Wilson's Address to the Conservative Council on South Road

Unadopted Roads....

"It is with surprise and considerable disdain that I find myself speaking again, at a cabinet meeting, on an issue that has previously been addressed and a recommendation produced. In a Highways and scrutiny panelmeeting, the Council ratified a decision on how to progress. Yet nothing has been done.

From that meeting I quote what I believe to be the most salient point:

"agree in principle to establish an annual capital budget of £105k to be used to make up and adopt such streets on a rolling programme. This will need to be considered in the 2005/06 budgetary process;"

As we are all here again, discussing the same issue, I will assume that we all agree no progress has been made. It is with this in mind that I question the democratic decision making process. Especially when my address on behalf of South Rd residents has been refused an audience of recent full council meeting. Where I believe, we would have significant support amongst honourable Councillors of all political persuasion.

The fact remains that there are residents living in this purported "leafy borough" that actually believe the dubious claim that Redbridge is "green"! This is not because they enjoy newly planted trees, or the introduction of new plants or flowers. It is because they have trees and other weeds growing out of there pavements or roads…. if they can be called roads!

This weeks Ilford Recorder reported on the awful state of South Road, Chadwell Heath. And next week the Wanstead and Woodford Guardian will report on the shocking state of Landscape Road in Woodford Green. This road has pot holes with a diameter of at least 6 feet. It has no drainage, no regular street cleansing, no Road markings and has no street lighting?!! Now, I visit Pakistan annually. Which is supposedly a "third world" country. Yet I can recall no road that could match the dilapidated state of South or Landscape Roads. Both of these roads contain a number of residential dwellings. And a key fact of that is that there are children and elderly people who have to suffer the ensuing hazards to a safe and hygienic existence. Infact one elderly woman had to leave her long term dwelling on South road, as it became too dangerous for her to continue living there! This in tandem with the inability or unwillingness of a council to act and rectify this awful malaise, demonstrates why people have lost faith in their politicians.

Today I implore our auspicious and caring councilors to acknowledge that this situation is untenable. I further challenge them by throwing down a gauntlet on this table today. I ask that they rectify the problems on South Road.

I have gone through in some detail around 70% of the listed "unadopted Roads" in Redbridge and have set the following priorities [based on what I have seen and heard]:

- Priority 1 South Road
The residents have fought a 20 year battle for their road to be improved. A few shoddy, piecemeal attempts to bring short term relief to the residents is an awful statistic and demonstrates inept profligacy. The road is entirely made of residential dwellings, due to its small size, easy access (without affecting other roads) and width it would make an attractive and expedient milestone for success. There is grass growing within the road, huge Pot holes, no lighting or drainage and I have seen flooding that occurs as a consequence.

-Priority 2 Landscape Road
A larger road and mutual consent would have to be obtained, however the state of the road is now worse that South Road, due to fact that it clearly has not had the granular approach to rectification worked at South Road. The road is entirely residential and has foliage growing out of the floor as does South Road, I will assume it floods and there is no lighting which enhance the possibility of crime.

-Priority 3 Park Villas

No infrastructure at all, Residents have regularly complained and I have sprained an ankle her previously.

-Priority 4 Aston Mews
Residents have complained incessantly: No infrastructure at all, no pavement or actual uniform road surface.

-Priority 5 Pavement Mews
Residents recently attained road name plates and have been requesting lighting for a significant period. No Infrastructure barring nameplate
Priority 6 Elm Hall Road: No infrastructure, However not all residents in agreement".

South Road - potholes every where....

As Seamus Moore sang..... "potholes everywhere, even though I pay me road tax, they [Redbridge] treat me [South Road] like a clown.

Residents will know of Wilson's campaign to help Chadwell residents on South Road. Residents on this road are forced to live with pot holes, flooding, uneven road, and down right mess.


Why? Because the Council say this is a "private road".


Yet residents get NO council tax rebate or money off their road taxes. In previous years the Council has promised action and funding. Yet this has yet to materialise from our Conservative administration who come from Ilford North - the wards north of the A12.

WE SAY: "Residents deserve to live on a decent road. It cannot be right that in Chadwell Heath in modern Britian that roads are worse than downtown Baghdad. Wilson will carry on the fight".

Spotlight on Parking and Security on Shepherds Close

Wilson recently met with PC Williams (Met Police) and Eamonn Culinan (Highways Department) to discuss parking measures and crime on Shepherds Close.

* Parking Issues

It was decided that to help local residents on this road. Yellow lines will be applied to the bend in the middle of Shepherds road on the right hand side (as your enter from Somerville Rd).

Why the need? This will should stop anti-social residents and visitors parking fully on the pavement at this location. In the past this has prevented pedestrian use of the public footpath. It will also prevent parking on either send of the bend. As residents will also know, this has previously been known to be an obstacle to emergency vehicles.


*Discussions with PC Williams

Wilson was advised that there has been some burglaries on Shepherds road in recent months and significant theft from vehicles. PLEASE PLEASE BE VIGILENT. Your local Neighbourhood Watch Manager should be able to advise you further [see below on how to contact them or sign up]. If you aren't a member yet, YOU SHOULD BE! Intelligence sharing and community action is a powerful tool against crime and the yobs. Chadwell Heath is our area, we should reclaim our streets.


Tamperproof screws for car license plates

Bizarre as it sounds. There are criminals out there who steal licence plates for use on other cars. Wilson gave some tamperproof screws to your Neighbourhood Watch Chairman Karen as according to the Police there has been an increase in license plate theft in Redbridge. These will be distributed to Neighbourhood Watch members or other residents who ask.


Ultra violet pens

Wilson is trying to obtain ultra violet pens for people to label their property. This is helpful as it ensures any stolen belongings can quickly be identified with there owners by the Police. Wilson will forward these to Karen (your neighbourhood watch member) as soon as possible.


Shepherds Close Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator

You can obtain details of your Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator from the Met Police on 020 8721 2562 or contact Wilson (wilson@aasecurity.co.uk) and he will pass your details on.

St Patrick's Day Festival

We have been asked and are proud to advertise the St Patrick's Day parade on 16th March 2008 at Trafalgar Sq, Leicester Sq and Covent Garden. A full of list of details can be found at http://www.london.gov.uk/stpatricksday/.

The event consists of a parade and a festival. The Parade will see marching bands from Ireland and the UK, community groups, sports cubs, schools and street theatre take to the streets of central London for a fun filled family spectacle. The festival will include Irish food, culture, dancing, music (a number of music stages) and much much more.

The Parade starts at 12noon from Hyde Park Corner so get to your chosen viewing spot with time to spare.

Working for you

A picture of Wilson Chowdhry (with his daughter) giving up some time on his weekend to get hands on and tackle graffiti in Chadwell Heath.

Tories to cut Redbridge's Voluntary groups funding

Conservative controlled Redbridge Council have agreed to cut £32,000 to voluntary services. Labour opposition Councillors fought to have this thrown out.

Labour Cllr Julia Hughes said that the increase last year in the criteria for social care meant that more people now needed help from voluntary groups, and that there was no indication where the new cut would fall. She said, "Will it be the faith groups, the elderly, children and adults with disabilities, the mentally ill? I'm concerned about how transparent that choice will be."

Conservative Cabinet member John Fairley Churchill defended his decision "Some of the groups in this borough thought it was their God-given right to be funded each year." He went on "The idea of voluntary sector organisations in splendid isolation harks back to the days of gentility when my grandmother was a girl. We want to encourage cross-borough working."

Labour believes in voluntary groups. We think they create a cohesive community. Not only do the recipients of voluntary groups benefit, but also the volunteers themselves; they become involved in a local community and feel empowered. There are many areas that the state are not involved in or are "unsexy", these are the vital areas that voluntary groups often work in.

Savings could have been found, for example:-

- NOT wasting your council tax on Redbridge-i website

- NOT wasting 110k of your council tax on 2 flash Jaguar limos

- NOT wasting your council tax on Redbridge Life

- BY cutting Cabinet Cllrs allowances / salaries

WE SAY: This story is linked to the continued Tory mis-management of this borough - from allotment sales, car parks, elderly centres, pay and display parking, internal rifts between Tory Cllrs who want to do the right thing etc.

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