PLANNING NEWS – LEYTONSTONE UNDERGROUND STATION

A second mini cab office

An application has been lodged at the Town Hall to use the small kiosk, inside the station concourse as a minicab office.

Local traders in Church Lane are already concerned about the number of Gold Line cars waiting for passengers, and feel strongly that there is no justication in increasing the problem by granting permission for a second mini cab operator.

If you wish to express your view you may write to:

Building Control

Environment & Regeneration

Waltham Forest Council

Sycamore House

Forest Road

Walthamstow, London, E17 4SU

Telephone: 020 8496 3000

Email: [email protected]

quoting planning application number: 150598

HAINAULT ROAD – HIGHWAY REPAIRS

Damaged section of Hainaulot Road near the junction with Leigh Road

On 24 December the FOCUS Team reported this doubtful stretch of the higway in Hainault Road near the junction with Leigh Road.

The Team has stressed the volume of heavy traffic using this stretch of Hainault Road and certain of the residential roads in contravention of the road signs.

They have continued to monitor progress and have finally been informed that it should be repaired within the next four weeks.

So far, some tarmac had been laid, but FOCUS is continuing to urge a full repair, and will continuer to watch for any further action.

SFW EXPRESSS LOSES FAKE BOOZE APPEAL

Off-licence SFW Express, in Church Lane, Leytonstone, loses fake booze appeal

First published Friday 6 February 2015 in Waltham Forest E Guardian
Last updated 13:27 Friday 6 February 2015

SFW Express in Church Lane

A supermarket has lost its appeal against a decision to revoke its licence after being caught selling counterfeit alcohol and tobacco.

The owners of SFW Express, opposite Leytonstone Tube station in Church Lane, were also ordered to pay court costs of £11,983 at Stratford Magistrates Court yesterday.

Trading Standards officers found counterfeit goods including 242 bottles of wine, 154 bottles of vodka, and 63kg of tobacco In November 2013.

In June last year, Waltham Forest council’s licensing sub-committee revoked the licence after a review. But after the owners appealed the decision, meaning the shop stayed open.

The council is also prosecuting the owners for fraudulently selling goods.

A date for this case to be heard at Snaresbrook Crown Court is being arranged.

SQUATTERS REMOVED FROM PREMISES ABOVE SUPERMARKET

TFC Supermarket building in Leytonstone High Road

Squatters removed from above TFC in High Road Leytonstone

Published in the Waltham Forest E Guardian

Squatters were evicted from above a supermarket for their own safety.

Firefighters on patrol spotted a number of mattresses propped up against the windows of space above TFC, in High Road, Leytonstone on Wednesday.

They inspected the property and discovered around 40 people living there, in what used to be offices and classrooms of the East London College.

The brigade issued a prohibition notice as the property was unsafe and too many people living in a small space.

The notice said: “The property does not have adequate fire resisting separation and insufficient means of detecting fire so is unfit for use as a residential and sleeping accommodation.”

As police supervised the squatters as they packed up their belongings yesterday, the Guardian spoke to ‘Kamikaze’, who had lived there since December 2013.

The 30-year-old said:

We pay our electricity bills, we have had no issues with the police and we have done everything properly. The council has offered us a hostel for the night but after that we will basically be forced onto the streets.

We even have an agreement with the shop on the ground floor which said as long as we did not make any mess or steal from the shop then we would be allowed to stay.

But manager of the TFC supermarket downstairs, Hasan Altun, denied there was an agreement in place.

He said:

We have had this issue for over a year and we can’t just kick them out, they are so noisy and play on their guitars and drums in the night. It is impossible for me to have an agreement with them. I have tried to be amicable and give them my mobile number, but these squatters are smart people and they will say or do anything to help them stay.

 If it is true that the squat is a fire safety hazard then they need to leave, if anything happened to there then it would affect my shop and my business.

CITY AIRPORT WANTS MORE FLIGHTS – MORE NOISE?

London City Airport

Waltham Forest E Guardian – 28 January 2015

An airport has refused to attend a public meeting as it plans to go ahead with flight path changes which campaigners claim will cause a “noise ghetto” for those living under it.

London City Airport is planning to implement new technology to enable a much narrower and concentrated corridor over Wanstead, Leytonstone and Leyton.

Campaign group HACAN East believes this will increase the noise level for people living in these areas and wants the plan scrapped.

The airport will submit its proposal to the Civil Aviation Authority by the end of February, and if the plan is passed, it could be implemented in early 2016.

In a letter to the airport from deputy leader of Waltham Forest council, Cllr Clyde Loakes, he requested a further public meeting on March 2.

He said:C

“I remain concerned that a significant proportion of residents are still unaware of the introduction of the RNAV technology and the impact that this will have on the quality of life of those living under the flight paths.

“I think it would therefore be useful if residents were able to hear from you directly about the next steps that will be taken and how the technology will be rolled out.”

But in reply, Jeremy Probart of London City Airport, ruled out attending a public meeting in the near future.

He said:

“There is very little that we can add to this currently, and feel that a public meeting, such as the one you suggest, would actually be counter-productive.

“We know that some people are opposed to the proposals (and the objections received have been incorporated in the report to the CAA) and a meeting in March would not be able to offer anything in the way of further information, which may simply serve to inflame, rather than to assuage.

“Therefore we will respectfully decline the opportunity you have outlined. If such a meeting were to take place, it would make sense to hold it after the CAA’s decision on the proposals and slightly before the replicated flight paths take effect.”

To sign the petiton:

https://www.change.org/p/city-airport-stop-the-current-proposal-to-concentrate-departures-from-city-airport-over-a-narrow-corridor-of-south-london-catford-dulwich-brixton-stockwell-and-vauxhall-east-london-bow-hackney-wick-leyton-leytonstone-wanstead-barkingside-colliers-row?recruiter=9107754&utm_campaign=twitter_link_action_box&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=share_petition

SAVE THE HEATHCOTE ARMS

The Heathcote Arms

A petition has been launched to save the historic Heathcote Arms public house in Grove Green Road, at the junction with Richmond Road, from the developers.

It was sold in September to Equity Estates, however, no planning application has as yet been received by Waltham Forest Council’s Planning Department.

The petition has already gained over 880 signatures.

You can add your support here

PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN – update

Focus has had a massive response to our petition to get all our elected councillors to have a CRB check (now called a Disclosure and Barring Service – DBS).

Councillors are Corporate Parents to all our children in care and DBS checks should be for all not just a few.

The FOCUS Team says: If you want to click here to sign the petition. You may also see the team in the High Street collecting more signatures.

NEW STREET LIGHTING

Several residents raised concerns about the operation of the newly-erected lamp columns across Leytonstone.

They felt that they were failing to take into account the end of British Summer Time, and the earlier lighting up times.

The Lib Dem FOCUS Team contacted the Council, and have been advised that the Lighting Engineers have identified a problem, which they are working to correct.

FOCUS will keep you in touch with progess.