Lib Dem member Bob Sullivan’s reply from the Council regarding the cancellation of the Leyton Carnival last summer showed that local Councillors and officers, after receiving the accolade of the London Borough of Culture, know nothing about local culture. A cultural event of over 40 years, which included the whole of the community with many borough infant and junior schools involved, was cancelled. Instead they granted £30,000 to a company Carnivalista Culture, a provider of 28 workshops across the borough.    

Bob Sullivan says: “How outrageous!  How can one of the biggest cultural events in the borough, be replaced with a so-called carnival company which did not produce a carnival? We will be pressing the Council to bring the carnival back this year.

The Government has agreed that the ageing Whipps Cross hospital needs replacing.  They have named Whipps as one of the six hospitals that would share spending of £2.7billion.  We still don’t know how much Whipps will get but one sixth only amounts to £450million.  This is not enough to build a new hospital. 

Focus Team member Ed Bird says: “It is about time the 100 year old hospital is knocked down and a new one built.  The build options include a new high street with shops and community facilities, new residential homes and a hospital of between six and twelve storeys high. Although our elderly population is increasing there are no plans to increase the number of beds.  We will continue to monitor the Governments promises and report back”.

Local Liberal Democrats and local campaigner Bob Sullivan are fighting against school funding cuts in Waltham Forest. Since 2015 £31.5 million has been cut from Waltham Forest school budgets.  Our local schools Riverley, Willowbrook, St Josephs, George Mitchell, and Leytonstone continue to lose £1,328,833 between them.  It is no surprise that schools are having to cut back.

Focus team member Bob Sullivan said, “This is crazy.  Education must be a top priority and these cuts are putting our children’s future at risk.  As a result of the Government cuts schools continue to consider drastic budget reductions such as reducing the number of teachers and, would you believe it, even introducing a four-day week.”

Bob and the Lib Dems are calling on the new Government to reverse the cuts to schools funding as a matter of urgency.  Unfortunatly Boris Johnsons latest funding announcement fails to reverse the cuts schools have suffered since 2015.  We need to keep up the pressure, will you join us?  Please sign our petition on-line at:  http://www.walthamforestlibdems.org/save_our_schools

Drivers using the previous Whipps Cross roundabout have now to use criss-crossing roads and major waits at traffic lights, particularly if they are driving up Lea Bridge Road to the Waterworks. It would seem that traffic engineers don’t understand movements of vehicles.  Any driver will tell you that the most efficient way to move vehicles is by a roundabout.

• The Council made a great play when they were given Government money to turn the open land on the corner of Orient Way and Lea Bridge Road into a small green area (Pocket Park). In a complete about turn they are now planning to cut down all the trees and level the area to allow for 6 and 4 storey developments. This has sparked protest from local environmental groups.
• Focus says: The Council continues to ignore local people. Previously just opposite to this ‘Pocket Park’, they allowed three large tower blocks to be built against local residents protests.
• The Council has become a developers friend to the detriment of local people and loss of healthy trees and open green space.