Hello again, another fortnight has passed and here is
TASK's latest round up of local news, which we would ask you to read and then share with at least one other person so we can extend our coverage as far as possible.
A new Seven Kings library: the campaign hots upWe are now in receipt of early returns of our library petition and ask anyone with outstanding forms to get them back to us at 31 Bradford Road, Seven Kings as soon as possible so we can collate numbers and organise next steps. Our hope is that we can complete this by the end of the month, allowing for forms to come back from some local shops and schools, which are now closed for their Spring holidays. Under new legislation, if a petition has more than 250 names - which we have already easily achieved - it is a legal requirement for the Council's Cabinet to make a direct response to the issue raised, so the obvious issue is for us to book speaking rights at an upcoming Cabinet meeting in May - we are checking dates - and make the case strongly in public. We also hope our local councillors will be on hand to support and reinforce the case.
The campaign was launched with an open letter from Chris in last weeks'
'Ilford Recorder' inviting as rapid a response to the opening of a new library here as in Clayhall, which got a new library facility last year without any public interest and in the face of low mobile library use. As he said in his letter, if they get one quickly without any obvious local interest or campaign, why is that nothing is happening here, where we have had a continuous demand over many years. The letter also invited Cllr Ronnie Barden, the Cabinet member for the arts, to meet with us to discuss this at an early date. As we go to press, we still await his response.
Zebra crossing now installed outside Downshall schoolFollowing a long campaign by parents and school governors at Downshall Primary school on Meads Lane, concerned at traffic volume and safe access to the school, a new zebra crossing has been placed outside the school. Whilst this is helpful news, school governors are still concerned about the exceptional traffic volume on Meads Lane, which has been substantially enhanced since the closure of Downshall Avenue a couple of years ago. This controversial decision is seen as aiding the residents of a small street - interestingly including the incoming Redbridge Mayor - to the disadvantage of the wider population, whilst blocking the most appropriate route heading towards Aldborough Road to go north. The issue comes up again at Area Committee 5 on Monday 14 April, held at Barley Lane school, starting at 7.15pm. This is the regular local forum for people to have their say on Council related matters, involving council staff and local councillors from Seven Kings as well as neighbouring Goodmayes and Chadwell Heath wards.
Yobs are history, say policeLocal police are confident they have cracked the back of local yobs, and feel that there is the option to move onto new activity according to a recent piece in the local press. TASK welcome all local improvements, and recognise a decline in some local issues like aerial graffiti, but caution against complacency. We are still aware of too many yellow crime scene notices around the station - recognised by the Council's own Licensing Strategy as a crime hotspot - and worry that with lighter nights and warmer weather, public drinking around the station exit and Joker pub will continue to be a hazard.
Our advice to the safer neighbourhood team is to keep watching and keep visible on our streets as often as possible, especially since we are advised the team is now operating at full strength after some team sickness. Please keep them - and us - aware of any issues where you are in order that any response can be speedy and effective. If the situation is turned around, as is claimed, it is imperative we keep it that way.
TASK leafleting: time for a final push on the High RoadThanks to our brilliant supporter base, we have now completed leafleting in most areas apart from the long roads off the High Road. With this in mind, we are going to do another big group publicity drop on Sunday May 11, starting at 1400 outside the railway station. If you can help with this for an hour or so, please contact Chris at
chrisconnelley@ntlworld.com. If you cannot make this date, but still want to help us complete our leaflet drop, you can still sign up to do a drop in your own time by making the same contact.
Local street scene walkabout: make a dateThis regular activity involving local citizens, councillors and council officials designed to pick up on, and take action to address street scene issues like dumping and dereliction, next takes place on Friday April 25 from 09.00. Please contact Ali at
ahai@deloitte.co.uk if you want to be part of the group. A warm welcome is guaranteed to all newcomers.
Local photos from yesteryearA sense of its local history is important to any area and one idea we are currently looking at is mounting an exhibition of local images from the past during the autumn so newer residents get a sense of what it used to be like here, and longstanding residents can share their memories from yesteryear. Our hope is that this will be interesting in itself, as well as helping to make links, and further enhance understanding and respect, between different parts of our diverse and ever changing community, so anyone with photographs, letters or local memorabilia they are willing to share is asked to make contact with us explaining what resources they have to offer but sending nothing direct at present. We will report back on progress with this in future issues of the newsletter.
Meads Lane Post office: it's a waiting gameThe national consultation period on post office closures is now over, and local postmaster David Shah- and all the other affected traders- nervously await details of their fate. We are saddened that Redbridge Council seem to have discounted the idea of taking over some of these sites as local service outposts, an idea being actively pursued by around 150 more imaginative local authorities nationwide.
New play space on Vicarage Lane: maybeFor a year or so now a local campaign group has been working up ideas for a new play space on unused allotment land on Vicarage Lane, near the junction with Mundon Gardens. This would allow for desperately needed and high quality open play space in an area that has been massively over-developed over the last decade, following the closure of the old Plessey Siemans factory and development of at least three sets of high volume new apartments, many units of which are rented to families with children despite having decidedly zero or very limited garden and play space. Redbridge Council has just been awarded £1m funding for enhancing play facilities and our hope is much is that much of it is spent here. Find out more at a public meeting on this scheduled for Wednesday 30 April at Canon Palmer School starting at 7,30pm.
That is it, folks. We are back in three weeks time - slightly longer than usual to account for school holidays! - during w/b 28 April. See you then.
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The Kinks -
Waterloo Sunset.
