The Liberal Democrats were shocked to see that a report on the Library Service was agreed by the Cabinet on 14 June, includes the proposal to close both Harrow Green and South Chingford Libraries.

The Council has commissioned Kinnear Landscape Architects to develop improvements for Abbotts Park.

There is to be a public consultation in the park on Saturday 25th June between 2 and 5pm.

Council officers and the design team will be there to hear your views on the proposals, which as usual are subject to planning consent and funding.

If you cannot make this meeting, the plans will also be on display in Leyton Library, Leyton High Road, corner of Ruckholt Road on Monday 27th June. A representative from the designers will be present between 4 and 6pm.

This is your opportunity to express your views on this scheme.

Liberal Democrat councillor Mahmood Hussain on Wednnesday 18 May told Waltham Forest’s Planning Committee that the council should refuse the planning application submitted by UKCG to turn the EMD Cinema into a religious assembly hall.

Councillor Hussain, who represents High Street ward which includes the EMD Cinema site, said:

“The key questions can be summarised very simply. Does the proposed development respect the building’s heritage and listed building status? Is the impact on the area and particularly on nearby residents acceptable? Does the proposed development contribute satisfactorily to the regeneration of Walthamstow Town Centre? On all three counts I believe the answer is no.

“This view is shared by an enormous number of local residents. Our borough has hundreds of places of worship of all types and sizes. But it does not have a single cinema. We have clear evidence that the building is potentially viable as a cinema, arts and entertainment venue.

“This would bring new life to the area and stimulate the local economy – unlike the proposal before you. The proposed changes to the building would destroy much of what is special about this unique building, which is one of the oldest, largest and best preserved cinema buildings in the country.

“Residents would suffer from the absence of a proper noise management scheme and from parking problems generated by cars descending on the area from miles away.

“For the sake of Walthamstow please listen to local people, weigh up the planning merits of the case and refuse the application.”

Speaking after the decision to refuse the planning application Councillor Hussain said he was delighted that the Planning Committee had listened to the arguments put forward by objectors.

“This is good and important news for Walthamstow Town Centre but it is only one step forward. Following two planning refusals and endless discussion I hope UKCG will now abandon their plan. We must allow those who are able to bring the cinema back into use the chance to realise the cinema’s true potential.”

The local Guardian newspaper has highlighted the amount of taxpayers’ money that the Labour Council is spending on campaign propaganda. Is this a smoke screen to hide their cuts to services?

In a poll by one national newspaper Waltham Forest was judged the highest spender on propaganda in the country.

The budget Councillor Bob Sullivan put forward on behalf of the Liberal Democrat Group in opposition to the Labour budget showed many areas of savings including the saving of £250,000 by getting rid of the political campaigning and putting that money into respite care for children and families.

The reduction in respite care will cause much anxiety to the families who desperately need respite care for them and their children.

The Liberal Democrats were the only party to oppose the Labour budget – the Conservatives did not put forward any alternative budget, but spent time praising the Labour leader of the Council! So much for Tory opposition.

Knotts Green Road, Belmont Park Road, William Street and St. Heliers Road

After years of campaigning by residents and your local Liberal Democrat Focus Team about the problems of parking in these roads, the Council has finally got down to consult with residents about a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) in these roads.

The following link directs you to a copy of the plan showing the full area of the CPZ: http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/shernhall_baker_plan.pdf

All residents should have received the consultation document, and sent in their views by now.

If you have not filled it in and returned it you only have until Monday 16th May to send it in.

It is important that you make your views known.

If you have any queries or questions please do not hesitate to contact your Liberal Democrat Ward Councillor Farooq Qureshi, tel 07956 290240. You can also contact him via this website.

The link below shows the revised proposals

Following concerns raised by John Howard and London Buses the Council has revised their proposals.

THE PLAZA – The road layout has reverted the existing design. It was agreed that the proposals did not allow sufficient space, and access to the public car park and the LT vehicle entrance has been reinstated.

CHURCH LANE – Church Lane now divides into two spurs. One terminates at the emergency barrier while the other leads directly into the car park.

Revised layout Church Lane and The Plaza

Drivers be aware that Knotts Green Road, Leyton, turns into one way system on the morning of 31st January 2011. You will only be able to enter the road from Lea Bridge Road and exit into Leyton Green Road.

Local people and green campaigners reacted with disappointment after a High Court judge refused to overturn Newham Council’s decision to expand London City Airport.

Residents, represented by Friends of Earth’s Justice Centre, took the council to court in November last year after it decided to allow a 50 percent increase in flights. The community Representatives argued that Newham Council failed to consider changes to Government’s policy on climate changes and did not properly consult boroughs and residents in the surrounding areas.

Reacting to the decision, Chair of local campaign group”Fight the Flights” Anne-Marie Griffin said:

“We are desperately disappointed by this judgement. London City Airport already causes major disturbance and pollution for people living locally. The disappointment we feel at this outcome will be shared by thousands of residents across East London who are severely affected by London City Airport’s operations but were not consulted about the expansion.

Speaking about the decision Cllr F Qureshi said: Many people in east and south east London are already facing serious problems with noise and disturbance from air flights. Airport expansion will have a terrible impact on local people’s quality of life, as well as increase air pollution breaches and undermine efforts to tackle climate change.