News: March 2008 Archives

Having been to Waltham Forest College recently to see the quality of the teaching I wanted to update readers of this blog on the new 14-19 Diplomas and what they will offer kids in Walthamstow. My political opposition has dismissed them for being vocational, but the quality of the curriculum means I think they're wrong. The combination of theoretical study with practical experience and skills valued by employers and universities will make these courses highly popular and the students who take them highly employable. Eventually Diplomas will cover 17 disciplines, including engineering, IT, science and humanities. Students with a diploma will be able to progress into employment as well as into college and university.

The Diplomas are being introduced in stages so from September this year students in Waltham Forest will be able to undertake a Creative and Media Diploma and from September 2009 pupils in Waltham Forest will also be able to choose to take diplomas in hospitality and catering, society, health and development and for construction and the built environment.

GCSEs and A-levels are also being updated, a new International Baccalaureate is being introduced and the number of Apprenticeships is increasing. These changes will mean that all our young people can now choose a qualification which suits their interests and learning style and allows them to fulfil their potential. If you want more information on these changes or if you're a young person with ideas about these courses and what else should be provided in the schools please do get in touch.

As a passionate advocate of Walthamstow, I'm always interested in learning more about our history. You may not know that Walthamstow can lay claim to be the birthplace of British aviation. In fact, the Lea Valley Corridor has been the site of over one hundred industrial firsts with half of these being in transportation. In 1909 Edwin Alliot Verdon Roe became the first Briton to fly an all British build plan on the Walthamstow Marshes, and there are plans afoot for a celebration of this in 2009. The Pump House is a local museum run by volunteers dedicated to celebrating our local engineering talent and Walthamstow's place in industrial history. The museum, based at Low Hall Lane, will be holding a public open day on the Sunday 30 March to celebrate Motor Cycle Day 11am-4pm, £2 for adults, free for children. The museum are currently looking for volunteers to help with their work and the centenary celebrations. Find out more by calling Lindsay on 07930 662252.

This week the Post Office addressed the Council Scrutiny Commission on their plans to close 30 per cent of our post offices in Walthamstow. The message came back loud and clear that it is vital as many individuals as possible participate in the consultation. I'm disappointed to report that although all the political parties in Walthamstow are backing this campaign, the Lib Dem Chair of the committee explicitly used his position to deny me the opportunity to contribute to the meeting as a local resident. If I had been given the chance to speak up for Walthamstow I would have asked:

 
1) At the Scrutiny meeting they refused to reveal the financial viability of the branches. Can they confirm whether the three Walthamstow Post Offices they propose to close - which have over 1500 customers a week - are losing or making money?

2) PostWatch, the consumer watchdog for postal services, state that they believe these proposals will leave significant areas of Walthamstow a "postal desert". Why won't they respond to this criticism?

3) Our regeneration plans for Walthamstow Town Centre, the Olympics and the Blackhorse Lane development will bring new housing to the area and so new people. Given the High Street post office is already struggling to cope, why haven't they factored existing and future demand for services into their plans?

4) They claim the walk between Forest Road and the High Street is "varied terrain". They didn't know that there are several residential homes within 100 yards of the Orford Road post office. Have they actually walked the distances they expect our elderly residents to go if they close the branches they suggest?

5) Our High Street post office is in rented accommodation. Negotiations for the new arcade development are on-going and so any space for the Post Office is not confirmed. How can they be confident that they will be able to provide a full Post Office for people in Walthamstow in these circumstances?

 
The more people who put these issues to the Post Office, the more they will have to listen to local knowledge so please join with me in raising these five questions and encouraging as many local residents as possible to do so too by circulating this email. You have until Wednesday 2 April to put your views to the Post Office. You can comment either in writing to National Consultation Team Post Office Ltd, FREEPOST CONSULTATION TEAM (no stamp is required) or using this form on the Post Office website.

This past weekend I spoke on a platform in Birmingham with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, James Purnell, at an event concerning child poverty. In ten years we've lifted nearly a million children out of poverty, but millions more remain as families still struggle to make ends meet. Labour is the only party pledged to end child poverty within a generation (other political parties see it just as an "aspiration") but the difficulties in achieving this goal are many. In my speech I talked about the work we're doing in Walthamstow and how the issues facing families in our area are very different to those facing James who represents an area in Greater Manchester. I also raised the need to do more to support youth services and play activities for children all year round.

Ending child poverty here in Walthamstow is a subject close to my heart, shaping many of my local priorities. For example, it's why I've been looking at how we can develop our local economy. A new report by the London Child Poverty Commission shows just how important employment is in addressing child poverty. We need more small local businesses generating the local jobs parents want.

We'll be holding another event for parents in Walthamstow and their children to look at what we can do to help local families in April. Get in touch if you would like to be involved in helping fight child poverty in Walthamstow.

The council is holding a Scrutiny Commission meeting on 12 March at 7.30pm at the Town Hall to discuss the proposals to close six post offices in the borough. Three of these are in Walthamstow- Orford Road, Chingford Road and Forest Road (at the Bell Corner). Both the Post Office and Post Watch (the Post Office consumer watchdog) will be attending to answer questions about the proposals. At present provision is only made for 5 members of the public to address the meeting. I'm working with my Labour colleagues on the committee to lobby the Chair to increase this as we want as many local people as possible to have a chance to put their views to the Post Office. To help us with this please can you email me to let me know if you or other local residents wish to speak so we can show the Committee the likely interest. If you do want to quiz the Post Office you will also need to formally register with the Committee Clerk at least 48 hours before the meeting. You can do this via email here.

I'm also working with local residents groups and our London Assembly member Jennette Arnold to organise stalls and petitions outside the affected post offices and in the town centre on the weekend of the 8-9 March. We're looking for volunteers for either the Saturday or Sunday lunchtime and afternoon so if you would like to help out get in touch. Remember you can also respond to the proposals at the Post Office website here- but you only have until April 2 to do so!