CQC Listening Events

Go along and give your views about Whipps Cross Hospital - gives a great service as far as my hernia is concerned - am recovering well after the operation.

Listening Events

London Wildlife Trust Meeting

A date for your diaries…..  

London Wildlife Trust are holding a debate on the afternoon of Tuesday  12th November.  We’ve been conducting an audit of biodiversity conservation delivery in London (with GiGL), given that there are new processes in progress, with others seemingly have been dropped.

The need for this work became clear once the changes triggered by the Natural Environment White Paper of 2011 started to take shape. The paper introduced a range of mechanisms and new ways of delivering biodiversity conservation, but against a backdrop of public funding cuts and a focus on jobs and economic growth.

This raises important questions for those working in the conservation sector, including:

·         What are we in danger of losing from the legacy of our collective conservation action over the last 25 years?
·         Will these new mechanisms deliver on biodiversity?
·         Where will the resources come from?
·         Are we adequately exploring new paradigms and opportunities?
·         How best do we rise to the challenges of a city that is changing from what we’ve been used to?

We’re holding the event in The Scott Room, The Guardian, King’s Place, N1 9GU, from 15.00-17.00.  With refreshments.

We’ve lined up a number of speakers to present some quickfire context, thoughts and proposals, and we want this to stimulate debate.

If you are interested in attending please contact Emily Wilson ewilson@wildlondon.org.uk.

Apologies for any cross-postings. We look forward to seeing you there.

Mathew

Mathew Frith

Director of Policy & Planning

Direct line: 0207 803 4292

___________________________________________________

Please keep an eye out for deer in London – contribute to our deer survey 2013

www.wildlondon.org.uk/deer-survey-2013

London Wildlife Trust

Protecting London’s wildlife for the future

Skyline House, 200 Union Street, London SE1 0LX

Tel:  020 7261 0447

Fax: 020 7633 0811

www.wildlondon.org.uk

___________________________________________________

Free School update

Dear friends,

Free Schools are in chaos. Almost every day has seen a new headline concerning the massive controversy over the use of unqualified teachers and the consequences of the 'freedoms' enjoyed by Free Schools.

Yesterday, it was revealed that public support for Free Schools had plummeted from 36% in September to just 27% in October. http://yougov.co.uk/news/2013/10/24/support-free-schools-drops/

We've published a new post on our blogsite which explains why the Free Schools policy has begun to unravel so quickly and why this makes it more important than ever to build public support in Waltham Forest for a community schools alternative.

Please read this and circulate it to anyone you think may be interested, whether they support us or not. Everyone needs to know about this, especially those people who have supported the two proposed secondary Free Schools in Waltham Forest.

http://ourcommunityourschools.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/stop-this-chaotic-and-dysfunctional.html

All the best,

Jonathan White

Scarlet Harris

Alison Emmett

Kiri Tunks

Mark Holding

Tom Davies

and the rest of us at Our Community, Our Schools

The Sky Show

Words over Waltham Forest

Marshman Chronicles

Marshman Chronicles

William Morris Ward - Big Local

Hi,

The deadline to comment on the Big Local plan is the end of this Friday, 25 October.

You can see the plan – and the comments so far – by going to wmbiglocal.org (click the ‘Our Big Local Plan’ tab).  Apologies – I gave the wrong web address in an earlier email, there is no ‘.uk’ at the end of it.

If you want to add your comment, you can do so directly on the website, or you email me, or hand a message to Gulsun at the Priory Court Community Centre.

The Partnership will be meeting on 7^th November to go through your comments, prior to submission of the plan.

Can I also remind everybody of the community get together, running on 2 November, at Priory Court?  There will be more reminders…

We are looking for volunteers to put posters up next week advertising the event, and to help out with various tasks on the day itself, please get in touch if you can spare some time.

Thanks.

Daniel

Daniel Gordon

William Morris Big Local

07913 207 462

Job opportunities at Organiclea

Subject: [Organiclea ] 2 job opportunities in Organiclea's distribution


Organiclea is recruiting… Do you share a passion for getting local organic food onto local peoples plates? If you can deliver on logistics whilst making time to support the skills and learning development of others, read on! We are currently seeking to fill two new posts for our growing weekly box scheme which distributes locally grown fruit and veg around Waltham Forest.

Box Scheme Deliveries Co-ordinator
Can you help us envision the development of local food in our borough? Are you committed to co-operative work practices and looking for an opportunity to be involved in a thriving workers co-operative?

Organiclea is recruiting for a Box Scheme Distribution Co-ordinator to take responsibility for and develop sustainable and people focused transport solutions for our Box Scheme. We are looking for someone who can deliver on logistics as well as help us to bring our training and volunteer programmes to this area of our distribution work. The ideal candidate will bring the vision for developing these areas of our work.
Download the full job description and person specification here or visit www.organiclea.org.uk
Deadline for applications: Wednesday 30th November, 5pm. Interviews: Monday 4th November
Applications should be sent to: hannah[at]organiclea.org.uk
For more info contact Hannah on 020 8524 4994


Box Scheme Logistics & Finance co-coordinator
Do you share a passion for developing local food economies? Do you have experience working with volunteers in a community setting? Do you love crunching the numbers and getting enterprise working? 

Organiclea is recruiting for a Box Scheme Logistics and Distribution Finance Co-ordinator who can keep our weekly veg box scheme running smoothly and support in the financial administration and overview of our thriving distribution work. We are looking for someone who can take day to day logistics to the next level, whilst supporting the strategy and growth of Organicleas enterprises. This is an opportunity to join our workers co-operative and bring your skills to a unique and exciting community food setting.

Download the full job description and person specification here or visit www.organiclea.org.uk
Deadline for applications: Wed 30th October, 5pm. Interviews Monday 4th November
Please send applications to: adam[at]organiclea.org.uk
For any further info contact us on: 020 8524 4994

  
Mailing done in support of Organiclea
By Naturewise
0845 458 4697
07717473435
info@naturewise.org.uk
www.naturewise.org.uk

SLM Newsletter

EVENTS:  I'm kicking of with good news first.  SLM are organising three events aimed at increasing awareness of the need to protect and nurture our marsh lands.  Firstly, we are organising a Fundraising Quiz at the Hare & Hounds on Lea Bridge Road next Friday 25 October at 7.00.  Entry fee is £1.50 and there will be a raffle, prizes for the quiz winners and the launch of our brand new Heron Logo T shirts for sale.  So to paraphrase David Cameron - if you are worried about heating your home as prices rise - put on another T shirt.  The pub will also be putting on a good menu of tempting food.  The very next day (Saturday) - "The Marshman Cometh".  There will be a reading from "The Marshman's" new book being read by candlelight, at the Old Changing Rooms, Hackney Marsh, near Cow Bridge in Hackney.  Dress warmly, bring a tea light in a jam jar and something warm to drink in a flask.  On Sunday 1 December, we are holding another cross-marsh meeting, where local groups and individuals who care about the future of our marshes, will gather at the Red Room, Rose & Crown, Wathamstow (2-4 p.m.) to discuss the recent London Wildlife Trust's bio-diversity report, commissioned by the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA), on the lack of bio diversity Olympic Legacy.  Lastly, you still have time to go and see the "Reclaim the Marshes" painting exhibition at Springfield Park Café, until 4 November.  All of these events are posted on the SLM Website and Blog.

F.O.I. - Freedom of Information Act request (Ref. FERO484371) - thanks to the dogged persistence of one of our "Terriers" (note: not Terrorists) the I.O.C. now say that due to the level of public interest in Leyton Marsh - details of staff and contractors involved in the so-called restoration, previously omitted should be named.

REPARATIONS - continuing on the theme of reparations, an SLM representative has written to the CEO of the LVRPA Shaun Dawson to query the amount of money (£73k), mentioned in the LVRPA's minutes of the 20 June 2013, and to remind him about future User Forums.  A response is awaited.

LVRPA ACCOUNTS - we are monitoring the expenditure of the LVRPA (which due to its statute) doesn't come under the responsibility of an Ombudsman.  Current concerns include the amount of money the LVRPA could have to pay out if they inherit the Olympic Legacy Velodrome.  Following a tripartite arrangement between the LVRPA, ODA and Sports England, they could face having to pay out £87m.  When the current lands held are an estimated £78m.  We hope we are wrong.  Likewise the Waterworks projects don't seem to be yielding expected cash.  Whilst being angry at decisions taken by the LVRPA, we are not entirely unsympathetic about  the reality of trying to make some sustainable income from the land in the face of overwhelming odds, but we just want them to be more open to ideas, local knowledge and better cost analysis.

NEWS FROM FRIENDS - Stokey Local campaigning against the Sainsbury's/apartment developments that would overshadow Abney Park and add an unnecessary supermarket to the area want people to sign or re-sign the latest petitionhttp://tinyurl.co./p97snn5  and or attend an event to discuss the latest objects to the 3rd. planning applicationhttp://stokeylocalsocial.eventbrite.com Sadly, we heard from Friends of Belair Park news of a felled orchard in Southwark. better news from Forage London's October Newsletter and Blog http://forageLondon.co.uk on mushroom and other autumnal foraging and news of a possible foraging event in November to register for. 

 

Look forward to seeing you all at the Quiz Event on Friday and/or the Marshman evening next Saturday.
 

On-Line Planning Computer with its own mind!

WALTHAM FOREST CIVIC SOCIETY

David,

Can you please confirm that application 2013/0035/LA, which has appeared on the Plan App list for 7th to 13th October 2013 and is for the renewal of the planning permission for the Big Screen in Walthamstow Town Centre, is an error. I thought this had already been approved, but looking at the details on-line it states it was registered on the 11th October 2013 but was approved on the 6th March 2013! Is this a new application or has the March one reappeared for no apparent reason?

Thanks,

Adrian

Bakers Arms Improvements!

With thanks to Thierry Boissard

And as it was in 1976....

Council Flag Poles

As the Council's on-line Planning Application system is having its usual hissy fit I can't get to the plans for eight 9m flagpoles , one at each of these sites:

Alliston House  2013/1504/LA
Juniper House 2013/1510/LA
The Pavilion 2013/1505/LA
Leyton Sports Ground 2013/1512/LA
George Mason Lodge 2013/1509/LA
Leytonstone Library 2013/1511/LA
215 Queens Road 2013/1508/LA
Lloyds Park 2013/1514/LA

Does anyone know what they are to be used for? - I don't need to know it is for flying flags!! and at what cost?

Having now spoken to the planning department it appears the Leader wants to fly the Union Jack around the Borough!

One of the best hissy fits the system has thrown up is this week. It is showing a new application 2013/0035/LA for the Big Screen in Walthamstow Town Centre requesting comments by the 1st November 2013 despite also showing the Planning Committee approved it on the 6th March 2013!!

Community or Free School?

Dear friends,

We just wanted to update everyone on the public meeting we held last week. It was an amazine evening.

We booked a room for 80 and ended up with 150 people crammed in, sitting on the floors and even queuing outside the room. What a testament to the growing strength of feeling and interest in this issue in our borough.

You can read a full blog post on the event here, but speakers from the platform and the floor made a few key points that it’s worth summarising:

· Free schools are the wrong answer to the problem of supplying sufficient school places because they are not planned according to the real need.

· Because of this and the fact that Free Schools use a disproportionate amount of funding, money and resources are being used in an unplanned and unfair way

· Free Schools are unaccountable to their communities. They are scrutinised by a handful of officials in Whitehall, not us the people who need schools, nor by the taxpayer who pays for them.

· Free Schools are bringing unqualified teachers into our education system at exactly the time other countries are raising the qualifications of their teachers

· If parents want to get involved in education, they can do it by getting involved in their community schools, helping to hold them to account and helping to drive up standards in a collaborative and cooperative way that doesn’t damage other people’s education.

Scores more people signed our petition or signed up to get more involved. Our campaign is growing and we are becoming a progressive force to be reckoned with, bringing together parents, teachers and all who care about our community schools.

A very big thank you to everyone who got involved in getting the message out about this meeting. You made it happen.

Read all about the meeting at our blogsite here.

Yours

Jonathan White

Our Community, Our Schools

So where will this threat to the community schools be located - only a year to go and still no address!!

OASIS ACADEMY

Welcome to the new Oasis Academy in Walthamstow, a brand new secondary

academy opening in central Walthamstow in September 2014. Opening with an

initial intake of 180 Year 7 students, the new school will be a six Form of Entry,

inclusive, non-selective, co-educational school for students aged 11-16 years.

It will be a school which local children can walk to, and where student safety is

paramount.

Phase 2 of Walthamstow Station Car Park Development

Tom Higbee, transport planner at Steer Davies Gleave consultants, says “There is a real drive to bring our big city centres back to life.” Mixed use developments that combine retail, office and residential units around a revamped state-of-the-art transport hub are the way forward. 

The final dream!

The current reality

What we have lost

1962

2011

2013 View

Consultation

Station Car Park

Metro Pads

First Class Homes around a railway station

The Plans for Phase 2

Opening up the Olympic Park to Residents

Opening up the Olympic Park to Residents

Plans to open up Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to more local people have been put forward by Waltham Forest Council. Proposals see allotments set aside for private use on Eton Manor replaced with an urban meadow as well as a new pedestrian access point. The planning application has been submitted to the London Legacy Development Corporation as part of the Council’s bid to ensure that the Olympic Park is open to all, providing leisure and recreational facilities that create a world-class legacy. Currently the section of the Olympic Park within Waltham Forest – Eton Manor – is set to house allotment plots, meaning that large areas of the Park will be cordoned off for private use. The Council has consistently and whole-heartedly rejected these plans and is using the planning process to put forward a better future for the park. Leader of Waltham Forest Council, Chris Robbins, said: “It’s an absolute scandal that allotments are set to take pride of place in the country’s flagship sporting facility. “That is why we are proposing a better future for the Olympic Park. It will not only make the park more accessible to Waltham Forest residents and Londoners as a whole but it will build on its green credentials providing more open space in the capital.” At present the allotment holders have plots in the newly refurbished Leyton Jubilee Park. They were moved to Leyton from their original home in Newham to make way for the Olympic Park back in 2007. Legacy plans for the Park have earmarked a section of Eton Manor which is run by the Lee Valley Park Regional Authority (LVRPA) for the allotment holders. However the Council argues that they already have a good home and adequate provision at Pudding Mill Lane so there is no need for them to move to Eton Manor. The Council has met with the allotment holders to discuss the plans ahead of submission. The plans have the backing of England Hockey and the Tennis Foundation along with LVRPA who own the land. Shaun Dawson, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority Chief Executive said: “Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre will host community, club and elite programmes along with a range of events, providing opportunities for communities, both local and from across the region, to play, get involved with, or watch hockey or tennis at this world class venue”. “The venue will host major national and international events including the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters taking place in 2014, 2015 and 2016, and the European Hockey Championships in 2015, with many other high profile events planned. “When consent was given in 2006 for the allotments to be incorporated into the Eton Manor legacy plan, the detailed operational plans for the site had not been developed. “It is clear to us now that combining a major sports venue with allotments, on what is a constrained site, is unviable and would create operational problems which will adversely impact on both the allotment holders and other site users” “Replacing the allotments at Eton Manor with an area of open space will in Lee Valley Regional Park Authority’s view provide a welcome area for informal recreation in the north of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, thereby creating greater benefit for the neighbouring communities.” The planning application was submitted this week and the Council expects to hear a decision early in the New Year. Local people will have the opportunity to comment on the plans by visiting the London Legacy Development Corporation Planning Register at  http://planningforms.newham.gov.uk/online-applications/ -ENDS-

The Marshman Cometh...

The Marshman Cometh...

Join us for an evening gathering on Hackney Marshes in the company of author Gareth E. Rees aka 'Hackney Marshman' and local poet Sam Berkson, author of Life in Transit. Sam will perform a selection of his poems and Gareth will be reading extracts from his upcoming book 'Marshland: Dreams and Nightmares on the edge of London' by candlelight. Gather with us and enter the "liminal space of Olympic legacy, crocodile sightings, decapitated bears, Viking invasions and the hungry predations of property developers" on our marshes!

Meet: Saturday 26th October at 7pm by the old changing rooms on North Marsh, opposite Cow Bridge (the bright green one). If searching on a map, the closest landmark is the Hackney Marshes entrance to the Middlesex Filter Beds which is a 1 minute walk away.

Bring along: Friends, warm waterproof clothing and tealights in jam jars.

Contact: 07779 725747

The night before, Friday 25th October, is our fundraising quiz at the Hare & Hounds. Hope to see you there or at the marsh!

Best Wishes,
Caroline
Save lea Marshes

Marsh Lane Allotments

Dear Bob, SLM-ers, Lammasites, Adrian & EMAC, and others,

Re: Marsh Lane Fields Allotments.

Sorry this email is quite long, but I want matters to be made absolutely clear.

If you haven't time to read the whole narrative, just read the paragraphs I have marked with an asterisk (*).

As you will see at the end, I need to send an email to Leon Welford of the Waltham Forest 2012 Legacy Team - today, if possible, and I hope to do so before 4.30pm (as I then have to go out).

 

So if anyone has any comments, or suggestions about what we should be asking for, please let me know quickly! (Opinions on Cypressa Lawsonii would be appreciated too!)

At the 'Save the Lea Marshes' (SLM - formerly 'Save Leyton Marsh!') meeting on Monday evening we had a situation report about the Marsh Lane Fields allotments site from one of the SLM core executive group, who is also an Eton Manor Gardening Society allotment-holder and on the Management Committee of the Manor Gardening Society (MGS).

Just as a reminder, MGS were pushed out of the Olympics site and were not offered any alternative site by the Borough of Newham, whose obligation it probably should have been to relocate them (presumably Newham did not feel obliged to do so because the Borough did not own the land where the allotments were situated).

The original allotment site had been purchased by Major Villiers of the Eton Manor Club at some time in the 1920s or '30s, quite close to the Wilderness (Eton Manor Playing Fields south of Ruckholt Road). The site remained in the ownership of Eton Manor until the Club folded, and its assets within the Lee Valley Regional Park (LVRP) were then transferred to the newly established Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA) - which in general left these assets to fall into disrepair, disuse and dereliction. The LVRPA did not offer MGS any alternative temporary allotment site either, so it was presumably not their legal obligation to do so (although they had owned the Eton Manor site for a long time and own large swathes land in the Lea Valley).

So the plot-holders ended up in a waterlogged new allotment site on former Lammas Lands at Marsh Lane Fields (where Ben Moseley at Marsh Lane Cottage grazed the horses brought to him for breaking in), in Leyton Ward, Waltham Forest (WF). Most allotment-holders lived in the Borough of Hackney, but the beautiful original site, on a hill above the Channelsea River was across the Old River Lea in Newham).most allotment-holders lived in the Borough of Hackney, but the allotment site was across the Old River Lea in Newham).

SLM were told on Monday that there have been several meetings over the past few months between the MGS Committee and Borough Officers. Charlie was, however, quite confused by those discussions, which seemed to be more an exercise in "divide and rule" than negotiations. The officers from WF appeared at one point to be saying that the powers-that-be were obliged to offer an alternative site within the "Olympic Park" only to those allotment-holders who had actually relocated from the old site.

* SLM had been aware, from attending LVRPA meetings, that part of the Authority's former lands on what had been the Eton Manor Playing Fields (EMPF), also in Leyton Ward, had been designated by the LLDC as a replacement allotment site.

* It seemed fair enough that LVRPA should have some of their land used for this purpose. since they had owned the original site. However, this would mean a permanent nett loss of public open space in Leyton Ward. I rang Leon Welford at the time, and despite his initial denial that this obvious fact was true, I eventually wore him down and got him to agree verbally over the phone that it would indeed represent a nett loss of however many acres it is (1.1 hectares, I think) to the residents of WF.

We had a subsequent ding-dong about the matter when Leon and John Widdows turned up at the following Lea Bridge Ward Forum meeting. Although the allotments are in fact in Leyton Ward, to the residents of Leyton and Lea Bridge Wards, Marsh Lane Fields are a shared whole - and none of the Councillors present attempted to shut me or anyone else up on the grounds that it was a different Ward (probably they didn't even realise it!). After the meeting I found myself by chance on a bus with Leon, and naturally we chatted - which was also quite useful.

* SLM were then told on Monday evening that Waltham Forest have just submitted a Planning Application to the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), which has taken over responsibility for developing the Olympic Park (OP) from the Olympics Delivery Authority (OAD), asking the LLDC to drop the requirement for the allotments to be relocated within the Olympic Park on former LVRPA land in WF.

* You might think this means that my argument had been accepted, but in fact what is now happening is that as soon as the LLDC agree to drop it the way will be clear for WF to retain the allotments at Marsh Lane Fields. (This they intend to do.)

So the next day (Tuesday, yesterday) I rang Leon up in the morning and asked him if he could explain to me what was going on. I won't extend the length of this email by giving a verbatim report of the whole 20-minute phone conversation, so the salient points (and these are NOT quotes unless so indicated) are below:

* Whereas WF had no obligation whatsoever to offer the MGS an alternative allotment site in the borough, there was a lot of political pressure to put the Games on with as little fuss as possible - and the doers and shakers at Waltham Forest Council was bending over backwards to oblige the London Development Agency (LDA), who were amassing the land needed to hold the Games.

* Having transferred the allotments into WF, it has now become the responsibility of WF to provide an alternative site for the allotments.

* However, there is little political incentive to designate brownfield sites that could be used for housing as allotment sites - so the relocation would have to be onto some other bit of green open space. Therefore, it is inevitable that 7 acres (1.1 hectares) of public open land will be permanently lost to the residents of WF. That being the case, the area to be lost may as well be the existing site at Marsh Lane Fields.

The logic of this is, of course, absolutely impeccable. (It is up to us, should we choose to do so, to make a fuss and to suggest an alternative - which must be just as suitable or better, since it has to comply with the 1921 Allotments Act - brownfield site elsewhere in Waltham Forest.)

Given that the land at EMPF was previously owned by the LVRPA, I can also see the impeccable logic of transferring the allotments there. In fact, on Monday evening, SLM were told that there had even been discussions which would have involved moving only those allotment-holders who had come to Marsh Lane Fields and were still there, whilst retaining the allotments in Leyton for those who had come there later so as to use them to cut down the long waiting list for allotments in WF!

I asked Leon yesterday about this, and he said that it wasn't now being seen as an option because it would be too much loss of existing open space in WF. We agreed that Leyton as a town is generally deficient in green public open spaces.

* I asked him which department had been responsible for submitting the Planning Application to LLDC. He said a a number of departments were involved, but that the Application had come from the Council. I asked him if that meant it had gone to the Cabinet for approval. He said it had NOTgone to Cabinet. So it is not minuted or reported on anywhere.

So I asked him at whose behest it had been done. He was very cagey, and just said: "Senior politicians." I asked him if that meant Chris Robbins, Clyde Loakes and Terry Wheeler. He just laughed, and said something like "well, you could say that." So I am pretty sure I know who was behind it.

* Leon told me that the Application was submitted by WF to the LLDC at the end of last week, and has not yet been validated so does not have an application number yet.

I pointed out to Leon that the MGS allotment site at Marsh Lane Fields had been leased to the LDA, but was vested in Waltham Forest. So could the Condition about being temporary be removed under Delegated Powers? He said the Application to remove the Condition that the allotments have to be removed by December 2014 and grant permanent change of use of the area would definitely have to come to the WF Planning Committee. (Presumably there would have to be notices at the site and a 3-week consultation period, but I forgot to ask.) It cannot just be dealt with under Delegated Powers.

Just to finish up, some good news.

* I then said that since the Marsh Lane Fields site is currently in the LDA's possession and the site in the former EMPF, which is now within the purview of the LLDC, was in the OP, then there ought to be some compensation made by the LDA/LLDC to WF for the permanent loss of this part of the fields as public open space.

* I said there was no point asking for money for improvements to Marsh Lane Fields, as there has already just been loads of dosh spent on the fields as part of the compensation money for the loss for over a year of the Drapers' Field site further south (now returned to WF, which is carrying out the final remediation works to the pitches). There was also no point asking for exchange land, because there is none in the LDA/LLDC's gift in the Leyton area to give to the Borough in compensation.

* However, I told Leon that since 1994, when the Freight Road through the Grade 1 Site of Ecological Importance on the former railway sidings was being heavily pushed by the local Labour Party, local people had been asking that if the road went ahead there should be a bund and a thick screen of tall evergreen trees planted between Marsh Lane Fields and the new road. This would screen out the noise and mitigate the night-time lighting all year round (in those days, the fields at night were very quiet and dark, full of wildlife, and you could see the night sky).

* It had never been implemented - there wasn't enough room for a bund because a scarcely-used double cycle path was put in instead, and the wrangling over what trees to plant came to a halt when Nick Evans left the Borough (he was the Conservation Officer, and wasn't replaced for ages).

* I said local people had been asking for a green screen of trees for nearly twenty years, and now that the sidings were back in use, with floodlighting and everything, the need was even greater. It would also improve the character and 'feel' of the fields by hiding the industrial-looking train maintenance buildings. Why not ask the LDA/LLDC, if the allotments are to remain permanently, if they would pay to plant and maintain a green screen. And perhaps re-plant the hedgerow by the footpath leading to the footbridge as well.

* The line went silent for so long that I thought I must have lost the signal. But Leon was thinking about it. Then he said something like: "That's a great idea! Could you put it in an email and send it to me. We'll have a think about it."

* If anyone has any comments, please let me know, as I wish to strike while the iron is hot and get something to him by 4.30pm today.

Thanks,

Katy.