Lib Dems keep Council Tax promise but warn of “uniquely challenging times”

Waltham Forest councillors last night approved the borough’s yearly budget, with Liberal Democrats keeping their promise to set Council Tax below 2.5%.

The level for this year is set at a below average 1.9%, with additional funds being put into street cleaning services, mental health services and enforcement powers to clamp down on rogue property developers.

Lib Dem leader Cllr John Macklin spoke for the Liberal Democrat group and congratulated fellow Liberal Democrat members for their work on keeping local taxes low. However he criticised the government for their hike in council tenant rent costs, suggesting that this move typified a “completely outdated” central approach to local government.

Cllr Macklin also offered opposition Tory councillors the opportunity to put their ‘alternative’ budget material budget proposals – recieved just hours before the budget meeting – through a proper scrutiny process, adding that there should be “no political restrictions on good ideas for our borough”.

Read Cllr Macklin’s full speech to Council and let us know what you think!

Lib Dems lead opposition to council tenant rent rises

Liberal Democrat MPs have led a parliamentary debate criticising the Labour government’s decision to raise rent levels for hard-pressed council tenants.

Despite the economic crisis, rent payments for Council tenants in Waltham Forest will go up by 5.8%.  The move has been criticised by Liberal Democrats on the Council, with local Leader John Macklin calling on Gordon Brown to “seriously reconsider his lack of practical support for our local Council tenants”.

Now senior Liberal Democrats have led a debate amongst MPs in which it was claimed that the local council tenants were being “systematically mugged” by the Government as a result of how the housing subsidy works.

Liberal Democrat spokesperson Sarah Teather MP said:

“The whole system is predicated on the Government’s starting model, which forces councils to put rents up.

“Many council tenants pay substantially higher rents than one would expect.  Throughout the country, council tenants are falling into severe arrears.  Some 80,000 tenants in London are in arrears, and 11,000 of them have been threatened with eviction, underlining the point that the rent increases are felt very keenly by people on very low incomes.”

Neither of the two local Labour MPs spoke in support of the Liberal Democrats criticisms during the debate.

Click here to read the full debate.

Waltham Forest the winner with the Lib Dems!

Cllr Bob Wheatley with Chris Huhne and Lib Dem leader Nick CleggWilliam Morris councillor Bob Wheatley has a letter published in this week’s Waltham Forest guardian outlining the improvements in local services since the Liberal Democrat became involved in the Council administration.

Cllr Wheatley, who is one of the longest sereving councillors in Waltham Forest, goes onto credit the regular delivery of the Liberal Democrat FOCUS leaflets for our FOUR recent by-election wins in the borough. 

Have a look below to see what he had to say…

Remember – it’s now easier than ever to catch up with your local news through the FOCUS FILE!

Higham Park Lib Dems in action!

Cllr Patrick Smith, Cllr Sean Meiszner and Cllr Peter WoollcottThe 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”

Local Lib Dems hit out at government rent rise plan

Cllr Macklin: Waltham Forest Liberal Democrats have criticised Government proposals for a massive hike in Council Tenant rent payments.

Rents in London are set to rise by up to 9% after the Government proposed an increase of more than double the current rate of inflation.  Although the increase in Waltham Forest has been recommended by the portfolio holder to be set at 5.8%, local Liberal Democrat Leader John Macklin is calling for the Government to think again about its reccomendations.

Cllr Macklin said:

“I am very unhappy about this proposed local rent increase and I have made my feelings on the issue clear to both Council officers and the responsible cabinet members.

“This proposal either represents some very muddled thinking by the Labour Party or another cynical attempt to play smoke and mirrors with financial support at a time when many need it the most.

“First it was Whipps Cross, then Post Office closures.  How many more times are local Labour councillors going to be forced to try and disown their own party colleagues in Government?

 “I accept that, to a large extent, the Council is dictated to by the Labour Government’s policy on this issue, and so I find it staggering that they think it is appropriate to saddle local people with this kind of increased financial burden.   It comes at a time when the country is suffering what ministers are now admitting is a national financial crisis more extreme and more serious than that of the 1930s.

“Gordon Brown needs to stop juggling his finances in order to produce the best newspaper headlines and seriously reconsider his lack of practical support for our local Council tenants”

The Focus file

As well as recieving your latest Lib Dem FOCUS leaflet direct to your door, you will now be able to keep up to date with all the latest news from your ward in The FOCUS file.All the latest issues of the popular Lib Dem newsletter will now be available to view here online, so you never have to miss hearing about the latest work being carried out on your behalf by the Lib Dem team in your corner of Waltham Forest.

So head over now to The FOCUS file to check out the latest news from your local Lib Dem team.

Get your FOCUS online!

Through our website you will now be able to keep up to date with the work of your local Liberal Democrat ward team via our popular FOCUS leaflets, as all issues will now be available online!

But don’t worry, you will still be getting your FOCUS delivered regularly to your door…

First up is the latest issue of the FOREST WARD Focus, featuring the work of councillors Farooq Qureshi and Samina Safdar.

Future of 80 year old building outlined

Cllr James O'Rourke (centre) campaigns with London Lib Dem MP Simon Hughes and Hale End and Highams Park councillor Sheila Smith-PryorLocal LIb Dem councillor James O’Rourkes blog carries news of the High St FOCUS team’s recent briefing on the future of the former EMD site in Hoe St.

The historic building, owned by the UK Church of God, has been earmarked for a redevelopment that will see a theatre, cafe and gallery placed on the site complex.

Cllr O’Rourke has been the first to bring you news of the plans after he discovered that talks over the future of the former cinema were taking place between owners and cabinet members.  The High St LIb Dem team have given a cautious welcome to the plans.

Read more of what Cllr O’Rourke has to say on the issue at his excellent blogsite.

Higham Hill team want better buses for residents

This week's local Yellow AdvertiserThe 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”.

Council Tax Level – Lib Dems respond

Lib Dem Leader Cllr John Macklin has had the following letter (‘Labour does not act alone here’) published on page 14 in the ‘Your Views’ section of this week’s Waltham Forest Guardian in response to a recent article in which Labour Leader Clyde Loakes set out the Council’s proposed 1.9% Council Tax increase – a level well below many other boroughs:

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