Waltham Forest Direct (WFD) – Leytonstone

Ward councillors propose WFD shop should become an art gallery!!

The Leytonstone Liberal Democrat FOCUS Team was surprised to learn that the Labour ward councillors are calling for the Leytonstone WFD shop to be turned into an art gallery, and be run by local people.

First they want the Church Lane Car Park to contain a multi facility, which turns out to be another name for an unsupervised kick-about area. This will hardly encourage increased use of the car park, which was the Labour Council’s professed intention.

Now they are saying that the Waltham Forest Direct (WFD) shop, on the corner of Church Lane and Leytonstone High Road, should become an art gallery. Who is going to pay for it? The FOCUS Team trusts that Labour does not intend it to be funded by a council grant, when they are claiming to be so strapped for cash, that they cannot fund it for its original purpose.

The FOCUS Team would like to know what you think?

Cabinet approves Report – Libraries under threat!

The Liberal Democrats were shocked to see that a report on the Library Service was agreed by the Cabinet on 14 June, includes the proposal to close both Harrow Green and South Chingford Libraries.

The report recommended that Leytonstone, Leyton, Walthamstow and North Chingford be designated Library Plus branches – open 7 days a week and offering some additional services that were previously available in the Waltham Forest Direct shops.

While Hale End, Higham Hill, Wood Street and Lea Bridge will become Library Local branches, open for only 30 hours a week.

There will be a 12-week consultation period between June and September. There will be a further report to the cabinet in October, taking into account the consultation results.

Whatever your views we urge you to respond to the consultation so that the Council has the fullest possible picture of the feelings of local residents.

The Council’s consultation can be accessed by loggin on to: http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/index/leisure/libraries/library-review.htm

Church Lane Car Park

A report into car park provision across the borough is to be considered by the Cabinet on 14 June

The Church Lane car park, adjacent to Leytonstone Underground Station is said to be only 43% used, but since there is no suitable on street parking in the Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ), the report recommends that the hours of operation and maximum stay times should be reviewed to encourage maximum usage. It is likely that charges will be reduced.

Games Area in the car park!!

Strangely, the report also recommends that a ‘multi utility’ area be included in the car park. FOCUS was shocked to discover that this is an area for basket ball, football etc. The Leytonstone FOCUS Team believes that such a move would certainly not encourage more drivers to use the car park. In fact, it might have the opposite effect!

Additionally, a similar scheme has already been rejected when it was proposed at the Leytonstone Community Council.

Surely, it would be far better to locate this facility at the Pastures Youth Centre in Davies Lane.

Please let the FOCUS Team know your views.

You can also contact us via this website.

Harrow Green Library closure planned

The Cann Hall Focus Team was shocked to see that a report on the Library Service, due to be presented to the Cabinet on 14 June, includes the proposal to close both Harrow Green and South Chingford Libraries.

The report recommends that Leytonstone, Leyton, Walthamstow and North Chingford be designated Library Plus branches – open 7 days a week and offering some additional services that were previously available in the Waltham Forest Direct shops.

While Hale End, Higham Hill, Wood Street and Lea Bridge will become Library Local branches, open for 30 hours a week.

Providing that this report is agreed by the Cabinet there is expected to be a 12-week consultation period between June and September.

Whatever your views the Focus Team urges you to respond to the consultation to make sure that the Council has the fullest possible picture of the feelings of local residents.

It is understood that a further report, taking into account the consultation, will be submitted to the Cabinet in October.

Make your voice heard!

Abbotts Park – Consultation

The Council has commissioned Kinnear Landscape Architects to develop improvements for Abbotts Park.

There is to be a public consultation in the park on Saturday 25th June between 2 and 5pm.

Council officers and the design team will be there to hear your views on the proposals, which as usual are subject to planning consent and funding.

If you cannot make this meeting, the plans will also be on display in Leyton Library, Leyton High Road, corner of Ruckholt Road on Monday 27th June. A representative from the designers will be present between 4 and 6pm.

This is your opportunity to express your views on this scheme.

Drapers Field – planning application received!

Drapers Field - leased to the ODA for 16 Months

A planning application has finally been lodged with the Council for the temporary use of Drapers Field as a service centre/store for the Olympic Village.

The application number is: 2011/0623, and comments can be made online at the Waltham Forest website, or by post to the Planning Officers at the Town Hall.

Local residents have been very concerned about what the Labour Council has in mind for the reinstatement of this historic playing field when it is returned in 2013.

Kinnear Landscape Architects were commissioned to develop improvements, and their plans will be subject to a public consultation event to be held at Drapers Field on Tuesday 14 June, between 3 and 7 pm. Council officers and the design team will be present.

Don’t miss this opportunity of seeing what the Council has in mind, and making your views known.

If you cannot attend this event you can see the proposals at Leyton Library from Friday 17 June until Monday 27 June. 

Proposals for Marsh Lane will also be on display.

A representative of Kinnear Landscape Architects will be present at the following times:

Drapers Field – 4-6pm on Thursday 23 June

Marsh Lane – 4-6pm on Wednesday 22 June

Central Line footbridges

The Liberal Democrats have been campaigning for years about the state of the polycarbonate covers on these three footbridges.

Following the latest request for timescale for the remedial works to be completed we have just learnt that Transport for London (TfL) are now intending to include these structures in their preliminary works programme to commence in 2013.

As usual they include the note that this programme is subject to change and to funding being confirmed.

So much for the Council’s trumpeting that Waltham Forest is an Olympic Host Borough – the deplorable state of these bridges is in no way a welcoming advert for our area.

The Liberal Democrat FOCUS Team has contacted Liberal Democrat London Assembly member Caroline Pidgeon, Chair of the Transport Committee, asking her to intercede with TfL and impress on them that this work needs to be completed before the 2012 Olympic Games to avoid presenting a very poor impression of our borough.

The FOCUS Team will keep you informed about any developments.

THE LORD CLYDE PUB – PLANNING APPLICATION

Liberal Democrat Councillor Bob Sullivan reports:

It looks like another pub will be closed down in our area. A planning application has been received by the Council to turn The Lord Clyde Pub in Capworth Street into flats. There will be a ground and first floor extension and construction of second floor with mansard roof.

The plans are to convert the Public House into 9 self-contained flats (4×1 bed, 5×2 bed) a bin and cycle store will be at the rear. No parking provision – I notice!!                                                      

The plight of our Public Houses is dire. Many have closed and many are looking to develop into accommodation. We have lost many local pubs. The list is long – The Hollybush, Wakefield Arms, The Four Finches, Oliver Twist, Lion and Keys, The Three Blackbirds, Beaumont Arms and the Bakers Arms. These are all in a stones throw of each other. Have I missed some off?

I noticed that the Coach and Horse in Leyton High Road is asking for community involvement to manage the pub. I am not sure what that means but will try and find out.

LABOUR COUNCIL’S DECEPTION!

The local Guardian newspaper has highlighted the amount of taxpayers’ money that the Labour Council is spending on campaign propaganda. Is this a smoke screen to hide their cuts to services?

In a poll by one national newspaper Waltham Forest was judged the highest spender on propaganda in the country.

The budget Councillor Bob Sullivan put forward on behalf of the Liberal Democrat Group in opposition to the Labour budget showed many areas of savings including the saving of £250,000 by getting rid of the political campaigning and putting that money into respite care for children and families.

The reduction in respite care will cause much anxiety to the families who desperatly need respite care for them and their children.

The LIberal Democrats were the only party to oppose the Labour budget – the Conservatives did not put forward any alternative budget, but spent time praising the Labour leader of the Council! So much for Tory opposition.

EMD Planning Application Refused

Liberal Democrat councillor Mahmood Hussain on Wednnesday 18 May told Waltham Forest’s Planning Committee that the council should refuse the planning application submitted by UKCG to turn the EMD Cinema into a religious assembly hall.

Councillor Hussain, who represents High Street ward which includes the EMD Cinema site, said:

“The key questions can be summarised very simply. Does the proposed development respect the building’s heritage and listed building status? Is the impact on the area and particularly on nearby residents acceptable? Does the proposed development contribute satisfactorily to the regeneration of Walthamstow Town Centre? On all three counts I believe the answer is no.

“This view is shared by an enormous number of local residents. Our borough has hundreds of places of worship of all types and sizes. But it does not have a single cinema. We have clear evidence that the building is potentially viable as a cinema, arts and entertainment venue.

“This would bring new life to the area and stimulate the local economy – unlike the proposal before you. The proposed changes to the building would destroy much of what is special about this unique building, which is one of the oldest, largest and best preserved cinema buildings in the country.

“Residents would suffer from the absence of a proper noise management scheme and from parking problems generated by cars descending on the area from miles away.

“For the sake of Walthamstow please listen to local people, weigh up the planning merits of the case and refuse the application.”

Speaking after the decision to refuse the planning application Councillor Hussain said he was delighted that the Planning Committee had listened to the arguments put forward by objectors.

“This is good and important news for Walthamstow Town Centre but it is only one step forward. Following two planning refusals and endless discussion I hope UKCG will now abandon their plan. We must allow those who are able to bring the cinema back into use the chance to realise the cinema’s true potential.”