Getting Slaughtered (corny puns volume 2)

A puncture in my bike’s front tyre meant I was late getting to a PCT away day in Teddington. I’m generally cynical about away days, which too often turn out to be the bland leading the blind. However, this was very useful, as it focussed on the coming changes in the NHS structure and policy and how we should respond to and deliver the change required by the Government. The West London situation will be much clearer after 15th October, when the Strategic Health Authority are due to produce their proposals for local implementation.

On in the evening to a Labour Party members meeting for the Ealing, Acton and Shepherds Bush constituency (which we all call EASB for obvious reasons). Being without the bike meant that I was again running late, and missed the main item at the meeting – a debate on the future of Heathrow Airport, with speakers including our former MP (and now Lord) Clive Soley and Hanwell Cllr (and Planning Committee Vice-Chair) Phyl Greenhead. Clive's much-praised blog can be seen at http://clivesoleymp.typepad.com/clive_soley_mp/

Andy Slaughter MP gave a witty MPs report, talking about the anachronistic administrative arrangements for newly-elected MPs. Andy has spent much of his time since his election on 5th May holding meetings on local issues with key people in the Constituency, and dealing with individual casework – much of which is inevitably dominated by immigration and nationality work. He has made the (very sensible) decision to only intervene in Parliamentary debates on issues that particularly have a local perspective – for example, Crossrail, the future of the BBC, and government funding for our local Councils. You can see Andy’s maiden speech at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm050623/debtext/50623-13.htm whilst his speech on Crossrail is at http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm050719/debtext/50719-24.htm

I was delighted to see Lou Kenton at the meeting, and have a drink with him and Clive Soley afterwards in the Kings Head. Lou is the senior local Party member - well over 90 years old – and has lived a life that reads like a history of the left in the twentieth century. He was at Cable Street in the early 1930s when the East End fought the Mosleyite fascists ; served in the progressive cause in the Spanish Civil war ; and had to leave Prague in 1968 when the then Soviet Union invaded to suppress the democratic reforms of Alexander Dubcek. Lou has also been very much of a mentor to me, giving me sound advice whenever I ask for it, and sometimes when I don’t realise that I need it.





Lou and Clive in the Kings Head

Wilkinson Sword

Following yesterday’s good news for Park Royal, I was sad to hear today of the closure of the local Wilkinson Sword factory. Although, I understand that they now only employ 14 craftspeople, the company is very much a part of local and national history. Wilkinson Sword only moved to Brunel Road in Park Royal in the 1970s, but was based on a big site on Southfield Road from around 1905.

In 1908, they sold their playing grounds next door to Acton Urban District Council. This followed a campaign by Cllr Fred Shillaker – one of the first Labour Councillors in Acton and later our first Labour MP. Fred Shillaker proposed, and the Council agreed, to turn the land into the Southfield Recreation Ground – which it remains to this day. Only last month, I joined John Delaney at the opening of a new children play area in the Rec.

John Delaney opening the play area (clue - he's the one with the tie)

Possibly Wilkinson Swords’ most famous ceremonial sword was the Sword of Stalingrad. This was made by the company in 1943 to celebrate the heroic stand of the people of Stalingrad during their long siege by the Nazis, and was presented to Joseph Stalin by Winston Churchill at the Tehran Conference later that year. A copy of the Sword of Stalingrad apparently toured the country during the war to big crowds, and I understand is still in the ownership of the company.

Wilkinson Sword also made the Sword of Acton – which some claim to be similar to the Sword of Stalingrad (although this may be apocryphal) – to be part of the civic insignia of the Acton Borough Council. The Sword of Acton can now be seen on public display at Ealing Town Hall, together with the mayoral chain and badge of Acton. As Millennium Mayor, I arranged for the Sword of Acton to be carried at the head of the civic procession at the annual civic ‘Crayle Service’ at St Mary’s Church in The Mount – for the first time since the abolition of Acton Borough Council in 1965.

Investment in Park Royal

Most of Park Royal - London’s largest business park - within our Borough lies within East Acton ward. This means that I have more contact with, and casework from, the business community than most Councillors. For most of the last ten years, I was a Director of the Park Royal Partnership – one of the longest standing public:private regeneration partnerships in London – and I’ve tried to ensure that the Council and business work together to benefit both local employment and the environment of residents. Park Royal Partnership’s website includes a comprehensive business directory, and is at http://www.parkroyal.org/. Their programme of investment in projects in this financial year in Park Royal totals over £6 million.

Tonight’s meeting of the Cabinet agreed the Council’s contribution to the latest set of Park Royal improvements for which we have been lobbying. These include unsexy but important projects like the second phase of a project to upgrade roads and sewers in the industrial roads of Sunbeam Road and Cullen Way ; a study to produce improvements to the key junction of four roads called Central Park Royal ; and backing for the encouraging corporate social responsibility (CSR) work of Park Royal companies. This CSR work has produced very welcome support and investment in local schools such as John Perryn Primary School.

However, residents in Park Royal will also benefit from funding agreed tonight for an alley gating programme on the Wesley Estate. This is a residential enclave within the predominantly industrial estate - and indeed was originally built as company housing for the Harold Wesley company, who made stationary and plastics and at their peak employed over a 1000 people in their factory next to the houses. This location, isolated from other residents, means that they suffer disproportionately from ‘enviro-crime’ such as fly-tipping and abandoned vehicles and from anti-social behaviour.

Consequently, local residents have been working with myself and my fellow local Councillors, on a scheme to gate the alleyways on the Estate which are the location of most of the problems. Some money had already been found from our Acton Area Committee budget and other sources, but these economic development resources agreed by Cabinet should complete the funding package for consultation and gating to go ahead.

The Cabinet report can be seen at http://www.ealing.gov.uk/council/committees/cabinet/17may2005-22may2006/item21-economicdevelopment.doc

Development and Design

The night of the monthly Labour Group Meeting, preceded as ever by a number of presentations.

This included presentations by each of the four companies who have been shortlisted as potential developers of the key 400,000 sq ft Dickens Yard site between Ealing Town Hall and Christ St Saviour church. The four teams all had plans that involved new public spaces, shops of a character that aren’t currently attracted to Ealing, and new housing with a large proportion being affordable for local people. However, there are also very clear differences of approach – particularly in design terms – that make for a real choice between the four – Barratts West London, Centros Miller, Helicon Exemplar, and St Georges.

At the Labour Group, we heard from GLA Member Murad Qureshi and Iqbal Vaid of the TGWU about the Gate Gourmet dispute at Heathrow Airport. Many of the employees unilaterally sacked by Gate Gourmet are residents of the Borough – particularly in Southall. We agreed to make a donation to their funds, given the hardship they are suffering.

The major item at the Group Meeting itself was as usual the agenda for the following night’s Cabinet Meeting. There’s a particularly interesting report (at least to a local government anorak like me) on draft new urban design guidance for the Borough. There is a legacy in this Borough of some very good design, but also some terrible tat that was allowed to be built - particularly in the 1960 s and 1970s. The document looks in some detail at achieving good quality and consistent design, and I particularly welcome the emphasis on uncluttered streets with well designed street furniture that puts people rather than vehicles to the fore. The summary report can be seen at http://www.ealing.gov.uk/council/committees/cabinet/17may2005-22may2006/item17-approvalofurbandesign.doc

Eric Sykes and East Acton

For some unfathomable reason, tonight's Melvin Bragg documentary on Eric Sykes failed to mention his link to East Acton. In Eric's longrunning sit-com with Hattie Jacques, their address was frequently given as "24 Sebastopol Terrace, East Acton".

There is of course no Sebastopol Terrace in East Acton, but Eric Sykes didn't stop there in his promotion of the town. He jointly wrote a number of the episodes of 'The Goons' with Spike Milligan, and regularly threw in joke references to East Acton. Examples that a friendly Goons fan gave me include :

"In order to learn more I went straight to the East Acton Geographical Society" (The Yehti)

"We present an ancient Chinese play translated from an old Greek soup recipe found engraved on the seat of a dustman's trousers in East Acton" (China Story)

"Clear the floor for the East Acton Working Man's Club Crazy Cabaret" (the Sinking of Westminster Pier)

Africa Comes to Acton

I've complained for years that the Council's free magazine 'Around Ealing' has never been delivered to the East Acton Estate, or some other parts of my ward to the east of the A40. This was apparently because the delivery contractors refused to come here. Finally this week, a copy of the newly revamped magazine was delivered to (I hope) every household in the ward, including details of all Councillor advice surgeries. Today, this led directly to a gentleman visiting my advice surgery at the Oak Oak Methodist Church Hall on the East Acton Estate with a number of local issues he had been waiting to raise. Nice to know that my moaning eventually paid dividends.

I was the Millennium Mayor of the Borough, and therefore often get asked to represent the Borough if the Mayor and Deputy Mayor are not around.

Today I was asked to lead the welcomes at the African Market that was held in King Street in Acton Town Centre. This is one of a series of markets which the Council is funding through the Acton liveability project - which has brought £2 million of extra Government money in Acton.

The African Market was a really buzzing event, and the picture shows the traditional African dance of blessing. Other photos that were taken can be seen at http://portwoodgallery.blogspot.com/

Thanks are due to Ola of African Markets, and to the team at Action Acton for their organisation of the event.

East Acton Steering Group

Went to a meeting of the East Acton Steering Group at Old Oak School. This is a joint body that unites Councillors, residents associations and Council officers to try to co-ordinate the work of LBs Ealing and Hammersmith and Fulham in East Acton, given that East Acton crosses the Borough boundary.

A new traffic scheme has been introduced recently and created some concern, particularly because of the inadequate “green man time” in the pedestrian phase of the new traffic lights. We are pressing Transport for London (TfL) to create more time for people crossing, and also agree improved pedestrian access generally at key crossing points. Inevitably the discussion focussed on very local environmental issues, such as pavement improvements, toilet facilities, and landscaping, where we agreed the next stage of action that is required.

Residents take on Virgin

I chair the Audit Committee of the Primary Care Trust, and this morning attended a very interesting meeting with the other Audit Chairs of West London Primary Care Trusts. Many common problems and challenges were identified, and some possibilities for joint work will be taken further. We are particularly collaborating on anti-fraud work.

Back to the Virgin Inquiry in the afternoon, to hear the very effective and heartfelt evidence of local residents Julia Hunt and Jill Ross. Mr Lockhart-Mummery tried to tie Julia in knots, but she very ably stuck to her guns and didn’t let him intimidate her. It’s now down to the Inspector – Stuart Reid – to decide on the issue. Incidentally, I was told that Mr Farragher-Thomas’ response to the regular problems caused by irresponsible Virgin parking was that he would take a “stern tone” with their members. “Ooo, matron” as the late great Kenneth Williams would have said.

"Infamy, Infamy ... the've all got it in for me"

Appropriately, I followed the Virgin Inquiry by sitting in for a colleague at a meeting of a scrutiny panel looking at planning enforcement. I made the point that the lesson of the sad history of the Virgin case is that, however vigorously the Council try to use their enforcement powers, the system is not as helpful to the victims of developers as it should be.

Finished with a useful discussion over London Pride in the Wheatsheaf with the team who will be delivering the Council’s massive new street lighting programme – this is unalloyed good news, which will make local street lighting probably the most modern in London

Virgin on the ludicrous (corny puns volume 1)

The twenty first anniversary of the day I was first elected to represent East Acton – 13th September 1984.

Spent the morning at the Virgin Planning Inquiry. The Virgin Leisure Centre are appealing against the Council’s refusal of their application to weaken the planning controls upon their site in Bromyard Avenue. They want to impose additional parking, in clear breach of the Council’s planning policies. Virgin have been consistently bad neighbours to the residents of Bromyard Avenue and the Vale Estate next door, and I’ve lost track of the number of occasions residents have needed to complain to my colleagues and I about their conduct. I was criticised a couple of years ago by some of the old fogies around the Council for repeating publically residents’ view that Virgin are “scumbags” - but I’ve rarely had more supportive comments for anything I’ve said in the Council Chamber.

The Virgin case was led by the luxuriantly named Christopher Lockhart-Mummery QC (yes, really) supported by the equally double-barrelled Ross Farragher-Thomas. However, the most revealing of Virgin’s comments were attacks made on cycling and walking by their transport advisor, the surprisingly single-barrelled Mr Bowman. On cycling, he said “you can’t expect families to cycle together” to the Virgin centre, and claimed that “a ten minute cycle ride is not reasonable”. On walking to the site he said “twenty minutes is out of the range for members to walk, and ten minutes is questionable in winter”. Remember, that these are people coming to a self-described “health and fitness centre”. Virgin’s representative concluded by describing East Acton as “such an inaccessible place”, to the laughter of local residents who were present.

To the credit of the Council, their barrister Richard Ground put up a very effective defence for the refusal of planning permission, as did the experienced Council planner Peter Causer. Left with some confidence that the Council had a good case, which had been well made.

I'd rather have been at the Oval

Performance and Audit Panel tonight concentrated on scrutinising the Council’s performance on collecting debts (particularly social services income) , managing street trading, and delivering a pilot scheme on improved commercial waste collection.

Not I appreciate topics that will exactly draw the crowds – a Geoff Boycott of a meeting rather than an Andrew Flintoff. Drank afterwards with the President of the Chamber of Commerce at the Haven in celebration of the Ashes being reclaimed

Housing

I organised a special advice surgery this morning, because a constituent needed to see me urgently about a housing problem. East Acton doesn't have as much housing casework as wards that are more characterised by Council housing - like South Acton - but when I get them, they tend to be serious.

Rest of the weekend to be given over to watching the cricket.

Licensing and Kitchen Waste

Spent most of the day with one eye – or at least two ears - on the Oval.

In the evening, we held our monthly all-members Labour Party meeting in Acton. The early part of the meeting was spent discussing local Acton issues – I particularly talked about the licensing position, and reported the concern of East Acton residents about the proposal from the local Goldsmiths Arms to open until two in the morning.

Wartime Poster for Kitchen Waste

We also talked about the improvements that the Labour Council are introducing in recycling. From October, our new ‘Clean and Green’ contractors – a local social enterprise called ECTR – will be rolling out household recycling of kitchen and organic waste. This will start in Acton Central ward and, if the pilots are successfull, will subsequently reach East Acton ward from 2006.

Our guest speaker was the new leader of the Council, Cllr Leo Thomson. Leo(nora) is the first woman to lead the Labour Group of LB Ealing, and has really hit the ground running since her election in May. Leo led a discussion that ranged through social services, education and environmental issues, and as ever the discussion continued after the meeting in the Kings Head round the corner.

Primary Care Trust

My main public role outside of East Acton is as non-executive director of Ealing Borough NHS Primary Care Trust (PCT). Today was our Board meeting – with a very substantial agenda, dominated as is usually the case by financial and performance issues. The good news for the Primary Care Trust over the summer was that we achieved a two star rating from the Heathcare Commission – up from a previous no star rating. This big jump in rating reflects very real and visible improvements in local GP services over the last few years.

However, ironically, this will be the last set of star ratings, and we now have to prepare for a new set of measures called Standards for Better Health (SfBH). This is part of a wide agenda of planned change in NHS structures and systems, designed to give more power to doctors to commission healthcare and for patients to have more choice in their care. The principles appear to be sound but making all this work will be a real challenge. The Government's approach is outlined in “Commissioning a Patient-Led NHS”, which can be seen on the Department of Health website at
http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4116716&chk=/%2Bb2QD

The biggest difficulty currently facing the Primary Care Trust is the extreme pressure on local maternity services – particularly at Ealing Hospital – which reflects a significantly increasing birth rate and a relative shortage of relevant medical staff. This is less of a problem for us in East Acton, given that Hammersmith and Queen Charlotte’s Hospitals are on our doorstep.

On a very positive note, we agreed proposals to create a ‘one stop shop’ to combine services that both the NHS and the Council provide for children with disabilities. This will be in a building with very good bus links in West Ealing. Crucially, this will end the understandable frustration that parents experience when being sent from pillar to post or rather from Town Hall to clinic, by ensuring that in future they can get all the help they need in one place.

From Alcohol to Water

A useful meeting today with colleagues to plan next year’s “Responsible Host Scheme” in the Borough. This is an scheme which LB Ealing pioneered six years ago – and which other Councils and the Government are now copying – which encourages better management of licensed premises. Much credit for this is due to my mate Cllr John Delaney (Acton Central ward), although the real strength of the Scheme has been a genuine partnership between Councillors, Council officers, the police, residents groups, and other key players.

Phil (left) and John Delaney (right) launching
the 2004 Responsible Host Scheme

Much of my time over the last year has been taken up with Licensing (process as well as consumption). The Government have transferred responsibility for alcohol licensing from magistrates to local councillors amidst a range of other changes – of which the headline is the option for extended hours for licensed premises. There has been much lurid nonsense in the Daily Mail and their ilk about “24-hour drinking” – for which virtually no pub in the country is applying – and indeed in my view much of the current problem with alcohol in town centres can be laid at historic poor decision-making by unaccountable magistrates rather than locally elected Councillors. That said, the civil servants at the relevant Department (DCMS) have made a pigs ear out of a good idea, with too much national prescription and too little local flexibility.

I chaired the Committee that agreed LB Ealing’s licensing policy last year, and also led some of the lobbying of Government on behalf of London Boroughs. Against the opposition of much of the alcohol industry, the policy we agreed included a pioneering “cumulative impact” special policy zone for the Haven Green and Ealing Green areas in central Ealing. This means that there is a general presumption against any new or extended licences in this area, unless it can be shown that they would not worsen the problems already being experienced locally with drinking and entertainment.

My next few months will also be dominated by Licensing. I and my colleague Cllr Laurence Evans (Acton Central ward) will be the core of the team of Councillors considering applications for new and changed licenses in the Ealing area. This is likely to be the area of the Borough with the busiest and most hotly contested agenda of licensing issues. The first hearing is now set for 4th October, when we’ll consider proposals for extended hours at the O’Neills and Edwards pubs in Ealing Broadway. Summaries of licensing applications can be seen on the LB Ealing website at http://www.ealing.gov.uk/services/licensing/current+applications.asp


After the Responsible Host Scheme meeting, I went on to the first meeting of the Water Scrutiny Panel. This was a scrutiny exercise that I suggested (so I could hardly refuse to be a member), particularly following a series of floods and burst mains in Acton, and concern across London about Thames Water’s policy of reducing water pressure in higher-rise blocks of flats. We had a useful framing discussion, but the meat of the work will come at future meetings, and particularly at a public hearing we will hold in Acton later in the Autumn - to be chaired by my ward colleague Cllr Paul Woodgate.

North Acton Issues

Advice surgery this morning – given the size of East Acton ward, we hold five advice surgeries every month. Today’s was at St Gabriel’s Church Hall, and is aimed principally at residents of the North Acton section of the ward. Issues raised include individual problems with a street light and rubbish collection ; progress on a controversial planning application ; and the latest situation on the consultation being undertaken on the option of a residents controlled parking zone for the Gypsy Corner area. This is a very typical set of advice surgery complaints and queries.

The proposal for a controlled parking zone arose from strong lobbying from local residents, who are suffering increasing parking problems caused by commuters to North Acton and Acton Main Line stations and the (welcome) redevelopment of old employment sites in the area. My impression is that enthusiasm for the zone generally depends on how close people live to the stations, but we’ll see when the consultation results come in. The Council has a deliberately ‘pick and mix’ approach to controlled parking, so that individual roads can opt in or out of the zone through their votes in the consultation . This means that it is possible to address very distinctive local problems in different ways, within an overall policy framework, without any risk of a narrow majority imposing their will on others.

You're never far from an Acton connection

Shameless Acton partisan that I am, I used part of my summer break to visit a couple of places of Actonian interest. Most parochially, whilst in Suffolk, I visited the village of Acton – between Sudbury and Lavenham - as seen here. A good pint of Greene King Abbot in the Crown in the village, although not a patch on the Fullers London Pride in our local Kings Head.

By my count, there are five other Actons in England, thirteen in the USA, three in Canada and three in Australia. Acton Massachusetts is the largest outside London – and even has an outlying village called East Acton.


I later spent some time in the East Midlands, and took a ride on the new Nottingham tram system. Transport for London are proposing to build a tram around 2015 along the Uxbridge Road from Shepherds Bush to Uxbridge - which would pass along Acton Vale in East Acton. Some of the central Ealing opponents of the tram claim that Acton High Street is too narrow for trams to pass through comfortably, but as my picture shows, some of the route in Nottingham is along narrower roads than ours. The tram stop shown here is Shipstone Street – next to the sadly closed and much lamented Shipstone’s Brewery. Overall the tram seemed popular with local people, and was certainly well used.

From Dead Man's Alley to Pensions

Two varying meetings tonight, that show the diversity of the work of a Councillor.

Firstly, the very local issue of Dead’s Man’s Alley” on the East Acton Estate – at a meeting with local residents, fellow Councillors, and a Council officer. Dead Man’s Alley has a history of anti-social behaviour (the clue is in the title), and local residents and I have been trying to close it for some time. New Government legislation now makes this far easier, but Council officers are instead seeking to spend money encouraging the use of it - against the opposition of local residents. I and the residents insisted and the meeting concluded that the dangerous part of the alley should be closed, but also agreed that feasibility work and consultation are undertaken on a possible safer alternative path. A good result overall, but it’ll be important to ensure that the Council keep to it.

I went from this to the Council’s Pension Fund Panel, where we have some key decisions to take in the next few months about the £400 million fund. The Local Government Pension Scheme has nationally-decided pension levels and benefits, but is funded and administered at a local level. The core funding comes from employees’ contributions (6% of their salaries) and income from investments, with the Council’s budget having to make up the difference between this income and pensions paid. Therefore, the better the fund’s investments perform in generating income, the lower is the cost to the local taxpayer.

LB Ealing is one of better performing Council pension funds in the country - in the five to ten percent best performers over the last five to ten years - and winning awards for topping the ‘league table’ in some investment categories. However, the investment strategy and fund managers are now due for a review, and as Trustees we are looking to further improve income in order to minimise Council Tax levels. We had the first debate tonight, and will look to make the key long-term decisions at our next meeting later in the Autumn.