Posts filed under 'Environment'
Long time readers of this blog will remember that, back in May 2006, just after I was elected to Waltham Forest council, I wrote a little post about a clean up and litter picking session I was involved in with the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV), and one of my Labour councillor colleagues, at the Marsh Lane fields in nearby Lea Bridge ward (the pic above is from that session – you can re-read that post HERE).
Mark Blaxall (pictured above next to me on the left) who worked for BTCV at the time, but has since moved back to Australia, emailed me this morning to ask if any of this blog’s readers were aware of a new set of Greater London Authority (GLA) grants worth £400,000, being made available to clean up local parks.
The GLA is asking residents all over London to vote for which park they would like to see get some help.
As a loyal, life long and permanent resident of Leyton, I obviously want our potentially very beautiful Marsh Lane fields to win, so I therefore hope that everyone reading this post will visit the voting website and vote for Marsh Lane fields!!!!!
If Mark can take the time to be voting for Marsh Lane fields all the way from Australia, I hope residents currently living in Leyton will do their patriotic duty and do the same!!!!
You can vote for Marsh Lane by clicking HERE.
Happy voting and please spread the word about Marsh Lane!!!! 
December 12th, 2008
Helen Porter, from Waltham Forest Friends Of The Earth, has sent me details of the Art Exhibition FoE is hosting on Sunday 22nd July 2007, at the Lloyd Park Theatre, Forest Road, Walthamstow, E17.
The exhibition will be held on the same day as the borough’s annual ‘Green Fayre’ and Helen is inviting submissions from local artists, community groups and individuals, who’d like to take up this great opportunity to display their work.
If you’re interested or know someone who may be, click here to download a submission application form.
July 4th, 2007
The HEET Project, a brilliant local not-for-profit organisation, which helps households and businesses to save money on fuel bills, stay warm and healthy at home, avoid becoming a victim of burglary or fire, and to save energy and cut carbon emissions has got a sparkly new website.
The HEET Project hopes its new website will help it reach more people and alert more Waltham Forest residents to the excellent services it provides.
I think Leyton ward residents will find the site a useful resource.
Health and social care professionals, as well as crime prevention workers, will now also be able refer clients to receive HEET’s free services via the website.
All they have to do is go the HEET Project’s website and download an online referral form.
I think the HEET Project is a brilliant. I hope many more local people will now begin using its services.
Go to www.theheetproject.org.uk or call Tom Ruxton, HEET’s Project Co-ordinator on 020 8520 1900 to find out more!
February 18th, 2007
Who says being a local councillor means a life full of glamour? One of the biggest issues filling my mail bag and surgeries over recent months has been that hot topic of conversation, that riveting subject of many a town hall meeting, that burning national question on the tip of every local resident’s tongue: yes, you’ve guessed it: DRAINS!
Leyton residents have been contacting me in droves to report flooding like that you can see above. I always used to think that drains were a bit of a joke, something you thought councillors did when they weren’t busy dodging dog mess or resolving neighbourly disputes about garden fences.
But no, drains are THE. HOT. POLITICAL. ISSUE. of the moment and an issue a good local councillor ignores at their peril! So, for the last two months, I have had my local environmental services department on speed dial, to lobby them to sort out Leyton’s drains! This week, they finally sent us the monster pictured below.
Never one to run away from getting my hands dirty (literally) and because I possess the nosey streak that I do, I thought I’d try my hand at a little of this drain cleaning business.
And do you know what? I rather enjoyed it. If I ever decide to retire from local politics…
Seriously though, blocked drains have been making Leyton ward’s roads an absolute misery. By posting this story, I just wanted to let local residents know that I am – literally! – on the case.
If there are any roads with blocked drains you haven’t yet spoken to me about, please do let me know!
January 12th, 2007
One of the most prominent land marks in Leyton is St Mary’s Parish Church on Church Rd. It is a powerful, towering building that inspires affection among all of Leyton’s communities whether or not they attend the church.
Unfortunately, over recent years, the condition of St Mary’s glorious church yard has somewhat deteriorated. Where there was once wild life, now there are dangerous needles and syringes left lying about.
On Monday, I took a tour around the church yard with Reverend Tim Davies and church warden David Hughes to see its condition for myself.
David (pictured on the right) has been church warden for over thirty years and remembers what the church yard was like in its hey day. Only a few years ago, English heritage awarded the yard protected status.
I was shocked that this beautiful community space is now being used as a drug den and dumping ground for used needles and syringes (see below).
I now plan to work with Tim, David and other interested local residents to look at how we can return St Mary’s church yard and some of its fabulous grade one and two listed ornaments (see one of them below) to their former glory and stop illegal activity from taking place.
Restoring St Mary’s church yard will be a big project, but it is one that I believe is vital for the Leyton community. I plan to become fully involved and would urge other residents to join in.
St Mary’s will be participating in the Capital’s “Open House” day on Saturday the 16th of September 2006, between 10am and 5pm. The church will open to the public and there will be architectural tours and talks about the church’s history. I hope to see some of you there.
August 23rd, 2006
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