A recent Neighbourhood Forum included CPZ (controlled parking zone) on the agenda. Labour councillor Sitarah Anjum announced that CPZ charges were to go up to encourage low-carbon vehicles. The Forum erupted.

This wasn't what everyone expected!

The new councillors had clearly never been briefed on the active CPZ issues in Cleveland. A new CPZ south of Scotch Common had resulted in extra parking pressures in Bellevue Rd and chaos on Scotch Common because of displaced parked cars and lorries.  The full story from March is here.

A petition of local residents was signed by over 400 people. The petition didn't ask for the CPZ to be removed. Simply that a large stretch of (now largely unused) parking on Cleveland Road be opened up for free parking to relieve the pressure on Scotch Common. Cleveland Road is wide, has much less traffic than Scotch Common and has no houses fronting on the stretch in question. The petition was presented to the council and promises were made that the situation would be reviewed.

What has happened since then?

Nothing.

By the end of the Forum, the Labour Councillors were left in no doubt that this was an active issue and that action was expected. We shall see how this develops. Watch this space.

At the Council’s Overview & Scrutiny Committee, Liberal Democrat Councillor Andrew Steed spoke up to both show how Ealing Council could easily fund a reversal of the redundancy of its only conservation officer, as well as possibly stopping the closure of Pitshanger Lane Library.

Library Cuts:
In relation to Council plans which will lead to the closure of Pitshanger Library, the Council admitted that they may now wish to continue to site the library at the same location.

Councillor Andrew Steed said: “Liberal Democrats say that Ealing Council plans to either close libraries or reduce the size of our libraries. Labour Councillors made a pledge to volunteer at libraries but when we asked how many hours had each councillor spent helping out our libraries they said they would not tell us! It appears only the Liberal Democrats want to invest in Ealing’s education.”

At the Council’s Overview & Scrutiny Committee, Liberal Democrat Councillor Andrew Steed gained a number of agreements from Ealing Council which will protect the current users of Southfield Recreational Grounds’ football pitches and tennis courts, if a sport hub for teenagers is opened in the future on the Rec.

The agreement covered a number of aspects including:

• Current users of the football pitches and tennis courts would be able to have access to hire pitches and courts if a sports hub was open in the future.
• Pricing for current users of the football pitches and tennis courts will not be increased any more than the average pricing change across Ealing borough.
• Local residents, Councillors and The Southfield Park Triangle Residents’ Association (SPTRA) will be consulted about a sports hub if one is proposed in the future.

Fed up with Ealing Council? Do you find it is poor at working with local organisations, lacks timely consultation, and ignores objections?  

You’re not alone. A survey in 2017 undertaken by the local umbrella group “Ealing Matters”, found considerable dissatisfaction with the Council’s engagement with residents. 

A new approach has been suggested to help overcome this: a local Council.

At Ealing Council’s Cabinet meeting tonight (10th July 2018) Councillor Gary Malcolm attacked Labour-run Ealing Council for failing in so many areas. These included:

• Ealing Council is failing as figures show that 46% of its performance is worsening compared to the targets.
• Failing targets for Good or Outstanding schools.
• Failing, where only 1.8% of people’s journeys are by cycle, against the low target of 3.5%
• Failing to keep our streets clean where targets were failed for litter, graffiti and fly posting.
• Failing residents who waited to be spoken to when phoning Ealing Council people waited 48 seconds against a target of 30 seconds (many just hang up!)

Yes, given yesterday’s [25th June 2018] new where Heathrow was approved. Despite the commitments it will mean many more flights, more noise pollution and a worsening air quality. London suffers enough with bad air quality.

The government have just ignored the tens of thousands of comments from residents across London whose views were mainly against Heathrow. If you were to build an airport in West London you would not site it at Heathrow. It is just in the wrong place so expanding Heathrow cannot be the right approach.

Ealing Council wants to introduce shared parking bays in about 40 areas of Southfield. This will allow large numbers of commuters to park within the Controlled Parking Zones where many residents already find it a struggle to park. There was no consultation!

Since the plans were announced over 200 people have written to Ealing Council’s Transport team to complain.

The payment by commuters will only be £4.50. This is likely to encourage huge numbers of drivers from outside London to park cheaply in Southfield and then get to work using the tube network.

Of the 200 or so emails that residents have written to Ealing Council only 2 are in favour of the scheme!

On 25 January, Wimbledon resident Paul Kohler, formally launched a legal challenge to the London Mayor’s plans to close 37 police stations across the capital.

The legal challenge is seeking permission to take the decision to close more than half of the current police stations in London to Judicial Review. Lawyers acting on half of Mr Kohler have argued that the public consultation and consequent decision were legally flawed and unlawful.

Ealing residents have re-elected Councillors Jon Ball, Gary Malcolm, Gary Busuttil and Andrew Steed in the 2018 local elections.

Southfield ward has remained fully controlled by three Liberal Democrat councillors, as it has been since 2010, whilst Cllr Ball kept his seat that he has had since 2002 in Ealing Common ward.

Ealing's Liberal Democrat candidates received a massive 35,228 overall across all 23 wards - just over a 228% increase in vote share from the 2014 local election results. This is a clear message from Ealing's residents that they believe in our shared values of openness, tolerance and unity, and an endorsement of our electoral manifesto.

Developing...

A resident of Rothschild Road said: “Councillor Andrew Streed and his colleagues get things done...they are the only ones I see actively doing things to make the lives of constituents better, safer and cleaner.”

In the May local elections vote Liberal Democrat to elect hard working Councillors.