Public Forums

At most official council meetings, and specifically Area Committee meetings, there is an agenda item – public forum. Anyone can put their name down to speak on any subject they choose and those present, officers and councillors, have no way to control what is said. They might try but it is only after the event that they will realise. They have no way to predict or control what anyone is going to say. Hence there is no censorship at council meetings.

Compare this with the public forum on the Redbridge-i website. You can’t have a look at it at the moment, so no link, because it is off line as of 6pm this evening while it is being upgraded for a re-launch on Saturday. Over the 2-3 years of its operation there has been considerable disquiet among some [most?] of the main users over:

• the time lag taken to publish posts
• that posts have to be moderated at all given that all users have to be registered, unlike a blog
• the inconsistent nature of moderation
• heavy handed censorship

This has culminated with a post submitted by “Weggis” replying to the Redimanagers post in notification of the proposed changes and which had the following paragraph removed before it was published.

Oh and what Redimanager’s post didn’t say:
All topics and threads will be set by the council and will be strictly managed within the following categories:
· Corporate consultation (including large planning applications where appropriate)
· Scrutiny Panel work programme topics (where wider public engagement is desired)
· Local News (provides a facility for users to comment on council news stories)
· Online services feedback channel (as exists currently for online services such as e-admissions)
· About Redbridgei – a channel for information about the site and user comments and suggestions as to how it could be further improved.
· Hot topics – high profile/ popular subjects for which there may be considerable demand locally.

Extract from leaked letter written by Roger Hampson, Chief Executive, LB Redbridge

The full letter is here.

The other heralded development – Neighbourhood Forums – is as “Weggis” points out in that part of his post that was published a return to the former make-up which didn’t work. But of course this is a government [taxpayer] funded initiative and we can’t argue with them can we?

Discuss

PolyClinics

click on Map to enlarge.

Redbridge is to have 5 Polycynics Polyclinics each serving a distinct area. The areas are not all the same size, either geographically or population and the “name” given to each area by the Primary Care Trust may not be recognised by you as where you live. So, click on the map above to see which one you are in, it’s over 1Mbits so be patient [sic!], [sick?]. One Polyclinic has already been provided in “Loxford” and it does seem to be welcome and has had some good reviews. On the other hand Cllr Mrs Sladden is not impressed as can be seen from her letter in the Ilford Recorder last week [page10]. Only one of the other 4 Polyclinics has a known location, that being the same site as King George Hospital.

The problem is that the Trust are to “encourage” General Practioners to move their practice to the new polyclinics. So, whilst some services may become more localised others will become less localised. This becomes a transport problem, especially for those with mobility difficulties, plus the location of a Polyclinic in some of the larger areas may not have adequate public transport for all potential patients to reach it, nor judging by other developments will there be much scope for parking provision. Not so in “Fairlop”. We have the ideal site in Oakfield playing fields once Frenford Sports club moves out.

So, the PCT “would like to establish community panels of local residents, to help ensure we include the views and listen to the concerns of the people most likely to use the services.” Interested? Here’s an expression of interest form. And here’s some notes from Bill to get you started.

The introduction of Polyclinics in Redbridge are causing concerns. We are not particularly against PCs, but I have asked Lee Scott/The Recorder to raise a non-political campaign so that residents throughout the Borough can be united against the following.

Any reductions in overall health facilities, and that this is not just another ploy to close King Georges A+E Department.

Any Polyclinic should be sited in a place where suitable bus services run too, for the sake of OAPs and people with dis-abilities.

Any Polyclinic should have suitable car parking facilities for the numbers of people who will be using the site, including staff.

Any Polyclinic should not effect our local Health Centre in Perrymans Farm road, including the doctors and staff we have in place today.

The PCT team should double check the numbers of people who will be using the centre, including those with no passports. Provision should be made so that people from outside areas do not flood the centre, as happened with the day centre which opened in Cranbrook Road before its closure.

Obviously there are many more questions that need answering, and many of us that fought against KG A+E closures are mis-trusting of the PCT team, and others in authority who consider cost saving to be their major priority.For all those people who agree with these thoughts you should write to your MP and Councillors, and get involved with any local campaigns.

The Griffin Wakes

Last week I did something unusual. I watched two Television programmes that were not football. On Tuesday I watched “The end of the Line” and on Thursday I watched BBCs Question Time. They are related. I will explain.

The End of the Line is about what industrial fishing methods have done to fish populations in our oceans. Traditional fishing fields like the North West Atlantic and the North Sea are getting desperately low on stock. So, the industrial nations are going elsewhere for the fish that end up on our dinner plates. The film crew went to a stretch of coast in East Africa where for generations the local population has relied on fishing for their livelihood. Not any more. The big European trawlers parked off the coast and clearly visible, given dispensation by the host government, are taking away the local people’s living. They are going to migrate, and where do they want to go? Yes, Europe. Said one local “They want our fish, but they don’t want us”.

Which brings me to BBCs QT and the appearance of the leader of the British National Party, Nick Griffin. Much has been written and debated about whether or not the BBC should have invited him onto the programme. And in the last few days still further debate about the programme itself. There are far too many links to supply here, but from my perspective it’s a score draw. On the one hand we have those who feel that the BNP should be excluded from the political arena [a form of fascism in its own right] and on the other we have those who wish put them in the spotlight and expose them for “what they are” whatever that may be.

One thing is clear to me, well, possibly two or three. It is no good sweeping these things under the carpet, we have to face up to the issues and deal with them. Immigration and population are problems that have to be dealt with. If too many people get into the lifeboat it sinks and everybody drowns. If too many people visit an unspoilt place of natural beauty it soon loses its charm. Such dilemmas are the spice of life and hard decisions are not exactly best left to politicians.

The thing is that immigration and population are not “race” issues. They are number issues. There are many people here in the UK, who some may regard as foreigners, who are also concerned about mass immigration.

It was to be expected that BBCs QT would turn into a farce. It was a first and we’ve now got it out of the way. Next time, and there will be a next time, the initial conflict will recede and the issues will be addressed, whether or not the mainstream parties want to or are comfortable with it.

The fact is that the root cause of modern day immigration is the actions of governments who support multi-national corporations who in turn exploit the populations of third world countries. And we, yes that’s you too, play our part when we buy things without checking where they came from, what the provenance is, who made it etc.

As ye sow, so shall ye reap. We are all guilty. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

Take me to the Leader

The leader of Redbridge Council, Cllr Keith Prince [pictured right, note the Gary Cooper pose] is going to be very busy over the next couple of months. I just hope that he finds time to do his Christmas shopping otherwise the earache he is going to get from what I am about to describe will pale [pail?] into insignificance.

He is about to embark on a meet the people tour, talking to residents all over the borough about what they see as priorities for improvement. Be it potholes or graffiti, anti-social behaviour, exorbitant council tax, lack of swimming facilities or libraries, I would expect everyone has got something to have a whinge about. A brave man. Good luck to him. A man’s gotta do……

He kicks off at the Ilford Mall on Monday 26th October at High Noon to 2pm. Watch his blog for further dates and venues.

Not only that, he is also hosting a meeting specifically on the Swimming pool situation at the Town Hall on Thursday 12th November again at High Noon. The Clayton gang Barkingside 21 and Johnny Ringo may well show up. If you wish to attend then please let his secretary know so she can book you in.

The following week on Thursday 19th November Cllr Prince comes to the OK Corral Barkingside High Street as guest speaker at the B21 coffee morning in the Hainault room Fullwell X library, 10am to High Noon. These coffee mornings are public meetings and open to anybody to attend and there is no charge.

If you’ve got something to say then seek him here or seek him there and say it.

Men in Need

Full story here.

Treat as a Caption Competition if you wish.

Revolting Neighbours

"A Liberal Democrat motion submitted to Waltham Forest Council demanding action over the lack of consultation on the expansion of London City Airport was last night [October 23rd] unanimously supported by ALL parties. This blow has been dealt to London City Airport and Newham Council after an avalanche of complaints was received by Waltham Forest councillors, many from residents who have been newly affected by London City Airport aircraft noise over their homes.

The motion (see beneath) requested a list of items to be addressed and actioned including an investigation into why Waltham Forest was not formally consulted over the expansion of flights at London City Airport by Newham Council. As Newham Council is the planning authority for the airport, it is Newham's responsibility to formally consult on any changes proposed by the airport. More…….. "

Is it too much to ask for similar action in Redbridge?

Death by the Wrong Cuts

We have a General Election due next year, back stop June 10th. The three main political parties are vying with each other over who can cut the budget by the most to deal with our nation’s unprecedented level of financial debt. But there is another debt that is not being addressed – it is our ecological debt. We are in deep do-dos in both.

Step forward Simon Hughes MP, Liberal Democrat, North Southwark and Bermondsey who proposed the following motion in Parliament on Wednesday 21st October.

That this House believes that it is vital that the UK demonstrates political leadership at all levels in response to the climate crisis, and that this is particularly important ahead of the United Nations Climate Change summit in Copenhagen if there is to be an international agreement which will avert the worst effects of catastrophic climate change; further believes that immediate practical responses to the crisis should include a massive expansion of renewable energy and energy efficiency and a commitment for all homes in Britain to be warm homes within 10 years; acknowledges that action taken now to tackle the climate crisis will cost less than action taken in the future; notes the declared support of Labour and Conservative frontbenchers to the objective of the 10:10 campaign which calls for 10 per cent. greenhouse gas emission reductions by the end of 2010; agrees that the House will sign up to the 10:10 campaign; calls on Her Majesty’s Government and all public sector bodies now to make it their policy to achieve a 10 per cent. reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the end of 2010; and further calls on the Government to bring a delivery plan before this House by the end of 2009 on how these objectives will be achieved.

Now I have to admit to being a bit remiss by not mentioning the 10:10 campaign on this blog before now. But I know that most of the readers here are already doing their bit, even if not for the same reasons. I also ignored the repeated emails asking me to lobby my MP to vote for the above proposal. I know him well enough to know that he would vote for it, and he did. Of our local MPs:

Iain Duncan Smith, Conservative, Chingford and Woodford Green – did not vote
Lee Scott, Conservative, Ilford North, Voted FOR
Mike Gapes, Labour and Co-op, Ilford South, Voted AGAINST
Harry Cohen, Labour, Leyton and Wanstead, Voted AGAINST

The Motion was LOST, ie defeated by the GOVERNMENT.

In its place another motion was agreed thus:

That this House welcomes the 10:10 campaign as a motivator of public action to cut carbon dioxide emissions through individual and collective behaviour change; recognises the value of such campaigns to build public support for action by governments to agree an ambitious, effective and fair deal at Copenhagen; further recognises the significant effort made by individuals and organisations to cut their emissions through the 10:10 campaign; supports the Climate Change Act introduced by this Government, the first such legislation in the world, and the system of carbon budgets that enables Britain to set itself on a low carbon pathway; notes that carbon budgets ensure active policies by Whitehall departments and the public sector that deliver long-term sustained emissions reductions not just in 2010 but through to 2022 and beyond; further supports the efforts of local councils to move towards local carbon budgets by signing up to the 10:10 campaign; further welcomes the allocation of up to £20 million for central Government departments to enable them to reduce further and faster carbon dioxide emissions from their operations, estate and transport; and further welcomes the cross-cutting Public Value Programme review of the low carbon potential of he public sector, which will focus on how the sector can achieve transformational financial savings through value-for-money carbon reductions.

So, basically the GOVERNMENT have changed the motion to one that does not COMMIT them to actually DO anything. Do as we say, not as we do! Now, let’s think about this. Cutting carbon emissions SAVES money, it is the sensible thing to do, regardless of whether or not you believe that Climate Change is a real and present danger. And it’s not as though Government don’t have the opportunity to reduce their [our? we pay for it] energy bills.

The official Energy Certificate for Ofgem's Head Office in Millbank.
The Energy Certificate for the head office of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority - an agency of the Department for Energy and Climate Change - Courtesy Dizzy.

Look if you want to make financial cuts in the government budget this one is staring you in the goddam face. There are major savings to be made here, but they don’t see it that way. It’s not their money, so they don’t care.

And here is the Pièce de résistance:
Mike Gapes brags about how he supports 10:10 and how he voted for the second motion, failing to mention to his constituents that he voted AGAINST the motion that commits HIM to do something.

The loonies really are running the asylum.

Accidental Closure

An accident by its very nature is not predictable. Neither are Emergencies. That’s why we have got the Emergency Services. They are prioritised though. You ring up and report gunshots the Armed Response Unit will be there in a few minutes. A cut finger might not have the same effect on the Paramedics and ambulance crew. Likewise a cat up a tree for the Fire Service. But a broken leg, a heart attack, a road traffic accident or house fire are treated with urgency. They are professionals.

The problem is the politicians and the managers they appoint and control. They interfere, they think they know best. They think they can make things better. But do they? Pah!

The present government has poured money into the National Health Service like never before. But like always the money comes with conditions stipulated by them the politicians. Targets and measures, forms and bureaucracy. You don’t meet the targets change the way its measured so you do. Tick the box, screw the patient. Have we had a pro-rata improvement in services? No!

You may have seen last weeks Ilford Recorder reporting that the King George Accident and Emergency Facility is “doomed” and on page 3 that our local PCT the Barking, Havering & Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust is the worst performing in the entire country. Hardly surprising given the conditions imposed by Government on the Public, Private Finance Initiative.

But it gets worse. It now emerges that the closure of the A&E is OUR fault. They have set a minimum operating level to justify keeping an A&E open. It’s 500 major trauma patients [which includes heart attacks and strokes], but they don’t say over what period. They are saying that we as a community don’t have enough accidents and emergencies to warrant keeping the place open. We are just all too healthy and safety conscious to justify the expense. I can just hear some jumped up twerp of a Minister claiming the government's health initiatives on smoking, drinking and binging on fast food are paying off. But it ain’t like that, oh no. The FACT is that strokes and heart attacks now go to the specialist unit in Whitechapel and other patients are taken direct to Queens in Romford. They have taken away the cases that would otherwise have gone to King George because they want to close it and they have made up a statistic to justify their actions, period. Pretty soon Redbridge will have no hospital at all, King George will become one of the 5 planned Polyclinics.

This is no Accident, but it is an Emergency.

Suggest you all google “Private Medical Health Care”.

Hard To Avoid

As it is the 19th October, I thought I had better correct the previous information that today would see the start of a six month respite from traffic chaos around Gants Hill. They have changed their mind and found a way for Thames Water and TfL to work alongside each other, so the project will be finished much earlier than previously expected. That’s the plan anyway.

Speaking of TfL Boris apologises for putting the fares up driving more people away from using public transport. So that’s more room for all those with Freedom passes, who will probably end up being the only people who use it. If you’ve got one of these, there are new arrangements for its renewal early next year. I suppose some people might think about using a bicycle, but they might just get put off by all the cars parked in the cycle lanes. What is the point of spending loads of our dosh on marking out cycle lanes and then letting them be blocked by parked cars? I suppose at least one of the 163 TfL managers on six figure salaries will have an answer. That’s why they are paid six figure salaries isn’t it?

Late last Thursday evening I got the bus home, or rather I got on the bus but it didn’t go anywhere. A passenger had passed out and had a nasty lump on her forehead. The thing is that the knight in shining armour looked like this i.e. what most people would describe as a “yob”, a hoodie. Things ain’t always what they seem. She was safely packed away in an ambulance by the paramedics and we were ushered onto the next bus. So one bus out of service and probably some pretty annoyed customers at bus stops further along the route.

I had been to the Redbridge Safer Communities Award Ceremony at the Town Hall. Barkingside 21 had been nominated as well as our vice-Chairman in his personal capacity. Neither of us won anything but we did get a “Commendation” for being nominated and had our pictures taken with the Mayor. No pictures as yet but here is one of all the Mayors of London. Ours is in the bottom left corner.

So, being disappointed at not winning, it was with interest that I read Dorothea’s post on Sunday. It seems that Councils have a bigger problem than trying to engage with the “hard-to-reach demographic”. It’s trying to ignore the “hard to avoid group”. That’s us folks. B21 is a hard to avoid group and we aim to keep it that way.

UPDATE: Roger reports on Monday evening’s Redbridge Public Transport Liaison Group, covering the absence of any bus route along Forest Road, poor service to King George Hospital, early running of buses and Gants Hill. The proposed 306 bus route, promised in 2002, from Woodford Bridge to Ilford probably was not even on the agenda. We don’t know because the agenda has not been published on Red-i. This, and the absence of a bus route to Ilford that avoids Gants Hill [the 306] does seem to be having an impact on Public participation from the hard to avoid groups!

New Play In Claybury Park!

The proposed site of the new Natural Play area in Claybury park has been revealed. See graphic.

The team want to make Claybury Woods a great place for children, young people and families with the help of an exciting and innovative natural themed play space and would like to hear suggestions and ideas from interested parties. You can contact them on 020 8708 3532 or by email. Same contact if you’d like further information.

Picture © Roger Backhouse

There is also a £100,000 Community play grant up for grabs. It’s for creating or refurbishing a Natural Play area in the local community and is available to any legally constituted group where the community is in need of or has poor play provision. Same contacts as above. More details here.

Impact

I sometimes wonder about those human beings [sic!] who deny that we are having a significant adverse impact on this planet and the eco-systems which underpin the life support system upon which we all depend.

In July 2007 I published a post about the Pacific Gyre. I didn’t publish the picture of the turtle. Perhaps I should have. It made me cry. Yes, grown up blokes can cry and not just when their football team lose. Here it is. Imagine that happening to a domestic cat or dog?

Photo: © Dino Ferri/Audobon Institute

So too do these photos from Chris Jordan. October 2009.

“These photographs of albatross chicks were made just a few weeks ago on Midway Atoll, a tiny stretch of sand and coral near the middle of the North Pacific. The nesting babies are fed bellies-full of plastic by their parents, who soar out over the vast polluted ocean collecting what looks to them like food to bring back to their young. On this diet of human trash, every year tens of thousands of albatross chicks die on Midway from starvation, toxicity, and choking. To document this phenomenon as faithfully as possible, not a single piece of plastic in any of these photographs was moved, placed, manipulated, arranged, or altered in any way. These images depict the actual stomach contents of baby birds in one of the world's most remote marine sanctuaries, more than 2000 miles from the nearest continent.”

Hat-tip Richard Lawson.

Now, if you pop over to Politics.co.uk you will fnd a summary of this blog:

Definitely a blog for those who live in the London borough of Redbridge; this is nonetheless an interesting, informative and well written blog. Clearly not for everyone but we're fans of blogs about local politics so this gets points for looking at local issues if nothing else - and we mean things like replacing an underpass where there has been a lot of violent crime with an overpass instead - that local!

Well it’s true that we are a local blog but have they actually read all of it?

A Change in Climate

A couple of really interesting articles from New Scientist.

The first looks back at previous major extinction events and changes in our planet’s climate to postulate what the Earth would look like if we do consume ourselves out of house and home and cause our own demise as a species. Interesting stuff, but of course if it happens we will never know coz we won’t be here to see it. One thing that stands out is that life will most probably survive. It’s not the planet that is in danger. But the life support system it offers could well change putting all those animals [that’s us] who depend upon it on the critical list.

The second explores what the world would look like if we do get a 4°C rise in global temperature. This, our immediate descendants might see, if it happens and it won’t be pleasant. According to the latest study by the UK Met Office it is quite likely and soon - 2055. No, that’s not five to nine, it’s just a mere 46 years away. Today’s children, teenagers and quite a few in their 20s will still be around, but today’s politicians will be long gone.

Ed Miliband writes in an email:

We face a fight and I need your help. Our generation is the first to understand that climate change needs to be combatted - and could be the last to make a significant effort to curb its worst effects.

Senior Tory backbencher, Douglas Carswell MP this week declared that those who believe that climate change is happening are part of a "lunatic consensus". I want you to help spread the word about what the Tories really believe. Click here

It's incredible that Conservatives still think like this. Their green rhetoric is undermined by their uncosted and incoherent policies. They claim to support renewable energy but across the country Tory MPs routinely campaign against wind power. In December, more than 180 countries will go to Copenhagen to thrash out a new international deal to tackle climate change. The stakes could not be higher. Those of us who understand the need for action need to make our voices heard.

Anyone would think there is a general election due soon. And Tories aren’t the only ones who oppose wind farms. So let’s put it into perspective.

Here’s Nick Hurd, MP for Ruislip-Northwood on the subject:

I know that some constituents are skeptical about climate change. My own view is that we face a very real threat which we must respond to now. Given that the oil will run out anyway, we should be getting on with finding new sources of sustainable energy. There is only a global solution to climate change and key negotiations will take place in Copenhagen at the end of this year. So it was a privilege to welcome to London Dr R. K. Pachauri, the chair of the IPCC, the key group of scientists who are advising international governments on the risks of serious climate instability.

Splitters, Eh!

Battery Recycling

Batteries aren’t that big and they don’t weigh much, well the domestic variety anyway, I’ve seen some whoppers back in the days of battery back-ups at the local telephone exchange. And to be honest we don’t get through that many of them do we. The volume is low. So, given our target, tick-in-the-box driven culture there’s not much incentive for local councils to collect or provide facilities for battery recycling. They just don’t contribute much to the tonnage. But that, as is usual with anything defined by our wondrous government, is a false economy.

As Sue Luxton, a councillor over the water in Lewisham, points out:

Batteries contain various hazardous metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, zinc, manganese and lithium. It can be damaging to the environment to mix them in with normal domestic waste. And, as the Council press release rightly points out, the materials that can be recovered from the correct treatment of batteries are the very same that are being mined (at great cost) in other parts of the world; therefore battery recycling helps to conserve more natural resources.

But then, they [Lewisham] have now got recycling facilities for batteries in all their local libraries. This subject was raised at our AGM back in April when we had Russell Ward, Head of Redbridge Environmental Services as our guest and speaker. He was not optimistic that we [Redbridge] could provide battery recycling facilities. But if it can be done in Lewisham it can be done in Redbridge and everywhere else. And why just libraries? I have recently noticed a printer cartridge recycling box in the Southend Road Tescos. Why not get the supermarkets involved too?

Our very own Cllr Nick Hayes was supportive in the comments of that post back in April and said that options will be investigated. Have they? Will Redbridge be following Lewisham yet again?

There are [lots of?] people who care and who will take the trouble, if that is the right word, to take their spent batteries along to a recycling point if they are going anyway and know it is there.

Smart Meters

As reported earlier I have been given a free smart energy meter by Kimberley Nanson, a freelance Public Relations consultant to review on this blog. It’s a Current Cost CC128ENVI [pictured] which costs £39.99 retail.

As she says:

"Energy monitors work in real-time so you can see the immediate effect in terms of watts and cash when using appliances and putting them on/off standby. The energy use is displayed in kWh and cost by day, week and month to give an overall picture.
As well as whole of house monitoring, it allows occupiers to monitor individual appliances (through plug-in monitors) so energy hungry devices can be detected and managed accordingly.
It's hard to say a finite figure on how much energy is saved, one user has been able to cut their electricity use by 50 per cent and another 20 per cent, which seems to be the average. Looking at the UK's average electricity bill (£453 per year), electricity use equates to 3,023 kWh, so a cut of 20 per cent per household is a saving of 88.62 kg of carbon a year. With 22,539,000 households in England and Wales and 21,660,000 of these being occupied if each home saved on average 20 per cent of electricity there is a potential saving of 1.9 million tones of carbon."

So, let’s get the gripes out of the way before I get onto the good stuff.

1. You have to plug it into the mains so it uses electricity, which means you can never get a zero reading.

2. It’s a Liquid Crystal Display which means when it’s dark you need the light on to read it.

3. The instructions for locating the sensor jaw aren’t that clear. I thought it meant the mains cable leading into the house but it wouldn’t fit on that. So I fitted it around both the red and black cables that run from the meter to the consumer unit. This didn’t work as the readings were wrong. Now it’s only fitted to the red cable it’s working OK.

4. It can interfere with the remote controlled door bell.

5. When I first used it, after a short while it started emitting a quite loud and very irritating high pitched tone. I’m not sure whether it was the telephone or the transmitter for my home wifi but having relocated it away from both those two it has stopped.

Now the good stuff. I wasn’t very keen on these meters in an earlier post, but now I’ve got one I rather like them, I suppose it’s my gadget nerd background. It probably won’t save me any money or reduce my electricity bill because I’ve already done all, well most, of the energy saving stuff. Not just energy saving light bulbs, but energy efficient appliances when they were replaced and modifying behaviour. It used to be that when the TV was switched on all the peripherals, VCR, DVD player etc came on too, even though they were not being used. Now they are all switched separately. Same with my PC. The printer, speakers, scanner etc are only switched on when they are being used. I replaced my multi-sockets with switched multi-sockets.

The interesting part is the background level of use. There are things that are permanently switched on, like the radio alarm, which has an LED display so you can see it in the dark, hint to Current Cost. Plus fridges and freezers. But these are thermostatically controlled and don’t drain energy all the time. Same with an iron and a cooker. Once they have heated up to the set temperature they just need topping up. I found it fascinating watching the meter change while the washing machine and the dishwasher were progressing through their cycle, not at the same time of course.

Overall I think they are great but rather expensive. And would be very useful to those who have not as yet taken a critical look at their use of electricity. Trouble is they are the ones who are not likely to be interested. If the cost worries you, back in March Redbridge did a pilot study with these meters and Cabinet has agreed the scrutiny working group's recommendations, so very soon we will be following the lead of Lewisham and loaning these meters out via our libraries.

Here’s another review that goes into a bit more technical detail.

Threat to Green Belt

Guest post from Dopeyf:Epping Forest District Council seem determined to erase parts of the Green Belt they don’t like; having once changed their Planning Policy (GB16) to accommodate the development in Sewardstone Road - strangely enough on the borders of Waltham Forest, with nearest schools, hospitals and GP’s in Waltham Forest. Those rules allowed development on Green Belt land in very small conurbations like Epping Green.

They have now, apparently, ignored these new rules, to accommodate another development in Grange Hill (Jennikings Garden Centre, opposite Grange Hill tube Station). The Chigwell/Grange Hill conurbation is much bigger and outside the scope of the current Planning Policy, and "Surprise Surprise" as Cilla might say, it’s on the border with Redbridge where the nearest schools, hospitals and GP’s are, you guessed it, in Redbridge. This site is Green Belt land with a permitted use (Garden Centre). The ramifications of this full council, unapproved, major Policy change are that any piece of Green Belt land in Epping Forest with a permitted use – even if that permitted use is just a shed is now in danger with this precedent decision.

However this development has first to be approved by “Go East”, The East of England Development Agency, as it is Green Belt land.

There is a Public Meeting at Jennikings Garden Centre 212 Manor Road, Chigwell, on Saturday 17th October at 12.00 noon, to discuss the way forward. Anyone wishing to save this Green Belt land is welcome to attend.

That Gagging Order

It seems that Blog Action Day has come early, and on a different subject. The internet is buzzing with the report that the Guardian newspaper has been gagged from reporting parliament. The trouble is that the things they are not allowed to report on are already in the public domain and freely available on Parliament's website. [No. 61] And bloggers are shouting it from the rooftops. So, if any of the regular readership here haven't seen it yet, here are a selection of sites from where you can move on to even more sites. Take yer pick.

Guido
Iain Dale
Dizzy
Tory Bear
The Third Estate
Mabinogogiblog
Random Blowe
Thursday Briefing

The right to report parliament was the subject of many struggles in the 18th century, with the MP and journalist John Wilkes fighting every authority – up to the king – over the right to keep the public informed. After Wilkes's battle, wrote the historian Robert Hargreaves, "it gradually became accepted that the public had a constitutional right to know what their elected representatives were up to".

As Third Estate puts it: "The right to report on what’s said and done in Parliament is traditionally seen as pretty fucking important in a democracy"

But as Dizzy says, don’t be surprised if some here would like to see the internet suppressed like it is in China.

UPDATE: Gagging order lifted. Don't mess with Bloggers.

Biting the Bullet

Sometimes you just have to take a deep breath. Here we have “Wat Tyler”, a Conservative party member and honorary chief cheerleader of the small state and low tax saying:

And in principle, we are very attracted to the concept of Citizens' Basic Income, whereby all adults get a standard handout from the state which is theirs to keep whether they work or not. The trouble is, in practice, it would simply be too expensive - or at least, we've never been able to get the sums to add up (see this blog).

Citizens income is not a new idea. It’s a bit like £200 for passing Go. It keeps people in the game, and keeps the game moving, but I can just hear "The Major" spouting froth about a scrounger’s charter. But hey Major what about the “benefits” you and your ilk get from the poor? Read Tyler’s post more carefully and you will see that in the current system the marginal rates of tax on the poor are very high indeed, and don’t forget the freebies you get, for e.g. tax-free air travel [fuel is not taxed]. When you give up your “free lunches” I might be more inclined to listen. Just how do you define a scrounger?

You should note here that Citizens Income replaces all the other benefits. It is tax free and constitutes your personal tax allowance so all earned and investment income is taxed.

But that’s not all! Oh no! This one is an absolute shocker. A Green, yes a Green as Kinnochio might say, arguing for a flat tax rate. And what’s more showing that the sums can add up and that “progressive” tax rates actually sting those on low incomes. That taking more tax from the lower end of the income scale, combined with a Citizen’s Income, actually means that the better off pay more and those on low incomes pay less. How does that work? Well it took me a while and a spreadsheet to figure it out, but it DOES work. Heresy or what?

The answer is that it works by having a higher single rate of income tax. But only for now or on it’s introduction. Longer term that rate should in theory go down as the benefits of the system accrue.

So, which political party will bite the bullet on that one? Don’t hold yer breath.

There is no gain, without pain, so they tell us.

Vive la différence

Next week, the Redbridge Strategic Partnership will be holding their annual “Make A Difference Week” programme of community events from Saturday 10th October – Saturday 17th October.

The aim behind the week is to raise awareness of initiatives that can improve the quality of life for the people of the Borough; for example health screening, volunteering, or searching for a job. In this year’s programme there is something for everyone!

Some of the events bring awareness of what the public, private and voluntary agencies are offering; some will require the direct participation of residents in the borough, and some events involve Schools.

Here is the published programme, PDF 1Mbt

Events not in the official programme include.

Give or Take on Saturday 17th October, Orchard Estate Community Hall 12noon – 3pm. Details. If you can’t make this there is always the local Freegle.

Our very own B21 Coffee Morning on Thursday 15th October in the Hainault room Fullwell X library, 10am – 12noon. We have local firefighter Elizabeth Hollingsworth speaking on fire safety in the home. Also the latest up-to-date gossip on the musical chairs at the Town Hall followed by lunch and more hot gossip in the New Fairlop Oak.
On the same date and at the same time but a different venue is a new Gardening club meeting for those who live on the Commonwealth estate. I think that must be the bit adjacent to Valentines park with road names like Toronto and Quebec. It’s in The Fold Cafe, Cranbrook Baptist Church, Wellesley Road. Contact Caroline.

That same day is this years Blog Action Day.

“Blog Action Day is an annual event that unites the world's bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day on their own blogs with the aim of sparking discussion around an issue of global importance. Blog Action Day 2009 will be the largest-ever social change event on the web. One day. One issue. Thousands of voices.”

This years theme is Climate Change and I am hoping, now that I have figured out how to use my freebie smart energy meter, to do a post on that. Plus a couple of other things waiting in the wings. Watch out on Thursday morning; or not – I have been known to be late.

This Saturday 10th October at 7:30pm there is a film and discussion evening hosted by Sonia Klein, PPC for Ilford North. She has been hosting bi-weekly film nights on various issues and inviting local activist groups to come and share their views and ideas. This Saturday, she will be showing an episode of the BBC documentary series "'Future of Food" and discussing the impact our food choices, production and waste have on the global economy, world water shortages, energy consumption and climate change. Venue: Ilford & Woodford RAF House, 295 Cranbrook Road IG1 4UA. Sorry for the short notice on this one but I’ve only just found out meself. Contact Heather.

Observation Test

Your task, should you choose to accept it, is to spot as many local landmarks and celebs as you can in the following movie clip.



Extra points for spotting Morris in the black and white section.

Clochemerle 21

Well, after some 6 years of waiting with crossed legs we now have a sign pointing to the toilets that aren’t there yet. Apparently we have to get permission from the European Onion before a new toilet facility is installed, but not it would seem signposts. We are making arrangements to “twin” with Clochemerle.
Recap:
Some 6 years ago the public toilets at the north end of the High Street were demolished and replaced with a block flats. There was a promise to replace them via a section 106 agreement. After this, local peeps in the know started to use the toilets at the Library. But the library is not open on a Wednesday and Dame Margaret went there on a Wednesday to get her passport picture taken thinking that the facilities would be available which they weren’t. Later these facilities were withdrawn from public use due to vandalism exacerbating the precarious situation we find ourselves in when venturing along that end of the High street. Dame Margaret duly turned up at an Area 3 committee meeting to draw this unsatisfactory situation to the councillors attention. Ever since the proposed facilities have been known as the Dame Margaret toilets and the plan is for her to cut the ribbon when and if they eventually open for business.

Show us the Money

Are any of our readers going to the Conservative Party Conference starting tomorrow, Monday 5th October? I ask because on Tuesday 6th October there is an event entitled:

How the Sustainable Communities Act will force transparency in Government.

Oliver Letwin MP, who is in charge of drafting the Conservative Party Manifesto, will be speaking as well as Nick Hurd MP, the Conservative sponsor of the Act. The Chief Executive of Camra, a Sustainable Communities Act campaign partner, will also be speaking, so there is a fair chance there will be beer, but I’m not that desperate to travel to Manchester just for a pint. Seems the Tories are going for the Pub vote?
Thing is I’d love to get a report from that meeting, so if anybody is going please do take notes and let me know, or if you know how to get a run-down of the event elsewhere then please also let me know.

E-Day 2009

Tuesday 6th October 2009.

Mr Ed Moribund Miliband would like to say a few words.



More on E-Day 2009 here.

Good News Week

The big news story from yesterday evenings Area Committee 4 meeting is that Transport for London will complete their current phase of works at Gants Hill on 19th October 2009, whereupon the roundabout will be reinstated to its former two-lane structure. It will remain thus for a period of up to 6 months while Thames Water sort out the water mains that they didn’t know they had. These are not on the carriageway itself so, we are told, there will be no disruption during this period. Once Thames Water are done, then TfL will be back to finish off their part of the job. So, a six month traffic respite for all the rat-runs around that area. Councillor Clarke was very pleased.

Prior to that, the subject of Cllr Corfield’s remarks at Area Committee 3 last week were discussed. I didn’t report that at the time because I thought he was being rather unfair with himself. I don’t know much about his political career but I do know that last year he was given the rather difficult job as Chairman of the Capital Programme Corporate Panel, which did a very good job of getting the Weinberg administration out of a very deep hole. Strangely none of the councillors mentioned this, only their own "achievements" whilst laying into the local press [not sure if they include this blog in that definition] for only reporting "bad news" stories, none more so than madam Chairman Sladden.

Interestingly, Cllr Sladden then produced a whole bunch of "bad news" press cuttings to criticise the Primary Care Trust representative after his presentation on Polyclinics. Seems that councillors are willing to use "bad news" when it suits them? I’ll report on the Polyclinic thing later when I’ve found out a bit more about it.

Jacqueline Eggleston’s presentation on Fairlop Waters, though, went down rather well. Lot’s of good stuff going on over there, go take a peek. And Jacqueline confirmed our "date" for 1st July 2011. It’s the first Friday in July and it’s Fairlop Fair. You are invited too. Put it in your diary.

In a Roundabout Way

Roundabouts have been in the local news lately, for all the wrong reasons.

And so we were discussing the Fullwell Cross roundabout with Roger Evans Consultants last Friday evening at an invite only meeting on Barkingside Regeneration. Don’t worry there will be a public consultation later. This was to iron out any obvious errors and omissions. The first thing to note was that they had little models of their proposals and at first glance it looked like, for one heart stopping moment, that the New Fairlop Oak had gone missing. It hadn’t, it was the new layout for the junction that confused me, we’ll come to that later.

The first, and less ambitious, scheme for the roundabout was to move the pedestrian crossings nearer to the roundabout itself to give pedestrians much easier access to the shops and facilities served by each of the roads at that junction. Ah, we pointed out, the pedestrian crossings have only just been moved back away from the roundabout to improve vehicle traffic flow on the roundabout. Pedestrians crossing the road are such an inconvenience to motorists as they prevent vehicles from exiting the roundabout which causes a tailback and temporary gridlock for maybe a minute or two. Obviously the motorist has far more important things to do and places to be than mere pedestrians who want to do some shopping or go for a swim or a beer.

Roundabouts create one big conflict of interest between two competing types of traveller, namely vehicular traffic, including buses, and foot traffic. Our road network was mostly designed and built before the explosion in the number of cars, vans and lorries that now use our roads. Most major junctions started off with traffic lights, which at least give pedestrians equal time and consideration to go about their business.

One only has to look at the difference between Gants Hill and Charlie Browns to realise this. At Gants Hill we have an underpass, yes a lot of people find them intimidating and refuse to use them, but crossing the road on foot at Charlie Browns is a death defying experience.

Which leads me to the more ambitious and innovative suggestion for Fullwell Cross. The central part of the roundabout including the Fairlop Oak tree is quite a large open green space but totally inaccessible. So, the suggestion is to close the roundabout outside the New Fairlop Oak pub and create three new T-junctions at the High Street, Craven Gardens and Forest Road either with mini-roundabouts or preferably traffic lights. See diagram below.
I quite like the idea, but they would need to do some analysis of traffic flows to ensure this arrangement could accommodate the volumes. The other problem that I did not spot on the night is TfL and the Low Emission Zone. The Zone boundary would have to be moved as lorries approaching from Fencepiece Road would have nowhere to turn around. Something that might just be a boon as Fullwell Cross is one of the worst places in London for air quality.