Chad Green ASB Walkabout

Today I went on my first post lock down "walkabout" around Chad Green in Plaistow North Ward with local ward Councillor Daniel Lee-Phakoe, Council officers, local Police and Deputy Housing Cabinet member, Cllr Shaban Mohammed.

There has been a number of problems in this area including the senseless murder last year of a local teenager.

Due to action by local residents, Police and ward Councillors, crime and disorder is still a top issue but has been reduced but lack of effective CCTV, environmental crime (especially fly tipping) and noise nuisance are still key issues.

A report of agreed actions will be drawn up (and sent to all of us on the walkabout and anyone with an appropriate local interest).

It was good to be "out and about" after so long on lockdown (my colleague Cllr Mohammed has already undertaken 2 other visits).

All Council estates should now be regularly inspected - High rise tower blocks every 3 months and low rise ever 6 months. Local Councillors and residents should also be invited to join these walkabouts.

As a Council we all want to put "people at the heart of everything we do".

Contact your Housing Liaison Officer here if you want to join the next walkabout

Saints Drive walkabout

Picture college from a recent Saturday morning walkabout in the small, low rise Newham Council estate in Manor Park called Saints Drive. I met local residents, ward Councillors(Cllr Daward and Cllr Patel) and the new (and very pro active) LBN Housing Liaison officer for the ward.

Some agreed outcomes from the walkabout included getting overgrown foliage to be cut back to improve light and discourage Anti social behaviour; blocked/inadequate drains reported; faulty and/or inadequate communal lighting; trip hazards; fly tips; inadequate sweeping; cleaning external windows; Communal repairs; removal of abandoned vehicles (this is a complicated process but can be done. Extending Controlled Parking Zones to housing owned land is a much better way of dealing with this problem); possible gating of alley ways and improved signage including details of contacting local Councillors and relevant Housing officers.

Cllr James Beckles, Cabinet member for Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour also did an inspection of the area later that morning.

I am really pleased that the new team of Newham Housing Liaison officers are tasked to jointly inspect with local Councillors and residents all their patch low rise blocks every 3 months and high rises every month. 

Royal Docks Labour Branch meeting: Housing

This evening I was invited by this branch to come and speak to their monthly meeting about LBN Housing issues.

I gave a short overview of what we are doing as a new administration, led by our Executive Mayor< Rokhsana Fiaz, with regard to housing services and its part in our plans to transform Newham and make "people at the heart of everything we do".

Then there was a longer and thoughtful Q&A which I really enjoyed and hope that members present found useful.

I have offered to come back to the ward at a later date to present again and also to join residents, officers and local Councillors in a "walkabout" in the ward of our social housing blocks and any areas suffering problems with rogue landlords.  

Out and about Newham Council Housing: Cundy Street Centre, David Lee Point, Janson Close & Park Road

Picture collage from recent visits, talks and walkabouts I have been on as Newham Housing lead with local residents, Council Officers and local Councillors.

While visiting our housing estates and meeting residents I have found lots of things that we need to do much better but also examples of excellent practice and dedicated Newham staff doing, what is at times, a really difficult job.

I really enjoy "walkabouts", meeting residents and also getting things done. So, if you are a Newham Council tenant or a leaseholder and want me to to come to your estate then please contact your local Councillors and ask them to invite me. 

21 floor "walkabout" Brassett Point

On Friday I went on a "walkabout" with residents and Newham Housing officers from the top to the bottom of Brassett Point in my ward.

It is always encouraging when you see residents who actively care about their homes and their environment. They have collected a petition, which 90 out of the 120 flats have signed, calling for improvements in communal repairs and stopping anti-social behaviour.

A number of actions were agreed and there will be follow up inspection later in the year.

The sister block nearby, David Lee Point (see picture left who also sent a resident representative) will be next.

By coincidence it was good to meet up with former colleagues from Tower Hamlets Council. I used to work with Agnes, now a local resident, (2nd from right above) when she was a Homeless Officer and Bob, a local caretaker (not in picture) we met on the walkabout who used to work with me on the Ranwell East (Roman Road) estate.

The longstanding Leather Gardens TRA rep, Ted Nolan (1st on left), was there as ever, to keep things moving along and all of us in order.

The residents will be handing in their petition at the next full Council meeting and are planning to send in a delegation to speak at the meeting. They are also going to set up a Facebook page for the block.

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.