Fulwell & Hampton Hill: Comments and other news from 2010 - 2006
2010 news:
- [From Comments Spring 2010]: EXPANSION of primary schools in North-West Teddington is well under way as part of the Council's plans to tackle the baby boom. A new planning application for St Mary's and St Peter's School is out for public consultation while the governors of the two Stanley schools are considering the feasibility study for a combined school on their site. The modified St Mary's & St Peter's plans, which would enable the school to move to 3-form entry from 2, have evolved through discussions with local residents and Sport England. The playing field area has been increased significantly and the multi-use games area has been moved further away from the boundary fence so that it minimises disturbance to nearby properties.
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The Stanley Schools proposals are to close the infant school and convert the junior school to a primary school. There will be a new classroom block, remodeling of the current junior school buildings and the demolition of most of the infant school block and provision of a unit for children with Autistic Spectrum Conditions. Also on the site will be a new Children's centre and increased provision for nursery aged children. These plans are part of a borough wide capital investment programme for our schools. Locally, the programme also includes the £37m rebuilding of Teddington (secondary) School, which is due to open in September and the £161⁄2m rebuilding and refurbishment programme for Hampton Community College, which is due to be completed in 2013. |
- RESIDENTS have raised concerns about the level of development on the Shacklegate Lane and Railway Road garage sites. In response, your local councillors ensured that the sites were not overdeveloped, just 10 house on the two sites, that 21 parkingspaces were provided, over half for local residents, and that problems with overlooking were addressed. We have also contacted St Mary's College to discuss concerns about the pressure it puts on parking locally. We have been assured that any increase in students would likely to be limited to 200, and they will probably be off-site. We have also successfully pressured for yellow lines to be painted at a number of road junctions to improve road safety in the area. A developer is about to submit plans for the business site at the junction of Somerset and Elmtree Roads. We are keen to talk to local residents to ensure any redevelopment is appropriate for the area."
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- HAMPTON HILL LIBRARY, which has just moved to attractive new premises in the High Street, has extended its opening hours . The library, which moved from the old Windmill Road site at the end of January will now open at 9.30 am five days a week and will be open for an additional half day on a Thursday. Hours have also been extended at HamptonLibrary, enabling it to open on Mondays between 10 am and 6 pm. "The Lib Dem team worked hard to get a new a libraryand this a great new facility. We have already seen a big boost in visitor numbers; we had 150 new members join in the first week" said Cllr Cardy.
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- THE proposal by the Royal Parks to charge for car parking in Bushy Parkhas met strong local opposition from your Lib Dem Council and others including the Friends of Bushy Park. "The proposal is not appropriate in a Park surrounded by residential roads that have unrestrictedparking. We are concerned about the possible knock-on effect on the borders of Bushy Park, for example in Laurel and Blandford Roads," said Cllr Malcom Eady, who attended the recent rally against the charges with Vince CableMP.
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- BUS Pressure Pays Off: Pressure from local councillors has led to more buses on the 281 route which runs down Stanley Road, butTransport for London still maintains it is providing an adequate 681 service between Hounslow andTeddington School. However they have said they will monitor the situation.
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- HAMPTON Road Crossing Success: Help is at hand for pedestrians who need to cross the busy Hampton Road. Work on installing a light-controlled crossing near the junction with Blandford Road is due to begin in March. "There has been a need for a crossing for a long time given the volume and speed of traffic on Hampton Road. With the new NPL building main entrance now off Hampton Road, that need has only increased." said Councillor Jerry Elloy.
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- COMMUNITY toilet scheme: One of the popular initiatives started by the Liberal Democrats on Richmond Council has been theCommunity Toilet Scheme. 90 toilets in pubs, cafés, and offices around the borough are now open to the public. The Council pays the venue £600 a year to allow unrestricted access to the toilets. This is very much cheaper, and offers many more toilets, than the traditional public toilets, which are very expensive to maintain. Just look for theCommunity Toilet sign outside.
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2009 News:
- From Comments Winter 2009: TEDDINGTON Hospital: The Primary Care Trust which runs Teddington Memorial Hospital has decided to introduce charges for its car park. Following this decision, the Council agreed to run this car park. The same payment methods will therefore apply here as in Council car parks including free parking for blue badge holders, and the option to pay either by mobile or with cash. It will be for the hospital to decide what scheme they implement to give parkingpermits to visitors and staff. There has been concern that a few people have been using the hospital as a convenient place to park for Teddington town centre.
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- CONSULTATION shows strong support for academies: An independent consultation on the future of Hampton Community College has shown encouraging support for the Council's proposal to turn it into an Academy. In answer to the question:- 75% were broadly supportive Cllr Eady, theCabinet member for Children's Services said "I'm very pleased that we have had such a strong support for the proposals. There is similar deep- seated support from the staff, governors and parents, so I am confident that the school has a strong mandate for change, and a very exciting future. If the proposals are agreed by the Council and the government, then the new school will open in September next year and we will then have access to about £16m for new and refurbished buildings."
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- HAMPTON Hill retailers plan to appoint a part time Town Centre Manager to make a more vibrant shopping area in the town with the help of funds from the Council. The Council has given the Hampton Hill Traders' Association £5,000 towards the project from its Town Centres Opportunities Fund. A similar sum will come from the Association's own money-raising efforts. The new Town Centre Manager will coordinate a range of initiatives to improve the area, to the benefit of traders and shoppers alike.
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- WARD Name Remains Unchanged: The Council has settled for the status quo after a consultation on whether the ward name should be changed to "Hampton Hill and North Teddington" from "Fulwell and Hampton Hill". The change had been suggested by some residents and by the Teddington Society following recent legislation allowing ward names to be changed. A small majority of the few people who responded to the consultation favoured keeping the existing name, and your ward councillors voted in line with this.
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- DOUBLE Yellow Lines: New double yellow lines have been painted at the junction of Church Road and Shacklegate Lane and on Elmtree Road to improve visibility for parents taking their children to school. Double yellows will soon appear on parts of Somerset, Gloucester and Edward Roads near junctions, together with Allbrook Close.
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- HAMPTON Hill's new librarywill have extra facilities and as many books for adults and more books for young people. The new facility in the High Street will be a modern purpose-designed building, enabling access improvements to be made including public toilets and baby changing facilities. "The new library looks set to be a big asset on the High Street." said Cllr Cardy.
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- TEDDINGTON Theatre- Good News: Your local councillors have helped Teddington Theatre Club, which runs the marvellous little theatre in Hampton Hill High Street, to reach an agreement with the council which should help it to reach a wider audience. A change in the ground lease means it will no longer be necessary to become a club member to see plays and other shows at the theatre.
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- THE Upper Lodge Water Gardens in Bushy Park opened to the public on 2nd October, later than originally anticipated, and should prove a great attraction for local people. The delay in opening was to allow time for a reasonable grass sward to get established following the hot weather in June.
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| From Comments Summer 2009: • HAMPTON Hill library is on the move. It is scheduled to transfer to one of the units being built on the old Texaco filling station sight in the High Street this autumn from its present Windmill Road site. This will bring the library into the centre of the community and as Councillor Jonathan Cardy says: "Hopefully the move will help boost High Street trade by attracting more people to the High Street." Councillor Cardy added the existing library building is protected as a "Building of Townscape merit". |
- ALPHA Road's lovely little park has at last got its children's playground! The park was originally given to the Council as part of a deal to redevelop property in the area, and the intention was always to put in a playground, but the developers never met their obligations. Now, thanks to the persistence of Councillors Jerry Elloy and Malcolm Eady, the Council has installed the equipment, and the playground was officially opened on April 1. "I had to take my kids to the playgrounds at Church Road or the Swimming Pool at Teddington, and a visit to the big playground in Bushy Park was an event," said Jerry Elloy. "I'm glad that parents and kids are better catered for now."
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- PEDESTRIAN Crossing for Hampton Road: Good news for Hampton Road residents and the NPL! After years of pressure on the Council from Cllrs Jerry Elloy and Malcolm Eady we can report that a pedestrian crossing on the Hampton Road between Teddington and Hampton Hill is in prospect. It forms part of the programme of works for 2009/10. In addition, money has been set aside to study the workings of the traffic lights at the cross roads at Hampton Hill High Street/Hampton Road/Park Road, to see if improvements can be made.
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- CAR clubs have arrived in the borough! You may have noticed the new Car Club bay in Oxford Road.Car clubs are a convenient form of local car hire which can be booked by the hour. Your Council is providing spaces to set up Car Clubs across the borough. The aim of the scheme is to encourage residents to use cars only when they need them. This is potentially a huge benefit: it will relieveparking pressure in the borough, while saving money for members ofcar clubs. It is estimated that each car club car replaces 6 privately owned ones, and for families who only use a car or a second car occasionally it can be a much cheaper option.
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- DOUBLE yellow lines will soon appear at the junctions of Somerset Road and Stanley Road, of Gloucester Road, Stanley Road and Albrook Close, and of Edwards Road, Albert Road and Park Road, all dangerous turnings on to main roads. The council is responding to requests from residents to make getting into and out of residential side roads easier. Cllr. Jerry Elloy says "We try not to take up too much parking space with these double yellows, but safety must come first, and the Highway Code requires you to park well away from corners anyway. Please let us know if you feel a street corner near where you live may be dangerous.
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- DO we live in Teddington? Since the name of the ward was changed in 2002, we have received comments that it does not accurately describe the area covered by the ward. Recent changes in legislation have made it easier to change ward names, and at the last Area Consultation Meeting the majority of those present requested councillors to canvass opinion on whether to change the name from Fulwell and Hampton Hill to Hampton Hill and NW Teddington. We have agreed to initiate an official consultation.
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- BARBARA Alexander, who served Hampton Hill for 12 years as a Liberal Democrat councillor, died at the end of April after a long illness. Barbara, who stepped down from the Council in 2002, will be remembered by many in our community as a hard working local councillor, who made a genuine contribution to the area. She was deputyleader of her local party and served on the education and social services committees.
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- The Council had turned down aplanning application to add another floor to Park Gate Court, the flats above the former Texaco filling station on Hampton Hill High Street. Your local Councillors along with local residents, the Friends of Bushy Park and theRoyal Parks all objected, with concerns ranging from the views from the Park and from Hampton Hill.
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- As part of your Council's work to improve local transport it is supporting the plan for the 33 Bus to go to a 24 hour service in early 2010 giving residents in the Stanley road area an all night service to and from London via Hammersmith.
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- [From COMMENTS Winter 2008-9]: IMPROVING our Schools: Improving the borough's secondary schools was a key election pledge for the local Liberal Democrats when they were elected to run the Town Hall. We are delivering on this pledge! In 2007, the Council gave an extra million pounds in school funding to drive up exam results, and the summer of 2008 saw the best ever results! Teddington had a record year (79% achieving 5 A* to C grades) and HCC showed a significant improvement. The rebuild of Teddington schoolis now underway. Local Lib Dems on the Council helped secure funding for the rebuild after funding from the Government proved totally inadequate. Last year the council stepped in with £12m to ensure that the project could continue. The construction of this building will transform the learning environment for pupils for generations. TheAcademy project at HCC with the top Swedish education sponsor was delayed due to ministerial changes, but we are expecting "sign off" of the first stage very soon. Once this has happened we will start the full consultation process. The consultation with parents last summer showed strong support for the project. Cllr Malcolm Eady said, "We promised at the last election to improve secondary education in the borough. Progress has been made. Last year 91% of the Ofsted reports on our schools were either outstanding or good, compared to 60% nationally. We will continue to press for further improvements, especially at secondary level."
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- TACKLING the School Spaces Shortage: The Council is investing heavily inexpanding primary schools across the borough to cope with a baby boom. More babies are being born locally than ever before! St Mary's & St Peter's school is to be expanded to take 30 extra pupils a year. This follows the recent expansion of Collis School. As part of this process the Governors of the two Stanley schools have also been asked to consider an amalgamation and an expansion to four-form entry. This would mean extensive modernisation of the buildings. The governors have agreed to a feasibility study. Cllr Malcolm Eady, Cabinet memberfor Education said: "we are working very closely with the schools and Governors to deal with the problem, but as usual Government funding has been totally inadequate." The Council have put together a package of £33 million to fund expansion at five schools across the borough. Although, we will probably need in due course at least two more schools to agree to a permanent expansion. "We are determined to ensure that every child will continue to have a place at one of our excellent local schools," said Cllr Malcolm Eady
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- PLAYGROUNDSlooking up!: Things are looking up for the ward's play- grounds. After a local consultation the way is now clear for the installation of playground equipment in the Alpha Road Park. Work should begin in the spring. Meanwhile an overhaul of the Holly RoadRecreation ground is imminent. In addi- tion to resurfacing work, a new path will be laid, the equipment refurbished and painted, new benches and trees will be provided, and new notice boards erected.
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- VICTORY in Ticket Office Campaign: Good news for commuters! Following a campaign by MPVince Cable, South West trains have been told by the government that they will not be able to drastically cut opening offices open at Strawberry Hill & Hampton stations.
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- THE Norman Jackson Centre:Hampton Hill Junior School has come up with a particularly fitting way to commemorate Hampton Hill's only VC, Nor- man Jackson VC. The school has adopted Jonathan Cardy's suggestion to name its community facility, the former caretaker's house, the Norman Jackson VC Centre, celebrating his links with the school, which his children attended.
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- ST CLARE'S Sainsbury's Pharmacy Expansion Rejected : AplanningInspector has finally put an end to Sainsbury's plans to open a pharmacy. The original application was rejected by the Council, but Sainsbury's appealed. A strong case, marshalled by the Hampton Hill Traders Association, the Council and local councillors saw off the supermarket giant. There were concerns that it endanger local high street pharmacies, and the vitality of the high street.
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- HAMPTON Hill LibraryUpdate: A revisedplanningapplication for the Texaco garage site is being considered, and if successful, construction on a newlibrary will start very soon.
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2008 & previous years:
- [From Comments Summer 2008] MILLIONS Of ££s pour into HCC and Whitton Schools: Hampton Community College is one of three schools that has been earmarked for academy status, as the Lib Dem led Council continues its drive to raise standards. The academy plan could see significant improvements in standards and a multi million pound investment in new buildings for HCC, Whitton and East Sheen schools. The preferred sponsor for the Whitton and HCC schools is Kunskapsskolan, the largest independent provider of schools in Sweden. Sweden has some of the best secondary education in Europe, and the council is bringing that expertise to Richmond. The schools will remain English, but use the most modern personalised learning techniques. The local authority intends to act as a co-sponsor.
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Their potential arrival in the borough has been welcomed by local MP Vince Cable, and the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Nationally, the Conservatives have also heavily praised the Swedish model of education "This is good news for local parents. The academy programme will see millions of pounds made available for school refurbishment. Most importantly, local children could get the opportunity to benefit from an organisation who have a track record of delivering first rate education," said Vince Cable MP. Cllr Malcom Eady added "The two schools, local parents, and nearby primary schools have been asked to comment on the" vision" documents for the two academies. In the autumn, if the council gives the go- ahead, and government approval is obtained, a full community consultation process begins. |
- CONCERNS over Cuts in Station Manpower Local Councillors and MP Vincent Cable have expressed outrage at South West trains' proposal to cut 58 posts from their station manpower including cuts at Fulwell station. The proposal would see customer windows in Fulwell close on Monday to Fridays at 10 am and all day at the weekends. Vince Cable has written to SW Trains' Chief Executive to register local residents' concerns. "If SW train's Chief Executive thinks that automated vending are working well then he should spend more time at our stations when there are often long queues. This is a major reduction in service which rail users will not be able to understand when rail fares are rising faster than inflation The rail company does not make life easy for people who need to get tickets and information about their journey" said Vince.
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- SUCCESS! After years of pressing, your councillors Jerry Elloy and Malcolm Eady have secured Council funding for a playground in Alpha park. Funds have been earmarked for the 2009/10 budget year. The next step is to design the scheme and consult with local residents, so that work can begin as soon as the funds are available. A playground was always supposed to be part of the Alpha Road Park, when the Council took it over, as part of a deal to allow the development of adjacent flats. However, the developers were unable to meet their obligations, and funding has now been se- cured from the council. There is a real need for a kids playground as the nearest one in the Teddington part of the ward is on Church Road.
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- STANLEY Road residents and traders were rightly appalled at stories in the local press that a bus lane was scheduled for Stanley Road. "It is not true!", says Councillor Jerry Elloy, who took up the matter with the Council. "A request for funding a review of the 281 bus route between Twickenham and Teddington was made. Any recommendations coming out of the review will need widespread consultation before anything is done. Stanley Road is simply not appropriate for a bus Lane and your councillors have already registered their objections."
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- RECYCLING Rates Top 40%: The Council are now looking at ways to simplify the system in an effort to drive the recycling figure over the 50% mark. When the Lib Dems took control of Richmond Council they promised to put the environment at the heart of decision making. The Council has won national praise for its green schemes. Actions speaks louder than words!
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- COMMUTERS from Fulwell station will be only too aware of the terrible state of the access from Wellington Road, through Wellington Gardens. This is because the access is private and in the ownership of those who live in Wellington Gardens. Councillor Jonathan Cardy has been pressing the Council to see if it can help, and the Council is now trying to identify funding to improve the access.
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- TWO meetings were held at Stanley Junior School, by Paragon Housing to consult residents on their plans to convert the garage sites into affordable houses. Cllrs Cardy and Elloy attended the meetings, and as as a result, amendments have been made to the designs of the buildings by the architects, and other comments are under consideration by the Housing Association.
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- HAMPTON Hill will soon have a new library! In September the Cabinet of the council will be asked to approve the plan to relocate the library into the new buildings which are being built on the old petrol station site. "We will now have a modern library in a convenient lo- cation." Cllr Eady
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2007 & previous years:
| From COMMENTS winter 2007/8: Lib Dem Led Council Introduces Cardboard and Plastic Recycling: Richmond Borough goes even greener from November with the introduction of cardboard and plastic bottle recycling. The new scheme will see rubbish and recycling collected on the same day. Our waste collection day is Thursday. The new scheme means that all plastic bottles including milk cartons and even bottles that contained household cleaning products can be recycled. Your recycling and waste will be collected by different vehicles at different times of the day. At the beginning of the new service we also expect collections to take place up until 5pm. If you think your recycling has been missed please report it at www.richmond.gov.uk/waste_and_ recycling online or by phoning 08456 122 660 after 3pm on the day of your collection. "We aim to have the best and greenest waste collection in London. This will increase the recycling rate across the borough." said Cllr Jerry Elloy. Cllr Malcom Eady added: "Recycling cardboard and plastic bottles is vitally important if we are to protect the environment. Central Government is also going to increase charges on landfill waste so it makes good financial sense too." |
- Planning Victories: Your local councillors, acting with committed local residents, have scored two notable victories. An application to build an office block in the sunken garden of the old Haymarket Offices in Hampton Road, and to extend the Office block itself, was rejected. Residents are keen to protect the sunken gardens- which provides a beautiful green space in an area already short of open space. The developers have made clear their intention to fight on by chopping down the trees surrounding the sunken garden. They have appealed against the decision on the office extension, and this is currently being considered by the planning inspectors. They have also submitted a new design for the extension and the planning committee will consider this on 15th November Councillors Malcolm Eady & Jonathan Cardy, together with residents and traders on Hampton Hill High Street, argued persuasively against Sainsbury's application to open a pharmacy on their St Claire's site (Uxbridge Road). The Planning Committee rejected the application, accepting that the vitality of the High Street would be endangered by this new venture, and that local shopping streets and parades needed protection. Sainsbury have since gone to appeal and your Councillors are amongst those who have written to the Inspector asking him to uphold the Council's decision.
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- Goodbye Garages : The Texaco garage on Hampton Hill High Street has received planning permission for conversion to restaurant and commercial use. The former Jet Garage on Stanley Road, Teddington has received planning permission for a mixed development of flats and office. The earlier application for a supermarket had problems for access for lorries. The Council has decided to redevelop two lockup garage sites in Shacklegate Lane and Railway Road, Teddington. Councillor Cardy has been assured that this will be subject to a "parking review" of those areas.
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- Mind That Hole! : Your councillors have put pressure on Network Rail to fix the large hole in Eastbank Road, Hampton Hill, where the road is crumbling into the railway cutting. The summer rains worsened the situation and unless Network Rail undertakes repairs a section of the road could collapse. "Network Rail has been alerted to this problem", said local councillor Jonathan Cardy, "but hasn't responded properly. We have chased them up, as the hole is already very deep and hazardous. The whole area has had to be fenced off. This is dangerous and local residents are gravely concerned at Network Rail's indifference."
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- Flooding Problems: Councillors Jonathan Cardy and Malcolm Eady, local residents, and MP Vincent Cable, have been busy trying to sort out flooding problems in our area. In Railway Road, the council have repaired the gullies but Thames Water have only repaired only part of the drainage system. We have kept up the pressure and Thames Water has agreed to complete the work. At the Burtons Road end new culvert gratings (less prone to blockage) have been installed in the ditch. Thames Water has improved their drain under Park Road, largely solving the problem. In the heavy summer rains there were flooding problems in York Road and Gloucester Road , we are now seeking a solution. Given the severity of the flooding the Council has set up a Task Group to examine how to improve matters in the future.
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- New Library for Hampton Hill: Recognising that Hampton Hill Library is, sadly, no longer fit for purpose and would cost too much to modernise, the Council had decided to look for new premises. High on the list is Thames House, the vacant office building on the eastern side of the High Street. The Council has embarked upon a consultation exercise, but has agreed to keep its options open and look at other possibilities elsewhere in the High Street. Watch out for developments!
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- Stanley Road: Reacting to pressure from your local councillors the Council has taken enforcement action against the owners of the site at the corner of Prince's Road and Stanley Road, and removed their advertising hoardings
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- New Police Sergeant Sergeant Suzanne Pearce has joined our Safer Neighbourhood Team, replacing Gavin Ellis. Suzanne now leads a team of 5, comprising our two PCs, Andy Hodgson and Bob Frith, and our three PCSOs, Doug Whitear, Stuart England and Faye Style. You can contact the team by telephone - 020 8247 5816, by mobile - 07879 431 303 or by Email at Fulwell.HamptonHill.fnpsnt@met.police.uk
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- Dangerous Traffic: Residents on the Hampton Road, between Broad Street and the High Street, have alerted the Council to the danger of cars speeding down this stretch of road. Councillors have arranged for temporary speed traps on the road. A meeting is being arranged with Council Highways engineers to find a solution.
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- Pavements: After a long wait the Hampton Road pavements have been renewed. As part of the project some trees will be planted to mitigate the high level of vehicle pollution on this road between Teddington and Hampton Hill. The scheme will also introduce a new "table" at the entrance to Coleshill Road, to slow traffic entering the 20 mph zone.
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- Alpha Road - Playground?: Councillors Jerry Elloy and Malcolm Eady have been pressing for the Alpha Road Park to have a small playground for children. Funds have been earmarked for the 2009/10 budget year. The next step is to design the scheme and consult with local residents, so that work can begin as soon as the funds are available.
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FROM COMMENTS April 2007:
- Lib Dems invest in local services: After one year the Liberal Democrats are investing millions of pounds in key services for local people. Money from Council Tax reserves is being invested in improving secondary schools, the environment and facilities for young people. Despite already being the lowest spending council in London, the Liberal Democrats have managed to make additional savings of over £4.5m to keep Council Tax down and pay for key service improvements. The increase in Council Tax was only 0.3% above inflation compared to the Tories who in 2003 increased total Council Tax by 15.6% (12.7% above inflation). Here are some of the things which are being invested in:
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- The introduction of improved recycling services from November 2007 including doorstep cardboard and plastics collections (£750,000). An extra £250,000 per year for youth services and £0.5m on youth club refurbishment.
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- The Lib Dems have also found extra money to meet the growing need for care services for older people and those with learning difficulties (£900,000), the needs of children in care (£400,000) and with special educational needs (£300,000).
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- THE surplus reserves built up by the Conservatives will be invested over the next four years. Here are just some of the things which the Lib Dems will be investing in:
- £20 million on our secondary school buildings, over and above the £24m already planned for Teddington School.
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- £3.5m on setting up the new recycling service.
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- A new £1 million fund to help tackle climate change
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- A new £1 million fund for new youth facilities.
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- A new £400,000 economic development fund to help local businesses and high streets.
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In the run up to the local elections last year, the Liberal Democrats promised to invest money in local services. The Liberal Democrats have kept their promises.
- ACTION to tackle local flooding: Local Councillors working alongside residents and local MP Vincent Cable have been trying to solve the flooding problems in our area. The two major areas are Railway Road in Teddington and at Burton, Lindsay and Hartland Roads in Hampton Hill. Cllr Cardy said "In both cases work has been needed both from the Council who are responsible for the gullies and Thames water who are responsible for the drains". Cllr Eady added "The Council tried clearing the Railway Road problem but we discovered the problem lay with Thames Water. They have now carried out the repair work. The Lib Dems have also carried work out to tackle the Burton and Lindsay Road issues. Thames Water have also improved the drainage under Park Road, all of which should mean the flooding issues have been resolved. Cllr Elloy added "We will not know if this work has been completely successful until there has been a heavy downpour. We will keep an eye on this to make sure the work carried out has been effective".
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- PLANNING update: Somerfields Jets off! Somerfields have withdrawn their application to develop the Jet garage site on Stanley Road. The future of the site remains uncertain. Your Lib Dem councillors will keep you informed of any new developments.
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- Vanishing Fuel There is a planning request to redevelop the Texaco garage on Hampton High Street. The plan under consideration is to build a single storey shop and restaurant. If this garage goes, the nearest fuel pumps will be at the Sainsburys on Uxbridge Road.
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- Hampton Road A full public enquiry will begin on May 9th for an office block on the side of the ex-Haymarket offices in Hampton Road. The company has now submitted a new application for a much smaller block. Residents have been objecting to the design of a new front entrance. Your councillors have been working with residents on all of the applications. Cllr Elloy said "This scheme could gobble up one of the last open spaces on the Hampton Road with an unnecessary office extension".
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- No Summers for Hampton Hill Your local Councillors have been in touch with Ann Summers. They have no plans for a shop in Hampton Hill. Some residents had been worried about graffiti indicating a new Ann Summers shop at the former picture gallery at the junction of High Street and Park Road. Planning is based on strict laws and is not political. If you need help with assisting in supporting or opposing a planning application please get in touch with your local councillors.
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- VINCENT Cable MP and your local Councillors are putting crime and personal safety at the top of the agenda. The Liberal Democrats have launched a national campaign called "We can cut crime" which is a 5 point plan to tackle crime and help victims of crime. Priorities include putting more police on patrol and making prison work. Local Councillor Jonathan Cardy said "We want to hear local people's experiences with crime and their ideas on how to make our community safer. Your councillors have been pressing for CCTV cameras for Hampton Hill High Street and a scheme has been costed. This should deter crime and improve policing across our area". There are also regular opportunities for local residents to discuss policing in our area. Regular police surgeries at held at the Greenwood Centre on the first Wednesday of the month at 7pm. Councillor Cardy added "These meetings are a great opportunity for local residents. Please use them if you have local concerns and let your friends and neighbours know about them also".
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- ALPHA Road Playground: Liberal Democrat councillors want to know if local residents would like to see a children's play ground in the Alpha Road park. Cllr Eady said "We want to improve facilities for local parents and their children. We have identified a geographical gap and we want to know if residents would like to see such a play ground put in the park". Councillors are asking residents to let them know if they would support such a facility. Three years ago, a similar idea was suggested to residents but the Tories did not make funding available. The Liberal Democrats are trying to identify what funds could be made available if the support was there for the play ground.
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- ROAD Safety Issues: The Liberal Democrats want to improve safety of roads and pavements across our area. Cllr Elloy is interested in hearing from any residents who may have road safety concerns. Cllr Elloy said "There is a big issue with illegal parking on the corner of streets in our area especially the busy Hampton and Stanley Roads. I have asked the council to put double yellow lines in the most dangerous corners." Cllr Cardy added "If you know of any other road safety issues then please drop us a line".
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- RECYCLING Improvements: Doorstep plastic and cardboard recycling is being introduced in November. In the mean time, if you are missing any recycling boxes or would like more information please get in touch with your local councillors. Apparently some residents never got their food waste boxes. For your free boxes please contact 08456 122 660.
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2006 News:
- FROM COMMENTS winter 2006/7: the Liberal Democrats will introduce the doorstep collection of plastic bottles and cardboard later this year, whilst retaining the weekly waste collection. Despite scare-mongering and lies by the Tory opposition, the plastics and cardboard pilot scheme which had been in operation in some of the streets of Hampton will be extended across Hampton and the Borough in November. There will be a massive education exercise to let residents know how and when their waste will be collected and importantly extra investment in new street collection vehicles which will be purchased later this year. The Tories have been claiming that the Lib Dem council was planning to collect residual household waste fortnightly rather than weekly. This simply isn't true. Residents in Hampton were concerned to see a vehicle mixing recyclable materials together, however this was just part of an experiment to understand which was the best method to collect recycled materials. The Council still wants residents to separate materials as this is the most environmental and cost effective way to recycle.
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Cllr Malcolm Eady said "We aim to have the best and greenest waste collection in London. Doorstep collection of plastic bottles and cardboard was a key election promise, which we will be delivering later this year. This will increase the recycling rate in Hampton and across the Borough". Cllr Jonathan Cardy added "Recycling all recyclable waste is vitally important to protect our environment. Central government intends to impose increasing charges on waste going to land fill, especially organic waste, as landfill space is running out". Jonathan continued "Boroughs who do not meet recycling targets will be heavily penalised. More charges from central government mean more Council Tax so it makes financial as well as environmental sense for all of us to do all we can". The Council is hoping to encourage more residents to make use of the current food waste collection or for residents to compost their own organic waste. For more information contact one of your local councillors. Organic landfill is being particularly discouraged because it creates methane which is a much more powerful greenhouse gas than CO2. |
- TACKLING climate change: The Lib Dems are tackling climate change locally. They have led the way including a policy to charge parking per- mits based on carbon emissions or engine sizes for cars older than 2001. Cllr Eady said "We hope people will change their behaviour and the next time they buy a car they will buy a less polluting car". As well as this national first the Council have also employed a Sustainability Manager to help the council and the borough's residents become even greener. Cllr Jerry Elloy added "As well as signing up to a climate change strategy we have also reduced the amount of energy the Council used in its first hundred days".
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- YOUR local Councillors are eager to hear about any crime or anti-social behaviour problems in your area. Cllrs Elloy, Eady & Cardy are eager to tackle these issues to help make Hampton as safe as possible. Cllr Jonathan Cardy said "We hope residents will come along to the next police meeting to discuss these issues with your local police team as well as your councillors". Residents who are interested in the policing of their local area are being invited to Police Liaison Group meeting at Hampton Junior School on Monday 19th March at 7.30pm.
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- HAMPTON Community College has received the Investor in Careers (IiC) accreditation. Awarded by Connexions, the accolade followed a rigorous inspection and covered all aspects of careers work. It was structured around four key elements relating to the management of careers education and guidance; commitment; organisation; delivery and evaluation.
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- BUCKINGHAM Fence has been dismantled. This was put up by the last Conservative administration without consultation and has been taken down because of opposition by the residents. Consultation has already been a mark of the new Liberal Democrat Council, and following representation about the open land; the Council has agreed to award Buckingham Fields Village Green Status. This should ensure that it remains safe and open for community use well into the future.
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- CARLISLE Park: We are very pleased to welcome our new tenant who has taken up residence in the flat on the top floor of the pavilion. We hope that our park keeper will be very happy in his new home. Residents can feel reassured that although he may not be working in the park all the time he will be present when the rest of us have gone home! This is something that Cllr. Suzette Nicholson has been pressing for since she was first elected in October 2004.
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- THE future. The Council and other key groups are responsible for producing a Community Plan that sets out some key objectives for the next ten years. Residents were asked to register their views. The themes in the consultation included: Safer and stronger communities Greener and cleaner Healthier Communities Children and young people Business and culture As well as being able to make your views known online, some of you have been visited and asked to complete paper versions. By doing these two things we hope that more people would be able to contribute than a traditional consultation meeting. The results will be analysed and feedback given.
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- PARKING in Station Road: Cllrs Elloy, Eady & Cardy are particularly taking the lead in changing the present restrictions. They are discussing the change of this area's parking to include 20 minute parking slots so that car drivers can make quick visits to the Post Office and other shops in this road.
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- HORSE Chestnut Trees: You may have noticed that leaf miner moth has affected the Horse Chestnut Trees in Bushy Park and elsewhere. This caused their leaves to brown earlier than usual. If the tree becomes weakened it is also likely to be affected by the more serious 'bleeding canker'.
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- BUS stops Work will be taking place in the Hampton area in the coming months on a number of the local bus stops in order to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act of 1995. Consultation to minimise any possible major inconvenience has taken place, but it is necessary so that access to buses by disabled people complies with the Act.
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