TEMPORARY CLOSURE FOR MODERNISATION
This office at 355 High Road Leytonstone will be closed from November 4 until November 18 for modernisation.
Customers are being advised to use either the Leytonstone Post Office in Church Lane or Leytonstone Road Post Office.
The London Fire Brigade has advised that there are no plans to permanently close Leytonstone Fire Station.
It is one of nine fire stations to be rebuilt as part of a PFI project. The work of demolition and rebuild of the existing station will start in late 2014.
During the rebuild process the fire engines will be relocated to Woodford and Walthamstow fire stations.
Local residents will be informed before any works commence.
All residents are welcome.
Come and meet your ward councillors and have your say about the area.
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
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?”
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.
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.”
