Southfield Liberal Democrats launch local election priorities

After many months of surveying the views of Southfield residents and local businesses, the three Southfield Liberal Democrat Councillors have launched their three priorities which they will campaign on in the up-coming local elections which take place on 3rd May 2018.

 1. Cleaner and Safer Southfield:

• Free from litter, fly-tips and leaves by re-introducing the weekly sweeping regime. When the Conservatives and the Labour party in Ealing Council voted for Council Tax they voted for the two reductions in street cleaning from a weekly service to once every 12 weeks. Only the Liberal Democrats have stood up for residents on this issue.
• Involve residents in gaining feedback on which streets are considered clean or dirty. We would be very tough on the contractors like Amey who have failed over many years to give residents a good service. We will get replace failing contractors or withhold monies from their payments.
• Work with the local police team (SNT) to support projects that can reduce the crime rate and help promote the benefits of Neighbourhood Watch schemes. This should help keep the crime rate at its current low level.
• Continue to work with the police and Ealing Council to reduce the incidences of speeding traffic which can lead to traffic accidents and deaths.

2. Public transport better for all:

• Campaigning for TFL to get Piccadilly Line tubes to stop at Turnham Green tube station. We have successfully persuaded TFL that Piccadilly Line tubes can stop at Turnham Green station, we just need them to upgrade the signalling.
• We want our tube and rail stations and bus stops to be accessible for those with mobility issues and have already improved a number of bus stops in Southfield in coordination with residents.
• Promote cycling and the ability to store cycles safely when people are visiting residents or whilst shopping in the area.

3. Protect Local Health Services:

• Campaigning to stop our hospitals from being downgraded or closed such as Charing Cross hospital.
• Look for ways to expand local GP doctor and dental provision in the area.

So these are the main issues residents have contacted us about. We will campaign on these plus other issues and have an action plan for each of these topics including the continues improvement of our parks which now have a Green Flag status!

Police need to continue to bond with teens and other community groups

Over the past number of years, the Met have had flash points with different groups, some of which have led to issues in how they are perceived negatively by residents in London.

Locally, in Chiswick, the police have been and are continuing to take a more proactive approach which is welcoming to see.

The Liberal Democrats know that if the police are to be trusted they need to not just stop crimes from happening, catch criminals but socialise with people from all backgrounds in life. If they are seen out and about where people meet then it is likely that people will trust them or speak to them if they have concerns.

At a meeting recently where the police were present they talked about initiatives where the local police team would drop in (to a drop ins) where lots of teenagers socialise. Just being present meant people saw the police as people having fun, playing table tennis and ready, if needed, to answer questions if anyone had matters they wanted to discuss.

At other times, the Southfield ward Forum, run by the Liberal Democrats in Southfield, have members of the local police team to update residents on crime in the area and what they have been doing to deal with and reduce crime. Their presence has allowed many residents a chance to ask questions of their local police team.

Southfield has a lower crime than neighbouring areas. Whilst crime is rising generally, in Southfield it is falling. Part of this is that we have a strong culture of local volunteering:

· The Police and residents monitoring speeding traffic ensuring that drivers speeding get warned to reduce the chance of future incidents of speeding.

· Southfield has a great set of neighbourhood watch volunteers who make use of information about local crime from the police to inform residents, so they can reduce the chances they become a victim of crime.

· We are luck to have an effective group to monitor the police’s actions and when feedback is given the police change some of their activities to help address information issues in Southfield. Being a part of the group shows how crucial it is for residents to support the police.

Myself and the other Southfield Liberal Democrat Councillors thank active members of the public and the police, for being proactive, working together to reduce crime.

Southfield Ward Forum - Wednesday 12th June

The next Southfield Ward Forum meeting take place on Wednesday 12th June in Acton Green Church Hall, Cunnington Street, W4 5ER at 7.30 pm.

The ward forum, meets four times a year so that residents can discuss local matter with the three local Councillors, Council officers and the local police team. The ward forum also has an annual budget of approximately £40,000 which can be used to to make improvements to our area including parks and pavements.

Myself, chair of the Southfield ward forum

The agenda is below:

• Welcome and Introductions 7.30pm
• Request for ‘Any Other Business’ items
• Handing in of local Council related petitions
• Southfield Police Team
• Minutes of the last ward forum held on 5th February 2013
• Neighbourhood & Corridor transport scheme (a possible 20mph scheme for Southfield)
• Proposed Larden Road, W3 traffic calming scheme
• Southfield ward budget
• Any Other Business

In the meeting there will be a chance to discuss other local matters which are not on the agenda. Please come along and have your say on some of the local issues in Chiswick and Acton.

Be aware: Bank Card Fraud

I was speaking to the local Southfield Safer Neighbourhood Police team and they spoke of a bank card fraud affecting residents of Chiswick and Ealing.

Operation Sterling with its partners at the Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit is warning the public of a new fraud.

Elderly members of the public have been receiving unsolicited telephone calls from individuals purporting to be from the police or their bank. These individuals obtain the card details from their victims and inform them that their card needs to be collected by a courier.

The bank cards are then used fraudulently without the victim’s knowledge.

If you receive such a call end it immediately.

Please be aware of the following:

• Your bank will never attend your home
• Your bank and the police will never collect your bank card
• Your bank and the police will never ask for your PIN
• If you have already given your bank card or disclosed your PIN you should call the police non emergency number 101.

 Remember if you think someone who calls you is acting strange then your instincts are often correct.