Liberal Democrats for Putney

Focus on Southfields Ward January 2008

2008-01-09T19:01:05Z

You can download the Focus on Southfields Ward January 2008

Nick Clegg: in touch with Britain

2008-01-07T00:00:00Z

Nick Clegg MP has been elected as the new Leader of the Liberal Democrats.

Nick said: “This is an exciting time to be Leader of the Liberal Democrats. The Labour Government is no longer trusted to protect vital services like our NHS, or to take the real action needed to cut crime - and the Tories don't stand for anything anymore. The Liberal Democrats will stand up for people and offer real change."

Local Lib Dem Shas Sheehan added: “Nick is in touch with modern Britain. The Lib Dems will be putting people first and fighting to protect vital local services.

Nick's top 3 priorities

  Nick will support families so everyone gets a fair deal in life.
  Nick will take real action to tackle crime.
  Nick will fight to protect our NHS.

NEW FLY-TIPPING FIGURES LEAVES WANDSWORTH “RED WITH EMBARRASSMENT”: LIB DEMS

2007-10-11T23:00:00Z

Local Liberal Democrats have commented on figures released this week showing there were over 158,000 incidents of fly-tipping in Wandsworth costing the borough almost �4 million to clear up.

Responding to the new figures, Putney Liberal Democrat campaigner William Summers said:

“We are spending almost four million pounds each year on cleaning up dumped rubbish whilst at the same time many local services are seeing their budgets cut. Wandsworth is left red with embarrassment at these figures.”

“It is completely unacceptable to dump rubbish illegally and expect somebody else to clean it up. However it doesn't help when the council charges an exorbitant amount to pick up DIY rubbish and garden waste from homes. I have little doubt these high fees are counter-productive and encourage even more people to fly-tip.”

“There has to be a carrot and stick approach to fly-tipping. The carrot is making it easy for people to legally dispose of their rubbish, and the stick is using the full weight of the law to prosecute fly-tippers.”

Wandsworth was shown to have the highest level of fly-tipping in London, with 158,076 incidents in 2006/07. The cost of clearing up this up was �3,767,964. There were 18 prosecutions for fly-tipping in this same period.

NOTES

1. Fly-tipping figures for all English councils were released earlier this week and are available on the Defra website: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/.../2006-07-la-breakdown.pdf

2. Wandsworth Borough Council charges a minimum of �16.50 for the removal of garden waste - by far in excess of any other London authority. The minimum charge for the collections of home improvement / DIY rubbish is �51.50. Wandsworth Borough Council bulky goods and garden waste prices can be found on the council's website: http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/Home/.../Refuse/bulkywaste.htm

Update on Wandsworth Museum

2007-10-10T18:59:10Z

We welcome the launch of the Friends of the Museum and the undeniable progress that is being made to securing the future of the Muesum, but the battle is far from over - for the latest news go to http://www.putneysw15.com and read "Wandsworth Museum Campaign Group (WMCG) Bulletin 7". Southfield Lib Dems will keep you informed of future developments and make sure the Museum does not get forgotten.

In the meantime, the Museum issue has highlighted something else about which the Council should hang its head in shame - its use of the Borough magazine �Brightside', produced and distributed to every home in the borough at the cost of over �94,000 per year.

The petition to save the Museum raised over 22,000 signatures, which is the largest number on a local issue in living memory - but Brightside has studiously avoided any mention of it, although this year it has highlighted petitions to save Bolingbroke Hospital and local post offices.

“While we support both these campaigns, it is wrong for the Council to publicise its own petitions but ignore the petition to save the Museum,” says Adam Towner, local Lib Dem activist. “Wandsworth Tories will use Brightside when local people need to make their views known to the Government, but not when they need to make them known to the Tory Council! This is the same contempt for the Council Tax payer that Councillor Grimston showed when he said famously that those fighting to save the Museum were not representative of the borough.” “With such unbalanced reporting, David Cameron should pay for Brightside, not the Wandsworth Council Tax payers,” adds Anna Ahmed, local Lib Dem activist. “It must be put beyond reach of political control or closed down. Many people have entirely lost their trust in this Conservative council.”

Local Conservative Councillor turns her back on Southfields residents

2007-10-10T18:53:28Z

The local Liberal Democrat team was shocked to discover that a Southfields Tory councillor has abandoned local residents.

Lucy Allan recently campaigned to become the Conservative parliamentary candidate for the east London constituency of Poplar & Limehouse. In her campaign literature she wrote: “My strength is being able to commit fulltime to Poplar & Limehouse. It takes time to build trust ... I have that time.” She was elected to represent Southfields just over a year ago, but she clearly sees being a local councillor as nothing more than a stepping stone to becoming an MP.

Local Lib Dem Adam Towner said: “This is shocking opportunism. She was elected to represent local residents, not as a step on her political career ladder!”

Wandsworth's Tories cut free garden

2007-10-10T18:48:44Z

Local Lib Dems have condemned the latest Conservative spending cuts to fall on local services. Before 1 April, Wandworth residents could have their garden waste collected free of charge.

Under the Conservatives' new rules, local people are now having to pay �16.50 for the service. Under the new system, people will need to stack up to twenty sacks of waste in their gardens before they can be collected. As local campaigner Anna Ahmed said, “Many people in the Southfields area take a great pride in their gardens, and make sure that the outside of their properties are kept tidy and attractive. If you can image twenty sacks hanging around your front garden, it will not be a pretty sight!”

Local Liberal Democrat Tony Burrett said: “It will be difficult for some pensioners to carry all these sacks to the front of their houses. For the thousands of people here who take pride in their gardens this is a real insult”.

Local campaigner Adam Towner said: “Liberal Democrats believe that recycling and composting should be made easier for residents, not harder. This council spent over �88,000 on clearing up fly-tipping last year. This new system can only make it worse, as people despair of having garden waste piled up in their gardens!”

Focus on Southfields Ward Autumn 2007

2007-10-09T23:00:00Z

You can download the Focus on Southfields Ward Autumn 2007

LOCAL RESIDENTS LOSE FAITH IN WANDSWORTH'S TORIES

2007-05-12T19:07:15Z

For many local residents, the Conservatives' shameful handling of this issue has been a turning point in their opinion of Wandsworth's ruling party. At no point did the Tory Council choose to consult local people about the proposed closure of the museum. A huge campaign, involving people right across the borough and beyond, was dismissed out of hand. Local residents are tired of being treated with such arrogance by the Conservatives.

The Tories just pushed on ahead with their plans, ignoring the overwhelming cries of support for this much-valued local amenity. They just don't care!

“The local council is supposed to be the guardian of the borough's history, not the destroyer of it. Wandsworth's Conservatives are cultural vandals”, said local campaigner Anna Ahmed.

MUSEUM SAVED!

2007-05-12T18:59:38Z

Wandsworth's ruling Conservatives have failed in their attempt to close the popular Wandsworth Museum in Garratt Lane. A charity has pledged �2m to secure the future of the museum. This followed a huge local campaign, and a petition signed by 20,000 people. The Tories blamed the spending cut on a reduction in government funding. However, they knew about this at least a year in advance. “They could have chosen to sensibly manage the budget. They preferred instead to cut our local services. Their priorities are entirely wrong!” said Lib Dem Adam Towner. The council is still going ahead with its closure programme before the museum collection is rehoused, meaning that expertise of museum staff could be lost. The Tories have no commitment to culture in this Borough!

Focus on Southfields Ward Spring 2007

2007-05-09T23:00:00Z

You can download the Focus on Southfields Ward Spring 2007