Borough News Stories December - May 2010

November

• 2,000+ sign petition to save Tangley Hall intensive day centre : [Nov 29]: OVER 2,000 residents have signed a petition against Conservative plans to close Tangley Hall intensive day centre in just two weeks. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3147.html

• Council must fund Hampton Children's Centre : [Nov 29]: FOLLOWING months of pressure from the Liberal Democrat opposition, Richmond Council has finally decided to fund the Croft Centre project for children with disabilities. However the Conservative controlled Council has failed to agreed the funds needed to complete the Children's Centre for Hampton. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3146.html

• Council's damning U-turn on funding for London's voluntary groups [Nov 29]: CONSERVATIVE run Richmond Council turned its back on hundreds of voluntary sector organisations yesterday. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3145.html

• Ham Youth Centre under threat : [Nov 29]: THE future of Ham Youth Centre is under threat as 10 of its current 15 activity programmes are set to be scrapped from the end of March, due to Council funding cuts. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3144.html

• Social Engineering In Tories' New Planning Policy [Nov 29]: LIBERAL Democrat Councillors are putting in objections to Housing Policies in the published Development Management Document which water down previous Council policy to provide more small housing units to match the growing number of small households. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3143.html

• Tories do 3-point-turn on Heathfield Library consultation : [Nov 29]: AFTER first promising that the closure of Heathfield Library would be subject to public consultation, then refusing to consult, now Conservative-run Richmond Council has been forced into an embarrassing 3-point-turn and agreed to consult the public after all. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3142.html

• Two new Lib Dem Baronesses congratulated : [Nov 29]: THE Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Richmond Council has congratulated two distinguished local Liberal Democrats on their appointment to the House of Lords. Former Richmond Park MP Susan Kramer and London Assembly Member and former Richmond Councillor Dee Doocey are shortly to become Baronesses. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3141.html

• Williams on the Council's redundancy fund: Cllr David Williams writes: THE article in last week's Richmond & Twickenham Times [Nov 12] about the Council redundancies contains two very loaded statements about the Council's finances. Cllr Samuel says correctly that the Government has cut the Council's funding by £906,000. What he doesn't say is that the Government, in the same announcement, froze most salaries saving £600,000, and reduced the National Insurance liability by another £600,000. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3116.html

• Public Anger Grows as Tory Cuts Target Dementia Services : [Nov 18] Cllr Gareth Roberts writes: THE Tory group on Richmond Council is facing a public backlash against their plans to close two intensive day care centres in the borough. Both Tangley Hall and Twickenham Day Centres are facing the axe as the council seeks to save approximately £300,000 a year from the adult social care budget.€¨€¨ - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3100.html

• Lib Dems call for cuts to personal care budgets to be phased in : [Nov 12]: RICHMOND Council officials admitted at last night's Adult Services Scrutiny Committee that around a quarter of social care clients are likely to see a considerable reduction in their personal care budgets as a result of the new 'resource allocation' policy being introduced. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3091.html

• Council projects budget surplus of €¨£1.7 million as vital services are slashed : [Nov 09]: RICHMOND Council has projected its budget will underspend by £1.7 million in the current financial year, despite claims that cuts to vital services such as intensive day centres and libraries are essential. This embarrassing information was revealed in a public report to Monday's Cabinet Committee. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3090.html

• Council cuts funding for local charities by £77,782: [Nov 09]: DESPITE Conservative rhetoric about promoting the 'Big Society', Richmond Council has decided to cut the funding of 16 local charities by a total of £77,782 from April next year. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3089.html

• Council admits it has no plans for new affordable homes : [Nov 12]: DESPITE Tory promises at the last full Council meeting to identify sites in the borough for new social housing it emerged during the Housing Scrutiny meeting last night that the Council has no plans to implement this pledge. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3088.html

• Council 'consultation' on social care cuts is rigged [Nov 12]: LOCAL people who thought they would be able to have their say whether or not they agree with the Council's proposed social care cuts are feeling cheated. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3087.html

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October

• St Margaret's and East Twickenham 4 year olds face shortage of school places: [Oct 29]: FOUR-YEAR-OLD children from St Margaret's and East Twickenham could face a shortage of school places next September, after the Conservative Council has halved the previous Liberal Democrat plans for school expansion in the area. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3063.html

• Lib Dems challenge cuts to personal care budgets [Oct 29]: PROPOSALS adopted by Conservative Richmond Council to reduce the budget allocated to those who need personal care have been challenged by Liberal Democrat councillors. The Council's Cabinet adopted a new 'resource allocation system' (RAS) at its meeting on October 11, which seeks to cut costs by reducing the amount allocated to individuals in their 'personal budgets' to pay for social care needs. However, Liberal Democrats on the Council's Adult Services Scrutiny Committee have put a stop on the decision until the Cabinet Member responsible can be called before their next meeting, on the following grounds: - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3062.html

• Where is the promised consultation on closure of Heathfield Library? : [Oct 29]: WHEN the Conservatives announced their plans to close Heathfield Library, they promised that their proposal would be subject to consultation as part of a wider public consultation on a review of the library service. Now this consultation is underway, it is clear that it makes no reference at all to the closure of Heathfield Library. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3061.html

• Deputy Leader refuses to visit day centre he plans to close in his own ward : [Oct 29]: CONSERVATIVE Council Deputy Leader Geoffrey Samuel has refused to visit a day centre that he plans to close in his own ward. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3060.html

• Progress of schools in danger [Oct 29] Cllr Malcolm Eady writes: LAST summer's GCSE exam results have now been confirmed by the Dept for Education. These are outstanding results and I sincerely congratulate pupils, teachers, supporting staff and parents. They are a fitting legacy to the 4 years of the recent Liberal Democrat administration, during which our secondary schools went from strength to strength, and now consistently outperform the national average. The improvement of our secondary schools was our top priority thus ensuring that the excellence of our primary provision was reinforced as our pupils progressed through their educational careers. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3059.html

• TWO Richmond Borough Lib Dems seek support in the ballot for the London Assembly list: MERLE EMERSON and SHAS SHEEHAN are asking for your support in the forthcoming ballot of London members to rank candidates for the London Assembly list: - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3040.html

• 50 Years of Heathfield Library - Celebration or Wake? : [Oct 15]: RICHMOND Council's Tory administration is threatening to axe Heathfield Library despite campaigning for its retention prior to the May 2010 elections and falsely accusing the Liberal Democrat administration of planning exactly the policy of closure that they themselves are now proposing. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3028.html

• Liberal Democrats back campaign for €¨living wage for school dinner ladies: [Oct 15]: THE Liberal Democrat opposition on Richmond Council is backing Unison's campaign for better pay and working conditions for dinner ladies in the borough's primary schools, who are employed by contractor Sodexo. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3027.html

• Fight to Save Day Centres : [Oct 15]: With consultation due to begin today on the Conservatives' plans to close Tangley Hall and Twickenham intensive day care centres, the Liberal Democrats are urging users and carers to speak out. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3026.html

• Cuts to school and family support: [Oct 15]: LAST week the Council's Conservative Cabinet agreed to take out £2 million from the Children's Services budget in order to cut Council tax. This is on top of the £500,000 cuts which were applied in June.€¨ - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3025.html

• The Croft and Hampton Children's Centres [Oct 15] Suzette Nicholson writes: The Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, has reviewed all capital projects in his department and terminated the funding for the CROFT CENTRE and the HAMPTON CHILDREN'S CENTRE. Both projects were the responsibility of the Minister of State for Children and Families, Sarah Teather, and following requests from Councillor Knight and parent groups, Vince Cable has been attempting to get both ministers to reverse the deci­sions. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3024.html

• Knight Denounces Council Cuts: [Oct 15] Cllr STEPHEN KNIGHT writes: THE Government may have a budget deficit after bail­ing out the banks, but Richmond Council's budget is still in surplus and the council has. healthy reserves. So why are our services faced with such savage cuts? - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3023.html

• Geoff Pope reports back [Oct 13] Geoff Pope, Chair of Twickenham and Richmond Lib Dems, writes: POLITICAL seasons have changed in up and down fashion in Twickenham so far this year. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3016.html

• Cllr Stephen Knight reports back . .: [Oct 13] Cllr Stephen Knight, leader of the Richmond Lib Dem Council Group, writes: THE Liberal Democrats ran Richmond Council between 2006 and 2010 with an excellent record of achievements. We improved local services without increasing Council Tax above inflation. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3015.html

• Sham Consultation is an Insult to Pre-election Pledge to Consult Properly : [Oct 12] Cllr Gareth Roberts writes: THE Conservative Council's plan to introduce a new parking system to subsidise gas guzzling vehicles has moved into the statutory consultation phase. Official notices have been published in the local press setting out the new proposals, and residents have 21 days in which to lodge their representations. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3013.html

• Shortage of school places shows education in a mess: [Oct 08] Cllr Malcolm Eady writes: THE new Conservative administration is failing one of its main priorities - to pro­vide and plan for enough pri­mary school places for our ever-increasing number of young people. It has been in place now for five months. It has failed to produce the required second stage of the primary school expansion programme and, instead, is leaking informa­tion piecemeal in reports, which deal with requests to let contracts. . - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3005.html

• Tories plan a 'Richmond for the rich' : [Oct 01]: THE Tories plan to turn the clock back and weaken Richmond Council's planning policies for affordable housing and for smaller homes in the private sector. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3003.html

• Users horrified at day centre closures: [Oct 01]: THE Council's finance scrutiny committee heard from horrified and shocked residents last night that their elderly relatives would suffer as a result of the Conservative plans to close Tangley Hall and Twickenham intensive day centres. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3002.html

• The deadline for applications for the Twickenham Panel is November 8. : [Oct 07]: Elinor Ridgeway* writes: IF you would like to consider putting yourself forward to serve on this advisory panel, please write to us including your name, address and full contact details, outlining the reasons why you would like to be a member of the panel. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/3001.html

• Library users' survey [Oct 01]: A SURVEY into the future operation of Richmond upon Thames' 13 libraries asks residents if they are willing to volunteer to help run their local service. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/2999.html

• Tories threaten voluntary sector : [Oct 01] : RICHMOND Council's Tory administration is threatening to cut grants to voluntary organisations in the borough despite grants being reduced by 20 % over the last eight years. Yet these organisations will be desperately needed by vulnerable local residents in the current financial cutbacks. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/2995.html

• Conference on the Future of Twickenham THE Council's Conference on the Future of Twickenham is being hosted by the RFU and will be held at the Rugby Stadium on Saturday 30 October. Anyone may attend but advance booking is required: to register for the conference, email e.ridgeway@richmond.gov.uk or call Elinor Ridgeway on 8487 5159. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/2993.html

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September

• Richmond's cuts reckless and unnecessary [Sep 22] THE extreme nature of the public service cuts announced this week by Richmond Council will threaten the quality of life of ordinary local residents. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/2984.html

• Tory councillors refuse to consider alternatives to children's services cuts : [Sep 17]: RICHMOND'S Conservatives voted against a motion calling on the Cabinet to "examine alternatives to cutting services for children and young people" at Tuesday night's council meeting. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/2976.html

• New Housing Benefit cap will hit hard-up Richmond residents [Sep 17]: RICHMOND Liberal Democrats have warned that government proposals to cap the rate of Housing Benefit will have a disproportionate effect on those in hardship in high cost areas like Richmond and could make many local people homeless. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/2975.html

• Croft Centre for children with disabilities and Hampton Children's centre must not be casualties of the cuts : [Sep 17]:LIBERAL Democrat councillors have reacted angrily to news that funding for the long- planned redevelopment of a centre for children with disabilities in Richmond has been cut together with funding for a new children's centre for Hampton. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/2974.html

• Barn Elms skatepark project to be scrapped despite vote of 11,000 : [Sep 17]: CONSERVATIVE councillors have admitted they intend to scrap plans for a new skatepark at Barn Elms. The scheme was allocated £150,000 by the previous Liberal Democrat administration, following an on-line vote involving 11,000 young people. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/2973.html

• Cuts to school support put GCSE progress at risk: [Sep 03]: RICHMOND Council's Conservative Cabinet is set to cut vital training and support for the borough's schools teachers aimed at helping them to improve teaching standards in English and maths. This support has helped boost the borough's secondary school performance from 56 % achieving 5+ A*-C grades when the Lib Dems took control four years ago to the 79 % achieving this level this summer. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/2947.html

• Young people targeted for £1 million cuts: [Sep 03]: RICHMOND Council's Conservative Cabinet is set to approve over £1 million of cuts targeted almost exclusively at services for children and young people on Monday evening. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/2946.html

• So-called 'free' parking con trick : [Sep 03]: CONSERVATIVE claims that they will give residents 30 minutes free car parking have been labelled a 'con-trick' by the Liberal Democrats, after it has been revealed that drivers will either need to pay £2.50 to register for the scheme or pay 20 pence per 'free' transaction. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/2945.html

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August

• Richmond's voluntary sector next in line for Conservative Council cuts : [Aug 06]: Richmond's new Conservative administration has served notice on the borough's voluntary sector organisations that they are next in line for cuts. All funded organisations have been told that their previously allocated funding for 2011/12 onwards, from the corporate grants budget, carers budget or departmental budgets are to be reviewed "against the backdrop of reduced local government funding". - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/2921.html

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July

• Channel 4 News investigates Zac Goldsmith's election expenses [Jul 15]: A CHANNEL 4 News investigation has raised questions over the election expenses of Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith. It comes after David Cameron pledged to clean up politics following the MPs' expenses scandal. Mr Goldsmith has defended his conduct vigorously on Sky News. The Richmond Park Liberal Democrats have not played any part in this investigation, and are not commenting at this stage. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/2877.html

• Tories Slow Down Planning Policy Review [Jul 14] Cllr Martin Elengorn writes: While Tory Councillors make much of the changes they want to make to the Council's planning policies they are actually slowing down the process for doing so. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/2874.html

• Cuts in the planned provision of primary school places in the St. Margaret's and Central and East Twickenham areas: [Jul 12] Cllr Malcolm Eady writes: LAST February the Lib Dem administration announced, by distributing a letter to all parents in the neighbourhood, the funding for the provision of two extra forms of entry in the above area. This was to be achieved by: - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/2871.html

• Embankment Trees Wilt While Tory Councillors Pose In The Sun [Jul 08] Cllr Martin Elengorn writes: WHILE Tory Councillors were making much of their tiny new Sun Terrace outside Twickenham Swimming Pool [which they closed in 1980] they failed to notice the distressed state of some of the excellent new landscaping planted on the Embankment last year. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/2870.html

• Council snubs Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership Cllr Jerry Elloy* writes: THE Tory Council has spurned an opportunity to support the prestigious Low Carbon Vehicle Conference at the RFU, sponsored by major local employer Haymarket's What Car? magazine. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/2876.html

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June

• 'Academising' our primary schools will not solve parents' problems - Eady [Jun 29] Cllr Malcolm Eady* writes: I HAVE very grave concerns about the Conservatives' plans to allow outstanding schools to become academies. In a borough like Richmond, which only has a small number of schools compared with most Councils, and a much higher percentage of primary schools that are outstanding, to have a significant number of schools move to Academy status, would make the job of providing a good local schools service very difficult. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/2853.html

• EDF to be called to account following borough wide power failure : [Jun 25]: FRENCH power giant EDF is to be summoned to a Richmond Council scrutiny committee to explain why the power went out across the borough during England's World Cup game on 23rd June, after the issue was raised by Lib Dem councillors. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/2839.html

• Royal Parks parking: Minister should make a statement NOW : [Jun 25]: COUNCILLOR David Williams has called for the Government to make a decision on charging in Richmond Park and Bushy Park. At a meeting on 17 June with Royal Parks he asked the Deputy Chief Executive to stop the work on parking meters, but was told the work had to continue until the legislation passed under the previous Government in March was reversed. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/2841.html

• Lib Dems Force Network Rail To Back Down On Ugly Fence At Teddington Station [Jun 25] VINCE Cable took time off today from his national responsibilities to join Martin Elengorn and the Teddington Society in a meeting on site with Network Rail bosses about the ugly green fence they installed in Station Road, Teddington, replacing the attractive old blue railings. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/2840.html

• Council should avoid services cuts this year by using its healthy reserves : THE Liberal Democrats have called for the Conservatives to save local services from cuts this year by using council reserves to plug the gap left by government funding cuts. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/2838.html

• Leaked email shows Goldsmith asked Tory leader to back 'flagship' river centre : [Jun 26]: AN email passed to the Liberal Democrats shows that Zac Goldsmith wrote to Tory Council Leader Nick True asking him to consider giving support to the plans for a River Centre on Twickenham Riverside. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/2837.html

• Council should reconsider decision to axe Outskirts youth magazine : [Jun 25]: THE Liberal Democrats have called on the Conservative Administration to reconsider its decision announced today to scrap the Council's youth magazine 'Outskirts'. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/2836.html

• 'Richmond reserved for the rich' as Tories plan to scrap affordable housing target: RICHMOND Tory plans to scrap the planning policy that half of all new homes should be affordable, will leave poorer families homeless and 'reserve Richmond for the rich' warn Liberal Democrat councillors. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/2835.html

• Tory Council to spend £50,000 on consultants to check work of consultants : RICHMOND'S Tory Council plans to spend £50,000 on consultants to conduct an 'external desk top review' of the work of external consultants. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/2834.html

• Council should avoid services cuts this year by using its healthy reserves : [Jun 25]: THE Liberal Democrats have called for the Conservatives to save local services from cuts this year by using council reserves to plug the gap left by government funding cuts. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/2833.html

• Knight: we will offer Tories a principled opposition: [Jun 18] Cllr Stephen Knight* writes: COUNCILLOR Nick True's letter (RTT, June 11) is proof the Liberal Democrats have risen to the challenge of holding this new administration to account over several key policy issues. His extraordinarily personalised outburst, directed at my front bench colleagues, some of whom have given decades of service to the bor­ough, would suggest that he is finding the transition from leader of the opposition to leader of the council more of a challenge than he had expected. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/2812.html

• Cuts will damage services to children: [Jun 17] Cllr Malcolm Eady* writes: IT is important that local residents are fully aware of the potential implications of the £0.9m revenue grant reductions imposed by the Government last week. By far the lion's share, some £0.72m will come from Children's Services grants. These grants to Children's Services are worth £3.3m and pay for much of our protective and preventative services, our careers advice service, at a time of rising youth unemployment, and specialist inspection services to our schools. - http://richmondlibdems.co.uk/news/2808.html

June

1. 1. • Council Roles
2. 2.2. • Eady: 'Why the delay in the Shene School Academy project?