PRESS RELEASE: TACKLING ROGUE LANDLORDS

At the recent full council meeting, councillors voted in favour of a Liberal Democrat motion to introduce Selective Licensing in the Borough.

Selective licensing has recently been introduced across the whole of the neighbouring borough of Newham. Once in place the law requires that all landlords in the area are licensed and that license can then be revoked if certain conditions aren’t met.

Lib Dems want to use it to tackle rogue landlords and in particular the growth of anti-social behaviour in private rented properties, which now make up 32% of the Borough’s housing stock.

The motion called for a full consultation on proposals to introduce selective licensing in the Borough to tackle rogue landlords, although this was diluted by a Labour amendment, which instead simply referred to ‘an evaluation’.

Lib Dem Housing spokesperson Councillor Winnie Smith, who moved the motion said:

“We’re pleased that the council are now seriously looking into selective licensing. And we hope that the Labour group will now stick to the spirit of the motion and push forward with selective licensing.

“There is a clear need to tackle the growing problem of rogue landlords in the Borough. As we heard from Leyton resident Sharon Crossland in the council meeting, there are landlords in our borough that just aren’t playing by the rules and there is only so much that can be done at the moment without this new licensing power.”

“Many residents are suffering in properties that just aren’t up to standard and paying too much for poor housing that’s blighted by anti-social behaviour.”

Church Lane Car Park – under threat

Church Lane Car Park

 

Application Number: 2012/1423/LA

The Council has lodged the above planning application to further reduce the size of the Church Lane Shopping Centre Car Park, by installing a multi-use games area including new fences, gates and bollards; and reconfiguration of the car park.
 
The FOCUS Team believes that the prime function of a shopping centre car park is to attract ‘out of area’ shoppers to the range of independent retailers who do not have their own customer parking facilities. In Leytonstone even Argos must rely on public parking.
 
A report of the borough’s car parks, presented to the Cabinet, alleged that Church Lane Car Park is underused. The photograph above was taken on a normal weekday and only shows a disabled bay vacant. So much for ‘underused’.
 
LATE INFORMATION: the installation of the multi-use games area will involve the loss of 18/19 car parking spaces – this will inevitably mean less, or no, spaces left for shopper parking.
 
Full details of the plan should be on the Council’s website – look in the Planning Explorer, quoting the application number.
 
Comments on this proposal should be sent to:
Development Management, London Borough of Waltham Forest,
Sycamore House, Town Hall Complex,
Forest Road, E17 4JP
 
Closing date for comments: 4th November

Campaign to save The Birkbeck Tavern

The Birkbeck Tavern, Langthorne Road

Local residents have laumched a petition to save this public house being turned into more flats.

The Focus Team understands that the Birkbeck Tavern, in Langthorne Road, is on sale for £575,000 following the owners going into administration last June.

The Birkbeck Tavern has become more popular recently following its reinvention as a music venue. Opposition to the sell-off is growing with over 1400 signatures already on the petition.

The local residents have plans to showcase it as a community pub.

A public meeting is being held on Tuesday 25th September from at 8pm. This will be followed by a one day music festival, called Birk Fest, which i9s to take place on 28th October.

To view and sign the petition click below:

http://www.change.org/petitions/waltham-forest-council-save-the-birkbeck-tavern?utm_campaign=new_signature&utm_medium=email&utm_source=signature_receipt#share

CONSULTATION – proposed Controlled Parking Zone

The Council has decided to issue a Consultation Document asking residents in the temporary Olympic Parking Zone (G01-G10) for their views on the proposal to introduce an indefinite Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) in their roads.

The consultation document is due to be issued on 24 September and has to be returned by 19 October.

PLEASE NOTE: The Closing date is now 22 October.

The Council’s policy on the introduction of a CPZ is based on the views of the majority of residents, who return the questionnaire.

Whatever your views the Lib Dems stress that it is vital that the Council receives a response from every household regarding this important consultation.

When you receive the consultation document, please complete and return it without delay.

PRESS RELEASE: The failure of WORKNET

QUESTIONS STILL REMAIN OVER THE FAILURE OF WORKNET – COUNCILLOR BOB SULLIVAN

The recent failures of Worknet highlighted by Nick Tiratsoo still leave questions to be answered.

We know that £2 million was allocated for the contractor Widows and Orphans but we still don’t know what the targets and outputs were in each case or how much money the council actually paid the contractor in total.

Councillor Sullivan has now asked the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny committee for a review into the failure of the programme and will be pressing the council for further answers over the coming weeks.

Leader of the Waltham Forest Lib Dems, Councillor Bob Sullivan said:

“In normal times this failure would be damning for Labour councillors but in these difficult economic times it is unforgivable.”

“It is unforgivable that they have let down our Borough’s unemployed, it is unforgivable that they have allowed this failure to go on unreported for nearly three years and it is unforgivable that most of this money will now not be spent on employment programmes for our Borough at all.

“The failure of this contract could even have implications across the council. We know we’ve had problems with our schools contractor and our waste contractor and taken together it starts to paint a worrying picture for council contracts as a whole.

“We clearly need a full enquiry to get to the bottom of how this happened before the council goes down this road yet again.”

PRESS RELEASE: Council should do more to help Leyton traders

WALTHAM FOREST COUNCIL SHOULD DO MORE TO GET COMPENSATION FOR LEYTON TRADERS – COUNCILLOR BOB SULLIVAN

On 27 July 2012, in a press release on the Council’s website, Portfolio Holder Cllr. Mark Rusling described Leyton Market as ‘“a great opportunity for Waltham Forest to celebrate the Olympics”’, and claimed:

‘We have worked with the whole community – including local retailers – to get their support for this unique project.’

The final sentence of the press release was unequivocal:

‘Waltham Forest Council created the new food market through an innovative partnership with North London Business and Skateco UK’.

Three days later, Waltham Forest News made the same point:

‘Waltham Forest Council created the market to help local businesses capitalise on the extra visitors that will be flocking to the borough during the Games’ (WF News issue 71, 30 July 2012, p.7).

Leyton Councillor Bob Sullivan said:

“The Chief Executive of North London Business has already resigned over this, so traders are right to expect some compensation.”

“Cllr Rusling was eager to take credit for the market before the Olympics and he and this Labour council must now take their share of the blame.

“Clearly at some point in this saga one part of the council didn’t know what another part was doing.

“I asked the council weeks ago whether they will be giving out compensation to the traders and they have refused, putting the blame squarely with North London Business.”

“As a board member of North London Business, Cllr Akram is also in a unique position to influence this decision. I think most local residents would expect him and Cllr Rusling to be considering their respective positions.”

“At the very least councillors and Cabinet members should be putting pressure on North London Business and Skateco UK Ltd to reimburse some or all of the money to the traders who were sold promises of customers that never arrived.”

Drapers Field – update

The Planning Committee gave approval to the revised plans for Drapers Field, which the Council has decided is to become a park.

The outline plan shows the intended layout – and full details can be found on the Council website – under the Planning Explorer, quoting application number 2012/0482/LA.

The larger pitch is the new artificial turf football/hockey pitch, whilst the smaller is a junior grass pitch.

In front of the pavilion is an urban sand area, which can be used by younger children for beach volleyball.

Also prominent is a permanent diagonal footpath, which is intended for use by students of Chobham Academy, as a ‘walk to school’ route rather than using the pavement.

‘Plot’ to extend the temporary Olympic Parking 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 9th September 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

PRESS RELEASE – Waltham Forest Labour are letting our schools down

Councillor Liz Phillips has raised concerns about Waltham Forest council’s contractor Babcock after it was revealed that almost 15% of the Borough’s schools are now in special measures following their two years as the council’s contractor.

In a written answer to Cllr Phillips, the Labour Cabinet member, Cllr Clare Coghill described the council’s risk analysis programme for schools as ‘a work in progress’ and said that the council’s priority had been ‘savings of £2m from the contract at an early opportunity’.

Councillor Liz Phillips, Waltham Forest Lib Dem spokesperson for Children and Member of the Council’s Corporate Parenting Board, said:

“Almost 15% of our schools are now in special measures and yet the council won’t be seeking any compensation from the contractor who presided over this mess.”

“Surely there should be something in our contract with this company that means at the very least they must pay for failing local kids and their parents?”

“In Waltham Forest we are now on our 4thLabour cabinet member for Children’s Services in just over two years. Perhaps if someone with a bit of experience would take responsibility for more than a few months then we wouldn’t be in this situation?”

Drapers Playing Field – What the Council plans!

Drapers Playing Field - before the Olympics took over!

Planning Application no. 2012/0482/LA

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

PROPOSAL:

  • Post Olympic reinstatement as a ‘public park’

  • Provision of a junior-sized grass football pitch

  • Relocation of the synthetic turf pitch

  • Formation of play areas

  • Refurbishment of the Sport England pavilion

  • New pathways and landscaping

  • Provision of an Urban Beach

The adult grass football pitch is not to be restored, despite the Council’s own Playing Pitch Strategy accepting that there is a lack of such provision in the south of the borough and stating that all current facilities should be protected. The report to the Planning Committee states that ‘on consideration’ there are insufficient grounds to withhold consent.

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