The latest edition of the regular Cann Hall FOCUS Newsletter has just gone to press.
It will be delivered, as usual, by our team of volunteers free of charge across Cann Hall.
Please call Clyde Kitson on 8534 2947, if you would like to help deliver FOCUS in a street near your home. It is published every 6 weeks and a round usually takes about 45 minutes.
You can see an advance copy here: Cann Hall 261
The latest edition of the popular Cann Hall FOCUS Newsletter has just come from the printers, and will be delivered across the ward, free of charge. by our team of volunteers.
FOCUS is published every 6 weeks, and a round usually takes about 45 minutes.
If you would like to help deliver FOCUS near your home, please contact Clyde Kitson on 8534 2947.
You can access a copy here: Cann Hall 260
Following the debate on the coalition welfare reforms at last Thursday’s council meeting, it has emerged that 75% of council staff earn less than the £26,000 benefits cap.
The figures, which exclude those working for schools in the Borough, show that only 25% of council workers earn more than the £35,000 that someone would need to earn to take home £26,000.
At the meeting Labour claimed the cap was a ‘London living tax’ and was unfairly penalising London residents.
Lib Dem Deputy Group Leader Councillor Farooq Qureshi said:
“The welfare reforms are extremely difficult for some people in our Borough and as councillors we are on the front line of trying to help them.
“But Labour’s claim that this is a “London living tax” just aren’t credible when the majority of council workers take home less in their pay packets.”
“The Labour Party are quick to campaign against the welfare reforms but refuse to put forward any alternatives. Ed Miliband supports capping welfare spending, so where will Labour’s cuts come from?”
On Thursday the Liberal Democrat group voted against proposals that would mean more special responsibility allowances for councillors.
Lib Dems criticised the Labour group for using scrutiny politically to avoid any real scrutiny of council policies, whilst at the same time awarding themselves more money.
The Labour council are splitting the health and adults committee into two new committees that will focus separately on public health and adults services.
They are creating two additional paid positions for their members who will take the Chair and Vice Chair of the Committee, who will get an extra £8,000 and £4,000 respectively on top of the £10,000 a year they earn as councillors.
Lib Dem Group Leader Cllr Bob Sullivan said:
“Labour are just creating more paid positions to reward their members. The current proposal could mean £12,000 in extra costs to Waltham Forest council tax payers.”
“There are a lot of ways Labour could ensure this doesn’t cost more money: Either by cutting these allowances across the council or by sharing the existing allowances for the old committee across the two new ones.
“Labour councillors should stop trying to hide their failures by stuffing committees full of their own members.
“They should be taking responsibility over their failures over jobs in this Borough and cutting their ‘special responsibility allowances’ rather than giving themselves more allowances.”
Over the last few years council phone bills have soared. According to figures released by the council mobile phone costs soared by over £110,000 last year costing taxpayers a total of £314,000 in one year alone, whilst landline costs also rose by £80,000.
Council tax payers are now forking out £860,000 every year for phone bills alone.
Cllr Bob Sullivan said:
“Labour need to get a grip on these soaring phone bills. Other council services are being cut whilst phone bills are going up and up.
“The council are putting more and more services online but clearly aren’t making any savings by doing it.
“This £190,000 could be helping us build a fairer society by investing in social services, it could help build a stronger local economy by investing in jobs or it could even protect local services like keeping open a library.
“Instead, Labour is proving time and time again that they can’t be trusted with our money.”
Former Police Station in High Road Leytonstone
At a recent meeting of the Planning Committee planning permission was refused for change of use from police station to school and nursery.
The reasons for refusal included an over-development of the site; increased traffic generation, congestion and increased demand for on street parking.
Full details can be found on the Council’s website, by quoting the application number in the Planning Explorer
A resident recently asked Lib Dem Cllr Liz Phillips if it was possible to introduce a one way traffic system in to Ferndale and Malvern Roads.
Before approaching the council, Liz and the team decided to carry out a residents’ survey in both roads to gauge the support for such a scheme.
The outcome of the survey was extremely close with 30 people in favour and 27 opposed.
As there was no great demand for this scheme, and a considerable opposition to it, Liz decided not to pursue it.
However many people raised the issue of the volume of parking and the need for a controlled parking zone. Many of you will remember that, following the
Olympics, the council consulted about making the Olympic parking zone permanent, and the majority voted against it.
Caroline Pigeon, the Liberal Democrat Chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, is continuing to lead the campaign for electrification of the Barking – Gospel Oak Line which has seen passenger numbers increase dramatically since the introduction of the new diesel units.
Caroline Pigeon says:
“We were disappointed when confirmation of funding for the Gospel Oak-Barking line electrification failed to materialise in the Budget, but are hopeful that the Government will choose to sanction these line improvements as a priority when it reviews the plans in June. Electrification will deliver huge benefits to both the local area and London as a whole, including improvements to the rail network connectivity, and a reduced environmental impact.
“Full funding must be confirmed this year or, due to the impact of Crossrail’s construction, costs will rise far beyond the current estimates. Confirmation this year will mean this significant milestone for Britain’s rail infrastructure can go ahead without further delay or spiralling costs.”
LOCAL LIB DEMS RENEW CALLS FOR OLYMPIC TRADERS’ COMPENSATION
Local Lib Dems have renewed calls for council action over the Leyton Olympic traders mess last year. The council has so far failed to take any responsibility for the mess despite heavily promoting the market before the Olympics, whilst it was clear the planned routes for Olympic visitors were outside the area.
Local Lib Dems believe this is an issue of trust and the council should be clear about its responsibility. If compensation is due from North London Business and not the council then Waltham Forest councillors should refuse to sit on their board if no action is forthcoming.
Leyton Councillor Bob Sullivan said:
“The Chief Executive of North London Business resigned over this debacle last year, so traders are right to expect some compensation.”
“I’ve repeatedly asked the council whether they will be giving out compensation to the traders and they have so far refused, putting the blame squarely with North London Business and Skateco UK Ltd.”
“Yet councillors and Cabinet members have consistently failed to put pressure on North London Business and Skateco UK Ltd to reimburse the traders, who were sold promises of customers that never arrived.
“No action has been forthcoming from North London Business since last year so it is long since time for Waltham Forest councillors at the very least to refuse to sit on their board or, better yet, take some responsibility themselves.”
The latest issue of the popular Cann Hall FOCUS has just gone to press.
It will be delivered to every home in Cann Hall free of charge by our team of volunteers.
If you would like to help deliver the FOCUS near where you live (a round usually takes about 45 minutes every 6 weeks) or would like to help the Lib Dems, please contact Clyde Kitson on 8534 2947
You can access an advance copy here: Cann Hall 259