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.

Ealing Council Finds Councillor Dennehy Guilty as Charged For Offensive Blog

Ealing Council’s Standards Committee has upheld the complaint by myself about the offensive nature of Councillor Dennehy’s blog which made a number of unfounded assertions relating to both Indians and residents of Southall. So, Benjamin Dennehy is guilty as charged.

In the meeting Councillor Gary Malcolm spoke about why he made the complaint and read out comments made by residents who stated that his blog was racist, emotive and not based on facts. It was noted that Councillor Dennehy did not attend the meeting, and also ensured a previous meeting to decide this matter was postponed.

I am glad that the Standards Committee came to the viewpoint that Councillor Dennehy was guilty. In my view he should resign his post as Councillor and apologise publically for his offensive actions. To smear Indians and residents of Southall with such accusations is totally wrong. He has embarrassed himself and Ealing.

During the process which has lasted for more than a year Councillor Dennehy’s delaying actions have meant that Ealing Council has spent approximately £5000 in terms of external legal advice and officer time. Perhaps he should pay this back to Ealing Council or make a donation to a local Ealing based charity?

Ealing Council Bank Holiday Changes to Refuse and Recycling

A lot of the refuse and recycling collections will take place a day later than normal due to the Spring bank holiday on Monday 27th May.

Speaking to Ealing Council they told me that the items of refuse and recyclables should be left at the front of the property, or in a place which does not block the pavement, by 7 am on the collection day.

The Stirling Road refuse and recycling centre in Acton will be open, as usual, over the bank holiday. Collections will return to normal on Monday, 3 June

Please see the details below:

Usual collection day       Revised collection day

Mon 27th May               Tues 28th May
Tues 28th May              Wed 29th May
Wed 29th May              Thur 30th May
Thur 30th May              Fri 31st May
Fri 31st May                 Sat 1st June

Please let me know if any of your waste is not collected by emailing me using gary.malcolm@ealing.gov.uk or via Twitter @CllrGaryMalcolm

Read why the Mayor of London's plan to close fire stations is bonkers

In Acton, Chiswick and Ealing we heard some good news recently that our fire stations were not due to be closed but the Mayor of London's plan to close fire stations elsewhere. London Liberal Democrats inlcuding Caroline Pidgeon are clear in their opposition to these 'bonkers' plans.

At the London Assembly Caroline Pidgeon proposed an alternative budget that would have avoided the need for these cuts, paid for by cancelling trivial council tax cuts. Effective opposition.

Me with the local fire bridgade

I believe that Londoners would prefer to see their fire safety cover retained and improved in preference to tax cuts amounting to no more than 7p a week per household in 2013/14. The closure of 12 fire stations and the loss of 18 fire engines is an unacceptable deterioration in overall capacity of the brigade. It would lead to average first fire engine response times in some London boroughs increasing by nearly a minute  and average second fire engine response times increasing by as much as 1 minute and 20 seconds.

We have also expressed concern that the community safety and fire prevention work undertaken by the brigade will be cut back if 520 fire-fighters’ jobs are to go. Their contribution to reducing fires and deaths due to fire in London has been commendable and should be accelerated rather than reduced.

Let's hope Boris puts his thinking hat on agreed to the common sense view that we need our fire stations. Lives are clearly at risk!