Local councillor John Todd writes a blog about his week.
We've sent Sam to America for a few days so I've been asked to 'fill in' so to speak.
With an unqualified licence I'm going to mention a couple of events I went to last week.
Friday June 17th
I with other Cllrs attended the Junior Citizen scheme at Cranford community college.
This event runs over a two week period and over 33 primary schools are signed up to attend between 250 – 300 children per day over the two week period. Last year over 2,300 children and over 135 teaching attended.
This year the children had access to specialist resources and support that will enable them to make the transition from primary to secondary school in a safer more informed manner. This will include the following:-
- Stranger danger; Healthy eating and cycling the smoothie maker bike; Prevent strategy – preventing radicalisation; Knife and gun crime; RNLI; LFB; Drug and Alcohol awareness of the dangers; TfL bus; Stop and search; Online safety; Anti-Bullying ; Road Safety; Hounslow Highways (sponsor of part of the event);
I also had the opportunity to quiz the CEO of Hounslow Highways who was present about a number of Chiswick related issues including the local cause célèbre, a lamp post stump left by HH in Bath Rd. My email in -box has been hot on this matter for months now. SSE are the villains it seems.
I also attended an event run by Urban design limited, at TfL on 'Clean Air and Health Challenges' with other Cllrs from across London. We were told about the Mayor's Air Quality Strategy which introduces the world’s first’ ultra low emission zone, which will come into force in the UK capital on September 7 2020 following a consultation on the proposal earlier this year.The ULEZ will require vehicles travelling in the Congestion Charge Zone in central London to meet emission standards 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or to pay a daily charge dependent on vehicle type. The full ULEZ package is expected to halve emissions of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM10) from vehicle exhausts in central London.
A survey of Chiswick high road pollution some years ago cited buses and taxis as the main offenders. The site of the proposed curve building at Chiswick roundabout was recently mentioned as a site with a particularly high level of air pollution.
On Saturday I took my dog, now relieved of her responsibility to her nine puppies, to Dukes Meadow to revisit various sites. LBH are conducting a review of Dukes Meadows. Amongst other things, CCTV is to be installed and parking restrictions introduced in Riverside Drive- subject to consultation.
Sunday afternoon at the Villa Giggiano la dolce vita midsummer party, having a light lunch with Mary Macleod with a wonderful live band playing in the courtyard. A great family occasion with a children's fancy dress competition. Mary is missed by many and her fingerprints remain on a number of projects she initiated, especially with SME companies. One example is Martha Keith, a local runs www.lovegiveink.com selling wonderful products including unique stationery, who I met at Mary's business forum and who had the opportunity of meeting the PM to discuss SME issues.
Monday night in the council chamber at the Civic Centre, waiting for the corporate parenting panel to commence. To my surprise the chamber was invaded by those keen to practice yoga with their little rubber mats. I was invited to join them but reluctantly declined.
Having found the new venue I joined other Cllrs, officers, children in care representatives and a foster carer who all materially contributed to the diverse range of Agenda items. We drilled into the complaints data provided, requesting further and better particulars on some items.
The children present are very eloquent and delightfully challenging at times. They readily concede that we respond to their issues and suggestions.
It's now in my opinion, a mature trusted and beneficial dialogue.
Tuesday morning
My weekly visit to Urology Dept at Charing Cross Hospital to have my BCG vaccine to hopefully cure my bladder cancer. BCG is a vaccine used to prevent tuberculosis but it's also an effective treatment for some non-invasive bladder cancers. It's a type of immunotherapy drug and doctors aren’t sure exactly how it works in bladder cancer. It may make the bladder react in a way that triggers the immune system (helps fight infection and disease) to get rid of cancer cells. I've had five weekly shots and finish next week. It's been a huge shock post my initial diagnosis and two subsequent operations. I've now adjusted to the emotive C word and telling others why I disappear for the odd day or so. I find being told I look so well somewhat distracting as I have no symptoms apart from the odd bout of tiredness. Ive had some superb advice and guidance from a number of locals which has made a huge difference to my medical knowledge and options.
In the afternoon off to the offices of Legal and General in the City to attend a pension fund related seminar. I'm a trustee on the LBH fund and try to attend a diverse number of similar events. I find them educational in the widest sense and I meet other trustees from across the wider pension spectrum. The L&G director of Initiation (love the title) mentions their pop -up housing project which mirrors one initiated by a colleague in the GLA. We subsequently exchange reports which I will show to our housing department.
In the evening back to the Civic Centre to discuss with officers and labour Cllrs a consultants report on corporate governance regarding the proposed activities of our in -house trading company Lampton 360 Ltd. (360) Our waste contract expires at the end of October and this administration decided to bring it back in -house some time ago . I have been critical of 360 and the overall progression of the proposed further trading activities for some time. It's trading to date has incurred losses- the latest being 200k with outstanding loans to LBH of circa 375k.
My invitation as a representative of the opposition was, of course, welcome and followed representations to the leader/chief executive but the omission of any Conservative member on the related Waste and Recycling Group, a group initiated without any notification to us or mention in the LBH website, is in my view regrettable.
The business plan was published on the following day. At an earlier cabinet meeting held on the 14th a report mentioned that an additional £16 million of additional capital is now required to build a new depot and buy vehicles etc. This is an additional cost on top of an initial quote on the depot and vehicle cost. Even the depot figure is speculative as the sole quotation is due in July. I have yet to see any document to say the enormous costs are competitive as no other quotations have been obtained.
This comes on top of the green bag fiasco where email and telephone communication to LBH collapsed. I dealt with many cases of sheer frustration where constituents, having paid for the green collection service, were ignored for a number of months. There's a timid apology in the latest Hounslow Matters. Brown bags have now appeared......
Wednesday was devoted to researching cross-over policies in other boroughs as I have to draft a paper for the next Chiswick forum. Cross -overs are the dropped kerb lines which allow cars to cross the foot way.
Asking why LBH had no FGM data, a lacuna promptly resolved by our safeguarding team.
Batting for locals who've still not received their green bags, or have a dispute with our council tax team.
Seeking a prompt solution for a constituent who has a vagrant, who has built a home in a derelict LBH toilet block at the bottom of their garden.
Thursday -Referendum day. Went to Oxford to have lunch with a friend. I then went to the Civic centre at about 10.30 p.m to see how the counting was going. It was a most slick and professional operation involving over 100 staff many who work for LBH in diverse roles. Our Chief Executive was masterly overseeing this complex operation. Sealed boxes arrived as did postal votes all to be carefully checked. A Chinese camera crew with their presenter seemed terribly excited about what they were filming.
Early Friday morning to Chiswick school a governors sub committee meeting. One of the parent governors whose daughter was taking her GCSEs praised staff for giving up so much of their time to coach the pupils both during and after school.
PCN's are the bane of our life in W4. A local hero, Richard Jennings, frequently acts as a pro bono advisor to those who wish to challenge the validity of there issue. Cllrs are restricted as we are advised they are quasi judicial matters. Richard is thorough in his approach and mature in his judgement.
Sam we missed you!
June 25, 2016
