The Council has agreed to introduce an Alcohol Restriction Zone (ARZ) as from the 10th November 2008. The ARZ is in response to public concern about anti-social  behaviour associated with street drinking in Walthamstow Town Centre and in particular in and around the Town Square.

The ARZ will provide a more consistent and longer-term solution to improve the quality for those who use the area, by giving the police powers to deal with anti-social drinking.

Welcoming the introduction of the ARZ Cllrs James O’Rourke and Johar Khan said: “The ARZ will benefit our local community, businesses and visitors to Walthamstow by providing Police powers that they currently do not have, to tackle alcohol related crime and disorder and allow us to reclaim Walthamstow Town Centre. Children and families will be more inclined to use local facilities, such as the Town Centre Park and open space and it will undoubtedly improve the image of one of the gateways to Waltham Forest.”

Click on map to see larger version.

Fly tipping residents and traders who treat High Street ward like a dustbin have been warned they face huge fines and up to five years in prison when they are caught.

Efforts to clean up the Borough are being undermined by people dumping rubbish on our streets, and Cllrs James O’Rourke and Johar Khan has called for High Street residents’ help.

Cllrs James O’Rourke and Johar Khan said:

“If you have any information about fly-tippers please let us know. Our local area is being plagued by illegal fly tipping”.

Residents can help dispose of their rubbish responsibly

• Every household can have three bulky waste collections every year. Just contact the Council to have your rubbish collected from your doorstep.

• Take your larger waste to a household recycling centre near you

• The Council can provide more black recycling boxes – go online to order them!

• Fly tipping is a crime – Report it!

You can contact the Council to report fly tipping or to find out how to dispose of your waste responsibly on 020 8496 3000.

STATEMENT FROM WALTHAM FOREST LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

Cllr John Macklin
Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, Waltham Forest Council

Like the many residents who have written to us expressing their views on the closure, my Liberal Democrat colleagues and I are enormously disappointed at the recent turn of events regarding the future of Walthamstow Greyhound Stadium.

The huge show of support from residents and punters alike demonstrates the obvious affection that local people have for the Stadium. A quick straw poll in a recent meeting suggests that you would struggle to find a local Liberal Democrat councillor who has not at one point enjoyed a visit to ‘The Stow’!

Farid Ahmed and myself recently met a team from Save Our Stow at the Town Hall to hear about their plans to keep the Stadium in business as a greyhound racing venue.

We are, of course, fully in support of their efforts to keep the Stadium as both a greyhound racing track and a sport and leisure venue. As we told the team from Save Our Stow, we believe that the stadium is an iconic London venue and, perhaps more importantly, an enormously valuable part of Waltham Forest’s evening economy.

The success of our leisure venues is an integral part of building a sustainable community in Waltham Forest and ensuring that we are attractive to both our residents and visitors. There is no long-term sustainability in forcing residents out of the borough to spend their leisure time.

I am more than happy to work with Save Our Stow as I believe that ambitious and enterprising local residents and groups deserve to have their ideas listened to and fully considered.

Farid Ahmed
Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Walthamstow

What impressed me about the Save Our Stow proposals was the obvious research that had been undertaken into the viability of the business. A lot of work has gone into securing the means of funding to reopen the track and attracting additional investment to upgrade the facilities and establish Walthamstow as hub for the sport.

I discussed with Save Our Stow my disappointment that a new business model could not, apparently, be made to work by the previous owners in the way it has done at successful greyhound racing venues both in the UK and overseas, where the tracks still enjoy healthy support as family venues with a greater focus on hospitality and catering for parties and group events. It was very encouraging to hear their proposals to modernise and widen the appeal of the Stadium, adapting the facility into a modern leisure facility.

What Walthamstow absolutely cannot afford to have is yet another ‘land bank’ awaiting regeneration.

I am particularly interested in such a user group led bid for the track, as I have long believed that local leisure facilities are very often better run by those who use them and who have a locally based commitment to their ongoing success.

The immensely successful Liberal Democrat policy of community toilets has been backed by the Tory Mayor of London and Leader of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea & Chairman of London Councils, who have suggested that the scheme be expanded to the Freedom Pass scheme to allow holders access to toilets in London bars, restaurants and shops, without the need to make a purchase.

A number of boroughs, including Waltham Forest, already run community toilet schemes for residents, visitors and tourists.  So successful has Waltham Forest been Hertsmere Borough Council asked us to help them set up their own scheme. Click here to find more information on Waltham Forest’s scheme.

Lib Dem Portfolio holder for Environment, Cllr Bob Belam said: “It is great to see other political parties follow in the Lib Dem wake with two key Tories in support  of community toilets and even the former Minister for Local Government, Phil Woolas, praising the first borough to operate such a scheme, Lib Dem Richmond-Upon-Thames, by backing the initiative when setting out his national strategy for public toilet provision in 2006.”

Under the schemes councils pay local businesses a small annual fee to allow public access to their toilets and are responsible for ensuring facilities are clean, safe and accessible. Participating premises display a sticker on their window to show they are part of the scheme.

High Street Councillors, James O’Rourke and Johar Khan said: “Such schemes show that only Liberal Democrat Councils have the innovation to provide services to its local community.”

Our plans for water: new consultation opens today 

Today marks the launch of our draft business plan for 2010 to 2015, and the publication of a summary of our proposals: ‘Our plans for water - what will you get and how much will it cost?’

What will you get?

We plan to:·    

v    Continue our Victorian Mains Replacement project to greatly reduce leakage

v    Introduce a programme of metering in areas where water supplies are under greatest pressure
  

v     Provide more advice and assistance to help customers use water wisely

v       Develop plans for and, if approved, start work to construct a new reservoir to safeguard water supplies

v     Greatly reduce sewage overflows into the Rivers Thames and Lee

v    Make sure our sewers and sewage works can serve our growing population

v    Greatly reduce the number of our customers’ homes threatened by sewer flooding

v    Improve 250km of rivers to meet new water quality standards

v    Cut our carbon emissions by 20%, and implement projects needed to meet the requirements of legislation

v    Provide more financial assistance to customers who have difficulty paying their bills to ensure our services are affordable

What will it cost?

Our  £6.5bn investment programme will lead to an average annual increase in our bills for water and wastewater services of 3%.  The total increase from 2010 to 2015 will be 16.2%.  This is an increase in real terms from £283 to £329.*

Let us know your views

Our proposals have  been  informed  by  our  biggest  ever  programme  of consultation,  and  I  am  confident  that we have put our customers at the heart  of  our  plans.   We are launching a 12-week online consultation to continue this dialogue, and I hope you will take this opportunity to let us
know your views.We  will  use  the results of the consultation to modify our plan before we submit  the  final  version  to  our  regulator Ofwat in April 2009.  Their review of our proposals will set price limits for 2010 to 2015.We look forward to receiving your comments.

Peter Antolik
Regulation and Strategy Director

v    Bill impacts are quoted at average 2007-2008 price levels.

 Please  click  http://www.thameswaterconsult.co.uk/  to  register  for  our consultation   or http://www.thameswater.co.uk/fiveyearplan  to  view  our
plans.

Waltham Forest Council is declaring war on dog owners who persistently let their pets foul the borough and don’t bother cleaning up after them.

Street Wardens, Police Safer Neighbourhood Teams and enforcement officers will be patrolling the areas most affected by the issue, at the times most often visited by dog owners.

Anyone who is spotted failing to clean up after their animal will be asked to do so, and issued with a fixed penalty notice if they refuse.

Bags for dog owners will also be available at the Council’s Waltham Forest Direct shops.

 Waltham Forest Council’s spokesperson for Community Safety, Enforcement and Protection, said:

“Dogowners who refuse to clean up after their pets are exhibiting disgusting, anti social and hazardous behaviour towards other residents. “If you own a pet you need to take responsibility for its welfare and for cleaning up after it. People who are unwilling to do that, will be targeted and they will be punished.

It’s as simple as that. “We are sick of some dog owners using this borough as a toilet. We want to make Waltham Forest a place where people aspire to live and we won’t do that if people can’t be bothered to clean up after their pets.” 

To report dog fouling, contact Waltham Forest Direct on 020 84896 3000.

Residents can collect dog bags from WFD Shops in the following locations:

Leyton, 774-776 High Road; Walthamstow, 137 Hoe Street; Leytonstone, 819 High Road. 

Hard working schools in partnership with the Council have implemented plans to reduce congestion, improve road safety and encourage walking to school.

All 88 schools in Waltham Forest successfully introduced their travel plans, one year ahead of the government targets.Waltham Forest Council’s School Travel Planning Team hosted a celebration event at the SCORE centre to mark the achievement and identify and reward schools with particularly good plans.The event was attended by schools’ representatives, senior councillors and council officers. 

 Performers ranging from clowns to jugglers and trick cyclists kept everyone entertained.

Over the past 20 years the number of children travelling to school by car has almost doubled and account for at least one in five cars on London’s roads between 8-9am and 3-4pm during term time.The Council also wants to encourage young people to socialise with their friends and get some exercise on the way to school as well as cut congestion and car use.In the last year there has been a 4.9 per cent drop in the number of pupils who travel to school by car.

The aims of the school’s travelplans are to:

•  Reduce traffic congestionaround schools and encourage people not to use cars on the school run
•  Increase the number of children walking, cycling andusing public transport while travelling to and from school
• Raise awareness of road safety and the health and environmental benefits of using alternative transport for the journey to and from school

Conservative and Labour MPs are working together to STOP attempts to strengthen the Climate Change Bill.

They want to stop emission targets on shipping and aviation being included in the bill. But scientists and leading environmental organisations believe that such targets are vital to make the bill effective.

Liberal Democrat MPs have been working hard to make sure such targets are included. Their efforts have been praised by the Chief Executive of World Wildlife Fund UK David Nussbaum.

High Street Cllr Johar Khan said, “Other parties may talk green, but they fail to deliver when it really matters. I am proud that Lib Dem MPs are leading the charge to tackle climate change in Parliament.”

`GAS PRICES UP 35%-ELECTRIC PRICES UP 30%’

When Lloyd George brought in the first Old Age Pension for over 70`s, in 1908, at five shillings a week, drunks and those with a prison record were not allowed a pension.

Only 1 in 4 people were able to claim a pension in 1908. In 2008, pensions should be an absolute human right for all.

Now in 2008 growing older into senior years should be something people look forward to, as a `golden time’.  But now in `Brown’s Britain’ there is a real prospect of `Fuel Poverty’ next winter, for many pensioners, unless they take action on the:

Ten Ways to Save Energy in the Home.

1.Turn the thermostat down to reduce room temperature by 1C that could cut the heating bill by 10% or £50 per year.

10.Do a Home Energy Check. This can save up to £270 a year on your household energy bills.