Liberal Democrats for Putney

Transport

2008-01-09T00:00:00Z

Liberal Democrats look beyond propaganda exercises to apply a whole new mindset when it comes to environmental policy. We must move beyond tokenism to policy that underlies everything the Council does. This will only happen if we set high standards and report results openly and honestly.

Liberal Democrats will fight for:

An annual environment policy report, showing the Council's standards and progress across all departments.

Improved recycling facilities. This includes ensuring that a higher proportion of waste from businesses is recycled, where Borough's progress has been notably slow.

Stronger advocacy of environmentally conscious behaviour by residents, including promotion in schools.

Advocacy and facilitation of public transport, cycling and walking. This includes major enhancements to services such as improving Clapham Junction and extending the Tube to it.

Campaign against the unacceptable level of aircraft noise in the Borough, especially in Battersea and Putney.

	Council's performance indicators for 2003-4	Wandsworth BC	English average
Road accidents where a pedestrian suffered slight injuries per 100,000 population	79.84	64.18
Road accidents where a pedestrian was killed or seriously injured per 100,000 population	19.31	18.57
Road accidents where a pedal cyclist suffered slight injuries per 100,000 population	56.82	32.96

The 493 bus - Superb Route, Bad Service!

The 493 bus runs from St George's Hospital to Richmond, via Wimbledon, Southfields, Roehampton, and Queen Mary's Hospital - potentially a great bus route for people living in Southfields.

What a pity the service is so bad! Local campaigner Shona Ferrier said “People living in this area very often find themselves waiting for up to 45 minutes for this bus, and often they end up getting dumped at Colliers Wood Garage.”

A local resident told us: “Often the bus drivers on this route are not the most helpful people. They often drive straight past the main entrance to St George's Hospital because the driver is not prepared to turn in!”

The local Liberal Democrat team is calling for the Bus company to do something about this dreadful service.

Join us by writing to them at:

Customer Services

London Buses

172 Buckingham Palace Road

London SW1 9TN

London Liberal Democrats force Mayor to oppose third runway at Heathrow

London Assembly Liberal Democrats won a major achievement this week in forcing the Mayor to come out against any prospect of a third runway and a sixth terminal at Heathrow airport. The Mayor had previously avoided addressing the issue. Liberal Democrat Deputy Chair of the London Assembly, Sally Hamwee, said: “I'm glad the Mayor has finally recognised the environmental blight that a third runway and a sixth terminal would bring to Londoners. I shall be ensuring that Ken Livingstone lives up to his words and joins with me in every single possible campaign to stop the threat of Heathrow expansion.”

Local Lib Dems launch Battle for Waterloo

Liberal Democrat campaigner Shas Sheehan is calling on local residents to support her campaign to ease congestion at Waterloo station. “Under pressure from Lib Dem MPs, the government is re-thinking the future of the platforms vacated by Eurostar at Waterloo. We need to make them know that those platforms are needed to ease congestion on trains coming in from south-west London.” Southfields campaigner Adam Towner said “many local residents use Waterloo every day. By supporting our campaign you will help to improve the daily commute of thousands of local people!”

Southfields Ward

EasyExpat — 2007-10-22T23:00:00Z

Overview

Southfields is located in the London Borough of Wandsworth, most famous for its tube station being the closest to the Wimbledon Tennis championship venue. Until the late 19th century, Southfields was still fields, situated between the more developed villages of Wimbledon and Putney.

When the District & London & South Western Railway from Wimbledon to Putney Bridge opened in June 1889, the area started to take off, with the first school opening a year later on Merton Road, one of the main thoroughfares that were formerly paths through fields.

The ward stretches up from the Shopping Centre of Southside in the north to Wimbledon Park in the south. In the centre, you will find four residential tower blocks, that represents most of the council-owned estates in this ward (and represents only about 10% of the housing in the ward).

Your Liberal Democrat Team in Southfields:

Your local Lib Dem team works all year round for local residents - not just at election time! We can help with any local issues. To contact us please email southfields@putney-libdems.org, or call us on 0208 785 7171.


Anna Ahmed	Tony Burrett	Shas Sheehan

Fantastic response to local Lib Dem survey!

Your local Liberal Democrat team sent out Residents' Surveys to all 6,500 homes in the Southfields Ward.

We wanted to find out what really matters to local people so that we can help to get things done on your behalf.

We had a great response, and we would like to give a big thank you to everyone who took the time to fill in the form.

The local Lib Dem team will continue to call door-to-door over the next few months - so we hope to be able to speak to you soon! We really value your opinions.

To get in touch with the Lib Dem team, please email them at southfields@putney-libdems.org, or call the number in the contacts section.

Survey Results:

Cycling on the pavements: Southfields residents are worried about the growing number of people cycling on the pavements.

Transport: Many people complained about the cost and lack of reliability of transport locally. Lib Dems are calling for cheap, reliable, and integrated transport for London.

Pavements!: The thing that annoys you the most is the dreadful state of our pavements! Many people complained that they are cracked, dirty, and dangerous. The Conservatives have had 28 years in power - it's time for us to elect Councillors who will really speak up for our area! If elected on 4th May, the local Lib Dem team promises to do something about this problem - and quick!

Crime: Sadly, there is a growing fear of crime in this area. Liberal Democrats are calling for more police on our streets to tackle this problem.

Housing: Many people complained about the lack of affordable housing in Southfields. Liberal Democrats support schemes such as Shared Equity and the reclaiming of empty properties. This should be a major priority!

Parking: Many people complained that parking is too restrictive and too expensive. This needs to be addressed.

Download the last Focus:

Focus on Southfields Ward January 2008:


Focus January 2008

Focus on Southfields Ward Autumn 2007:


Focus Autumn 2007

Focus on Southfields Ward Spring 2007:


Focus Spring 2007

Focus on Southfields Ward Winter 2007:


Focus Winter 2007

Focus on Southfields Ward Autumn 2006:


Focus Autumn 2006

Focus on Southfields Ward April 2006:


Focus April 2006

Focus on Southfields Ward March 2006:


Focus March 2006

Focus on Southfields Ward February 2006:


Focus February 2006

Focus on Southfields Ward December 2005:


Focus December 2005

Focus on Southfields Ward November 2005:


Focus November 2005

Focus on Southfields Ward October 2005:


Focus October 2005

Focus on Southfields Ward May/June 2005:


Focus May/June 2005

Council & Government

EasyExpat — 2007-05-11T23:00:00Z

In Norwich, Liberal Democrats reduced the budget deficit from £2.9 million in 2002 - when they took control - to just £300,000 in 2004.

Liverpool had the highest council tax in the country when the Liberal Democrats took control in 1998. Liverpool is now 70th in the league table. Value for money has increased, with 75% of performance indicators showing major improvement.

Since Liberal Democrats took control of Stockport Council, council tax has increased by less than the national average every year, and it is the lowest spending council per head in the whole of Greater Manchester.

Average council tax rises in England (Band D properties - 1999-2005)

	Year	1999/2000	2000/01	01/02	02/03	03/04	04/05	Average 1999-2005
Lib Dem	5.0%	5.5%	6.3%	8.1%	10.1%	6.4%	6.9%
Conservative	7.7%	5.3%	8.6%	9.3%	16.2%	6.0%	8.9%

	Council's performance indicators for 2003-4	Wandsworth BC	English average
Average time for processing new benefit claims (days)	69 days	44 days
% of renewal claims processed on time	44.35	66.83
User satisfaction with office contact	72	77.45

A Liberal Democrat Wandsworth Council would:

Fight to maintain Wandsworth's tradition of low Council Tax.

Make sure that your money is spent on your needs: A strong Council ethos of serving the whole local community, and providing leadership where this is required.

Never spend your money on election tax gimmicks.

The highest standards of openness across all the Council's committees and activities: Stop the Tory cycle of tax cuts one year followed by massive tax hikes the following year - bring common sense to the budget!

The highest possible standards for value for money: Spend part of the massive Council reserves on improving services in your neighbourhood.

Introduce schemes to keep down levels of crime on our streets (as opposed to the Conservatives' plans to axe the Street Wardens).

Clear and objective performance measures across all the Council's activities, including user opinion surveys.

Complaints against Tory Wandsworth Council rise by 20 per cent

Complaints against Conservative-run Wandsworth Council have risen to the highest level in eight years.

In the 2004/05 year, the Borough received over 25,000 complaints from residents.

Southfields Liberal Democrat Adam Towner said:‘Despite the vast amounts of our money that the Tories spend on telling us how good they are, these figures tell us the real truth. Wandsworth's Conservatives have squandered the good will of local residents once again.'

Following the last local election, Wandsworth's Conservatives raised your council tax by an astonishing 45%! This was the highest percentage rise in the entire country.

Every election year the Tories cut the local council tax to make sure that they are re-elected. The following year we always face a big tax rise to make up the shortfall.

It is local residents who always end up paying for the Conservatives' mismanagement of the council's finances!

The Lib Dems are fighting to keep council tax as low as possible.

We say the council's budget should be run for the good of you, not for the good of the local Conservative Party!

It's no surprise that Wandsworth raised its council tax so much - right across the country Tory councils raised their tax by a higher percentage than Liberal Democrat councils.

Environment

EasyExpat — 2007-05-11T23:00:00Z

Climate change is the single greatest threat to our way of life.

Councils, working with communities, need to be at the forefront of cutting carbon emissions, and cutting waste, if we are to protect the planet.

Liberal Democrats are leading the charge, with programmes to make whole housing estates, schools or council offices carbon neutral. We are pushing forward with new designs for housing that reduce water consumption, cut energy use, and reduce waste.

But we all want to see our environment protected on the local scale too. Our parks and green spaces, trees, gardens and public squares: these shared spaces are vital to our everyday lives.

Liberal Democrat councillors can be trusted to fight for and improve our environment - both locally and globally.

Around the country we are:

boosting recycling rates - even in the inner cities where it's toughest encouraging energy efficiency in buildings;

adding cycle lanes and footpaths, with marked Safe Routes to School for children;

promoting and investing in public transport;

improving parks, open spaces and public footpaths, and planting trees;

creating ‘low emission zones' and introducing environmentally friendly buses.

Lib Dem run Newcastle is to make a 12-block housing estate a beacon project for energy efficiency. The south-facing blocks will be fitted with solar panels and micro generation turbines, in order that 90% of the energy and heat needs of the residents will be met by renewable sources - for free.

Bristol City council began a cleaner vehicles initiative, thanks to its Lib Dem leadership, with funding for conversion to LPG given to residents and businesses in June 2005.

In Islington, green spaces are at a premium so there has been more planting, more trees and bird boxes and the development of a successful Ecology Centre. Undert he Lib Dems, Eastbourne won a ‘Green Apple' award for their innovative recycling scheme for office computers.

In Watford Lib Dems have introduced grants of up to £500 for activities like river cleans, community clean-ups, extra planting and flower shows - anything which improves the overall look of an area or which brings the community together.

In Waverley, Liberal Democrats extended kerbside collection of recyclable materials, adding 33,500 homes to the scheme within just six months of taking control -including 2,500 rural homes other parties had said couldn't be reached.

Liberal Democrats will fight for:

An annual environment policy report, showing the Council's standards and progress across all departments.

Improved recycling facilities. This includes ensuring that a higher proportion of waste from businesses is recycled, where Borough's progress has been notably slow.

Stronger advocacy of environmentally conscious behaviour by residents, including promotion in schools.

In Wandsworth, the Southfields Focus Team is working to get more of our household waste recycled. Local campaigner Anna Ahmed said “Wandsworth's Tory Council has a poor record of recycling. We believe that they should follow the lead of Liberal Democrat councils across the country in getting more done to protect our environment.”

“The Conservatives seem to have very little commitment to recycling.“

Wandsworth is still a long way behind the top London Borough, Liberal Democrat controlled Sutton, in the level of household rubbish that gets recycled.

We would like to hear your views about how we can improve recycling in our area.

A Lib Dem Wandsworth Council would:

Develop a full plastics recycling service.

Provide composting bins for recycling kitchen/vegetable waste.

Recycle white goods.

Recycle computer parts, ink cartridges etc.

Recycle unwanted furniture.

Improve on the mere 17.5% recycling figure ( to match the 25% of Liberal Democrat Sutton Council! ).

Council's performance indicators for 2003-4

	%	Wandsworth BC	English average
% of resident population served by kerbside collection of recyclables	75.3	86.22
Road accidents where a pedestrian was killed or seriously injured per 100,000 population	19.31	18.57

Litter? Graffiti? Street lights out?

Southfields Liberal Democrats are conducting a survey of all residents to find out what we can do to help you. If you have not yet received one of our forms, please let us know and we will get one to you.

Our Tory councillors only seem to care about cutting local services, and there is no Labour opposition in this area. The local Lib Dem team is always here to raise the issues that matter to you.

STOP THE JUNK MAIL!

People living in the Southfields area are being flooded with junk mail. One local resident we spoke to said that she had ten pieces of it through her letterbox in one day!

The local Lib Dem team is campaigning to get our local take-aways, taxi firms etc. to cut down on the amount of advertising they put through our doors. It's annoying and wasteful!

Support us by commenting on this website!

Local Lib Dems call for rethink on Southside's High Street entrance

The Southfields Lib Dem team is calling for the re-planting of the trees that were cut down at the front of the Southside shopping centre.

Before the revamp of the centre, which is at the north end of the Southfields Ward, there were seven ‘London plane' trees standing at the front. These all had tree preservation orders on them. So far they have not been replaced there.

Local campaigner Anna Ahmed said: “Re-planting the trees would make the Wandsworth High Street entrance a much more attractive place. At the moment it looks bare and unfinished, and the general appearance of the front of the building also needs to be smartened up.”

The local Liberal Democrat team is in touch with the management of the shopping centre, and we will report back to you on developments!

Crime & Policing

EasyExpat — 2007-05-11T23:00:00Z

Safer

Crime ruins lives. Too many people live in fear, effectively imprisoned by crime and anti-social behaviour in their communities. But no-one should be afraid to leave their home, to walk down the street at night, or to let their children play outside. That's why Liberal Democrats are doing everything we can to cut crime.

Our agenda isn't about headline-chasing, and it isn't about tough talking and soundbites. It's about what works.

More police on the beat, with support from community wardens and support
Better youth services to get young people off the conveyor belt to crime.
Investment in street lighting
Better drug treatment, and community payback for petty criminals
Local policing contracts, giving communities a say in how the police operate
Clamping down on graffiti, fly-tipping and vandalism to give people pride in their environment.

Lib Dem run Islington has pioneered Acceptable Behaviour Contracts to tackle anti-social behaviour as early as possible - instead of the cumbersome procedures for ASBOs. They're now used all over the country as an effective alternative to ASBOs, and even Labour ministers have admitted that Lib Dem ABCs help slash anti-social behaviour.

Liverpool's Liberal Democrats have cut domestic burglary by a staggering 24% in two years with its innovative project to gate back alleys between terraces.

Crack houses have been closed down in record-breaking numbers by Liberal Democrat Lambeth. When Labour ran the council there were 84 homes given over to crack dealing: that's been cut to just 10 at any one time.

Liberal Democrats in Somerset are fighting back against antisocial behaviour with a pioneering Community Justice Panel, where offenders are brought before a community jury. Restorative sentences mean offenders pay back into the community to make amends.

	Council's performance indicators for 2003-4	Wandsworth BC	English average
Domestic burglaries per 1,000 households	22.63	14.5
Violent offences committed in a public place per 1,000 population	17.28	10.1

Confidence and justice

In Wandsworth we have much progress to make, and the Council must play a full role, alongside other agencies.

For any policy to really work in the long-term, Liberal Democrats believe that there must be:

Focus on deterrence. Above all this means identifying and catching those who commit crime. Criminals are not deterred by the prospect of harsh punishment; they are deterred by the risk of being caught.

Involvement across the whole community to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour. This is not just a matter for the law enforcement agencies.

Fairness and justice. Everybody expects criminals to be punished, and serious crimes to be punished harshly. But harassing innocent people, from minority groups or otherwise, breeds resentment, and undermines the forces of law and order in the long term.

Liberal Democrats in Wandsworth will fight for:

The Council to lead and facilitate a co-ordinated approach across all agencies to deter crime, involving genuinely representative community groups.

A more visible presence of authority, especially in town centres and housing estates. This should include the restoration of street patrols funded directly by the council, unless adequate alternatives can be found. There should be a particular focus on late-night hot-spots.

Use of Acceptable Behaviour Contracts as a means of managing known potential offenders. These have proved much more effective than the tough-sounding but inadequate ASBOs.

Effective management of offenders. Sentencing should be tough, but this should be integrated with a properly coordinated approach to prevent re-offending.

Liberal Democrats call for REAL action on anti-social behaviour

The local Lib Dem team is increasingly concerned about the rise in anti-social behaviour in areas such as Merton Road.

Local campaigner Adam Towner said: “Ensuring people feel safe in their homes and communities is at the heart of what we stand for as Liberal Democrats. Lib Dem councils have been at the forefront of efforts to tackle antisocial behaviour, for example Islington's Acceptable Behaviour Contracts, and Sutton's anti-graffiti strategy.” “Liberal Democrats supported the introduction of ASBOs but we believe they should always be accompanied by other interventions to tackle the causes of the offender's behaviour.”

Southfields Lib Dem Tony Burrett stated: “Our proposal for ‘ASBOplus' would ensure that services like mediation, counselling, advice on debt management, and drug and alcohol rehabilitation are provided to tackle the causes of nuisance behaviour at the same time as the ASBO places restrictions on the individual's movements and actions.”

Justice & Crime

EasyExpat — 2007-05-11T23:00:00Z

By getting rid of Labour's expensive and ineffective ID card scheme, we could pay for 10,000 more police than Labour is planning. We also will give the police the technology to spend more time on the street, and less time tied to the desk.

Read more with:

Civil Liberties - Policy Briefing - February 2005
Asylum: Safe Havens - Policy Briefing - February 2005 _

Lib Dems say no to ID cards!

Expensive Introducing Labour's mandatory ID card scheme is likely to cost the taxpayer between £12 - 18 billion for the new combined ID cards and passports. Lib Dems say spend the oney on preventing crime instead! We would put 10,000 more police on our streets.

Ineffective Spain's ID cards did not prevent the Madrid atrocities. Stella Rimington, the ex-head of MI5, says "I don't think that anybody in the intelligence services ... would be pressing for ID cards".

Intrusive The Home Secretary can require some types of people to register, by 'proscribing' a group. This is likely to apply to foreign nationals at first but will eventually apply to the entire population.

Manifesto - Borough Elections 4th May 2006

EasyExpat — 2006-04-09T12:49:29Z

The Liberal Democrats believe that good local government is vital. Decisions should be taken at the closest level to the communities they affect. Even when powers are restricted, as now, Councils can lobby, facilitate and cajole. We want an end to the current blame-somebody-else complacency as standards deteriorate.

Once-proud Wandsworth is fraying at the edges. These are the early signs of a deep malaise. The complacency of the current Council exerts its corrosive effect throughout the Borough. Broken pavements, deteriorating road surfaces and uncleared rubbish are signs of a Council that is abdicating from its responsibilities to residents. Look elsewhere - housing, law and order, social services, schools, waste management - and you see the same signs. The Council is retreating from its role; it points to success in meeting over-narrow performance indicators, and blames anybody else when services fall short of people's real needs.

This has to stop. It's time to give power back to people and to their communities. The time has come for fresh thinking from the Liberal Democrats, a party that truly believes in local democracy. Even when councils have limited powers, they can still lobby, facilitate and cajole. We beleive in the value of local leadership.

Liberal Democrat leader Menzies Campbell says "People in every part Britain are turning to the Liberal Democrats. There are no no-go areas. And where Labour and the Conservatives have let people down, we're delivering. Better services, better value for money and better accountability."

Safer

tackling crime and the fear of crime

Fairer

ensuring social justice

Greener

fighting for the environment

What the Liberal Democrats will fight for:

Streets & pavements: back to the Brighter Borough. Reverse the deterioration of the Borough's roads and pavements

Environment policy: real action and real accountability. Setting high standards and reporting back. Leading the community on wider action on pollution and transport.

Law and order: confidence and justice. Deterrence; justice; results. Visible policing and new approaches to antisocial behaviour.

Communities: enriching the social environment. Development benefit for all residents; joined-up delivery of social services.

Education: real choices for residents. High standards; increased secondary provision; ensure that there is a good local choice for all.

Managing the Council: open and effective. Leadership across whole community; open government; value for money; keep the Council Tax low.

View full manifesto document:

LibDems Events

EasyExpat — 2006-02-05T18:29:50Z

Annual Dinner

Our annual dinner was organised on Friday the 20th January, as each beginning of the year (everyone always enjoys our dinners ;-).

Two party celebrities Graham Tope and Evan Harris, were our guests.

Graham Tope is a member of the House of Lords and the Liberal Democrats leader on the GLA. As an ex-MP and ex-leader of Sutton Council, he has wide experience in politics and is a particular expert on the environment.

Dr Evan Harris MP has been spokesperson for Health and is on the Science and technology House of Commons Committee. He is very involved in human rights and ethical matters ....and is an excellent, thought provoking and amusing speaker!

The buffet food was excellent and varied; the company friendly and relaxed and the two speakers were worth listening to!

Some photos below:


Dinner

Sue Shocket in action

Cyril Richert asking	Dr Evan Harris MP answering

West Hill Ward

EasyExpat — 2005-10-23T23:00:00Z

Overview

West Hill located in the London Borough of Wandsworth, formerly called Parkside Ward. The ward is bordered by the District Line and the road called West Hill, to the east, and Wimbledon Common to the west.

The ward's population is quite mixed, with a number of council-owned housing estates around Beaumont Road, together with more affluent areas such as the Inner Park Road area.

Your Liberal Democrats Candidates in West Hill:


Catherine Devons	Chris Ward	Laurence Spicer

Sick hospitals

EasyExpat — 2005-10-19T23:00:00Z

Ninety-three beds at St George's Hospital are to close to save over £9million in this financial year.

The Labour MP for Tooting said: "The loss of beds is counterbalanced by improvements in the way the hospital treats patients".

Few will believe this new Labour spin!

This is a grossly inefficient way to run the NHS.

If there were local democratic control the electorate would not allow hospital wards to lay idle.

Published in WBN - Thursday 20th October 2005