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.

Highly trained teams are hunting properties that are easy to break into – luckily they are police officers giving home security advice to absent minded residents. 

Waltham Forest’s police Safer Neighbourhood Teams and the Council’s community safety team have worked together to produce hundreds of cards which can be used to identify how a home is vulnerable to burglars. 

The Safer Neighbourhood Team officers patrol the borough until they spot a vacant home that could be easily broken into.

They fill in a card and post it through the letter box to advise the owner how to secure their property more effectively. 

Although burglary is down in Waltham Forest over the last year,research shows that most homes that are broken into during the summerare targeted because doors or windows are left open. 

The new scheme is a simple but effective way of tackling a very upsetting crime.

Each card has a number of tick boxes about problems like windows being left open. Police officers will tick the relevant box and post the card.  Residents are likely to be a bit surprised to find these cards lying on their doorstep, but it’s better than coming home to find you’ve been robbed by burglars. 

To find out more about home security ring the Council’s Community Safety Team on 020 8496 3000 or your Police Safer Neighbourhood Team on 020 8556 8855

Waltham Forest Council is declaring war on dog owners who persistently let their pets foul the borough and don’t bother cleaning up after them.

Street Wardens, Police Safer Neighbourhood Teams and enforcement officers will be patrolling the areas most affected by the issue, at the times most often visited by dog owners.

Anyone who is spotted failing to clean up after their animal will be asked to do so, and issued with a fixed penalty notice if they refuse.

Bags for dog owners will also be available at the Council’s Waltham Forest Direct shops.

 Waltham Forest Council’s spokesperson for Community Safety, Enforcement and Protection, said:

“Dogowners who refuse to clean up after their pets are exhibiting disgusting, anti social and hazardous behaviour towards other residents. “If you own a pet you need to take responsibility for its welfare and for cleaning up after it. People who are unwilling to do that, will be targeted and they will be punished.

It’s as simple as that. “We are sick of some dog owners using this borough as a toilet. We want to make Waltham Forest a place where people aspire to live and we won’t do that if people can’t be bothered to clean up after their pets.” 

To report dog fouling, contact Waltham Forest Direct on 020 84896 3000.

Residents can collect dog bags from WFD Shops in the following locations:

Leyton, 774-776 High Road; Walthamstow, 137 Hoe Street; Leytonstone, 819 High Road. 

Waltham Forest police have launched week-long Operations to tackle knife crime and disorder on the borough’s transport links.

The aim of the initiatives, which came just days after the British Crime Survey showed violent crime was dropping, is to tackle knife crime and offences on the tube, train and bus network.  Officers herded passengers through high tech knife arches to search for hidden weapons at Blackhorse Road and Leytonstone Tube Stations and made a number of arrests.These officers also offered crime prevention advice, tackled fare dodgers with Transport for London staff and mounted high visibility patrols at bus, tube and rail stations across the borough.

Chief Inspector Andy Norfolk from Waltham Forest Police, said: “Knife crime has gone down in this borough and has also dropped nationally but that doesn’t take away the impact it has on people’s lives.  “There are a small number of people who think it is acceptable to carry a knife and those people will be targeted and arrested.

“Tackling the problem of knife crime is a challenge and everyone has a part to play in rising to that challenge – parents, the police, the local authority and the media.”

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 Peter Woollcott 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 Peter Woollcott 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.”  

Local residents in Higham Hill are being hit hard by rocketing costs for food, energy and fuel.  

It doesn’t matter how much you earn, all of us are paying more when we buy basic groceries, pay the gas bill or fill up the car. Hardest hit of all are those on fixed incomes – especially pensioners. 

Higham Hill Cllr Patrick Smith said, “Everyone I meet is worried about rising prices. There is also a lot of fear about job losses and the threat of repossessions as house prices fall. People want to see action from Gordon Brown, but nothing seems to be happening.” “Gordon Brown and Labour are simply out of touch with real life in Higham Hill It is time for a change.”

 Local Lib Dems are fighting for a better deal for local people hardest hit by rising prices. They want to see a big rise in the basic pension to make sure older people can afford to heat their homes properly this winter. 

Cllr Patrick Smith added, “Pensioners have been let down by Conservative and now Labour Governments. We need to give older people a fair deal at last.” 

The Higham Hill Cllrs Smith, Meiszner and Woollcott are organising a local Public Meeting  and Residents` Survey to test the case for which option to follow, relating to Claydon Court  proposed new housing development. We believe that this is not a `done deal’ until the residents have told us their views on the matter.

We want a discussion with residents to determine what built design environment is supported by the majority of residents living in the area and importantly, including St Andrews Road Nos 195-196,197,198.

It is important to find by democratic public consultation what comments and views our residents hold, before any planning application is heard by the

1NE Carers Service has now moved from 1 Beulah Road to:

10 The Broadway, Woodford Green, Essex, IG8 0HL

Tel: 020 8220 0132 

This essential service is for all those people who are being affected by someone else’s drinking or drug taking.

1NE also has a service for young people between the ages of 14-21 who are being affected by one or both parents abusive use of drink or drugs.

Please feel free to ring the above number if you think you need this service

Following complaints from residents Cllr Patrick Smith arranged for Sinnott Road to be brought up to the “A” standard we expect a road to be.

Below is a comment from a resident to Cllr Smith

  “I thank you once again, as I type this Email at 8.10 AM, there are at least two if not more Kier road sweepers along with their lorry, sweeping up our street.

Thank you Cllr Smith, you get my vote every time !!!”

Police are warning people to steer clear of illegal street gamblers around Walthamstow market.

The High Street Safer Neighbourhoods Ward Panel voted it one of the mainpriorities for police to tackle in the area earlier this year.

So far eight people have been arrested for street gambling and another person has been issued with an £80 Fixed Penalty Notice.

The Safer Neighbourhood Team is also busy gathering intelligence so it can issue Anti Social Behavior Orders against the gamblers.

Anyone with any information about the gamblers should visit the Police Market Office in the High Street, opposite the entrance to Selborne Walk, to talk to an officer

Waltham Forest Council is urging residents who refuse to participate in the borough’s compulsory recycling scheme to take part before it is too late. 

So far the response from residents to compulsory recycling in Waltham Forest has been fantastic, and the borough has one of the best recycling records in London.

But Waltham Forest needs to recycle more to meet strict government targets on landfill and help the environment. In the coming weeks, residents in areas with low recycling rates will be visited by specialist teams who will advise them how to recycle moreeffectively and explain why it is important.

 Ultimately people who repeatedly refuse to recycle could be fined.

 Waltham Forest Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Cllr Bob Belam, said: “Recycling makes sense, it’s easy to do and it helps the environment.“Of course we don’t want to fine residents, but we are facing considerably bigger landfill taxes in the coming years and people who don’t recycle willeffectively cost other residents money. “We know residents want to recycle more and we want to help them do that by ensuring they know exactly what they should be placing in their black boxes.

“Ultimately if residents do not wish to be fined, all they need to do is participate in the scheme and help us make Waltham Forest one of the greenest boroughs in London.

”Residents in properties not covered by the ‘Get Sorted’ doorstep recycling scheme will not be fined for failing to recycle properly.

You could be fined if you refuse to recycle

more info:

To find out more  information about the ‘Get Sorted’ scheme,or to order a new or replacement black box ring 020 8496 3000.  

Waltham Forest will be cleaner than ever before with contractor KierStreet Services introducing new technology and techniques to keepthe borough tidy.

The contractor started working in Waltham Forest on 2 June and is responsible for sweeping streets and grounds maintenance in the borough’s parks.

The new contract has saved the Council £600,000 which will be used to fund new schemes to help make Waltham Forest the greenest borough in London.

Kier’s performance will be measured by how clean the streets are kept.

Since the contract started in June there have been some handover problemswhich have meant disruption to cleaning services in some areas of the borough.

Waltham Forest Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment,Cllr Bob Belam, told wfm: “I’d like to apologise to residents for the glitches we’ve had since the new contract started. Roads are now getting cleaner andresidents will start noticing the difference soon.    “Residents told us that they want cleaner streets and the new contract with Kier will mean teams working all hours to keep our borough tidy.”Under the old service, separate teams were responsible for cleaning roads, green spaces and parks, and the roadside.

The new contract brings these services together, making the same cleaner responsible for the whole area.

Cabinet Member for Leisure, Arts and Culture, Cllr Geraldine Reardon, said: “Having one contractor carrying out all cleaning in the borough means a joined up service that can tackle problems more efficiently, improve the appearance of our parks and open spaces and make them even more pleasant for residents to visit.”The Council is keenly aware that residents have raised a number of issues around the service handover period. It is working with Kier to tackle the initial teething problems.

Some of the changes that residents will see include:

v    Altering the number of road sweepers to make sure roads are properly swept

v    Introduction of new technology so they can sweep more quickly and effectively

v    Cleaning blitzes on particular areas to quickly bring them up to scratch

v    Allocated drop off points for street sweepers to leave their bags of rubbish, so motorised crews can clear them more rapidly

v    Extra crews to spray and remove weeds in gutters

v    Monitoring the cleanliness of roads, before, during and after cleaning to see how well they are swept and how long they take to get dirty 

Higham Hill Focus Team Councillors, Smith, Meiszner and Woollcott have organised `Ward Walks’ and are always available to meet with residents on issues, such as protecting Cherry trees and making the pavements safe for pedestrians in Lancaster Road/Mayfield Roads or Higham Hill Road.

Several new ideas from residents, for more tree  preservation, better consultation  to residents on tree pruning work and floral baskets, improved white line signage in Blackhorse Lane, are being followed up by the Council. 

 Cllr Meiszner is leading a `Residents`Survey’ this Summer on road safety along Billet Road and paying particular attention to residents requests for a Pelican crossing to the Sinnot Road/Lime Tree Doctors Surgery.

 If you have not yet met with Sean write to him at

70 Lawrence Avenue
Walthamstow E17 5PQ.

Or telephone 07838 182933

Higham Hill Focus Team Cllrs Smith, Meiszner and Woollcott have had many meetings with the architects and local schools on proposals re new Banbury Park.

Councillors are insisting that the new housing development contains:

 a new community health centrea new bus route from Tottenham Hale via Blackhorse Lane/Billet Road and through to Highams Park

accurate forecasts on the number of pre-5 school places for Nursery and Primary years

important new retail services/outlet.

new patrol base for Higham Hill SNT.

new built green design with maximum safe play space for children/families based on lowest density

Be a greenie not a meanie and learn about climate change at this year’s Green Fair

This year’s event at Lloyd and Aveling Park will take place 2pm-7pm, 20 July and will feature creative and musical work by young people inspired by William Morris’ cultural legacy

Visitors on the day will encounter a musical interpretation of William Morris’ green utopia within the park while artwork created by young people working with local artists will also be displayed.

There will also be plenty of information to help residents do their bit to tackle climate change and increase the amount they recycle, fun activities for children, live music, food and drink.

The Green Fair is the Council’s annual environmental event which 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.

There are six Community Councils covering the Borough.The area you live in comes under Walthamstow West. The Council are changing the budget so that each Ward has £10,000 to spend on each ward.

Do you have any ideas on how this money should be spent within the community you live.

Cllr Patrick Smith says “Come along to the next meeting at the Walthamstow Academy, Billet Rd on the 6th of October and have your say.”

The Borough’s most popular park will be transformed after the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and Big Lottery earmarked £3.6 million to renovate it. The Lottery body announced today (May 5) that Waltham Forest Council is to receive £167,000, which will be used to develop its plans to restore Lloyd and Aveling Park to its former glory and create new 21^st Century facilities. The funding will be used to carry out extensive planting, restoration of the park and improvements to its layout. Existing facilities such as the Changing Room Gallery will be improved and a new bowls centre and skate park will be built.The new look park will celebrate the life and work of William Morris and attract new visitors to the Gallery bearing his name.The Council has a year to make a detailed application for the £3.6million funding with a final decision from the HLF expected in August 2009. The authority will also be investing £1million of its own money to support the transformation. 

Kier Street Services are beginning to make an impact on our streets.

From the photo you can see an operative beginning to remove the detritus from the kerbs.

This should make all our streets look better.

On one of our regular ward walks the Focus Team were disgusted to see how much fly tipping had been deposited next to recycling facilities. We reported the following:  

Billet Road

Recycling point is currently extensively fly tipped. In fact we moved some of this to ensure the path was still accessible.

McKentee Avenue

One of the two waste bins there is missing and the area has been fly tipped with predominantly gardening waste.  A supermarket trolley is full of concrete.

Higham Street

Both recycling points have been fly tipped, with a tyre left at the end of the street.

Sutton Road

The recycling point there is again a fly tipping point.

 Don’t dump it phone 0208 496 3000 and arrange for your rubbish to be collected. The Council allow three free collections of furniture a year.

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.

 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

 Below are the actions taken following a spate of racist graffiti. It is so offensive that we will not publish photo’s here.

Your Lib Dem councillors are appalled by this action.

Over the last 2 days, there has been a rash of racist graffiti applied to a variety of surfaces, predominantly brickwork but also painted surfaces, footways and road ways. The slogan “Jihad is the only solution for Israel” seems to have been applied using a stencil. This means that the graffiti can be applied quickly and discretely.So far, the majority of locations have been in the Walthamstow area.

The Focus Team have today reported potholes in Lawrence Avenue which are increasing in size.  

  If you know of others in your road please contact a member of the Focus Team

There are a number of bags dumped next to the bins at the above location.

This is a hotspot for fly tipping.

Don’t dump it phone 020 8496 3000 and arrange for a free collection.

There are six Community Councils covering the Borough and each have an annual budget of £10,000 to spend in their local area. 

The area you live in comes under Walthamstow West. 

The Council are changing the budget so that each ward has £10,000 to spend. 

Your ward is Higham Hill. 

Do you have any ideas on how this money should be spent within the community you live. 

Does your local park need improvement?. Does your local nursery need new equipment? 

Contact the Higham Hill Focus Team

FREEPOST RLYG-BTER-YLJZ

92 Douglas Avenue Walthamstow E17 5BW

Your Liberal Democrat team have reported the continued dumping of rubbish in Pennant Terrace and Rushbrook Crescent.

Local residents have identified the culprits.

We have asked council officers to take enforcement action.

We will keep you posted

Once again people are dumping rubbish all over Higham Hill ward.

If you have rubbish that you need to get rid of either take it to the facility in

South Access Road or call 8496 3000 and arrange a pre-booked appointment for collection

DON’T LEAVE IT ON OUR STREETS

Cllrs Peter Woollcott and Sean Meiszner have spoken out on this `wrong- headed’ Sutherland Road new development  rated as grossly overcrowded  with 240 units.

Higham Hill Cllrs urge residents to vote for Brian Paddick in the Mayor Election May Ist to put an end to this London Plan that is responsible for gross mis -management on social housing real need, creating over-development instead, on sites like Sutherland Road. 

Waste and recycling collections will continue as normal over the Easter Bank Holidays on Friday 21 March 2008 and Monday 24 March 2008.

Walthamstow councillors have launched a stinging attack on Labour parliamentary candidate Stella Creasy by accusing her of “two-faced cynicism” over local post office closures. 

The Labour parliamentary candidate has attempted to position herself at the centre of efforts to save the three Walthamstow post offices threatened with closure.  However, during her time as councillor for Walthamstow’s Lea Bridge ward she attempted to vote down a Liberal Democrat motion to Full Council that called on the Council to oppose the government’s closure programme. 

The angry reaction by local Liberal Democrats comes as they prepare to present a further motion to Full Council that calls on councillors from all sides to state their opposition to post office closures.

 Cllr Bob Carey, whose Chapel End ward could see two branches axed, said: “It is galling to see Ms Creasy jump on the bandwagon with regards to these closures. “Unfortunately for her, people have longer memories than she may give them credit for.  As a councillor 5 years ago, she, along with her Labour colleagues, attempted to remove a clause from a Liberal Democrat motion that expressed concern about both the effect of proposed post office closures on the vulnerable and elderly and the distance that they would be forced to travel in order to access vital services. 

“Now resident outcry about these Government closures has reached a crescendo, we hear her become one of those rushing to repeat these concerns almost parrot-like. 

“I’m sure that residents will see this two-faced scramble to act as a champion for our most vulnerable residents as little more than a cynical act of political chicanery. 

Cllr Carey, who will move the Liberal Democrat motion before Full Council, warned that opposition to the six immediate proposed closures in Waltham Forest was only the beginning of the work that needed to be done.

 “ Post Office representatives confirmed to council scrutiny just this week that  even if we are successful in saving one of the six branches immediately under threat, this would more than likely mean another branch closed in order to meet the required quota of government closures. “We hope both Labour and the Conservative councillors will support our motion this Thursday and come out strongly against the government’s closure programme. 

Lib Dem councillors support the campaign to stop Post Office closures.

Not for the first time. In 2003 Lib Dems put a motion to council calling on the government to stop the proposed closure program.

The Labour party refused to support the motion. Current Mayor Cllr Ali proposed the Labour amendment.

Stella Creasy the current Labour Parliamentary candidate for Walthamsow is calling for residents to support the campaign against closure.

Where was she in 2003, in the council chamber voting with her Labour colleagues against the Lib Dem motion.

Once again Stella shows she knows how to jump on someone else’s bandwagon.

The Focus Team, Cllrs Smith, Woollcott and Meiszner have reported anti-social behaviour in the ally between Calton Road and Millfield Avenue. 

We have contacted the Safer Neighbourhood team and the councils anti-social officers.

We expect to hear from them soon.

 If you have any evidence then please contact one of us.

Chingford Road from the Billet to Morrisons is about to get a new road surface.

You will see the signs saying

OVERNIGHT ROAD RESURFACING

STARTS HERE

2 MARCH – 9 MARCH

8 PM TO 6 AM

DELAYS POSSIBLE

ENQUIRIES 020 8496 3000

New Development news 

Your Lib Dem councillors Sean Meiszner, Patrick Smith and Peter Woollcott met with the planning team and architects to feed back residents concerns from a meeting in December. 

A new Health Centre was top of the agenda.

We expect to have further news in the near future. 

We are also talking about a new bus route that will help residents travel to both Blackhorse Tube and to Highams Park.

Your Lib Dem councillors met with Sgt Martin Kirby last week to discuss issues affecting residents of Higham Hill Road Topics discussed  

Higham Hill SNT Newsletters

 Crimestoppers List We will be meeting again on 16^th April, If you have any concerns please let a member of the team know.

Cllr Patrick Smith reported lights not working at the Billet Roundabout

Below is an officers response

A contractor working for Transport for London appears to have damaged a LBWF street lighting cable feeding six lights around the Billet Rd junction on to the Roundabout.

TfL have been informed of the situation and we are in the process now of locating where the damage has occurred.

We have engaged a specialist to locate and repair as necessary.

Any costs will be recharged to the contractor.

At this stage I cannot confirm when the lights will be re-energised, but we will be pressing for the repair to be made at the earliest time.

Winnie & Brian Paddick Mayoral candidate on the election trail.

WINNIE SMITH recaptured the third Leyton Ward council seat last night in a spectacular Valentine’s Day victory.

SMITH LIB DEM  1360

Lab                       695

Respect                176

Con                       108

Grn                         90

Back in the run up to the 2006 elections, Labour’s Miranda Grell ran a smear campaign, describing our candidate as a paedophile and told electors he had sex with teenage boys.

 In September the courts convicted Grell of making false statements, imposed a £1000 fine, £3000 costs and barred her from council office.

Surprisingly, the Labour party then agreed to put up £30,000 to fund an appeal but at the last minute they backed away.

The appeal was lost, with the judge commenting that Grell’s evidence was “contrived and not honest” and that she “has let herself down and everyone in her community.” 

Last night’s resounding win for Winnie Smith shows what the voters think of this shameful episode.Winnie will be a real asset to the party and to the good people of Leyton.

Labour’s vote was cut to 29% and David Cameron’s Tories were left trailing in fourth place, only beating the Green by 18 votes.

Congratulations to the team in Leyton, especially Bob, Jenny and Henry, and also to the many people who went to help in person or on the phones.