RESIDENTS DELIVER IVE FARM PETITION TO THE MAYOR

Bob Sullivan with local residents at Ive Farm talking to a Guardian reporter

Last week Leyton ward Councillor Bob Sullivan arranged for residents to present their petition to the Mayor.

 The Council is still negotiating turning Ive Farm Playing Field, which they have left derelict, into a campsite for the Olympics.

Oliver Close, Villiers Close and Ive Farm Close residents whose homes back onto the site have objections and organised a protest on the field.

Leyton Ward Councillor Bob Sullivan said:

“It’s now less than two months until the Olympics and the council still can’t give us a decision. This will cause untold disruption if it is allowed to happen and the council need to think again.

 “I’m pleased that residents were able to deliver this petition to the Mayor. The council must now take this issue seriously and listen to residents’ concerns about posting a campsite at Ive Farm in a heavily residential area.”

Cllr Bob Sullivan joins residents’ protests over Ive Farm Playing Field

Councillor Bob Sullivan (foreground left) with concerned residents

The Council is negotiating turning Ive Farm Playing Field, which they have left derelict, into a campsite for the Olympics.

Oliver Close, Villiers Close and Ive Farm Close residents whose homes back onto the site have objections and organised a protest on the field.Leyton Ward Councillor Bob Sullivan said: “The council is becoming like a secret society. Council officers can’t even tell me what the plans are – the Guardian is the only way of finding out what’s happening.”

Leyton Ward Councillor Bob Sullivan said:

“The Council is becoming like a secret society. Council officers can’t even tell me what the plans are – the local Guardian is the only way of finding out what’s happening.”

Ward Resident’s Forum Projects – update

Last year at our Residents Forum Meetings we agreed using our Ward budget on many local projects.  London & Quadrant, the estates owners, generously matched funded some of the projects so that we could increase participation of our residents. Below is the current update of these projects:

If you would like to book a place on any LCA (Leyton Community Action) project then ring Kelly Salmon 07852 425393.

Party for Young Children

The Children’s party is managed and run by LCA and assisted by L&Q took place on Sunday 29thApril, from 2.00pm till 5.00pm at the Seddon Centre corner of Clyde Place and Beaumont Road.  It was a great success.  Up to 50 local children attended.  Due to the success this is likely to be repeated next year if funds are available.

Days out for Elderley People

Two trips are arranged.  Friday June 8th – For 50 people – Trip to Suffolk Coast plus fish and chips by the sea.

Thursday 6th September – For 50 people – Trip Runnymede, Windsor and lunch on the River Thames.  Managed and run by LCA and L&Q.  Contact LCA or L&Q to book a place.

Children and Families Esol project

Two hour sessions for 11 weeks.  Family learning sessions with children 0 to 8 to have fun whilst learning English.  Started on 18thFebruary at the Cricket Ground Pavilion 2.15 to 4.15.  Contact Lorna Parkinson of the Riverley Children’s Centre.

Queen’s Jubilee Street Party

This will be on Saturday 2nd June in Beaumont Road.  Managed and run by L&Q assisted by LCA.

Creative Kids Club

To give children and young people a fun opportunity to express their creativity whilst building self esteem and confidence.  Managed and run by LCA in conjunction with L&Q.  Will start weekly in July for three months. Contact LCA for details.

Football programme for youths

Weekly football training for youths in the area.  Will start from Friday20 April.  Managed by LeytonOrient Football in the Community with assistance of L&Q.

Cricket Ground Committee flyer

Awaiting details from the newly formed committee.

Leyton Art Gallery

Arranging and hanging local art work in the IT room of Leyton Library.  Awaiting details form Leyton Gallery group.

1 day Mini Olympics for children and families

A full day programme at the Cricket Ground on multi sports delivered by the Councils Sports Development Team in the summer.  Awaiting details date and times from the Council.

Ad Hoc assistance to local groups

Admin assistance on an hourly basis, given to local groups.  Currently accounting assistance given to LCA by WF Voluntary Action.

Coopers Lane asphalting

Meeting to be arranged with the Council’s Highways team and residents of Coopers Lane for agreed action.

Parents Support group

Running monthly every 1st Wednesday.  Managed and run by LCA in conjunction with L&Q.

Ive Farm Playing Field

Ive Farm Sports Ground - left derelict by the Council

The Council is negotiating turning Ive Farm Playing Field, which they have left derelict, into a campsite for the Olympics.

Is the Council keeping local residents in the dark about this, hoping that they can sneak it through without proper consultation?

Oliver Close, Villiers Close and Ive Farm Close residents whose homes back onto the site will certainly have objections particularly if, like the site in Walthamstow, it has live entertainment and bars serving alcohol.

The Liberal Democrat Group Leader and Leyton Ward Councillor Bob Sullivan says:

“There must be proper consultation with local residents, If the Council forces this through all proceeds should go towards bringing the playing field back into use.”

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.”

Leyton Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ)

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.

Rubbish – collection fiasco!

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 Monster awakens!

Many of you will have noticed the building in the picture gradually being built.  It dominates the High Road like some monster overlooking the road.  Some of you may know it as the ‘Outlook’ building.  The estate agents Outlook were the previous users.  Some of you would know of it as ‘Stuffs’  – the material shop used it for many years.

This monster of steel and glass is to become a large block of mainly 1 bed flats.  It is totally out of character with the area and has no parking spaces for its residents, apart from a couple of spaces for people with disabilities. The original plans were thrown out by the Council but was agreed later on appeal.

If we are to regenerate our area, this is not the way to go.  There is a crying need for family houses, not 1 or 2 bed flats.  Long term residents of Leyton have seen family houses continually turned into flats.  This has caused overcrowding, lack of maintenance of front gardens a disregard for the local environment and along with the lack of parking spaces and the increase of traffic, it has changed the area dramatically.

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.