Higham Park Lib Dems in action!

Cllr Patrick Smith, Cllr Sean Meiszner and Cllr Peter Woollcott The Lib Dems Higham Hill Focus Team are campaigning to have a new bus route for local residents.

Councillors Peter Woollcott, Patrick Smith and Sean Meiszner want a new route to run from Tottenham Hale to Highams Park via Billet Road. The bus route is required to forge a west/link public transport link in response to community expansion, with the new Banbury Park and Sutherland Road Estates, three schools – including Walthamstow Academy. Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon has agreed to chair a meeting with TfL at Waltham Forest Town Hall to support the campaign.

Cllr Smith and Cllr Meiszner also attended a recent event at the Houses of Parliament to see Julia Goldsworthy MP and join the `Unlock Democracy’ national campaign to open up new income streams to local councils as part of the Sustainable Communities Act 2007.

Cllr Patrick Smith said:
“Liberal Democrats want Waltham Forest residents to gain the maximum financial help from Government. “This legislation is designed to ask local people to prioritise their community projects and give back power to the people on issues such as unpopular post office closures, affordable housing or a lack of local doctors and dentists”

Higham Hill team want better buses for residents

The Liberal Democrat councillor team in Higham Hill are busy lobbying transport bosses for a new bus route through their ward

This week’s local Yellow Advertiser (pictured) features news of the attempts of councillors Patrick Smith, Sean Meiszner and Peter Woollcott to secure a new bus service along Billet Road in Walthamstow to cope with increased demand amongst residents.

Cllr Patrick Smith told the paper:

“We want to ensure that residents and visitors have proper access to and from the area. Local services are not always reliable or convenient and we want something that will connect the area with the borough’s main transport hubs”.

Meeting the real needs of London – Lib Dems set out their alternatives to the Boris budget

Help for Londoners facing tough economic times and long term action to improve London’s environment are the key proposals put forward by the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group in their alternative budget proposals, which would lead to no extra increases in Boris Johnson’s council tax bill.

Mike Tuffrey, the leader of the Liberal Democrat Assembly Group said:

“Many families have already faced redundancies and many more face the daunting prospect of unemployment in 2009. The Mayor cannot stop people losing their jobs but the least he must do is provide help to stop people losing their homes.

“We believe that the Mayor’s draft budget contains too much short term thinking and not enough real vision for London. If Boris has real ambitions for London we hope he will listen carefully to these bold proposals to tackle London’s immense challenges.”

Measures included in the Liberal Democrat Assembly Group’s alternative London budget include funding for:

· A youth worker with every Safer Neighbourhood Team, to work with those at most risk and so preventing youth crime at source
· Good value fares, such as a one hour bus ticket.

· Further investment in walking and cycling, including completion of the London Cycle Network Plus, providing cycle maintenance points and a London walking map

· Moving ahead with the East London Line phase 2 extension

· Making more homes affordable to heat by meeting up-to-date environmental standards

· Tackling fare evasion on London’s transport

· Reducing the amount spent on holding and publicising the Mayor’s additional public meetings

There’s-now stopping your local Lib Dems…

Waltham Forest residents woke up this morning to a blanket of snow which forecasters are suggesting is the heaviest in 18 years.

Much of London’s transport network has been hit by the weather, with bus and tube services suspended across London. However the winter maintenance programme agreed by your local Liberal Democrat Group on the Council has swung into action, with major routes being pre-gritted last night to ensure that conditions are safer during today’s conditions. Gritters will again head out onto the streets this evening to combat the weather, which is forecast to bring more snow and freezing temperatures overnight.

Waltham Forest Lib Dems – working for you whatever the weather!

A Better Way To Go – London Lib Dems set out imaginative transport policies

Responding to Boris Johnson’s consultation on his transport document Way To Go, the Liberal Democrat group at the London Assembly have launched their own proposals under the title ‘A Better Way To Go’.

Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat Transport Assembly spokesperson said:

“Above all else the Mayor needs to focus on reducing the need to travel. Many Londoners spend three hours a day getting to and from work in intolerably crowded conditions. It makes no sense for London’s economy to have a workforce which is often stressed and irritable before they get to their desks each day.

“Many people are also facing longer and longer journeys to use key public services or simply to go shopping. There has to be a better way.

“We should be developing a capital city where people need to travel less often and less far. This means keeping essential public services like health, police and post offices local, not consolidating them into larger and more distant centres.

“We also need inventive ideas for developing vibrant local economies in outer London towns. We urgently need fast-tracked express coaches linking our town centres – it shouldn’t be a requirement to always have to travel in and out of central London to simply move around outer London by public transport”.

The Better Way To Go document pushes strongly for “green” transport initiatives, pressing for zero-emission public transport – like the Cross River Tram, the use of sustainably generated electricity, and giving pedestrians priority on more of central London’s smaller streets.

The document Better Way To Go contains the following key points:

· Proposals to reduce the need to travel by better strategic planning promoting local economies in outer London towns and keeping essential public services local.

· Connecting outer London towns by fast coach services removing the need to travel through central London.

· A Mayoral initiative to promote flexi-time and working from home for office staff.

· Pedestrianising the smaller streets between Trafalgar Square and Oxford Street, and making Oxford Street itself a pedestrian precinct.

· Completing the London Cycle Network, backing the cycle hire scheme and creating much more secure cycle parking.

· Urgent moves to make public transport zero-emission: a Cross River Tram, more hybrid-engined buses and black cabs, Tube electricity sustainably generated.

· Determined opposition to a third runway at Heathrow, with strong backing for high-speed rail alternatives to internal and short-haul continental flights.

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.”

Local Lib Dems want London transport fare freeze

Local councillors in Waltham Forest are supporting the launch of a new Liberal Democrat campaign for a tube and bus fares freeze.

Boris Johnson, London’s Mayor, is jacking up fare prices by an average of 6% in the New Year and in the case of some bus fares is increasing prices by a massive 11%.

Local Lib Dems are concerned that Waltham Forest residents will find it too expensive to travel in future because of Boris’s above inflation guaranteed price increases for years to come.

“London’s transport system has become one of the most expensive in the world yet fares continue to rise” said local Lib Dem councillor James O’Rourke.

Cllr O’Rourke represents High St ward, which contains three overground rail stations, two tube stations and the third busiest bus terminus in London.

Lib Dem London Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon added:

“It is not too late for the Mayor to do a u-turn. He can still bring some festive cheer to London’s struggling transport users and poorest families, by halting his outrageous fare increases.”

A new website http://campaigns.libdems.org.uk/merrychristmasboris has been launched, giving Londoners the opportunity to sign a petition.

London Lib Dems are asking the Mayor to abandon the planned increases to help struggling families and commuters during the economic crisis.

The freeze would be funded by making savings in Transport for London’s budget and by extending charges for the most polluting cars.

Boris hits local Freedom Pass holders with double whammy

Pensioners and eligible disabled people in Waltham Forest were today hit by a double whammy as the Mayor of London Boris Johnson revealed that not only would their 24 hour Freedom Pass not be able to be used on Network Rail trains before 9.30am, despite this being a key election promise, but that the London Boroughs face paying out millions of pounds to fund
Mayor Boris Johnson’s’ 24 hour commitment.

At present people aged over 60 and eligible disabled people in possession of a Freedom Pass can travel after 9.30am for free on the transport network. Boris Johnson has repeatedly promised pass holders that as from January 2nd they could use all of London’s transport network – including the overground rail network at any time.

However at Mayor’s Question Time held in the London Assembly today, under
questioning from Liberal Democrat Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon, the Boris Johnson admitted that the cost of extending the Freedom Pass to 24 hour use would have to be paid for by Council Tax payers in London boroughs.
The Mayor also said that it was not yet possible to confirm whether people could use their passes on the overground rail network before 09.30.

Caroline Pidgeon AM said:

“This is a double whammy for Freedom Pass holders in London. Not only will they not be able to use their passes on the rail network before 9.30am, but they face the prospect of higher council tax bills because Boris expects the Boroughs to bear all the costs of a 24 hour freedom pass.”

“This is effectively a duff Christmas present from the Mayor, one with the parts missing and no batteries in it!

“The Mayor must live up to his promise to fully fund the 24 hour Freedom Pass”

NEWS FROM CITY HALL – Does the Mayor’s Budget add up?

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson has published his draft consolidated budget and put it out for consultation.

Mike Tuffrey Leader of the Liberal Democrat group on the London Assembly said:

“A zero rise in the GLA’s precept from next April will be welcomed by many Londoners, but let us not forget that from January all of us who use public transport in the capital will be paying fares that rise by twice the rate of inflation.

“The budget Boris Johnson is proposing makes several large assumptions, including that the Met Police will be able to make large savings in their budget, a number of which have yet to be revealed, when they haven’t been able to meet all the savings targets for this financial year yet.

“On the transport network passenger numbers are expected to rise when all the indications are that in previous times of economic difficulty passenger levels have decreased rapidly.

“The actions of Boris Johnson’s and his advisors over the last six months haven’t exactly installed confidence that he has produced a budget that adds up, is sustainable and is not storing up major problems for our public services in London in future years.

“We will be watching closely to see if the Mayor can actually produce what he promises.”

New CPZ proposed and consultation on traffic schemes

A new CPZ has been proposed in the borought – and local Liberal Democrats want you to hear your views.

The proposals include the junction of Leytonstone High Road, Cann Hall Road and Crownfield Road, which could effect some roads in Cann Hall. In the current proposal are Eve, Steele and Belton Roads on the north side of Cann Hall Road, whilst on the south side Argyle, Borthwick, Blenheim Roads could be included up to the Borough boundary at Janson Road.

There is also consultation on traffic schemes taking place. The consultation area stretches from Millais Road to the borough boundary with Newham, and across to High Road Leytonstone.

Leyton and Wanstead Liberal democrats say:

“What do you think? Many residents in these roads have complained for years about not being able to park in their own roads, due to overflow of traffic and parking from the High Road and the Thatched House area.”

“Whatever your views please let us and the council know. Your voice and views are very important.”

Waltham Forest Liberal Democrats

Your local Lib Dems in Leyton, Leytonstone, Walthamstow and Chingford