Kent Street ASB, Cleaning & Parking Walkabout

Last Wednesday I took part in a "Walkabout" in Kent Street, Plaistow South ward, West Ham with local Councillors, residents and our new ward based housing officers. There are a lot of problems with Anti-social behaviour, parking, communal disrepair and cleaning.

I am really pleased with the approach of the new Housing officer's liaison team. They are tasked with inspecting all tall tower blocks with local Councillors and residents every month and low rise blocks every 3 months. There were a number of actions agreed to tackle the problems we found.  Some more easy than others.

We are also introducing controlled parking zones on all housing estate land and car parks (subject to consultation) which will help stop its misuse by non residents.

On the knocker in Plaistow South 25 March

On Saturday 25 March I helped out again, the Plaistow South Labour Party branch on a campaign day with local Councillors and activists. The weather was kind to us this time being unseasonably warm and sunny.

There are no elections planned in London for 2017 (apart from local by elections) The top issues on this door knock was "Parking" and "Rubbish". A new Parking zone was welcomed by many residents and criticised by some. You cannot please all the people all the time when it comes to parking.

Newham Council charges for the collection of bulk rubbish items was discussed and whether it increased fly tipping or not. I think there was however agreement that there had been fly tripping even when Newham did not charge for removal.

Interesting discussion about trade union organising with a ward member who is a GMB activist in their private hire professional driver branch. The growing "uber economy" many be generating huge profits for some entrepreneurs but is bad news for many workers.  Check out this amazing video of Uber founder https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/feb/28/uber-ceo-travis-kalanick-driver-argument-video-fare-prices

(Finally note to myself as a branch organiser. One thing that all the canvassers agreed upon is that having double sided canvass sheets is more trouble than it is worth. Political canvassers of all persuasions will know what I mean. The Greens may not agree).

West Ham Ward Councillor Report

Councillor Report to West Ham Ward

WEST HAM WARD LABOUR PARTY tel: 020 3373 2615 or email John.Gray@newham.gov.uk

Ward meeting 6 January 2016

·         Apologises for not attending all of this meeting but I have been invited to speak to a joint meeting of Forest Gate South and North on the Governments Trade Union Bill.

·         Return Site visit this week with Cllr Whitworth, Residents and Family Mosaic Housing officer to Ladywell Street, E15 regarding security, ASB and disrepair.

·         Site visit on 22 December with LBN Parking design Officers with residents and Councillor Whitworth to Plaistow Grove, E15 regarding need for double yellow lines to prevent the roads being obstructed and preventing emergency vehicles from entering. Officers agreed that redesign needs to be done and it is hoped that works will begin in the near future.

·         We also inspected the open gate in Dirleton Street, E15 Road which keeps getting its locks cut off and is being used as a "rat run" causing nuisance and danger to local residents.  Officers agreed to clarify the status of the gate and consider ways to prevent cars from using the road as a rat run but still providing access to emergency vehicles.

·         Following a number of complaints and petitions it was agreed at West Ham & Stratford Neighbourhood Cllr forum on 14 December that Parking officers to look into a consultation extending the Plaistow CPZ (controlled Parking Zone) to cover streets south of Portway, E15

·         Also at forum it was agreed that Parking officers will look into consulting on further parking restrictions in Ham Park village area following the exercise last year which resulted in some areas rejecting further controls and others requesting it.

·         Other case work on planning enforcement (on going issue with the Education and Community centre) in Plaistow Road.  Excessive service charges by East Thames Housing Association, other parking issues, homelessness, issue that you can only apply for permits online, trading on pavements, closing off of the Greenway to cyclists and other users (I also attended a cycling site visit to inspect the alternative routes), Xmas Hampers for elderly, ASB.

·         On Monday 4 January Cllr Whitworth and I leafleted commuters outside Plaistow Station against the new Tory train and bus fare increases on behalf of Labour London Mayor Candidate, Sadiq Khan.

·         On Friday 11 December Cllr Whitworth and I attended the funeral of Councillor Charity Fiberesima.

·         On 10 December Cllr Whitworth and I attended a candle light vigil outside East Ham Town Hall to coincide with Human Rights Day and the end of the United Nation’s 16 Days of Action which aimed to raise awareness of violence against women.

·         At the Newham Council meeting on 7 December both Cllr Whitworth and I expressed our concerns regarding the cost and threat to our finances from the £563 million of LOBO loans that we had. We did not receive satisfactory assurances so we will be taking the matter further.

·         The motion at Full Council against the Trade Union Bill that Cllr Whitworth proposed and I seconded was passed unopposed.

·         On 3 December West Ham ward Party member Veronica Oakeshott was elected overwhelmingly at the Council by election in Boleyn Ward. Congratulations!

·         On 3 and 4^th December I attended the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum annual conference.

Future dates

·         16 Jan - Super Saturday. Lyn Brown MP will be joining us to talk to voters about Sadiq Kahn. Meeting 11am in Canning Town South at St Luke's Church, Tarling Road, E15 1HN and again at 2pm at Forest Gate station

·         West Ham Women's Forum Open Discussion evening with the Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Seema Malhotra MP January 21 January at St Johns Church Stratford.

·         Launch of Newham United Against Austerity (NUAA) with Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell MP at UEL, Water Lane E15 on Saturday 30 January at 2pm

·         31 January Sunday Night Live at Stratford Picture House E15.

Councillor Report to West Ham Ward 2 July 2015

Councillor Report to West Ham Ward

WEST HAM WARD LABOUR PARTY tel: 020 3373 2615 or email John.Gray@newham.gov.uk

Ward meeting 2 July 2015

Thursday 4 June I attended the ward meeting at Vicarage Lane and then the joint ward social at Nando’s restaurant in Stratford which I thought went really well. We had some great political discussions about General Election result.

Friday 5 June I met a Housing officer from Family Mosaic Housing Association for an inspection of Ladywell Street, E15 with local residents. The officer agreed to look into a number of communal repairs and suggested improvements. I have chased Officer for an update.

Saturday 6 June I meet West Ham CLP members at Stratford Station in order to go campaigning for John Biggs as Tower Hamlets mayor. I also went back to Tower Hamlets to campaign on the 9th and 11th (Election Day)

Monday 8 June I was pleased to hear that I had been re-elected as a member of the UNISON National Executive Committee for a third term of 2 years. In the evening I attended the Stratford and West Ham forum at Stratford Library. There was a very informative presentation by the Chair of Abbey Gardens, Torange Khonsari; important information on the proposed parking restrictions for the Rugby World cup (which may become permanent); a consultation on parking in Hartland Road and surrounding streets (at last!) and a report on Street Enforcement and applications for Community Grants.

On Wednesday 10 June it was the funeral of former Councillor, Alan Taylor, which unfortunately I could not make due to a work commitment. I attended my evening surgery at Brassett Point, followed by a meeting of the Council Investment & Accounts (staff pensions) Committee. There is a new contract for Actuarial services being proposed. I asked to make sure that we do not pick the actuary that has the most optimistic projections about liabilities and investment growth. There is also an “alternative financing...asset backed... pension plan” proposal which I have concerns about but will wait until I see the full details. After this meeting I was still able to make the end of West Ham CLP Executive Committee.

Saturday 13 June I had a morning surgery at Vicarage Lane. On Monday 15 to Friday 19th June I was away at the UNISON NDC conference at Glasgow.

Sunday 21 June I helped out at the reception and registration desk of the London Labour Party Mayoral hustings in the Old Town Hall in Stratford.

Monday 22 June I attended a “Safeguarding course” for school governors. I am the safeguarding governor for Rebecca Cheetham Nursery School. In the evening I attended the Newham local development planning committee and spoke in favour and responded to questions about the application for an “Educational Institute and Community Centre” in Plaistow Road by the Darul Jannah Trust.

Thursday 25 June I submitted a report expressing concerns to the Newham Cabinet meeting about proposals to give some Councillors and the Mayor a pension costing an extra 13.4% of allowances. At the West Ham CLP AGM in the evening I was re-elected unopposed as Agent.

From Wednesday evening to Saturday 4 July I will be in Manchester for the UNISON APF conference so I have given my apologies for the Ward meeting this evening.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if any ward member wishes any further details on this report.

John Gray
Councillor

Ham Park Village Evening Walkabout

Apologises for the poor quality photograph but it is a record of last nights "walkabout" with local residents and Council officers in West Ham Ward, E15, Newham.

Ham Park village has an active Residents Association. Following a recent RA meeting it was decided that we ought to go and walk around the area "out of office" hours in winter to check on street lighting, parking, ASB, pot holes and dumped rubbish.

There were 3 council officers and all three ward Councillors present and about 10 local residents who met at 6.30pm at the local Vicarage Lane Community Centre. After a quick cup of tea  (thank you Kim) we then spent about hour and half touring the local area, taking notes about environmental issues and problems. Luckily the rain had just stopped.

We also had various chats with residents about the history of the area, going hopping in their youth, Kentish apples, urban foxes, "beds in sheds", Aileen Walk gates and the hugely important pros and cons of controlled parking zones.

It is fair to say that during the course of the "walkabout" a number of let me say, not particularly positive comments were made about the Council, but I was really pleased that at the end residents thanked the Council officers present for giving up their evenings to come out with them and tour their manor.

Council officers made copious notes and took a number of photographs and we will let residents know what can be done to address the problems that we discovered and there will be a review and report back meeting probably now in January.

What to do when you retire?

I was going to make a serious Boxing Day post on poverty and low pay but thought I would be a bit of a Christmas misery.  So I have posted this instead.

It made me smile anyway :) 

Hat tip Denbigh, North Wales on Facebook

Why Eric Pickles is an eejit

Guest post by our Edinburgh Correspondent  shows why Eric Pickles proposal to allow 15 minutes parking on double yellow lines is a really bad idea.

"At about 18:25 last Sunday 4th August I left Maxies Bistro and emerged onto Victoria Terrace. I soon became aware of an open-topped tour bus stopped below in West Bow. The driver was headed from Grassmarket for George IV Bridge, but could not get round the bend into Victoria Street.

Someone had parked a car on the double yellow lines on the off side of the bus. Much consternation and discussion of what to do about it. Eventually 10 concerned citizens grabbed hold of a perfectly reasonably parked car on the near side and moved it. Two Lothian buses inspectors appeared and carefully avoided getting involved in that.

The 10 concerned citizens then crossed the road and moved the obstruction. Tourist bus departed and one person wrote an abusive message on the back window of the former obstruction".