St Matthews public meeting on Crime and ASB

A lovely picture from last Friday evening when Councillors and officers met Residents and Police to discuss how to tackle jointly crime and anti-social behaviour in the area (Forest Gate South ward adjacent to Romford Road).

The meeting was Chaired by Cllr Shaban Mohammed and went in my view really well with constructive but frank views expressed and received. Residents seemed to have been pleased with recent changes (thanks to the new ward Council Housing liaison officers who have been very proactive). Residents let us know that they expected us to deliver for them.

The Police and the Council undertook to support residents with improved enforcement action and also for housing to make improvements in order to try and "design out crime".

We also had a decent discussion about the impact that Government cuts to Police numbers and local authority grants has had. 

I have never been inside St Matthews Church before and did not realise how large it is and its beautiful stained glass windows. It parish war memorial from the first world war was also striking and it stuns you how many local men were killed in a relatively small London parish. There were also 3 family plaques on the walls remembering the war time deaths of young parishioners.

Hamfrith walkabouts then residents meeting (& being 91 years young)

This morning I went on my 3rd recent walkabout of the Hamfirth estate area with Newham Council Technical, Caretaking and Repairs officers to produce an action plan to this evenings' meeting with residents at the Atherton Leisure Centre, E7.

We are going to do 3 things on this estate to tackle serious Crime and Anti-social behaviour. Firstly, work together collectively with residents, stakeholders such as the Police, Council officers and Councillors. Secondly, improve cleaning, caretaking and maintenance of green spaces and thirdly design out crime by fencing off, closing criminal escape routes and improved lighting/security.

Tonight meeting was a little tough in parts since many residents feel they have been let down in the past and that the ASB problems on the estate impact so badly on their every day lives. Local resident Sian and I don't always agree on everything but we both know we are in our different ways trying to deliver the best for residents.

There is now an action plan which will be distributed to all residents, we have for the first time in many years, named Newham Housing officers who are responsible for the estate and we will support residents in setting up a much needed local tenants and residents association.

Many thanks for attending to our Newham Council Housing liaison officers, our enforcement officer and Councillors Winston Vaughan, Maz Patel and James Beckles (Cabinet lead for ASB/Enforcement)

The star of our show tonight,  was our oldest Hamfirth resident (we think) who is 91 years young and has lived on the estate for 66 years. As the badge says (bottom left of college) a "very kind 91 young lady" (she is bottom right of college standing to my immediate left).

Councillor Report 3.1.17 - "Could we become Haringey Development Vehicle (HDV) Two?"

This is my latest written report (previous one 7 December 2017).

Council Issues
Meeting with Senior Council officers

13 December. I met again with other concerned backbench Councillors senior officers at Newham Dockside to discuss and examine reports on the way that the Council buys and manages commercial properties for investment purposes. The meeting was constructive and informative but I still have huge concerns about the governance arrangements and oversight. Newham is borrowing hundreds of millions of pounds to invest in property. We are still being refused sight of the Newham Council reports on the London Stadium disaster and the reasons for the £50-60 million pound losses. This is an executive decision not to release and not by officers.

Newham Council Investment & Accounts meeting
14 December. At this meeting while discussing the minutes of the previous joint Audit meeting the Director of Finance confirmed that the £40 million original loan to the London stadium is not being “written off” but swapped in some “debt for equity” exchange? Since the loan was recently declared in our annual accounts as “impaired” (currently worthless) I do not know what on earth that means? Nor what happens to the lost £4.4 million interest charge, the £5 million loan for investments in the Olympic South Park and the £12 million of "working capital”.

I was very shocked to hear that some Newham Schools are allowing private contractors to not enrol new starters into the Local Government Pension Scheme. This will penalise already low paid female school staff and is of course a disgrace and these schools should be named and shamed.

At the meeting there were members of the Newham Carbon Divestment campaign. I suggested that they should be allowed to make a presentation at the Newham Pension AGM.

Newham Cabinet Meeting. Could we become Haringey Development Vehicle (HDV) Two?
21 December I attended Cabinet as an observer and spoke to the Mayor about privatisation of Council services and also a proposal to set up some special vehicle to run all Newham’s property assets (we are talking potentially billions of pounds). I am astonished that this is even being considered before we learn the lessons on what went wrong with the London stadium special vehicle. This could be an even worse political mess than Haringey Council has found itself over its property development vehicle. I asked the Mayor if he would bring any such future plans back to a full Council meeting for approval but he did not agree and said it would go to Labour Group.

Fortunately Cllr’s Hussain and Clark managed to amend the proposal to just doing a review of existing arrangements and nothing else.

Review of Scrutiny arrangements
The Select Committee on Communities and Local Government has recently published a hard hitting report criticising many Councils for inadequate Scrutiny of Executive decisions. I have publicly commented on this report with and I am pleased that Scrutiny Chair, Cllr Rokhsana Fiaz, will be taking the recommendations to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

Surgeries and case work
I have attended 2 surgeries per month in Vicarage Lane Community Centre and Brassett Point Residents Association room. Casework regarding Academies, ASB; parking ticket policy; disabled adaptations disrepair, speeding cars, Right to buy, insurance and forming a Tenants & Residents group. I was most unimpressed with repair failures in the Church Street block run by One Housing Group and I am trying to arrange an inspection. I have received a petition from residents which I will present at the next Full Council meeting.

Ward Issues

Ward meeting/Xmas Social
7 December I attended ward meeting and went on to enjoy the Xmas social. Many thanks to Lyn Brown MP for attending and the organisers for a great evening.

West Ham campaigning & petition on lack of social homes in Ford Showrooms development
We are waiting for the planning meeting. There is now a West Ham Labour ward petition at Change.org http://chn.ge/2iq4UKb. Please support this petition.

Durul Jannah Community Centre, E15 – Planning permission
19 December. I spoke in favour at a hearing for a change in planning permission for this centre. Officers are opposed but I think they have got it wrong over this issue. I was supported by Cllr Forhad Hussain and Cllr Mas Patel. Unfortunately due to a mistake with the paperwork the application had to put on hold but I hope this can be sorted out as quickly as possible.

Other Issues

Labour doorstep
9 December after Surgery I went door knocking & leaflet distribution in Stratford ward with a local Councillor and activists.

Councillor Candidate’s selection meeting postponed.
Apologies to ward members who had reserved 9/10 December for the chance to elect candidates for the local elections in May 2018. Due to a number of appeals outstanding for applicants who did not pass the initial interview the Regional Labour Party has postponed the selections. No new date yet.

Mayoral “trigger ballot” to be rerunThe Mayor, sent out a press release saying that he wants a rerun of his selection process as the Labour Candidate for Executive Mayor. I thought his release was extremely odd but it does appear that he concedes that the process was “rigged” and that it needs to be rerun. I strongly support it being redone but think that there is not enough time for a Mayoral “Trigger” and selecting Councillor candidates, so I believe that there needs to be an open selection process for our Mayoral candidate.

London Collective Investment Vehicle (CIV)
11 December I attended with UNISON colleagues for the public part of the business meeting. The CIV is planning to manage nearly all Local Government Pension funds in London (including Newham). However, the governance arrangements are nonsensical since there is no beneficiary representation.

Anti Academies Protest Hallsville School
23 December I attended a successful and well organised protest outside Hallsville School in Canning Town with parents, teachers, children and 4 other Newham Councillors (including are very own John Whitworth). I was quoted in the Newham Recorder that the Council must raise it game since schools are blaming it for “forcing” them to become academies due to lack of support.

UNISON
I am standing again for election as the Greater London UNISON Regional Finance Convenor (for the 10th year)

Workers Memorial Day 2018
Date for future is Saturday 28 April 2018 when West Ham Labour Party and local trade unions will be remembering all those killed at work or who have died of work related ill health at the Three Mills Green Memorial.

Living wages in Newham Schools
As a school governor I have sent in a question to the next Newham Governors Forum asking all schools to declare whether they pay a London Living wage to all their staff (including agency and contractors)

Donation in lieu of Christmas Cards
Once again I made a donation to a charity rather than send any Christmas cards. This year to the Magpie Trust which helps homeless families in Newham.

Congratulate Seyi Akiwowo
Finally, I think we should congratulate your ward chair (& Forest Gate Councillor) on her contribution to the UN about on-line hate and founding the campaigning group Glitchuk.

If any member wishes to contact me about this report to discuss any aspect please do not hesitate to do so.

Regards

John Gray
West Ham Ward Councillor

Newham Labour Group Fundraiser

Picture college from Monday's fish n chips fund raiser for the 2018 elections in East London Rugby Club sponsored by UNISON Labour Link and the CWU.

It was a really good night and apart from a couple of political speeches we had great food from a local chippy, an alternative comedian, a fabulous singer, Labour Party auction (great prize from our MP Lyn Brown, of either a home cooked meal or tea on Terrace of House of Commons) and raffle followed by a mainly West Ham Labour bop at the end.

Many thanks to the staff at the club for looking after us so well and the organiser, Cllr Mas Patel, for such an enjoyable event.

Whose says politics has to boring!

Newham Great 10k Run 2017

Before (top middle) and after (bottom middle) picture of me taking part in the Newham Great Run (wearing finishing tee shirt and medal)  I will admit to have forgotten that I had entered and due to the General election and UNISON conference, I had not trained specifically for the this run until last week.  Yet I was only 32 seconds slower than last year, when I did train (and training for a triathlon!)

My legs are very sore due to the lack of training and I suspect that I will suffer tomorrow morning.

This was a great run. It was hot but there was a lovely breeze, which I think saved the day. I did not see any runners collapsed on the side of the road which I think is a first for any of the Newham runs I have entered in the last few years.

Some working class history on route is that we ran past what I think is the site of the Chobham Farm container depot, where in 1972 an "unlawful" trade union picket took place which resulted in the imprisonment of 5 London dock workers including Vic Turner, who later on became the Mayor of Newham Council.

This imprisonment resulted in a largely successful General Strike, which led to the Pentonville 5 dockers being released. I have been pushing for a plaque to remember this.

Newham Councillor, James Beckles, also competed as did Hackney Mayor, Philip Glanville.
Update: and Cllr Mas Patel