CANN HALL FOCUS NEWSLETTER 289

Plans to replace Sansom Road Estate garage

The latest issue of the Cann Hall FOCUS Newsletter Is with the printers and will delivered across the ward free of charge by our team of volunteers.

This issue expands on the Council’s plan to demolish the Sansom Road Estate’s underground car park, and the rooftop play area. As you will see from the Newsletter the Council have put out conflicting stements concerning their plans. All residents are urged, whatever their views, to respond to the Council’s consultation document before 2nd October.

The FOCUS Team would like to hear from you if you would like to help deliver FOCUS near your home, and keep local people informed. A round usually takes about 45 minutes, every 6 – 8 weeks.

In the last year the Lib Dems have seen their membership soar as record numbers have joined the Party. Please get in touch with our veteran local campaigner Clyde Kitson if you would like to join this growing movement.

Please contact Clyde Kitson on (020) 8534 2947 if you would like to help, thank you.

You can see a copy of FOCUS here: Cann Hall 289

CANN HALL FOCUS NEWSLETTER 288

Sansom Road underground car park with play area above

The latest issue of the Cann Hall FOCUS Newsletter Is with the printers and will delivered across the ward free of charge by our team of volunteers.

This issue leads on the Council’s plan to demolish the Sansom Road Estate’s underground car park, and the rooftop play area. All residents are urged, whatever their views, to respond to the Council’s consultation document before 2nd October.

The FOCUS Team would like to hear from you if you would like to help deliver FOCUS near your home, and keep local people informed. A round usually takes about 45 minutes, every 6 – 8 weeks.

In the last year the Lib Dems have seen their membership soar as record numbers have joined the Party. Please get in touch with our veteran local campaigner Clyde Kitson if you would like to join this growing movement.

Please contact Clyde Kitson on (020) 8534 2947 if you would like to help, thank you.

You can see a copy of FOCUS here: Cann Hall 288

CANN HALL WARD FOCUS NEWSLETTER 287

The latest issue of the Cann Hall FOCUS Newsletter Is hot off the press and will delivered across the ward free of charge by our team of volunteers.

An impression of the refurbished Towers

This issue leads on the refurbishment plans for Fred Wigg and John Walsh Towers in Montague Road, and features a petition calling on Waltham Forest Council to pledge that no cladding will be added to the building unless it is 100% non-flammable and meets the highest safety standards. Additionally a sprinkler system should be added to both towers and the link building.

The FOCUS Team would like to hear from you if you would like to help deliver FOCUS near your home, and keep local people informed. A round usually takes about 45 minutes, every 6 – 8 weeks.

In the last year the Lib Dems have seen their membership soar as record numbers have joined the Party. Please get in touch with our veteran local campaigner Clyde Kitson if you would like to join this growing movement.

Please contact Clyde Kitson on (020) 8534 2947 if you would like to help, thank you.

You can see a copy of FOCUS here: Cann Hall 287

CANN HALL WARD FOCUS NEWSLETTER 286

The latest issue of the Cann Hall FOCUS Newsletter Is hot off the press and will delivered across the ward free of charge by our team of volunteers.

The FOCUS Team would like to hear from you if you would like to help deliver FOCUS near your home, and keep local people informed. A round usually takes about 45 minutes, every 6 – 8 weeks.

In the last year the Lib Dems have seen their membership soar as record numbers have joined the Party. Please get in touch with our veteran local campaigner Clyde Kitson if you would like to join this growing movement.

Please contact Clyde Kitson on (020) 8534 2947 if you would like to help, thank you.

You can see a copy of FOCUS here: Cann Hall 286

TOWER BLOCK SAFETY FEARS

Lib Dem campaigner Bob Sullivan

Following the disaster in West London, former long-serving Liberal Democrat Councillor Bob Sullivan contacted the Council to confirm that they are preparing to look the tower and high rise blocks in Waltham Forest and review the planning permissions already given to developers.

This review should include checking the cladding, fascias and building materials used and planned to be used.

It would seem from discussions in the media that many tower blocks built, and being built, may have cladding and other materials that are not completely fire proof.

Waltham Forest Guardian reporter Tom Barnes followed up Bob Sullivan’s request with the following report on the online version of the Guardian:

TOWER BLOCK FEARS: Waltham Forest council won’t tell us if its flats have sprinklers after Grenfell Tower fire

Concerns have been raised over the safety of Waltham Forest’s high-rise buildings in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire.

Campaigner Bob Sullivan is calling for a full review into fire safety at tower blocks in the borough after the blaze in west London last week, which is thought to have killed at least 79 people.

The Liberal Democrat activist and former councillor wants a probe to ensure residents in council-owned and private blocks are not as risk, as well as reviews at towers currently under construction.

Mr Sullivan said:

It is imperative that the planning permission for new blocks being built is gone over again, we need to make sure.

I have not seen anyone mention sprinklers, you would have thought it would be 100 per cent certain we should have them now.

I would have thought nobody would move into any tower block now without asking questions, I certainly wouldn’t.

I am hoping the council decides to review tower block safety, I am very concerned about Waltham Forest and we should be on the forefront of this.

We need action to do something about every block above six or eight storeys, I would even class those types of buildings as a small tower blocks.

Although several council-owned towers, such as Redwood and Hornbeam Towers in Leytonstone, have been demolished in recent years, some, like John Walsh and Fred Wigg Towers, remain standing.

A host of plans for new high-rise blocks have also been approved, including a 16-storey block in Dunedin Road, Leyton, and four blocks between 10 and 16 flights in Wickford Way, Walthamstow.

Campaigner Bob Sullivan wants action to ensure tower block safety

The catastrophic fire at 24-storey Grenfell Tower, in North Kensington, broke out at around 1am last Wednesday (June 14) and is likely to become Britain’s deadliest blaze in more than a century.

The speed at which the fire spread is believed to have aided by new cladding fitted to the building, while sprinklers had not been fitted inside the flats, despite calls from residents.

Waltham Forest council says no blocks in the borough use the same cladding as was installed at Grenfell and all high rise homes either have fire risk assessments in place or currently underway.

The local authority also confirmed sprinklers will be installed at the 10-storey Lea Bridge House hostel redevelopment in Leyton.

However, the council has not responded to requests by the Guardian to reveal how many of its blocks are fitted with sprinkler systems.

Council leader, Clare Coghill, said:

All of us were horrified to see the tragic events unfold at Grenfell Tower. Our thoughts and sympathies are with those affected by this terrible disaster. 

We understand that residents of Waltham Forest will be shocked following this incident, and concerned about the safety of their own homes and properties.

We want to let residents know that their safety is always our main concern.

We are looking at what further checks may be needed in the light of recent events.

We will work with the fire brigade and our colleagues across London to implement any changes recommended after this terrible fire.

 

Tom Barnes posted an update on 22nd June:

Waltham Forest council confirms no sprinkler systems have been fitted in any of its tower blocks

Fred Wigg and John Walsh Towers

John Walsh and Fred Wigg Towers in Leytonstone are owned by Waltham Forest council

No council-owned tower blocks in Waltham Forest are currently fitted with sprinkler systems, it has been confirmed.

Concerns have been raised over safety at high-rise blocks in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire in Kensington last week, which is now thought to have killed at least 79 people.

The speed at which the fire spread is believed to have aided by new cladding fitted to the building, while sprinklers had not been fitted inside the flats, despite calls from residents.

Do you live in one of the council blocks? Get in touch by e-mailing thomas.barnes@london.newsquest.co.uk or call 07795507440

Waltham Forest council has now confirmed to the Guardian none of its blocks are currently fitted with sprinkler systems.

However, the local authority said it planned to fit sprinklers in three towers used for sheltered accommodation.

A spokesman said:

Although none of our council blocks have sprinklers fitted, we have secured funding from the London Fire Brigade to install sprinklers in three sheltered blocks this year.

Although several council-owned towers, such as Redwood and Hornbeam Towers in Leytonstone, have been demolished in recent years, some, like John Walsh and Fred Wigg Towers, remain standing.

A host of plans for new high-rise blocks have also been approved, including a 16-storey block in Dunedin Road, Leyton, and four blocks between 10 and 16 flights in Wickford Way, Walthamstow.

The catastrophic fire at 24-storey Grenfell Tower is likely to become Britain’s deadliest blaze in more than a century

COMMUNITY ROADWATCH

The Cann Hall Police Safer Neighbourhood Team have asked us to publicise the Community Roadwatch scheme operated by ther Safer Transport team

If anyone would like to take part in the scheme, please contact the team and we will pass your details to the Safer Transport team.

What is Community Roadwatch?

Community Roadwatch is designed to give residents the opportunity to work alongside police, to deter speeding on their roads using speed detection equipment.

Why are we running Community Roadwatch?

Transport for London, the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police Service are working together to reduce collisions on London’s roads. Community Roadwatch is designed to support wider police activity, working with local communities to make people aware of the dangers of travelling too fast on London’s roads.

How does Community Roadwatch work?

Volunteers stand in High Visibility jackets along the roadside with Safer Transport Officers and use a speed gun. The speed gun will be pointed at speeding vehicles to calculate their speed.

Any vehicles going over the speed limit will have their number plates noted down and a warning letter will be sent to the Registered Keepers address.

***No vehicles are stopped nor signalled to slow down at any point during the Roadwatch***

This is a preventative measure to reduce speed and educate drivers

Who can take part in the Community Roadwatch?

Anyone, over the age of 18, can volunteer to take part in the Roadwatch from local residents/ Neighbourhood Watches/ Ward panels and Schools.

How long does a Community Roadwatch last?

There is no set time, most Roadwatches take an hour.

How often can I take part in a Community Roadwatch?

Volunteers can take part as much as they like. The Met Police are very keen for this scheme to be run on a monthly basis.

Contact details:

Cann Hall Neighbourhood Policing Team
Email – Cannhall.NPT@met.police.uk
Tel – 020 8721 2036

NEWS RELEASE: Widow’s Pension Cuts: Cruel and Unnecessary

 

The Widow’s Pension is designed to help create security and safety for families when they lose a loved one. But this week it is under attack from a new wave of Government cuts. With less money being paid to widows, widowers and surviving civil partners from April 2017 onward.

The changes will only effect those families who lose a loved one after April 6th 2017.

The new rules will add pressure to families when they’re struggling most. Families who’ve just lost a parent are learning to cope on a single income and with one fewer parent. The previous system helped to ease the financial stress with a ‘parachute payment’ which is now greatly decreased.

Families with a terminally ill parent are facing the worst of it, with many having planned for life under the old system now having to look again at the support they can offer to their children or loved ones.

If you want the Government to change its mind and reverse cuts to bereavement benefits, then please share this article with friends and family.

If these changes effect you, friends or family you should visit www.turn2us.org.uk to get support and help.

CANN HALL FOCUS NEWSLETTER 285

The latest issue of the Cann Hall FOCUS Newsletter Is hot off the press and will delivered across the ward free of charge by our team of volunteers.

The FOCUS Team would like to hear from you if you would like to help deliver FOCUS near your home, and keep local people informed. A round usually takes about 45 minutes, every 6 – 8 weeks.

Since the Referendum the Liberal Democrats have enrolled over 19,000 new members nationwide. Please get in touch with our veteran local campaigner Clyde Kitson if you would like to join this growing movement.

Please contact Clyde Kitson on (020) 8534 2947 if you would like to help, thank you.

You can see a copy of FOCUS here: Cann Hall 285

PUBLIC SPACE PROTECTION ORDERS CONSULTATION

Cann Hall Ward-Public Space Protection Orders Consultation.

The council has launched a consultation with residents and businesses on the introduction of Public Space Protection Orders in Cann Hall to crack down on anti social behaviour, aggressive begging, use of threatening and insulting language or behaviour and street prostitution.

Breaches of these orders can result in the issue of a £100.00 fixed penalty notice, or a fine of up to £1,000 if prosecuted. The consultation closes on Sunday 23 April.

Lib Dem Focus Team member Liz Phillips says ‘is anyone living in Cann Hall aware of this consultation? How can we respond to something we know nothing about? It’s the Labour council gone mad’.

To help residents the links are shown below.

Please sign the online consultation here

You can see a plan of the area here

OLYMPIC PARK – PLANNING APPLICATIONS UPDATE

This is an update on the Olympic Legacy item

In one month exactly the committee in charge of reviewing the Concrete Batching applications is scheduled to convene and make its decision, which is likely to affect tens of thousands of East London residents.

The plans have generated a massive and highly justified public uproar: nearly 10,000 citizens have signed this petition, and Objection Letters are pouring in to the LLDC website from developers, borough representatives and members of the public alike.

OPCRD has also submitted this week their own *OFFICIAL* Objection Document – in the name of everyone affected and everyone that have signed this petition. It is a 40-page long review of all of the projects’ momentous documentation. The objection document summarizes and pinpoints all the many procedural improprieties, data omissions, implausible assumptions and shabby ‘survey’ work that was handed in to the LLDC by the applicants.

Read OPCRD’s objection, and see for yourself just what a mockery the applicants have made of the application process: https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/opcrd/objection.pdf

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan (who’s office has informed us that he “doesn’t have the authority to get involved”), was elected on a wave of big promises about ‘Clean air for Londoners’, and the need to clean and strengthen the weaker boroughs, more affected by pollution than other. So we thought he might want to see this video, shot 27 August afternoon – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlSdvBm7MKk (also at www.opcrd.org)

This is not a massive fire or the aftermath of an explosion – it’s simply a gigantic dust cloud spreading across Newham, carrying huge amounts of harmful particulate matter (PM. This concrete batching plant in this video is located less than 50 meters from where the additional 3 (!!!) are planned to be located…

Now is NOT a time to become complacent about this – share, engage and support, or these plans WILL become reality in exactly 1 month!