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 desperately 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!

Millions Not Claiming Tube Refund

Most passengers are unaware that they are entitled to a refund for a delay of more than 15 minutes on the Tube. Figures have been uncovered which show that out of a potential 11 million Tube passengers only 330,000 claimed compensation for delays in 2010.

No one should have to wait more than 15 minutes for a tube train, yet 14 million people had to last year. Every tube traveller needs to be aware that they are entitled to compensation when such delays take place.

Lib Dems Help Lowest Paid Workers

Liberal Democrats in Government have delivered a £326 tax cut which will benefit our lowest paid workers.

No one will pay any income tax on the first £8,100 they earn, and this is to rise to £10,000 in the coming years.

 This will help hundreds of thousands of families across London, and it is a major step towards a fairer tax system.

Trumpington Road Respite Care Centre

Focus Team campaigner Adrian Trett outside the Respite Care CentreThe council has decided to upgrade this centre and remodel it to provide both residential and short breaks residential care.

In future it will provide long term accommodation for 6 people in three self-contained units, and 4 respite beds in a fourth unit.

 As MENCAP has pointed out this represents loss of nine places for overnight respite. Being as 76 families in Waltham Forest rely on this type of care, they claim it is a step too far.

 If you are one of the families affected by this decision Focus would like to hear your views on this.

Once the works are completed the service will be ‘outsourced’ to a provider who has ‘an excellent track record’ in this field.

Focus Team

Clyde Kitson, former long-serving councillor in Cann HallThe Focus Team is diappointed to report that Keith Rayner, who lost his Council seat last May, has decided to defect to the Labour Party.

He is being replaced on the Focus Team by the original founder of the Cann Hall Focus Team, Clyde Kitson.

The ‘YES’ Campaign

During the Referendum Campaign members of the Focus Team received an enthusiastic response on the doorstep with the majority of you saying that you would be voting ‘YES’.

On the day of the election the turnout of voters was good and much better than had been predicted.

To those of you that voted ‘YES’, we say a big thank you.

Across the whole of Waltham Forest 23,140 voted ‘YES’ and 31,118 voted ‘NO’.

Although the ‘NO’ vote won this result was much better than most areas across the U.K.

Cann Hall Road

Lib Dem campaigner Adrian Trett in Cann Hall Road - where the footpath has been narrowed

Over recent months Cann Hall Road has been resurfaced, parking has been taken off the road, new street lighting and trees added. For many this has been a great improvement to the road and the local environment.

 However, the ‘off-road’ parking has meant that pavements have been reduced and some people have complained about difficulties for pushchairs and wheelchair users because there is insufficient space.

 Focus Team member, Adrian Trett welcomes your comments as previously local councillors had discussed this with the local Authority to ensure that path widths were not reduced in the process of creating ‘off-road’ parking.

Save Our Cheques Campaign

Liberal Democrat Ward Councillor Liz Phillips would like to thank everyone who signed the Cheque Campaign petition in the last Focus, and signed the online petition – there was an overwhelming response.

Liz will be sending the signed petitions to David Ward, Liberal Democrat MP for Bradford East, who is leading the national campaign on this issue in the House of Commons.

Liz is also presenting a motion to Waltham Forest Council – more news follows:

COUNCIL BACKS LIB DEM CALL TO SAVE THE CHEQUE

Waltham Forest Council has backed a Liberal Democrat campaign to ‘Save the Cheque’.

At Thursday’s (12 May) council meeting councillors voted for a motion which called on the banking industry’s Payments Council to halt its plans to abolish cheques.

Liberal Democrat Cann Hall councillor Liz Phillips, who proposed the motion said:

“Hundreds of thousands of people write cheques every day. Over a billion cheques are chased every year. Small businesses, charities and many residents – especially older people – rely on cheques to conduct their day-to-day transactions. It is wrong that the banks plan to abolish cheques when it is clear that people want to use them for years to come. I have had a massive response from Leytonstone residents who will be affected if cheques are abolished.”

The Liberal Democrats are particularly concerned about the effect on older people and the housebound. One local resident wrote to Liz Phillips:

“I write as a full time carer. My husband is very disabled and I can only get out four hours a week for shopping and all other things. How can I pay the bills without cheques?”

Internet payments are not an alternative for the nine million people in Britain who have never used the internet or for those who are concerned about internet fraud. The abolition of the cheque will lead to more people carrying and storing large quantities of cash, rendering them more vulnerable to theft.

Charities will also suffer. Lib Dem High Street councillor Mahmood Hussain, who seconded the motion, told councillors:

“As a trustee of a small local charity, 80% of the donations we receive during our fundraising come in by cheque. If cheques are abolished many small charities like mine will struggle.”

Waltham Forest Direct Shops To Close

Leytonstone WFD - to be axed by the end of August

Liberal Democrat councillorsproposed an alternative budget which would have allowed all the  Waltham Forest Direct Shops (WFD) to remain open. Regrettably it was not approved.

Now we learn that the Labour Cabinet has confirmed the closure of WFD shops in Leyton, Leytonstone and Chinfgord by the end of August.

It is understood that some services may be offered in local libraries – as yet no details are available.

The Walthamstow branch will remain open, as the Cabinet report says it is well-used, and is in the centre of the borough.

Improvements to High Road Leytonstone

Our High Road was omitted from the original raft of area improvements in the run up to the 2012 Olympic Games.
 
 
Your Cann Hall FOCUS Team was pleased to learn that Transport for London has allocated £2 million for this area.

The following links give access to the Council’s plans:

Northern End, including Shopping Centre

www.walthamforest.gov.uk/high_rd_leytonstone_plana.pdf

Southern End

www.walthamforest.gov.uk/high_rd_leytonstone_planb.pdf

Church Lane and The Plaza

www.walthamforest.gov.uk/high_rd_leytonstone_planc/pdf

Objections received from the Liberal Democrats and London Buses have resulted in amendments to Church Lane and the Plaza, as follows:

THE PLAZA – The road layout has reverted the existing design. It was agreed that the proposals did not allow sufficient space, and access to the public car park and the LT vehicle entrance has been reinstated.

CHURCH LANE – Church Lane now divides into two spurs. One terminates at the emergency barrier while the other leads directly into the car park.

Revised layout Church Lane and The Plaza