David Grantham

Update

2010-05-22T13:45:00.001+01:00

It's been a while since my last post. I resigned as a Havering councillor back in January - this was for personal reasons, including family (a question of time and the need to be on the other side of London) and altered work commitments with a new job.

Putney (pictured) is home. Part of the London Borough of Wandsworth, it's closer in to the centre of London - although in fact my commute into the City was quicker and easier from, say, Romford or Upminster. Cycling to work, though, has become more of an option and I've found that the journey time is not much different from public transport (and I'm unfit!) and is often more pleasant. Richmond Park is just around the corner, and many other green spaces, although Havering, being on the edge of London, had the advantage of being closer to real countryside.

I haven't got involved in Wandsworth politics - mainly the time factor but also because I've been something of a floating voter. The Conservatives, for me, generally have the right instincts on the role of the state, but at the recent elections I went for the Lib Dems - principally because of the need for electoral reform but also other issues. The Con-Lib coalition (or whatever we are calling it) seems to be a good election result.

Audit Committee Dec 09

2009-12-19T20:34:00.006Z

Audit Committee on 8th December 2009 was one of our longer meetings. As it happens, the way in which we manage our agendas was part of the "Annual Review of Audit Committee Effectiveness" which we looked at - as chairman I'm always grateful for the efforts of members (of all parties) in keeping our work focused and effective. We probably benefit from being one of the less politically-charged committees.

One of the principal agenda items was the Annual Audit Letter from the Council's auditors (PWC). This includes scores for the Council in terms of managing finances, governing the business and managing resources. The Council comes out well (taking into account that the scoring system is harder than in previous years), and members asked searching questions on areas where improvements could be made.

Other matters included updates on housing benefit fraud, adult social services (which had budget problems in 2007/8), treasury management (how the Council invests and borrows money) and the regular internal audit progress report. We also looked at the annual review of the Council's risk management arrangements - as usual there was a debate about how one assesses both likelihood and impact of risk in drawing up the Council's risk register.

The agenda can be found here, as can the minutes in due course as part of the next agenda.

Illuminating Elm Park 2009

2009-12-12T16:14:00.016Z

Illuminating Elm Park 2009 saw local businesses and residents again enthusiastically taking part in the festivities on what was a cold evening. The mayor, Cllr Roger Ramsey, switched on the Christmas tree lights, while James Brokenshire MP assisted with the countdown. The Elm Park Regeneration Partnership did a great job as ever (and, among the annual traditions, Ingrid Brandon was again in costume - this year as a tin soldier).

A good night once more for Elm Park - a nice moment was when one lady stepped up to say she had just moved into the area and was really impressed with the community spirit.

This will be my last Illuminating Elm Park as a councillor and I shall miss my (limited) role in the festivities - where else would one be asked directions by a roller-skating christmas pudding?

"Mr Holly", James Brokenshire MP, Simon Jones

Recent meetings

2009-11-16T21:52:00.006Z

Just to catch up on recent meetings, Council on 21 Oct 2009 was a lively occasion. The key debate was on a Residents' Association motion to suspend car parking charges in out of town centres in view of the recession. The Administration amendment (which was passed) focused instead on the benefits of the charges in terms of deterring commuter parking. There's more on the meeting in the Romford Recorder here, and also a more recent piece here.

The other debate was about making Council proceedings available online. In short, there are a variety of views as to how fast/far we want to go on this - I made the point in my contribution that councillors will have varying experiences of technology. Accessibility is, I think, the strongest argument - a resident's ability to observe meetings shouldn't, in this day and age, depend on their physical ability to get to the Town Hall. I supported the Administration amendment which provided for webcasting of Full Council and Cabinet, but with other meetings to be given further thought. As was said in the debate, we need in particular to think about meetings where the public can speak, e.g. planning, but who may not want to be filmed.

Other aspects of the meeting included a lively Q&A session and acknowledgment of the achievements of the Royal British Legion Band & Corps Of Drums Romford at the 2009 World Music Contest. The agenda for the meeting, and in due course the minutes as part of the next agenda, are here (there are two agendas - we had an extraordinary meeting first to deal with a piece of business which couldn't be dealt with in the main meeting).

On 27 Oct 2009 we had the Joint Area Committee Oct regarding the proposal to put Clydesdale Road into a residents' parking scheme (which I've previously mentioned). In the end the decision was to recommend that the road be put into the scheme, but without the single yellow line in front of dropped kerbs which seemed to have caused a lot of concern. The matter will now go before the Regulatory Services Committee. This meeting was also covered by the Romford Recorder, here, and the agenda (including the reports) is here.

The Elm Park Story

2009-10-25T21:37:00.012Z

On Tuesday I attended the launch of "The Elm Park Story" at Elm Park Library - the book celebrates Elm Park's history on the eve of the area's 75th anniversary. The event was well-attended, with visitors from as far away as Bristol and Norfolk. We were introduced to the authors - Chris Hipperson, Simon Donoghue and Ingrid Brandon - and we also heard from the Mayor (Cllr Roger Ramsey) and the Council Cabinet Member for Culture (Cllr Andrew Curtin).

So what of the book itself? Well, it is truly a fascinating read for anyone who lives in Elm Park or who has a connection with the area. The book explores Elm Park's history from prehistoric times to the present day, but of course with the majority of the material being about the years after the creation of Elm Park Garden City by Costain in the 1930s. The initial sales process is particularly well detailed, with the reproduction of some of the advertisements providing a good insight into people's income and expectations of the time. House styles such as the Villete, Mayfield and Coronation Arcadia were proudly shown off by the developers.

The book then moves steadily on through the war years including material on RAF Hornchurch, and the impact of the base on the town including in terms of the enemy bombing and the aircrew stationed there. In particular there are striking pictures of bomb-damaged houses.

The book deals with the post-war development of shops and housing, including some good pictures of Tadworth Parade being built. Modern-day Elm Park is described, including mention of community events such as the annual Elm Park Fiesta and Illuminating Elm Park celebrations. Chapters of the book cover specific themes such as religion (including former places of worship such as Elm Park Synagogue), schools (with a detailed section on each), community groups (including Guides and Scouts, the Red Cross, the Woodcraft Folk and the Elm Park Horticultural Guild) and the railways.

The authors' efforts to include the personal recollections of Elm Park residents mean the book has a very human touch - for example, personal stories of the wartime years give a take on Elm Park's place in history.

All in all an excellent book which I thoroughly recommend. On sale at any Havering library or from Swan Books in Upminster, priced £12.99. I've bought two - having sadly left my signed copy on a train!

Planes and automobiles - Area Committee 13 Oct 09

2009-10-22T22:58:00.011+01:00

Cars and aircraft were among the topics discussed at last week's Elm Park & Hylands Area Committee. As regards the former, the principal agenda item was a report into whether Clydesdale Road should be made part of the Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) thus requiring residents to obtain a permit. This has been talked about for a number of years - the short of it is that some residents feel that the road should be included (reasons include the growth in car numbers in the area, the Queen's Hospital, and the fact that nearby roads are in the scheme), whereas other residents feel the road should not become part of the zone. There is now an additional issue of how to prevent obstruction of dropped kerbs in a CPZ which is adding confusion/controversy. The matter was not taken any further forward at the meeting, as it was decided that a special joint session should be held with Romford Area Committee on 27 October at the Town Hall (7.30pm) - Clydesdale is one of those roads split between two wards and two Area Committees. I'm hoping for a high turn-out of residents which will help give the issues a good airing.

Cars also featured in the public forum session, where concerns were raised about taxis building up in the centre of Hornchurch - the Committee agreed to look into this although it's not necessarily something the Council has power to solve. Mention was also made at the meeting of progressing the Pembrey Way parking plans - my understanding is a revised scheme is going to be put forward after technical difficulties were found with the plan the committee earlier approved.

Planes came up in the context of residents' worries about changes in flights into City Airport. Mention was made of Andrew Rossindell's campaign on the issue. Clearly this is a topical matter at present in the borough as a whole, and I see the Romford Recorder has had some lively correspondence on the issue.

Agenda for the meeting is here (minutes will form part of the next agenda).

Havering's Health Profile

2009-10-05T23:19:00.006+01:00

One of the more interesting bits of recent government reading has been the "Health Profile" for Havering, prepared by the Association of Public Health Observatories and others. A copy of it can be found here.

Havering is "significantly better" than the England average in many areas, including in terms of GCSE achievement, child poverty, children's tooth decay, drug misuse, violent crime, binge drinking, teenage pregnancy and the health of the over 65s. Contrary to the view sometimes portrayed of Romford after dark, it is on the binge drinking score that Havering is most ahead.

Less happily, Havering is "significantly worse" than the England average in terms of the levels of physical activity in adults and children, breast-feeding initiation and the number of people diagnosed with diabetes. The physical activity scores are perhaps suprising given Havering's prowess on the sportsfield (e.g. at the London Youth Games), and the fact that Havering is said not to be significantly different from the England average in terms of obese adults or children.

All in all, an interesting report, and one where Havering has some good scores.

Council 22 July 2009

2009-07-28T12:30:00.000+01:00

Full Council on Wednesday was a rather lengthy affair, and appeared (to me) to be a little more politically charged than usual. One example came in the Questions & Answers session where the Residents asked a number of questions about financial matters. The Conservative Administration referred the questioner to the relevant accounts on the Council's (public) website where the information could already be found or derived. In my view the Residents might have asked better questions (their leader, Cllr Barrett, even sits on the committee that considers the accounts) but then again the Administration might have been more helpful. Fuller answers were given to other questions on various topics such as fire safety in tower blocks, housing development in Rainham and the removal of dead animals.

As regards the debate session, three motions were on the agenda. The one on webcasting Council meetings and special events, proposed by the Independent Local Residents (not the same as the Residents or the Rainham & Wennington Independent Residents, if you're new to Havering politics) was withdrawn due to lack of time - it's a good motion and I think will be an interesting debate.

We did deal with Labour's motion that the Administration was derelict in its "representative duty" as regards both changes to flights from London City Airport and NATS proposals to alter flight paths, including as regards a lack of information given to residents, and, in the case of the London City flights, councillors. Even the debating skills of Cllr Darvill (Lab leader) couldn't really overcome points raised by the Conservative Administration e.g. that councillors were informed of the London City Airport changes and thus had the ability to raise the issue in Council or committee, and that NATS is go through a new consultation on its proposals. An Administration amendment to the motion, commending the Administration's execution of its representative duty, was passed and became the motion approved by Council.

The other motion, also a Labour one, was on the topic of consultation arrangements with Council tenants and leaseholders and specifically the need to conduct in the near future a survey about additional services and charges payable. The Conservative Amendment was to the effect that Homes in Havering and the Administration constantly review these things and that the Audit Commission recognised the effectiveness of resident involvement methods. As I've said before, there are perfectly reasonable arguments that can be made both ways on the subject of the additional service charges. On balance, and whether or not the original "consultation" was sufficiently detailed, there do seem to be advantages in seeing how the additional services work in practice rather than embark immediately on a (costly?) survey. The Conservative Amendment was carried and the amended motion was passed. Due to the length of the meeting, shorter time limits were imposed on speeches in this debate - I wonder if there is merit in slightly more frequent but less agenda-heavy meetings.

Among other things at the meeting, the Leader made a statement about the Government's u-turn on Decent Homes money. The Mayor also presented a trophy to representatives of Havering's winning team from the London Youth Games, and presented medals to the Mayor of Havering's Cadet and Reserve Cadet. We also learned from the Mayor that Cottons Park and Harold Wood Park are the latest Havering parks to win Green Flag status.

The agenda for the meeting is here (the minutes will appear as part of the next agenda in due course). In particular the agenda includes the annual reports of various Council committees that were presented to the meeting.

Mayoral At Home

2009-07-14T12:34:00.015+01:00

Friday evening saw the annual Mayoral At Home where the Mayor of Havering greets councillors and others at Langtons. The Mayor (Cllr Roger Ramsey) spent some time in his speech focusing on young people in the borough, and he mentioned the Mayor's Cadet role that he has established - the cadet for this year (Lydia Skilleter of St John Ambulance Cadets) attended the event. Also present were representatives from the Mayor's charity for the year, Havering Crossroads, which provides support to those caring for others. Interestingly we learned that the Mayor has a good command of German and was recently able to deliver a speech in Ludwigshafen (one of Havering's twin towns) in the language.

As for Langtons, it is looking great after its refurbishment. Havering appears to be unusual in having such a good Council-owned marriage venue - last year I was speaking to a registrar outside London and when I mentioned Havering she asked if this was the council which had that fantastic place Langtons.

CEME

2009-07-14T00:11:00.004+01:00

On Thursday morning I was at CEME to attend a celebration of the centre's success - basically an opportunity to find out more about what they do. We heard from speakers from CEME and the Leader of the Council (Cllr Michael White), but also from external speakers. Paul Hasan-Richardson, Head Teacher of The Albany School, and Marc Cohen, Head of Design & Technology at Barking Abbey School, both gave powerful presentations about how the centre has helped their schools' design and technology efforts. Similarly we heard from Alf Heritage of AJC Wilson Bodyshop Ltd about the assistance available to local businesses. But probably the most striking piece came from Louis Henderson, an apprentice at Bramah who began to develop his interest in engineering through CEME's Saturday clubs. We also had an informative tour of the facilities. We (as a country) need to keep finding the money for stuff like this - apart from the education/training side, it's about giving young people the opportunity to try something to see if it's a route they want to take.

Area Committee 4 July 2009

2009-07-13T23:34:00.011+01:00

Last Tuesday's Elm Park & Hylands Area Committee was relatively well-attended, with most people seeking an update on Pembrey Way. In short, the parking scheme previously agreed by the Committee hasn't yet been implemented. This is a less than ideal situation, as I and other councillors acknowledged, particularly as everyone is waiting to see how the scheme operates in practice before seeing if any changes are needed. We did receive a helpful update from an officer as to where the scheme currently is and we will be following this up. Residents raised a number of points, including the possibility of simply going for the double yellow lines originally proposed, but the Committee (and it seems the majority of residents) would rather first see if the footway parking bays will be sufficient. But of course we do need to get that scheme in place to see whether it works.

Also on the agenda were a footway parking scheme and increased restrictions in Grosvenor Drive, TfL having raised the turning difficulties of the 193 bus. We decided to reject the scheme in its present form, primarily as we weren't happy with the increased restrictions. Hylands councillors made the point that the 193 bus now uses a larger vehicle than was originally the case.

Another report also concerned buses, this time in the Upper Rainham Road - the proposal was for bus stop clearway and double yellow line restrictions, the idea being to improve bus stop accessiblity and traffic flow. We did approve this one for public consultation - I'm not sure what the feedback will be.

The agenda (and in due course the minutes as part of the next agenda) is here.

Armed Forces Day 2009

2009-07-01T23:00:00.001+01:00

On Saturday I was at the Armed Forces Day in Romford - there was a parade which proceeded through the town centre before ending up at a reception at the Town Hall. Among the attendees were ex- and current military personnel, and Havering's various cadets were also represented (army, sea, air, police and St John's Ambulance). Everyone I spoke to thought the day had been a success and well-attended, although rather hot. I was fortunate to meet a number of the veterans, from WWII to currently serving soldiers back from Afghanistan. Chatting to veterans is always fascinating, and again the stories contained that mixture of the everyday (such as tussles with bureacracy) contrasted with moments of life and death. And of course the mention of friends who did not come home.


A veteran and the Mayor	Catching up at the reception	L-R: Air Commodore Brian Batt, the Mayor, Leader of the Council

Committee catch-up

2009-06-30T17:31:00.000+01:00

Several meetings at the Town Hall recently, mostly in preparation for Tuesday 23 June's Audit Committee. The June meeting is always the big session for the year as among other things we approve the accounts (prior to audit). This year we saw large moves in the balance sheet and income and expenditure, but these were primarily down to the recession affecting the value currently placed on the Council's assets and assets within the pension scheme. Although all the information is there in the near-100 page document, I'm not alone in wondering how user-friendly the accounts are - but the Council has to follow national accounting standards. As part of the accounts now published on the Council's website, there is a summary which hopefully gives a more accessible overview.

Other agenda items included the housing benefit fraud update, which made reference to the 20 prosecutions brought to court in 2008/9. The agenda for the meeting is here (minutes will appear as part of the next agenda).

I also attended the Crime & Disorder committee, on Thursday 18 June. Items included the annual report of the committee, and we discussed the committee's work looking at knife crime, the night time economy, and the management of sex offenders. The committee now has a statutory footing, following an Act of Parliament coming into force, and we talked about how this would shape the committee's future work. The agenda for the meeting is here, minutes to appear as part of the next agenda.

Havering Nightlife Awards 2009

2009-06-18T00:01:00.009+01:00

On Tuesday I attended the Havering Nightlife Awards 2009, held at Liquid & Envy in Romford. This is the third year the awards, organised by the Havering Community Safety Partnership (HCSP), have been run - the awards are a factor in the Council being recognised as a beacon. The significance of beacon status was apparent on Tuesday as there were attendees from around the country, as well as representatives from Havering's pubs, clubs, restaurants and other local organisations such as the police. The numerous presenters and speakers included Gerry Sutcliffe MP, the Minister for Sport. All in all a good showcase for Havering, and also an opportunity for the different sorts of venues to get together.

The results were as follows:

Award (and Sponsor)	Winner
Safe and Sound - Best Bar (HCSP)	Yates
Safe and Sound - Best Club (HCSP)	Opium Lounge
Safe and Sound - Best Pub (HCSP)	The Harrow
Outstanding Individual Contribution (Havering Strategic Partnership)	Kate Harrison, Hogshead
Best Night Time Venue (DCRS)	Opium Lounge
Best After Work Venue (Luminar Leisure Ltd)	Bentleys
Best Restaurant (The Romford Recorder)	Cranham Tandoori
Best Customer Service (Mitchells and Butler)	Cranham Tandoori
Best Family Venue (The Mall)	Cranham Tandoori
Best DJ Team (Time FM)	Opium Lounge
Best Live Act Venue (McDonalds)	The Fatling and Firkin
Heart of the Community Award (Link FM)	Queens Theatre
Outstanding Contribution to the Night Time Economy (Havering College)	Romford United Services Social Club

The winner of the competition to design the trophies was also acknowledged - Elizabeth Achillea, a student at Havering College.

There is more on the results on the HCSP's website.

Back from holiday

2009-06-16T13:50:00.006+01:00

I've returned from an enjoyable and informative holiday in Canada (hence the snap of part of Niagara Falls). One of the highlights for me was the train from Montreal to Toronto - apart from being less hassle and less cramped than flying, you get to see more of the country.

The holiday was booked before I had the dates for the Elm Park Fiesta, the official opening ceremony of the new library and the Langtons summer concert, and I was disappointed not to attend these (particularly the Fiesta which I haven't missed since my election). I haven't yet found out how these all went, although as regards the library opening I have seen the piece on Cllr Roger Evans's blog.

Although e-mail can be a mixed blessing, it can be accessed wherever you are in the world and I was able to use some otherwise dead time to manage my inbox. Residents have been in contact on a number of matters, such as some traffic-related issues in parts of the Airfield Estate, which I am progressing.

Elm Park Fiesta 2009

2009-06-02T21:53:00.016+01:00

The annual Elm Park Fiesta takes place this coming Saturday, 6 June 2009, from 12 - 5pm. There will be plenty going on, including music, dance, Punch & Judy, face painting, an art display and the large range of activities put on by each of the participating shops. James Brokenshire MP and the Mayor of Havering (Cllr Roger Ramsey) will also be putting in an appearance. A map of events is below - clicking on it will bring up a larger version.

Annual Council 20 May 2009

2009-05-24T17:12:00.010+01:00

The "Annual Meeting of the Council" took place on Wednesday (20 May 2009). The centrepiece was the election of the new Mayor for the coming year - this will be Cllr Roger Ramsey (who was first elected as a councillor in 1978) while the Deputy Mayor will be Cllr Melvin Wallace. There were the customary ceremonies and speeches, including thanks for the work of the outgoing Mayor, Cllr John Clark, and the outgoing Deputy Mayor, Cllr Pam Light. (The Romford Recorder has an interesting piece on Cllr Clark and his mayoral year here, including his appeal for the Friends of Havering Music School, and his unexpected meeting with Lady Gaga.)

The meeting also dealt with the election of councillors to various other roles, including cabinet members and committee chairmen and vice-chairmen. The leader of the Council, Cllr Michael White, gave his annual report - I see his blog already has a copy of his speech.

Council also resolved to confer Honorary Freedom of the Borough on Dr Eva Lohse (Mayor of Havering's twin town, Ludwigshafen), Lloyd Scott (charity fundraiser) and Air Commodore Brian Batt (Deputy Lieutenant for Havering) - a fuller ceremony will be held later in the year.

The meeting agenda, and in due course the minutes as part of the next agenda, are here. The Romford Recorder also covered the meeting, here.

Elm Park Library is open!

2009-05-10T12:40:00.005+01:00

The new Elm Park Library opened on Monday 27 April 2009. It's a real asset for Elm Park, not least because it replaces a prefab building from 1956. One of the new building's main talking points is its green roof - that's not green in the sense of garishly coloured, but in the sense of having a planted surface. Apparently the technical term is a "sedum roof" which will among other things provide a habitat for birds and insects. Although there can be scepticism about some things promoted in the name of the environment, making use of a large empty surface for something living, rather than leaving it as sterile dead space, must make sense. It will be interesting to see how the new roof develops over time.

Further details on the environmental features of the building, including the solar power cells, and details of the opening times and facilities available, can be found on the Council's Elm Park Library page.

The cost of the building (the last projected cost figure I can find is £823,000) was funded by the Council, the Veolia ES Cleanaway Havering Riverside Trust (using Landfill Tax Credits) and Phase 2 of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme (a Government grants programme).

Heron Flight Avenue / Elm Park Station

2009-05-07T09:30:00.007+01:00

Last week I took a walk with a Council official in two areas of Elm Park to look at some issues residents have raised with me.

First up was Heron Flight Avenue where the start and end of the school day sees extra traffic to and from St Alban's school. We met with residents and discussed their concerns, for example the hindering of access to and from some properties at those times of day. We also visited the three-way junction of South End Road / Airfield Way / Heron Flight Avenue, where a lack of signage is believed to be the reason for vehicles mistakenly proceeding into Heron Flight Avenue instead of turning at the junction – residents tell me that on occasion this has even included local buses. We also looked, at the request of residents, at a nearby dog fouling problem and the location of a rubbish bin. The Council officer and I are looking at possible solutions to the various issues (some can be addressed more easily than others).

We then had a look at a resident concern regarding the ability to drop disabled users off at Elm Park station. The officer and I looked at spots near to the station where users can alight (notably The Broadway – which, it has to said, is very near), and also considered issues around the taxi-only lane that exists outside the station. Personally I wonder whether the lane really needs to be taxi-only, but these issues are never straightforward. There is also, apparently, an additional point about vehicles turning near the brow of the hill, which may need to be looked at.

Then I took a look at the new Elm Park library - I'll do a separate post about that.

Recent Committees - Audit, Crime & Disorder

2009-05-03T19:17:00.019+01:00

A catch-up on two recent committee meetings I've attended.

At Audit Committee on 21 April we considered the annual reviews of the Council's whistle-blowing and anti money laundering arrangements. We also looked at the annual audit of grant/subsidy claims - i.e. money that the Council claims from government departments and public bodies. There was also the usual update in relation to internal audit matters - these covered partnerships, insurance, housing benefits, council tax, fixed assets and vehicle workshops. Other matters included a look at the internal audit charter and terms of reference, and the annual report of the Audit Committee - these items were satisfying for me as chairman, as I do feel members are proactive in directing the work of the committee and how we look at things. The agenda, and in due course the minutes (as part of the next agenda), are here.

At Crime & Disorder on 29 April 2009 we received a briefing on MAPPA, the arrangements used by the Metropolitan Police and others for managing sexual, violent and other dangerous offenders. We also considered other matters including the reports of two topic groups - knife crime and night time economy. The knife crime report recommended, among other things, the creation of a protocol with the Metropolitan Police to respond to a major knife incident, the establishment of a partnership for knife screening arches, and continuation of the Havering Police Youth Engagement Plan. As for the night time economy report, this included recommendations that Trading Standards continue its tough stance on underage alcohol sales, that the Public Carriage Office be approached to continue funding for the Romford taxi marshall scheme, promotion of the street pastor scheme (see a previous post), improvements around Romford station, installation of portable toilets on Friday and Saturday nights and clearance of rubbish by market traders after they finish trading. There was also discussion of the recent award of beacon status to the Council for the night time economy (previous post here). The recommendations of both the knife crime and night time economy groups will go to the Council's cabinet for consideration. The agenda, and in due course the minutes, are here.

Area Committee 2 April 2009

2009-04-05T22:45:00.007+01:00

Only three residents attended Thursday's Elm Park & Hylands Area Committee which meant a shorter meeting than usual. Topics raised in the public surgery session included the Pembrey Way matter (see a previous post) and further modifications to the footway parking that might be considered. Other items raised by residents included the Icelandic banks situation and grafitti in Elm Park.

Two chairman's decisions were reported: the agreement to spend c.£4k on speed control measures in Harrow Lodge Park (as discussed at the previous meeting) and implementation of highway safety improvements around RJ Mitchell School (as consulted on). The latter will include a zebra crossing to aid children crossing South End Road into Debden Walk, removal of some footway parking and changes to tactile pavement in Tangmere Crescent, and improvement of guard rails. Details of these and other changes are in the 16 April 2008 agenda and the minutes in the 22 July 2008 agenda, and relevant residents will have received the consulation.

The only substantive item requiring committee approval was a proposed speed table in Hyland Way and Norman Road, which was agreed in principle.

For the agenda, and in due course the minutes as part of the next agenda, click here.

Romford YMCA

2009-04-01T23:42:00.012+01:00

On Monday I attended a board meeting of Romford YMCA - I sit on the board as the London Borough of Havering's appointee (which gives me a limited role in meetings). Over the last few years I've learned how much Romford YMCA does - people commonly remark that they are unaware of the range of work. The most well-known part is the popular gym and various types of sports and fitness classes (e.g. circuit training, squash and kick boxing to name just a few). Services for young people include breakfast and after-school clubs, evening activity clubs for boys and girls and multi-activity weeks in the school holidays. For older people there's a senior citizen club, dedicated gym sessions and various other activities. Social housing also forms a big part of the YMCA's work together with the support work they do alongside. There's a load of other stuff as well. To find out more and what's currently on, Romford YMCA's website is here (from which the picture of the building comes).

Council 25 March 2009

2009-03-30T23:59:00.013+01:00

There was a full agenda for the Council meeting on Wednesday 25 March 2009.

The most important item was the report of the Health Service Ombudsman and the Local Government Ombudsman into the death of Mark Cannon - Mr Cannon suffered a fractured femur in a Council-owned care home in June 2003 and died in hospital in August of that year. The report made various findings of maladministration by the Council and the local NHS trust. The report was approved at the meeting, including the recommendations of a formal apology to Mr Cannon's parents, an ex gratia payment of £10k to each parent, and steps regarding provider care plans and risk assessments. Key councillors made statements in the chamber - points included welcoming the report and hoping that it would be of assistance to the Cannon family. The report is available here (although that's a big file - there's a summary here), and I see an apology from Havering has already been quoted in a media report here.

Other items included the Q&A session (which does work better now with the new allocation system), and various motions. The most discussed one was an RA motion and an Administration amendment both supporting the need for O&S committees to be independent from the executive. I explained that I preferred the unamended RA motion because of its proposal that chairmanships be shared more widely across the Council (although in fact every chairmanship is put to full Council for approval anyway). Accordingly I voted against the Administration amendment, and when that Adminsitration amendment was carried, I voted for the revised motion (i.e. the form of words the Administration were seeking).

Before that debate, we set councillors' allowances for the year. The Residents Association proposed an amendment to reduce Overview & Scrutiny chairs' allowances. Havering uses the London Councils scheme for allowances and whilst I have a number of issues with that scheme, it does at least offer something of an independent framework rather than just picking figures from the air. I felt the Residents would have done better to come up with an alternative, fully reasoned, scheme rather than challenge particular allowances, and I said so. The Residents' amendment was defeated.

We then had a debate on a motion from the Independent Local Residents' Group regarding procedural motions - an Administration amendment prevailed. Subsequent motions from the Labour Group (in relation to flight increases at London City Airport and surveys of Council tenants and leasholders) were withdrawn (this often happens with later motions as proposers often prefer to put them to a meeting where there is the time and ability to debate them properly). The meeting concluded as usual with the National Anthem (incidentally, the meeting opens with prayers - I'm not sure how many local authorities do this).

The agenda for the meeting is here - as usual, the minutes appear as part of the next agenda.

Odds & ends

2009-03-27T23:11:00.006Z

Various Council activities since my last blog, including: a joint meeting of the two current Crime & Disorder topic groups (Knife Crime and Night Time Economy) - we looked at draft reports that might be presented to the full committee; a meeting of the Conservative group of councillors (we meet every other week or so to discuss current issues); various bits of casework for residents including looking into disabled access to Elm Park Station and a traffic concern on part of the Airfield Estate; and full Council on Wedensday 25th - but I'll write a fuller piece on that.

Romford rising

2009-03-15T21:13:00.004Z

The Financial Times recently ran an article on Romford, giving reasons why it it might be seen as something of an up-and-coming town. Although some of the quotes are from estate agents (not exactly known for talking their area down), it's good to see a piece listing some of the plus points of Romford which the wider world sometimes seems unaware of. The article is here.

Worthing

2009-03-13T19:21:00.008Z

A trip to Worthing in West Sussex last weekend (family connections, and I used to live there). As apparent from my previous post on Clacton, I'm a fan of the English seaside. Two particular gems in Worthing are The Dome Cinema and the Pier, both illustrating how historic buildings can still have a use. The Dome Cinema, dating from 1911, is quite something inside following its recent restoration. (The film I saw there, The International, was fairly average though.) There's an Essex connection - the Dome started life as the Worthing Kursaal, the idea of Carl Adolf Seebold, who was actor-manager at the Southend Kursaal.

As for Worthing pier, which in its present form dates from 1935, this has the usual amusement arcade in the middle, but the end of the pier is now a nightclub (called, unsurprisingly, The Pier) (formerly Rutherfords and then Lush) - the walk back to the shore in the early hours is certainly sobering if the wind is up!

Crime & Disorder OSC 5 March 2009

2009-03-11T14:07:00.007Z

At the Crime & Disorder Overview and Scrutiny Commitee several items of current work were discussed. We received an update on the work of the Knife Crime Topic Group, who had recently made a visit to another London borough. The committee also looked at a report on the management of known sex offenders in Havering - it is hoped the police will attend the committee to give more background in the context of the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) system. (The input of the police, and that of other outside bodies, to the commitee, on a variety of topics, is excellent.)

We also had an update on the Night Time Economy Topic Group (I previously posted details of an evening we spent in Romford) and the news that Havering Council has been awarded beacon status for the "After Dark" category by the Improvement and Development Agency. (The Beacon Scheme identifies authorities that are an example for others for a particular theme.)

Agenda of the committee meeting here (as will be the minutes as part of the next agenda).

Beacon award

Audit Committee 3 March 2009

2009-03-05T01:01:00.005Z

Tuesday evening's Audit Committee included an update from our new external auditors PWC on their audit work to date. Our internal audit function also took us through the Internal Audit Progress Report, the Fraud Progress Report and the Internal Audit Strategy & 2009/10 Audit Plan. Within these reports there is quite a lot of information about how the council operates, and councillors asked questions on topics ranging from the protection of computer source code to asbestos management. The agenda is here and the minutes will appear as part of the next meeting's agenda in due course.

The agenda does list one excluded matter, i.e. where we resolve to exclude the public from the meeting, but as usual there were no public or press there anyway. Fortunately, excluded matters are very rare on our committee, and the press and residents are, rightly, welcome to observe (and I'm free to blog) almost all of our discussions.

Full Council 25 Feb 2009

2009-02-26T23:28:00.011Z

Wednesday evening saw the annual Council-tax setting meeting. These are always lively occasions, as the parties discuss each other's budget proposals. The Residents' Association set of amendments and that of the Local Independent Residents' Group (the latter exhorting the Council to invest in silver) were defeated, meaning the Administration's budget was passed unamended. The proposed overall Council Tax increase of 1.9% (including the GLA bit) is the lowest rise in Havering for 14 years. More details of the breakdown of the increase are in the press release, which also highlights the fact that Havering continues to get a poor grant from Government compared to neighbouring councils.

The agenda and amendments can be found on this link. It was a shame there weren't more public at the meeting as the debate from all sides was interesting and informative. There were lighter moments - for example the Residents' Association came in for some stick over their suggestion last year to cut that year's budget for road-gritting on the basis of climate change (we've had a bit of snow since then).

I did participate briefly in the debate, on the topic of the borough's heritage (one of the RA's amendments proposed a modest increase in the amount to be spent on this). My point was that the Council's magazine Living (which the RAs sometimes criticise) does a lot to promote heritage - recent examples being articles on Romford Brewery and Upminster Tithe Barn. One of the most effective protections for heritage is to tell people about it. The leader of the RAs, Cllr Clarence Barrett, did come back on my point saying that they were not entirely against Living magazine but were coming up with alternative ideas for a community newspaper.

Leafletting on the Airfield Estate

2009-02-26T00:31:00.010Z

On Saturday local Conservatives went leafletting on the Airfield Estate. For anyone who doesn't know, the estate was built on part of the site of RAF Hornchurch - as attested to by the street names (e.g. RAF airfields and pilots who flew from Hornchurch) and various buildings which used to be part of the base. There's a useful RAF Hornchurch website, which includes a graphic showing the extent of the airfield.

Mayor's Appeal curry evening

2009-02-25T23:56:00.005Z

On Friday I attended an excellent curry evening hosted by Cllr Bull and Mrs Bull, in aid of the Mayor of Havering's Appeal. This year the chosen charity is the Friends of Havering Music School (the pic at left is from the School's webpage). They have plans to promote music in the wider community to children and older people. Fellow diners included the Mayor and Mayoress, the Deputy Mayor, the MP for Upminster (Angela Watkinson) and various councillors. Hopefully a useful sum was raised from the tickets and raffle.

A day out in Essex

2009-02-21T18:53:00.021Z

I took a trip to the seaside last weekend after our work in Elm Park - and was reminded of how beautiful Essex can be, contrary to what the wider world sometimes believes. My train from Romford to Clacton-on-Sea passed by green fields in winter sunshine, Colchester (worth a visit for anyone interested in history - once the capital of Roman Britain) and canoeists on the River Colne near Wivenhoe. Clacton itself has the usual seaside combination of Victorian architecture, quiet residential streets and traditionally garish entertainments as one nears the pier. I had a cup of tea on the seafront overlooking the North Sea - perfect. (My councillor instincts, however, helped me spot a less happy picture in a shop window - a map for an anti-social behaviour dispersal area. But I wouldn't know whether Clacton is any worse in this respect than many towns up and down the land.)

Land clean-up Phase 2

2009-02-15T00:42:00.006Z

On Saturday the Elm Park Regneration Partnership and various volunteers (including local Conservatives) returned to the land that we cleaned up in December. Phase 2 consisted of installing some sign boards with pictures of various Elm Park scenes. The work went well, although there were the usual sorts of challenges - at one point I was despatched to a hardware shop to get more bolts. We also gave out information on the project - the theme was "Love Elm Park" as it was Valentine's Day. There was much interest and encouragement from passers-by. Usual thanks to the large cast for the effort put in - more pictures and information can be found at this link.

Doubtless there will be further improvements - other ideas are in the pipeline.

Full Council 4 Feb 2009

2009-02-08T22:59:00.011Z

Full Council on Wednesday evening was a truncated affair due to the weather conditions, and many motions were withdrawn for another day. Of those that did proceed, there was a lively debate on a Labour proposal that certain CCTV charges that Council tenants are being required to pay should, in effect, instead be met from general Council money. However, the Conservative Administration's view prevailed, i.e. that the charges are most fairly met by those who can benefit from the service (relevant Council tenants). Issues discussed included who in fact would benefit (various scenarios were put forward) and the consultation process. I'll leave the Recorder and the Cabinet papers of 21 January to give more background - suffice it to say it's possible to put perfectly reasonable arguments both ways. The Government taking £12 million of Council rents (in what is charmingly called "negative subsidy") doesn't exactly help - and in the light of that Havering does well to charge the lowest average Council rents in London.

There was also a lively question & answer session - this has been changed from a first-come-first-served basis to an allocation system that should promote a fairer balance between the various political groups. As before, any questions unanswered during the meeting are included in the answers set out in the next set of minutes.

Campaigning with Simon Jones

2009-02-04T14:08:00.009Z

A group of us spent Saturday morning leafletting in South Hornchurch and Rainham & Wennington, with Simon Jones (our prospective Conservative MP for Dagenham & Rainham - pictured left showing us the plan for the day). In the village of Wennington, on a brilliantly sunny (but cold!) morning, I was again reminded of how lucky the 'London' Borough of Havering is to still have so much countryside.

(The boundary re-draw is still causing some confusion - at the next parliamentary election the three wards of Elm Park, South Hornchurch and Rainham & Wennington move into the Dagenham & Rainham parliamentary constituency. However they will remain very much part of the London Borough of Havering for local government (=council) purposes.)

Area Commitee - Pembrey Way

2009-02-01T22:30:00.010Z

Thursday was the Elm Park & Hylands Area Committee - the agenda is here. The principal piece of business for Elm Park ward was the Pembrey Way matter which originally started when refuse vehicles had some problems gaining access because of parked cars. Prior to Thursday's meeting, various proposals had been put forward and Cllr Barry Oddy and I had a walk round last year to listen to residents' ideas. Thursday's report listed various options - with the recommendation being for a large amount of double yellow lines. However, we instead decided to approve a pavement parking solution (in certain places). The feeling was that this should improve the situation (if there still is an issue) and that if a concern arises in the future the matter can come back to Area Committee. (For me, this meeting was an illustration of guidance being "guidance". For example, there is inclusive mobility guidance that pavements should be at least 1.5m wide. Sensible stuff, if you had a blank piece of paper and were designing something new. But when looking at solutions for an existing road there is a need for balance. The 1.5m is for a person and wheelchair to pass together (preferably there should be 2m so that two wheelchairs can pass). Is 1.5m necessary in an existing cul-de-sac, which has alternative, often nearer (and perhaps better-used), pathways?)

Vote for Harrow Lodge Park

2009-01-16T21:50:00.017Z

There's not long left to vote for Harrow Lodge Park in the Help a London park scheme. Ten parks across London will get grants of up to £400,000 to improve them - the ten being selected by public vote. In the case of Harrow Lodge Park (part of which falls within Elm Park ward), the planned improvements would mainly relate to the River Ravensbourne, for example removing the concrete slabs and restoring the soft river banks. The Council has a webpage on the Havering parks being put forward and the proposed improvements, including information on how to vote (e.g. online). Voting ends at 5pm on Friday 30 January 2009.

Seen and Heard

2009-01-07T22:16:00.012Z

One of the better things I've been invited to read as a councillor is the Metropolitan Police Authority's "Seen and Heard - Young People, Policing and Crime". This is a quite thought-provoking look into issues around youth crime. Apart from the excellent way the research is presented, including case studies and views of young people, some of the findings are quite arresting (sorry!). Themes of the report include the negative media portrayal of young people (Lewisham Youth Offending Team are quoted as saying "If you closed down the Evening Standard tomorrow, the fear of crime would plummet"), and the concerns that young people have about being the victims of crime themselves. The report also has a look at what motivates those young people who do offend - some of it was new to me. The report highlights the benefits of police in an area building a relationship with young people - surely an illustration of the advantages of the local Safer Neighbourhood Teams that exist for each ward in London.

Full Council 10 Dec 2008

2008-12-14T21:14:00.004Z

On Wednesday evening I attended the full Council meeting (Council meeting papers can be found here.) The meeting included a lively question & answer session (where councillors can pose a question to the relevant councillor, e.g. cabinet member). As for the debates, three motions had been tabled. The motions in relation to graffiti removal and the out of hours Enviromental Health Service (specifically smells) were referred to the relevant Overview & Scrutiny Committee. The remaining motion proposed that the Council support the Local Government Association campaign for Gurkha ex-servicemen to have equal citizenship and pension rights. There was a debate on this motion but only in name as all speakers were in support - some councillors recalled their service alongside the Gurkhas while others spoke of other links or knowledge that they had. The motion was carried 49-0 (with no abstentions).

Audit Committee

2008-12-14T18:50:00.004Z

On Tuesday night I attended Audit Committee. In particular we had an update on the Icelandic banks situation - the Council has already published some useful background on the issue. Other topics included the regular updates from the Audit Commission and internal audit, and the annual review of risk management arrangements (this is where the Council looks at the risks it faces, weighs them for impact and likelihood, and considers how it can reduce the relevant risk). The papers for the meeting are available here. Again no press or public at our meeting - although (like most committee meetings) they are welcome to attend.

Rainham Village Fayre

2008-12-07T09:44:00.014Z

After our land clean-up in Elm Park on Saturday, some of the group popped down to the Rainham Village Fayre. The event really highlights the old world charm that Rainham village still has (aided by Rainham Hall - a National Trust property). Long may it continue.

The Fayre itself was bustling, and complete with Angels and Wise Men looking for the baby Jesus. Lunch for us was in The Ship Cafe in the centre of Rainham - and of course, after our work on the Elm Park land in the morning, it was only right that I treat myself to a large lunch....

Land clean-up

2008-12-06T21:43:00.014Z

Real progress has now been made on the long-running problem of a piece of land just off Elm Park Broadway. No-one knows who owns this land - the most likely theory is that it was owned by a company that was dissolved years ago. It has for a long time been an eyesore, and getting it cleaned up (weeds, refuse) has been frustrating - especially as the Council weren't able to identify the owner. We thought our battles were over when someone did a clean-up earlier this year - but the mysterious benefactor has never owned up (if it was you - thanks!).

Well, a community team has finally been able to move things on, and Stage 1 of a project took place earlier today. We cleared the rubbish, and then laid a membrane (to fight back the weeds) before putting down a surface of gravel (both from B&Q who were helpful to the project). This should help stop the area from becoming an overgrown rubbish tip. A new lock was fitted by Around the Clock Locksmiths. Stage 2 of the project is still evolving but the aim is to have something that takes Elm Park forward.

Thanks to everyone involved with the project, including the Elm Park Regeneration Partnership and the Conservative Future Social Action Network (both of whose help included financial support), Mike Chard (in a co-ordination role), Simon Jones (pictured above) and all those who gave up their time to help either on the day or behind the scenes. Thanks also to Network Rail, TFL and all the Council departments for their attempts to get the facts about this piece of land - although just who owns/owned it remains a mystery!

Romford by night

2008-11-30T00:30:00.005Z

On Friday I took part in a tour of Romford by night as part of the Crime & Disorder Committee's "Night Time Economy" topic group. We're looking at crime and disorder issues (well, that figures) and the aim of the visit was to meet bar and nightclub managers, door supervisors, police, taxi marshals and the new(-ish) street pastors. I think we were all impressed by the level of professionalism of those working in what can at times be a challenging environment. Probably the concern we heard most often was about the level of lighting in a few parts of the Town Centre, and the Council is already working on this. We were offered tours of several venues, but only had time to see inside the newly refurbished Yates and Liquid & Envy (the old Time & Envy). The street pastors were interesting to talk to (I hadn't realised they are all members of different churches) and we saw first-hand that they are indeed a generally accepted presence. Also impressive was the taxi-marshalling system which is credited with a significant improvement in getting people home in an organised fashion (and anyone who has used that rank at that time of night, like myself, will probably agree that the marshals are a great step forward). Our topic group will be publishing a report in due course, but in the meantime it's worth noting that the Council has been shortlisted for national 'Beacon' status (i.e. an example of good practice) in the "After Dark" category for its management of the Romford "night-time economy".

Yours truly and two of the Street Pastors

The lights are on

2008-11-29T23:43:00.008Z

Once again Elm Park triumphed over the cold weather for a great switch-on of the Christmas tree lights on Friday. Local businesses as usual entered into the spirit, with the competition for best-decorated shop and best costumes as hard-fought as ever (the winners were Waltons Florist and and Co-Operative Funeralcare respectively). James Brokenshire MP presented the prizes alongside Ingrid Brandon of the Elm Park Regeneration Partnership (sporting a polar bear outfit this year). The tree lights were switched on by the Mayor Cllr John Clark. (The switch-on is always greeted with some relief by myself and fellow councillors after a Council electrical problem two years back!)

Another good night for the community of Elm Park, due to the efforts of many including the shops, the Partnership, and those who provided sponsorship from further afield (e.g. Outback Steakhouse).

Ingrid Brandon and James Brokenshire MP presenting prizes

Illuminating Elm Park 2008

2008-11-27T23:28:00.001Z

My first blog!

I'm looking forward to helping out at the Illuminating Elm Park event, tomorrow Friday 28 November 2008. The switch-on of the Christmas tree lights is at 6pm, but the event kicks-off at 4.30pm with entertainment in the town centre.

Previous years have been good fun - hope there's another good turn-out this year.