Friday 25 November 2016

Mini Holland 25-11-16

MINI HOLLAND

Here are some updates on construction work which is in progress:

Lea Bridge Road    

Wood Street junction: Works starting January 2017 to Spring 2017
We are starting some minor works in early January at the Wood Street junction with Lea Bridge Road to widen the pavement and begin constructing the cycle track. This will take place off road so will not impact on traffic.


Hoe Street and Wood Street 

Markhouse Road

Leytonstone

Vallentin Road


Car Wash refused permission

The car wash built beside the Ice Centre has been refused Planning Permission.

Car Wash refused Planning Permission

Protest has been successful

Around the World on Christams Day

Dear Waltham Forest Our Community,

On behalf of Door Ajar Theatre, I'd love to invite you to the Press Night performance of Around the World on Christmas Day.

The show is on Friday 9th December, from 7 - 8pm, at a brand new performance venue, Mirth, Marvel & Maud186 Hoe St, Walthamstow, E17 4QH. The nearest station is Walthamstow Central.

Around the World on Christmas Day is a brand new off-beat comedy celebrating Christmas tales and traditions from all over the globe. Directed by Tim Bell and written by Sam Sutherland, the show mixes comedy, theatre, live music, elves, and a variety of festive goats, with merriment and songs performed live by a cast of actor-musicians.

The venue is a recently renovated and re-opened cinema space in the heart of Walthamstow. The building has a history dating back to 1887, hosting The Beatles , The Who, The Rolling Stones and more. Now open as a stunning pub, restaurant, and performance venue, Mirth, Marvel & Maud is well worth a trip in itself.

If you'd like to attend we'd be delighted to welcome you and can offer you a complimentary ticket for you and a guest. Please RSVP to this email to reserve.

If you have any questions please do feel free to get in touch, either by email or call me on 07841 505 421. We hope to see you there!

Kind regards,

Jared Ashe
Producer

Friends of Manual Instruction Centre

Planting

Creative Hub



Hackney Singers

Christmas Concert

Advent Calendar

Advent(Us) Calendar - Art's Project at St Mary's Church Seeks Volunteer

For the first 24 days of December, the St Mary’s Arts Collective at St Mary’s Church in Walthamstow Village has teamed up with experimental artist Gary Stewart to turn the South wall of the ancient church into a huge digital advent calendar. Each day, a new digital projection will be revealed, combining work from local artists alongside the words, pictures and dreams of the people of Walthamstow, united in their belief that, after a year of distressing news, another world is possible.

In addition to the huge projections on St. Mary’s church wall, Advent(us) will be brought to life by a series of music, art and cultural evening events in the church, which are all free and open to all comers of any age. This unique project is seeking volunteers, artists and sponsors to help make it happen - if you would be interested in taking part in this project you can register your interest by emailing stmarysartscollective@gmail.com

Love the Lea

Love the Lea

Friday 18 November 2016

Greatest Street in the UK

Wood Street of course!

An International Award

And the winner of the Great Street Award goes to...Wood Street
Last night our very own Wood Street in Walthamstow was awarded the Great Street Award, beating off strong compeition from streets in Liverpool and Banbridge to receive the National Award from the Academy of Urbanism. The Academy praised the London street for its diversity of retail and social enterprise as well as the sense of discovery from hidden avenues that make the street inviting and refreshing. The Academy also praised the collaboration between an engaged community and strong local political support. Well done to all involved!







Mini Holland 18-11-16

MINI HOLLAND

Village residents the MH winners

Church Hill residents the losers




At last a safe crossing in Shernhall Street



How to create gridlock - close Shernhall Street and have emergency water works in Wood Street at the same time!

The consequences of MH

Hackney dreams of MH

Facts about MH

MH in Kingston

5 Tests for Sadiq

Is this how to manage 21st century life?





Christmas Pop Up shop

Pop Up shop

Forest Philharmonic

Forest Philharmonic Concert

Library Campaign update

Complete the Library Survey



Highams Park Library

Higham Hill Library

Wood Street Library

At last week's Wood Street Ward Forum residents expressed anger at the move of the library to a new site in the Marlowe Road development. The council was unable to give any details except the existing building needs over £1m spent on it. 

It makes no sense to empty an iconic building like the Wood Street library building without having another use for it. The reality is the council's property department has been wanting to sell the site for housing for many years. They refused to hand over the adjacent redundant housing offices site to Woodside school as they would make more money selling it on the open market. Now that site has become a nondescript block of flats with the curious name of Foundery Mews.

Hopefully the community will be inspired by the Mill and takeover the building and use it as a community asset.











Update on new schools on MOL

Updates

1. Waltham Forest Cycle Campaign have proposed the following conditions for the building of the schools:

  • "The school should develop an ambitious active travel plan to maximise the opportunities of its location, and maximise the number of staff and students walking or cycling to school. This might include walking/cycling ‘buses’ for students, recommended routes from feeder areas and cycle proficiency training for all students.
  • The school’s travel plans should also include restriction of vehicle access to the site, with minimal parking on-site and parking controls in the surrounding area. It could go so far as to copy trials currently ongoing in Edinburgh – where cars are banned from driving into and parking in streets around the schools at pickup/dropoff times (with obvious exceptions for blue badge holders etc.).
  • All staff who use motor vehicles to travel to/from the site to have regular training in the dangers they pose to people on bikes, and how to minimise risks of collision at the site. We recommend that any dropping off points should not involve vehicles crossing the Cycle Superhighway*.
  • All provision for cycling should be designed inclusively to accessible for staff or students who are disabled or with restricted mobility. In addition, the plans must enable parents to bring their children to school using cargo bikes or trailers – a method which is increasing in popularity within Waltham Forest. All routes for bikes should be designed to enable tricycles and cargo bikes to access the schools, and not just ‘conventional’ bikes.
  • The school should provide high quality and aspirational amounts of secure covered cycle parking for staff and students, including spaces for non-standard bicycles."
* note that the Cycle Superhighway is not yet complete and there will be another lane built on the south side of Lea Bridge Road.

In my haste to review the Cycle Campaign's letter on Facebook I wrongly thought that they were in favour of the school, and I probably lambasted them too much. In subsequent discussion however, it still turned out that they place little value on the building over of Metropolitan Open Land. Their restriction proposals on dropping-off and picking-up by vehicles near the school make sense in terms of preventing traffic build-up on Lea Bridge Road, but unless the majority of pupils and staff using the schools were to be cyclists or pedestrians then it's difficult to see how that would work. Maybe the Ice Centre will try to do a car-parking deal?

2. Very useful progress has been made by one of this group:

"Good news… The Athena Primary Academy is getting it’s knuckles rapped from the ASA* for its advert. It’s feels like an effective way to show them that we have muscles we can flex!
And, I have subsequently found out that it isn’t just the postcode that was wrong. The Thames Water Depot does have an address, which was on a previous planning application. It’s:
Thames Water Lea Bridge Road Depot
150A Lea Bridge Road
E10"
*Advertising Standards Authority

Hopefully one or two people will inform the newspapers carrying the ad, including Waltham Forest News, that the school should have stated "Subject to Planning Permission" when it advertised to parents.

3. The Athena Academy (proposed Primary school) has a page on Facebook. Several of our group have posted questions on the page and so far, answers are being given. This question elicited a very telling answer:

"Questioner to the schoolWill your curriculum include valuing the natural environment? How will that square with the school itself being on Metropolitan Open Land, which is supposed to be protected from development?

Athena Primary Academy
Athena Primary Academy Hello I value the natural environment and we will teach the children to do the same. At the moment the land is predominantly concrete and old buildings. After development, it will be more than 60% green space, with all the trees around the perimeter being kept.


Questioner's response: The promise was that the land would be returned to open space completely when Clancy Docwra moved out. There are number of reasons for opposition to the building of the schools on that land and one of them is that promises given when planning is agreed should be honoured".

Brilliant response, I thought.
4. One of the group has received this response from Mayor of London to an enquiry about MOL status and planning.

"With regard to the Thames Water Depot, a planning application does not appear to have been submitted for the construction of schools. Given the MOL designation of the site, any proposal to provide over 1,000 sq.m. of floorspace would be referable to the Mayor under the Mayor of London Order 2008. In accordance with the Order and once the application is made and referred, the Mayor will provide the Council with a statement setting out whether he considers that the application complies with the London, and his reasons for taking that view. The Mayor may also provide other comments."

Hopefuly people will monitor the planning applications to Waltham Forest and let us know when anything for the site comes up. Bear in mind there may be applications for the temporary buildings, or for either of the two separately-owned schools.


Thanks again for your interest. Please contact me with any other news to be circulated to this group of 60 email addresses (all of whom are real individuals known to me).

Claire

Welcome Centre to be redeveloped

Help Rehouse The Walthamstow Village Preschool! 

The Village Preschool, currently situated in the Welcome Centre of St Mary’s Church, is looking for new premises for when the church redevelop their site. Set up 25 years ago by the community, for the community and run by volunteers, the preschool aims to provide quality affordable childcare for 2, 3 and 4 year olds.  They are very keen to stay as local as possible to carry on serving the families for which the preschool was created. Anyone with or who knows of a space that might currently be underused in the daytime and could be suitable should get in touch with them via info@thevillageplaygroup.org. They are already used to packing everything away at the end of the day to leave the building ready for other users.

Trump thoughts


FROM STELLA CREASY MP's Newsletter:

President Trump: What Next? 

The election of President Trump has caused shockwaves around the world. Combined with the vote to leave the European Union, this year has set out a generational challenge for us all to address not only these specific events, but also the impact of the cultural and political divides that have been exposed and which will define what is ahead for ourselves and our families. In the last few days many residents in Walthamstow have written to me about these issues and expressed their concerns about the future.

There can be no doubt change has to happen but how we respond will define whether we lead that or become broken by it. We can either cower in despair alone as fear and hate are encouraged, or or stand up together in dignity for what we believe and work for a better world. It may feel impossibly hard this week but as your MP I will always choose to believe progress can be made and in the possibility that if we never give up on each other the future is worth fighting for.

I recognise that many residents may feel angry and want someone to blame- the difficult reality is that leaving tackling these divisions to someone else or shouting at each other will achieve little. All of us must play our part and do so with a willingness to find common cause and find common purpose even when this takes us out of our previously cherished comfort zones. Calm, courage and compassion are the foundations of the solidarity and focus on action we need - it's too important now to be or do anything else. If you would like to be part of working in this way on projects for our community and our country in the coming months please do get in touch. 

VHM archive visit

VHM archive visit

Refugee children arrive

Refugee children arrive


WF Walks

WF Walks

Network at Central Parade

Network at Central Parade


Wetlands pics

Share your Wetlands pics

Flats to get even higher?

Government to build even higher?

Hackney Plan - your chance to comment

Hackney Local Plan 2033 (LP 33)

Christmas in Chingford

Christmas in Chingford


Friday 11 November 2016

Mini Holland 11-11-16

The main site for Mini Holland appears to have been hacked!

MINI HOLLAND

Mini Holland a Success!!!????

How can we clean up the air?

Blackhorse Area improved

This picture was taken in August and nothing has changed and it is very dangerous crossing Shernhall Street since the pedestrian refuges were removed 3 months ago!



From Stella Creasy MP's Newsletter

Road Works in Walthamstow and Mini Holland - Updates for local Residents from Waltham Forest Council 

This week I have had many messages about travel disruption in Walthamstow. Waltham Forest Council say they are managing the impact of works by Network Rail as well as works to make the town centre more accessible and safe around the ‘Walthamstow gyratory’ intersection at the junction of Hoe Street and Selborne Road.  Both Hoe Street and Selborne Road will be open as usual, however during they say works lanes will be rearranged and traffic management signs and cones will be in place to help safely manage traffic and keep you moving.

The Council say that roads will remain open, however during the works lanes will be rearranged and traffic management signs and cones will be in place to direct traffic.  The bus station will remain open during the works too but bus users may notice some disruption around Walthamstow bus station exit area whilst works are carried out. There's a schedule of all the roadworks planned in Walthamstow over the coming weeks on the Council website which you can find here
Separately to this, the Council have also confirmed that their review of the Mini Holland scheme in Walthamstow is nearly over and after consulting with various groups, businesses and resident associations, they are now in the process of writing up their findings. I will share a copy of the review report once it is published.


As it was






Ward Christmas celebration


How many Wards are having Christmas Parties? Well done to the councillors of William Morris Ward


Dear all,

please come along our next ward forum which will be a special celebration  - details below.

We hope to see you there

Grace, Nadeem and Stuart

Come and celebrate ward work over 2016 with us
View this email in your browser

William Morris Ward Forum Celebration
29th November from 7 pm - 8 pm
William Morris Community Centre,
6- 8 Greenleaf Road

As we are coming to the end of the year, this last ward forum of 2016 will be slightly different - come and celebrate the season with your ward councillors - share seasonal food and drinks, meet the people doing great work in the ward, talk to us about your concerns and ideas and tell us how you want to be involved in ward matters. Followed by drinks at the Rose and Crown pub.

We look forward to seeing you,

Grace, Nadeem and Stuart

Carefree Kids

Dear friends

Carefree Kids charity is doing all we can to get enough money for the next year so we can continue helping emotionally distressed children and young people.


One way to get a very significant £10,000 is to ask you to vote for us in the Aviva community fund. It's quick and easy.

If you can please spare two minutes by 18th November to give us 10 votes, we would be immensely grateful. We will win £10,000 - but only if we get enough votes.

This is all you have to do:

1. Search for:  

2 Register:
supply your email address, first and last name, choose a password (not your usual one)

3 Await their confirmation email (comes very quickly)

Allocate all your 10 votes to Carefree Kids.  Done!

Many thanks in advance!!

from everyone at Carefree Kids.

Please note: I do not look at emails all the time, so if urgent, please phone me on 0208 555 5248.
Also, occasionally emails do not reach me. so please phone if I have not responded within a few days.

Library support grows

Library Support Grows


Cultural Guide to Waltham Forest

WF Cultural Guide

Protect Metropolitan Open Land

Here is an interesting example of the state abusing the 
Planning Process. No planning application has been submitted as far as I am aware but the schools will open next year!


Protect Metropolitan Open Land

Secondary School School with no Planning Permission to open

Primary School with no Planning Permission to open

Cycling Lobby backs new schools

Future of Housing

Future of Housing

E17 Architects

House Prices to continue to rise

12,000 Homes for Waltham Forest

1,502 Homes for Haringey

2,132 Homes for Redbridge

Can anyone explain why Waltham Forest has to have 10,000 more homes than adjacent Boroughs?

Tuesday 8 November 2016

Travellers move into to Chingford

Travellers move in

LBWF Digital Month





November 2016
Waltham Forest News- Digital Month October 2016
November is Waltham Forest’s very first Digital Month and the next four weeks are jam-packed with events that you can get involved in.
At Waltham Forest we understand that digital technology has a massive impact on the way we live, work and learn, and the future of digital is extremely exciting.
We also know that many of our residents have not yet developed the skills they need to benefit from the latest developments in technology – and we want to change that. Over the course of the month we’ll be holding workshops and events for residents of every age and ability to help you get online and improve your digital skills.
You can keep up to date with all that is happening in the borough in our e-newsletter which will be published four times during November and via our website.
Have you signed up to MyAccount?
You can now access many of our services online making it easier and more convenient for you to get the services you need 24/7. So getting your old sofa taken away is easy - just sign up to MyAccount and tap, scroll, click. And, if you sign up during November you will be in with a chance of winning an iPad mini.
Fireworks night - Friday 4 November Chestnuts Field, Walthamstow E17 4JF
This week we welcome back our annual fireworks display, set to be our biggest one yet. The gates open for the fireworks extravaganza at 6.30pm and the firework display starts at 8pm.
Please arrive promptly to avoid disappointment and allow yourself plenty of time to enjoy the funfair, or choose from a delicious range of foods and drinks.
To ensure you remember the epic night, have your photo taken at our #WFDigital Instagram booth and keep an eye out for the #WFDigital laser projection on the Town Hall.
We have big plans for libraries - tell us what you want to see in yours
We have unveiled our proposals to bring our libraries up to the standard of the best in London and we want to know what you want to see in yours.
Even if you don’t use the library service, we’d really like to hear what you think - your views can help us make the service more relevant to you. You can complete the consultation online or pick up a paper copy at your local library.
Lumen Presents: Adventures in Digital Art
Come and join us at the award winning Lumen Presents: Adventures in Digital Art exhibition, from 16 November to 3 December at the Winns Gallery.
The exhibition will present an introduction into the world of art and technology through playful interaction. Works such as Bonjour Lab’s Passage, which won the 2014 Silver Award, decrypts the visual and audio imprints that are created by anyone who steps near it – watch your body appear in front of you and then melt away as ‘digital rain’.  Suitable for all ages.
The Streets – EFG London Jazz Festival
The Streets jam-packed program returns to Leyton on the 12  November after a fabulous summer.  We’re bringing the EFG London Jazz Festival to venues up and down Leyton High Road, with performances from international stars like  Randolph Matthews and Adam Ben Ezra
There are special events for families at Sidmouth House with Jazz for Toddlers workshops for 2-5 year olds, proving you’re never too young to enjoy jazz (book your ticket now), and don’t miss Molly and the Owl a musical fairy-tale for 6-12 year olds.  All performances are absolutely free so have a look here for details of the full programme and come on down.
Become a digital champion
Waltham Forest Council’s Digital Champion Network’s training portal launches in November to help our residents to access the internet and experience the benefits of life online.
Getting online can have a huge impact on people’s lives, so why not share your internet skills with someone and transform their life.You don’t have to be an IT whizz to be a Digital Champion – you just need a bit of spare time and enthusiasm to support others to experience the many benefits of the internet and digital technology.
Email us for more information at assisted.digital@walthamforest.gov.uk
Follow us and Join the conversation!
Don’t miss out on all the latest information from the Council, we have some exciting competitions throughout Digital Month, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook#WFDigital

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