Cllr Bob Sullivan

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.”

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.”

Those of you who live in Leyton Ward should have received our Christmas FOCUS, but those of you who do not live in Leyton Ward can see our latest Focus Newsetter here:-          Leyton 329

This Christmas edition contains information about:-  Rubbish collection fiasco, Leyton CPZ, Lea Hall Gardens, Clyde Place, Windsor Road traffic survey, Etloe Road and a lot more.

The Focus newsletter is written by your local Focus Team and is delivered across the ward not only by the three of us but a network of local volunteers FREE! 

IF YOU LIKE FOCUS AND WOULD LIKE TO HELP US BY DELIVERING IT IN YOUR ROAD, STREET OR BLOCK – THEN TELEPHONE ME on  - 020 8556 8335

Don’t forget you can read previous Focus newsletters by looking into the Focus Archive displayed on the right hand side of this site.

I and my colleagues Councillor Winnie Smith and Councillor Naheed Qureshi, wish you all a very Merry Christmas to you and your families.

If you need any help over the festive season, then do not hesitate to contact us.  Our Councillor advice surgeries will still be open on Saturdays 24th and 31st of December at Leyton Library 10.00 till 12 noon. 

Since the Council blocked of Buckingham Road, Windsor Road became the only direct road between Oliver Road and the High Road.  The parked cars each side of the road will not allow vehicles to pass each other so vehicles coming from both the High Road and Oliver meet in the middle.  This has caused angry words, congestion and speeding vehicles which try to make it to the other end of the road before other vehicles come into the road.  

To find out residents views The Focus Team did a traffic survey in Windsor Road.  The response was overwhelming, most people felt that there was a traffic problem and agreed that a one-way system in the road would help to reduce the log jams that arise when vehicles are unable to pass each other.  Residents views were split on what way the one way system they would like.

Having collated the responses from the survey replies the results were as follows:   
Is there a traffic problem in the road – YES 83.33%   NO 16.66%
Those that agreed also said that a one way system should be put in the road.
37.5% said the one way should be from the High Road to Oliver Road.
39.5% said it should be from Oliver Road to the High Road.
2 people did not choose, and 1 had an alternative of making Windsor Road one way both from Oliver Road and the High Road meeting at Brisbane Road.

These results have been sent to the Council’s Traffic Engineers with the hope that something can be done to help out the resident’s of Windsor Road.

Leyton Orient FC backed by Waltham Forest Council approached The Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA) who own the Eton Manor site which is in Leyton and in Waltham Forest, with a bid to take over the planned hockey stadium and turn it into a football and rugby stadium after the Olympics.  The Orient bid would in the words of Barry Hearn, make the post Olympic Eton Manor area more sustainable and enable the football club to remain in Leyton and in Waltham Forest.  He said that if he could not move to Eton Manor then the club was likely to move out of the area or fade away.  A detailed financial appraisal was presented to LVRP executive committee in November.  The executive referred its decision to a Special Authority meeting on the  15th December.

The LVRP authority meeting on the 15th considered a report from the LVRP Chief Executive outlining the reasons why it could not agree to Leyton Orient’s plans and to refuse Orient’s request.  As the Waltham Forest member on the LVRP authority I enthused the sustainability of the Orients bid and said that I and Waltham Forest residents would not like to see the football club move from Waltham Forest.  Unfortunately, apart from myself, all other members voted against Orient’s proposals. 

I am not sure what Barry Hearn and Leyton Orient FC will now do.  I hope that their forecast of the future can be resolved and the club can stay at Brisbane Road.

The Council’s consultation on a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) in Leyton has finished and we are waiting for the results.

We now hear that there will be an Olympic CPZ from June to September next year, covering Leyton and Leytonstone, running from Lea Bridge Road down to the Olympic Park.

There will be no charge to residents and businesses and those roads that already have a CPZ will get a one month free extension to their permits when they renew.

Many residents’ rubbish and recycling has remained uncollected for weeks.

The Council says it is caused by teething troubles experienced by their new waste contractor – Kier. Residents have been complaining to Focus that they have had to wait three or four weeks to get their bins emptied, but even when the rubbish bins have been emptied the recycling has been left. Many residents say that they have phoned the Council but have been fobbed off with excuses.

Focus says: The Council’s contractor is being paid millions to collect our rubbish and recycling. The Council should make sure rubbish and re4cycling  is collected regularly and on time. There should be no excuse for such abysmal service.

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