Scrutiny backs School Expansion plans

Education and Leisure Scrutiny Panel met tonight and I managed to get along to part of the meeting (I went to a school musical evening at Christchurch School first).  One of the important issues they were considering was the expansion of school places report that is going to Cabinet next week.  I’m pleased to say [...]

Is deflation or inflation the threat?

Gordon Brown and Barack Obama argue that a fiscal stimulus and quantative easing are necessary because of the fears of the economy deflating.  Now unlike the leader of the Labour Group in Ealing, Cllr Julian Bell, I’m not a (self-proclaimed) trained economist, but I’m begining to wonder whether they are right.  I have been reading over [...]

Lower taxes with the Conservatives

Nick Clegg’s “tax cutting ” Liberal Democrats have been rather exposed by recent council tax figures.  
As bills land on door mats, calculations show that the average Band D tax in Conservative authorities in London is £963.  Liberal Democrat authorities charge a staggering £1250 to Band D Londoners.  Labour authorities charge an additional £28, coming in at [...]

Copley Close Open Day

We are holding an open day on Copley Close on Saturday to inform residents and neighbours of the progress we’ve been making on plans to regenerate the estate.
The event kicks off at 10am and runs on until 4pm at the Community Centre (opposite Castle Bar station).  I’d encourage all local residents to pop along and [...]

Community Toilets come to Hanwell

Following the Mayor’s recent Open London announcement, the concept of more publically available toilets is coming to Hanwell.  Working with local retailers, the Council has launched its own Community Toilet Scheme with a two year pilot in Hanwell.  Four cafes and pubs are involved initially:

Rendezvous Café, 109 Uxbridge Road
Lavins Bar, 97 Uxbridge Road
Caffe Espresso, 101 [...]

Boris wants us to spend a penny in local shops

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has launched Open London, a scheme to improve access to local toilets.  Launching the scheme in true Boris style he writes
We’ve all been there before. Wading our way through a busy high street, heavy bags of shopping hanging from virtually every limb. Resisting with every fibre of our being to [...]

Drayton Manor High – c’est magnifique

I visited Drayton Manor High School in Hanwell yesterday and spent a couple of hours with the head, Sir Pritpal Singh.  It is clear as you walk around that Drayton Manor High is an excellent school, with an enthusiastic staff, committed students and an inspirational head.  We spent sometime discussing the thorny issue of Drayton [...]

Limetrees spearheads fight against child poverty

Limetree’s Children Centre in Northolt is one of three Children’s Centres in the Borough that is at the heart of a new initiative to tackle child poverty. The council, in partnership with Jobcentre Plus, is introducing dedicated employment and skills coordinators and Jobcentre Plus personal advisors into three children’s centres in a new two-year initiative [...]

Bye bye Old Bill

Residents of Copley Close are celebrating the final demise of the Old Bill pub on the estate.  The pub was a magnet for drug dealing and anti-social behaviour and was eventually shut down following a police raid and the jailing of the manager.  The Council’s licencing panel put such onerous conditions on the pub that [...]

Streets for People Update

My ward colleague, Cllr John Popham has just updated the Pitshanger Community Association about where we are with the Streets for People programme for Pitshanger Lane.  Unfortunately the detailed design work won’t be available for our next ward forum meeting on the 6th April so we’re thinking of holding a special meeting where we’ll be able [...]