POSTAL SCAM – do not telephone 0906 6611911

The Trading Standards Office is making people aware of the following scam:

A card is posted through your door from a company called PDS (Parcel Delivery Service) suggesting that they were unable to deliver a parcel and that you need to contact them on 0906 6611911 (a Premium rate number).
DO NOT call this number, as this is a mail scam originating from Belize .
If you call the number and you start to hear a recorded message you will already have been billed £315 for the phone call.
If you do receive a card with these details, then please contact Royal Mail Fraud on 020 7239 6655.

For more information, see the Crime Stoppers website:

http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/crime-prevention/helping-prevent-crime/scams/postal-delivery-scam

 

New plans for Marsh Lane Playing Field

Plans have been received by the Council to redevelop the Marsh Lane playing fields.

The development proposals are:-

  • To construct a new pavilion building, comprising new changing rooms and community facilities following the demolition of the existing pavilion.
  • The football pitches will be relaid and marked out.
  • The existing basketball court will be resurfaced and flood lighting will be installed.
  • There will be relocation and remodelling of existing play space and the introduction of an additional play area.
  • There will be a new car park accessed from Seymour Road and the footpaths will be resurfaced and extra lighting erected.

The funding for this will come from the money given by the Olympic Delivery Authority for the use of Drapers Field till 2013 for a warehousing facility. This, along with other funds, will go someway to alleviate the loss by residents, clubs and schools of Drapers Field.

Labour Council ignores residents and closes Harrow Green Library

Harrow Green Library axed by Labour CouncilLast Thursday the Labour Council voted to close down Harrow Green Library. Residents had raised a petition of over 5,000 signatures and local Lib Dems had also raised a petition of over 1,1000 signatures to save the library.

Despite these petitions, fierce local residents’ opposition to the proposal and impassioned speeches, Labour Councillors voted to close the Library. The Tories abstained and the Liberal Democrats were the only party to vote against the closure. Even local Labour Councillors, whose residents had campaigned to stop the closure, voted to shut down Harrow Green Library.

Local Lib Dem Cann Hall Ward Councillor Liz Phillips, who has been leading the campaign in the council said:

“Local residents worked hard on this issue and took time out of their day to come and speak in the debate in good faith, only to find that the Labour Party had stitched up the result in advance.

“I’m not surprised that some residents walked out in disgust. Labour has refused to listen to local residents all along and this council meeting was no different.

“The Labour councillors can’t use a cut in the budget to hide the fact that it is them who are closing down our local library.”

The closure was based on the widely criticised libraries’ review and despite the consultation process, two petitions and recommendations from the council’s own scrutiny panel that no libraries needed to close, the Labour leadership refused to change course.

Lib Dem Leader Councillor Bob Sullivan said:

“The Libraries’ Review has been widely criticised and appears to have been a foregone conclusion from the start.

“The questions asked in the consultation were clearly misleading. For example, residents were asked if they would like their library to start opening on Sundays, but weren’t asked if they minded other libraries closing for this to be achieved.

“Of course residents suggest improved services, but if they knew that the council were robbing Harrow Green to pay for those services I believe they would think again.

Ive Farm Playing Field left derelict!

Ive Farm Playing Field 'abandoned' by Labour 
The playing field at Ive Farm were managed by the SCORE complex in Oliver Road.

They went bust and the fields are now in the hands of the Council, but they continue to lie derelict.

Councillor Bob Sullivan has tried to get the Council to allow the local running club to use the field, but the Council says it does not have any money to make the site safe for use. Bob Sullivan said “The Liberal Democrats will continue to push for the field to be made available to local sports clubs.”

 Interestingly there is £5.5 million due from the Olympic Authority for closing down Drapers Field but not a penny will go on refurbishing this playing field!!!

The Big 6 Launch!

Mahmood Faiz at the Big 6 launch

To celebrate the Games the Council is laying on 6 events across Waltham Forest. The events are:

  • Winter Wonderland – A seasonal experience featuring Santa and his reindeer and a 300 square metre ice rink to test your skating skills

  • New Year’s Fireworks – Two displays in the north and South of the borough

  • Party on the Pitch – A top pop event at Leyton Orient football stadium

  • Modern Symphony – A live concert in Walthamstow

  • 2012 Festival of Sports – A chance to try your hand at a series of sporting challenges

  • Forest Film Fest – A summer weekend of outdoor cinema screenings

Bus and Tube Fares Hike in January!

Caroline Pidgeon and Simon Hughes MP, with local campaigners Mahmood Faiz and Suleman Ahmed

From January, prices are set to go up sharply, well above inflation. In fact, on current inflation forecasts our fares will be going up by over a third more than inflation. This is a very unwelcome New Year present waiting for us!

Yet, at the same time, Mayor Johnson has failed to tackle fraud and waste – the sort of waste that led Transport for London to spend £39 million on two lift shafts at Shepherds Bush Station, which have now been abandoned. Two expensive holes in the ground which will now be left unused permanently.

One-Hour Bus Ticket Campaign Relaunched

Caroline Pidgeon, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on the London Assembly said:

“What the Mayor should be doing is to take real action to stop Londoners being ripped off in Oyster overcharging and give bus users a fair deal by introducing a one-hour bus ticket. That way people could swap between buses for short journeys without being hit for an extra charge. It’s the sensible way to encourage people to use buses without having to pay the earth.”

Your can back our campaign for a fair one-hour bus ticket by signing the petition at:

http://ourcampaign.org.uk/1hourbusticket

Waltham Forest is going Digital – be prepared!

Television is going digital all over the United Kingdom, and soon the traditional TV signal will be switched off – if you don’t have digital TV by the time that happens, your TV screen will go blank!

In London the switchover dates are:

  • April 4th 2012 – BBC analogue channels are switched off

  • April 18th 2012 – all remaining analogue stations are swiched off.

Checkout all the latest information at www.digitaluk.co.uk and enter your postcode.

The BBC is running a Switchover Help Scheme to provide older and disabled people with everythong they need to switch their TV to digital. Who is eligible?

  • Anyone over 75
  • Anyone who has lived in a care home for six months or more
  • Anyone receiving either Disability Living, Constant Attendance or Mobility allowances
  • Anyone who is registered blind or partially sighted

The FOCUS Team says:

You may have friends or family or know of someone in your local community who will need help with the switchover. If so, please pass this information on to them.

Save Harrow Green Library petition – update!

Harrow Green Library to be axed by Labour Council

The Liberal Democrat petition to ‘Save Harrow Green Library’ of over 1000 signatures, has been handed to the Council. Along with another residents petition, the total signatures comes to over 4000.

These petitions indicate the overwhelming support by residents that they want to keep the Library open.

The Council’s consultation on the review of libraries has come to an end and will be reported to the Cabinet on the 11th of October.

Lib Dem councillors Liz Phillips and Bob Sullivan were members of a Scrutiny Panel that scrutinised the original Cabinet report.

The Panel noted that the Cabinet report left many questions unanswered and while it contained a great deal of information, it was not always the right information. They felt the report did not do a complete job.

The Panel identified 19 recomendations which will be given to the Cabinet in October. If implemented would support the expansive Library and Information Service, whilst negating the closure of any library.

Among the 19 panel recommendations to enable libraries to afford keeping open were:

  • Shelving Sunday opening and all libraries should be closed on Mondays.
  • Opening hours should be reviewed.
  • The charges for the use of libraries to be reviewed.
  • Consider locating staff from rental premises to space currently available in Harrow Green Library.
  • Review salaries and grading of staff and review library contracts e.g. cleaning services.

There were many other recommendations, which hopefully, will give the Cabinet reasons to save the libraries from closure.

Save Harrow Green Library – update!

Harrow Green Library - facing the axe!

Thanks to everyone whom has supported the petition to ‘Save Harrow Green Library’. So far, there are over 1,000 signatures with more being received daily. Others too having been collecting signatures.

Petition Closing Soon

The petition is due to be presented to the Mayor in a matter of days. If you would like to show your support please sign our on line petition now at:

http://ourcampaign.org.uk/HarrowGreenLibrary

Thank you

Flats for the Olympics?

A planning application lasting only for three years, has been submitted to the Council. It is a temporary conversion of the Technical Institute, part of the old Leyton Town Hall, entrance in Adelaide Road.

The plan is to convert the inside of the building into 32 residential units:

15 studio flats, 11 x 1 bed flats, 2 x 2 bed flats and 4 x 3 bed flats.

There is obviously going to be a demand for accommodation in Leyton that is near the Olympic Park. Councillor Bob Sullivan said that he would not be surprised if these flats were not snapped up soon after they are built. This is probably what the developers are also thinking.

What they are going to turn them into after three years is anyones guess?

But one thing whatever they do, there is no parking provision. Local residents already have a major problem in parking in the road and more flats without parking spaces, will only add to the problem.