January 2016 E-Newsletter

Contents
Planning to change the face of Westminster
Westminster Council consults on massive cuts to childrens centres - but runs a Rolls Royce anyway!
Everyone runs out of money in January - so dont leave it too late if you need some help and advice
My research reveals more evidence of the need to protect tenants against landlords letting sub-standard properties
Concern over Safer Neighbourhood policing as Westminster loses 35% of uniformed police since 2010
End looms for the Jubilee Sports Centre
And some other things Ive been doing this month in Parliament and locally

Planning to change the face of Westminster

London is a growing city and needs to develop more homes, infrastructure and business capacity. Not everyone is going to be happy
with the specific proposals councils and developers put forward - especially if they impact on a much valued local environment. So we
can expect controversy and sometimes have to proceed even without universal support. HOWEVER, the debate needs to be an honest one. Major new developments, such as those proposed for West End Green and the 72 storey Paddington Shard need to be considered properly and on the basis of full public consultation. They should reflect council policy and offer real benefits to residents, including a fair provision for affordable homes. The explosion of luxury housing, often marketed overseas, which can stand empty and
do nothing for local communities, is unacceptable.
Both the Paddington Shard and the West End Green development behind Paddington Station are being rushed through the planning
process at breakneck speed- from suggestion to planning committee in just a few weeks (from late last year to early March). Neither
offer anything like an adequate proportion of affordable housing, despite the depth of the current housing crisis. At 72 storeys the
Paddington shard will dominate the skyline. The tower in the West End Green development will be 38 storeys. Personally, I like tall
buildings - although my view is that clusters work better than those standing alone- but such a significant shift in policy needs to be the
subject of wider debate.
I am objecting to both these major schemes on these grounds.
You can see both my objections here and here.
Please do make your own comments to Westminster Council here
31 LONDON STREET (the Paddington Shard)
WEST END GREEN

Westminster Council consults on massive cuts to childrens centres

Westbourne childrens centre faces closure due to budget cuts (Pic: Google Streetview)
Westminster council looks set to go ahead with huge cuts to Childrens Centres, youth clubs and the play service (after school childcare for primary school children). This is despite them finding the money for a 90,000 Rolls-Royce and enough to pay the private
health care bills of senior staff.
Here is some of the press coverage:
Evening Standard
Westminster Labour Party
Ham&High

Everyone runs out of money in January - so dont leave it too late if you need some help and advice

Westminster Citizens Advice are just one of the organisations offering help and suggestions for saving money. Heres some information to start you off from twitter:
Westminster CAB @WestminsterCAB Jan 10
Heating bills a worry? Check if you can get a Warm Home discount onhttp://ow.ly/WHaG6 . Apply to your fuel supplier.
Westminster CAB @WestminsterCAB Jan 7
Water bills a problem? Check if you qualify for help: http://ow.ly/WHaeC Advice online from Citizens Advice: http://ow.ly/WHaoz
Westminster CAB @WestminsterCAB Jan 5
We are open again today after the Christmas period closures. Check out where and when here: http://ow.ly/VECvR #advice
Westminster CAB @WestminsterCAB 27 Dec 2015
Did you know how much great information and #advice is on the@CitizensAdvice website? 24 hours a day! Have a look:http://ow.ly/
V1H1K

My research reveals more evidence of the need to protect tenants against landlords letting sub-standard properties

Last week, the Government voted down an amendment to the Housing Bill which would have - in line with my Private Members Bill
from last year - given tenants new legal rights against landlords who let homes that are unfit to live in.
I carried out a survey of how local councils are doing in following up complaints against bad landlords/unfit homes and found huge variations between councils and much less enforcement than seems to be merited. You can see my research here.
And a Guardian article based on it here.

Concern over Safer Neighbourhood Policing with Westminster having now lost 35% of uniformed police since 2010

I introduced a Parliamentary debate earlier this month to raise concerns about the decline in Safer Neighbourhood Police teams in
Westminster and London-wide. New figures show that Westminster has been hit hard by the squeeze on police funding, losing 80% of
our Police Community Support Officers and 35% of our uniformed police overall. (The totals for London are 63% and 11%). Yet even
within the reduced Met Budget, changes in the organisation of Safer Neighbourhood teams have given them extra duties with fewer
staff, meaning less visibility and less time to build community relationships and gather local intelligence. Given the particular challenges we face, from gangs to counter-terrorism, this is a real concern. You can read my speech here.

End looms for the Jubilee Sports Centre

Westminster council have now informed us of the date on which the Moberly Centre will close for re-building. This is the first phase of
the scheme which will end with the complete closure of the Jubilee Centre.
"The contractual arrangements are progressing well with the Moberly/Jubilee project and the Moberly Centre is due to close from 15th
February 2016 to enable phase 1 of the redevelopment to proceed. Following the closure of the centre, the facility operator (GLL) will
begin removing equipment and demobilising the site and once this is complete, the works will commence.
The centre team have been working closely with users, particularly groups, clubs and schools to find alternative accommodation during the build period and casual customers will be able to use the Councils other sports centres (particularly Jubilee) whilst the new
Moberly is being built. Regular communications will be sent to stakeholders and residents as the project progresses."

What else have I been doing this month?

In Parliament

As part of the Work and Pensions Select Committee, weve been looking at the issue of the new state pension and the raising of the
state pension age for women and whether people were properly informed about/prepared for these changes. You can see the report
Understanding the New State Pension here.
I also helped lead an inquiry into local welfare, this included a visit by a select committee of MPs to the Beethoven Centre in Queens
Park, where evidence from the advice organisation Z2K was heard. We made a number of recommendations designed to make local
welfare systems such as Discretionary Housing Payments fairer and more effective. You can see the report here.
The Human Rights Committee has been carrying out an inquiry into the use of drones, and will produce a report shortly.

Leasehold advice session

Thanks to LEASE, I was able to run another (my fourth) free advice session for leaseholders - both council and private. Once again, it
was very well attended, with the one-to-one sessions heavily over-subscribed, as always concerns about Major Works and Service
Charges dominating.
Still battling for faster broadband
I wrote to BT about extending fibre-optic broadband in North Westminster. This is their response:
"I appreciate your constituents need for faster broadband and the benefits this would bring to the area. Currently more
than 23300 premises are within the reach of fibre broadband. This shows the significant investment we have made in
the area.
Delivering fibre broadband is both commercially and technically challenging. It is for this reason not all cabinets are upgraded at the
same time. However, you may be aware that last October we revealed our plans to further expand our high-speed fibre broadband
network in London. Ive attached a copy of our press release we issued at the time for your information.
Openreach will make fibre available to a further 360,000 homes and businesses in the next two years. The rollout will take availability
of fibre optic services for homes and small businesses beyond the current 95% coverage. This means that even more premises will
be able to access modern internet services, including business and educational applications and high-definition video. Im unable to
give an estimated date but the good news is cabinet 40 has been included in our programme.
I suggest your constituents involved here keep checking our web link below at regular intervals. When we are confidently able to give
an estimated date, itll be given via this link:
http://www.superfast-openreach.co.uk/where-and-when/
Im sorry were unable to offer an immediate solution, but I hope your constituents will be encouraged that Cabinet 40 has now been
included in our commercial plans to bring fibre broadband to the area."
Prostitution in and around Westbourne Park Road
After local complaints, Westbourne Councillors and I have - once again - pressed the police to see what can be done to reduce this
nuisance. Unfortunately (see my comment on policing above) the Safer Neighbourhood team members were pulled on to other duties
just as they were planning some action, but we hope for another time shortly.
Church Street
The Chair of Church Street Safer Neighbourhood panel has written to me to say:
"You will be aware that the entire set of CCTV cameras on and around Church Street were removed without warning by Westminster
Council in late Autumn 2015. There was an immediate increase in thefts from shops and on the market and last week, 8th January,
there was a fight on Church St itself resulting in a stabbing. This last occurrence was witnessed by several people and the police are
now involved .No apparent explanation for the removal of the cameras has been offered by the Council, and residents, stallholders
and retailers are all extremely worried about the general safety and security in this ward. The presence of CCTV cameras is considered by all to have great preventive value and is also a help to the local police The Council decision is totally contrary to its oftrepeated claim of acting in the best interests of the public, which is clearly not the case here.
We take the liberty of appealing to you for help in getting the CCTV cameras replaced as soon as possible, especially on Church
Street itself as, following the serious incident of 8th January, there is great dissatisfaction and apprehension amongst all sections of
the community."
I am making enquiries about this, since I am aware the Council are in the middle of re-tendering for their CCTV system.

Pub news
a) The Queens Park Community Council have reported this in respect of the Flora pub on Harrow Road W10 - closure has been announced for later this year
The Flora Pub
At the end of last year, the Council submitted an application to list the Flora Pub on the Harrow Road as an asset of community value.
If the application is successful it will give the community 6 months to put together a bid to buy the pub if it comes up for sale.
The pub came under new ownership in 2014 and is the only pub left in Queens Park. If anyone can tell us about its history and use by
Queens Park residents then we would love to hear from you: 0208 960 5644 or emailDirector@queensparkcommunitycouncil.gov.uk

b) Meanwhile The Planner reported on the (illegally semi-demolished) Carlton, Maida Vale.

Final injunction granted over Maida Vale pub;

Words:Laura Edgar

A round-up of planning news: Tuesday 19 January, 2016

Final injunction granted in respect of Maida Vale pub
Carlton Tavern Public House in Maida Vale was substantially demolished unlawfully shortly before it was expected to be recommended for listing by Heritage England. Westminster City Council has issued an enforcement notice requiring the Carlton Tavern to be
rebuilt. Some of the pub remains in situ and evidence was received by Westminster City Council that further demolition was imminent.
The council obtained an urgent interim injunction in July 2015 to stop further demolition. Mrs Justice McGowan has now granted a final
injunction today confirming the terms of the interim order and awarding the council its costs. An appeal against the enforcement notice
and refusal of an earlier planning application will be determined later in the year. Saira Kabir Sheikh QC, Francis Taylor Building, acted
for the council.
- See more at: http://www.theplanner.co.uk/news/news-in-brief-final-injunction-granted-over-maida-vale-pub-regeneration-schemeapproved-in#sthash.rWtkd7b3.dpuf

Thank you for reading and I welcome your comments.

Karen Buck MP

Website: www.karenbuck.org.uk
Promoted by Robert Atkinson on behalf of Karen Buck MP at 4G Shirland Mews, Maida Hill, London, W9 3DY. The information used
to supply this email is for the use of Karen Buck and will not be passed on to any third party organisation.