News

Guru Nanak’s New Primary School Plans Means Council Has No Need to Build on Lake Farm

2013-05-03T14:25:52Z

Guru Nanak School has now applied to the Council to build a new fourth form of entry primary school on its site in the same ward as the council plans to build a school on Botwell Common and Lake farm.

The pupils that have been accepted to attend the new Guru Nanak Primary School are overwhelmingly drawn from the local Hayes area.

The new school is to be built on the existing school site surrounded by existing school buildings and although technically on green belt land, it is land not open to the public and not in the country park area.

Local MP John McDonnell commented

“I am reluctant to see any area of green belt built upon but allowing this school to go ahead on land that is already on the school site, surrounded by school buildings, is inaccessible to the general public and not in a country park, means that the council has no need to build on our Botwell Common and Lake Farm country park. This development could save our country park. I am urging the council even at this late stage to drop its plans to destroy Botwell Common and Lake Farm Country Park. This new school means that there will be enough school places in the area. There is now simply no need to destroy our park. To press ahead now means that the Council must have a hidden agenda for the Lake Farm site.”

“Why is the Council seizing much more land than it needs to build school on Lake Farm?”

2013-05-03T14:18:11Z

The Council is being forced to consult on how much land it is appropriating to build a new school Botwell Common and Lake Farm. In the consultation papers it is revealed that the Council is seizing at least 50% more land than it originally said it needed in its planning application for the new school.

Local MP, John McDonnell, commented “The only reason the council is trying to seize so much more land is that it must have a hidden agenda to build on more of our country park. Is there a hidden plan for housing or a secondary school on the park or both? Are we witnessing another sell off and asset stripping exercise in the south of the borough by these Uxbridge and Ruislip councillors? We are demanding answers.”

Betrayed by Boris

2013-04-22T09:28:41Z

We have now learnt that Boris Johnson mayor for London has given the go ahead to Hillingdon council to build on Lake Farm Country Park and Botwell common. We await the outcome of the secretary of state’s decision which is expected this week.

I convened a meeting on Saturday 20th April at which local residents expressed their fury at the Mayor for London’s decision. Boris Johnson’s decision flies in the face of his earlier commitments to protect the green belt and his statements opposing school developments on green belt land.

This is a disgraceful betrayal of our local community by Boris Johnson. He has broken every promise he gave to us before he was re-elected that he would protect our green belt. He has also contradicted his recent statements against building schools on the green belt and using school developments as an excuse to build on our cherished open spaces. Our local residents, local councillors and I are committed to campaigning against the threat to our green belt.

It was also revealed at the public meeting that the council has submitted a formal proposal to appropriate a much bigger piece of the Lake Farm and Botwell common than originally planned for the new primary school. I am really worried now that the council is taking a much larger proportion of our country park than was first proposed. I fear that they now have plans to build on another section of the park for a secondary school. The council starts its consultation on secondary school expansion in September. It is too much of a coincidence that they now want to appropriate such a sizeable increase in the land take of our country park. Consultation on this appropriation of the land ends on the 30th April. No local residents have been written to and only a small advert has been written in the gazette. I am urging local residents to write in objecting to this land grab by the council.

Council Forces Through Plans to Build on Lake Farm and Botwell Common

2013-03-06T14:58:06Z

Last night the Council convened a special Planning Committee at short notice to force through its plans to build on Lake Farm Country Park and Botwell Common. The Planning meeting degenerated into near chaos as information contained in the Council’s reports recommending the development was comprehensively challenged by local residents and local Labour councillors.The Councillors heard that there was no need for a new school to be built on this green belt land as pupil numbers could be catered for in the new Guru Nanak Free School to be opened later this year in the samee ward,. In addition a Governor from the new Rosedale Primary School repeated the Governors’ and School Headteacher’s offer to expand this school by a further form to assist in preventing the need to build on the green belt. It was revealed atht the old Hayes Swimming Pool site could also accomodate a new 2 form of entry school, thus avoiding the need to build on Lake Farm and Botwell Common. All this was rejected by the Conservative councillors on the committee, not one of whom lives in the Hayes area. The campaign against this disastrous destruction of our green belt is now moving on to lobby Boris Johnson to call this planning application in for him to determine as it flies in the face of his policies to protect the green belt. I will be joining local residents at 1pm at City Hall next Tuesday to deliver our letters to him urging him to intervene to save our park from these local vandal Conservative councillors. Come and join on Tuesday.

Planning Committee Meeting To Decide on Lake Farm on Tuesday 5th March at 7pm

2013-03-04T12:03:44Z

The Council has convened a Council Planning meeting tomorrow night to determine its planning application to build on Lake Farm Country Park and Botwell Common. The Council is seeking to force this application through despite all the opposition from the local community.Local residents will be meeting outside the Civic Centre at 6.15 to demonstrate our opposition to this attack on our local park and green belt. Come along and join us. The Planning Committee will be held at 7pm in the main Council Chamber and is open to the public. Come to the Committee to show your concern at what the council is doing to destroy our open spaces.

Cuts in Local Police

2013-02-06T21:59:40Z

There was a debate in Parliament today on the future of the Metropolitan Police Service. This follows the publication of figures that showed that since the election in 2010 London has lost over 1100 Police Officers. The Mayor for London is undertaking a consultation this month on his strategy for Policing in the capital. I am worried that we have already seen Policing cuts in our area and we face a threat to our local Police Safer Neighbourhood Teams that have been successful in our community in getting more Police Officers on our streets. I spoke in the debate to draw attention to our local fears for Policing in our area.

High Speed Rail: Government’s Preferred Route to Heathrow

2013-01-31T16:10:59Z

Although the Government has yet again delayed its decision until 2015 on the way in which HS2 will link up with Heathrow and whether there will be a spur from HS2 to the airport,it has shown us what its preferred route would be. This is the map of the route.

High Speed 2 Announcement: Government Delays Decision on Heathrow Spur Link Until 2015

2013-01-29T00:13:05Z

Because of yet another Government delay my constituents are faced with the worst of all worlds. This continuing uncertainty is unacceptable. It is certainly no way to run a railway or a transport policy. I called on the Government in Parliament today to bring forward the Davies Commission report on airports so that this report can rule out Heathrow expansion once and for all and then the Government can be honest about its plans for linking HS2 with Heathrow.

Volunteers Undertake RSPB Bird Count on Lake Farm

2013-01-27T19:23:12Z

On Saturday (26th January 2013)local volunteers undertook the annual Royal Society for the Protection of Birds bird count on Lake Farm. We found the country park teeming with bird life including a sparrow hawk, a lesser spotted woodpecker, skylarks and many blue tits and great tits, robins, thrushes, magpies, gulls and of course hundreds of pigeons. This wonderful display of bird life in the park makes it all the more important that do not allow the council to build over this park and disturb and destroy the habitat of so many birds forever. We must do all we can to protect this site so that generations to come will be able to enjoy the sight of so many beautifiul birds in this country park as we do today.

Breakthrough in Parliament for Campaign Against Blacklisting

2013-01-23T23:23:25Z

For over 15 years I have been campaigning in and outside of Parliament to expose the blacklisting of trade unionists by employers. Today the Labour Party placed a motion on the agenda of the House of Commons calling for an independent inquiry into blacklisting. This was a major victory for the campaign waged by the group I helped set up several years ago called the Blacklist Support Group. This was a group of workers who had been blacklisted by employers simply for being active trade unionists and representing their fellow workers on issues like health and safety and working conditions. The raid on the offices of an organisation called the Consulting Association by the Information Commissioner revealed a blacklist of over 3000 workers. Many of these had been prevented from following their trade and many had lost their jobs and suffered real hardship. A number of these blacklisted workers are pursuing a claim for compensation in the courts. Neveretheless we need an inquiry to discover the true scale of blacklisting and to discuss how the law needs reforming to ensure we eradicate this disgraceful practice once and for all.

I Speak Out Against Cuts To Welfare Benefits

2013-01-22T11:00:24Z

Last night I spoke out in the House of Commons against the cuts to welfare benefits that the Coalition Government is forcing through because I am fearful of the impact on the poorest in our society, especially the impact on children living in poverty and people with disabilities. I do not believe that this is morally acceptable at a time when many rich corporations and individuals are not paying their taxes and when there have been tax cuts introduced for the wealthy and big business.

Cuts to Hayes Fire Station Halted by Campaign

2013-01-22T10:51:47Z

I have congratulated the Labour, Lib Dem and Green GLA members who have voted against Boris Johnson’s plans to cut a fire engine from the Hayes Fire Station. This has been confirmed in the email I have received from the London Fire Commissioner set out below.
In my view cutting a Fire Pump from the Hayes station would have put lives at risk so I am pleased that the alliance of Labour and Lib Dem and Green GLA Members has forced Boris Johnson to back down. I am fearful though that he will now come back with plans to cut the number of fire-fighters. We need to be extremely vigilant in opposing these cuts to this essential service.

From: ron.dobson@london-fire.gov.uk [mailto:ron.dobson@london-fire.gov.uk]
Sent: 22 January 2013 11:12
Subject: Outcome of the LFEPA meeting on London Safety Plan

Dear all

I wrote to you last week setting out my proposals for the draft fifth London Safety Plan (LSP5), which included details of how savings worth £28.8m could be made over the next two years while maintaining our existing response time targets. LFEPA members met yesterday (Monday, 21 January) to discuss my proposals.

An amendment was made by Labour members, which was supported by Liberal Democrat and Green members. The amendment means the Authority has not agreed to consultation on the part of the plan which deals with the closure of fire stations, or loss of appliances or firefighters.

Over the coming days, I will be discussing with officers what this means in terms of setting our budget and finding the savings of £45m that are still needed over the next two years.

Ron Dobson
Commissioner, London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority
3rd Floor, Brigade Headquarters
169 Union Street
London, SE1 0LL
Tel: 0208 555 1200 x30000

| | www.london-fire.gov.uk

Speaking up for the Victims of Atos

2013-01-20T17:56:36Z

I have dealt with many constituents who have suffered loss of disability benefits as a result of the way they have been inaccurately and inappropriately assessed by the private company, Atos. This is the company that the Government uses to undertake these assessments. Many people have felt degraded and distressed at the way they have been treated by Atos. This system has caused real suffering to many of my constituents. When I started raising this issue in Parliament I was approached by many people from around the country who had gone through the same distress and upset. I spoke about this again in Parliament last week. This is a recording of my speech. I have tabled an Early Day Motion in Parliament calling for the Atos system to be scrapped and replaced by a fair system that properly assesses a person’s disability. The BMA, which represents our country’s doctors, has also called for the system to be abolished. My Early Day Motion has been signed by 117 MPs so far. I will continue to campaign on this issue until we win.

Boris Johnson Has Written to Council To Demand Answers on Why it Wants to Build on Lake Farm

2013-01-18T13:39:26Z

Today I have called upon the Council to Listen to Boris Johnson and Drop Plans to Build on Lake Farm Country Park.

This week Boris Johnson has written to Hillingdon Council and asked serious questions about the Council’s justification for building on the local green belt at Lake Farm Country Park and Botwell Common.

In his response to the Council’s planning application, like me, the Mayor has questioned the need for a new school to be built on our green belt and asked whether the council has taken into account the new schools already being built in Hayes. He has also suggested that a redesign of the proposed building could make it fit on alternative sites that would avoid building on the green belt.

Boris Johnson has hit the nail on the head in his letter to the Council. The Council is trying to force this development through even though we now know that with three new schools already being built it will not be necessary to build one on Lake Farm and if there was a redesign of the building the council is proposing it would fit on alternative sites, avoiding an incursion into the green belt. There is also evidence emerging that the additional nursery places that have already been provided are not being filled. I am increasingly suspicious about what the council is up to here. There are now three new schools being built which makes it even more doubtful why the council is pressing ahead to get a foothold on this green belt land. I am also asking why the council limited the two of the new schools to a small size. If they had been allowed to be of a usual school size as they wanted to be, there would be no need to build on the green belt. The question has to be asked Why is the council determined to build on our green belt? Has the council a hidden agenda to expand across the green belt areas in the south of the borough and the Lake Farm development is just to set a precedent to let this happen?

Draft Letter to Use as Model to Respond to Lake Farm/Botwell Common Planning Application

2012-12-21T18:44:14Z

Thanks to everyone who came along to the candle light vigil last night at Lake Farm. Lots of people are writing in to object to the Council’s planning application to build on our Lake Farm Country Park and Botwell Common. People have asked for a draft letter of objection which they can model their own on.

This is a basic draft that you may find helpful.

Dear Jean Palmer,

Planning Application reference number 68911/APP/2012/2983.

I am writing to object to the Council’s planning application to build a school on Lake Farm Country Park/Botwell Common.

Lake Farm/Botwell Common is an immensely important green belt, public, open space located in this densely populated urban area.

This green belt land is critically important to local residents who use it for recreation purposes and enjoy its bird-life, biodiversity and natural environment.

The proposal to develop this site has caused consternation and uproar in the local community that such a much valued community asset is under threat.

Developing this site will deprive local residents of a local park that we have all enjoyed for many years. It will threaten the diverse wildlife, bird-life and fauna of the area and will result in a considerable loss of amenity.

Building a school on this site will increase traffic on the already congested local roads, where there is an existing proven risk of road accidents.

In addition it will increase pollution in an area which suffers from high levels of air pollution.

There is no justification for building on a green belt site when other sites are available in the area.

I do not believe that the council has undertaken a proper search and assessment of sites as alternatives to building on a green belt site. This is evidenced by the fact that whilst it was supposedly looking to identify a site for a new school in the area, the council sold off for housing one of the most suitable sites near to Lake Farm/Botwell Common,i.e. the former swimming pool site.

I also do not believe that the council has justified the need for a new school on this site given the current expansion of a number of existing schools within the area and the plans now in process for the new primary schools at Guru Nanak Sikh School, Rosedale College, and Hewens College. The council has failed to take account fully not only these expansions and new school plans but also the uptake of places at schools that have alreday expanded within the borough.

For all these reasons I strongly object to this planning application and urge that the Planning Committee reject this application and preserve our green belt country park.

Yours,

Send your letters by 8th January to Jean Palmer, Director of Planning, Civic Centre, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 1UW. Please quote the planning reference number. You can also comment and submit your objection by going onto the Council’s website and its plannig section.

Please urge as many of your family, friends and neighbours to write in to object to this threat to our environment.

Thanks

John