Mini Holland
Now for the movie!
Movie 1
Movie 2
WALTHAM FOREST - ONE COMMUNITY This Blog provides information about our Community in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. Please send your contributions to wfoc10@gmail.com
Sunday, 25 October 2015
Saturday, 24 October 2015
Mini Holland 24-10-15
Mini Holland
A very large number of people were reported to have turned up at the Town Hall to see the full Council debate Mini Holland. At last it seems it has got on to the political agenda rather than just the Strong Leader and Deputy Leader's pet project. Unfortunately unless you were present in the Council Chamber there seems to be little information about what happened except for the published propaganda! Here are some of the items that were tweeted:
The official motion
The Tory view
WF Council minutes
WF Echo
WF Guardian
Billet Road survey
A very large number of people were reported to have turned up at the Town Hall to see the full Council debate Mini Holland. At last it seems it has got on to the political agenda rather than just the Strong Leader and Deputy Leader's pet project. Unfortunately unless you were present in the Council Chamber there seems to be little information about what happened except for the published propaganda! Here are some of the items that were tweeted:
The official motion
The Tory view
WF Council minutes
WF Echo
WF Guardian
Billet Road survey
Have you registered to vote?
FROM STELLA CREASY M.P.
Six Weeks to Save Walthamstow's Voice in Parliament! Join our Voter Registration Campaign with your Ipad!
In 2014 the Government changed the rules for voter registration. This means unless you have personally registered to vote yourself, you may not be on the electoral register after December 1 2015. In Walthamstow nearly 5,000 households could be affected. If the number of people on the electoral register falls then Walthamstow may lose its direct voice in parliament in the coming review of parliamentary constituencies. This will mean less of a say for people here in how laws are made.
So too, in May 2016 there will be an election across London for our next Mayor to replace Boris Johnson. Make sure you are registered so you can have your say on who runs our city! Finally, registering to vote can also help improve your credit rating. 63% of those not on the electoral roll have been turned down for credit. If you are not registered you cannot get an ‘excellent’ credit rating. A good credit score can help lower your insurance premiums or mean getting a better deal on a new phone.
You can register online now using this link or you can call 020 7271 0500 (you will need your national insurance number) . If you would like to join our campaign to get more people in Walthamstow registered by December 1 2015 to help save Walthamstow's voice in national decision making please reply to this email. Please note in particular we are seeking people who can take part who have an Ipad or tablet to enable them to assist residents with how to register online.
Thursday, 22 October 2015
Mini Holland 22-10-15
This is the motion being presented to the full council meeting tonight:
Latest from Stella Creasy MP
MINI HOLLAND
Notice of the above Motion was given in accordance with Council
Procedure Rule 13.
Councillor Matt Davis will
move;
|
Councillor
John Moss will second
|
This Council notes the Conservative Mayor of London is giving the
Council around £30 million of funding for the “Mini Holland” cycling
improvements.
The Council also notes that the plans that have come forward so far
will:
1. Clearly
disadvantage all road users, including bus passengers, other than the small
minority of residents who are cyclists, whom a study by Camden NHS and TfL has
proven are almost entirely middle class, young, white men.
2. Will increase
the amount of time it takes a bus to travel along Lea Bridge Road by almost 40
minutes.
3. Will worsen
emissions and air quality, which may be why there appears to be no individual
climate change impact assessment of each scheme.
4. Are likely to
lead to an increase in road traffic accidents as it did in Islington when speed
limits were reduced to a blanket 20MPH borough wide.
5. Are generating
considerable resident and local business opposition which has been
made notably worse by an extremely poor consultation process which only allowed
residents consulted to vote yes or no for an entire scheme rather than being
able to support individual elements of it, or contribute proposals or ideas
borne of experience.
Council also notes with incredulity that despite receiving £30 million
pounds Cllr Loakes is now attempting to misappropriate £20K into his budget
from the L&Q section 106 agreement which was earmarked for the absolutely
essential health service improvements caused by the redevelopment of
Walthamstow Dog Track.
In addition Council notes and queries the accident based evidence record
on which the 20MPH schemes are based since in at least one case it is a fact
that physical traffic calming is to be imposed upon roads without there being
the evidence to support them in clear contravention of the Council’s own
policies and previous practice.
The Council therefore calls upon the portfolio holder and his officers
to:
1. Listen to the
views of all borough residents and not just the tiny minority that make up the
local cycling campaign.
2. Only propose
or institute speed limit reduction schemes for which there is demonstrable
accident based evidence for their need.
3. Conduct a
proper equalities impact assessment in order to ensure that those groups
especially likely to be disadvantaged, for example Muslim women, have their
needs consulted upon and not just those of the overwhelmingly white,
middle class, male cyclists.
4. Conduct
proper Climate Change Impact assessments for each individual scheme proposed in
order that Waltham Forest Council does not make air quality worse in pursuit of
Councillor Loakes’ personal agenda.
5. To ensure
that mini Holland is of benefit to, and mostly supported by, the whole of the
Borough and not just a very small, but disproportionately noisy, self-selecting
portion of it.
Latest from Stella Creasy MP
Hello!
I'm writing to update you as someone who has been in touch with me regarding the Mini Holland scheme in Walthamstow. Due to the large volume of correspondence I have received about this project it is not possible for me to reply to you all individually and so I hope you will forgive this mass update system. Please note though that since the scheme was first introduced, where residents are raising requests for information and feedback on this scheme with my office we have shared these points directly with the officers responsible for the scheme so that they can correspond with residents on these points.
I understand that tomorrow evening, Thursday 22nd October, Waltham Forest Council will be debating the scheme. Ahead of this, I wanted to let you know that I have yet to receive a response to my letter to the Chief Executive of Waltham Forest Council and the Lead Councillor responsible for the scheme on this matter of the 23rd September 2015. I have however today written directly to all the Walthamstow Councillors to share this correspondence so that they are aware of the points raised with me by Walthamstow residents ahead of their debate.
Furthermore, I have also informed them that two petitions - one for and one against the scheme- have been set up on the Change.org website with me as the recipient. As of 2pm this afternoon, the 'pro' petition had 1,363 signatories and the 'anti' had 3572. I have alerted all those who have signed these petitions that I would share this information with the councillors again ahead of their debate on this matter.
Please note, that as this is a scheme that is directly managed by the Council and the GLA, and not by parliament, these petitions have no formal status in the Council decision making mechanisms and I have no direct authority to influence the nature of this project as the MP for Walthamstow. However, I continue to seek to ensure all residents voices are heard on this issue as the project progresses and as soon as I receive any further information from the Council including a response to my queries on behalf of residents I will share this with you. If you have not yet seen this correspondence please do let my office know and I will share a copy of this correspondence with you.
I hope the above information is of interest and kind regards,
Stella
I'm writing to update you as someone who has been in touch with me regarding the Mini Holland scheme in Walthamstow. Due to the large volume of correspondence I have received about this project it is not possible for me to reply to you all individually and so I hope you will forgive this mass update system. Please note though that since the scheme was first introduced, where residents are raising requests for information and feedback on this scheme with my office we have shared these points directly with the officers responsible for the scheme so that they can correspond with residents on these points.
I understand that tomorrow evening, Thursday 22nd October, Waltham Forest Council will be debating the scheme. Ahead of this, I wanted to let you know that I have yet to receive a response to my letter to the Chief Executive of Waltham Forest Council and the Lead Councillor responsible for the scheme on this matter of the 23rd September 2015. I have however today written directly to all the Walthamstow Councillors to share this correspondence so that they are aware of the points raised with me by Walthamstow residents ahead of their debate.
Furthermore, I have also informed them that two petitions - one for and one against the scheme- have been set up on the Change.org website with me as the recipient. As of 2pm this afternoon, the 'pro' petition had 1,363 signatories and the 'anti' had 3572. I have alerted all those who have signed these petitions that I would share this information with the councillors again ahead of their debate on this matter.
Please note, that as this is a scheme that is directly managed by the Council and the GLA, and not by parliament, these petitions have no formal status in the Council decision making mechanisms and I have no direct authority to influence the nature of this project as the MP for Walthamstow. However, I continue to seek to ensure all residents voices are heard on this issue as the project progresses and as soon as I receive any further information from the Council including a response to my queries on behalf of residents I will share this with you. If you have not yet seen this correspondence please do let my office know and I will share a copy of this correspondence with you.
I hope the above information is of interest and kind regards,
Stella
Tuesday, 20 October 2015
Mini Holland 20-10-15
Mini Holland
Opposition Grows
Opposition in Kingston as well
Pollution
The future awaits!
FROM WALTHAMSTOW MP Stella Creasy:
Hello!
I'm writing to you as one of the now hundreds of residents who has been in touch with me regarding Waltham Forest Council's 'Mini Holland' project to let you know what I have done following your emails and letters as your local MP and share with you my most recent letter to the Council on this matter. As I have received so much correspondence on this matter I hope that you can forgive the mass email and the generic nature of this update- please be assured that we have also passed on your feedback to the Council so that they may respond to the points you make directly.
I appreciate that this scheme has aroused strong views, from both those who are delighted with it and those who are implacably opposed to it. Yet aside from letters or emails from those who are members of campaigning organisations seeking either to have this scheme abandoned or extended, it may interest you to know I have received a much larger volume of correspondence from residents about the details of the scheme e.g. particular road closures, routes or the consequences of such changes vs alternative formations as well as repeated concerns about the process of consultation.
Given this, I believe that all those interested in this scheme should welcome the opportunity of the proposed six month review to consider what is working and what is not. I note that even those who have written to me strongly in favour of this scheme have identified ‘snags’ in the current design that need to be addressed, and I believe the majority of those expressing concern about the project support the principles of the scheme, but see practical problems with how it has been set up. It would indeed be unusual for any large innovative public project of this nature to be perfectly implemented and executed, and I would encourage all those with ideas for improvements or information on unintended consequences that need to be addressed to raise these with the Council so that they can be investigated.
As there is now some confusion as to whether this review will take place you will see from my letter to the Council that I have asked for this to be clarified. Furthermore, it is completely unacceptable that people have been subjected to threats, both on and offline, as well as vandalism and abuse as a result of the strength of feeling that this project has generated and I would urge all concerned to remain calm and constructive.
Please note that as the Walthamstow MP I have no formal authority over this scheme as it is managed by the Council and not parliament. If you have not updated your local councillors who are responsible for this project with your ideas and feedback and would like their contact details to do so please do let me know. As I don't have any decision making powers on this matter myself I have not either 'supported' or 'opposed' the project (as I could not affect the outcome either way) but have instead been trying to ensure that all the concerns raised by residents are heard by the Council and that where possible solutions for the issues they raise are provided. So too I have sought to ensure residents are aware of the further elements of this scheme as it is rolled out across Walthamstow- although please note that the Council state only those residents who live on the roads directly affected by these changes are able to participate in the consultation.
With this in mind, please be aware that as well as the changes already introduced to the Walthamstow Village area and Lea Bridge area, there are now also consultation proposals out for response regarding changes to road layouts, closures and route directions for the Hoe Street/ Wood Street area (eg. between Forest Road and Church Hill Road) and also for the Blackhorse Road area (e.g. around Pretoria Ave, Palmerston Road, Forest Road etc) The Council is also beginning to develop plans for the Markhouse/Queens Road area of Walthamstow too. You can find out more about all these plans on the council's dedicated 'Mini Holland' Website which is here:
http://www.enjoywalthamforest.
If you live in either the Hoe St/Wood Street area or the Blackhorse Road area and have not received the formal consultation documents please let my office know and we will share these with you. You can also directly contact the Mini Holland team at the Council via their website.
Please find below the text of a letter I have sent to the Council about Mini Holland for your information - I will share with all of you the response I receive. Please note I will continue to add all those who contact me about this scheme to my mailing list for updates on this basis.
I hope this update is of interest and kind regards
Stella
Text of Letter to Council below:
Dear Martin and Clyde,
I'm writing to you further to our previous conversations regarding the Mini Holland project to put on record my concerns and ask for clarification on a number of issues so that I may update those who have been in touch with me.
I want to start by stating how welcome it is that Waltham Forest is prepared to be innovative in this way and seek to support cycling as well as pedestrians in the Borough. Whilst I respect that this project has been developed by the local authority and as such is being managed by yourselves rather than Parliament, I hope you can appreciate that as the MP for the area in which it is being introduced I have received a substantial amount of correspondence about the project. As such my interest is in ensuring the views of my constituents on this matter are heard in the outcomes of this project and how it is implemented.
As we have discussed previously, I have had concerns for some time about the way in which the scheme was introduced - not its intentions- and the manner in which the initial consultation on this project was conducted. As this project has continued these have not abated. The majority of comments from residents I have had and continue to receive echo this distinction between supporting the general principles of the scheme and being concerned as to how decisions about road closures have been made and whether there may be alternative ways to achieve the outcomes intended.
Despite the project now being nearly a year old, I continue to receive almost daily requests from residents for information about this process and how the pattern of road closures for Walthamstow has been determined - as well as the contrast between this and the plans for other areas of the borough which involve different methods of achieving this objective. Aside from the pressure groups which have now been set up in favour and against the scheme entirely, many not involved in either of these groups persistently contact me to state they feel they have not had adequate information on the project or that their views and proposals have not been considered and so cannot understand the nature of decisions made. So too I have now sadly started to receive reports of abusive behaviour towards residents from others who support the scheme and oppose it, both on and offline.
At the start of this project I was informed that there would be a six month review of the Walthamstow Village scheme after its introduction. This would have provided the chance to see whether changes to the layout of roads were meeting the stated aims and to offer residents the chance to feedback on what was working and what could be amended. I have sought to encourage those concerned about this project as well as supporting it to feed in these ideas to such a review accordingly and to be constructive in approaching this review with their ideas. The existence of this proposal for a review was confirmed to me by Cllr Mark Rusling and in correspondence with local residents - as well as his report that this had been agreed by the Cabinet in February this year.
I note now that Cllr Loakes, in correspondence with some residents on 9 September, did not mention this, and indeed stated that there are no plans to review the scheme at all:
"I’m afraid therefore I see no reason to reconsider the detail of the scheme- some 10 months after it was extensively consulted on, some 9 months after the Council made its decision and just some 4 weeks or so since the closure actually went in."
As you may appreciate this is causing confusion amongst those who had previously been told that there would be a six month review and I do not wish to give out the wrong information. Therefore, I should be grateful for a formal clarification as to whether this six month review proposal, which had previously been agreed by the Council Cabinet, is going ahead and if not why an explanation as to why this has been scrapped. So too, a number of residents repeatedly ask me about the logic behind road closures vs one way streets or dedicated cycle lanes etc. Having spoken with the Mini Holland team about this and seen the plans for the rest of the borough it would be very helpful to have a guide to these that I can share from the Council directly.
A number of concerns have also been raised with me about the safety of the ‘Copenhagen’ crossings, given that they can appear as a continuation of the pavement, so leaving pedestrians, cyclists and drivers unclear on the status of the road crossing. I would appreciate further background to these 'Copenhagen' street entrances, which I could circulate.
I would also welcome details of the emergency services’ responses to these proposals and a copy of their correspondence so I can go back to those who have raised access with me. I am concerned at reports that even patient transport ambulances are not allowed access to those roads that have been closed and I want to check whether this is your understanding. I would also encourage you to meet with the residents of some of our sheltered housing blocks who are now finding that taxi companies are charging them higher rates for their journeys to and from hospital due to the road closures in the village. I do not believe this matter is unresolveable but it is a great concern for those affected. It would be helpful to know if the local authority could broker a facility for making provision for such journeys for this group of residents given that some are now not attending appointments because of this increased cost.
I also remain concerned that you have explicitly chosen to consult only those on the roads directly affected about these changes, as though this was a scheme about their roads alone rather than travel or movement through the area as a whole – a topic that involves a larger group of local residents. Whilst I support the importance of primarily consulting those who live on roads where closures are proposed, I would encourage you to ensure all residents are aware of all the details of the plans proposed for the totality of Walthamstow. Whilst I appreciate there are some who are passionately opposed to the principle behind this scheme, for many more it is the lack of knowledge of the proposals and 'knock on' effects that are of concern and for whom understanding these would I'm sure would be welcome.
Any major change project would generate discussion and debate, and I acknowledge that you have sought to improve the way in which the scheme is publicised throughout the borough in recognition of this point. However, as part of showing how much you value building consensus around this project among the majority of residents I would encourage you to consider whether it would be appropriate to conduct this review of the implementation of the first phase of this project in the village area and report back to residents on this, ahead of any introducing further changes elsewhere. To do so would not be to reject the scheme but to learn from what has worked in this location, and what has not, before proceeding further. As such it could send a strong signal that the council wishes to work with local people to get this scheme right as the primary beneficiaries.
I look forward to your response and will be sharing this correspondence with all those who have been in touch so they are aware that I have formally raised these questions,
Kind regards
Stella
Opposition Grows
Opposition in Kingston as well
Pollution
The future awaits!
FROM WALTHAMSTOW MP Stella Creasy:
Hello!
I'm writing to you as one of the now hundreds of residents who has been in touch with me regarding Waltham Forest Council's 'Mini Holland' project to let you know what I have done following your emails and letters as your local MP and share with you my most recent letter to the Council on this matter. As I have received so much correspondence on this matter I hope that you can forgive the mass email and the generic nature of this update- please be assured that we have also passed on your feedback to the Council so that they may respond to the points you make directly.
I appreciate that this scheme has aroused strong views, from both those who are delighted with it and those who are implacably opposed to it. Yet aside from letters or emails from those who are members of campaigning organisations seeking either to have this scheme abandoned or extended, it may interest you to know I have received a much larger volume of correspondence from residents about the details of the scheme e.g. particular road closures, routes or the consequences of such changes vs alternative formations as well as repeated concerns about the process of consultation.
Given this, I believe that all those interested in this scheme should welcome the opportunity of the proposed six month review to consider what is working and what is not. I note that even those who have written to me strongly in favour of this scheme have identified ‘snags’ in the current design that need to be addressed, and I believe the majority of those expressing concern about the project support the principles of the scheme, but see practical problems with how it has been set up. It would indeed be unusual for any large innovative public project of this nature to be perfectly implemented and executed, and I would encourage all those with ideas for improvements or information on unintended consequences that need to be addressed to raise these with the Council so that they can be investigated.
As there is now some confusion as to whether this review will take place you will see from my letter to the Council that I have asked for this to be clarified. Furthermore, it is completely unacceptable that people have been subjected to threats, both on and offline, as well as vandalism and abuse as a result of the strength of feeling that this project has generated and I would urge all concerned to remain calm and constructive.
Please note that as the Walthamstow MP I have no formal authority over this scheme as it is managed by the Council and not parliament. If you have not updated your local councillors who are responsible for this project with your ideas and feedback and would like their contact details to do so please do let me know. As I don't have any decision making powers on this matter myself I have not either 'supported' or 'opposed' the project (as I could not affect the outcome either way) but have instead been trying to ensure that all the concerns raised by residents are heard by the Council and that where possible solutions for the issues they raise are provided. So too I have sought to ensure residents are aware of the further elements of this scheme as it is rolled out across Walthamstow- although please note that the Council state only those residents who live on the roads directly affected by these changes are able to participate in the consultation.
With this in mind, please be aware that as well as the changes already introduced to the Walthamstow Village area and Lea Bridge area, there are now also consultation proposals out for response regarding changes to road layouts, closures and route directions for the Hoe Street/ Wood Street area (eg. between Forest Road and Church Hill Road) and also for the Blackhorse Road area (e.g. around Pretoria Ave, Palmerston Road, Forest Road etc) The Council is also beginning to develop plans for the Markhouse/Queens Road area of Walthamstow too. You can find out more about all these plans on the council's dedicated 'Mini Holland' Website which is here:
http://www.enjoywalthamforest.
If you live in either the Hoe St/Wood Street area or the Blackhorse Road area and have not received the formal consultation documents please let my office know and we will share these with you. You can also directly contact the Mini Holland team at the Council via their website.
Please find below the text of a letter I have sent to the Council about Mini Holland for your information - I will share with all of you the response I receive. Please note I will continue to add all those who contact me about this scheme to my mailing list for updates on this basis.
I hope this update is of interest and kind regards
Stella
Text of Letter to Council below:
Dear Martin and Clyde,
I'm writing to you further to our previous conversations regarding the Mini Holland project to put on record my concerns and ask for clarification on a number of issues so that I may update those who have been in touch with me.
I want to start by stating how welcome it is that Waltham Forest is prepared to be innovative in this way and seek to support cycling as well as pedestrians in the Borough. Whilst I respect that this project has been developed by the local authority and as such is being managed by yourselves rather than Parliament, I hope you can appreciate that as the MP for the area in which it is being introduced I have received a substantial amount of correspondence about the project. As such my interest is in ensuring the views of my constituents on this matter are heard in the outcomes of this project and how it is implemented.
As we have discussed previously, I have had concerns for some time about the way in which the scheme was introduced - not its intentions- and the manner in which the initial consultation on this project was conducted. As this project has continued these have not abated. The majority of comments from residents I have had and continue to receive echo this distinction between supporting the general principles of the scheme and being concerned as to how decisions about road closures have been made and whether there may be alternative ways to achieve the outcomes intended.
Despite the project now being nearly a year old, I continue to receive almost daily requests from residents for information about this process and how the pattern of road closures for Walthamstow has been determined - as well as the contrast between this and the plans for other areas of the borough which involve different methods of achieving this objective. Aside from the pressure groups which have now been set up in favour and against the scheme entirely, many not involved in either of these groups persistently contact me to state they feel they have not had adequate information on the project or that their views and proposals have not been considered and so cannot understand the nature of decisions made. So too I have now sadly started to receive reports of abusive behaviour towards residents from others who support the scheme and oppose it, both on and offline.
At the start of this project I was informed that there would be a six month review of the Walthamstow Village scheme after its introduction. This would have provided the chance to see whether changes to the layout of roads were meeting the stated aims and to offer residents the chance to feedback on what was working and what could be amended. I have sought to encourage those concerned about this project as well as supporting it to feed in these ideas to such a review accordingly and to be constructive in approaching this review with their ideas. The existence of this proposal for a review was confirmed to me by Cllr Mark Rusling and in correspondence with local residents - as well as his report that this had been agreed by the Cabinet in February this year.
I note now that Cllr Loakes, in correspondence with some residents on 9 September, did not mention this, and indeed stated that there are no plans to review the scheme at all:
"I’m afraid therefore I see no reason to reconsider the detail of the scheme- some 10 months after it was extensively consulted on, some 9 months after the Council made its decision and just some 4 weeks or so since the closure actually went in."
As you may appreciate this is causing confusion amongst those who had previously been told that there would be a six month review and I do not wish to give out the wrong information. Therefore, I should be grateful for a formal clarification as to whether this six month review proposal, which had previously been agreed by the Council Cabinet, is going ahead and if not why an explanation as to why this has been scrapped. So too, a number of residents repeatedly ask me about the logic behind road closures vs one way streets or dedicated cycle lanes etc. Having spoken with the Mini Holland team about this and seen the plans for the rest of the borough it would be very helpful to have a guide to these that I can share from the Council directly.
A number of concerns have also been raised with me about the safety of the ‘Copenhagen’ crossings, given that they can appear as a continuation of the pavement, so leaving pedestrians, cyclists and drivers unclear on the status of the road crossing. I would appreciate further background to these 'Copenhagen' street entrances, which I could circulate.
I would also welcome details of the emergency services’ responses to these proposals and a copy of their correspondence so I can go back to those who have raised access with me. I am concerned at reports that even patient transport ambulances are not allowed access to those roads that have been closed and I want to check whether this is your understanding. I would also encourage you to meet with the residents of some of our sheltered housing blocks who are now finding that taxi companies are charging them higher rates for their journeys to and from hospital due to the road closures in the village. I do not believe this matter is unresolveable but it is a great concern for those affected. It would be helpful to know if the local authority could broker a facility for making provision for such journeys for this group of residents given that some are now not attending appointments because of this increased cost.
I also remain concerned that you have explicitly chosen to consult only those on the roads directly affected about these changes, as though this was a scheme about their roads alone rather than travel or movement through the area as a whole – a topic that involves a larger group of local residents. Whilst I support the importance of primarily consulting those who live on roads where closures are proposed, I would encourage you to ensure all residents are aware of all the details of the plans proposed for the totality of Walthamstow. Whilst I appreciate there are some who are passionately opposed to the principle behind this scheme, for many more it is the lack of knowledge of the proposals and 'knock on' effects that are of concern and for whom understanding these would I'm sure would be welcome.
Any major change project would generate discussion and debate, and I acknowledge that you have sought to improve the way in which the scheme is publicised throughout the borough in recognition of this point. However, as part of showing how much you value building consensus around this project among the majority of residents I would encourage you to consider whether it would be appropriate to conduct this review of the implementation of the first phase of this project in the village area and report back to residents on this, ahead of any introducing further changes elsewhere. To do so would not be to reject the scheme but to learn from what has worked in this location, and what has not, before proceeding further. As such it could send a strong signal that the council wishes to work with local people to get this scheme right as the primary beneficiaries.
I look forward to your response and will be sharing this correspondence with all those who have been in touch so they are aware that I have formally raised these questions,
Kind regards
Stella
Serialisation of Oliver Twist
|
Woodhouse Players
To: WoodhousePlayers Membership <woodhouse.members@gmail.com>
www.woodhouseplayers.co.uk
The Woodhouse Players present 'Five Women Wearing the Same Dress' by Alan Ball - 23rd, 24th, 30th and 31st October 2015
It's Tracy's wedding day, but her five bridesmaids are hiding out in an upstairs bedroom, each with their own reasons for avoiding the proceedings below.
Mindy, the groom's lesbian sister, Georgeanne, looking to escape her own failing marriage, Frances, the sweet but sheltered fundamentalist, Meredith, the bride's rebellious younger sister and finally Trisha, cynical about love and relationships.
As the afternoon wears on, the five identically clad but very different women discover common bonds in this irreverent, touching and laugh out loud funny play by the author of 'American Beauty' and 'True Blood'.
Performance dates:
Performances are at the Welsh Church Hall, 881 High Road E11 1HR:
- Friday 23rd October at 8 pm
- Saturday 24th October at 2:30 pm (BSL-signed) and 8 pm
- Friday 30th October at 8 pm
- Saturday 31st October at 2:30 pm and 8 pm
Ticket prices:
Advance booking (email/online/phone): £8 (£5 concessions)
Pay on door (unbooked): £9 (£6 concessions)
Book online via the website www.woodhouseplayers.co.uk
Phone/email reservations 020 8504 3872/ tickets@woodhouseplayers.co.uk
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97 Lea Bridge Road development
97 Lea Bridge Road
Dear Lea Bridge Ward Councillors
Please see the attached information "Consultation Flyer" which has been sent to me from a friend via The Mill E17. In a mere four days time there will be a six-hour "consultation" (details in the title of this email) on the proposed significant redevelopment of the Burwell Estate industrial land adjacent to Lea Bridge Station and Leyton Marsh. The picture on the flyer shows high-rise tower blocks, looking not unlike those on the recently demolished Oliver Close or Beaumont Estates.
I am highlighting this aspect of the proposed development in order to flag up that:
- there may be a wide range of views about the character of the buildings.
And the immediate purpose for writing is to express my deep dissatisfaction at:
- the lack of grasp of community engagement by the Council's consultants - apparently named JLL - viz:
I strongly request you ensure that more opportunities will be given to residents and others (eg anyone interested in protecting the open spaces of the Marshes) to find out the details of the proposed development prior to consideration by the Council. This could be:
Thank you for your kind consideration,
Best regards,
Claire Weiss
E10 7AR.
Dear Lea Bridge Ward Councillors
Please see the attached information "Consultation Flyer" which has been sent to me from a friend via The Mill E17. In a mere four days time there will be a six-hour "consultation" (details in the title of this email) on the proposed significant redevelopment of the Burwell Estate industrial land adjacent to Lea Bridge Station and Leyton Marsh. The picture on the flyer shows high-rise tower blocks, looking not unlike those on the recently demolished Oliver Close or Beaumont Estates.
I am highlighting this aspect of the proposed development in order to flag up that:
- there may be a wide range of views about the character of the buildings.
And the immediate purpose for writing is to express my deep dissatisfaction at:
- the lack of grasp of community engagement by the Council's consultants - apparently named JLL - viz:
- The notice for such an event is inadequate
- The time allocated for the display of the information is insufficient
- The means by which this has been circulated to residents and the public is unacceptable.
I strongly request you ensure that more opportunities will be given to residents and others (eg anyone interested in protecting the open spaces of the Marshes) to find out the details of the proposed development prior to consideration by the Council. This could be:
- by emailing those who attend the Ward Forum regularly
- by using social media
Thank you for your kind consideration,
Best regards,
Claire Weiss
E10 7AR.
Give and Take Day
Waltham Forest - Saturday 31 October 2015 -
2pm to 5pm.
Priory Court Community Centre, 11 Priory Court, Walthamstow, London, E17 5NB.
Donate from 2pm to 3.45 pm and take items for free from 4pm to 5 pm.
2pm to 5pm.
Priory Court Community Centre, 11 Priory Court, Walthamstow, London, E17 5NB.
Donate from 2pm to 3.45 pm and take items for free from 4pm to 5 pm.
Saturday, 17 October 2015
Mini Holland 17-10-15
Mini Holland
Stop Mini Holland
Is this really what need or want?
What about everyone else?
Community spirit is disintegrating
Forest Road survey results
How wrong can you be!
Now the turn of Billet Road
Village becoming isolated
Highams Park fights back
London cycling Show report
Stop Mini Holland
From Stella Creasy M.P. Newsletter:
Mini Holland: 6 Month Review?
Last week saw the celebration of the first stage of the Mini-Holland project launching in Wathamstow village, on Orford Road. This is an innovative project about making Walthamstow more cycle friendly which has now become the source of much local controversy and frustration for all concerned.The scheme is being funded by the Mayor of London and implemented by Waltham Forest Council - as such the Council has been clear that decisions about the scheme and the road closures involved are for their purview alone and not parliament.
At this event there was a large protest from local residents who object to the scheme and the changes that have now been implemented. So too in recent weeks I have received reports of individuals being attacked, both on and offline, by those who are 'pro' and 'anti' the project. I also continue to recieve a large volume of correspondence about the scheme and its details, and requests from residents to intervene in this scheme, despite having no formal power to do so. Judging by my inbox, for many residents it is the programme of road closures in Walthamstow and whether these are effective which is the main source of debate rather than the intention to support cycling per se. So too, some have commented these closures are in contrast to the plans in other parts of Waltham Forest which feature new road layouts to slow traffic down or the introduction of one way systems and cycle lanes and so wish to propose these measures for Walthamstow as an alternative format for this scheme. Furthermore, plans are being formalised for Mini Holland to be extended around the Markhouse area, along Lea Bridge Road and in the Blackhorse Lane area which are also causing comment.
At the start of this process I was told by the local authority that there would be a six month review of the scheme in the Walthamstow village area - I understand that there is now some confusion as to whether this is the case and so am seeking clarification from the Council as to whether this has now been abandoned or if it hasn't when this will be and how residents can take part. I would also encourage residents who have feedback about this scheme to ensure their local councillors are aware, and where appropriate provide suggestions for alternative routes to help aid discussion of the future of the project, as they are decision makers with direct influence over this scheme. If you require your councillors contact details please let me know or you can find these here. You can also contact the Mini Holland team online using this form.
I have previously raised concerns with the Council about the implementation of this scheme and will also be writing to the council again this week with an update on the correspondence I have received to ask them to respond to the residents in question. As soon as I have clarification as to the review process I will update residents via this e-newsletter.
Is this really what need or want?
What about everyone else?
Community spirit is disintegrating
Forest Road survey results
How wrong can you be!
Now the turn of Billet Road
Village becoming isolated
Highams Park fights back
London cycling Show report
Wednesday, 14 October 2015
Mini Holland 14-10-15
Mini Holland
As Mini Holland starts to bite more and more people are being inconvenienced and their time is being wasted. Having to visit the Royal London Hospital today I called the cab for 9.30am in the hope I would make my 11am appointment. We were well ahead of schedule when we reached the Mile End Road, but Boris's bike lanes soon slowed us down to less than walking speed. The closer to the hospital we got the more congested Mile End Road became. We arrived with 20mins to spare.
One of the key findings which should not be repeated in WF is the cycle lane cones are in place all along Mile End Road even though we saw very little sign of work. It is vital, if the traffic is to flow, that only small sections of road are worked on at a time and 24 hour working should be introduced. It is better to have a few nights of disturbed sleep than the chaos the Mile End Road is in now.
Is this really what Mile End Road will look like?
Where are the jams?
A green royal family?
Public Meeting
Not everyone agrees with the cyclists
Another design failure
Valid safety concerns!!
From Stells Creasy MP:
As Mini Holland starts to bite more and more people are being inconvenienced and their time is being wasted. Having to visit the Royal London Hospital today I called the cab for 9.30am in the hope I would make my 11am appointment. We were well ahead of schedule when we reached the Mile End Road, but Boris's bike lanes soon slowed us down to less than walking speed. The closer to the hospital we got the more congested Mile End Road became. We arrived with 20mins to spare.
One of the key findings which should not be repeated in WF is the cycle lane cones are in place all along Mile End Road even though we saw very little sign of work. It is vital, if the traffic is to flow, that only small sections of road are worked on at a time and 24 hour working should be introduced. It is better to have a few nights of disturbed sleep than the chaos the Mile End Road is in now.
Is this really what Mile End Road will look like?
Where are the jams?
A green royal family?
Public Meeting
Not everyone agrees with the cyclists
Another design failure
Valid safety concerns!!
From Stells Creasy MP:
Mini Holland: Letter to Council and Details of Further Affected Areas
In last week's enewsletter I updated residents on my concerns regarding the implementation of the Mini Holland scheme in Walthamstow. You can now read the letter I wrote to the Council online here. Please be aware that as well as the changes already introduced to the Walthamstow Village area and Lea Bridge area, there are now also consultation proposals out for response regarding changes to road layouts, closures and route directions for the Hoe Street/ Wood Street area (eg. between Forest Road and Church Hill Road) and also for the Blackhorse Road area (e.g. around Pretoria Ave, Palmerston Road, Forest Road etc).
The Council is also beginning to develop plans for the Markhouse/Queens Road area of Walthamstow too. You can find out more about all these plans on the council's dedicated 'Mini Holland' Website which is here:
If you live in either the Hoe St/Wood Street area or the Blackhorse Road area and have not received the formal consultation documents please let my office know and we will share these with you. You can also directly contact the Mini Holland team at the Council via their website.
Neighbourhood Teams
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24 Sep
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Dear residents,
The William Morris ward, like other wards in Waltham Forest now has a Neighbourhood Manager – Brian Ellick and dedicated ward Officer – Mahtabur Rahman. The Neighbourhoods team are now the first port of call for any neighbourhood problems, including ongoing anti-social behaviour and enforcing environmental concerns. This purpose of this email is to give clear information about who to make contact about what:
Anti-Social Behaviour
When you need to report anti-social behaviour which is occurring now, contact 101 which is the Met Police phone line for dealing with ASB. If it is an issue which is ongoing/ regular in a specific area of the ward, please also contact the Neighbourhoods team who will work closely with the police to resolve the issue.
Noise and other live environmental concerns e.g. fly tipping
The best way to contact the Neighbourhoods team is through Waltham Forest Direct on 020 8496 3000 (you can then be put through to Neighbourhood Officers in officer hours or called back the next day before 1.30 pm) to ensure the call is logged and a response is received.
If you wish to report something that is “happening now”, for example noise nuisance, a Neighbourhoods Officer can visit your home. In terms of noise, this enables officer/s to try and establish where the noise is emanating from and whether it amounts to a statutory noise nuisance. We appreciate it is very difficult to capture ASB or noise as it is happening, but meeting with the Neighbourhood Officer can be the best way of finding a solution.
Ongoing concerns e.g. fly tipping, health and safety
You can report these by phone or by email at neighbourhoods@walthamforest.
I’ve copied in different email addresses above so they you can get in touch as easily as possible.
Grace, Stuart and Nadeem
Councillor Grace Williams
Tel: 07957 680 337
Junior Cabinet Member for Public and Member Engagement