Lib Dems call for Labour council to apologise to residents

Liberal Democratshave demanded that the Council apologises to local residents for wasting hundreds of thousands of pounds on the departure of Andrew Kilburn the Chief Executive.

Councillor Naheed Qureshi says: “At a time when money is tight and every penny counts, it is a scandal that Labour councillors are prepared to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds to get rid of someone.

There are many important local services that badly need that sort of cash.

It is a bit rich of Labour councillors to complain about cuts  and then go on to waste money on this scale. Local taxpayers deserve a Council that spends their money responsibly.”

Windsor Road

Councillor Bob Sullivan is pressing the Council to investigate making Windsor Road one-way.

This road is too narrow for cars to pass each other which causes angry scenes and hooting as vehicles refuse to reverse.

We will keep you updated on progress.

Lib Dems push Government to build new schools in Waltham Forest

Cllr Bob Sullivan at George Mitchell SchoolLiberal Democrat councillors are pressing the Government to provide money for new school buildings for our local children.

“Anyone who has visited schools such as George Mitchell and Buxton (formerly Tom Hood) knows how much new buildings are needed. We owe it to the children of our borough to do all we can to provide them with the high quality education they deserve. This includes making sure that they can learn in decent surroundings,” said Liberal Democrat Group Leader Bob Sullivan.

The Liberal Democrat group is hugely disappointed that the cancellation of Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme has hit local schools so badly. It is an enormous shame, but if Labour had made faster progress with the BSF schemes since 2003 we would not now be in the situation where more Waltham Forest schools have been stopped compared with other boroughs. However Lib Dem councillors believe the important thing is what happens next.

Councillor Winnie Smith says: “BSF was a cumbersome, bureaucratic and expensive way of funding school buildings which funnelled money into the pockets of consultants and private contractors. The government has pledged to continue to invest in school buildings and the Liberal Democrats will be at the forefront of the campaign to make sure that Waltham Forest schools get their fair share of this spending.”

DRAPERS FIELD – the end of sports facilities?

Drapers Field with the all-weather pitch in the distanceThe Labour Cabinet has agreed in principle to close Drapers Field for 16 months from September 2011.

The Waltham Forest Guardian archives show that over £1.5 million has been spent installing the all-weather pitch, and upgrading the other sports facilities.

The Council Leader is reported to have said: “We would be able, through the compensation package, to completely refurbish Draper’s Field … we could turn it into a very special park.”

The FOCUS Team notes that there is no mention of it being reinstated as a sports field, which it has been since the late 1800s.

If you believe that, as an Olympic borough, we should be cherishing our sporting facilities. Please sign our on-line petition at:

http://ourcampaign.org.uk/DrapersField

Olympic Funding comes to Leyton High Road

You may have read the news a few months ago, that Leyton High Road and the Ruckholt Road area are due to be given a facelift thanks to the Olympics.

Cllrs Qureshi, Smith and I were invited to a meeting recently; to take a look at the changes that are being proposed to parts of Leyton High Rd over the coming years as we build up to the Olympics.

Almost £5 million is set to be spent in the area. Changes that are being proposed include new seating areas, shop frontages and lighting along the High Rd, in particular.

Although they are in their initial stages and subject to a consultation (which I am told is going to take place very soon) , I am very excited, as some of the planned changes will, i believe, transform the area and give it a much needed facelift. I have my reservations, about a few proposed changes around the Leyton station area; which I spoke about in the meeting. I do hope my suggestions are taken on board.

The officers concerned, visited the Leyton & Whipps Cross Community Council which took place last month and outlined initial plans to the members of the public who were in attendance.

If you would like to know more about the proposed changes, please email me.

NOOR UL ISLAM SUMMER FAIR JULY

Leyton Cricket Ground was heaving in July as families gathered to enjoy a fun day out. I took my grandaughter along too and she was not dissapponted. The Noor Ul Islam Summer Fair now takes its place as a must-go event in the annual calendar for Leyton. Pictured above with me is Cllr. Naheed Qureshi and her son Zakariah.

I was extremely thrilled to attend this event as it is not every day that a mosque puts on a summer fair, which is attended by a cross section of the local community. Well, it was held over a weekend actually, such was the demand for tickets. 

The Noor Ul Islam mosque which is based on High Rd, Leyton ought to be congratulated for their hard work in the borough. They have worked wonders for the local muslim community. They have also strived to bridge te gap between the muslim and non muslim community and I do hope they continue to grow as an organisation. And that other mosques take valuable lessons from them in terms of how vital the role of a mosque is in this ethnically diverse part of London.

Waltham Forest Labour off to bad start spending thousands to get rid of Chief Executive

Lib Dem Leader Bob Sullivan has responded to the need to find savings at Waltham Forest council and Labour councillors’ decision to get rid of the council’s Chief Executive. He said:

Gordon Brown’s economic legacy means that all levels of government have to make tough choices. Labour in Waltham Forest has got off to a bad start by seeking to get rid of the serving Chief Executive at enormous cost to the local taxpayer.

The Liberal Democrats will campaign to protect crucial services that affect people’s lives. We will support measures to improve efficiency and cut out waste, bureaucracy and unnecessary spending.

The council spends hundreds of thousands of pounds each year on marketing and communications and could save more if it employed fewer interim staff and consultants. It must make progress on the Arcade site and other projects where every delay costs local taxpayers money.

It is vital that the measures announced by the council are considered properly by councillors and I will ask for full details to be submitted to the relevant scrutiny committee.

Local sports area Drapers Field under threat

Drapers Field - all-weather pitch in the distanceLib Dem councillors have expressed alarm at news that Labour councillors are negotiating to turn popular sports facility Draper’s Field into a car park – just a few months after pledging to protect Waltham Forest’s green spaces and leisure facilities.The news has sparked anger among local Liberal Democrat campaigners, who say the all-weather pitch and playing fields are used by over 9,000 people every month.According to information received, Labour Council Leader Chris Robbins is actively negotiating to lease the playing fields to the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) for possible use as a VIP car park or other Olympic use. As a result local children and football clubs will have nowhere to play in Olympic year while international elite athletes race for medals just a few hundred yards away.

The all-weather pitchLeyton councillor and Liberal Democrat Group Leader Bob Sullivan said:“To allow Drapers Field to be given over to the ODA and turned into a car park or other Olympic facility, would be a travesty for local clubs and schools. The Olympics should be used to encourage sport, not destroy it. Under Labour the council is in danger of missing a huge opportunity to gain Olympic benefits “Drapers Field is situated at the southern end of Leyton High Road.  It  has the only Council owned all weather astroturf pitch in Leyton and Leytonstone. Local Norlington School uses it four days a week and if it was to be closed down then this would be a disaster for the school.