Leytonstone Fire Station – update

Architects impression of the new fire station 

FOCUS reported plans to redevelop the Fire Station in High Road Leytonstone.

An online report by the Waltham Forest Guardian confirms that funding has been approved. This will see the existing buildings demolished, and replaced by a modern facility as part of a £60 million scheme to rebuild fire stations under a private finance initiative. The scheme is due to start late next year, with Leytonstone being part of the second phase.

The fire engines and staff will be relocated to other local stations while the work takes place. A London Fire Brigade spokesperson is reported to have said, “Temporarily transferring fire engines to different stations during construction will not lead to a reduction in our service and allow us to maintain good attendance times.”

Underground ticket offices – broken promises

During the Mayoral election campaign Boris Johnson campaigned to keep permanently staffed ticket offices at every station. The promise was in his manifesto and he even signed a petition in 2008 against Ken Livingstone’s plans to shut ticket offices. However the Mayor has now announced that from February 2011 nine out of ten London Underground stations will have their ticket office opening hours reduced, including all four tube stations in Waltham Forest.The reductions in hours were strongly opposed by local Liberal Democrats when the idea was first proposed in March.At the time TfL said that ticket office staff would move out from behind their glass screens to help passengers. But now the Mayor has confirmed that the jobs will be axed instead. Consultation on the proposals has been poor with the information hidden away on TfL’s website.Any reduction in ticket office opening hours is likely to hit those most vulnerable such as the elderly, disabled and tourists the hardest. Across London, Liberal Democrats are stepping up the campaign to protect ticket office opening hours.

London City Airport – Noise campaign update!

rj100

Following residents protests and the Liberal Democrat led campaign about aircraft noise, Cllr Farooq Qureshi has been advised by the Town Hall that Waltham Forest has been granted membership of the London City Airport Consultative Committee. 

Leyton and Wanstead Liberal Democrats and your local Focus teams say: “We hope that our membership will help us represent the concerns of our residents. Through this membership we should be able to make a case for our residents who have been adversely affected by the air noise pollution connected with London City Airport.”

Draper’s Field – Update

Drapers Field

As you may have read the Labour Cabinet has agreed in principle to close Drapers Field for 16 months from September 2011. The Guardian archives show that over £1.5 million was spent installing the all-weather pitch (the only one in the borough), and upgrading the other sports facilities.
The Council Leader is reported to have said: “We would be able, through the compensation package, to completely refurbish Draper’s Field … we could turn it into a very special park.”
Leyton and Wanstead Liberal Democrats  believes that we should not be closing a valued sports facility, which is used by 100,000 people a year, including Norlington School, which uses it 4 days a week.
If you believe that, as an Olympic borough, we should be cherishing our sporting facilities. Please sign our on-line petition at:
http://ourcampaign.org.uk/DrapersField

Cathall Road Bus stop – ready at last!

Cathall Road bus stop

After months of waiting and much work by the Cathall Focus team, the new bus stop in Cathall Road is almost finished. Situated outside the Cathall Leisure Centre, it makes getting to and from the centre much easier by bus. Several sites were looked at by the Council and Transport for London but discounted on safety reasons.

Focus team member Paul Olford said “It’s about time this bus stop was completed after the need was highlighted last year by local residents. In particular, it will make it easier for disabled people to get to the Leisure Centre”.

Clegg to deliver change.

Lib Dem Leader Nick Clegg

Britain is set for real change with the Lib Dems in power for the first time in decades.

Labour chose to go into opposition rather than do a deal with the Lib Dems. The deal the Lib Dems have struck means that vital services we all rely on will be protected. There will be more money for schools and real action to clean up our broken politics.

Lib Dem Leader Nick Clegg said, “With the Lib Dems in power, Britain will get real change – just as we promised in the General Election. Things won’t be easy, but with the Lib Dems in Government, local people will have a strong voice speaking up for them in Westminster.”

Nick Clegg says …..

At the election, the people chose to give no party an overall majority. People wanted politicians to put aside their differences and work together to sort out the nation’s problems. But Labour refused to talk seriously about a deal with the Lib Dems – they preferred to let the Tories run things.

Britain needs change – the Lib Dems will deliver this.