Our plans for water: new consultation opens today 

Today marks the launch of our draft business plan for 2010 to 2015, and the publication of a summary of our proposals: ‘Our plans for water - what will you get and how much will it cost?’

What will you get?

We plan to:·    

v    Continue our Victorian Mains Replacement project to greatly reduce leakage

v    Introduce a programme of metering in areas where water supplies are under greatest pressure
  

v     Provide more advice and assistance to help customers use water wisely

v       Develop plans for and, if approved, start work to construct a new reservoir to safeguard water supplies

v     Greatly reduce sewage overflows into the Rivers Thames and Lee

v    Make sure our sewers and sewage works can serve our growing population

v    Greatly reduce the number of our customers’ homes threatened by sewer flooding

v    Improve 250km of rivers to meet new water quality standards

v    Cut our carbon emissions by 20%, and implement projects needed to meet the requirements of legislation

v    Provide more financial assistance to customers who have difficulty paying their bills to ensure our services are affordable

What will it cost?

Our  £6.5bn investment programme will lead to an average annual increase in our bills for water and wastewater services of 3%.  The total increase from 2010 to 2015 will be 16.2%.  This is an increase in real terms from £283 to £329.*

Let us know your views

Our proposals have  been  informed  by  our  biggest  ever  programme  of consultation,  and  I  am  confident  that we have put our customers at the heart  of  our  plans.   We are launching a 12-week online consultation to continue this dialogue, and I hope you will take this opportunity to let us
know your views.We  will  use  the results of the consultation to modify our plan before we submit  the  final  version  to  our  regulator Ofwat in April 2009.  Their review of our proposals will set price limits for 2010 to 2015.We look forward to receiving your comments.

Peter Antolik
Regulation and Strategy Director

v    Bill impacts are quoted at average 2007-2008 price levels.

 Please  click  http://www.thameswaterconsult.co.uk/  to  register  for  our consultation   or http://www.thameswater.co.uk/fiveyearplan  to  view  our
plans.

Your local FOCUS team want tough action to be taken against those caught selling knives to children and young people. 

Figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats revealed that half of all traders tested in Waltham Forest had attempted to sell knives to underage buyers.  

The worrying statistics come on the back of nationwide figures for prosecutions which reveal that, in the last five years, not one person has been sent to prison for the illegal sale of knives to children.

 Cllr Bob Carey says that the stats reveal “a completely inadequate deterrent to unscrupulous shop keepers who flout the law to sell these weapons to children and young people,”  

Cllr Bob Carey added: 

“The number of local traders who are apparently prepared to sell knifes to young people is extremely worrying. 

  “Liberal Democrats will be calling for officers to carry out further test purchasing programmes in an effort to really drive this message home.” 

“We believe that further tests must be carried out and that the courts must take a much stronger stand on this issue. 

“Cutting the supply of knives will be one of the most effective ways to reducing knife crime in the first place.”  

Samina Safdar has become the twentieth Liberal Democrat councillor in Waltham Forest after taking the vacant Forest ward seat in last night’s by-election. The full result was: 

SAMINA SAFDAR (LIB DEM) 977

Jawade Liaqat (Labour) 927 

Edwin Northover (Conservative) 507 

Mark Dawes (Green) 184 

Makola Mayambika (Left List) 56 

Turnout 32.33 per cent, 2,661 votes cast

Pictured Lib Dem Councillor Bob Belam with Michael Hayes National Express Environmental Champion at Chingford Station. 

This is the first paper recycling facility to be opened at a transport hub in the borough.National Express and the council are looking at ways of installing these facilities at main line stations across the borough. 

The council is talking to LU with a view to having recycling at all Underground stations by the end of the year. 

If you want something done it is the LIB DEMS who get it done

New Mayor of Waltham Forest, Cllr. Sheila Smith-Pryor has announced that she is hoping to raise lots of money during her year of office to support two local good causes:

1. Branches is a day centre and night shelter for homeless people. It is situated in Forest Rd E17. The night shelter offers a hot evening meal a bed and breakfast . The day centre provides a midday meal. There are showers clothing and laundry facilities. Branches also assists people to move back into proper homes.

2. MSAction is based in Billet Rd E17. It offers high pressure oxygen therapy to people with M.S. It does not receive any funding from the NHS and charges £10 for an hours therapy.It is not a cure but can help to keep the disease at bay and improve the quality of life.There are only 4 such units in the country and we are fortunate to have one in our borough. It is also unique in that it is the only unit that treats children with Cerebral Palsy. Again it is not a cure but can improve the quality of their lives, which has a knock-on effect on the whole family.

Anyone wishing to donate can send a cheque [payable to The Mayor’s Charity] to the Mayor’s Parlour, Town Hall, Forest Road, Walthamstow, E17 4JF.

Liberal Democrats on the London Assembly had a very successful session at the first Mayor’s Question Time with Boris Johnson this week.Leader of the London Assembly Liberal Democrats, Mike Tuffrey, convinced the Mayor to make all his appointments to City Hall accountable to the Assembly. This means that all the Mayor’s staff, including his advisers, can be called before the London Assembly for scrutiny. Mike Tuffrey also extracted pledges from Boris Johnson to make sure that the supposed ‘independent’ panel appointed by the Mayor to investigate grants awarded by the London Development Agency take account of, and use, all the work that the Assembly’s committee chaired by Liberal Democrat Dee Doocey had already carried out before the recent elections.At the same meeting Boris Johnson also agreed to seek an urgent meeting with the Department for Transport over funding for Phase 2 of the East London Line following questioning from Caroline Pidgeon - a point noted in Thursday’s Guardian!

Caroline also got Boris Johnson to admit that his plans for a new Routemaster bus are only an aspiration rather than a firm commitment.After the meeting Caroline Pidgeon commented, “The Routemaster bus was a central part of the Mayor’s election manifesto. But there are no clear plans on how he will design or pay for it. The Mayor’s new transport adviser, Kulveer Ranger, seems to think the new Routemaster may not be ‘hop-on, hop-off’. But Boris Johnson said it will be and will include the iconic platform. The Mayor’s office is sending out a confused message on his flagship policy.‘Londoners voted for Boris Johnson on his pledge to reintroduce the Routemaster. This is the first real test of Boris’ campaign manifesto and like him, it is turning out to be a little blurry round the edges. Boris Johnson said that his Routemaster bus is an aspiration and not a commitment. We can only hope that the Mayor’s next proposal has more substance.”

This week the Mayor appointed Tim Parker as First Deputy Mayor and Chief Executive of the Greater London Authority.  See http://www.london.gov.uk/view_press_release.jsp?releaseid=17034.  As news of the appointment broke, Mike Tuffrey commented that, “This week Boris Johnson told the London Assembly that he would chair Transport for London. In an apparent U-turn, he has now announced that Tim Parker will chair TfL and is inventing a new role at the GLA for him.“While we should all welcome the best brains from the private sector, we will be asking searching questions about Tim Parker’s suitability for the roles being created for him.” 

Whilst welcoming the decision to rethink the closure of the three threatened post offices in Walthamstow, it was a surprise to see Labour MP Neil Gerrard and ex-councillor Stella Creasey attempting to bask in the glory of this stay of execution (‘Stay of execution for at-risk post offices’ 15/5/08). 

Labour’s apparent hand-brake turn in its support for the closures is certainly welcome, but will justifiably be seen by local people as an attempt to save face in Waltham Forest by distancing themselves from their national Labour colleagues mistakes. 

However it is difficult not to come to the conclusion that these voices of dissent against the closures would have been more effective if used where they would have been heard the loudest – in Mr Gerrard’s case, within the walls of Parliament. 

Just last year, Walthamstow MP Neil Gerrard, alongside his neighbour Harry Cohen, voted AGAINST an opposition motion raised in Parliament which condemned the programme of closures and urged the Government to give our post offices greater freedom to develop their businesses. 

This mirrors the actions of local Labour councillors – including Ms Creasey - who were so quick to dismiss proposals by local Lib Dems that expressed grave concern at the Labour Government’s plans. 

Let’s make no mistake here – these are Labour closures being ‘opposed’ by Labour representatives because they know it affects their local electoral chances. 

Cllr John Macklin, Cllr Bob Belam, Cllr Bob Carey

Liberal Democrat Chapel End Councillors

Last night’s Annual Council meeting in the Walthamstow Assembly Hall saw Lib Dem Cllr Sheila Smith-Pryor invested as Mayor of Waltham Forest.

Cllr Smith-Pryor’s ward colleague in Hale End and Highams Park, Cllr John Beanse, made the speech proposing her for the position.

Cllr John Macklin Councillor for Chapel End and newly elected Leader of the Lib Dems seconded the proposition.

PRESS STATEMENT

Agreed Sale of Company’s Land 16 May 2008
The directors of Walthamstow Stadium Limited have agreed to the sale of the Company’s freehold property at Walthamstow Stadium to a development consortium led by Yoo Capital, London, and Quadrant Housing Association and K W Linfoot plc. Formal contracts have been exchanged and completion is expected on or before 1st September 2008. Racing will continue until the middle of August 2008.

Since the abolition of General Betting Duty in 2001, with the consequent loss of the unique advantage of tax-free betting only on-course, greyhound punters have been able to bet tax-free off-course, and with betting offices and exchanges open throughout the evening to accommodate them, attendances and betting turnover on-course have declined dramatically. Walthamstow’s totalisator turnover alone has fallen by some 35% during the period.

With all of the principle income streams in sharp decline, and general running costs rising relentlessly, the company’s operations have become unsustainable.

Staff and trainers have been notified and now enter a consultation period. It is hoped that all will find alternative positions after operations cease. From an animal welfare point of view, it is anticipated that most of the greyhounds currently racing at the Stadium will be accommodated at other racecourses. If, however, certain owners choose to retire their greyhounds, every effort will be made to support them in finding suitable homes.
For further information, please call:

Charles Chandler 01707 644288 

Liberal Democrats on Waltham Forest Council have elected Chapel End councillor John Macklin as their new leader at the local party’s Annual General Meeting last night. 

Cllr Macklin, who was elected to Waltham Forest Council in 2002, currently serves as the Cabinet portfolio holder for Service Modernisation.  He previously spent 13 years as a secondary school teacher in East London schools and now works at the as a senior university lecturer in Education. 

John Macklin replaces Cllr Keith Rayner in the role.  During Cllr Rayner’s tenure as party leader, the Liberal Democrats have gained the highest number of Councillors in the local party’s history, ousting the Conservatives as the second largest political group in Waltham Forest and becoming the only party to have councillors in Chingford, Walthamstow and Leyton/Leytonstone. 

Cllr Macklin has promised that, under his leadership, the Liberal Democrats will be an “inclusive party who are ready to listen to residents and implement ambitious and forward-thinking ideas for the good of our borough”. 

Cllr John Macklin said: 

“I want to lead the Liberal Democrats in engaging those who believe that politics in Waltham Forest has nothing to do with them.  I will make it a priority to involve those residents who have skills to offer and imaginative ideas regarding the running of their local Council. 

“The Liberal Democrats will prove that, when working with the people they represent, local councillors can deliver meaningful change for our borough. 

“This is an exciting time for the Liberal Democrats.  We are in a perfect position to challenge for control of the Council and to build on the excellent work our councillors carry out for residents right across the borough. 

“I am determined that we will continue to be the party that delivers for the whole of Waltham Forest”.