Lyn Brown MP Chairs Olympic Village public meeting with Residents and Police

I attended a pretty good meeting this evening in the Stratford Olympic Village with my MP, Lyn Brown, local residents and Police. I am not a local Councillor for this ward (Cllr Nate Higgins was there together with a number of Labour activists who do live in the ward) but I am Lyn's Parliamentary Agent and both as a Councillor and professionally (I work as a tenancy specialist dealing with complex ASB) I am very interested in learning more about effective Neighbourhood Policing. 

I was impressed at the range and scale of Police operations in the area. I think that I have got this right, that due in part to these operations, there has been a reduction in crime in Newham at the same time that crime in London is rising. 

The relatively new Borough Commander,Simon Crick, spoke about how the Police are not that good about communications and telling residents what they are doing and their successes. 

I totally agree and after the meeting I spoke to the local West Ham ward SNT Sargeant about arranging a similar meeting for my residents.  

West Ham Labour "On the Knocker" in Stratford & Ilford North

Picture update of campaigning activity by West Ham Labour members in Stratford & Ilford North. We have been door knocking, telecanvassing and delivering leaflets all week. The new blocks of flats in Stratford are notoriously difficult to get into and speak to people. We managed to get lists of Party members and supporters to ring their intercoms and let us in.

On Tuesday evening we were in East Village, which is the site of the former Olympic athletes village now converted into private & social housing. It looks like well designed and good quality housing with plenty of open spaces. The art work in the collage is in the foyer of the private owned and rented blocks. It is more than a pity that the social housing blocks appeared to have none.

Today is International Labour Day and it would be appropriate to remind developers and social landlords about "Bread and Roses".

Newham timelapse of the Olympic Park

Excellent youtube video of the changing landscape following the building of the Stratford International Station; Westfields Shopping centre, 2012 Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre and Olympic Village.