Friday, 26 June 2015

Mini Holland Update 26-6-15

Mini Holland

Strand to be redesigned

Walthamstow Village

Still going Dutch

Whipps Cross Roundabout to go

Lea Bridge Road

The Mini-Holland Programme is transforming the borough to make Waltham Forest more cycle and pedestrian friendly as well as creating a better place for you to live, work and enjoy.

As a key route in the borough, we want Lea Bridge Road to be a street for everyone, ensuring residents can get around easily, businesses in the area continue to thrive and it is an attractive place that people want to visit. And with Lea Bridge Station set to reopen in Spring 2016 there will be even more pedestrians and cyclists using this busy thoroughfare making the improvements through the Mini–Holland Programme even more important. As part of this programme major improvements will be made to the area including junctions, bridges and footways, to make the road safer and easier to travel on.

We have already spoken to many local people as part of our survey in March 2015 where we talked to residents, businesses, visitors and cyclists to find out what local people and road users think of the area and the types of improvements they would like to see. The results and comments received from these surveys have helped us to develop the design for the road which can be viewed here.

Lea Bridge Road public consultation

We have sectioned the road into eight areas for the consultation so that people can find out about and have their say on the parts of the scheme that are taking place where they live or work.

Today we have now launched the public consultation for Borough Boundary to Lammas Road (Section A) and Whipps Cross Roundabout (Section H). Please view the plans and comment here.

The consultations for the remaining sections (B, C, D, E, F, G) will take place between September and October this year. Before the consultations begin all households in the consultation areas will be notified with details on how to take part.

If you have any questions relating to the Lea Bridge Road consultation or if you would like more information on the Mini-Holland Programme visit www.enjoywalthamforest.co.uk, email miniholland@walthamforest.gov.uk or call 020 8496 3000.

Iain Killingbeck

Mini-Holland Engagement Project Manager

Waltham Forest Council

Highways and Infrastructure

Argall Avenue, Leyton, London, E10 7AS

T: 020 8496 1029

Email: iain.killingbeck2@walthamforest.gov.uk

Mini-Holland is coming to Waltham Forest

Visit www.enjoywalthamforest.co.uk Email miniholland@walthamforest.gov.uk

Katy Andrews Funeral

Katy

Katy's funeral was attended by over 200 people reflecting her numerous interests. Joe Ward led the service and captured Katy's personality really well. Her mother described a character we all knew and loved so it was clear Katy has always been Katy!

She will be sorely missed.

Latest exhibition at WMG

Exhibition

Leytonstone Festival

Dear all

Please come along if you can on Sunday 5 July at the Epicentre, West St E11 4LJ for an event in memory of Vi who started the Leytonstone Festival. We will watch an interview with her and talk of our memories over some wine. Hope to see you there!

Jackie Pert and Ros Kane

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.

Day's End

Food Bank Expands

Food Bank

Twilight Market

Photography Course

Coming to a park near you?

Good afternoon all

You may be interested in the following article, published in the Evening Standard, last Friday:

--------------------

Cycling home through Battersea Park’s explosion of green always soothes my soul. Tonight I won’t bother: this week and the next two, the park is a giant, ugly building site.

Swarms of workmen are putting up thousands of huge concrete blocks topped by high fences to line the track for the Formula E electric car races on June 27/28. I’ve never seen anything like it. And it’ll be the same for the next five summers, unless the council invokes a contract break clause — something outraged locals are now urging.

It’s just the most egregious example of a growing trend: the pimping out of London’s parks to raise cash.
The Royal Parks were first, with pop concerts in the eastern half of Hyde Park, shutting off a wide swathe of green behind high walls. Last night we saw the start of this year’s series of British Summer Time concerts.

But it’s growing in our local parks too. Last year Lambeth council gave its new Event Lambeth arm the goal of increasing the current total of about 10 major events in its parks every year to 40. The result? Last weekend’s Found techno festival closed off much of my local Brockwell Park to the public. The reason, of course, is budget cuts. The Royal Parks have had their central government cash funding cut from £18.8 million in 2009/10 to just under £13.2 million this year. More than half their income now has to be self-generated.

Wandsworth council initially rejected Formula E as being too disruptive. Then the boy racers came back with an offer the town hall couldn’t refuse: it won’t say how much, except that “we expect the fee to include £1 million we have earmarked to spend on major maintenance projects in Battersea Park over the next five years”. Between 2010 and 2018 Wandsworth will have had to make cuts totalling £120 million.

Lambeth, meanwhile, is making £90 million of cuts over the next three years. Since 2010/11, its parks budget has dropped by more than £1.6 million — that’s nearly a third.

Last year a Heritage Lottery Fund report warned that “unless future funding is generated in new ways, parks are at risk of rapid decline and even being sold off and lost to the public forever”.

But if our parks are regularly rented out to the highest bidder, they’re no longer truly public. We’re degrading our green spaces, one of London’s glories — and all for sums dwarfed by the average Whitehall department’s consultancy bill.

Andrew Neather

Planning Applications

151558

Rileys Snooker Hall : Planning Application Submitted

A planning application has now been submitted in relation to the former Riley’s Snooker Hall, located at the corner of Hoe Street and Forest road. This is to demolish this building and convert it into twenty two flats as well as a retail area. You can find full details of this here and I know the Hoe Street Councillors are seeking to secure further details about this proposal. If yo would like to be in contact with them please let me know.

Dear residents,

Please see the below info on a planning application that has been received for Rileys Snooker Hall at the end of Hoe Street:

A mixed use redevelopment. Demolition of existing snooker hall building. Construction of 6 storey building to provide 22 self contained flats (10 x 1 bed, 9 x 2 bed, 3 x 3 bed). Provision of 275sq.m of retail space, cycle store and refuse collection area.

You can search for details of the planning application that has been received. The attached consultation letter explains how you can view the plans and respond to the planning application.

We would be very interested to hear residents views on the site. Even though it is just outside the ward – it forms part of an important junction in the area and we want to hear community views. Please send on to other networks.

Grace, Stuart and Nadeem

151615

Police Station Forest Road to become 21 flats

Significant Seams

Quilt

Epping Forest

Epping Forest

Wanstead Park

Sunday, 21 June 2015

Barking to Gospel Oak Rail User Group

BGORUG is holding a public meeting for beleaguered passengers to discuss the situation and agree a plan of action for urgent relief from overcrowding on Thursday 9 July at 7pm in Walthamstow. The meeting will be a few minutes walk from Blackhorse Road station at Gnome House, 7 Blackhorse Lane, E17 6DS. The Gnome House cafe will be open from 6.30 pm. Network Rail, London Overground and Transport for London were all asked to send representatives to the meeting to hear passengers’ complaints but all three refused!

BGORUG

Friday, 19 June 2015

Mini Holland update 19-6-15

Watch out for the ban on the right turn from Shernhall Street to Church Lane in July - £140 fine for offenders!

This will have a big effect on teacher's travelling to two of the Borough's schools - Holy Family and Kelmscott. An alternative route using Barrett Road will be used, but as a councillor lives there it will no doubt be quickly stopped as a rat run!

Don't forget as more of the road network is restricted the more likely full grid lock will occur as it did in central London in the 1970s. Last week's accident in Church Hill brought Hoe Street to a halt and impacted on Blackhorse Road and many other streets blocking bus routes and heavily polluting pavements for pedestrians. It was quicker to walk than be in a vehicle!!

Walthamstow Village Update

Walthamstow Village news

Leyton Town Centre Survey

Church Road consultation

Hoe Street and Wood Street Consultation

The Bell - a winner

Vacancies at The Mill

The Mill is recruiting!

View this email in your browser

Do you want to be part of a local community organisation achieving great thing with and for people in Walthamstow?

The Mill is Walthamstow's living room, it's available for residents to drop in and read the papers, view our art exhibitions, join a group or activity, or use our play room. The Mill is run by local volunteers for the local community and is open to the public 6 days a week.

The Mill is recruiting to two part-time vacancies. Both roles will be for an initial six months, with the possibility of extending beyond this timeframe. Both roles will require working at weekends and on some evenings and will provide occasional reception cover as well as open/close the building according to the staff rota.

Administrative Officer 16 hours per week £20,800 pa pro-rata

The role: this role will be crucial to the smooth running of The Mill through the
provision of excellent administrative support. The public facing and internal support required includes servicing day-to-day operating of the building, Mill activities and events, and supporting the Centre Manager, with a proactive, respectful approach. It will create and maintain admin systems, contribute to financial management, working with the accountant and Centre Manager.

About you: you will be able to warmly and appropriately interact with a diverse
community of Mill users, volunteers, staff and tenants. You will be organised,
efficient, experienced at multi tasking and working to tight deadlines as well as
enthusiasm. You must be able to work on your initiative and will be in charge of the building when the Centre Manager is not at the The Mill. Just as important as having the right experience and skill set is the importance of being enthusiastic and sympathetic to the aims of The Mill.

Communications Coordinator 5 hours per week £20,800 pro-rata

The role: this role is crucial in making sure people know about The Mill, its activities, events and priorities as well as its need for support and funding to continue the brilliant work it does with and for the people of Walthamstow. It will be responsible for promotion of activities, events and news stories using the Mill website, social media and local resources. It will also manage a schedule of facebook and twitter posts on extra promotional campaigns; fundraising, events, the Friends scheme, merchandising, vacancies etc. Comms work is also supported by volunteers so this role will manage their work, meeting them monthly meetings to discuss priorities.

About you: you will have at least two years’ experience of media and
communications work including social media, updating web content, writing
newsletters and press releases and other copy as required. You should have good organisational skills, be efficient, proactive and able to meet deadlines with the ability to interact with a diverse community of users, volunteers, staff and trustees. Just as important as having the right experience and skill set is the importance of being enthusiastic and sympathetic to the aims of The Mill.

For a full job specification and to apply for either of these roles
visit our website www.themillcoppermill.org

Forward

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The Mill

7-11 Coppermill Lane

Walthamstow

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United Kingdom

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Night Tube

Boris's Housing Zones

Housing Zones

Walthamstow Garden Party

Garden Party in Lloyd Park

Higham Hill Hub

Tower Block Redevelopment

Redevelopment

Walthamstow Central's cage

From Stella Creasy MP's newsletter:

The Central Station Cage is to Go- but what Next?

Regular readers of this e-newsletter will know I have been challenging Transport for London on the safety of the 'cage' that has been built around the entrance to the underground station at Walthamstow Central station since it was first put into position. This measure was designed to stop those using the underground going to overground trains without paying for a ticket, but as many residents reported, created problems for passengers as many were crowded into a small space raising fears for rush hour travelling. I'm pleased to report that TFL have this week now confirmed that this cage is to be removed- but there is still uncertainty as to what will replace it. TFL have stated the following to me:

"Although we are prioritising arrangements to enable the removal of this fence structure, we do not plan to take it down this month. Removal is dependent on the installation of an improved ticketing gateline layout (details of which are still being finalised), which we hope to install during the August closure at the earliest. We are aware that many passengers that use Walthamstow Central station object to this structure, and once a date has been agreed to remove it, we will of course update you"

Please note, the station is due to be closed for three weeks from 8^th to 30^th August and so any new structure or station layout is unlikely to be implemented before then. I will continue to monitor this situation but believe it is welcome news TFL have listened to concerns about passenger safety and agreed to remove the 'cage'- thank you to all those who raised their views with TFL on this matter to help make the case for change.

Friday, 12 June 2015

Katy Andrews

Subject: Katy Andrews RIP
To:

Katy was in good spirits on Saturday when she lead part of a cycle ride beating the bounds of the old Borough of Walthamstow.

Sadly, at some time during the early hours of Sunday she suddenly died in her flat. She was discovered by a close friend and the matter is in the hands of HM Coroner. I am confident that the death was through natural causes. It has come as a tremendous shock to her wide circle of friends and acquaintances. I also attach a photograph of her last cycle ride.

If you have been copied in and do not know Katy, please accept my apologies.

Joe Ward

Chair, New Lammas Lands Defence Committee

Katy Andrews

It is now a week since we learnt of the sudden death of Katy Andrews and the consequences are only just sinking in. I knew her for over 30 years but I am not sure I really knew her. She had the most amazing brain managing to get a BA and BSc - it did not matter what subject got raised in the pub she always had a "google like" indepth knowledge.

As an ardent environmental campaigner she would walk in to a meeting and everyone knew she had arrived. She would put her point of view across immediately which then set the agenda for the rest of the meeting. As she knew her subject this was no bad thing unless you were chairing the meeting and then it became a bit of a battle! Some people were offended but I always took the view that however she wanted to get her point across it was based on a real understanding of the subject.

The Katy I knew was passionate about the Lower Lea Valley. She recognised that it was under threat since the days of John Nash who fought the GLC in the sixties and stopped Walthamstow Marsh becoming a gravel pit. She kept a close eye on the Riding Stables fearing it would become so large it would take away land which is our right to roam. Her Beating the Bounds event each year was to ensure we understood what we were likely to loose if we did not stand up to our rights to use the land for recreation.

Although she had many battles with the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority she had a respect for their position and a good relationship with some of the officers. She used the New Lammas Lands Defence Committee as her vehicle. She had bitter battles with Waltham Forest Council, but it was usually because the council would not stand up for its residents rights. One of her biggest upsets was losing the battle to stop the flats being built on Essex Wharf. It was like a knife going into her when she saw how the area has been spoilt by this inappropriate development.

Her recent campaigning was to get pubs made Community Assets to slow down their demise. She regarded them not just as historic buildings but key places where the community could get together and have social reaction - she was not in to the new social media, preferring the old socialising!

Katy was a folk singer, regular organist at churches, a hymn writer, a white witch and an expert on pagen activities such as her recent Apple Tree blessing events in mid winter. No doubt she had other talents but I will leave those for others to describe.

Katy will be very much missed.

Adrian

Mini Holland Update 12-6-15

Mini Holland

Britain Lags behind Europe

Cycle Shed removed

Cattle Creep

Cycling in the UK

Our Community Our Schools

London National Park - update

Help Make London The World's First Ever 'National Park City'www.greaterlondonnationalpark.org.uk/

We have just 4 days. Please volunteer 3 minutes to help us hit our crowdfunding target [to print and distribute a very special public broadsheet].

Hello,

I am writing to you because you have attended one of our campaign meetings to make London the world's first National Park City.

We are at a critical moment in the campaign. Last week a unanimous motion was passed by the London Assembly to support us in our work. This is a great step forward, but I want us to reach out to Londoners across the capital and get their support for this big idea that would effect us all.

The internet is an affordable and efficient way for us all to communicate, but it also creates "bubbles" which are hard to break out of. The best way for us to reach new people is through action, word of mouth and in this one-off occasion... distributing a message in a bold broadsheet format. The purpose of this effort is to reach and engage people who would not otherwise have heard about or engaged with what we are doing. The Greater London National Park City is a grass-roots initiative and we want to keep it that way.

You may well know that we are currently crowdfunding to raise the investment that we need to create, publish and distribute the broadsheet proposal. 202 brilliant backers have helped us to raise an incredible 70% of what we need. We now have just 4 days to raise the other 30% and we can only hit this target with you help. If we don't hit our target we will now see any of the funding.

Will you be a smart phone or arm chair volunteer for us? We need to spread the word and rapidly snowball support so that we can raise the final 30%.

We need to get our message out and share this link to our crowdfunding page:
www.crowdfunder.co.uk/help-make-greater-london-a-national-park-city/

Please help us by:

Tweeting a reason for your support
Tweeting someone and asking them for their support
Posting on Facebook and asking for your friends to contribute
Emailing any networks or groups that you are part of
Writing a blog post if you are a blogger
Asking your employer, if you have one, to contribute
Anything else you can think of that will help us reach our target

Pledges can be as low as £1 and it all counts. Please help us reach our target by Sunday at 21:04 and take a moment to help spread the word.

Please do join us for our next campaign meeting on June 22:
http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/greater-london-national-park-6845832715?s=32031725

Thank you very much for your time and help.

Daniel & Team

@LondonNP #NationalParkCity
www.twitter.com/londonNPwww.greaterlondonnationalpark.org.uk/www.facebook.com/greaterlondonnationalparkwww.crowdfunder.co.uk/help-make-greater-london-a-national-park-city/

Waltham Forest Echo

St James Neighbourhood Forum

Woodhouse Players

Door Diaries

THE DOOR DIARIES

The Vestry House Museum

Exhibition of The Door Diaries30th May - 29th August 2015

by Deborah Nash

The Door Diaries are two interior doors salvaged from demolished flats on a housing estate in North London.

On moving to Walthamstow, Deborah kept the doors with the intention of creatingThe Door Diaries, bearing the addresses of all the places she has ever lived and texts from letters that arrived at those addresses.

The Door Diaries are a memento of lost places and friendships, a paean to the handwritten letter and a reflection of the constant recycling and renewal of buildings and building materials in the London metropolis.

The Dark Door and The Colour Door, showing all the addresses the artist has ever lived and fragments from letters in the outlined shape of the artist's body.