Mini Holland Update 17-1-16

MINI HOLLAND


Highams Park News

Give a council enough money and they will find ways of frittering it away. Mini Holland is a good example and in particular the new cycle path for Lea Bridge Road. There was a perfectly adequate cycle path in front of the Ice Rink but the real problem was the bridge where the new station is beginning to appear. So what happens - a vast new bridge is provided over the pedestrian path to the marshes and stops just where the road narrows and a cycle lane is needed. There is no space to continue the cycle lane as the station now occupies any land that could have been used.

Trying to use Lea Bridge Road as a cycle route is nonsense as there are perfectly good quiet routes adjacent that just need improving. The path in front of the Ice Rink led round to the Black Path but the railway bridge was a real obstacle. With all this money the bridge could have been replaced with a cycle/pedestrian friendly bridge leading on to the Black Path and giving quiet access to Markhouse Road and up Queens Road. Katy Andrews had been banging on about this route for years but clearly the highway engineers have decided that is not sexy enough for them!

There is also a question as to why the capacity of this bridge is so large when it goes nowhere and if the Ice Rink is re-located then it has no purpose at all!

Pavements

It is time our residential pavements were refurbished. It is probably over 50 years since many of them were completely renewed. There needs to be a rolling programme so that over a period of time they are all renewed. 

The main shopping centre ones get done every 10 years or so, but usually because the council decides they have money to "improve" town centres and local pavements are ignored. I mentioned this to a councillor recently and he did not seem to understand uneven surfaces are difficult for everyone to negotiate and are particularly dangerous for wheel chair users. Get on to your local councillor if you know of pavements needing renewing. Here are some examples of the problems:

This is what they should be like:

If there is money for marking the meridian line and Mini Holland surely the rest of the pavements can be renewed!!

Hackney Marsh User Group

HMUG

Mini Holland Update 11-1-16

Mini Holland

The debate rages on

and on

Street closures - your view wanted

Leyton Town Centre consultation

Council stats

Whipps Cross under threat - to achieve what? The spending of millions of pound and a better bus stand but not much else. 

Is this really a benefit? Curiously more pedestrians are using it than cyclists!!

South Grove development progress

Helena Carrie <hec@londoncommunications.co.uk>	11:59 (9 hours ago)
to me

Dear  Waltham Forest - Our Community,

Land at South Grove update and public consultation starting on our detailed proposals for the site

I am writing to provide an update on our proposals for the underused land at South Grove.

Since we last updated you in November, we have held a series of well-publicised public exhibition events at which we spoke to around 150 local people and received very helpful feedback on our early proposals. We have used this feedback as we have continued to develop our more detailed designs for the site over the last few months.

As a reminder of our proposals, we would like to transform the site into around 450 high quality new homes for Londoners, including affordable housing. The new homes will mainly be aimed at first time buyers and also specifically for private renters, where there is significant unmet demand for professionally-managed rental properties offering security of tenure.

These homes would be surrounded by new landscaped public spaces and there will be new cycling and walking routes as part of a car-free development, except for a limited amount of parking for blue badge holders. We are also proposing a small scale retail space on the site and we are in ongoing discussions with the Council about the possibility of delivering a new health centre for South Grove as well as where this could be most suitably located in the area.

I would now like to invite you to attend a public exhibition of our more detailed proposals before we submit a planning application to the Council next month. These will be held at two separate venues on:

·       Thursday 21 January: 5pm – 8pm - The Mill, 7-11 Coppermill Lane, E17 7HA

·       Saturday 23 January: 10am – 3pm - Walthamstow Library, High St, E17 7JN

If you are unable to attend one of the public exhibitions, our consultation website - www.southgrove.co.uk - will also feature all of our consultation materials once the public exhibitions start and you will be able to comment online.

In the meantime, if you would like any further information please feel free to email the consultation team at southgrove@londoncommunications.co.uk or phone 0800 307 7589 to leave a message and a member of the team will get back to you shortly.

We look forward to seeing you soon.

Yours sincerely,

 

Waltham Forest Arts Strategy

WF Arts Strategy

Future of Walthamstow Town Centre

Is this the future of Walthamstow?


Find out at the following exhibitions:

23rd January from 11am to 3pm in Selborne Walk

26th January from 11am to 3pm in Central Library

See WFN for more details  WFN