zHeathfield p. 2 (Twickenham & Richmond Liberal Democrats)

Page 2: Comments and news from 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007 & 2006
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2010 News:

October 2010]: BREATHTAKING hypocrisy over HeathfieldLibrary: The New Conservative Administration has been accused of the most breathtaking hypocrisy by Liberal Democrat councillors over their proposals to axe the planned rebuild of HeathfieldLibrary thus depriving this area of the borough of any libraryprovision. Just a few months ago the Conservatives were spreading a rumour in Heathfield that the Liberal Democrats were considering closing HeathfieldLibrary. This was completely untrue then, it is completely untrue now.

Before the election the Conservatives were falling over themselves to attack the then Liberal Democrat administration. Cllr Frances Bouchier claimed that "The council is proposing to deprive that part of the Borough of library facilities. It is a disgrace". Cllr Pamela Fleming, now Cabinet Memberfor Community Development, said "With the recession and high unemployment Libraries are being used more than ever and all the key services they provide, including internet access, are a vital resource for the Heathfield community."

All three Conservative Candidates including Cllr Alan Butler described themselves as "extremely concerned over the future of Heathfield Library" Now, just four months later, the Tories are giving serious consideration to closing Heathfield Library and the very same councillors who were describing it as a 'vital resource' now describe it as 'under used'. It would appear that the Tories are willing to say anything to get elected, even if it means doing the complete opposite once in power.

From Comments Summer 2010: BUS Petition Goes to the Top: The campaign for the 110 bus to be extended through Whitton High Street. goes on! Campaigners have taken the fight to Conservative Mayor of London Boris Johnson, afterTransport for London (TfL) dashed residents' hopes. The 1,000 strong petition has now been handed into the Mayorfor him to make the final decision. Local resident Ann Goff has the backing of Lib Dem councillors, London assembly members and MPVince Cable in her campaign. John commented : "Let's hope the local Conservative Council can influence Boris so we can get our bus. "

ASAD, Bill and John would like to thank everyone who voted for them in the recent Council elections. Bill and John are pleased to have been re-elected to serve as your Councillors on RichmondCouncil. Sadly Asad missed being elected by only 39 votes but he will continue to edit 'Comments' and help Bill and John with their campaigning on your behalf. In Heathfield ward 45 % voted for us, 38 % voted Conservative and 16 % voted Labour. The other 3 % voted for the extremist BNP or spoilt their ballot paper. Bill and John's contact details are over the page and, as local residents, they are there to contacted at any reasonable time.

NEW Clinic for Heathfield:Recently the Council's planningcommittee gave permission for a new three storey health clinic to be built on the site of HeathfieldLibrary, on the corner of Percy Road and Hospital Bridge Road. The library will re-locate to Powder Mill Lane by the junior school and recreation groundlater this year. The new clinic will have two doctors surgeries and a dentist with extra space for health and social workers. An agreement has been reached with the Community Centre for sharedparking during the day. As we go to press the NHS still have thefunding to build this new clinic"We look forward to having a new state of the art health centre in Heathfield," said Cllr Bill Treble.

CRANE Park Improvements: At a Crane Parkmeeting at Heathfield Junior School, John and Asad were approached by a number of residents who were concerned about the proposal for a bridge over the river Crane linking the Hounslow and Whitton sides. This was to be sited near the Shot Tower. The steering group for the design will look at similar parks and situations and will have further discussions with Councillors and thepolice on whether a bridge will be a part of these improvements.

By far the majority of responses in the Crane Park consultation were for natural materials to be used for the entrances, seating and signage. The wild life friendly nature of this part of the river Crane Park is much appreciated by local residents and the idea of a maze was very popular. Work will have to be carefully managed around bird and bat breeding seasons so any clearance of undergrowth cannot take place until late autumn or early winter. If you have any views you can contact the parks department via the website or ring them through the contact centre on 08456 122660.

[Apr 24] Liz Jaeger writes: LAUNCHING their positive manifesto last week, Richmond's Liberal Democrats pledged to retain all libraries, extend opening hours and expand community use. By contrast the Tory manifesto does not even mention libraries.

Nonetheless Tory candidates in Heathfield, and Richmond Tory councillor Frances Bouchier, are suddenly talking about an amalgamation of HeathfieldLibrary with Whitton Library. Where they have got this idea from is a complete mystery, unless it is something that they themselves are planning to do. But they have been putting leaflets through Heathfield doors claiming the area will be deprived of libraryfacilities.

Spreading such alarmist misinformation is hugely irresponsible and a disservice to Heathfield residents who treasure their community library. Many local residents are very well aware what the real plan is for Heathfield Library. It is to relocate the librarynext to Heathfield Infant and Junior School's site on Powder Mill Lane, near to the new children's centre.

The relocation will go ahead if the Whitton Clinic planned for the present library site receives planningpermission. The new library will be in a brand new building of a similar size to the existing library and will offer an improved range of services. We have recently seen another library move from an old building in Hampton Hill to new premises at a different and better location. The new Hampton Hill Library is a resounding success.

Frankly, I'm astonished that Cllr Bouchier can get her facts so wrong. If she bothered to look at Cabinet papers she would know that half a million pounds is allocated in the capital budget in 2010/11 for the reprovision of HeathfieldLibrary in Powder Mill Lane. As for the Tory candidates, we must assume that they do not use Heathfield Library and have not visited it these past 18 months. If they had, they would have seen the letters to all library users, seen a consultative exhibition with pictures of the planned new building, and had a chance to comment on alternative internal layouts.

WHITTON: The Forgotten Town? Far from it! Cllr Liz Jaeger writes: Richmond Council's Cabinet last night agreed two items that will smooth the way for yet more investment in the Whitton area. The decisions, one of which agreed terms for the land sale for a new health centre and the second, which announced sites for wave two of the playbuilder programme, are the latest in a very long list by this Lib Dem Council to improve facilities in Whitton. Taken together, public expenditure in Whitton since the Lib Dems took control of the Council four years ago, and planned expenditure in the immediate future, amounts to several tens of millions of pounds. This is an historic level of investment and gives the lie to the negative and ill-informed accusations from the Tories that the Lib Dems have neglected the area.

In fact Whitton is receiving some of the very highest levels of public investment in the borough. On schools and children's services, there is £22.35m earmarked for the secondary school and £6m to expand Chase Bridge. Already in place are the new pitches and pavilion for Whitton School, representing an investment of £1.1m, and the new foundation stage class at Nelson Primary, £0.5m. The new children's centre on Powder Mill Lane was provided at a cost of £1.7m. On the Whitton School site there is the new Whitton Gateway centre for autistic children, opened in late 2006 with £1.3mfunding from the Council. And nearby, the new premises for the Whitton and Heathfield police safer neighbourhood teams.

Youth services have benefited from having a dedicated youth worker for the Whitton area. The £150k youth vote for a youth café in Whitton High Street will see a premises opening shortly, and the new Thursday youth nights at Whitton School have been very successful. The playbuilder scheme has seen three new facilities built in the area, in Murray Park, Heathfield Rec and Edgar Road. Last night's decision will see a fourth and fifth playground, at Chase Green and in Crane Park. Overall this is an investment of some £250k in new play areas. AdditionallyCrane Park is benefiting from a further £400k improvements through the London Parks Challenge. If the new Whitton Health and Social Care Centre receivesplanning permission, the new building will be a further £7.8m capital investment in the area. And there is £0.5m set aside to provide a new library if the centre goes ahead.

The High Street has recently been allocated funds for environmental improvements. An election pledge from the Lib Dems to reinstate the Whitton town centre manager has been honoured. Other improvements in the area include the refurbishment of the public toilets and the expansion of the recycling facilities. In 2010/11, £100k is ring-fenced for improvements to the pedestrian crossing at the station. Far from being a forgotten neighbour, Whitton and Heathfield wards are benefitting from one of the highest levels of investment in the borough.

TWICKENHAM Academy : Looking to the Future After a lengthy and full consultation process Whitton School has finally been proposed for Academy Status with the internationally respected educational body Kunskapsskolanbeing named as joint sponsor.Whitton School will close in August to re-open as TwickenhamAcademy in September. The Government has agreed to fund new buildings to replace those currently on the site.

Kunskapsskolan, the sponsor, is Sweden's largest secondary education provider. It operates 30 secondary schools in Sweden, educating over 9,000 students from the age of 12 to 18 years old. The Kunskapsskolan model works- in Sweden, students inKunskapsskolan schools results are above the national average.

John Coombs, local Lib Dem Councillor, said: "The additional funding and exciting, new teaching methods will ensure that Whitton schoolbecomes a great secondary school. I understand the concerns that some residents have expressed, but as Twickenham Academy the school is about to enter a fantastic new era." Local campaigner Asad Mahmood added: "Our Primary schools are the best in the country and I want our Secondary schools to be the same standard."

WHITTON High Street: Britannia Lane Centre. It is intended in the near future to open up the Centre for wider community use once internal works and redecoration is completed. If you are interested in using the Centre, please phone 0208 734 3415. Old Co-op: We remain hopeful that negotiations will conclude and the site soon come back into use ending the years of dereliction. In the meantime, representations have been made to the agents about the state of the building to make sure it doesn't present a risk to passers by.

WHITTON NHS Clinic: The local NHS has revealed their plans for the Whitton Clinic site on the corner of Powder Mill Lane and Hospital Bridge Road. If the Clinic moves across the road to Heathfield Library site (thelibrary moving to land byHeathfield Junior School in Powder Mill Lane) then this site will be redeveloped to provide flats for social housing. BothVince Cable and Councillor John Coombs are concerned that putting these flats into a three story block may be overbearing.

NEW Play Areas: Richmond has some of the finest parks in the country and, with a grant from the Government, two new play areas will be installed atHeathfield Rec andHounslow Heath. The plans are for a series of grassy mounds to offer changes of level for climbing, sliding and exploring on foot on using a bike. Climbing and balancing features spanning the mounds would offer 8-13 yrs more challenging active play.

CRANE Park: Many Whitton residents voted last year for Crane Park in the 'Help a London Park' challenge. The park achieved the highest number of votes, and consequently the £400,000 for improvements. Plans for the park were recently put up on the Council web site for people to comment on. The planned improvements include making the park more welcoming, improving access and creating links between the two sides of the river. You can still visit the Council web pages to see what is being suggested:http://www.richmond.gov.uk/parks/crane_park

BUS 110 to Whitton Station? A concerned local resident has begun a petition to extend 110 buses to Whitton Station and High Street. Many residents on the Woodlawn estate and off the Hanworth Road had no direct link to their High Street and find it easier to go to Twickenham or Hounslow. Bus routing is the responsibility ofTransport for London - TFL - (a part of the London Assembly).

They were already looking at extending this route to West Middlesex Hospital and the Council has told TFL that this small extension in the middle of the route would increase our residents' access to the hospital. " Extending the 110 route would make life much a easier for West Whitton residents. Please sign the petition so that TFLand the Mayor will listen. To sign the petition contact Anne Goff on 8894 3007," said Cllr John Coombs The petition will be handed into the London Assembly.

COMMUNITY toilet scheme: One of the popular initiatives started by the Liberal Democrats on Richmond Council has been the Community ToiletScheme. 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 the Community Toilet sign outside. 4 places in Whitton and Heathfield have joined the scheme: Golden Grill; La Parisienne; Twickenham Cemetery; and Whitton Library.

The Borough's 90 Community Toilets

2009 News:

From Comments Winter 2009/10: Good news! Work is well underway on the improvements to CRANE PARK. The park was recently awarded £400,000 from the London Mayor's Priority Parks competition, beating off some notable rivals by amassing 6677 votesThe park has now received £150,000 from BIFFAward for environmental improvements. Hounslow & Richmond councils together with "Awards for All" and the Wates Foundation have funded a feasibility study that has just been completed. The full report is available at http://www.force.org.uk Phase one is possible in the near future and would cover 63 hectares (currently the park is 33 hectares). It will run from Twickenham Station to Hounslow Heath. It is envisaged that phase two would take three to five years and will depend upon private land ownerships and other obstacles. After phase two the planned park would cover 97 hectares and would be classified as a new Metropolitan Park for London. Phase three would extend the park along the River Crane to include several large park and heathland areas and create a new regional park of over 400 hectares.

WHITTON School: An independent consultation on the future ofWhitton School has shown encouraging support for the Council's proposal to turn it into anAcademy. In answer to the question:- 9% were broadly supportive. Cllr Eady, the Cabinet member for Children's Servicessaid "I am 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. Concerns have been expressed by some residents about the proposed name change if anAcademy is created. The name Twickenham Academy has been suggested by some current pupils as it would help to reinvigorate the school and be a 'fresh start'. It would also help to reaffirm the links between the RFU and the proposedAcademy.

AIRTRACK: The Council has raised concerns about the impact of traffic at Godfrey Way and Hanworth Road if Airtrack, the direct train link between Waterloo and Heathrow airport, proceeds. Feltham Marshalling Yards, currently open ground, will become its base (storage of trains etc.) and a new road will be built from Godfrey Way as the only means of access to the site. This will add to the congestion experienced at the moment at this junction and increase the problems at the mini roundabout at the Powder Mill Lane/Hanworth Road junction. " Please let us know your views," said Cllr John Coombs

A planning application is expected for the new clinic on the site of HEATHFIELD LIBRARY. When the NHS submits this the Council will put one in for the re-location of thelibrary. • Money has been received from the Government to provide more equipment for play areas. Both the play area on Heathfield Rec and on the Edgar Road estate will benefit from this initiative. • Roads on the Woodlawn estate have recently been resurfaced following concerns by local residents about the state of the road surface.

WORLD Milk Day at Heathfield Infants: In September, millions of children across the globe took part in the 10th UN World School Milk Day as a celebration of school milk and its importance for children as part of a healthy diet. Vince Cable lent his support at Heathfield Infants' milk day. Vince said: "World School Milk Day is a great way of raising awareness of subsidised and free milk in schools. Milk is invaluable to children's health".

The Football Foundation and Richmond Council have jointly provided the funds to develop an all weather pitch with floodlights on Lincolns Field. This will be run by the Whitton Fitness Centre at Whitton School.• Heathfield Children's Centre at Heathfield School in Powder Mill Lane has added an advice service on debt run by Richmond Citizens Advice Bureau. To find out more about this and other programmes run at the Centre call 020 8734 3405.

From Comments Summer 2009: • HEATHFIELD Library: Recently the NHS held an exhibition in the Whitton Community Centre showing what their proposal for a new health centre on the land that HeathfieldLibrary currently occupies may look like. It showed a three story building on the Hospital Bridge Road frontage with car parkingbehind. It is proposed that six doctor's surgeries, an improved clinic, currently situated on the opposite corner, and some social workers would be based in the new building. After analysing the comments received from the public who attended the exhibition they will apply for planningpermission.

If permission is granted and the NHS will buy the land from the Council which will enable the Library to be temporary housed on a site in Heathfield Junior School in Powder Mill Lane. Another doctor's surgery has just been given planning permission in Powder Mill Lane. At the planning committee John tried to get the hearing deferred until the NHS put in theirplanning application but the rules of the committee would not allow this. John, Bob and Bill are concerned that 7 doctors' surgeries within a few metres of each other will cause congestion in Powder Mill Lane (see separate story) and the surrounding streets. It is unfortunate that planning rules do not allow for a sensible overview of proposals still in the pipeline when a planning application is submitted.

FOLLOWING a number of complaints in regards to indiscriminateparking in Powder Mill Lane, we are in discussion with traffic officers to see if conditions can be improved. The main culprits have been drivers parkingacross private driveways when collecting children from the school. The schools have written to them in this matter. This problem will need to be addressed, especially if the library is temporarily located in the grounds ofHeathfield Junior School.

£400K CASH Boost for Crane Park: With over 6,000 votes,Crane Valley Park received the highest number of votes out of the 47 parks nominated for 10 grants in the London Mayor's park improvement programme. The park will receive £400,000 which will help fund river restoration works and the creation of a bridge to link the two boroughs of Richmond upon Thames and Hounslow within the park. New paths, bins and signage will also be introduced, along with continuation of the existing "carved bench project". The grant will also contribute towards thefunding of new cross-borough roles of Park Ranger and/or Park Development Officer.

Bill Treble said, "We are absolutely delighted with the result and are very excited about the improvements this fantastic cash boost will deliver for Crane Valley Park. Thank you to all the residents who voted for the park and a particularly special thank you to FORCE - Friends of the River Crane Environment - for all their hard work in making this bid a success." Richmond will be working closely with Hounslow on the project and initial discussions are already underway. If you would like to get involved in environmental activities in the park visit the FORCE website:www.force.org.uk

RUGBY Day Parking: A number of roads bordering Heathfield (in West Twickenham and Hounslow) are being consulted about an extension of the rugby day controlled parking. This is currently free to residents as it is co-funded by the Council andRFU. If these residents opt to be included in the zone then roads in Heathfield will be the closest to the rugby ground withoutparking restrictions. Bob, Bill and John lobbied to have roads within Heathfield included in this consultation but given the opposition by residents to CPZs in the past Council transport engineers did not believe our area was the right one to consult.

Academy at Whitton School: Following Government approval a feasibility study is underway at Whitton School for a newacademy. A top Swedish educational trust, Kunskapskollen is the Council's preferred partner. They are conducting consultations with parents and potential parents. Is this phase is successful a newAcademy will open in September 2010 at Whitton and a new school will be built on the site. " This could be great news for Whitton School. Millions of pounds could be potentially invested," said John Coombs

AT a recent meeting with London Buses, Bob and John raised the possibility of increasing the frequency of the 481 Bus. It currently runs one an hour between Kingston and West Middlesex Hospital along Hospital Bridge Road. The bus company will not increase the frequency as they believe it will only double the loss and is therefore uneconomic.

[From COMMENTS Winter 2008-9]: TRANSFORMATION for Heathfield Rec: Thanks to Lib Dems on the Council, £3.7 million is being spent on park improvements over the next five years, and Heathfield Recreation Ground is on the list ! Improvement work is underway, and last month saw children from Heathfield Junior school coming down to the Rec for a bulb planting session. The works will see Heathfield Recreation Ground transformed with improvements including tree, hedge and more bulb planting, bird boxes to encourage biodiversity, extra litter bins, benches and the renewal of damaged fencing. A plaque will be placed on one of the new benches to acknowledge the hard work and effort the pupils put into the revamped park. Local Heathfield Councillor John Coombs, said: "The improvement works will make a real difference to local people, in addition to providing opportunities for the junior school pupils to learn about the environment. It is encouraging to see how keen the children are to get involved. "We are fortunate to benefit from lots of open spaces in the borough, and we're rightly very proud of our parks and open spaces." Richmond Borough has more green spaces than any other London borough, and year after year receives one of the highest resident satisfaction levels anywhere in the country.

HEATHFIELD Library : It looks increasingly likely that the local health service (PCT) will get the finance to build a new health centre on the Heathfield librarysite. Should the finance be available, then the PCT would have to get planningpermission in the normal way. This means that the currentlibrary will need a new home. This would either be at Heathfield School in Powder Mill Lane or at a rebuiltWhitton School, if it becomes an Academy. In either case thelibrary would have its own entrance and be run with its own staff and stock as present. Bob, Bill and John would like to know if users, or potential users, have a preference to where the library should be located if a move is necessary.

MEALS on Wheels: The Council now offers elderly people, who need help, a Self Directed Support plan. The idea is that services are planned around the person, the person is not just fitted into Council services. As part of this it was proposed by a cross-party working group to end the home hot meals service. The savings made will be invested- careers for those that rely on the hot meals service as their "daily call in", assistance for old people with shopping & cooking and providing meals at day centres, there by ending the social isolation that some elderly residents feel. "I understand residents' concerns, but this is actually about providing a tailor made service for our users. The microwavable meals will also be a far better quality," said Cllr Coombs .

AIRTRACK: . . is a proposal to connect Heathrow with the national rail network to the south and west of the airport. Trains would run from Waterloo to Heathrow airport via Richmond. The plan would be to re-open Hanworth Marshalling yards as a 'garage' for the new rolling stock. Godfrey Way, off the Hanworth Road, would be used as the only road access to the yards. Bob, Bill and John will campaign to ensure that, if this proposal gets the go ahead, the amount of disruption along the Hanworth Road will be kept to the minimum. BAA, Heathrow's owners, are currently carrying out a public consultation.

AFTER years of campaigning Bryanston Avenue will be consulted on the introduction of yellow lines to operate between 11 am and noon daily. This road is one of the narrowest in the area and with heavy commuter parking, emergency vehicles are unable to access. If residents approve the change, parkingmay spread to surrounding streets. Residents of the area are asked to contact John, Bill or Bob if any problems result.

DURING February there will be a couple of consultations aboutparking. The RFU have funded a consultation to see if some streets would like to be included in the rugby day CPZ. At present the Council funds this CPZ so residents do not have to pay for permits forparking on match days.

RECYCLING: There have been changes to therecycling scheme. These changes have been introduced after problems with bags blowing away and increased litter after collections. "We are always looking at ways to increase levels of recycling. Richmond Council now recycle over 40% of domesticwaste," said Cllr Treble.

2008 & previous years:

[Comments July 2008] • TRANSFORMATION for Whitton School: Whitton Secondary School is one of three schools that has been earmarked for Academy status, as the Liberal Democrat Council try to improve local Secondary Schools. The preferred sponsor chosen for Whitton and Hampton Community College is a Swedish organisation called Kunskapsskolan. Both schools are starting to making good progress, and this change will allow them to develop into outstanding schools. Cllr John Coombs said, "I'm delighted Whitton has been chosen for academy status. Not only will the programme make millions of pounds available to rebuild the school, it will also benefit from the expertise of an academy sponsor who has some of the most valuable and modern skills in the field of education. They believe in tailoring education to the needs of the individual student, so that everyone gets the help they need."

The Council has decided to be a co-sponsor the Academies, so that they can retain a stake in the new school. The school will keep the same admissions policy and stay within the family of Richmond schools. Consulting with parents and local schools Cllr Bob King added, "The next stage is to consult with the schools, local parents, and the nearby primary schools. During the next few weeks, the sponsor will set out its vision for the school in a consultation paper. Local parents will be able to feed into this process and give their views". In the autumn, if the council gives the go-ahead, and government approval is obtained, a full community consultation process will be organised. Improving local schools Cllr Bill Treble added, "When we were elected we promised we would take action to improve our secondary schools across the borough. By bringing Kunskapsskolan to the borough we intend to make Whitton one of the best schools in the borough".

CHILDREN'S centre for Heathfield The building of the Children's centre in Heathfield, fronting Powder Mill Lane, is nearing completion and the centre should be opened this autumn. Cllr John Coombs said, "Three Children's Centres are being built across the borough using money provided by the Lib Dem Council and the Government. The other children's centres are being built in Ham and Barnes". The Lib Dems Council wants this centre to be an important facility for local children and parents. This area in the past has been neglected by the Conservatives. Cllr Bill Treble added, "The Children's Centre in Powder Mill Lane will have strong outreach facilities to the community centre in Edgar Road, serving the Hounslow Heath estate. We hope this centre will provide the services local families need". It is expected that when properly operating, the services provided will include: Early years provision ; Family support ; Child and family health services ; Parental involvement ; Links with Jobcentre Plus ; Support and outreach services to ; parents/carers and children who have ; been identified as in need of them ; Information and advice to ; parents/carers on a range of subjects ; Support to childminders via a ; coordinated network ; Drop-in sessions and other activities ; for children and parents/carers ; Links with local midwives and health visitors.

HEATHFIELD Working Together: The newly established Heathfield Working Together Group is made up of local agencies as well as voluntary and community sector and local councillors. The aim of the group is improve the quality of life for residents of the Heathfield ward by creating a voice for local people, advocating on behalf of residents, information sharing, planning joint projects, looking at gaps in services and provision and looking at way of meeting gaps. The group welcomes representatives from community groups or resident associations in the Heathfield ward. If you would like more information about Heathfield Working Together Group please contact Lucy Byrne, Community Development Co-ordinator, Richmond Housing Partnership on 020 8404 5089 or email lucy.byrne@rhp.org.uk or your local councillors.

WHITTON Business Association has appointed a Town Centre Manager using matched funding from the council. This means that the Council and Whitton Business Association share the funding of the Town Centre Manager. Cllr Bob King said, "The job of the new Town centre manager is to continue to foster good relationships between all the users of the high street and to be pro-active in helping Whitton to improve as a retail centre through a harmonious relationship between the private and public sectors. It is hoped that there would be a consequent improvement of ambience and working in Whitton High Street and the surrounds for the mutual benefit of businesses and people in the community".

CRANE Park: Bill, Bob and John recently attended a presentation by FORCE (the Friends of the River Crane Environment) about the creation of the Crane Riverside Park. Cllr John Coombs said, "They have been funded by, among others, Richmond and Hounslow Councils and have come up with an exciting proposal to extend and enhance the park area bordering the River Crane to include land up to Hounslow Heath and down to Twickenham Station". Cllr Bill Treble added, "Although a lot of the land is already green space owned by the Councils there are a number of commercial landowners with key river frontages. It will take a change in planning policy and then discussions with these land owners to extend the park in some areas". The nature reserve on Crane Park Island and the open area by the Shot Tower will remain. The Lib Dems will continue to put the environment at the heart of everything it does.

CRIME and Personal Safety: Your three local Councillors have been working with the local Safer Neighbourhood Police Team to make our streets safer. We live in the safest borough in London, however there are crime hotspots and local issues which need to be dealt with. If there is a crime or personal safety issue you would like to raise with your local councillors then do so using the details below. Cllr Bob King added, "We would also encourage local people to come along to the quarterly public meetings with the Heathfield police team. The public set the priorities for the team and so the more people who attend the better it is for local people". For more information about when these meetings are held please get in touch using the details below.

January 2008: £2m ENVIRONMENTAL improvements planned for five areas of the borough: Richmond Council's Cabinet is being recommended to approve spending of £2 million on the schemes over the next three years at its meeting on January 14. Shopping parades and other public spaces have been identified as the priorities for the five areas: Castelnau; Mortlake; Ham; the Hampton Nurserylands; and HEATHFIELD. These have been identified in the Community Plan as being the borough's five areas of relative deprivation.

Cabinet Member for Environment, Cllr Martin Elengorn, said: "The proposed spending is intended to upgrade the physical environment in these parts of the borough and improve the quality of life of local residents. Tired shopping areas will be revitalised and the general street scene improved. The schemes range from upgrading street furniture and lighting to tree planting and new paving. They will have a significant impact."

Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Resources, Cllr Stephen Knight, commented: "They represent further investment in local shopping parades and provide the opportunity to improve safety and access for disabled people. As with all Council projects of this kind, sustainability is vital. And these schemes will promote greener modes of travel by improving and increasing facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. There will be thorough public consultation to ensure that the views of all sections of the community are taken into account."

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2007:

FROM COMMENTS Autumn 2007:NEW Children's Centre for Heathfield: Work has commenced on the construction of a Childrens' Centre on the site of the disused caretaker's house in the grounds of the infant and junior schools. This is one of three to be created in the borough, the other two being in Ham and Barnes. Two of them are funded by the Government and one by the local authority. These Centres are designed to provide flexible services in communities that meet the needs of young children and their families. For parents and carers this can also include help with finding a job and training opportunities The new Centre will be a 'one-stop centre' that will provide: neighbourhood nurseries; out of school clubs; extended schools; and for children with special needs. A complete rebuild of the very popular Heathfield Nursery is included in the project which is expected to be completed by April 2008. In the meantime the nursery will be accommodated in an existing classroom in the Junior school with existing play equipment being fully utilised.

HEATHFIELD Library: Recent rumours regarding the selling of Heathfield Library site being sold should be firmly discounted. The library site is being looked at by the local NHS Primary Care Trust (PCT) who want to find a location for a new health centre. The PCT want to move the services provided at the present Whitton Clinic, together with local GP and dental services to a centre that would have all these facilities under one roof . The new centre would also treat patients for a variety of complaints currently requiring attendance at hospital. The local Council would not sell this land to the PCT unless it received enough money to provide a new library near to the present one. The Council is working hard with its partners to complete negotiations before the very tight deadlines for the availability of Government money are reached. John, Bob and Bill very much welcome the possibility of a 'One-Stop Primary Care Centre staffed by a wide range of healthcare professionals and are doing what they can to move the scheme along.

RECENTLY, a representative of London Buses accompanied Bob and John in Hospital Bridge Road and Powder Mill Lane together with an officer from Richmond Council, to examine at first hand the problems that have been raised by residents. The position of Hospital Bridge Road bus stops were examined and discussed. Your ward councillors suggested the re-positioning of one particular bus stop, be made permanent away from front doors of properties. Requests from residents have also been received for additional stops to be provided in Powder Mill Lane with particular reference to residents living a considerable distance away from a stop on the Woodlawn Park estate.

AT the time of going to press we are still awaiting news on a planning application in Woodlawn Crescent.

John, Bob and Bill are supporting residents who are dismayed at the proposal to pull down a bungalow (pictured) and replace it with a block of four flats and a new bungalow This application follows a spate of overbearing applications in our area, which we have opposed.

Success! So far the planning department has agreed with residents and your local councillors, with a notable success in Heathside, off the Hanworth Road, where the planning committee turned down a similar application. The developers have appealed to central Government and we await the outcome. If the appeal is dismissed it will make it more difficult for developers to get permission for these applications in our area .

Lib Dem Action in Parliament Liberal Democrat MPs have tabled a bill in Parliament to stop developers building in back gardens. It will need the support of Labour or the Tories to become law. Neither party seems to want to support this bill.

THE Woodlawn Crescent developer has appealed just as the eight week determination expired. John believes the developer realised that the planning department would recommend refusal for the scheme and that a Government appointed Inspector will be more likely to grant. John will make sure the Inspector knows local residents feelings on this application.

Hutchinson 3G have withdrawn their appeal in regards to the proposed telephone mast on the grass verge between Hanworth Road and Harvey Road.

DOCTORS wanted: When the doctor retires this surgery has planning consent to become a children's nursery. Richmond and Twickenham Primary Care Trust (PCT), who have responsibility for providing doctors and dentists in our area, did not object. They have told John that there are now enough doctors in the area. The team would like to hear from any resident who has experienced any difficulty in registering with a doctor so they can pass this on to the PCT.

ANOTHER Green Promise Met: 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. In Hampton 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. Heathfield Cllr John Coombs said : "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 as well as environmental sense to recycle more."

FROM COMMENTS March 2007: 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, doorstep plastic bottle and cardboard recycling will be collected weekly from November as well as keeping the weekly residual waste collection. Prior to implementation 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. Cllr Bob King 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 here and across the Borough". Cllr Bill Treble added "Recycling all recyclable waste is vitally important to protect our environment. Central government intends to impose increasing charges on waste, especially organic waste going to land fill sites, as land fill space is running out. 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.

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 John Coombs said "We want to hear local people's experiences with crime and their ideas on how to make our community safer". One resident local resident has done so already. A letter was written to local MP Vincent Cable regarding motorists driving the wrong way in Woodlawn Park Estate. They demanded action and the details have been passed to the local Police team. Residents have also reported that Wyndham Crescent is a popular venue at lunchtime for students of the Heathlands School over the border in Hounslow. There is a great deal of litter and the attention of the officers has been drawn to this problem, as it appears that one generates the other! Obviously, it is not possible to prevent youths gathering as long as the law is not being broken but it is hoped that some means will be found to discourage the littering. Cllr Bob King added "The problems of noisy motor scooters and mini-bikes were raised with the officer from the Community Safety Division". Bob will be raising the matter with the Safer Neighbourhood Police Team in an effort to see some action being taken.

HEATHFIELD SCHOOLS: Plans are progressing well for a Children's centre to be built at Heathfield schools. This is part of the governments push to provide all public services for children under 5 in one place. The Nursery site has been chosen to provide these services for the Whitton area and John and Bill are active with the schools, council officers and the architects in seeing that a suitable and sustainable building is constructed. The government has provided enough money to renovate the current Nursery and provide some new building. It is planned to remove the disused caretakers house on the site to provide more play space for the Nursery children. Cllr John Coombs said "Unfortunately, Richmond did not succeed in obtaining money to rebuild a Primary school in the borough. The Liberal Democrat administration had decided that Heathfield schools would receive this money and the architects had produced some imaginative outline sketches of how these schools could be rebuilt. At least the Council was thinking in a 'joined up way' unlike the government".

OUR local Primary Care Trust (PCT), a part of the National Health Service, has decided that the best way to improve the services of family doctors in the Whitton area will be to locate them in one place. They are looking at the site on the corner of Percy Road and Hospital Bridge Road, currently occupied by Whitton Community Centre and Heathfield Library, as being the ideal place for this. Bill, Bob and John have met with Council officials to discuss the implications. As the Council owns this land they have made it clear that they only accept the PCT's plans if a new community centre, library and carers centre for Homelink are an integral part of the plans. These plans will only be viable if housing is also included and Bob, Bill and John believe that any plans for the existing clinic on the opposite side of the road should be considered as part of this proposal. Cllr Bill Treble said "It's important that local health needs are considered very carefully and if changes are required it must not be at the expense of losing other community facilities".

THERE are various traffic problems in Powder Mill Lane according to the time of day. Problems arise when parents collect children from school and again on Sundays when Heathfield Rec. is heavily used for football matches. Additionally there is the problem of the excessively raised speed hump near the entrance to Lyndhurst Avenue, to which Councillors have repeatedly drawn the attention of officers. Sudden heavy downpours earlier in the year caused flash flooding as the drains backed up at its Percy Road end and Officers and Councillors saw a home video of the experience taken by one of the residents, which graphically illustrated the problem. The Councillors are pressing for remedial action as soon as possible to address the situation.

ON a recent visit to the Hounslow Heath estate with Officers of the Council, the state of the roads and parking areas was pointed out. John, Bob and Bill pressed for a joint project between the Council and Richmond Housing Partnership to repair the roads and parking areas on the estate, (The Council is responsible for the roads and RHP are responsible for the parking areas.) This would enable resources to be shared and save money.

EMP-TREE STREETS: a tour of the ward by councillors and officers looked at several issues, including that of street trees. In Jubilee Avenue, concerned residents have pointed out to Bob King and John Coombs the lack of trees where some years ago they existed. The matter has been raised with the council and it is hoped that trees will be provided as soon as possible.

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