Plans have been received by the Council to redevelope the Marsh Lane playing fields. 

The development proposals are to construct a new pavilion building, comprising new changing rooms and community facilities following the demolition of the existing pavilion.  The football pitches will be relaid and marked out.  The existing basketball court will be resurfaced and flood lighting will be installed.  There will be relocation and remodelling of existing play space and the introduction of an additional play area.  There will be a new car park accessed from Seymour Road and the footpaths will be resurfaced and extra lighting erected. 

The funding for this will come from the money given by the Olympic Delivery Authority for the use of Drapers Field  till 2013 for a warehousing facility.  This, along with other funds, will go someway to alleviate the loss by residents, clubs and schools of Drapers Field.

Residents who use the Score complex and the Tiny Toes nursery in Oliver Road have asked for a pedestrian crossing between the Score Building and Leyton Orient Football Club on the other side.  A crossing would not only be safer for pedestrians who use the Score and the nursery but for those that use the football club and the Medical Centre that is based in the football club building.

This part of Oliver Road is very busy with people using the facilities on both sides of the road.  A crossing would not only make crossing the road safer for people but will also go some way in slowing the traffic down.  I have asked that the Council investigate putting a crossing there as a matter of urgency.

Visitors to Skeltons Lane Park or Brooks Farm will have found the park gates locked.  This is because a senseless vandal set light to the tree which is in the centre of the climbing play equipment.  The fire has not only killed the tree but has damaged the woodwork of the climbing frame.

Contractors are now working to replace the damaged play equipment.  The tree will be cut down but the stump of the tree will be left.  They reckon to have the play equipment repaired by 21st October.  If it is not fully repaired, then the contractors have assured the Council that they will get to a point with their repairs whereby the park can be opened and the play equipment safe to use for the weekend of the 22nd October when there will be a fun event at Brooks Farm.

I cannot see what fun it is to the person or persons who vandalised this childrens play area.  It is a very well used by local children and their families.  If any one is aware of who may have done this, then could you contact me in confidence, so that we can bring these people to book. 

A resident consultation for a CPZ in Leyton Ward will be started in November and completed in January.  The roads involved run from Adelaide Road in the south of the ward to Windsor Road and maybe extended to Wilmot Road in the north of the ward.

About five years ago the Council run a similar consultation around Leyton Underground station.  The roads to the south of the station voted for a CPZ but the roads to the north voted agianst a CPZ.  This culminated in commuter cars parking in the roads north of the station i.e. Adelaide, Dunedin, Lyttleton, Windsor etc.  Residents’ parking has become very difficult.  Parking in these roads is bad enough but has been made virtually impossible when commuters take up most of the spaces.

It is important that residents fill in the consultation form.  A CPZ will only go ahead in the roads if  the majority of the residents of that road vote in favour of a CPZ.

The plans for the six storey development of 116 dwellings on the Glyn Hopking Nissan car sale site, has been agreed by the Council.  Last week the Planning Committee decided that the plans for the site were OK to go ahead.  The same committee previously had refused the previous plans.  So it was surprising that the committee supported the new plans as the report said –  ‘The current proposal before Members is similar to the previously refused application’.  The report to the committee also said  – ‘ The Council has carefully considered the impact of the development on surrounding residents and has concluded that the overall level of harm caused to amenity is not sufficient to outweigh the benefits that arise from granting planning permission’.

600 letters were sent to residents in the area informing them of the plans.  There were 11 letters received back including two letters in support.

The controversial plans to develop the Glyn Hopkin Nissan showroom site at the junction of Ruckholt Road and Oliver Road is to be decided at the Planning Committee this Tuesday 4th October.

The original plans were previously thrown out by the committee but as expected they have come back with some small amendments which have been accepted by the Planners as they are recommending to the committee to accept.

A few residents are normally allowed to speak for 3 minutes at the committee.  If you want to speak, then telephone the committee manager on 020 8496 4328.

The Government has set up a new advice service for people having problems in making ends meet and need financial advice.  The service is simply called  ‘Money Advice Service’  It is independent of the Financial Services Authority.  They provide unbiased money advice, information and resources to people across the UK.  The Regional Manager for Waltham Forest is Mike Bailey.

If you want to take advantage of this service, then log onto this link which is specifically for Waltham Forest residents:

http://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/healthcheck?utm_source=WalthForCoExt&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=RDS-MB

The derelict Ive Farm playing field

The playing fields at Ive Farm were managed by the SCORE complex in Oliver Road.   They went bust and the fields are now in the hands of the Council, but they continue to lie derelict. Cllr. Bob Sullivan has tried to get the Council to allow the local running club to use the field, but the Council says it does not have any money to make the site safe for use.  I will continue to push for the field to be made available to local sports clubs.

Interestingly there is £5.5 million due from the Olympic Authority for closing down Drapers Field but not a penny will go on refurbishing the playing fields.

A significant number of vulnerable children in Waltham Forest have not been adequately protected and were put at risk of harm due to the Council’s failures.  This was revealed after an unannounced inspection by the Government’s Ofsted inspectors.

The report said ‘plans were inadequate, leaving them (the children) at risk of harm’.  Warnings were not acted upon and management’s oversight of the problems was poor.

Given the terrible case of ‘Baby P’ in Haringey, the councillor cabinet member for Children’s Services should have been more aware of the deficiencies of the department. 

Councillor responsible for Childrens Services is still in the Cabinet! 

Lib Dem Cllr.Naheed Qureshi says:  The Director and deputy for Children’s Services have left the Council for various reasons.  Why is the councillor responsible for Children’s Services still in the Cabinet?  Transferring her to Housing does not cover up the fact that her Cabinet position, with pay of £31,000 was to oversee Children’s Services and be responsible for children’s safety. To put children at risk of harm cannot be hidden by putting her in charge of Housing.