Cann Hall Focus - February 2011 - Resident's to lose their Waltham Forest Direct Shops (WFDs) (Adrian Trett)

Cann Hall Focus - February 2011 - Resident's to lose their Waltham Forest Direct Shops (WFDs)

February 9, 2011 9:56 AM

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

the qualification factors for Housing Benefit. Cann Hall/South Leytonstone is already suffering with

high levels of debt and an area of high deprivation, where unemployment, already high, is on the increase.

The WFD's have provided Benefit support and advice for many local residents avoiding major debt on

housing rents and Council Tax payments.

Focus Team member Keith Rayner says, "At a time when money is short, employment is becoming difficult

and rising prices. Advice and support to avoid debt is essential but the Labour Council is hell-bent on

closing them down."

SAY YES TO FAIRER VOTES

Are you fed up with a political system that gave us the Iraq War, the MPs' expenses scandal and means

that millions of votes are wasted every election?

All that can change on 5th May in the Fairer Votes Referendum. Changing the way our voting system works

will mean that MPs won't be able to ignore people as they have in the past. Every vote will count.

A YES vote will put power back in your hands - where it belongs.

Adrian Trett said, "Changing our outdated and unfair voting system will give power back to the people. The

Alternative Vote system means that every vote will count unlike the current system where millions of votes

are wasted." The Fairer Votes Referendum on 5th May will be the first UK wide referendum for over 35

years. To save money, it will be held on the same day as regular elections across Britain.

Cllr. Liz Phillips said, "We've seen the failings of the current First Past The Post electoral system again and

again. It hands power to the lucky few who live in marginal constituencies and sucks it away from the vast

majority of us who do not. On May 5th, a YES vote can change that."

I/We the undersigned will be voting YES on 5th May to change Britain's unfair and outdated electoral system

Please Return to:

Clyde Kitson, 61 Matcham road, Leytonstone, E11 3la

A New Fire Station for Leytonstone

As previously reported in FOCUS Leytonstone , it does now appear that funding has been secured to build a

new Fire Station in Leytonstone. Lib Dem Cllr Liz Phillips says "This is welcome news as the Focus Team has

been campaigning for over two years to secure a new improved Fire Station for Leytonstone. Focus will keep

you informed, hopefully we will see this completed before the 2012 Olympics is vital for the area."

Labour's attack on sports

The Lib Dem Focus Team was astonished to find that overall hire charges across the borough are to go up

by 3 to 5 percent, but the Labour Council is to hike up the charges of sports facilities in the borough. The

hire of football and cricket pitches by schools is up 12 percent, Saturday pitch hire up 23 percent, hiring

Leyton cricket ground up 25 percent and the cost of running a school sports day up 25 percent.

Focus Team member Adrian Trett says: This is on top of selling off Drapers Field to the Olympic Authority for

nearly two years. This is a direct attack by Labour councillors on sports in Leyton in direct contrast to their claim of

'more investment' in sports.Focus Team

Getting Things Done

Council's massive rise in bugs and mice charges

Cllr. Liz Phillips has slammed Labour for sneaking through massive rises in pest control charges. Residents

suffering from bedbugs, fleas or mice will find council charges shooting up - bedbug chargesto £155 from

£97, for benefit claimants the rise is £90 from £55 a massive rise of over 60 percent. Flea control is up to

£115 and mice control up to £105. Liz says: "We are hearing that more and more residents have been

suffering from these pests and the massive increase in charges may deter people from calling out the pest control

service. This risks further infection to neighbouring houses and flats"

Adrian Trett