7/23/2019 December 2015 E-Newsletter

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December 2015 E-Newsletter  

The new Housing and Planning Act now going through Parliament makes many important changes to housing policy, including: 

•  Higher rents for social tenants with total household incomes over £30k (£40 in London) 

•  Extending the Right to Buy to Housing Association tenants, paid for by the forced sale of higher value council properties  

•  Ending secure tenancies for all new social housing tenants 

Parliament debated some of these changes this week, and I spoke about the importance of security and stability in housing for fami-lies and for communities. You can read my speech here. 

Westminster Council deletes 46 jobs in the ‘play/out-of -school child careservice 

Child care isn’t, of course, just for the under -fives as any parent of school age children knows. Working parents especially need toknow that there are after -school and holiday schemes they can rely upon. 

It is with huge regret that I heard this week that Westminster Council are pressing ahead with plans to drop all responsibility for thisservice - run for many years. This week, 46 staff were told that their posts were being abolished as Westminster cuts funding and ex-pects schools to pick up the slack. 

If you are affected by this, or have views about it, please do let me know. 

Inquiry calls for halt to West London Accident and Emergency closures 

 As the NHS enters into another winter with huge pressures on hospitals and social care (and with the London Ambulance Service putinto ‘special measures’ because of concerns, an inquiry into the plans for North West London health care (‘Shaping a Healthier Future’- which includes St Mary’s) has called for a halt to closures in Accident and Emergency services. You can read about it here. 

WESTMINSTER CHURCH LAUNCHES LIFE-SAVING SERVICE FOR

PEOPLE IN DEBT (From ‘One Westminster’ News) 

 As we head into the winter months, when fuel bills rise and Christmas costs start to stack up, one central London church is taking ac-tion to help those stuck in poverty and debt. 

Westminster Chapel in Buckingham Gate has partnered with the charity Christians Against Poverty (CAP) to bring its award -winningservice to the area, opening a debt counselling centre in the heart of the capital, meaning that many stuck in the mire of debt nowhave the chance to become debt-free. 

Westminster Chapel manager Andy Mehigan said: “Typically, debts can build up when a relationship breaks down, or someone losestheir job, or through bereavement – so often when people are least able to cope with a financial headache. We’re just so pleased to beable to partner the care of our church with the financial expertise of CAP’s head office in Bradford.”  

CAP offers an in-depth, caring service to people with unmanageable debt, regardless of age, gender, faith or background. Every clientis visited in their own home, and the charity will do all the negotiating with creditors, while local volunteers offer support to each personface-to-face until the day they are debt free. 

Research has shown that one in three callers seeking help with debt are feeling suicidal, but find huge relief through this non-

 judgemental service. 

To find out more visit CAP, Westminster Chapel  or call 0800 328 0006 

Struggling with fuel bills? 

It’s not (yet) been a cold winter, but even so thousands of local residents struggle with the cost of heating. This is just a reminder ofsome of the places you can go for help: 

Home Heat Helpline  0800 336699 

 Advice on how to get support from your energy supplier, including free insulation and the Warm Home Discount scheme. 

Grants from the British Gas Energy Trust 01733 421060 

 Advice, financial help and grants to help clear energy and household debts (average grant £600) and you DON’T need to be a BritishGas customer  

Citizens Advice 03444 111444 

Local round up 

Keeping the pressure up in the campaign to rebuild the Carlton Tavern  

I joined some of the dogged Carlton campaigners for a Christmas gathering outside this half -demolished pub, along with Maida Vale

Councillor Rita Begum. 

Residents express concerns about impact of Lanark Road redevelopment 

Dolphin Living have been chosen by Westminster to re-develop the Lanark Road site which currently includes the Lanark Centre, Pad-dington Boy’s club and a facility used by St George’s School. I welcome the new, much needed, homes and the re -building of the com-munity facilities - but it is also important that the design is right and the impact on neighbouring residents kept to a m inimum. 

Some residents are campaigning for a re -think of the design, so if you would like to find out more, click  here and to contact themclick here. 

Update of re-development of Dora House 

Here’s the most recent update from Central and Cecil, owners of the two big sheltered housing blocks in St John’s Wood:  

"Since wring to you earlier in the year, I am happy to inform you that C&C submied the planning applicaon for Dora House and 60 St. John’s

Wood to Westminster City Council on the 12 October. Our planning consultant is responding to queries from the planning ocer before the sub-

mission is validated.  The programme targets a planning commiee in January 2016. 

I thought I would use this milestone as an opportunity to update you on our public consultaons and the next steps on the residents’ reallocaon

 process 

Prior to submission, we held two public exhibions at the Danubius Hotel for residents and our neighbours to review our prop osals for both Lodge

Road and 60 St. John’s Wood. The rst event in April was aended by over 40 local residents and neighbours, and following detail conversaons

with Westminster City Council and feedback from this inial consultaon, we held a second exhibion on 15th September to display the number of

changes to the private residenal element. 

Before the public exhibions, we held a private event at Dora House for residents and their families to view the proposals, see how the Dora De-

signers’ work had been incorporated into the scheme, and put quesons to the design team and C&C. 72 Dora residents aended the private event

and a large number gave overwhelming support for both elements of scheme.  

C&C has connued to work with our residents on our proposals to redevelop Dora House and their temporary relocaon. Following on from our

conversaons with residents, the majority of Dora House residents have been happily relocated to other C&C locaons, with a number choosing to

move independently. Of the 40 remaining residents, 22 have agreed moves and are expected to move during November, December.  Another 10

oers have been made and have been accepted in principle as they are awaing a viewing. 

There are currently 8 residents without an agreed allocaon.  All residents have been given an oer and while we are taking every step to ensure

that residents are relocated to their preferred new home, a few residents have rejected oers. 

We are sll in conversaon with these residents, however, we are now seeking to issue court orders by the End of November/beginning of Decem-

ber to facilitate the relocaon process. While leers will be issued in the coming months, we do not expect acon to be ta ken unl the New Year,

however, we ancipate that most residents will have been relocated by this me.  

Lastly, C&C have produced a DVD called Dora Chapters about the Dora House redevelopment which I think you may nd interesng. The documen-

tary explores key elements involved in a redevelopment, including how residents feel at dierent stages and work with us to nd inspiring solu-

ons. A copy of this has been sent to your oce."  

Whiteleys 

The redevelopment of Whiteleys in Bayswater is also generating controversy (the size and impact of the scheme, including the 3 base-ment depth, the lack of affordable housing) of which this constituent’s letter is typical: 

"I trust you will be bringing your good oces to bear on the many shortcomings in the full planning applicaon for the redevelopment of White-

leys. 

There are many excellent comments made on the Westminster planning website. I share many of them especially the need for ao rdable housing

in the area which I worry sounds like a bit of a joke.  

Mine…focus on the very negave impact that the proposed increased height and inclusion of THREE basement levels will have on Kensington Gar-

dens Square and on the character and success of the area more generally. 

May I have your assurance that you will work for a redevelopment that does not destroy the character of our conservaon area and of beauful

Kensington Gardens Square?"  

You can see the proposal and make comments here. 

Thank you for reading and I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 

Karen Buck MP 

Website: www.karenbuck.org.uk 

Twier: 

KarenPBuckMP 

Promoted by Robert Atkinson on behalf of Karen Buck MP at 4G Shirland Mews, Maida Hill, London, W9 3DY. The informaon used to supply this

email is for the use of Karen Buck and will not be passed on to any third party organisaon.

Below my Christmas card (with many thanks to the children of Christ Church Bentinck School) you will find:  

Contents 

My statement on the vote to extend air strikes into Syria 

Other issues you have been writing to me about this month 

Westminster school children at risk from air pollution 

 As plans emerge for a ‘Paddington Shard’ (and the redevelopment of West End Green - I say let’s take the time to get this right  

Government ends secure tenancies in social housing  

Westminster Council deletes 46 jobs (and slashes funding) in the ‘play/out-of -school' child care service 

Inquiry calls for halt to West London Accident and Emergency closures 

New debt advice service launched in Westminster  

Local round up 

Syria 

Nearly 1000 constituents wrote to me before the recent vote on extending air -strikes against ISIL/Daesh in Syria - the overwhelmingmajority being against such action. My own decision to vote against was, however, very finely balanced - I can see the need to defeatthis evil organisation militarily and we are, after all, already involved against them in Iraq, with Parliamentary approval. However, I amconcerned about the ‘ISIL first’ strategy in this most complex of civil wars, and remain sceptical about the Government’s strategy formobilising what will be an essential ground force to complete the work air strikes alone cannot do. You can read my full s tate-ment here. 

What you have been writing to me about this month 

Please follow the links for: 

Bees 

TTIP 

Fracking under national parks 

Government ministers decided that the week of the Climate Change conference in Paris was also a good week to bring forward regu-lations to permit fracking under national parks! I voted ‘NO’. 

…and what else I have been doing in Parliament 

I serve on two Select Committees- the Joint Committee on Human Rights and the Work and Pensions Committee. The JCHR is cur-

rently looking into the use of drones, and will publish a report shortly. The Work and Pensions Committee produced an important re-port during the recent Tax Credits debate, and is also now enquiring into the ‘local welfare state’ (which included a visit to Westminsterto meet the Z2K charity workers to discuss Discretionary Housing payments, the Social Fund and Council Tax Benefit), and ‘BenefitDelivery’. ‘ 

The Work and Pensions Committee is also doing an inquiry into the new state pension, and has been taking evidence on how womenhave been affected by the equalising of the state pension age. If you have been affected, please do let me know how you think thesechanges have been implemented and communicated. 

Westminster schools “at high risk from air pollution” 

I have campaigned in the past about the threat to health from unacceptable levels of air pollution in central London and in 2013 I wrote

to Westminster urging action to protect the well-being of children in local schools. Now the issue has arisen again, with new warnings

about the risk toxic air poses to children’s health. 

Recently the Evening Standard reported that : 

"Nearly one in four school children in London are being forced to breathe air so filthy that it breaches EU legal limits, a shock reportwarned today. 

In findings which will alarm many parents, it was revealed that 328,000 pupils were at schools where nitrogen dioxide levels wereabove the annual permitted level. 

They included more than 30,000 children in Westminster, 29,000 in Tower Hamlets, 28,800 in Southwark, 26,300 in Camden, 24,000in Kensington and Chelsea, 23,700 in Lambeth and 20,100 in Hackney."  

You can read the full article here. 

Here’s the local angle, from last week’s Wood and Vale  

It is essential that we take urgent action to reduce these harmful emissions. 

Let’s build, but let’s take the time to get it right 

Two of the largest development projects in recent years in or affecting North Westminster, are looking to get the go ahead in a matterof weeks. 

‘Paddington Shard’ 

 Although I am quite a fan of tall buildings and accept the need to increase building density to support housing and economic activity. Ishare the concerns expressed by my councillor colleagues that this scheme is too important to rush - read the full statement here. 

West End Green 

The 2.66 acre West End Green site which has been variously vacant and a car park and car wash for the last 25 years. It has nowbeen bought by Berkeley homes, who carried out a consultation/presentation at City of Westminster College (which I attended) at thebeginning of December. 

They now intend by the end of the year to submit a new planning application for a m ixed use development . This will include privateand affordable homes, offices, shops, restaurants and a small boutique cinema, with construction planned to commence in summer2016. 

Whilst I am very pleased to see this vacant site brought back into use after so many years, I am very concerned by the suggestion thatonly just over 1 in 5 of the c700 homes proposed will be “affordable” (far too low), and I am keen to ensure that local residents are con-tent with the design, especially of the proposed tower. 

Here’s the link to the full presentation. 

 A fundamental question still remains over the future of Paddington Green police station, which I am sure the Mayor’s Office intend tosell, but which remains shrouded in secrecy. One thing is certain - we cannot be left without a police station for the entirely of NorthWestminster… 

Government ends secure tenancies in social housing