Leyton Sports Ground – public meeting 19 January

The Cricket Pavilion

The Leyton Sports Ground Management Committee is hoping to extend and improve the sporting facilities offered, and wants to get their neighbours involved in a residents group and have their say.

They are inviting the public to attend a meeting on Saturday 19 January. It will start at 2pm in the Long Room of the Cricket Pavilion, which is by the Crawley Road entrance to the sports ground.

If you would like more information contact Pete Towler, from the Management Committee on 020 8558 4748 or email him at petetowler@yahoo.co.uk

WHAT LOCAL BUSINESSES WANT FOR CHRISTMAS!

LIB DEMS CALL FOR COUNCIL RETHINK OVER PARKING IN THE BOROUGHWith problems over the CPZ consultation and plans by Waltham Forest Council to sell off the Stanley Road Car Park in Bakers Arms shopping area, parking is fast becoming a big issue in the Borough.

Lib Dems are opposing plans by the council to sell off the car park at Bakers Arms. And have gone further by asking the council to extend free parking times over the Christmas period to help local businesses.

Cllr Mahmood Hussain, Lib Dem Environment spokesperson said:

“With Christmas coming up, now would be the perfect time to help local businesses by extending the 15 minutes free parking time up to 30 minutes for the remaining few weeks. This would help our local shops compete with supermarkets and the big shopping centres nearby.

“And selling off the Bakers’ Arms car park is clearly the wrong decision. The car park is badly signposted at the moment but if we could bring it back into proper use it could be a great asset for local businesses.

“Cabinet members need to rethink parking in the Borough and focus on how it can help local businesses.”

Chair of the Bakers’ Arms Business Forum, Suleman Ahmed said:

“We should be taking advantage of the resource that we have in this car park at Bakers’ Arms. If the car park was better managed and better signposted by the council then it would not need to be sold off.

“Extending free parking would also be a great boost to local businesses in the run up to the Christmas period.”

Oliver Close – residents’ survey report back

The recent Focus residents’ survey in Oliver Close identified that there was a problem with dog mess in Walnut Road, Robinia Crescent and the alley-way between the mosque and the fire station.

Following a report by the Focus Team the Council has said that action will be taken to identify the owners of the dogs concerned.

If you know who the owners are, please report it to one of the Focus Team.

Open Day at Leyton Bus Garage

Leyton Bus Garage, at Leyton Green, is celebrating its centenary this year.

It will be open to the public from 10.30 am until 4.30 pm on Saturday 22nd September as part of the national Open House event.

There will be a display of vintage buses as well as displays of the history of bus travel.

In addition there will be vintage bus tours to Stagecoach London’s newest bus station in West Ham, which will depart every 15 minutes.

Olympic Park Legacy

As the Paralympics is now drawing to a close, local people will be thinking about what is going to happen to the venues and the Olympic Park as a whole.The following update has been received from Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat Leader on the London Assembly:

Earlier this year the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) was established to deliver the physical, social, economic and environmental regeneration in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and surrounding area after the 2012 Games. This new mayoral body takes over from a number of organisations and will have planning powers from October 2012.   

Much work has been carried out to ensure that there is a permanent future for each permanent venue in the park.   

The Stadium has received four bids: from West Ham United, Intelligent Transport Services in association with Formula One, UCFB College of Football Business and Leyton Orient. They are now being evaluated ahead of negotiations. These bids would add to the legacy uses already secured for the Stadium such as host to the IAAF 2017 World Athletics Championships.   

The Aquatics Centre will be operated by Greenwich Leisure Limited and will cater for all levels of swimming ability and aquatic disciplines for the community and training athletes. Similarly the Handball Arena LINK will be transformed into a multi-use arena used for a wide range of indoor sports training and competitions as well as cultural and business events.   

The Velodrome will be owned and managed by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority and will be known as the Lee Valley VeloPark. The velodrome will need very little transformation and will become the hub of the VeloPark. The BMX track will remain, but be reconfigured, and a road cycle circuit and mountain bike courses will be added.   

The Press and Broadcast Centre now has a preferred bidder iCITY to become the long term tenant. iCITY aims to create a leading centre for technology, design and research with the potential to generate more than 4,000 jobs. The digital hub would harness innovation and creativity in east London. The iCity vision also has a community focus including a conference centre and a pedestrian square for broadcasting major sporting events, along with cafes, restaurants and bars.   

After the 2012 Games, the park will be closed and works will start to take down temporary venues and to adapt some of the existing venues for future use, as well as building more housing. The park will be re-opening in phases starting in 2013. 

VIEW TUBE AND ACCESS ALONG THE GREENWAY – this facility is due to reopen towards the end of the year.

October 2012 – Summer 2013

During this period the following temporary buildings are scheduled to be removed:

  • Basketball Arena
  • Temporary bridges   
  • Riverbank Hockey Arena   
  • Water Polo Arena     
  • The temporary seating wings at the Aquatics Centre   

 The new Waterden Road will be connected to give access to Park facilities and the neighbouring boroughs  

 Similarly a series of new bridges will also link the Park with the communities  

 Completion of building work on the following projects is scheduled:  

  • North Park Hub is to be a community centre dedicated to nature, in the green landscape of the North Park
  • South Park Hub and Plaza will be the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’s main destination for events, culture and entertainment  
  • Lee Valley Velopark will be adapted for public use, with alterations to the cycle circuits as well as surrounding amenities  
  • Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centres will be adapted for public use  
  • Chobham Manor housing development  

February 2013

  • Canal Park scheduled for completion 

 July 2013

  • Multi-Use Arena and North Park are scheduled to open

August 2013

  • London Cycling Festival, a 100 mile route followed by up to 30,000 participants is the first major event scheduled to take place in the Park

 Summer 2013

  • East Village – the first housing development scheduled to open. This is the area that was the Athletes’ Village.

End 2013 – Start 2014

  • Lee Valley Velopark due to open in December 2013 
  • Lee Valley Tennis and Hockey Centres due to open 
  • White Post Lane and Carpenters Lock will provide key access routes 
  • Waterways – cleaned and refurbished before the Games – will open 

Spring 2014 

  • South Park and Hub due to reopen

     

Barking – Gospel Oak Line: concern about frieight trains

The Waltham Forest Guardian has reported that campaigners in Walthamstow living near the Line have grown increasingly concerned over a recent increase in the frequency, length and weight of the goods trains which travel along the track in the early hours.

Network Rail has finally agreed to investigate whether these freight trains are causing structural damage to their properties.

They have said that the investigation would last for a ‘decent amount of time’ and would include installation of monitoring equipment in several properties. No indication was given of a time span.

Network Rail admitted that the number of freight trains on the line may increase in late 2013, when the London Gateway ‘super port’ opens. The campaigners are demanding that monitoring should also cover this period.

This campaign has centred on Walthamstow, so far, however the Liberal Democrats would like to know how residents are affected as the freight trains go through Leyton and Leytonstone.

‘Plot’ to extend the temporary Olympic Parking Zone restrictions

Temporary Olympic CPZ sign

When the Council and the ODA decided to implement the temporary Olympic Controlled Parking Zone, it was clearly stated that it would be withdrawn on the 9thSeptember following the closure of the Paralympic Games.

The Council also stated that they would be undertaking a consultation with the residents to find out if, in the light of their experience during the Games, they wished to make the Controlled Parking Zone permanent.

The Lib Dems have now discovered that the Council has already published a Traffic Order allowing them to extend the temporary provision for 18 months. It also states that the Council will be considering ‘in due course’ whether the provisions of the experimental orders should be continued in force indefinitely by means of permanent Orders.

Liberal Democrats feel very strongly that there is no need for permanent parking restrictions in most of the roads in areas GO1 – GO10, as they do not have a history of parking problems.

All residents are urged to send in written objections to both the temporary 18 month extension and the permanent CPZ to the Council at:

Traffic Orders,

Environment and Regeneration,

London Borough of Waltham Forest,

Low Hall,

Argall Avenue, London, E10 7AS

quoting reference: Traffic Orders T20.

Closing date for objections: 8th February 2013

Primrose Road/Vicarage Road junction

St. Joseph's Hall

Residents are concerned about what is going to happen to the old St. Joseph’s Hall on the corner of Primrose Road and Vicarage Road.

It has been boarded up for years and has become an unsightly blot on the corner.

FOCUS understands that previous plans to build a nursery and plans for flats and community hall have been turned down by the Council.

I am investigating what the problem is with this building, and will report back with any developments.

590-594 High Road Leyton – Planning Application

Planning Application Number: 2011/0870

A developer has lodged another planning application for this landmark site at the junction of High Road Leyton and Hainault Road.

PROPOSAL:

  • Erection of a 3 – 5 storey building
  • 286 sqm. B1 office use on the ground floor
  • 23 residential units comprising 1 x 3 bedroom house, 3 x 4 bedroom house and 19 flats (9 x 1 bed and 10 x 2 bed)
  • 3 disabled parking spaces

The planning application is scheduled to be heard by the Planning Committee on 2nd. August

Full details can be found on the Council’s website:

http://www1.walthamforest.gov.uk/moderngov/mgA.aspx?M=2809

Any comments should be sent to:

The Development Manager, London Borough of Waltham Forest, Sycamore House, Waltham Forest Town Hall, Forest Road, E17 4JF

Temporary Olympic Parking Zone starts 16 July

The Olympic parking zone covers all roads south of Lea Bridge Road. This includes all roads in Leyton.

The ward has been split into three zones GO5, GO7, and GO8 – residents living in GO5 will not be able to park in GO7 and vice versa.

You need to register your vehicle either by phone 0300 111 2012 or on-line at: www.2012gamesparkingpermits.com

If you don’t have a vehicle but have visitors, you need to register your address and set up an ‘account’ to access parking vouchers for them.

Additional information can be found on the Leyton and Wanstead Lib Dem website.