In March of this year Southwark Council lost a High Court case on water charges which could affect councils all over London including Waltham Forest.  Councils collect payment for water and sewerage services from tenants on behalf of Thames Water and in return the councils receive a commission fee.

The High Court found Southwark Council should have passed on any savings to tenants, as they were technically reselling water services. Southwark has already announced that they have “decided not to appeal the decision,” and are refunding current and past tenants up to £700.

Waltham Forest should do the same.

Waltham Forest Council say they accept that “establishing the legality of a practice is a matter for the Courts”. Yet instead of refunding people straight away, they are still ganging up with other councils to hire “an external firm and a barrister” to give them legal advice on what to do.

The local Liberal Democrats believe that Waltham Forest Council should follow Southwark’s example and refund their tenants without further delay.

Focus has previously reported on the massive high rise flat developments in Waltham Forest.

Forest Ward Focus Team members were with residents at the Planning Committee when the Council agreed the over development of buildings, of up to 18 storeys, in Lea Bridge Road.

Only recently Leyton Focus Team member Bob Sullivan and residents spoke against the 16 storey block at the end of Dunedin Road.

It appears that developers are having a field day as the Council continually agree the building of unaffordable multi high rise flats in the borough.

The latest plan submitted by the owners of the Mall shopping centre in Walthamstow is to build four blocks including one of 27 storeys!  Currently local residents have presented a 2,000 plus petition to the Council in protest against the plans. If you would like to support the local residents then contact ‘Save Walthamstow Town Centre’ on line: SAVE OUR TOWN CENTRE

Focus says:  In our experience the Labour Council never listens to residents and carries on agreeing the over development of every bit of land for multi high rise unaffordable flats.

Redbridge Cllr Gwyneth Deakins with London Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon outside the Assembly Building

CAMPAIGNERS have submitted a petition they hope will address “critical” safety issues at one of London’s most notorious traffic hotspots.

Roding ward Cllr Gwyneth Deakins met with her Liberal Democrat colleague Caroline Pidgeon at City Hall on July 26 to hand over her petition to improve safety measures at Charlie Brown’s Roundabout in South Woodford.

As chairman of the London Assembly’s transport committee, Cllr Deakins is hopeful Ms Pidgeon’s input will finally mean better safety at the notorious A406/M11 junction, which has seen resident complaints for over 20 years.

She said:

The 1970s infrastructure of the junction just isn’t good enough – it can’t cope with the volume and speed of 21st century traffic.

There are accidents there all the time and every time I see a cyclist cross it fills me with complete dread.

Transport for London say they are going to do something, but when we were in the same position eight years ago, the then-Mayor Boris Johnson dropped the plans.

The petition, which has collected over 500 signatures online and by post, calls for more pedestrian and cycling crossings and possible changes in traffic signalling.

Cllr Deakins added that the planned expansion of Nightingale Primary School in Ashbourne Avenue and numerous housing estates due to be built in South Woodford as part of the Redbridge Local Plan make swift action “critically important”.

More and more kids have to use Charlie Brown’s to get to schools like Oakdale, Beal, Woodbridge and Nightingale, so no action is putting their safety at risk.

The W14 also regularly drops families and elderly people off at the junction, who if they chose not to get a connecting bus, are left to fend for themselves crossing the road.

And with all the housing developments proposed for South Woodford in the Local Plan, it’s critically important improved safety measures are implemented as soon as possible.

Redbridge Council supported Cllr Deakins’ motion to commit to improving connectivity between proposed housing developments near the roundabout as part of the its 2015-2030.

London Assembly member for Havering and Redbridge Keith Prince said he was happy to back the petition.

As Assembly Member and deputy Chairman of the Transport Committee at City Hall I am happy to take up this issue.

I use the junction on a regular basis so I know it can be a bit of a nightmare for pedestrians, and it’s not much fun for drivers and cyclists either, as it’s so hazardous.

I agree that something needs to be done.

The petition, which can be viewed online, will be formally handed to London Mayor Sadiq Khan next month.

His office has been contacted for comment.

BBC iPlayer users in the UK will need a valid licence to use the service from September 1, even if they don’t have a TV and only watch online via a laptop or mobile.

Specifically, you still don’t need a licence to watch other on-demand services like Netflix or other terrestrial broadcasters’ digital platforms, like ITV Player.

The £145-per-year BBC TV licence is only currently needed for those who watch live television, but the changes mean that anyone who chooses not to buy a licence can no longer legally watch BBC programmes live or programmes on demand, including watching BBC iPlayer through another provider such as Sky or Virgin.

Local Lib Dem campaigner Bob Sullivan said, “I don’t want people to get caught out by this change. If you don’t pay this license fee and continue to use iplayer, you could face a £1,000 fine.”

“Please don’t forget that when you reach the age of 75, you can apply for a free over 75 TV Licence. They last 3 years and will be sent out provided you give them your national insurance number.

“There are also other times you might be able to get money back on the £145.50 – for example if you’re a student you can get a £37 refund if you are home for the summer.”

PROTECT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH PETITION

Finding a cure to cancer. Saving the planet from climate change. Sending Tim Peake to space. All of these depend on European funding and co-operation.

But Brexit will seriously endanger cross-European science co-operation – a disaster for British science, and a disaster for so many of the projects that will bring us a better future.

The Liberal Democrats are fighting back with a petition to save our science research from the blow of Brexit, by campaigning for guarantees to continued European funding and co-operation.

But, we don’t have long to get as many signatures as possible before our scientists take our petition to David Davis.

If we succeed, British scientists will stay at the front of international spaceflight, combating climate change and curing cancer.

Caroline Pidgeon with local Lib Dem campaigners outside Leyton Station.

Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat candidate for London Mayor pictured campaigning outside Leyton Underground Station with local activists.

Lib Dem candidate for London Mayor calling for half price fares

Half Price Fares before 7.30am – join the campaign

Liberal Democrat candidate for London Mayor, Caroline Pidgeon, and London North East Lib Dem candidate Terry Stacy have set out plans for half price fares for journeys that start by 7:30am.

Lib Dem plans would offer half price fares on Underground, Overground and TFL Rail Services for people travelling by 7.30am. This plan builds on the Liberal Democrats pioneering work developing a one hour bus ticket.

Terry Stacy said:

This would help some of Waltham Forest’s lowest paid workers who often have to work unsocial hours. A half price fare scheme would also help to tackle overcrowding by encouraging home people to start their journeys earlier in the morning.