Planning News – Norlington Road

Walbrook WorksThe original planning application for the Walbrook Works and factory, as reported on this website, has been withdrawn.

A fresh application has been lodged (ref: 2011/1253) covering the demolition of the factory and the erection of 14 mews houses, comprising 8 x 3 bedroom, 6 x 4 bedroom, and 5 x 2 bedroom live and work units.

The Franklin building, which fronts Norlington Road would be converted into 2 light industry/office units.

An access road from Norlington Road will be provided with 22 car parking spaces and cycle parking.

Full details can be accessed on the council website using the above reference number.

The Council’s New Year Resolution should be to pay local businesses on time!

Figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats show that Waltham Forest Council have failed to meet their own targets for paying local businesses within 10 days for 7 out of the last 8 months. And they have only once met their targets for paying small businesses on time since last April 2011.

According to the Federation of Small Businesses the Government estimates that in 2008, 4,000 businesses failed as a direct result of late payment and it costs UK businesses £180 million in debt interest charges. The problem of late payment is not just a commercial one, but it is also ethically wrong. When large businesses or the public sector pay late, it can put small firms out of business.

Liberal Democrat Leader and Finance Spokesperson, Councillor Bob Sullivan said:

“This is a tough time for small businesses and these targets were set to try and help cash flow for local businesses in Waltham Forest.

“For some small businesses, being paid promptly can mean the difference between growing or standing still; between creating jobs or cutting them; between keeping the doors open or closing them for good.”

“It is unacceptable that the council is failing local businesses in this way. Officers and Cabinet members should use the new year to turn over a new leaf and pay local businesses on time in 2012.”

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.”

Liberal Democrat candidate for next Mayor of London

Brian Paddick campaigning for London

Former Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Brian Paddick has been reselected as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of London. The election is due to be held on 3rd May 2012, when Londoners will also be voting for the Greater London Assembly.

The Liberal Democrats believe that Brian’s experience is exactly what London needs right now, whether dealing with the aftermath of the riots or corruption in the Police, transport and housing.

Brian will be a credible alternative to Boris Johnson and the faded Ken Livingstone.

Harrow Green Library – latest news

Can you help this community project?

Harrow Green Library - now axedLocal campaigners fought hard to save Harrow Green Library as it is, with paid staff and current opening hours. Regrettably the council refused to change their plans.

The residents therefore intend to run it themselves. A lot of volunteers will be needed.

Would you like to help? Even a couple of hours a week would be invaluable. You don’t need experience. Training will be arranged.

If you would like to volunteer, please write to: 15 Matcham Road, E11 3LE. You can also contact the group at helpharrowgreen@hotmail.co.uk or telephone 07930 634210. Please give the following details:

  • Your name

  • Postal address, including postcode

  • Email (if any)

  • Land-line phone (if any)

  • Mobile phone (if any)

Labour Council ignores residents and closes Harrow Green Library

Harrow Green Library axed by Labour CouncilLast Thursday the Labour Council voted to close down Harrow Green Library. Residents had raised a petition of over 5,000 signatures and local Lib Dems had also raised a petition of over 1,1000 signatures to save the library.

Despite these petitions, fierce local residents’ opposition to the proposal and impassioned speeches, Labour Councillors voted to close the Library. The Tories abstained and the Liberal Democrats were the only party to vote against the closure. Even local Labour Councillors, whose residents had campaigned to stop the closure, voted to shut down Harrow Green Library.

Local Lib Dem Cann Hall Ward Councillor Liz Phillips, who has been leading the campaign in the council said:

“Local residents worked hard on this issue and took time out of their day to come and speak in the debate in good faith, only to find that the Labour Party had stitched up the result in advance.

“I’m not surprised that some residents walked out in disgust. Labour has refused to listen to local residents all along and this council meeting was no different.

“The Labour councillors can’t use a cut in the budget to hide the fact that it is them who are closing down our local library.”

The closure was based on the widely criticised libraries’ review and despite the consultation process, two petitions and recommendations from the council’s own scrutiny panel that no libraries needed to close, the Labour leadership refused to change course.

Lib Dem Leader Councillor Bob Sullivan said:

“The Libraries’ Review has been widely criticised and appears to have been a foregone conclusion from the start.

“The questions asked in the consultation were clearly misleading. For example, residents were asked if they would like their library to start opening on Sundays, but weren’t asked if they minded other libraries closing for this to be achieved.

“Of course residents suggest improved services, but if they knew that the council were robbing Harrow Green to pay for those services I believe they would think again.

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.

Councillor Bob Sullivan said:

“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.”

Save Harrow Green Library petition – update!

Harrow Green Library to be axed by Labour Council

The Liberal Democrat petition to ‘Save Harrow Green Library’ of over 1000 signatures, has been handed to the Council. Along with another residents petition, the total signatures comes to over 4000.

These petitions indicate the overwhelming support by residents that they want to keep the Library open.

The Council’s consultation on the review of libraries has come to an end and will be reported to the Cabinet on the 11th of October.

Lib Dem councillors Liz Phillips and Bob Sullivan were members of a Scrutiny Panel that scrutinised the original Cabinet report.

The Panel noted that the Cabinet report left many questions unanswered and while it contained a great deal of information, it was not always the right information. They felt the report did not do a complete job.

The Panel identified 19 recomendations which will be given to the Cabinet in October. If implemented would support the expansive Library and Information Service, whilst negating the closure of any library.

Among the 19 panel recommendations to enable libraries to afford keeping open were:

  • Shelving Sunday opening and all libraries should be closed on Mondays.
  • Opening hours should be reviewed.
  • The charges for the use of libraries to be reviewed.
  • Consider locating staff from rental premises to space currently available in Harrow Green Library.
  • Review salaries and grading of staff and review library contracts e.g. cleaning services.

There were many other recommendations, which hopefully, will give the Cabinet reasons to save the libraries from closure.

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.

Flats for the Olympics?

A planning application lasting only for three years, has been submitted to the Council. It is a temporary conversion of the Technical Institute, part of the old Leyton Town Hall, entrance in Adelaide Road.

The plan is to convert the inside of the building into 32 residential units:

15 studio flats, 11 x 1 bed flats, 2 x 2 bed flats and 4 x 3 bed flats.

There is obviously going to be a demand for accommodation in Leyton that is near the Olympic Park. Councillor Bob Sullivan said that he would not be surprised if these flats were not snapped up soon after they are built. This is probably what the developers are also thinking.

What they are going to turn them into after three years is anyones guess?

But one thing whatever they do, there is no parking provision. Local residents already have a major problem in parking in the road and more flats without parking spaces, will only add to the problem.