Leader of Redbridge

I was proud to be in London yesterday for the Mayor of London’s announcement that Redbridge will take the lead on delivering a new Rape Crisis Centre for East London.

The Leader with Boris Johnson and Cllr Mrs Vanessa Cole

The Centre will offer structured long-term support for victims of rape and sexual abuse aged 14 and over from Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham, Waltham Forest, Havering, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Hackney.

It is important that Redbridge is playing a part in the Mayor’s plans to quadruple Rape Crisis provision in the capital and I look forward to seeing the centre open later this year.

I was delighted to be invited to the London Service for Autism at All Saint’s Church in Woodford Wells. Autism Sunday is now an international event that raises awareness of autism and Asperger’s Syndrome. It was started by the UK Autism Foundation based in South Woodford. Its founders Ivan and Charika Corea are raising money to create an autism centre – a project that is deserving of all our support.

Find out more about the UK Autism Foundation by following this link.

I was delighted to be able to hand over an achievement award to young people from the London Tigers, who have been working in the Borough since 2008. The London Tigers organises sports and activities for young people across London. I was really impressed by the Tigers’ commitment to raising the achievements and aspirations of young people by providing positive things from them to do. Alhad Mohamed, 20, from Newbury Park and Tareque Ahmed, 19, from Loxford have taken advantage of this project, they are now supporting the delivery of community sports sessions aimed at providing an alternative for young people to hanging around on the streets. I’d like to congratulate Alhad and Tareque, who are an inspiration and role model to their peers.

Hundreds of people turned out in support of the A&E department at King George Hospital, which could close if proposals by Health for North East London (HNEL) go ahead. I share many residents’ concerns about this prospect, and I am particularly concerned that the maternity unit could close – meaning there would no dedicated maternity unit in Redbridge. Although some people choose a home birth, that is not appropriate for everyone. The closure of the maternity unit would mean fewer babies born in Redbridge, close to home.

I was delighted to join local residents and Ward Councillors in celebrating the news that a site had been identified for the temporary library in Seven Kings. A centrally located property in the High Road has been let to the Council and subject to planning approval the library will be ready to open in 12 to 16 weeks.

I know that residents and ward Councillors have been campaigning for many years for a library and am pleased that the Community Panel involved the residents in developing this project with the Council.  This is another example of our listening to the public.

Read our latest press release about the Seven Kings Library site here.

Despite some slightly encouraging economic news recently, we all know that the recession is likely to be a fact of life in Redbridge during 2010. That is why I was delighted to be able to launch the Redbridge Card, which is a ‘local loyalty card’ to encourage people to support Redbridge businesses. Nearly 300 businesses have signed up to the scheme, providing discounts and special offers on a wide range of goods and services. I would like to thank all Redbridge business that have signed up to the scheme, and I hope that they find it a good way to attract new business. I would particularly like to thank Jude Richards from Blush Temples florist on Wanstead High Street who hosted the launch, and all of the Councillors and local business representatives who came along.

You should receive your Redbridge Card in the new edition of Redbridge Life, or you can pick up your Card from local libraries and The One Stop Shop or by calling 0208 708 3042. You can find out about special offers on Redbridge i

It was great to see the fantastic turnout at the public meeting on Barkingside Town Centre on 1^st February, as local residents and traders had their say on the Barkingside draft improvement plan.

The improvement plan is very much at an early stage, and feedback from the community will shape the final proposals. Clearly some proposals were more popular than others, and some very useful suggestions were put forward that the Council  will look at carefully.

Barkingside residents should be proud of the passion and commitment they have for their town, and I would like to thank everyone who came to the meeting for their time, interest and ideas. I would also like to thank Barkingside 21 whose co-operation also helped make the meeting a success.

The  meeting is not the end of the consultation process and we are still keen to hear your views.  Copies of the draft improvement plan are available on the Environment and Planning pages of Redbridge i, or at Fullwell Cross Library on Barkingside High Street.

To comment or ask questions about any of the proposals, please contact Matthew Maple, Senior Project Officer, at matthew.maple@redbridge.gov.uk or 020 8708 2078  by 12 February. Or you can leave your comments on this blog.

I attended a special service on Holocaust Memorial Day on Wednesday 27 January.  The service remembered the lives of the millions who died in the Holocaust and other genocides and atrocities including those in Rwanda, Cambodia, Darfur and Bosnia. This year Holocaust Memorial Day marks the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Holocaust survivors and survivors of other genocides have played an immense role in bringing our attention to the lessons of the Holocaust.  They have also passed a message of resilience and hope to the next generation. We must listen to the voices of the victims and the survivors of the Holocaust and Nazi persecution as well as those affected by more recent genocides and those who remain excluded today and commit to tell others what we hear and to make these hopes, experiences and voices part of our future.

The Leader and community group leaders at the Holocaust Memorial Day service

It was only fitting that on such a poignant day we remembered Leon Greenman and his words. He believed that if people knew what had happened in the camps, they would commit themselves to preventing a repetition of the Holocaust. He spoke to hundreds and thousands of people about his experiences and said, “There is no difference in colour or religion. If I had survived to betray the dead, it would have been better not to survive. We must not forget. Please do not forget.”

Read our press release to find out more about Redbridge Holocaust Memorial Day

This week Redbridge welcomed Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, to the Kenneth More Theatre for a ‘Question Time’ debate on the environment. Thanks to everyone who came and packed out the KMT. I also thanked the Mayor for the £400k grant for improvements to Fairlop Waters Country Park which will help us improve the Borough’s important green space.

Judging from the questions from the audience, hot button environmental issues are recycling, increased flights to London City Airport, and reducing the risk of the Roding flooding people’s homes. We are currently recycling around a third of our refuse, but that has to increase and I understand residents are particularly keen on cardboard recycling. We are working on it!

We are also pressing Thames Water to install the necessary hardware that would enable floodwater to flow safely away without threatening homes. I get the message loud and clear about the City airport expansion, and understand that there will be a review of flight paths shortly. I will be making sure that the Council is on the case to represent residents’ views on this issue.

Not only are we expanding recycling, we are also keen for people to start cycling. We are pleased that the Mayor of London’s office has agreed that Redbridge will be a ‘Biking Borough’. The panel were asked about how individuals could make a difference to the environment, and one suggesting was everyone going vegetarian for a day. As a vegetarian already I am doing my bit for the environment on that score but, like everyone, I am sure I could do more.

A question was also raised at the event about school’s recycling.    We currently have 18 secondary and 65 primary schools with recycling facilities serviced by the Borough. 

You could use the comments section to tell me how you are making a difference to the enviornment in your daily life, and how the Council could help.

On Monday 18 January at 7.00 pm,  I will be sitting on a panel alongside the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson.

London needs to be recognised as a world leader in improving the environment both locally and globally, so come along and put your questions on the environment to the Mayor and his guest speakers.
This is the Mayor’s 5th consultative public event.

The meeting will be held at The Kenneth More Theatre, Oakfield Rd, Ilford, Essex.

Tickets

Admission is free but you are advised to book tickets in advance from the Kenneth More Theatre Box Office.

Telephone 020 8553 4466. Unreserved seating is allocated on a first come, first served basis on the night.
The theatre doors will open at 6pm. Ticket does not guarantee entry.

I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible.