December E-Newsletter

12/12/13
Here is the last edition of my newsletter for 2013. Thank you all for your comments, e-mails and letters! I wish you all a Happy Christmas and every good wish for 2014.

Another NHS funding shock Raising the issue of basement excavations in Parliament 38 Degrees campaigners present me with a petition on the gagging bill Launch of North Paddington Food Bank Westminster Council to cut another 100million from local services Opposing the Bedroom Tax in Parliament Selection of local news rounded up

New NHS shock as Westminster faces big losses

Earlier this year, my questions revealed that non-emergency services had moved away from St Marys to Charing Cross and Hammersmith without consultation, as at the same time plans were announced to close those hospitals' Accident and Emergency units. This closure programme will concentrate North West London emergency care at St Marys. It has now also become clear that Inner London faces big losses as funds are potentially

swapped to other parts of the country with lower health care needs. Although reductions will be phased in, the loss of funding locally will be hugely challenging. The current allocation for Central London Clinical Commissioning Group (covering most of Westminster) is 244m and under the new funding formula we would lose around 53m of this. I have been told that the impact of this is roughly 5m per annum and would mean a gap to close in 2015/16 of 12.5m (5%). The West London Clinical Commissioning Group, which includes Queens Park, faces an even larger reduction of 89m, or 37% of its budget. We are harder hit than any other part of the country, not least because the new formula has removed the previous allowance for deprivation, and it does not take account of high staff costs in London. By contrast, some areas such as Mid-Essex see a substantial increase in their funding. I have written to NHS England to ask for a rethink - you can see my letter here. Thank you to everyone who completed my NHS and care services survey - I will be analysing the responses over Christmas.

Raising the nuisance of basement excavations in Parliament

I introduced my private (10-Minute Rule) bill in Parliament last month. This called for a change to the law on Permitted Developments to make sure local councils have legal cover for their own local policies restricting basement excavation. Here is the link: Permitted Development (Basements) Press coverage Guardian Daily Telegraph

I will now be following this up with Ministers at the Department of Communities and Local Government to discuss how we might proceed if, as feared, council policies are not able to withstand legal challenges from developers.

Gagging Bill
Supporters of the 38 degrees campaign came to present me with a copy of their petition against the Gagging Bill.

I have been voting against the bill - officially known as the Transparency in Lobbying Bill, and will continue to do so unless it is fundamentally changed. I fully support reform of the political lobbying process, but this Bill has the extraordinary effect of limiting what charities and voluntary organisations can campaign on whilst doing almost nothing to limit the professional lobbying industry where the real scandals have occurred.

Opposing the Bedroom Tax in Parliament

Over-crowding is a serious problem in London and I have campaigned for many years for more affordable house building, an efficient home-swapping system and incentives for those tenants wanting to downsize. The Bedroom Tax will, however, do very little to help since the large majority of those affected are in Wales and the North of England (where there is a shortage of one-bed properties) and most over-crowded households are in London. You can read my speech here:

North Paddington Food Bank launchesand asks for donations

Walterton and Elgin Community Homes (WECH) and other community organisations in and around North Paddington are starting a food bank. The food bank sessions will run from the WECH Community Centre, Athens Gardens, W9. Over the past 12 months all of the organisations involved in setting up the food bank have seen a notable increase in the need

for assistance with food. There are a variety of reasons for the growing need for food assistance such as an unexpected bill or change in circumstances, redundancy, welfare reform, significant delays in benefits and illness. The food bank organisers aim to help people who are in exceptional need for a short period. They also aim to provide budgeting, welfare/debt advice and to refer people to other relevant support services to anyone who needs the food bank. To find out how you can get involved, you are invited to: WECH Christmas Harvest and Information Day, Monday 23rd December 2013 from 2pm - 5pm, WECH Community Centre, Athens Gardens W9 3RS. The food bank would also be really grateful for your help to get started and is asking for food donations. You can contribute an item to the food bank, for example: Milk (UHT or powdered), Sugar, Fruit Juice, Soup, Pasta, Sponge Pudding (tinned), Tomatoes (tinned), Cereals, Rice Pudding (tinned), Tea bags/instant coffee, Instant mash potato, Rice/pasta, Tinned meat/fish, Jam, Biscuits or snack bars You may also be interested in this article about the rise in demand for food banks in Westminster from Time World wp.me/p2MVRJ-tg

Westminster Council to cut another 100 million from local services

Westminster residents face 100 million more cuts from local services over the next four years, according to the Leader of the Council Philippa Roe, as the Conservatives admit their austerity policies will hit local people even harder than over the past three and half years. Councillor Roe has said: Despite our tri-borough approach and despite the introduction of innovative ways of reducing our budget, the next few years will be equally tough if not tougher. Over the next four years Westminster must take a further 100m out of its budget. In fact, the pressures on public expenditure over the next parliament are expected to be tougher than those faced since the election of 2010. Earlier this year, in June, outgoing Chief Executive Mike More told the Guardian; Facing another six years of austerity, if thats what happens, will be hard. I worry about the fabric and quality of what well be able to do, he says. An organisation can always get more efficient, but this level of cuts cannot be made without paying a price in terms of the quality of what were able to do.

http://www.theguardian.com/local-government-network/2013/jun/25/mikemore-westminstercouncil-cuts

High Speed 2: more details published

The latest proposals for HS2 have now been published - with the tunnel going, as previously suggested, under the north-western corner of Westminster, and a ventilation shaft due to be constructed near Queens Park station. There is cross-party support for the construction of a new rail line in the light of rising passenger numbers, but I fully appreciate anxieties about the local impact (which we will work hard to respond to), and the strongly felt views of people opposed to HS2 in principle. It remains the case that no blank cheque exists for this project and costs remain a serious concern. For those who havent yet seen it, here is a link to the map:

And finally, a selection of local news: Plans for a police base in Harrow Road Council offices fall through

Since the closure of Harrow Road Police Station, I have been working with the police and Council to find another local base for the North Westminster Safer Neighbourhood Teams. We are always told that it makes sense to share premises to cut costs, and indeed it does. Sadly, these plans have fallen through, since Westminster re-developed the former One Stop without considering the police needs, and now want to charge much more than the police can afford for even a limited use of the site. So much for integrated service delivery!

Edbrooke Road Gardens

I recently surveyed residents of Edbrooke and Goldney Roads to seek their views about continuing problems with noise, litter and anti-social behaviour in the park. Unfortunately most respondents felt that the problems were unchanged from last year, but people were able to helpfully suggest a range of steps that might improve the situation. At a recent meeting with the Police, City Council and Ward Councillors, we were able to agree an action plan for the coming year. Police will step up evening and weekend patrols,

when the problem is at its worst, while the City Council will pursue anti-climb paint and improved lighting to restrict after-hours access to the park and deter anti-social behaviour.

Dibdin House, Maida Vale

I met with representatives from the Dibdin House Residents Association and landlords Grainger PLC to discuss several issues arising from the handover of management of the estate from Genesis Housing Association direct to Grainger. The new managers agreed to give urgent priority to addressing many outstanding repairs issues, as well as promising to clarify their policies on transfers and use of the currently out of action Dibdin Hall.

The Star Pub in St Johns Wood

I am delighted to support the campaign to preserve this popular pub, and ensure it does not become just one more luxury housing development amongst many. Here is an article from the West End Extra: And here is the petition.

Hallfield Estate
I have been lobbying for a swift resolution to the long-running dispute over major works on Hallfield. I am now asking for an award or compensation to be given to those residents who had to endure their homes being covered up by scaffolding and canvass for a year as the dispute rumbled on. Although we are all hopeful of a fresh start, the truth is that too many of these major works schemes have been a nightmare for leaseholders and tenants alike.

Chippenham Mews Traffic Management

Chippenham Mews residents and parents of children at St Peters Primary School remain deeply concerned about traffic speeds along the mews. At a meeting at the school this month, parents had a chance to put their views across to the City Council, local councillors and my office. It was agreed that warning signage to drivers at the top of the mews would be improved, while the school would devise a travel plan and the councils Transport Team would consider temporary CCTV or introducing loading restrictions to separate school and business traffic. A further progress meeting will be scheduled in the New Year.

Elmfield Way
My campaign to ask Westminster City Council to finally adopt Elmfield Way has received numerous positive responses from local residents, who are tired of the current chaotic parking situation. Local housing associations, large landlords in this part of Westminster, also agree

that the council should take responsibility for the road. I have written to the council again to ask that they give this proposal urgent attention.

Westminster College site, Elgin Avenue

Some local residents have been asking about this site, which has been closed for refurbishment for some time. I checked this out with the College, who told me: The Colleges Governors have just recently given the go ahead to proceed with the comprehensive refurbishment of the Maida Vale Centre. "Over the next three to four months, we will be working up the proposals with a view to a start on site in June / July 2014. The fully refurbished site will open as the Colleges Maida Vale Campus in September 2015". Current thinking is that the refurbished campus will be used primarily to accommodate education and training provision for adults, with the younger 16-18 student cohort being based mainly at Paddington Green. Until such time as work starts on site, the buildings will be protected by the presence of livein caretakers, as at present. I hope this provides sufficient information for your current purposes but, if you have any questions or need anything further, please do let me know. It is hoped to bring local residents up to date with the Colleges plans by means of a letter to be distributed to local households before Christmas. ---------------Lastly, thank you for reading my newsletter and enjoy the festive season. Best Wishes,

Karen Buck MP Website: www.karenbuck.org.uk Twitter: KarenPBuckMP Facebook: KarenBuckMP 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.