Published January 19th, 2012
The Council’s New Year Resolution should be to pay local businesses on time!
Figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats show that Waltham Forest Council have failed to meet their own targets for paying local businesses within 10 days for 7 out of the last 8 months. And they have only once met their targets for paying small businesses on time since last April 2011.
According to the Federation of Small Businesses the Government estimates that in 2008, 4,000 businesses failed as a direct result of late payment and it costs UK businesses £180 million in debt interest charges. The problem of late payment is not just a commercial one, but it is also ethically wrong. When large businesses or the public sector pay late, it can put small firms out of business.
Liberal Democrat Leader and Finance Spokesperson, Councillor Bob Sullivan said:
“This is a tough time for small businesses and these targets were set to try and help cash flow for local businesses in Waltham Forest.
“For some small businesses, being paid promptly can mean the difference between growing or standing still; between creating jobs or cutting them; between keeping the doors open or closing them for good.”
“It is unacceptable that the council is failing local businesses in this way. Officers and Cabinet members should use the new year to turn over a new leaf and pay local businesses on time in 2012.”
Published January 18th, 2012
Fire Brigade 999 service for sale!
Residents in Waltham Forest will be put at risk if the Mayor’s plans to privatise Fire Brigade 999 call handling go ahead, warn the borough’s Liberal Democrat Councillors.
Conservatives on the London Fire Authority backed by Mayor Boris Johnson propose to contract out the Fire Brigade Control Room that handles over 200,000 emergency 999 calls a year. They intend to push their controversial plan through before voters get a say in next May’s Mayoral and London Assembly elections, when controversial Conservative LFEPA boss Cllr Brian Coleman risks being ousted.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Farooq Qureshi said:
“I was shocked to hear of this plan. It makes no sense to separate the people answering 999 calls from the rest of the Fire Brigade. There are no private companies with a decent track record in this highly specialised fire safety work. It will just end up costing more money as the Fire Brigade will need an army of staff to check the private call handlers are getting it right. This is all about Conservative dogma rather than what is best for local residents’ safety.”
The Fire Brigade’s Union is also strongly opposed to the privatisation plan.
Commenting on the sell off Liberal Democrat Candidate for Mayor of London, Brian Paddick said:
“As a former police chief I recognise that control rooms are an essential part of the emergency response. Privatising the fire brigade control room runs the risk of providing a second class service at a higher cost to the public.”
Published November 29th, 2011
Local Police Stations not open 24 hours
The only Police station open 24 hours in Waltham Forest is Chingford. The others are closed most of the early hours.
The following are the opening times of Waltham Forest Police stations Monday to Sunday:
Chingford – 24 hours
Leyton – 0700 – 0300
Walthamstow – 0700 – 0300
Town Centre office – Tuesday – Saturday 1000-1800
Waltham House (Leytonstone) – 0700 – 1900
Remember – In an emergency you need to phone 999
Published October 30th, 2011
Schools In Waltham Forest Will Receive £4.8 Million In Pupil Premium
Following an announcement made by the Minister of Education Sarah Teather MP, schools in Waltham Forest and across the country are set to receive 331 Million Pounds through pupil premium, to help around 140,000 of the most disadvantaged 2 year olds with free child care.
This means that, across Waltham Forest, schools will receive an extra 4.8 million pounds through pupil premium, to help the most vulnerable. That is £488 for each child on free school meals list.
The pupil premium is a policy, the Liberal Democrats devised and campaigned for, and put at the heart of coalition negotiations. Now it is more then just a good policy, it is a reality, making a difference to the schools down our road. It goes directly in to the classrooms and will benefit all pupils.
It is also a milestone in breaking the link between poverty and achievement, tackling Labour’s shocking legacy where the richest 16-year olds are three times as likely to get five good GCSEs as the poorest.
Published October 27th, 2011
Labour Council ignores residents and closes Harrow Green Library
Last 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.
Published October 21st, 2011
LABOUR COUNCILLORS VOTE TO CLOSE HARROW GREEN LIBRARY
Last night, at the full council meeting, all Labour councillors voted in favour of closing down Harrow Green Library. Liberal Democrat councillors voted against the closure whilst the conservatives abstained. Labour councillors brought in the motion to the full council for the closure. There was a lengthy debate, in which Labour councillors yet once again played the blame game and kept blaming the coalition Government for the cuts.
Liberal Democrat councillor Bob Sullivan reminded the meeting that Labour have a history of closing libraries in Waltham Forest. With the closure of St James street library, and the attempted closures of Lea Bridge and Leyton libraries, to name but a few.
ANOTHER FREE PUBLIC SERVICE FALLS VICTIM OF THIS LABOUR ADMINSTRATION
Published October 15th, 2011
Peterborough Road Area CPZ Cosultation
Waltham Forest council has sent out consultation documents for Peterborough Road area Control Parking Zone Scheme(CPZ). This consultation is based on parking demand surveys carried out by the council, which showed that there is parking congestion in the area. The aim of this consultation is to determine wheather there is adequate support for the area to be included in the 2011/12 controlled parking scheme implementation programme.
The deadline for the response of this consultation is 21st October 2011. Please do not forget to register your views.
Cllr Farooq Qureshi and the Forest Ward Focus Team are also sending out a Focus Street survey to determine the views of residents of effected roads. Please fill in the survey and return it to your Focus Team ASAP.
The roads covered by this scheme are:
Forest View Ave, Fulready Road, Eatington Road, Halford Road, West End Ave, Peterborough Road, Carnarvon Road, Liverpool Road, Matlock Road(part), Nottingham Road(part), Canterbury Road(part), Colchester Road(part)Sandringham Road, James Lane and Essex Road.
THE MAIN QUESTION IS: DO YOU WANT A CPZ IN YOUR ROAD OR NOT??
Please let us know
Published September 16th, 2011
Save Harrow Green Library
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.
Published August 28th, 2011
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. I 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.
Published August 28th, 2011
Could you be a ‘SNOW ANGEL’?
Waltham Forest, like many other Councils is planning for the coming winter and want residents to play a vital role in making sure that the borough can cope in the event of severe weather conditions.
Suitable precautions to deal with snow and ice are being put into place, but the Council is hoping that residents will agree to become “Snow Angels” and help clear their vulnerable neighbours’ drives and pathways of snow and ice.The Snow Angel scheme was piloted last year amongst Council staff who live in the borough and who volunteered to grit and shovel snow from drives, pathways and pavements to keep the borough moving. This proved to be a huge success so now the Council has decided to roll the scheme out to the residents of Waltham Forest.Volunteers will be provided with the following free equipment:
1 x 20kg bag of grit
Hi-visibility jacket
Protective gloves
Snow scoop and shovel
If you are interested in becoming a “Snow Angel” please contact Amanda Karrinton on 0208 496 1296 or email on amanda.karrinton@walthamforest.gov.uk by 31st August 2011 and you will be provided with further information.
