Adrian Trett

Residents in Waltham Forest will be put at risk if the Mayor's plans to privatise Fire Brigade 999 call handling go ahead, warn the borough's Liberal Democrat Councillors.

Conservatives on the London Fire Authority backed by Mayor Boris Johnson propose to contract out the Fire Brigade Control Room that handles over 200,000 emergency 999 calls a year. They intend to push their controversial plan through before voters get a say in next May's Mayoral and London Assembly elections, when controversial Conservative LFEPA boss Cllr Brian Coleman risks being ousted.

The Local Muslim organisation Cann Hall Dean and Education Trust (CHDET) have resubmitted their planning application to Waltham Forest Council to convert the Colegrave Arms into a mosque with local community facilities. Following the initial residents' meeting in October 2010, the organisation hopefully, have now rectified any outstanding planning issues and, if agreed at a future Planning Committee, the former local pub will be occupied and serving the local community once again.

Figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats show that Waltham Forest Council have failed to meet their own targets for paying local businesses within 10 days for 7 out of the last 8 months. And they have only once met their targets for paying small businesses on time since last April 2011.

According to the Federation of Small Businesses the Government estimates that in 2008, 4,000 businesses failed as a direct result of late payment and it costs UK businesses £180 million in debt interest charges. The problem of late payment is not just a commercial one, but it is also ethically wrong. When large businesses or the public sector pay late, it can put small firms out of business.

Former Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Brian Paddick has been reselected as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of London. The election is due to be held on 3rd May 2012, when Londoners will also be voting for the Greater London Assembly.

The Liberal Democrats believe that Brian's experience is exactly what London needs right now, whether dealing with the aftermath of the riots or corruption in the Police, transport and housing.

In his keynote speech to the Liberal Democrat Conference, Party Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has outlined his goals for the Government and the country over the coming years. He reiterated his commitment to liberal values on the environment and human rights and his determination to ensure a fair chance for every child, saying "every child can do good things, great things, if only we give them the opportunities they deserve."

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On 5th May you have a choice. You can keep the discredited First Past the Post system to elect our MPs, or you can choose a new and fairer system - Alternative Vote (AV). Back the campaign for change at www.YesToFairerVotes.org

AV is a small change that makes a big difference.

Saying YES! to Fairer Votes Means:

The Council has set up a new department -Residents First which, before Christmas, closed down the very

popular Community Councils. Now, a few months later it is considering closing the Waltham Forest Direct

Shops in Leytonstone, Leyton, Walthamstow and Chingford - at a time when the Government is changing

Community Councils To go!

Cash starved councils are complaining quite rightly that they are having millions of pounds cut from their budgets, and Waltham Forest is no exception.You would think that they would want to talk to the people of Cann Hall Ward and consult them on where the axe is to fall. You would be wrong; one of the main ways of consulting local people is to go. Community Councils were set up in 2002, whilst the Lib Dems were in joint control. Now the Council is ruled by a single party Labour, they are to go as of January 2011. They are to be replaced by Ward Forums, which will have no decision making powers, no notes will be taken, no minutes circulated, no council officers will attend to answer questions, and councillors don't have to take any notice. At the time of writing, there are not even terms of reference or roles for the ward panels.

A 25-year-old Leyton man is leading a campaign to change the voting system.

James Cracknell, of Colville Road, is part of the Yes To Fairer Votes campaign in Newham and Waltham Forest, which is aiming to persuade local people to vote in favour of the alternative vote system in a referendum next year.

Mr Cracknell, a reporter with a west London paper, said: "It started around the time of the general election and after the election there was a campaign called Take Back Parliament.