Brackenbury Street Party

I've been asked to let you know the Andover Arms is Hosting The Brackenbury Village Coronation Street party this Saturday 29th June 2013. Noon to 8pm on Aldensley Road W6 0DL. Road closures will be in place.

There will be "tons of street food" and loads of Street Stalls including...Artists, Jewellery Makers, Henna Art. Face Painting. Charity Tent.Kids Disco. 3 Live Bands and more.

More info here

West Ken: Boris ambushed, chased into City Hall

Tally Ho

Boris Johnson is a thoroughbred Tory, which is why he is so popular with the rank and file. He recently argued for the introduction of fox hunting into London, saying he "did not care" what the animal rights lobby would think about it. Grr, you go get 'em Bozza!

But today he was pursued across the green, rather like a terrified mammal, by some very angry people. No top hats and tails in evidence here, but they were waving letters and postcards urging the Mayor to think again over the fate of the West Kensington and Gibbs Green Estates.They were accompanied by Andy Slaughter MP, who has supported their campaign.

Cornered: cameras roll as answers demanded

Fresh from evidence surfacing of some shady lobbying having taken place, and an "investigation" into former H&F Leader Stephen Greenhalgh that didn't interview any witnesses, the people fighting to save their communities against the joint goliaths of our Council and their colleagues CapCo came face to face with the man the Evening Standard likes to fawn over as the next Prime Minister in waiting.

Despite not facing the grizzly end of a fox about to be dispatched by hounds, the Mayor seemed very unhappy at having to meet the hoi polloi and, after accepting the petitions and letters being offered to him by the residents, ran into City Hall as fast as his legs would carry him.

If in doubt, use a Prime Ministerial hand gesture

The residents, who really weren't all that fearsome, simply wanted to make their point known. Here's what they said in their letter:

Dear Mr Johnson

Earl’s Court redevelopment

Further to the previous representations made by the residents of the West Kensington & Gibbs Green estates, we are writing to request that you refuse consent for the Earl’s Court redevelopment scheme on the following grounds:

Over the past four years, West Kensington & Gibbs Green residents have consistently said no to demolition and yes to community control: in 2009, 80% of households signed a petition against demolition and for residents to determine their own future; in 2011, two thirds of residents joined West Ken & Gibbs Green Community Homes, the company established to use the law to transfer the estates into community ownership; in 2012, by a majority of 4:1, residents said no to demolition – responses to the consultation from over 500 residents, aged 4 to 92, are available here: http://tinyurl.com/7uhhgye; in 2013, 60% of households signed a petition asking the Government to refuse consent for the disposal of the estates to the developer and to make the regulations that would enable us to transfer ownership to the people (Appendix 1).

The High Court will be hearing the judicial review of the Earl’s Court SPD for three days starting 17 July. We think it would be premature for you to determine the Earl’s Court scheme Stage II referral in advance of the Judge’s decision.

We are concerned that the vast majority of the homes planned for development will likely be sold at premium prices to off-shore investors who will hold them for investment rather than occupy them or let them to others, and that only 10% of the new homes will be ‘affordable’ for Londoners, albeit at near market rents and prices.

We are heartened by your support for Community Land Trusts; our ambition is for our community to own our estates so we can make the improvements we need, take greater charge for the welfare of our neighbours, develop more housing and facilities, and preserve and create employment to contribute to wider need.

Our previous invitation for you to visit our estates and meet with residents remains open.

Yours sincerely

Sally Taylor, Chair West Kensington estate Tenants & Residents Association
Diana Belshaw, Chair Gibbs Green Tenants & Residents Associations
Keith Drew, Chair West Ken & Gibbs Green Community Homes

West Ken: Lobbying scandal hits

Leftists

Our Council routinely dismisses opponents of the West Ken estate demolition plan as "leftists" or stooges of the former Mayor Ken Livingstone. As if to prove them right the Mail on Sunday, that well known lefty rag, reports that the lobbyists behind the scheme which has been so bitterly opposed by residents who want to save their community, but which stands to make our Council millions, have been actively trying to remove any obligation to provide affordable homes as part of the scheme.

The Mail on Sunday claims that secret documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show Capco, the developers, persuaded Sir Edward Lister, Boris Johnson's deputy, to get councils to drop a periodic review of affordability if the scheme proved more profitable than expected.

Our Council dutifully concluded such a review of affordability would "not be appropriate".

When those dyed in the wool socialists at the Mail on Sunday last did a bit of digging on this murky deal Councillor Andrew Johnson, cabinet member for housing, claimed that there would be 20% provision of affordable homes, which he argued was plenty. He said: ‘

Twenty per cent of new homes in the development will be affordable for local people, the highest figure that can reasonably be reached without any taxpayer subsidy while keeping the scheme commercially viable".

So that's OK then.

Road chaos from next week

The busy left turn from Shepherd's Bush Green onto Uxbridge Road will be closed for six weeks from Monday. Drivers will instead be diverted down Wood Lane to follow South Africa Road around back onto Uxbridge Road.

The roadworks are needed to fix a collapsed underground chamber belonging to BT, which sits underneath the junction. The engineers will need to destroy the chamber and rebuild it using concrete, which means it takes aaaaages for the concrete to dry.

Further details about the stages of the work can be found on the Council's website here.

Hospitals: H&F Council "dangerously confused" says MP

The author Franz Kafka used to write books that challenged your sense of reality - and the debate about our borough's future of healthcare is increasingly surreal. One of the versions simply can't be right.

Our Council, it's fair to say, is unhappy with the line I generally take on their position. They take issue with the idea that they are happy with the closure of our A&E departments and argue that they simply negotiated for the best they could get. Here's what a spokesperson told me yesterday:

"We are not backing A&E closures - what we have been doing is negotiating the best possible deal for residents on future of Charing Cross and Hammersmith Hospitals. We are absolutely delighted that the campaign has forced a major u-turn in that new proposals now protect the future of CX where as the original proposals did not. We have said all along that we have not got everything that we wanted but we are continuing to talk to the NHS/health providers to ensure that our hospitals offer the best possible services to our residents".

And yesterday a "good news" press release was sent out, entitled "securing a brighter future for healthcare", again from the Council, which announced the creation of a new Health & Wellbeing Board which will oversee the changes they have agreed with NHS bosses. Cllr Marcus Ginn said:

"The community campaigned achieved a huge amount," he said. "We effectively safeguarded the future of hospital itself. While we recognise that, we are not taking our eye off the ball. We are continuing to negotiate for more."

Cllr Ginn said he supports the plan to provide a world-class specialist emergency centres for the most complex cases, but wants to improve the level of everyday emergency care available at the new Charing Cross.

"Whether it is in the home or in the hospital, we will do everything we can to ensure our residents receive the very best standard of care.I have said all along that this is best done by sitting down and working with our healthcare partners. That is exactly what we are doing."

All sounds like a bright new world, but as the vid above shows, the community campaign is far, far from convinced. And, frankly, they are angry. Here's Andy Slaughter MP, responding to Cllr Ginn this morning:

"Cllr Ginn appears dangerously confused and I would advise he seeks emergency medical treatment (though this will not be available at the borough’s A&Es under the plans the Conservatives are promoting as they will both close). 

Once again the Tory councillors are treating residents with contempt. Their claim to have ‘effectively safeguarded’ Charing Cross is a cobbled together proposal to close only 87% of services on the site rather than the 97% which the current NHS decision demands. In both schemes the main hospital would be demolished, at least 90% of beds go, all acute services including A&E would close and the majority of the land be sold for luxury high rise flats. 

Instead of insulting our intelligence perhaps Cllr Ginn would like to join the Save our Hospitals campaign every Saturday in King Street, where we rally support for our NHS and counter the Council’s lies".

Two very different versions. For me it's quite straightforward - the Council did a deal which wasn't anywhere near good enough. It's interesting that they have started to hint that they are "negotiating for more" without specifying what that "more" may be, if only because it illustrates how even they must know how poor the deal is.

In the meantime the legal challenges brought by Ealing Council now appear the last best hope to make the Government think again, and to save at least some of our A&E services.

Hospitals: Demo outside Town Hall meeting this week

Wednesday will see a demonstration taking place outside Hammersmith Town Hall as campaigners continue to register their anger at our Council's decision to switch sides and back the closure of all A&E Departments in the borough.

The Health Scrutiny Committee will be meeting that evening and campaigners plan to gather from 6.30pm outside the Town Hall, before attending the meeting itself, which will therefore be a fairly classic rowdy exchange.

Have your say on crime

Roadshow Flyer - Shepherds Bush Green

A public meeting will be held on Tuesday this week at 7pm at Shepherds Bush Village Hall, Bulwer Street, W12 8AR. Council officers will be joined by the local police safer neighbourhood team to hear your views on crime and anti social behaviour. There may be a lot to discuss...