Canonbury Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrat councillors have stepped in to fight for residents of Newbery House in Canonbury, who have been left in the cold due to broken boilers in their block of flats.

Residents of the block on Northampton Street, off Essex Road, have repeatedly complained to Homes for Islington about the lack of hot water and about problems with the heating in the block.  Heating engineers have confirmed that the boilers in the block are undersized and not up to the job.

Local Liberal Democrat councillor Paula Belford has now taken up the residents’ cause.  After collecting signatures in the block, she handed in a petition calling on HfI to install new boilers to the last meeting of the council.

Liberal Democrat councillor for Canonbury, Paula Belford, comments:

“I’ve lost count of the number of times residents of Newbery House have told me there are problems with their heating and hot water.

“But each time I go to HfI and raise the issue they just send out an engineer who is only able to fix the problem temporarily.

“It’s time HfI stopped messing about and installed new boilers in Newbery House.  That’s the only way to guarantee that the residents living in the fifty-four flats in Newbery House will get a constant supply of hot water and decent heating.”

Local resident Gladys Fane comments:

“We’re fed up of HfI failing to take this problem seriously. What we need is new boilers not new excuses.

“I’ve signed the Lib Dem petition to get this problem fixed and I hope this will force HfI to do the right thing by the people who live here in Newbery House.”

Newbery House Facts:

1. The engineer has been called out to fix the boilers three times in two weeks.
2. There are fifty-four homes in Newbery House including many pensioners and disabled people.
3. Installing the current undersized boilers cost leaseholders £3,000 each.  The Lib Dems are calling for HfI to replace them at no cost to the leaseholders.

The future of the 812 ‘Plusbus’ service – a special hail-and-ride bus for elderly and disabled people – has been guaranteed for the third year running by Islington’s Liberal Democrat administration with a new injection of council funding.

The service was almost axed in 2007 when the Labour Government pulled the plug on Department for Transport funding for the bus route. But Islington’s Liberal Democrat Council stepped in to save the service. The council have renewed their commitment to keeping the bus running in 2010.

27,000 journeys are made on the Plusbus each year, mainly by Freedom Pass holders. The bus travels from Hoxton to Angel and back, via the Peel community centre at Percy Circus, and can be hailed down at any point along the route.

Canonbury councillor Barbara Smith commented:

“The 812 route is an important bus to a lot of older people in our neighbourhood. You can hail it down wherever you are, so it’s really valued by older people who are less mobile, although everyone can flag it down.

“The Liberal Democrats in Islington worked hard to keep the bus when the Government cut its funding, and we stepped in to fund it again this year. It’s yet another example of the council tax payer picking up the bill after Government cuts, so we’ll be fighting for fair funding for this service.”

Islington Liberal Democrats have won their battle to stop local residents’ council tax being put up by Labour for the second year running.

Last year Labour councillors took advantage of Liberal Democrat councillor Donna Boffa being rushed into hospital to force an inflation-busting council tax rise of 2.5% on local residents already struggling in the recession. This was inner London’s highest council tax rise.

Following a Liberal Democrats petition backed by thousands of Islington residents, Labour councillors have now backed down and agreed to Liberal Democrat plans to freeze the council tax this year.

The council tax freeze will form the centre-piece of the Liberal Democrat council group’s budget proposals for 2010-2011. Other proposals include:

• Freedom Pass - Liberal Democrats are stepping in with £750k to ensure the Freedom Pass can continue in its current form for Islington’s pensioners and disabled - despite the Labour government withdrawing £30million from London’s Freedom Pass funding.

• Potholes - following the recent severe winter weather, Liberal Democrats have identified £1million to spend on patching up potholes in the borough.

• PlusBus - Liberal Democrats will be proposing to save this vital service for many of Islington’s elderly and disabled. Labour’s Ken Livingstone, when he was Mayor of London, wanted to axe this bus route.

• Contact Islington - Liberal Democrats believe this is most residents’ first point of contact with the Council so it is important to ensure a decent level of service. Labour wants to cut it, meaning more time hanging on the phone and emails not being answered just like the dark days of Labour running the Town Hall.

• Area Planning Committees - Labour is proposing to abolish the borough’s four area planning committees. The Liberal Democrat budget amendment will save them. Local councillors should make local decisions.

• Estate cycle sheds - putting more money into the hugely popular secure cycle sheds on estates. This will encourage more people to cycle and reduce carbon emissions.

• Pensioners - continuing the £100 discount for over-65s paying council tax.

• Councillor allowances - Liberal Democrats are proposing a cut of £500 to all councillors’ allowances with another £500 from Exec Member salaries.

Liberal Democrat council leader Terry Stacy said:

“I know that residents will be pleased that Labour has finally caved in to pressure from Liberal Democrats and followed our lead on not putting up the council tax.

“It’s only sad that Labour has taken so long to come to their senses on council tax. But it’s better late than never.

“The Liberal Democrat budget will help all Islington residents - council taxpayers and the most vulnerable in our communities as well as continuing the LibDem commitment to helping the environment.

“We know people are struggling still in the recession. So we have been clear that our top priorities should be not putting up the council tax, getting maximum value-for-money for residents and cutting waste while protecting frontline services.”

The Walter Sickert Centre on Canonbury Crescent, is holding an open day on Thursday 25th February so local residents can see what is happening at the centre and how you can get involved in the groups and the centre.

There will be a variety of activities for young and old ranging from Tango Lessons and Boxing with the local Safer Neighbourhood Officers to working with the Resident DJ.

There will be free food and refreshments for the first 100 people, so don’t leave it too late !!!

Thursday 25th Feb 2010, 3—6 PM.
Walter Sickert Centre
Canonbury Crescent,
Islington,
N1 2FB

To book the centre or find out more about getting involved call: 020 7704 6669

or

E-mail: waltersickertcc@btconnect.com

Pensioners at The Bridge in Canonbury are the latest to join the Liberal Democrat campaign to save the Freedom Pass – London’s free travel scheme for the elderly and disabled.

Islington pensioners have been rocked by the news that Labour ministers are looking at taking £30million of funding away from London to bail out their national free bus travel scheme.  The loss of this cash will leave a massive shortfall in the budget for the Freedom Pass.

Visiting The Bridge, Liberal Democrat campaigners heard local pensioners’ fears about losing their Freedom Pass.

Canonbury Lib Dem councillor, Barbara Smith, said:

“It is criminal that Labour is looking to rob Peter to pay Paul with their shock move to cut funding to London’s Freedom Pass.  London could lose £30million to pay for Labour’s national funding black hole.

“Why should Canonbury and Islington pensioners suffer because Labour has bungled its sums yet again?”

Every Sunday there are dance classes and dancing at Walter Sickert Community Centre on Canonbury Crescent, so why not tango down to the centre and join in. There are introductory classes for people who are new to Tango and a more advanced class for those who already know the basics.

Details of the classes and dancing on Sundays:

Tango Introduction Class with Cathy Bird
4.00pm – Free

Tango Class General Level with Pablo Alonso
4.30pm - £8.00

Dancing
5.30pm - £3.00

Venue details:

Walter Sickert Community Centre
Canonbury Crescent (off Essex Road)
Islington
N1 2FB

How to get there:

Tube: Highbury & Islington.

Buses: 38, 73, 341, 476, 271

For more information about the classes:

Visit: www.pablotango.com
or ring (020) 7226 6960

A zebra crossing joining the Rosemary Branch with the Regents Canal and Hoxton has been constructed, to the delight of residents and local Canonbury Councillors.

Local residents, with the backing of their local Canonbury Lib Dem Councillors, were calling on Islington and Hackney councils for a crossing at the five-way junction of Baring Street, Shepperton Road, Curtis Gardens, Bridport Place, and Southgate Road. The Rosemary Works Parents’ Association, who take small children across the busy road to the Rosemary Works Early Years Centre, were particularly involved in the crossing campaign.

Lib Dem Canonbury Councillor Lucy Watt said:

“Local people have been asking for a crossing at this dangerous junction for a long time. The Lib Dem councillors have been working with them, the local school and Hackney Council to make this junction safer and get a crossing built.

“Residents needed a crossing at this busy junction, to get to the Children’s Centre, Rotherfield School, the park, and the towpath. We’re overjoyed that it’s finally arrived, along with a new road surface, new bike stands, and a new pavement.”

Paula, Bridget, and Lucy making use of the new crossing at Baring Street:

Islington’s Lib Dem Council has installed 350 new cycle racks in the last year – putting Islington streets ahead of other London Boroughs in providing safe places for people to lock their bikes. In Canonbury, new bike stands have gone in by the shops at Canonbury Place, Essex Road, Ockendon Road, St. Paul’s Road, and Baring Street.

Cllr Lucy Watt said: “People are suggesting new locations for bike racks to me all of the time, so I am pleased that the Lib Dems put aside money for the council to provide them.  I hope the new racks encourage people to cycle more, especially when visiting local shops in the area.”

In August 2007 there were 420 racks in Islington. By August 2008 the council had doubled that number to 880. Today there are over 1230 cycle racks on roads all around Islington – more than double the number than in neighbouring Labour-run Hackney.

A June 2009 report by the London Assembly found that 45% of people would cycle more if there was better cycle parking. Research conducted by TfL showed that the availability of cycle parking and the security of parked bikes remain the two biggest cycling-related concerns.

Last week saw the Essex Road Christmas lights switched on by actor Jason Merrells (Cutting It, Casualty) and Cllr Lucy Watt and Cllr Barbara Smith.  Lib Dem PPC Bridget Fox was also in attendence.

The Canonbury Lib Dem Councillors paid for the Christmas Lights last year out of their local Area Committee budget, but following a petition from local people, they lobbied the council to pay for them out of the mainstream budget this year.

Cllr Barbara Smith said: “I’m delighted that we’ve been able to bring Christmas lights to Essex Road for the second year running.   They really brighten up this end of Essex Road and are really popular with both local people and businesses.”

Entertainment came in the form of carols sung by the Rose Bowl Youth Club and New River Children’s Centre, who kept spirits up despite the rain.

Rev. Nigel Williams, from the Bridge on Arran Walk, was the MC for the evening and the Essex Road traders provided free food and shelter after the switch-on.

Shops, restaurants and other businesses on Essex Road and across Islington could see their business rates almost double under new Government plans warn Islington Liberal Democrats.

Business rates for some firms in the borough are likely to rise by up to 50 per cent - a business tax bombshell costing around £120million extra each year. Liberal Democrats fear that the tax hike in the middle of a recession could force local firms to make redundancies or even close down.

Business rates are re-valued every five years but the amount local businesses pay is set at a time two years before they take effect. The new business rates are based on rents in April 2008 when property prices were at their peak before the recession hit.

Liberal Democrats estimate that the average bill across Islington will rise by 35 per cent with businesses in parts of the borough closest to central London whacked the hardest. Businesses in the Angel area can expect to see their bills spiral by up to 50%.

With the current black hole in the Government’s finances Labour politicians seem likely to claim that businesses in places like Islington can afford to pick up the tab. Islington already collects £345million in rates each year.

Islington’s Liberal Democrat Executive Member for Business, Canonbury councillor Lucy Watt, said:

“This could be the final nail in the coffin for many Islington businesses. Local firms already cough up £345 million every year that goes straight into the Labour government’s coffers and not the local economy.

“Now Labour wants Islington businesses to find an extra £120 million in the middle of a recession. All this does is punish successful firms and Labour’s move threatens to undermine any fragile economic recovery in Islington.

“The Labour government must come up with a solution to cushion this hammer blow and stop local businesses from going under when they are already struggling.”

Chair of North Essex Road Traders, Saro Castagna, said:

“The last thing local businesses need is an even bigger tax bill from the Government. We are in the middle of a recession and the Government should be helping businesses, not putting their finances under even more pressure.

“This increase could push some small businesses over the edge and force them to lay off staff or go under. The Government has given no vote, no help and no money.”