Car free day

When and where is the next car free day?

Sunday 23 September 2007

Outside Leytonstone tube station and in the surrounding area E11
1pm-7pm
All roads in Town Centre closed to traffic, family fun day on the streets of Leytonstone with a French market
What is car free day?
The aim of Car Free Day is to raise awareness of the health and environmental benefits of sustainable living and sustainable transport, by leaving the car behind. The event is a fun day out where visitors and the local community can enjoy one of the Borough's Town Centres as a
traffic-free urban space.

Londoners invited to decide on green proposal for city-wide ban on free shopping bags

Londoners are today being invited to help shape the capital’s future environmental policies by deciding whether or not to introduce a London-wide levy – or even an outright ban – on throw away shopping bags.
London Councils has launched a public consultation to give Londoners the opportunity to tell them what they think of one of the key provisions that will make up the 10th London Local Authorities Bill (LLAB).
The organisation first announced its intention to tackle the issue of throw away shopping bags in July, and is now calling on Londoners to tell them what they want. This is a unique opportunity for the capital’s residents to help shape and draft a future piece of legislation – and one that can make a significant difference to the environment.
The consultation asks the public its views on a range of options – from doing nothing, to an outright ban on all throw away shopping bags – or just for plastic ones. The consultation runs until Friday 26 October, and the views expressed in responses to the consultation will help shape the final proposal that will go into the 10th LLAB, due to be deposited in Parliament in November.
In the UK, over 13 billion bags are issued every year to shoppers – roughly 220 per person every year. For London, a conservative figure based on population size would indicate Londoners use at least 1.6 billion bags per year – although the number of tourists in the capital suggests that this figure is probably much higher.
While some of these bags will be re-used once or twice, official figures reveal that only one in 200 of these are recycled, meaning that billions of shopping bags are sent to landfill every year. Many of these will be plastic bags that can take over 400 years to break down.
The government, retailers and consumers recognise this as a problem, and many of them are already making efforts to reduce the amount of throw away shopping bags sent to landfill. London Councils agrees with these concerns, and wants to give Londoners a chance to lead the country in a bold initiative.
Speaking on the launch of the consultation, Chairman of London Councils, Councillor Merrick Cockell, said:
“This is an opportunity for London and for Londoners to lead the country in a bold initiative. We are asking for their views on our proposals to do something about the billions of shopping bags that end up sent to landfill each year, and their views will directly shape one of the key provisions planned for the 10th LLAB.
“Inevitably, the big solutions to environmental issues will come from our cities, and London, as one of the world’s truly global cities, is keen to step up to the mark and take the lead. I would urge everyone to seize this opportunity to help shape London’s environmental future.”
Commenting on the proposals, Councillor Sean Brennan, London Councils executive member for sustainability, said:
“London’s local authorities are at the sharp end of waste disposal, and as such, we are keen to take a lead on this issue. People need to realise that the ‘free’ shopping bag they pick up in the supermarket is not really free at all – certainly not in its cost to the environment.
“Introducing a levy on plastic bags should help consumers think twice before picking them up in future. But if Londoners feel strongly enough to propose an outright ban on free throw away shopping bags, then that is what we will lobby for.”
The consultation will go live on, Friday 14 September, and runs until Friday, 26 October 2007. To take part, please visit: www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/thebigquestion
What do we mean by a throw away shopping bag? Although plastic bags are often singled out – all types of throw away bag can have a significant environment impact.
So for the purposes of this consultation, ‘throw away shopping bags’ means all types of bags that are given away free and have a very limited intended and actual lifespan.
The outcome of the consultation will help shape one of the key provisions that will form part of the 10th London Local Authorities Bill, due to be deposited in November.
One role of London Councils is to help promote private legislation on behalf of the boroughs. As such, it helps to draft and then steer through Parliament, various parliamentary bills including the London Local Authorities Bills.
The most recent of these, the 9th Bill, recently received Royal Assent to become the London Local Authorities Act 2007. For more information on the LLA Act 2007, please visit: http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/llaact

Low CO2 emissions to be rewarded with cheaper parking

Waltham Forest Council will soon reward drivers of eco-friendly cars with cheaper resident parking permits. The Green Parking scheme will come into place on Monday 1 October, and will link the cost of permits to the CO2 emissions of the vehicle.
The new charges will halve the current permit prices for the drivers of low emission vehicles, including electric or hybrid vehicles, while permits for high emission vehicles will double in price. It is expected that a significant proportion of drivers will be unaffected by the changes, as their vehicles will be classed as having average CO2 emissions, for which there is no change in permit charges.
From October, permits for low emission vehicles will cost £22.50 for the first permit in a household, £40 for the second and £52.50 for the third and subsequent permits. For average emission vehicles, permits will continue to be charged at the current costs of £45 for the first, £80 for the second and £105 for the third and subsequent permits in a household. High emission vehicles will be charged £90, £160 and £210 respectively for the first, second, and third and subsequent permits in a household.
Carbon dioxide emissions have been identified as a major contributor to climate change, and the Council is keen that residents choose greener forms of transport wherever possible.
Cabinet Member for Environment, Cllr Bob Belam, said “Waltham Forest has committed itself to becoming one of the greenest boroughs in Greater London. Green parking is one of many steps we are taking that will make a direct impact on climate change.
“We have identified cheaper parking as a positive way to reward drivers who help cut emissions. The Council estimates the number of low emission vehicles could go up by between two and five per cent as a result of green parking scheme.”
For more information on Green Parking, see www.walthamforest.gov.uk/parking-permits

'Drive at 70mph and save the environment'

The Commission for Integrated Transport (CFIT) has called for more to be done to cut carbon emissions from road vehicles, including installing gearshift indicators on dashboards to encourage drivers to use their gears properly and making drivers stick to a 70mph speed limit, generating 30 per cent less CO2 than at 80mph.The commission also said that emissions could be cut if air conditioning was used less and if roof racks were removed. It suggested that drivers could benefit from lessons in eco-motoring. Going easy on the accelerator and not breaking too heavily could make a significant difference. The CFIT called for all cars to produce no more than 100g of CO2 per kilometre by 2020 and wants the government to make flying more expensive. The committee said that its proposed measures would increase by 70 per cent the CO2 savings proposed by the government's climate change programme, ie rather than stabilise carbon emissions by 2020, they would actually be reduced by 14 per cent. • Research by the Liberal Democrats has shown that the government may talk tough on the environment but green taxes have actually gone down in recent years. Fuel duty, landfill tax, hydrocarbon duty, air passenger duty and others took 2.7 per cent of national income in 2006 compared with a peak of 3.6 per cent in 1999. The Lib Dem Shadow Environment Secretary Chris Huhne said: “Mr Brown has cut green taxes by a fifth even though they are crucial to changing our behaviour. He has cut flood defence and climate research budgets. He vetoed the plan to toll road freight, and he ditched the legal requirements on big companies to report their environmental impact in operating and financial reviews.”• The Lib Dems are the greenest party, according to the Green Standard report by such environmental groups as Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, WWF, the RSPB and the Campaign to Protect Rural England. The Lib Dems got three "green lights" in the report while Labour and the Tories didn't get any.

NORTHBANK ROAD

Cllr John Macklin and Cllr Bob Belam were on a regular ward walk when they came across these pot holes is Northbank Road. John posed for the photo and Bob emailed the department on Saturday 1st September to ask for them to be repaired.
A return email promised they would be repaired the following day.

Here is the proof. This we thought was good service.
However on close inspection we found that the job was not done too well and another hole nearby had been missed. We have reported this and expect the job to be done again!

Carbon emissions target is just hot air

Government is set to miss its target to reduce carbon emissions by a wide margin because of the failure by ministers to implement clear policies on renewable energy, a report by research group Cambridge Econometrics (CE) has found.The draft Climate Change Bill set out a schedule to cut carbon emissions on 1990 levels by 26-32 per cent by 2020, in order to prevent dangerous levels of climate change. But CE claimed carbon levels would fall by just 15 per cent despite the UK comfortably meeting its Kyoto obligations of a 12.75 per cent reduction by 2010.“These forecasts provide a reality check to the rhetoric on climate change that is now standard government fare,” said Professor Paul Elkins, a senior CE consultant.“The goals for 2020 will not be achieved without stronger policies than have yet been put in place.”Carbon emissions have not decreased in any year in the UK since 2002, but are expected to decline by 1.75 per cent annually over the next five years. The report found that renewable energy, including offshore wind power, will account for just 5 per cent of the country’s total electricity production by 2010 – just half of the government’s 10 per cent target.

'Pay as you pollute' taxes from Lib Dems

High polluting cars would be subject to an annual tax of £2,000 as part of a package of measures to combat global warming by the Liberal Democrat Party.Zero-carbon vehicles would be exempt from vehicle excise duty under the proposals put forward by the party’s climate change policy group while gas-guzzlers would face a tenfold increase. The recommendations will be presented to delegates at the annual conference in Brighton next month for a vote - before they become official policy.“The Labour government’s aim of a 60 per cent cut in carbon emissions by 2050 will not be enough,” said the report.“The objective of climate change strategy must be to make the UK carbon-neutral over the long term. A reduction in emissions of the magnitude that we are advocating will only happen if developed countries such as the UK take the lead by cutting their emissions.”The policy paper also suggests restricting airport runway capacity to current levels and new flight and freight green taxes.

'Give public money to go green at home'

The public could receive Council Tax rebates or interest-free loans for installing solar panels and wind turbines, according to the New Local Government Network.A new NLGN pamphlet has called for local planning laws to be relaxed to allow more people the option of installing eco-friendly energy sources to their homes. It has called for local councillors to be able to consult with local residents on whether to reduce the amount of planning permission required to install a microgeneration system. The pamphlet suggested that the forthcoming Planning Bill could be amended to reflect this new level of public involvement. It also called for councils to support residents wishing to invest in microgeneration technology, including offering interest-free loans to cover the cost of installation and giving a Council Tax rebate to homes with an eco-friendly energy supply. Currently the government offers a grant of up to 30 per cent to pay for the installation of micro-generation technology. Central government could also give local authorities incentives to promote microgeneration through a cost-neutral performance grant that would reward those whom improve most quickly. This could form a part of the local government grants regime and be cost neutral for central government, where the cost of rewarding successful authorities is offset by a mild penalty for poor performance.James Macgregor, author of the report, Finding the Energy, said: “Local authorities should be required to demonstrate that microgeneration plans were in the public interest. This would require neighbourhood level consultation and debate, giving citizens a powerful voice. Councillors would be at the heart of this process, supported by local officers. Listening to the voices of local people in this way would ensure that ‘residential amenity’ was protected as defined by residents. Council tax rebates and capital loans for householders that install domestic microgeneration equipment would incentivise local people to engage in the process."

Compulsory Recycling

Compulsory Recycling Q&A for WFD
London Borough of Waltham Forest
August 2007


What is Compulsory Recycling?

From 10 September 2007, residents of in Waltham Forest are being asked to recycle as part of a Compulsory Recycling scheme. This means that all residents in the Get Sorted! Door-to-Door Recycling Service have to recycle paper, cardboard, glass bottles and jars, food and drink cans, plastic bottles, textiles, shoes, batteries and engine oil in their black recycling boxes.

Support will be given to residents to ensure they understand the scheme and to help them to recycle. If they continually fail to recycle, they could be fined up to £1,000. Fines will only be used as a last resort for persistent non-recyclers.


Why is the Council introducing Compulsory Recycling?

The government has set recycling targets for local councils. If these targets are not met, the Council will have to pay heavy fines, which will have an impact on all residents through increased council taxes.

After a very successful trial in the South Chingford and Woodford Green areas, which substantially increased recycling rates, the scheme is being rolled out across the whole borough. The Compulsory Recycling Scheme has been undertaken to help Waltham Forest meet its recycling targets of 33% for March 2008 and 50% by 2012.


Does Compulsory Recycling apply to all residents?

No, currently Compulsory Recycling does not apply to some flats (in blocks and above shops) that have shared refuse facilities. However, we do provide a free recycling service to all properties in the borough. To request facilities, please contact Waltham Forest Direct on 020 8496 3000.


Is Compulsory Recycling legal?

Under Section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, Waltham Forest Council can legally ask residents to use particular containers for different waste streams. Therefore, the council does not allow residents to place paper, cardboard, glass bottles and jars, food and drink cans, plastic bottles, textiles, shoes, batteries and engine oil in the wheeled rubbish bin. A black recycling box is provided for these materials.


What items do I have to recycle?

All paper, cardboard, glass bottles and jars, food and drink cans, plastic bottles, textiles, shoes, batteries and engine oil must be placed in the black recycling boxes provided to every household in the Get Sorted! Door-to-Door Recycling Service. Residents must not place these materials in the wheeled rubbish bin.
More information: www.walthamforest.gov.uk/wfd/doorstep.htm)


How should I recycle these items?

In order to help the Council run an efficient recycling service, there are a few things you should do when recycling.

· All items placed in your black recycling box need to be clean, so please rinse cans, jars, bottles and foil.

· Please try to separate different types of items as far as you can in your black recycling box / boxes. Additional black recycling boxes can be obtained, free of charge, by contacting Waltham Forest Direct on 020 8496 3000.

· Cardboard – flatten and fold to fit in your black recycling box. Maximum size: 28in x 18in x 9in / 71cm x 45cm x 23cm - pieces of cardboard larger than these dimensions cannot be collected by the kerbside service; please take them to a main recycling centre.

· Glass bottles and jars – rinse and remove all tops (these cannot be recycled)
· Food & drink cans and foil – rinse and flatten if possible
· Plastic bottles – rinse, remove tops (these cannot be recycled as they are made from a different type of plastic) and squash so they take up less space in your box. More information: www.walthamforest.gov.uk/wfd/recycling-plastic.htm)
· Textiles – place in a plastic bag to keep dry. No pillows or duvets please.
· Shoes – tie together in pairs
· Household batteries – place in a tied-up bag
· Car batteries – place next to your black recycling box
· Engine Oil – put in a sealed container in your box


If I cannot fit all my recycling into my black recycling box can I leave it next to the box?

No, all items must be placed in the black recycling box, except for extra large pieces of cardboard and car batteries, which must be placed alongside. Additional black recycling boxes can be obtained, free of charge, by contacting Waltham Forest Direct on 020 8496 3000.


What if I do not have a black recycling box or require additional boxes?

Residents can obtain a black recycling box or additional boxes, free of charge, by contacting Waltham Forest Direct on 020 8496 3000.


Are you introducing fortnightly refuse collection as part of Compulsory Recycling?

No, not at the moment. Weekly rubbish and recycling collections will continue to operate.


Will you be changing the recycling collection days?

Collection days may change due to the increased amounts of recycling that needs to be collected. Residents will be notified of any proposed collection day change.


How can I find out when my recycling collection day is?

View the collection schedule here (LINK TO http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/wfd/domestic-collection-days) or contact Waltham Forest Direct on 020 8496 3000.

How will Compulsory Recycling be enforced?

Black recycling boxes are emptied weekly so it will be easy to monitor which households are not taking part in the scheme. Recycling assistants will visit households who do not regularly recycle to explain the scheme and encourage residents to participate.

Residents who continue not to recycle will receive warnings and formal notices. As a last resort, the Council may prosecute the most persistent offenders. The Magistrates court can issue a fine of up to £1,000.


What happens if I place an item that I should recycle in my refuse bin by mistake?

The Council is trying to encourage recycling, not trying to catch residents out. The monitoring officers are only checking that items are regularly put out for collection in the black recycling boxes.


What happens if I am away and don’t put any recycling out?

The Council is trying to encourage recycling, not trying to catch residents out. We will only be following up with residents who regularly do not recycle.


Who collects the black recycling boxes?

The boxes are collected by our contractor, Verdant, which provides a weekly recycling and rubbish service on behalf of Waltham Forest.


Will I get my own black recycling box back after each collection?

Yes, but please do ensure that your box has your house name or number clearly marked to assist the recycling collectors.


What if I am physically unable to lift my box?

Residents can request an assisted collection. If a resident is unable to recycle due to health problems, and is unable to contact the Council themselves, a relative or friend should contact Waltham Forest Direct on 020 8496 3000.


Can I use other recycling facilities instead of my black recycling box?
Residents can use one of the three main recycling sites, or the mini-recycling centres across the borough. (LINK TO www.walthamforest.gov.uk/wfd/recycling-facilities.htm) If you do use alternative methods of recycling other than black recycling box, please contact Waltham Forest Direct on 020 8496 3000 so we can kept a record that you do recycle.


Why doesn’t Compulsory Recycling apply to all residents?

Compulsory Recycling currently only applies to residents living in low-rise households that are part of the Get Sorted Door-to-Door Recycling Service. This is because the black recycling boxes are not practical for flats in high-rise buildings, so a Door-to-Door service is not possible.

However, the Council does provide free recycling facilities for all properties in the borough, and is looking at ways of making it easier for residents in high-rise flats to recycle. To request facilities, please contact Waltham Forest Direct on 020 8496 3000.


What happens to the materials collected in my recycling box?

Glass – is sorted and processed at Berryman in Dagenham, Essex, to be made into new bottles or jars.
Cans – are taken to Edwards in Barking where they are sorted before being transferred to AMG Resources Ltd in Llanelli, Wales where they are recycled into new cans. Recycling cans saves huge amounts of energy and resources – recycling an aluminium can uses only 5% of the energy and produces only 5% of the Co2 compared to making a new one, and steel cans be recycled indefinitely.
Paper & Cardboard – go to Newport Paper in Shropshire where they are sorted and transported on to be made into newsprint - the paper used to make newspapers - and new cardboard.
Plastic bottles – are sorted into the different plastic types at Indigo Waste Services in Thetford, Norfolk, to be recycled into more bottles and other plastic products like guttering and even clothing!
Textiles & Shoes – are taken to LM Barry in Stratford. Textiles are sorted and good condition clothing is sent to developing countries, along with shoes. Remaining textiles are cut up and used for industrial cleaning clothes.
Batteries – are recycled at G&P batteries in Darlaston, Staffordshire. Batteries are shredded and separated into components that can be recycled, like gypsum, and waste materials like water and acid which are treated.
Engine Oil – is collected by Mallary Oils in Cambridge. Heavy metals are extracted from the oil which is then reused as industrial lubricant.


Aren’t the fines just a way for the council to make money?

Compulsory Recycling is not a revenue-making initiative for the Council. We all need to recycle more in order to meet national recycling targets. Individuals, communities and councils across the UK all need to do their bit to protect the environment and take care of where we live.

Fines will only be used as a last resort to persistent non-recyclers who have been given information and guidance on recycling. Based on the pilot that was run in the borough earlier this year, and evidence from other councils, it has been proved that threat of fines is an effective incentive to persuade people to recycle.

In the long term recycling will save residents money by avoiding national recycling fines, which would result in increases in council tax.


Why should I have to recycle – surely that’s the council’s responsibility not mine?

Individuals, communities and councils across the UK all need to do their bit to protect the environment and take care of where we live. Waltham Forest is working hard to make recycling as easy as possible for residents and have put in place extensive recycling facilities and door-to-door collections, but ultimately everyone must do their bit


What about businesses in the borough, so they have to recycle too? Surely they produce more refuse than households do?

Waltham Forest does not currently provide a trade waste recycling service. The Council is currently reviewing the trade waste service and this will include the provision of trade waste recycling. If you are a business looking for help with recycling, please contact a Waste Management Company that carries out collections of recyclables.

Are you going to use microchip tagging of bins?

There are no plans to introduce microchips in refuse bins.

Livingstone backs the Met on de Menezes

The 7 July bombers and those behind the attempted attacks on 21 July are primarily responsible for the tragic death of Jean Charles de Menezes, the Brazilian who was mistaken for a terrorist and shot dead on the London tube. That's the view expressed by the Mayor of London Ken Livingstone on the day that the Independent Police Complaints Commission ruled that Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Andy Hayman "misled" the public. The IPCC did not uphold a complaint against the Met's commissioner Sir Ian Blair.The IPCC Stockwell 2 report was in response to complaints brought by the de Menezes family about the way the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) provided information to the public after the shooting and didn't quash rumours that appeared in the media about de Menezes's behaviour at the time (eg suggestions that he acted suspiciously, tried to evade the police and jumped a ticket barrier at the Tube station).Livingstone said: “Jean Charles de Menezes's death was a tragedy. He was a further victim of the results of the bomb attacks on London on July 7 2005 and our thoughts and sympathies go out to Jean Charles de Menezes’ family at this very difficult time. We are aware that for them personally the loss is irreplaceable, whatever the wider circumstances."But it is important for all our future safety to remember the circumstances under which the Met Police were operating during those weeks. London had faced the worst terrorist attack in its history, followed just two weeks later by further attempted bombings. The professionalism and bravery of the police, in risking their lives to protect our capital, were second to none. All Londoners depended on their judgement and courage. These were exceptional times and, while lessons on improvements and communication of course can and should be made in future, the police had one overriding imperative – to protect Londoners. As one who has, on other occasions, raised issues in which police have acted incorrectly, I want to state clearly that in this case, I see no evidence other than that they were seeking to protect Londoners. This was in the most difficult circumstances, amidst strain, and with a responsibility for literally life or death issues that the public can scarcely imagine. Jean Charles de Menezes’ death was a tragedy that flowed from the terrorist attacks on London. Those who launched the bombs on July 7 and those behind the attempted attacks on July 21 bear the prime responsibility for his death."Livingstone said that a vicious campaign was launched in sections of the media against Sir Ian Blair at the time but the Mayor was "absolutely confident" that the commissioner would be exonerated by the IPCC. He said he gave Blair his "full support".MPA chair Len Duvall said the report did not make comfortable reading for the MPA, adding that recommendations from Stockwell 1 and 2 have now been implemented.He said: "Londoners must be able to trust what their police service tells them, especially in circumstances where they are being asked to be vigilant and maintain high levels of awareness. Trust in this information is absolutely paramount and in many circumstances can be a vital message of reassurance. The authority will continue to work to ensure that the MPS's internal methods of working and communications are efficient and effective."Duvall added: "The IPCC report also requires the MPA to consider the specific actions of assistant commissioner Hayman and the MPA Professional Standards sub-committee will now consider whether the allegations should give rise to disciplinary action against him."

Penalty Charge

A new two-tier scheme for penalising illegal parking
has come into force in the Capital.
The scheme is based on the seriousness of the
contravention committed. It means drivers parking
at bus stops, on pedestrian crossings, or in safety
zones outside schools, will receive a higher
penalty than those overstaying at parking meters.
Other contraventions include wrongly using bus
lanes, entering a box junction when exits are
blocked and ignoring a no-entry sign.
A £120 penalty will be applied to the more
serious contraventions in central London, while
lesser contraventions will attract a penalty of £80.
In outer London, the penalty will be £100 and
£60. All penalties will be reduced by 50 per cent
if paid within 14 days.
The introduction of the scheme follows an
extensive consultation with the public, motoring
organisations and other interested parties, carried
out last year by London Councils and TfL.
Go to www.londoncouncils.gov.uk for
more information.

Compulsory Recycling starting soon

Following a very successful pilot last year, Compulsory Recycling is being introduced across Waltham Forest from 10 September 2007. All residents in the Get Sorted! Door-to-Door Recycling Service are being asked to recycle paper and cardboard, glass bottles and jars, food and drink cans, plastic bottles, textiles and shoes, batteries and engine oil.

On yer bike, Livingstone tells Londoners

Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, announced today that he has asked Transport for London to examine the feasibility of bicycle hire scheme to promoting cycling in London. The Mayor recently saw at first hand the successful 'Velib' - Freedom bike - hire scheme introduced by the Mayor of Paris, which has enjoyed great success since its launch a few weeks ago. The Mayor and Peter Hendy, the Commissioner of Transport for London, witnessed the Paris Velib scheme at first hand during the recent Tour de France. Transport for London have been asked to look at international best practice in promoting cycling, including hire schemes like that of Paris, with a view to introducing a scheme which meets the specific needs of London. Cycling groups and other stakeholders will be consulted on the options. A London scheme would require the support of London Boroughs, as well as the Mayor, as most London roads are controlled by the boroughs.The Paris scheme offers 10,000 bicycles sited at 750 dedicated hire-points every 300 metres around Paris, with plans for 20,000 bikes at 1,400 hire points by the end of the year. The bikes are available at any time of the day or night and cost just about 70 pence to hire for half an hour. Theft is minimal because of the unique design of the bicycles, their highly secure parking facilities and because payment is via credit or debit card. If a bicycle is not returned the hirer is charged around £100.The Paris scheme has been an instant success, with the distinctive Freedom Bikes now seen all around the centre of Paris. Transport for London officials have been working with the Clearzones Partnership and central London boroughs to examine the potential for a similar scheme for some months and will be meet their opposite numbers in Paris, and other European cities, to discuss the practicalities of such schemes. Other cities with a strong record on cycling or with public cycle hire scheme include Barcelona, Lyon, Brussels, Vienna, Berlin, Munich, Oslo and Copenhagen.Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, said: ‘Cycling is a clean, fast and cheap way to get around London and we have seen an 83 per cent increase in cycling since I became Mayor. I have seen the Paris Freedom Bike scheme, and discussed it with the Mayor of Paris. It clearly works and is highly popular. I have asked transport officials in London to study the Parisian and similar schemes in order to draw up proposals for a scheme which would meet the needs of London. I am sure that we can learn from the success of the Parisian and similar schemes to expand access to cycling in London.'

Man fatally stabbed in the street

A man has been stabbed to death on a street in east London after a night out drinking, police have confirmed.
The man, believed to be in his 40s, was discovered at 0955 BST on Saturday in Forest Road in Walthamstow.
Emergency crews attempted to revive the victim but he died at the scene. Police are contacting next-of-kin in a bid to identify him.
A post-mortem examination will be carried out later to establish the exact cause of death.

291 & 293 Chingford Road

This is just to update you with regard to these properties.

The Council issued enforcement notices in respect of the unauthorised conversions and extensions. The owner appealed against the notices but the Planning Inspector has now dismissed the appeal. The owner therefore has to comply with the requirements of the notices. The compliance period is 6 months from the date of the Inspectors decision(19 June 2007).

Compulsory Recycling starting soon

Following a very successful pilot last year, Compulsory Recycling is being introduced across Waltham Forest from 10 September 2007. All residents in the Get Sorted! Black Box scheme are being asked to recycle their paper, cardboard, glass bottles and jars, and food and drink cans.

With rubbish causing an increasing burden on the environment across the UK, the government has set ambitious targets for how much local councils have to recycle. Currently 29% of waste is recycled in Waltham Forest - we have to increase this to 33% by March 2008 and 50% by 2012. If we don’t meet these targets, the Council will receive heavy fines that will impact on council tax bills.

We will be working hard with residents to make sure they understand the compulsory recycling scheme. From mid-August a communications campaign featuring local recyclers will help residents to understand what and how they need to recycle. Look out for posters at locations around the borough and information packs which will be delivered to homes involved.

Councillor Bob Belam, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “We’ve proved that Compulsory Recycling can significantly increase recycling rates and we’re confident that this initiative will ensure we meet the government’s targets. To guarantee its success we all need to spread the word to make residents aware of the role they have to play in making Waltham Forest a greener, cleaner place to live.”

If residents persistently do not recycle, they could be fined up to £1,000. This will only be used as a last resort in cases where people have continuously failed to recycle.

If you are meeting with a group of residents and would like to take some leaflets about the new Compulsory Recycling scheme, or know of a location we can put up additional posters to inform residents, please contact Madeleine Thorpe on extension 4856 or by email.

The compulsory recycling scheme will not initially apply to high-rise blocks of flats with shared refuse facilities, although the Council is considering possibilities to include these properties. The Council’s Green Waste collection service for kitchen and garden waste will be extended across the borough from September, with all residents to be included by February 2008. Residents will be informed as the scheme is expanded into their area.

For more information about recycling in Waltham Forest, visit www.walthamforest.gov.uk/recycling

Green Fair

The rain held off long enough for residents to learn about green issues and practical ways of tackling climate change at the Council's Green Fair on Sunday.
Hundreds of people flocked to the event in Aveling Park, Walthamstow, to find out more about reducing their Carbon Footprint. They also learned about topics such as recycling, composting, waste reduction, insulating, transport, street cleaning, pollution, open spaces and animal welfare in the many Council marquees.
The Council's environment team was also on hand to hear residents' views on the environment and what they thought could be done to help the environment and give out information and advice about the services provided by the Council.
Councillor Bob Belam, Cabinet member for the Environment said: “The fair was a wonderful day which enabled the whole family to pick up a few helpful ideas on how to protect the environment.
"Stopping climate change is not about making drastic changes, it is about everybody making small but valuable alterations to the way they do things - recycling more, using energy efficient light bulbs and making sure you turn electrical appliances off when your have finished using them.
"These things don't have a major impact on your quality of life, but if everyone did them they would help enormously in tackling climate change."
People took the green theme to heart, even when making their way to Aveling Park. A survey of visitors to the event showed most used green modes of transport to get there with 57 percent walking, 21 per cent driving, 10 per cent cycling and 11 per cent getting the bus.
Around 200 people registered for the Children's Traffic Club to receive regular road safety advice from Transport for London and 450 bags to dispose of cigarette butts were given out along with 100 dog mess cleaning kits. A further 30 smokers asked to be referred to stop smoking service.
More than 140 people applied to take part in the recycling station pilot which aims to make recycling tidier and more convenient.
As well as the practical side of the day there were Children’s activities including shows, a climbing wall, a treasure hunt, attended by more than 50 children and a bike ride.
To find out more about protecting the environment and what Waltham Forest Council is doing to tackle climate change visit http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/index/environment/climate-change.htm

TOP TEN TIPS

'Let councils decide on tax and transport'

Ahead of the expected publication of the Sub National Review by the Treasury, the Local Government Association is calling for powers to be devolved to councils, or groups of councils, over taxation, transport, infrastructure, planning, economic development and skills in order to boost economic growth.The Local Government Association, a cross party organisation which represents councils in England, is calling for:Devolution of powers and funding for partnerships to provide local solutions to the transport, housing and planning, welfare and skills and economic development needs of their areas Devolution of new powers and funding to councils to recognise their key role in providing the conditions for local economic prosperity and growthDecisions to be made by councils working together with partners at the level of a town or city or county but not a centrally imposed modelRegional bodies such as Regional Development Agencies and Regional Planning Bodies to be genuinely strategic and for regional economic, planning and housing strategies to be mergedChairman of the Local Government Association, Sir Simon Milton, said:'The sub national review represents a real opportunity for Ministers to hand down powers from Whitehall back to locally accountable people to make the right decisions, in the right time and in the right place.'Central government keeps town and cities as clients. It is time to set them free. Decisions on transport, planning, regeneration and employment must be devolved to the level where people actually live their lives, raise their families and earn their living.'Despite the UK experiencing an unprecedented period of growth and stability, British productivity is below the average of G7 countries, lagging behind the US, France and Germany. English cities, with the exception of London, are not even represented in Europe's wealthiest thirty urban centres. If England's cities are to close the gap with other countries, let alone with London, their productivity and competitiveness need to stride forwards.'With greater devolution on taxation and clear powers over transport, infrastructure, planning, economic development and skills, overseas cities have managed to develop local economies that benefits not just the city, but pulls up the whole region. Whitehall should learn from their experience and give similar powers to English areas.'Politicians of all parties recognise that what distinguishes England's local economies from successful places elsewhere is our uniquely centralised system of decision-making and funding. What is needed is a clear devolution of power to make local decisions and put in place local solutions, and to invest in transformation for growth.'England's cities and shires are ambitious to take real local ownership of their economic destiny. Each place, city, county, town is different. All have their own unique challenges. 'In the light of the evidence, economic devolution now seems to both necessary and unavoidable. The government has created for itself an unmissable opportunity to bring about this decade's decisive economic transformation.'

'Pay as you throw' scheme will not work

Charging people for the amount of waste they produce and penalising those who don't do it properly are poorly thought out ideas that are doomed to failure, according to the Communities and Local Government select committee.In its report on refuse collection, the committee said the proposals were "too timid, too complicated and unlikely to work". And it concluded that planned financial incentive schemes would be seen as an extra charge for a service most householders believe they pay for already through their council tax. Rewards as small as £20 or £30 a year for sorting waste into as many as five different bins, bags or boxes will not outweigh the negative psychological impact of making offending households pay more. Indeed, the schemes could lead to public protest, as well as more fly-tipping and non-payment.The committee also said that alternate weekly collections may not be suitable for all councils, especially highly populated urban centres with crowded streets and limited storage space for bins. And the committee claimed that although recycling has increased in areas where there were alternate collections, there is no proven link between those increases and the new system.Backing up views expressed in Public Servant Daily blogs, the committee felt there was enough public concern, along with a wealth of anecdotal evidence about population explosions in flies, maggots, rats and the like, that there should be more research into the health implications of AWC. One suggestion is for local authorities to have separate food waste collection at least once a week. [Read the blog: Maggots make my life a misery.]Committee chair Dr Phyllis Starkey said: “Our clear conclusion is that no single collection system could suit every authority across the range of all local circumstances. We would like the government come up with a core definition of what householders should expect from their refuse collection. This should include no complicated rules, rubbish collected when the council says it will be and schemes to suit every household from the largest rural home to the most crowded urban area. What we do not want is, as Ben Bradshaw, then the minister for waste, put it, local authorities 'blundering' into AWC before proper consideration and consultation has taken place as to whether this is the best system for that area.”The Department for the Environment said it was "disappointed that on financial incentives, the committee has not recognised the need to try out new and innovative ways of encouraging sustainable waste behaviour".Paul Bettison, chairman of the Local Government Association's environment board, said: "The LGA would like to see more focus on the 90 per cent plus of waste which is not municipal. We also call on government, producers and retailers to work together and reduce the amount of food waste being thrown away. Separate and weekly food waste collection is desirable in principle but there are serious issues of cost and practicality."

FREE COLLECTIONS

The Council will provide three free special collections per year to each domestic household. The year runs from 1st April to 31st March. Further collections can be provided at a cost starting at £23.50 (£20.00 plus VAT). All collections carried out within ten working days.
Examples of what can be collected on a special collection:
o up to 10 light sacks of household or
o garden waste or
o a 3-piece suite or
o a dining room suite (table and 4 chairs) or
o 1 double, or 2 single wardrobes or
o a bed and mattress
o one item of white goods (fridge/cooker/ washing machine/dishwasher/spin dryer/freezer etc or similar appliance)
This service is available for most types of household items but does not include fixtures and fittings, carpets, construction waste (bricks, rubble, concrete,patio slabs etc) or garden fixtures (sheds, garages, fencing etc)
To request a Special Collection
Contact Waltham Forest Direct 020 8496 3000

GREEN FAIR

Waltham Forest Council holds this annual Green Fair event, every year and it is a highly successful and enjoyable occasion. Many green groups, environmental schemes, animal interests, organic produces, community groups and activists are represented at this event.
The Green Fair aims to improve people’s awareness of green issues and help people to make the small changes to their lives, which can help to make a dramatic effect on the environment.
Event Details
This year it will be held at Lloyd/Aveling Park on Sunday 22 July, from 12 noon to 6pm.
The Council’s Environment portfolio holder Councillor Bob Belam said:
“Do you know; if everyone installed just one energy saving light bulb the CO2 emissions saved would fill 2 million double-decker buses and if each house installed three energy saving bulbs, it would save enough energy to run the country's streetlights for a year! As well as the helping the environment, installing a low energy bulb will save about £9 per year on your electricity bill, so if you replace every light in the house; how much will you save?”
As well as showing people how easy it is to help the environment, the Fair will bring green traders and the public together enabling local people to buy energy saving devices, which will end up saving both money and CO2 emissions.

MET MUST WORK WITH OTHERS TO END TEENAGE MURDERS

Responding to the Met Police's announcement that hit squads will soon be in place to tackle violent teenage gangs in every London borough, Graham Tope, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Policing on the London Assembly said:
"Since January, 15 young people have either been shot or stabbed to death in London in callous and evil attacks. At times it feels as if we can no longer say that these events are rare. "I welcome the Met's efforts to fight back against violent gangs but if long term results are expected, the police will have to work with many other organisations who have an effect on the lives of young people. Education, housing, health and employment all have critical roles to play in ending the threat of violence and sense of fear that affects millions of Londoners.
"Young people must also be involved in this process to make sure the authorities get it right for the long term."

MAYOR ANSWERS TO LONDON

The latest set of answers at the June Mayor's Question time have been published here http://www.london.gov.uk/mqt/bymember.do. You can catch up with all the questions put to Mayor Livingstone, and his answers. Amongst other questions you can see what the Mayor said as Geoff Pope tackled him on the number of accidents caused by 'Bendy Buses, while Dee Doocey asked the Mayor what was being done to support rough sleepers in the capital. If you have a question for the Mayor let us know at mailto:info@glalibdems.org.uk

CHANGES IN LONDON?

Sally Hamwee writes: The Mayor's new planning powers were discussed in the Lords last week. Under the GLA Bill and an Order (now in final form but to be made later) the Mayor will be able himself to determine applications which are "strategic" (at present he can only direct a borough to refuse an application). The definition of strategic has been debated and negotiated over many months, and probably the most contentious issue is housing where the Mayor will be able to take over housing applications for more than 150 units, taking account of whether the borough is meeting its development plan targets including those for affordable housing - it is the shortage which underlies the changes.
The Liberal Democrats eventually, after consulting representatives of Lib Dem led councils, decided to support the Government against a Conservative attempt to increase the threshold to 500 units. 150 is after all itself pretty sizeable. This will not mean creating a homogeneous city; the boroughs will be able to keep their own character - but it does mean paying a lot of attention to what goes in their development plans.
The Government has moved a long way from its original proposals. Perhaps the greatest constraint on the Mayor will be that he cannot delegate these powers. The procedures will be similar to those at local level: agendas with officer recommendations published in advance, oral representations from the local authority and applicant (he can also hear objectors but is not required to - we lost that one), and he will have to sit through it all.
As a coda, I pushed to a vote a provision which would have postponed till after next May the restriction on anyone standing for Mayor or Assembly Member after serving two terms. I wanted to make it quite clear this was not a personal attack on the current Mayor (after all, we'd tried for this is 1999) and to change the rules so close to an election would be inappropriate. The Commons will throw out the two terms restriction, but as things stand, since they voted against this little amendment, it is the Government and the Labour party who have let a Bill proceed with a two-term restriction and no get out for Mr Livingstone.

FLOODING A REALITY.

Commenting on the severe floods that have hit Yorkshire and the Midlands this week, Mike Tuffrey, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Assembly Members and Spokesperson on the Environment said:
Severe floods this week have been a painful demonstration that climate change is real and is happening in the UK. The Mayor needs to think seriously about his plans to build thousands of new homes on flood plains in the Thames Gateway, and must minimise building in high-risk areas. He must also seek assurances from his Government that future flood defences in the region, including recommendations from the Thames Estuary 2100 project, receive adequate and sustained funding to protect effectively against increasing flood risk

BILLET ROUNDABOUT WORKS

No cuts to Safer Neighbourhood Teams

Mike Tuffrey this week got the Mayor to make a categorical promise to Londoners not to cut funding for local Safer Neighbourhood Teams. Mike used the monthly Mayor's Question Time session to highlight concerns that senior police officers in London now believe that reductions could be made in local policing.Mike Tuffrey said:
"We are pleased that the Mayor has made this promise to Londoners but are concerns about his ability to stick to his word. Having spent £0.5 billion on implementing Safer Neighbourhood Teams, it would be scandalous for the Mayor and the Met to allow a reduction in officer numbers due to budget pressures.
"The Mayor is well on course to fail his 2004 election promise of cutting crime by 50% by 2008. This would further damage efforts to cut crime in the capital."

Mayor saved from embarrasment

A politically embarrassing climb-down by the Mayor this week saw Geoff Pope and Mike Tuffrey nominated to the London Fire and Emergency Authority, the Mayor having earlier refused to put Mike's, Geoff's, and the London Councils Lib Dem rep Ed Butcher from Haringey, names forward. The Mayor's embarrassment was almost compounded when on a vote of 9 to 8, (the Conservatives voting against) the Fire Authority agreed to pay London's Living Wage to its cleaners after a speech by Geoff Pope supporting the idea.

Term Limits from 2008?

After the House of Lords this week voted to impose a two term limit on a Mayor of London (and Assembly Members!), Sally Hamwee is introducing an amendment in the House of Lords next week to ensure that the term limits do not apply until after the London Mayor and Assembly elections next year.
Sally Hamwee said: "There are quite distinct views on the principle: That an individual with such considerable executive power should be limited in how long he can serve. Or that it is entirely a matter for the electorate, once every four years. The vote, at any rate so far as the Lib Dems were concerned, was not a personal attack on Mr Livingstone - during the debate I said that if Graham Tope were Mayor I'd still be supporting the limit, and I'd expect him to do so if I were. The amendment won't stick; the Tories on the Assembly echoed their Commons colleagues (a split between Tories in the two Houses?) and lined up to say they thought Mr Livingstone was quite right to fight the restriction." Graham Tope moved the issue during the Lords’ debat, as well as fighting for greater powers for the London Assembly to challenge the Mayor’s budget.

Lose - Lose situation

Responding to the announcement that Metronet have given notice to London Underground that they have invited the PPP arbiter to conduct an Extraordinary Review, in order to recover its claimed significant additional costs on the PPP project, Geoff Pope said:
"This is a lose - lose situation. London Underground and Metronet will have to abide by the Arbiters findings and face being left to split the billion pound bill between them.
"The only losers in all of this will be London's travelling public who face the prospect of suffering a reduced service for their money and then having to pay higher fares for service that shows little improvement."
Gordon Brown's PPP is proving a disaster for London. Is this really what he wants to leave as a legacy for London as he moves from number 11 to number 10 Downing Street?"

Rough Sleeping action?

On Wednesday Dee Doocey, spokesperson on housing, questioned the Mayor over whether London would meet its target to end rough sleeping by 2012. Dee said:
'There is a real disparity between the Government's rough sleeping figures and reports coming in from the voluntary sector. For London to end rough sleeping before 2012, there needs to be some real leg work from the Mayor to provide new supported housing for the most vulnerable people on the streets, as well as initiatives to help those who are fit into work. We will be looking for commitments in these areas when the Mayor publishes his Housing Strategy next month.'

GREMLINS

Sadly the gremlins hit the last Focus between the computer and the printers.
By the number of responses we received it did not appear to spoil your enjoyment in reading what goes on in your area.

GREEN WASTE SERVICE

The Council are currently working with Verdant to bring in a green waste collection service (brown bins) across the borough. The roll out will start on September 10th. The first rounds have not yet been allocated. Watch this space for further information.

WALTHAM FOREST ON TOP OF NORTH LONDON RECYCLING

Waltham Forest has over taken Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Harrigey and Islington as the top recycling borough in North London.
In the latest AEA Technology report for April 2007 Waltham Forest recorded 27.87% at the same time saving the Council £261,200.

Our current monthly recycling rate is 29%

TACKLING SUSTAINABILITY

At a formal dinner held in the Tower of London this week to mark the second visit of the International Olympic Committee's Coordination Commission for the 2012 Games to London, Sally Hamwee took the opportunity to talk to the Chair of the independent Commission overseeing the sustainability of the Games, and to bring him into a discussion with the London Development Agency about the problems faced by plot holders at Manor Garden Allotments who are facing relocation from the site of the Olympic Park.
After the event, Sally said "The Chair of the Assembly is often invited to events like this, and the trick is to make sure that you use such occasions to talk to senior officials the real issues that Londoners are concerned about. I told them that I guessed that the allotment holders must have felt as if they were under the wheels of a juggernaut" The LDA announced on Thursday that they had reached agreement with the Manor Garden Allotment plot holders to enable them to return to their plots after 2012, and in the meantime to move to a temporary site in Waltham Forest, having arranged suitable compensation and support

CLOSURE OF TUBE TICKET OFFICES WILL IMPACT PASSENGER SAFETY

Geoff Pope hit out this week at Mayor Livingstone's plan to close ticket offices at 40 Tube stations, 38 of them in outer London.
Geoff said: "Mayor Livingstone’s latest move to rescue Tube finances is to axe ticket offices at 40 tube stations. He has spun this as taking staff out of ticket offices and making them a visible presence on station platforms – an excuse to redeploy 240 staff. The reality is that at present, when ticket offices are closed, your chances of finding a staff member are next to zero. If London Underground’s management can’t make it work now, why should we believe they’ll suddenly mend their ways? All three rail unions have come out against the changes, claiming passenger safety will be put at risk. Passengers need to feel safer on stations. If the Mayor needs to cut costs, he could make a start on London Underground's middle management."
Geoff Pope also organised an event at the House of Commons this week to demand an early government announcement that they will fund Network Rail's Thameslink programme which would hugely increase north-south suburban rail provision for commuters. Geoff said "Unless the decision is made this summer, work may not be able to start until after the 2012 Olympics."

DEE DOOCEY WELCOMES OLYMPIC PROGRESS REPORT BUT WARNS AGAINST COMPLACENCY OVER LEGACY

This week the International Olympic Committee visited London to assess London's progress, and gave a very positive report, saying that preparations were "on time and on track". They also said that London was more advanced in their preparations than any host city in Olympic history.
However, Dee Doocey, the Liberal Democrat Olympic
spokesperson on the London Assembly, issued a note of caution. "Whilst I clearly welcome the reports from the IOC that London is progressing well, I still have reservations about certain aspects of the legacy from the Olympic and Paralympic Games. There is a real issue over the cycling legacy that will be left after 2012, and for some time now I have been working closely with various cycling bodies in London, and the Olympic Delivery Authority, to ensure that the cycling facilities London was promised after 2012 are actually delivered. And it is all very well having an Olympic roadshow to encourage people to 'join in', but the fact is that an extra £60 million is being diverted from grass roots sports as a result of the increase in the Olympics budget. How are local sports clubs expected to thrive if their funding is being cut? But my main concern is that the employment and skills we have been promised will not actually reach the people who need them most - those in the hardest to reach, most deprived communities in London."

LIB DEMS CALL ON AUDIT COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE BOB KILEY CONTRACT

The Liberal Democrats on the London Assembly this week revealed that TfL has spent £210m on consultants in the past financial year (2006-07). By comparison, it spent £31 million in 2004-05 and £33.5 million in 2005-06.
Group Leader Mike Tuffrey said: “A quarter of a billion spent on consultants in a year is an insult. Londoners are not yet seeing real improvement to their daily travel conditions despite all the spending. We need to see fewer middle men and paper pushers and more value for money. With Bob Kiley, Ken Livingstone is breaking his own code of practice on contracting. Unless we get satisfactory answers today, we will be referring TfL to the Audit Commission for immediate investigation.”
Also this week successfully moved a motion in the London Assembly calling on the Audit Commission to investigate the payments Transport for London has made to Bob Kiley in light of the lack of transparency surrounding Mr Kiley's consultancy contract.
The call for the investigation follows the summonsing of information from TfL about the contract - which revealed that there is no record of the number of days Mr Kiley has worked or the advice he has given - and questioning of Mayor Ken Livingstone and senior TfL officers by the full Assembly today.
Mike Tuffrey said: "No reasonable person or farepayer could help but think this contract is a scandalous waste of Londoners' money. The Mayor and Transport for London have been unable to provide this Assembly with either the documented evidence we required from them, or satisfactory answers at the meeting today, to justify exactly what Mr Kiley is doing to earn his truly extraordinary fee.
"For this reason, we have no option but to call on the Audit Commission in the hope it will be able to shed some light on what seems to be a very murky deal indeed.
"In the meantime Transport for London should not hand over another penny. The current contract arrangements are absolutely unsustainable - no further payment should be made to Mr Kiley and Transport for London should renegotiate the contract so any future payments are for work he has actually done."

it's NO to TESCO !!!

HOT NEWS! The proposed Tesco store for HIGHAMS PARK (off Larkshall Rd. - former C & A site) has been REFUSED.The long report from the Inspector (now published) following the January Planning Inquiry recommends refusal because the store would be out of keeping in the area and too large. There are also concerns about the residential development that was to be included on the site. The Secretary of State has accepted the recommendation to refuse the development.Some key sentences from the report:"The scale of provision and size of store would be out of place, likely to cause material harm to the vitality, character and role of the centre in the local community." On proposed housing: " "I find that the layout and likely design would fail to meet the policy requirements of achieving good quality residential developments.""-- The retail and design objections I identify are fundamental to the unacceptability of the scheme and far outweigh the matters I find in its favour."In the assessment from the Secretary of State on the housing aspect, she speaks of the failure "to create a building of distinctive character which would support a sense of local pride and dignity," and that the development "would also be in stark contrast to the terraced housing in the surrounding area." The conclusions also state: " -- the Secretary of State has strong reservations about the visual impact of the proposed scheme, its relationship to the existing centre and its potential to provide a high quality of life for those living, working or otherwise using it."WHAT HAPPENS NOW? Tesco could challenge the decision in the High Court; or perhaps they might be interested in making a new application, perhaps for a smaller store with a different style of housing development??Watch this space!

The first of a new fleet of Kerbsider recycling vehicles arrived this week.
Cllr Bob Belam is seen here with the new environmentally friendly vehicle.

Replacing London’s Victorian water mains – an opportunity to find out more

Letter from Thames Water


BB 751174
Andrew Popple
0845 641 0011
01793541 709
18 May 2007


Dear Customer
We will soon be starting work in your area to replace ageing and leaky water mains, and would like to invite you to a drop-in meeting to find out more.

Local streets suffer from a high number of burst pipes and leaks, so we have decided to renew the old cast iron mains with new plastic ones. Although this work will unfortunately involve some disruption, it will mean long-term benefits because there will be less need to dig up streets and make repairs in the future.

These improvements are necessary because much of the region’s pipework is very old. Over half the water mains in London are at least 100 years old, and a third have been in use for more than 150 years. These pipes are under increasing pressure from round-the-clock traffic and a growing population, and now need to be replaced.

We have already carried out similar work in other areas, and have now laid more than 400 miles of new mains.

On 4 June we will begin work to replace 38km of old water pipes across your area, which is planned to be complete by August 2010.

To find out how and when this work will affect you, come and meet us.
Date: Tuesday 29 May
Time: 4pm to 6.30pm
Location: At our customer exhibition unit which will be located in Priory Court Community Centre car park, 11 Priory Court, South Countess Road, E17.

Clancy Docwra have been appointed to carry out these improvements. During our work there will be an interruption to your water supply, but we will warn you in advance. Where your business needs a constant supply of water, please contact us and we will do our best to work with you to meet your needs. If you are not responsible for the maintenance of water services for your building, please would you pass a copy of this letter to the appropriate person.
If your building has a fire main or sprinkler system, please ensure you forward a copy of this letter to the appropriate person. If a separate fire main letter has not been received, please contact us so we can verify our fire main records.

If you do not already have a water meter, one will be installed on the new pipe supplying your property. This meter will be used to check for leaks and improve our understanding of water usage. The new meter will not be used to charge you for your water unless you ask us to. If you live in a block of flats, a house that is converted into separate apartments or if you are connected to a shared supply, there will be one meter installed at the supply pipe boundary. In this case we cannot bill you using the meter, as the meter is unable to record an individual property’s water consumption from a shared supply pipe.

The project may cause some disruption to traffic and pedestrians, but we are liaising closely with the London Borough of Waltham Forest, Metropolitan Police, Transport for London and Emergency Services to reduce this.

Please read the enclosed information carefully as it contains important information about this work.

How to contact us
· Our main site office is located at VMR Project Office, Clancy Docwra, c/o Thames Water Depot, Lea Bridge Road, London, E5 9RJ where you can contact our construction managers on 0208 923 3299 between 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday. If you are calling outside office hours, please ring our Standby Supervisor on 0208 923 3299.
· Our Customer Centre is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 0845 641 0011. Please quote your address and reference number BB751174 if you call us.
· If you are interested in learning more about our investment programme, or the technical details of our work, visit our website at www.thameswater.co.uk/newpipes.


Thank you in advance for your patience and co-operation during this work.

Yours faithfully

Andrew Popple
Project Manager

London Councils concerned at Mayor’s intention to press ahead with London LEZ

London Councils has voiced concerns that the Mayor is pressing ahead with plans to introduce a London Low Emission Zone (LEZ) – despite warnings that it would prove hugely expensive while providing minimal benefit for Londoners.
When the Mayor consulted on the proposals in February 2007, London Councils warned that the LEZ would bring very little improvement to the capital’s air quality despite costing around £600 million to introduce and enforce.
Despite these warnings, the Mayor has announced today that he has approved plans to introduce the LEZ in February 2008. Under the scheme vehicles like heavy goods lorries, vans, coaches and buses will have to pay to enter Greater London.
Responding to Transport for London’s consultation on the LEZ, London Councils said that while it is committed to seeking ways to improve London’s air quality there are significant questions about the worth of the scheme currently proposed.
TfL’s figures show that with the LEZ, London’s air quality could improve overall by 11.6 per cent by 2010. However, their figures also show that even without the LEZ, the capital’s air quality will improve by 11.3 per cent by 2010 as a result of European standards on emission levels for new vehicles.
According to TfL’s own figures boroughs, hauliers, van operators and bus and coach firms now face compliance costs of £470 million to make their existing vehicles comply with the zone’s restrictions. Further, TfL also estimates it would cost around £130 million to introduce and enforce the LEZ.
London Councils is also concerned about how the LEZ will be enforced, especially for foreign registered vehicles. In total, around 95 per cent of the penalties issued in London to drivers of vehicles registered abroad go unpaid as there is no way of enforcing them. The Freight Transport Association estimate that there are around 10,000 foreign registered heavy goods vehicles in the UK each day.
London Councils believes an effective way forward would be for the Government to introduce tougher emissions standards for all vehicles through the annual MOT test. This would remove any need for additional expensive extra enforcement to be taken.
Chairman of London Councils Transport and Environment Committee, Councillor Daniel Moylan, said:
“While we share the Mayor’s aim of improving London’s air quality we cannot support a scheme that uses public money so recklessly. The LEZ will waste millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money and add huge financial burdens to London’s businesses. Despite this huge expenditure, the Mayor’s proposed LEZ will achieve only miniscule benefits for Londoners. Six hundred million pounds for a 0.3 per cent increase in air quality is a poor return by anyone’s standards.
“It appears our evidence has not been heeded and that the Mayor is intent on pressing ahead with his plans irrespective of the cost. Perhaps he is more interested in grabbing the green headlines rather than doing what is best for London. Instead of rushing through a new tax on Londoners, the Mayor’s strategic role would be far better employed in lobbying government on behalf of the capital to lower emissions levels for all vehicles through the MOT test.”

Freedom Pass

London Councils has called for the Secretary of State for Transport to be the arbiter in future negotiations over the cost of providing the Freedom Pass, which provides older and disabled Londoners with free travel on public transport in the capital. The cost of the scheme is negotiated annually between London Councils and Transport for London (TfL). At present TfL can dictate the cost of the scheme if no agreement is reached.

FARID says “Despite Labour spin, Patients are waiting longer”

A recent survey for Channel 4’s Dispatches programme showed that almost half of NHS hospitals across England are deliberately delaying operations to save money. The results of this survey stand in stark contrast to the Prime Minister’s recent spin that waiting times are constantly tumbling. The reality is that the impact of deficits and the politically imposed deadline for breaking even, is resulting in health trusts making these perverse decisions. Wherever health trusts are in deficit they are often forced to delay referral of patients to hospitals. These bizarre and counterproductive practices mean patients are waiting longer than they should to see a consultant. Patricia Hewitt’s desire to save her own job by making the NHS break even this year is resulting in other people losing theirs, and cuts in services across the country.

CHAPEL END WARD FOCUS TEAM

Cllr Bob Belam,
92 Douglas Avenue, E17 5BW
Phone 020 8923 1148
E-mail Cllr.bob.belam@walthamforest.gov.uk
Cllr Bob Carey,
66 Bedford Road, E17 4PX
Phone 020 8923 6329
E-mail Cllr.bob.carey@walthamforest.gov.uk
Cllr John Macklin,
61 Havant Road, E17 3JE
Phone 020 8520 4672
E-mail Cllr.john.macklin@walthamforest.gov.uk

Surgery Advice Centre

Your Liberal Democrat Councillors hold a confidential surgery/advice session on the first and third Saturday of each month 10am to 12pm in room 2a at the Town Hall, Forest Rd E17

YOU CAN HELP THE FOCUS TEAM

FOCUS is delivered free to households.

The FOCUS Team would be pleased to

hear from you if you would like to

help deliver FOCUS near your home

CONTACTING YOU

When we found out about the recent works to line the Billet Roundabout, we were able to email residents of the impending works. If you would like to have your email address added to this circulation list, please email Cllr Bob Belam with your email address to cllr.bob.belam@walthamforest.gov.uk , we will only use your address to keep you informed.

THE BILLET WORKS

Cllr Bob Belam enquired about the works taking place at the Billet.
The response from an officer of the Council is:
"We have in the last week received an application from Thames Water touse the site as a temporary construction compound. They have to undertake a major project to alleviate sewer flooding at the Post Officeat 174 Billet Road which includes laying new sewers from the site and improvements to the connections with the main system. The project will take 3 months and the site will house 4 portacabins and plant and materials associated with the job. My initial view is that this would seem to be a reasonable location for this, away from residential properties and it has already seen a benefit of getting the existing site cleared, and a short duration for the project which will not affect the long-term use by the Ambulance service."
The Ambulance service has planning permission to build an ambulance station, replacing the old one.

PETER MAY SPORTS CENTRE

Following a petition from residents and intervention by Lib Dem ward councillors, the planning application for a 14.7m high telecommunications mast was turned down by planning officers on the grounds that it was detrimental to the visual amenity and outlook to the occupiers of residential dwellings in the surrounding streets, in particular premises in Wadham Avenue.
The applicants have the right of appeal.

REFUSE COLLECTIONS

There is a lot of controversy in the press over councils moving to fortnightly collections of refuse.
Lib Dem Cabinet Member for Environment Cllr Bob Belam says, “ Waltham Forest are not thinking of moving to fortnightly collections. We are concentrating on working with our new contractors to move to a system where all collections of waste happen on the same day, each week. This together with the roll out of green waste collection bins later this year will give Waltham Forest residents one of the best collection systems in London”

Community Toilet Scheme

The Community Toilet Scheme is an initiative being piloted by Waltham Forest Council to provide clean, safe and accessible public toilet residen and visitors in the borough.
Under the scheme businesses, within the pilot area of Leytonstone, are letting members of the public use their toilet facilities free of charge during normal opening hours. Several of the premises offer wheelchair access and baby changing facilities. Each business will receive an annual fee to help towards the cost of maintaining the toilets.
The scheme is expected to improve access to toilet facilities for the general public by increasing their number and having them located in more convenient locations.
How does the scheme work?
Local businesses are paid a small annual fee, of between £800-£1,000, to open up their toilets for public use. This fee is dependant on the size and number of conveniences offered by the organisation.
Members of the public can use the toilet facilities during the premise's opening hours and without any need to make a purchase.
Participating premises will display one of the following stickers in their window depending on the type of facilities offered:

What about wheelchair access and baby changing facilities?
Currently four out of five of our scheme members offer wheelchair accessible facilities and two out of the five provide baby changing facilities.

McDonalds
865-873 High Road
Leytonstone
E11 1HR

Walnut Tree
857-861 High Road
Leytonstone
E11 1HH

L'Horizon Patisserie
809 Leytonstone High Road
Leytonstone
E11 1HQ

Waltham Forest Direct
819 Leytonstone High Road
Leytonstone
E11 1HQ

Langhorne Park
Birch Grove
Leytonstone
E11

POLICE CALLS UNANSWERED

Half of London’s police stations don’t answer their phone to non-emergency calls. This was the shock finding from a survey of all 141 police stations in London, which we carried out in March during normal opening hours over a three-week period. The findings appear to support claims made by the Audit Commission that many crimes are going unreported because victims cannot get through to police stations.
The situation was worst in Hammersmith & Fulham and Merton, where we were unable to contact any of the police stations listed on the Met’s website.
Only four boroughs scored top marks – Barking & Dagenham, Brent, Kingston and Waltham Forest.
This situation is a disgrace, particularly since ‘Citizen Focus’ is one of the Met’s top priorities.
I met with police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair last week, to discuss our research and he agreed that what we found is totally unacceptable. The Met are taking this very seriously and are conducting a review of all London boroughs to find out what has gone wrong and how to put it right.
Our research generated a lot of TV and press coverage, and I have been contacted by a number of people who work as civilians in police stations with their own stories. If you have a concern about the service you are receiving from the Met, please get in touch: dee.doocey@london.gov.uk

OLYMPIC COSTS – THE FACTS

Recent news about the budget for the 2012 Olympic Games must have left many of you wondering what is going on. If it is any consolation, it has often felt way on the London Assembly, since those responsible would not disclose the full figures.
After twenty months of lobbying, these figures have at last been disclosed, I thought it would be useful for you at this stage to have a brief guide to where we stand.
Ever since London won the bid in 2005, the Mayor has insisted that the cost of the Games was under control.
Tessa Jowell’s statement on 15th March finally confirmed what we have always suspected – the cost of the Games has rocketed. The most welcome part of Jowell’s announcement is that, in future, all the Olympic figures will be independently reviewed by the National Audit Office to restore public confidence in the financial management of the Games.
Two organisations will spend the money:
· The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) will ‘build the theatre’ – infrastructure, venues, land remediation, etc. The public sector, London taxpayers and the lottery will fund this expenditure.
· The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG), will ‘put on the show’ – everything from the opening ceremony to the closing ceremony. This expenditure will be funded by the private sector from ticket and merchandising sales, TV rights and sponsorship.

The key elements of the Olympic budget are:
Expenditure on: Original budget New budget Increase
Olympic Park and Venues £2.03 billion £3.1 billion + £1.07billion
Infrastructure & regeneration £1.04 billion £1.7 billion + £656 million
ODA contingency NIL £500 million + £500 million
Elite sport and Paralympics £345 million £390 million + £45 million
VAT NIL £840 million + £840 million
Wider security NIL £600 million + £600 million
Additional contingency NIL £2.2 billion + £2.2 billion
TOTAL £3.4 billion £9.3 billion + £5.9 billion
Tessa Jowell’s statement added that this budget would be funded as follows:
· Government: 64% ·
Lottery: 23% ·
London: 13%
The London Assembly has summoned Sir Roy McNulty and David Higgins (Chair and Chief Executive of the ODA) to our Olympic Plenary meeting, which will take place on 25th April. This will be the first opportunity we have had to question the Olympic Delivery Authority about its budget. We will make sure we scrutinise every aspect thoroughly.

Increased Parking Permit Charges

The Council has increased the annual charge for the first vehicle from £30 to £45, second vehicle from £65 to £80 and third or subsequent vehicles from £75 to £105.The increase in these charges were carefully considered by Cabinet and Council as part of the Council's annual budget setting process.Residents parking permits were last increased two years ago and even now at £45 equates to less than £1 per week, which puts Waltham Forest below the London average for such charges. Furthermore the Council has given a commitment not to increase the charge for the first vehicle any further in the life of the current administration, which effectively means that the first vehicle charge will increase by £15 over a 6 year period. By law Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs) have to be self-financing, that is to say the implementation and running costs cannot be funded from Council Tax or any other revenue streams. This is because they cannot be supported from non-car owners or those that live outside CPZs. The cost of enforcing our CPZs is not cheap but any surplus income generated must be used to improve public transport or the highway network. It cannot be used to support other services.

Slavery isn't over, says Menzies Campbell

The celebrations for 200 years since slavery was abolished are valid, but that's just one form of slavery. Today, in the UK, slavery is very much alive, according to Liberal Democrat Leader Menzies Campbell.He said: "Birmingham, like so many other industrial cities benefited from the trade in human beings. The extent to which our nation profited from this exploitation should be a source of shame, and this year we must celebrate the people who worked to abolish the slave trade and remember those who died and suffered at its hands. "But slavery still exists in the UK and we must oppose and tackle all forms of modern day slavery wherever we find it." Currently in the UK: * At least 5,000 children are being forced to work as sex slaves* Over 4,000 trafficked women are working as prostitutes* About 10,000 gangmasters are working across various industrial sectors. Campbell said: "Slavery is a crime that has a devastating effect on the lives of individuals, and contributes to the overall harm caused by organised crime. "Since the 2004 Asylum and Immigration Act there has not been a single prosecution brought for trafficking for labour exploitation. "Our part in the slave trade was despicable and it is shameful that slavery is so prominent in the modern world."