Cllrs Samina Safdar and Farooq Qureshi inspected the alley way with the Head of Public Realm of the council. As reported by the Focus Team previously, this alley way has become a problem spot. 

The Head of Public Realm informed the councillors that due to the fact that this alleyway is a private land and not owned by the Borough, the council is unable to take responsibility. However, if the residents whose gardens back on to the alleyway are willing to share the cost of erecting a security gate, the council will meet the cost and have the Alley Way cleaned and cleared up.

Cllrs Samina Safdar and Farooq Qureshi are in process of calling a meeting of the concerned residents to discuss the issue.

For future developments, watch this space.

Liberal Democrats Parliamentary candidate for Leyton & wanstead Cllr Farooq Qureshi, alongside other members of Finance Overview and Scrutiny sub committee went on a tour of the Olympic park, led by a guide from the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), the organisation responsible for building the Olympic park.

It was fascinating to see the once run down area of the east end of London being transformed into a high quality sports arena, which will be the focus of attention for the whole world.

The visiting group was told that the building program is progressing according to schedule and is on course to complete by 2011 for the rehearsals to begin. Special attention is being focused on all the small details. The ODA have made sure to include even the praying facilities in the Olympic village.

Following the tour of the park, there was an informal reception hosted by ODA in one of their specially built flats that over looks the Olympic park.

Speaking about the post-games plans, Cllr Qureshi said: “I know that a lengthy and thorough assessment was carried out about what legacy the Olympic games will leave behind. I hope that the residents of Leyton & Wanstead will receive their fair share of the benefits by way of a legacy“.

Earlier this year, in partnership with Streetcar, the council launched a network of car clubs across the Borough for the benefit of residents and businesses. The scheme has proved poplar, and to meet the growing demand the council now is working to expand the coverage. It is proposed that two new car club bays will be introduced in Forest Ward.

Waltham Forest council has sent out consultations on proposed car club bays in Forest Ward. The council is seeking your views on the proposals to provide car club parking spaces on St.Andrew’s Road, close to the junction with Poppleton Road and on Fletcher Lane near the junction with High Road Leyton.

For further information on car clubs please visit these websites: www.walthamforest.gov.uk/car-club

www.carclub.org.uk

If you would like to comment on this proposal or if you have any questions, please contact

Billy Parr on 0208 496 6785 or

billy.parr@walthamforest.gov.uk

An Alley way which runs between the back gardens of some of the houses in Lea Bridge Road and Carnarvon Road has become a problem spot. Irresponsible people use it for fly tipping and other undesirable activities.

Local residents are very concerned and have lodged complaints asking the council to erect a gate and light. But the Council has always maintained that this is privately owned land therefore it is out side the responsibility of the council.

Cllrs Farooq Qureshi and Samina Safdar have taken the matter up with the council once again. The alley way will be visited by the council officers along side the councillors on

Friday 11th September

3.15PM

If you are a concerned local resident, please come and join us.

More planes, more noise and more pollution is what is happening in the skies over Leyton and Wanstead.

There is a significant increase in air traffic, both from London Heathrow and London City Airports crossing over Leyton, Leytonstone, Snaresbrook and Wanstead. Jets from Heathrow fly over us at the altitude of less the 10,000  feet and planes from London City Airport roar over us at around 3000 feet.

We have found out that Newham Council have granted permission for an increase in flights from London City Airport(LCA). This would double the number of flights from 76000(current) to 120,000 per year and would also allow the use of larger capacity jets. LCA hopes to expand on that and by 2030 increase the numbers to 176000 a year.

Good for the airport but misery for residents with flight paths crossing our homes.

The low level take off and landing path affects thousands of homes in the most densely populated areas in East and South East London. National Air Traffic System (NATS) are now also looking into adjusting the current flight paths, simply to accommodate all the extra flights from the flight expansion schemes.

 London City Airport is having to independently have its flight path changed to accommodate the increased use of jets, using the residentially situated airport. Jets simply can’t follow the same flight paths as propeller planes have done in the past.

We have learnt that in 2006, The Newham Council consulted our own Waltham Forest council on the planned expansions. BUT Waltham Forest Council failed to respond to the consultations or inform its residents. When we confronted them over the issue, no one knew why they failed to reply to Newham’s consultation.

We are not anti aviation. We simply believe that London City Airport’s perceived need for extra business has to be balanced with the quality of life of our residents.

With all of the above in mind, we, the Liberal Democrats of Leyton and Wanstead constituency have decided to work with “Fight The Flight” to fight the continued expansions.

Leyton and Wanstead Parliamentary candidate Cllr Farooq Qureshi has organised a public meeting about these issues. Representatives of Fight The Flight and London City Airport have been invited to attend.

If you are concerned about the noise and pollution from the increase in air traffic over our homes, then please come to the meeting. Details are as follows.

Friday 2nd October 09

7.00PM

The Quaker Meeting House

Bush Road, Off Greenman Roundabout

Leytonstone

If you would like to make a formal complaint, please write to,

The Planning Department

London Borough of Newham

Town Hall

Barking Road, East Ham

London, E6 2RP

Ref:- 07/01510/var

Please let us know about your views on this issue.

A small alley way off Poplars Road has become a hot-spot for drug dealers and users of illegal substances. It is also being used for illegal fly tipping.

Cllr Qureshi and officers of The Safer Neighbourhood Team(snt) visited the spot and discussed the ways to eliminate the problems. SNT have promised to increase their patrols of the area. The Focus Team has decided to distribute leaflets to all businesses on Hoe Street whose gardens back on to the alley way, to keep vigilance and report any illegal activities.

FOCUS TEAMS WORK ALL YEAR ROUND

The Focus Team and Officers of The Safer Neighbourhood Team inspected a no right turn traffic sign on Lea Bridge Road which has been partly covered and damaged with spray/paint. Despite the sign being partly covered, Drivers be warned, There still is NO RIGHT TURN from Lea Bridge Road in to Essex Road.This vandalism has been reported and will be rectified ASAP.

Council officers are currently working on several bus priority schemes across the Borough. As a part of this process, it has been identified that vehicles parked in the vicinity of Whipps Cross Road/James Lane junction are causing access difficulties to buses. This is most evident at busy times.

In order to reduce delays to buses, the officers are proposing to introduce additional traffic managment measures. It is proposed that additional 24-hour loading/waiting restriction along both arms of James Lane is introduced to remove the likelihood of blue badge parking on the existing double yellow lines. In addition, extra signage will be erected along Whipps Cross Road to reinforce the existing `No Stopping restriction.

Waltham Forest council has purchased a new drugs testing machine to be used in conjunction with Metropolitan Police. This machine can pick up traces of all types of drugs from any surface.

Pc Neal and officers of the Council presented the machine to the Councillors prior to full Council meeting at the Town Hall. Cllr Farooq Qureshi, Cllr Samina Safdar and a number of other Councillors watched the demonstration with interest.

We hope that with help of this equipment, the authorities will be able to clean up the area from drugs.

Following controversial de-selection of some of the long serving Labour Councillors, Cllr Milton Martin has crossed the floor and joined the Liberal Democrats. Cllr Martin will carry on serving Cathall Ward as a Lib Dem Councillor.

Speaking about his move Cllr Martin said: “I have increasingly found myself disillusioned with the direction of the Labour party both locally and nationally, and the deselection for me was the final straw.

This move has increased the number of Lib Dem Councillors in Waltham Forest to 21. The number of Labour Councillors has gone down to 24(so far) and the Conservatives remain unchanged on 15. 

All of the black Labour Councillors have been ousted, prompting comments that the de-selections were racially motivated.