS RELEASE: COUNCIL SHOULD DO MORE TO GET COMPENSATION FOR LEYTON TRADERS

WALTHAM FOREST COUNCIL SHOULD DO MORE TO GET COMPENSATION FOR LEYTON TRADERS – COUNCILLOR BOB SULLIVAN

On 27 July 2012, in a press release on the Council’s website, Portfolio Holder Cllr. Mark Rusling described Leyton Marketas ‘“a great opportunity for Waltham Forest to celebrate the Olympics”’, and claimed:

‘We have worked with the whole community – including local retailers – to get their support for this unique project.’

The final sentence of the press release was unequivocal:

‘Waltham Forest Council created the new food market through an innovative partnership with North London Business and Skateco UK’.

Three days later, Waltham Forest News made the same point:

‘Waltham Forest Council created the market to help local businesses capitalise on the extra visitors that will be flocking to the borough during the Games’ (WF News issue 71, 30 July 2012, p.7).

Leyton Councillor Bob Sullivan said:

“The Chief Executive of North London Business has already resigned over this, so traders are right to expect some compensation.”

“Cllr Rusling was eager to take credit for the market before the Olympics and he and this Labour council must now take their share of the blame.

“Clearly at some point in this saga one part of the council didn’t know what another part was doing.

“I asked the council weeks ago whether they will be giving out compensation to the traders and they have refused, putting the blame squarely with North London Business.”

“As a board member of North London Business, Cllr Akram is also in a unique position to influence this decision. I think most local residents would expect him and Cllr Rusling to be considering their respective positions.”

“At the very least councillors and Cabinet members should be putting pressure on North London Business and Skateco UK Ltd to reimburse some or all of the money to the traders who were sold promises of customers that never arrived.”

‘Plot’ to extend Olympic Parking Zones GO1 – G10

Temporary Olympic CPZ sign

This applies to residents south of Lea Bridge Road only.

When the Council and the ODA decided to implement the temporary Olympic Controlled Parking Zone, it was clearly stated that it would be withdrawn on the 9th September following the closure of the Paralympic Games.

The Council also stated that they would be undertaking a consultation with the residents to find out if, in the light of their experience during the Games, they wished to make the Controlled Parking Zone permanent.

The Lib Dems have now discovered that the Council has already published a Traffic Order allowing them to extend the temporary provision for 18 months. It also states that the Council will be considering ‘in due course’ whether the provisions of the experimental orders should be continued in force indefinitely by means of permanent Orders.

Liberal Democrats feel very strongly that there is no need for permanent parking restrictions in most of the roads in areas GO1 – GO10, as they do not have a history of parking problems.

All residents are urged to send in written objections to both the temporary 18 month extension and the permanent CPZ to the Council at:

Traffic Orders,

Environment and Regeneration,

London Borough of Waltham Forest,

Low Hall,

Argall Avenue, London, E10 7AS

quoting reference: Traffic Orders T20.

Closing date for objections: 8th February 2013

PRESS RELEASE – Waltham Forest Lib Dems slam Labour’s ‘APPRENTICE-STYLE BOARDROOM’

The total cost of the new refurbishments at Waltham Forest Town Hall has been uncovered by Lib Dem councillor for  Cann Hall ward Liz Phillips. According to a written answer to Councillor Phillips, the cost of the new Town Hall reception area and what has been dubbed ‘The Boardroom’ by the council now totals £610,000.

Councillor Liz Phillips said:

“Whilst there was clearly some need for private meeting spaces for residents, these costs seem exorbitant to me.”

“This new boardroom looks like no more than a vanity project so Labour Cabinet members can sit there and pretend to be Alan Sugar.

“Labour claim that some of the costs will be paid for through renting it out but no doubt it will be Waltham Forest residents who pick up the lion’s share of the bill.

“Labour Cabinet members should reflect on whether that money could have been better spent on our young people, for example on ensuring that the council finally meet their apprenticeship targets for this Borough or keeping open Harrow Green library.”