Return to Redbridge Roundabout

This evening I joined representatives of TfL and Redbridge Council at a meeting with Clayhall Ward residents and their councillor, Gurdial Bhamra.

Arriving early I carried out a quick inspection of the subways, following up on my visit with Cranbrook Ward councillors several weeks ago. The subway flooding has been fixed, with repairs to the water pump. All the lighting is now working. Even the litter has been cleaned up, although it is still far from spotless and unlikely to remain clean for as long as thoughtless people dump their rubbish here.

The Problem

So far so good - now onto the meat of the evening. We gathered in the Red House pub on the north side of the roundabout to watch a very clear presentation outlining the traffic problems on the roundabout. The situation is particularly difficult and dangerous for cars entering the roundabout from Redbridge Lane East, the only road not regulated by traffic signals.

The lack of signals is aggravated by a poorly sited pedestrian crossing, a mini roundabout and buses entering the queue from Redbridge Station - some turning right across the traffic.

Throughout the day the situation is dire, with a delay of up to thirty minutes for vehicles approaching the roundabout. This was dramatically illustrated in a video produced by residents and available to view on their website http://www.redrag.info/ .

The Solution

Ideally traffic signals were needed at the junction with the roundabout, but this would be expensive and cause delays in the rest of the roundabout. A cheaper and less disruptive approach would be to lengthen the red phase on the lights controlling access from the A406, to the right of Redbridge Lane East. TfL staff agreed to examine this option.

Meanwhile another option would be to reroute the buses to stop outside the underground station on the A12. TfL were reluctant to make such a change which would make the interchange with the tube more difficult.

Moving the pedestrian crossing further from the roundabout would also smooth traffic flow. TfL and the council were examining proposals to remove the mini roundabout junction immediately before the crossing, replacing it with traffic lights. A crossing could be incorporated into the new junction. Further study - and money - was needed.

Air Quality

Speeding up the traffic flow would reduce emissions in Redbridge Lane East, a very laudable aim. However the proximity of the A406, A12 and the roundabout itself is likely to be so harmful to air quality that minor changes to traffic speed would make little difference. Cleaner engines and less polluting fuels are the only long term solution in this location.

Olympics

The infamous Olympic Route Network, already a bone of contention between myself and the Mayor, will mean changes here during the games. At least we will be spared the orange painted 'zil lanes', but there are plans to clear traffic on the roundabout by preventing access to Redbridge Lane East from noon to midnight during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

We agreed that we couldn't see how such a change would actually improve speeds for traffic heading to Stratford, which would be on the inside of the roundabout at this point. TfL representatives agreed to consider the proposals in the light of local objections.

We concluded on this high note. Residents were pleased by TfL's constructive and sympathetic approach, and for their part, I felt the residents had done a good job of demonstrating the problems and devising realistic solutions. We will all be in contact for an update in a few weeks.

Brentwood Mutual Aid

There are no elections in London this year so we are taking the opportunity to help neighbouring boroughs with their campaigns. This evening we were leafleting in Brentwood, with a sizeable contingent of Havering councillors and the leader of Brentwood Louise McKinlay, standing out in red.

Hospital Protest

A fantastic protest in support of the campaign to keep King George Hospital yesterday. The sun shone as we gathered outside Queen's Hospital in Romford, banners and yellow T shirts much in evidence. I wore my cream summer suit for the first time this year - The Man From Del Monte says No to KGH closures...

After a morale boosting speech from local MP Andrew Rosindell, we were marshalled into some sort of order by Cllr Andy Walker who has done so much to coordinate the campaign. Councillors from all parties featured in the march, including Havering's official residents and even the independent residents. Cllr Jeff Tucker had brought his own megaphone to encourage us every step of the way.

We set off in beating sunshine, along Crow Lane to Chadwell Heath. All the way passing cars were hooting their support and the locals cheered us on. Just as well, as it was a lot further than had been envisaged and some of the older marchers had started to flag. At this point I made the ultimate sacrifice, taking some of the slower protestors on the number 86 bus, which followed the route of the march, on through Goodmayes and Seven Kings. Along the way we picked up stragglers - good for them for making the effort - until we virtually filled the bus. We considered flying banners out of the top deck but decided that TfL would be unhappy - perhaps hiring an open topped bus for future marches would be a good idea. Or even a bendy, there will be plenty going spare now...

As Ilford came in sight we alighted to complete the final stage on foot. Jeff was still straining the megaphone and there was yet more applause from the people we passed - this is the area that stands to lose most from the closure. An attractive girl dashed over and embraced me spontaneously - is this what it is like to be a socialist? Maybe it has its attractions after all.

At the Town Hall we met local MPs, Lee Scott, Mike Gapes and Margaret Hodge. Pictures were taken on the steps and there was much chanting and arm waving. As a Tory, I don't do this very often and it felt a bit awkward, but it was in a good cause.

The Town Hall itself was packed with over 600 people attending to show their support. The meeting was ably chaired by veteran trade unionist Bob Archer. We heard speeches from all the MPs, but also some really moving contributions from local people. One man told how King George Hospital had saved his son's life after he had a seizure. Support came from Sikhs, Muslims, Hindus and Christians - this campaign is cross community as well as cross party.

As each guest spoke, the faults in the health service proposals were laid bare. The Independent Reconfiguration Panel is now considering the plans and will report to the Secretary of State later this year. They will be visiting the hospitals affected, interviewing MPs and councillors, and most importantly taking evidence of personal experience from the residents. Contributions to this review are vital and can be sent to:

The Independent Review Panel

6th Floor,

157-197 Buckingham Palace Road

LONDON

SW1W 9SP

info@irpanel.org.uk

020 7389 8046

Lobbying the PM

I have just got back from Downing Street where I joined a delegation from Havering, Redbridge, Barking & Dagenham and Waltham Forest, to present a letter asking the Prime Minister to reject the flawed plans to close the A & E and maternity units at King George Hospital.

With the demonstration and march tomorrow, the campaign is attracting strong cross party support from all four boroughs, including Redbridge's leader Cllr Keith Prince and deputy leader Cllr Ian Bond. The MPs in attendance were Labour's John Cryer, Mike Gapes and Margaret Hodge, and Conservatives Lee Scott, Andrew Rosindell and Angela Watkinson. When we arrived on the doorstep of Number Ten, Iain Duncan Smith came out of the building to join us - perhaps he had taken the opportunity to brief David Cameron personally.

When we handed our letter over we had coverage from the Ilford Recorder, BBC London and London Tonight's Simon Harris, so we can expect to see our efforts on the news tonight and perhaps on Sunday's Politics Show.

A big crowd turned out to show the strength of feeling and there were plenty of bright yellow campaign T shirts in evidence. We can only hope that the government takes note at the highest level and reverses the damaging closure plan.

A Day in 'The Bricks'

The fifth stage of the Capital Ring leaves behind the parkland of south London and wends a tortuous route through the built up area around Wandsworth Common and Balham. Last week wasn't too much for Pauline who chose to join me once again on this five and a half mile foot bruising trek over level concrete and tarmac. It being Sunday the rail operators were conspiring to keep people out of London with closure of the lines out of Liverpool Street and between London Bridge and Streatham Common, nevertheless we persevered and eventually found ourselves standing where we left off last week - with one important difference, the sun was shining. After a complicated encounter with the main line to Brighton, the walk emerged from a maze of bridges and subways next to the distinctive Thames Water pumping station. Some brisk road walking through Streatham followed, leading to Tooting Bec Common and the large lido. Across the common, the bricks formed a solid barrier and the way threaded around the back streets of Balham. My sister lived here briefly in the eighties before deciding that commuting wasn't for her and returning Up North. Most of the Guisborians came to London at some time and most left before long.

Meanwhile, the route emerged onto busy Balham High Street opposite the rather grand Du Cane Court. A late start meant that it was time for lunch so we took a break at the Nightingale and I had an excellent chargrilled chicken wrap. The service - a friendly French waitress - and the food were excellent and the place was unsurprisingly busy. Across the road we encountered the church of St Mary and John the Divine, an interesting building fronted by a domed baptistry, then it was back into the streets again. The population seem quite young and we encountered a lot of joggers and families. Crossing Wandsworth Common alongside the railway, we came to a series of lakes populated by ducks, cootes and moorhens. No bread so we gave up trying to attract the swans and carried on swiftly past the grim environs of Wandsworth Prison. Oscar Wilde was imprisoned here in 1898 for being gay - what a long way we have come since then. Ronnie Biggs also spent time here in 1963 until he went over the wall. I risked an encounter with the authorities by taking a quick picture of the front gate. The walk down Magdalen Road past the cemetery seemed to go on forever before the watering holes of Earlsfield came in sight. Under the railway bridges, we crossed the River Wandle and I made a silent wish and chucked a coin in. This area was an industrial heartland and is still very built up. Beyond a small park, we passed the Wimbledon Mosque and climbed the only hill of the day to Wimbledon Park Station. London Underground were more cooperative than the main line operators and the District Line carried us effortlessly back to town. All that tarmac and brickwork was quite overwhelming. We are longing for some green space and luckily the next stage crosses the wilds of Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park, in my opinion the best part of the Ring. I can't wait!

Capital Ring Day Five - Photographs

Day five traversed the built up area around Wandswoth Common and the Wandle Valley. Pictures feature the Moorish style Streatham Pumping Station, Art Deco Du Cane Court, the Church of St Mary and John the Divine, and the forbidding gates of Wandsworth Prison.

New Officer Team

At yesterday's group meeting the new officer team were elected. They will oversee the group in the run up to the 2012 London elections. Group Leader is James Cleverly, the member for Bexley and Bromley. James is a former army officer and chairman of the Mayor's recycling board. Group Deputy Leader is Dick Tracey, the member for Merton and Wandsworth. Dick is our transport spokesman and served as Minister for Sport in Margaret Thatcher's government. Group Whip is Victoria Borwick, a list member and councillor at Kensington & Chelsea. Victoria tells me she is going to get a real whip to add some bite to the role.

Two Is Company

For day 4 of the Capital Ring I was joined by Pauline, who plays an important role fund raising for the Mayor of Redbridge's charity appeal. The day was overcast and rain fell sporadically as we covered the four miles from Crystal Palace to Streatham. From Crystal Palace station, we crossed Anerley Hill and climbed steeply along roads lined with pleasant houses, to the top of the ridge where the A212 runs. Beyond the road the steep hill slopes down through Westow Park and we leave Bromley behind, entering the sprawling borough of Croydon. At the bottom of the hill is a wide bowl of land surrounded by built up ridges, with the South Norwood transmitter mast looming behind. The path crosses an open space before climbing up again - this stage contains lots of ups and downs as the walk navigates the high ground west of Crystal Palace. A lengthy walk along the A215 concludes with a steep descent at Biggin Hill - not the famous one - to some tennis courts which were fully occupied despite the changeable weather. Passing through a small wood and a calm suburban area, the walk comes to Norwood Grove, and it is time to climb once again, to the house on the hill. Norwood Grove seems to be a large enough mansion, but in fact it is only one wing of the original house, built for Arthur Anderson who founded P & O Shipping. He was obviously not short of a bob or two and was allegedly a supporter of Crystal Palace Football Club. In his spare time Arthur was an MP, representing the Shetland Islands - clearly living in the constituency wasn't such a big deal in the 1840s. The gardens here are well cared for and I paused to be photographed with some red roses. After more undulations the walk arrives at the top of Streatham Common, and a return to civilisation. We had arrived before the pubs opened so contented ourselves with a strong mug of coffee in the local caf. Four miles had passed very swiftly, and just as well because the rain had started to fall. Ahead lies Day Five, a longer walk through more built up terrain, but without any hills to speak of, concluding at Wimbledon Park.

Capital Ring Day 4 - Photographs

Pictures from Day 4 feature the Upper Norwood TV Mast, a misty view of North Croydon, Norwood Place and Streatham Common.

Mayor's Questions - Cuts and More Cuts

A scrappy Mayor's Questions on Wednesday saw the Labour members highlighting government cuts. The strategy had half an eye on the budget, but appeared to be mainly focused on Saturday's TUC march.

Would the Mayor be joining him on the march, John Biggs wanted to know. Joanne McCartney told us that she would be going too - it wasn't clear if they were trying to drum up support or frighten people away. I asked if non marching Londoners as well as the physical property of our great city would be protected by the police, in case things get ugly. Boris promised that all appropriate measures were being taken and that we wouldn't witness the mob violence and vandalism that accompanied the recent student demonstrations - we shall have to wait and see...


Congestion Charge

Darren Johnson called for emergency measures to ensure we hit European air quality targets and avoid a fine of £3 million. Perhaps it would have been a good idea for Labour ministers not to have signed up to this agreement in the first place. Other countries secured opt outs for their cities but this never occurred to the short termist politicians in Blair's administration. It was focus on the press release and ignore the long term consequences - as in so many cases.

Richard Barnes asked Boris to rule out London Wide congestion charging - the most high profile policy of the Green's now confirmed mayoral candidate Jenny Jones. Boris assured us that it wouldn't happen on his watch, but I'm not so sure that Ken Livingstone wouldn't revive the plans he once had to extend the charge to places like Romford. We don't want it, and with the pollution problem confined to Central London, we don't need it either.


King George Hospital

Others have already raised this issue in written questions, but with the plan to close the A & E now referred to the independent reconfiguration panel for review, I decided to seek the Mayor's support. He stuck to his line that clinical outcomes were the most important yardstick - disappointing in a week when his Labour opponent launched a website objecting to the closure.

Although as the plan has been around for several years, attracting opposition from all parties locally, it is surprising that John Healey and Ken Livingstone didn't launch their website twelve months ago. In those days it was a Labour Government plan and Healey was a Labour minister - so perhaps it isn't surprising, just shamelessly opportunistic. Our campaign has attracted respect precisely because it reaches across all parties and non aligned groups. Livingstone's attempts to politicise it for electoral purposes are not welcomed in Redbridge...

Boris in Loxford

This morning I joined Boris and HRH the Duchess of Cornwall for a visit to the East London Rape Crisis Centre at Loxford. This was the first time I had met the Duchess and I was very impressed by her down to earth attitude.

We met volunteers from the Hackney based Nia Project and local Victim Support. The East London centre is unusual in that provides support for male victims of sexual violence as well as for women. I also spoke to DI Tim Wilkinson and DC Sadie Juncal who work for the Met's Project Sapphire in Havering and Redbridge - they also live in my constituency so they have a detailed knowledge of the area.

After visiting the centre we walked back to Ilford Station, accompanied by Cllr Michelle Dunn, the newly elected deputy leader of Redbridge Council Conservative Group and her colleague Cllr Matthew Chaudhry who represents Cranbrook Ward.

Ilford Lane is a very diverse shopping area and Boris visited butchers, sweet sellers, fashion boutiques, jewellers and the local pharmacist. Boris is hugely popular on these occasions and we were accompanied every step of the way by a photographer from local newspaper The Nation.

At Ilford Station Boris got a first hand view of the poor facilities which are supposed to be upgraded as part of the Crossrail project. Recent rumours are that Network Rail are cutting back on the overground elements of their part of Crossrail, but improvements to accessibility and security at Ilford Station are essential.

Striding Around South East London

It's been a sunny weekend but not too hot - ideal for walking, so I decided to cover a large chunk of ground. After all we never know when it will snow again...

Day Two - Falconwood to Grove Park

This relatively short section - just over 4 miles - is also mostly along level ground. A leisurely saunter, beginning at Falconwood Station.

A concrete bridge takes the path over the railway and the A2 in its deep cutting. The path leads onward through Eltham Park South before following a track past the training ground for Eltham Football Club and a venue - the Butterfly Club - which no doubt sees some action in the evenings.

A long road walk bypasses the centre of Eltham, concluding at the impressive Eltham Palace, the country seat of royalty until Henry VIIIth decided to move his household to Greenwich. The place was sacked by Cromwell's Roundheads who had no respect for history and remained in ruins until the Courtauld family bought it and reconstructed the building in its current stylish form.

Beyond the palace, King John's Walk follows a ridge affording great views of Canary Wharf and the City. Horses are much in evidence here, a clear case of 'bringing the village to the city' as Boris would say.

Down the hill, we cross a railway bridge and scurry over the busy A20 - a pedestrian crossing has been provided since I was last here, so thank you TfL. Entering Mottingham, there is a brief encounter with the borough of Bromley and James Cleverly's constituency. It is very pleasant here, no wonder he got over 100,000 votes!

The village is an odd mix of very old houses and some unattractive blocks of flats, the whole scene dominated by Eltham College where Mervyn Peake was a pupil before he went on to write the Gormenghast trilogy, which I plan to read some time.

Behind the college is a path leading eventually to Grove Park Station, following the Quaggy River - made famous when Boris fell in whilst helping to clear out road cones and shopping trolleys. Of course Ken would never have fallen in the Quaggy River, because it isn't in Zone 1...

Day Three - Grove Park to Crystal Palace

The longest stage of the walk is, at 8.6 miles, a considerable undertaking for us desk bound types. Of course back in the North East we would have knocked it off before breakfast, but things have changed since then...

A long footbridge crosses the main line at Hither Green, affording a view of the train depot and the site of the 1967 derailment in which 49 people died. We tend to think of railway tragedies as a modern phenomenon but a study of history provides a clearer perspective.

In Downham, the path passes the fire station - a far flung outpost of Brian Coleman's empire - before entering the Downham Woodland Walk. This follows a narrow band of trees - miraculously preserved during the development of the area, for over a mile. Lewisham Council had provided some unusual and attractive artwork when I first came this way, but over the years it has deteriorated and become overgrown. Wooden sculptures are half concealed amongst the bushes, so you need to look for them now.

Hurrying over the A21, the walk enters the large Beckenham Place Park, alive with dog walkers on a Sunday morning. There were relatively few unpleasant mastiffs in evidence although mauled branches and tree trunks show that people have been exercising their 'devil dogs'. Winding through woodland, climbing steep steps, you find yourself in the middle of a golf course. The facility is administered from the mansion itself, a grade II listed building constructed by John Cator, a timber merchant whose family name features heavily in these parts. The whole park is in public ownership having been acquired by the London County Council before the War.

Outside the park the route leaves Lewisham and returns to Bromley, and there is the first sighting of the Crystal Palace TV mast - the end of today's walk. It isn't as close as it looks, particularly as the walk winds about a fair bit. The mast will remain tantalisingly on the horizon for the next hour or so...

Crossing the valley of the Pool River seems to take forever. Much of the area is made up of playing fields that once formed recreation grounds for large public utilities and private companies. as costs were cut in the nineties many of these fell into disuse and the owners sought permission for development, which never came. Since I was last here things look to have improved, with new users taking a more active role, funded by modest partial development. I passed the grounds of Kent County Cricket Club, Crystal Palace Football Club and the HSBC Sports Club.

A winding route through parks and streets finally arrives at Penge East Station where it is tempting to drop into the newsagents and buy up anything edible. However I restrained myself, knowing that the dynamic centre of Penge was just around the corner. There is also a surprisingly good cafe just inside Crystal Palace Park.

Sunday is very busy here with huge numbers of small children. A cola lolly helped to restore my E levels to normal whilst I struggled with the map - because they have changed the route...

The new way turns left and leads up alongside the Dinosaur Ponds, definitely worth the detour. Next comes a view of the athletics stadium which is looking a bit rundown, and at long last a close encounter with the TV mast which has dominated the last few miles. Here also is the station and the conclusion of the walk.

Day 4 leaves South east London behind, threading its way north of Croydon whilst avoiding the more built up central areas. I'm looking forward to it.

Capital Ring Day 3 - Photographs

Pictures from Day three feature the railway at Hither Green, Beckenham Place, Penge and Crystal Palace TV mast.

Capital Ring Day 2 - Photographs

Pictures from day 2 show Eltham Park South, Eltham Palace, the superb view from King John's Walk and Mottingham Lane.

Why I Decided to Stand Down

After two and a half years as Conservative Group Leader, I have decided not to seek election to the post this year. This has not been an easy decision, but several factors have weighed heavily in my choice:

First, I want to devote more time to my constituency. The Leader's role is exciting and rewarding but it does entail a lot of meetings and desk work. I prefer to get out and meet people and I will be doing a lot of that in the coming year.

Second, I want to involve myself in more non political campaigns. City Hall is a pretty relaxed place when it comes to party whips - particularly compared to Westminster - nevertheless if I promote issues whilst I am still Group Leader, they are bound to be viewed as Conservative party policy, at least to some extent. I have been speaking fairly freely recently and want to do more of it.

Third, I believe that this is a good time to make a change, as we enter the final year of the Mayoralty. The atmosphere is likely to be more combative in coming months and the Group need someone who will take the fight to the opposition and lead the election campaign.

Leading the Conservative Group is a real privilege. Not only is it the largest group ever elected to City Hall - with eleven members - I also believe that it is the most able and experienced group ever elected. I have enjoyed great support from my officer team: My Deputy James Cleverly, whose 'can do' attitude is really refreshing and valuable in politics. My Whip Richard Tracey, who has given me fantastic advice during some tense and tricky negotiations. My office manager Robert Rams, who effortlessy runs a big and complex department, producing vital briefings and supporting some demanding members.

Finally, I would like to place on record my gratitude to all our professional researchers and caseworkers who carry much of our daily load.

And I have enjoyed working with Boris - a unique and positive experience from which I have personally learned a great deal.

The new team of officers will be elected by the Group on 29th March. I wish them well and undertake to give them my full support in the run up to the 2012 election and through Boris' second term.

A Battering at Battersea

Last night's Question Time was hosted by the Battersea Arts Centre, a trust occupying the former Battersea Town Hall. The building is supposed to be one of the birthplaces of the Labour Party, but relaxing in the bar with Martin of Mayorwatch, it was hard to believe that such an aberration could have crawled from such a pleasant venue.

The audience were pleased to see Boris and they gave us an enthusiastic welcome, although this was tempered by the number of special interests demanding public cash - don't they realise the economic climate has changed. Local assembly member Richard Tracey chaired the event, opening the meeting with a short speech extolling the virtues of his constituency. He concluded by congratulating Wandsworth Council on their low council tax, to cheers from the audience, and a few hisses from isolated socialists.

Boris then wowed the crowd with his report, stating his intention to put the village back into the city with much needed environmental improvements. He congratulated Wandsworth on exporting TV aerials to China, and referred to the discovery of an iron age jewelled shield at Battersea Bridge - a civilisation that had collected the wealth of its residents and thrown it in the river, rather like Gordon Brown's government...

Assembly Chair Dee Doocey kept her comments brief and we were straight into the questions:


Policing

Richard rather generously selected the Labour Leader from Wandsworth to ask the first question and was rewarded with an accusation that police numbers were being cut. Boris begged to differ, stating that numbers would increase by 1,200 over his term in office. John Biggs accused him of lying, which did not play well with the audience. Kit Malthouse made an excellent contribution, dealing with the change in numbers and the planned redeployment of sergeants out of some neighbourhood teams.

Another questioner raised the possibility of 'insurrection' and asked if the police were ready to deal with more riots. The Mayor reassured him that the police were prepared to deal with all eventualities, including flood, epidemics and of course 'insurrection'.

A nice blonde lady congratulated Boris and the Assembly on our efforts to reduce knife crime and youth crime. Matthew from the UK Youth Parliament asked for more opportunities for police and young people to build positive relationships. Boris talked about joint sporting events, outreach programmes and police cadets.


Transport

The first complaint - that Boris had failed to extend the Tube to Croydon and Wandsworth - seemed a bit premature, only three years into his term.

A request to extend bike hire to Wandsworth attracted a more positive response. Cycle Superhighway 7 already runs to Wandsworth and Boris proudly declared that he had used it to get to the meeting.

A blind man complained that there were no staff to help him at Kings Cross, Victoria and Upton Park. This is inexcusable particularly at such busy stations and Boris promised to take the matter up with London Underground.

A lady from Age Concern complained about poor bus driving standards, cyclists using the pavement and excessive street furniture - all issues the Assembly has raised in the past, and it appears we will have to return to them in the future.

There was a brief discussion of airport capacity, with Boris stoutly defending his call for more flights to London, and his 'Boris Island' plan for a new airport in the Thames Estuary.


Environment

Residents raised their long running concerns about Thames Water's Super Sewer. Tony Arbour stated that Thames Water had failed to do their homework, relying on the easy option of building on available green spaces. He was pleased that the plan to use the Barn Elms site had been shelved.

A councillor from Northcote Ward complained that Labour Lambeth Council were going to allow a giant camp site on Clapham Common as part of the Royal Wedding celebrations. This would attract 10,000 people damaging the common and disturbing residents. Boris replied that this just showed how much Lefties loved the Royal Family...


Olympics

The Mayor of Merton asked for reassurances about security and transport for the Olympic tennis venue at Wimbledon. Boris assured her that LOCOG were planning for every eventuality and extending Cycle Superhighways to Wimbledon would be considered.

There was a vexed discussion about ticket allocation, with Dee Doocey making much of the tickets allocated to London boroughs and government which would 'all go to politicians'. Of course the tickets will be charged and are more likely to be allocated to local charities and sporting groups. Nevertheless, this exchange highlighted a moral minefield and I'm pleased to say that in Havering and Redbridge we have decided to turn down the ticket offer and save ourselves the associated controversy.

Exclusive Olympic traffic lanes were mentioned and I decided to pitch in, noting that the privileged users included not only athletes, but foreign dignitaries and journalists. I added, to some applause that we should limit the lanes as far as possible, tightly controlling their use and removing them immediately after the games. Emboldened by colleagues behind me I added that perhaps we should hire some mini buses, to make more economic use of the road space and avoid the spectacle of limousines and cavalcades sweeping past frustrated Londoners. At this point Boris shouted "BOLLOCKS!" and I began to wonder if I had gone off message... There goes my career.


Next Meeting

The session concluded with a few questions about housing provision and planning. The Albert Bridge closure was also raised and Richard Tracey assured residents that the bridge would be reopened in September after being 'largely rebuilt'.

He then closed the meeting, adding that the next Boris Question Time would be on 7th June at Kingston's Rose Theatre.

And the next official Peoples' Question Time will take place on 7th November at the Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch.

Redbridge Roundabout

On Sunday morning I paid a visit to Redbridge Roundabout with Cranbrook Ward Councillors Matthew Chaudhry and Ashok Kumar.

The major junction, where the North Circular and the A12 meet is maintained in part by TfL and in part by the council. Access across the roads is afforded by several concrete subways. These are not pleasant places but the proximity of Redbridge underground station means that they are quite busy during the mornings and evenings and this discourages crime. Not so for the rest of the day and night, unfortunately.

Graffiti has been cleared recently and the concrete walls are looking about as good as they ever will. However litter has started to collect again and the area could do with a good tidying up. More seriously the lights have failed in the subway linking to Studley Drive and this needs to be fixed urgently. So do the drains in the subway linking to Royston Gardens where water has backed up to submerge the grates - rain often leads to flooding in this subway, effectively making it impassable.

These faults will be reported to TfL for action.

Let's Go Round Again

It has been a few years since I last completed the Capital Ring, a 75 mile circumnavigation of London, so I have set out to do it again this year.

Saturday was cool but sunny as I set out on stage 1, a 7.1 mile walk through the green spaces of Greenwich, from Woolwich to Falconwood. There is a lot of climbing on this section which makes for quite a demanding start to the walk.

With the Woolwich Foot Tunnel closed, I started at Woolwich Arsenal DLR station. I haven't visited Woolwich since the 1990s and rebuilding works make the town centre confusing. Luckily I have a very good sense of direction and I set off from Starbucks filled with confidence - ten minutes later I was back at Starbucks having gone the wrong way...

The route proper begins at the Woolwich Ferry and a pleasant stretch along the river followed, with good views of the Thames Barrier. Just before the barrier the riverside path is forced away from the river and there are some close encounters with heavy traffic before entering the green oasis of Maryon Park.

At this point the walk climbs away from the river, ascending a long flight of steps and further gentle slopes through Maryon Wilson Park, passing an animal enclosure festooned with dire health and safety warnings.

Reaching the top of the hill the walk enters Charlton Park, a favourite venue for weekend footballers. Here also is the Jacobean mansion, Charlton House. It was originally built for Sir Adam Newton, tutor to King James I - they certainly knew how to reward teachers in those days - and now it houses a community centre and library. The picture in the earlier post shows the house in all its glory, but the ha ha is difficult to make out.

Onwards, through Hornfair Park and across the open expanse of Woolwich Common. Crossing the busy South Circular, the path enters woods and climbs steeply to the derelict Severndroog Castle. This unusual structure was built to commemorate Sir William James, who captured an Indian fortress of the same name. Severndroog also marks the highest point on the Capital Ring - it's all downhill from here.

On the descent I met some nice ladies from Lithuania who were admiring the view. It is so often the case that visitors value the unique aspects of our city more than those of us who live here. I paused for a quick photograph.

The next section threads its way through Oxleas Wood on a maze of paths, helpfully signposted by Capital Ring and Green Chain markers. A busy cafe at Oxleas Meadows provides refreshments - two bottles of water - and a great view. There are always lots of dog walkers here and the place echoes to the sound of barking and owners' shouts as they try to control their pooches. Nice to see that most of the dogs were family pets - very few status mastiffs were on show.

Descending through the woods, I encountered a group of volunteers clearing brush and cutting back the undergrowth. A couple of workers prepared tea and biscuits on a trestle table - a fine example of the Big Society in action.

The blasting of traffic in the deep A2 cutting signalled a return to 'civilisation', and it was a short walk to Falconwood station and the train back to town.

The next stage from Falconwood to Grove Park is much shorter and easier, but it has some great views and an encounter with Eltham Palace. I'm looking forward to it already...

Capital Ring Day 1 - Photographs

A lovely morning in South London. Pictures show the Woolwich Ferry, The Thames Flood Barrier, Charlton House, Severndroog Castle and Oxleas Meadows.

Campaign Progress - and Fund Raising Dinner

The campaign to save our accident & emergency unit continues. This afternoon a delegation from Redbridge visited the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) HQ in Buckingham Palace Road. The rather complex title belies the fact that these are the people who will give the thumbs up or down to the closure plans.

Arriving early, I took the opportunity to speak to the board secretary about our campaign and he assured me that the board would consider all submissions fairly.

I was joined by Redbridge councillors Andy Walker (Labour, and the driving force behind our objections) and Chris Cummins (Conservative chairman of the health scrutiny committee), and we handed in a letter drawing attention to the overloading of the services at Queen's Hospital and pointing out that they were in no condition to carry the extra demand which would be created by the KGH closure.

The next step will be a fund raising dinner on Friday evening in Chadwell Heath.

UPDATE: The dinner at the Tamarind in Chadwell Heath was a great success, raising several hundred £s for the campaign. Thanks to Cllr Andy Walker for organising the event. I'm adding a picture of the evening...

Alternative Funding

With funding cuts and government struggling to recover from Labour's financial mismanagement, the hunt is on for alternative methods of funding capital projects. The budget committee spent a couple of hours taking evidence from experts in TfL and the GLA yesterday morning.

Crossrail, Tube upgrades and Thameslink are all able to go ahead but other projects, notably the extension of the Northern Line to Battersea will need to be funded by innovative methods. Because transport projects usually generate an increase in property values along the route, some form of land value taxation could be considered. This was always a favourite with former TfL deputy chair Dave Wetzel, but unfortunately he was not around to offer his opinion.

Battersea Power Station has been an ill starred development site for a long time, with various proposals coming and going whilst the giant building - closed thirty years ago - falls into dereliction. The latest plans look like coming to fruition and as it is now just about the last bit of undeveloped river bank, they look to generate considerable profits. However as always there was a risk that land values would fail to rise and the revenue would not be created, or that the balance between residential and commercial uses would fail to maximise income, or that the amount raised would still cover only a fraction of the cost of the line extension - the experts differed on this, predicting that anything from a tenth to two thirds of the cost could be raised.

Of course some of us remember Ken's predictions that rising land values in the Lea Valley would pay for the Olympics, and that the house he bought for Bob Kiley would be sold at a profit...


Crossrail

Discussion turned to the community infrastructure levy (CIL) which will generate some £300 million for the Crossrail project. In effect this will be a 'planning gain' charge attached to developments within Greater London. Local authorities already raise money in this way, but its use is restricted to major developments. The CIL will apply to all non domestic planning applications.

The plan has raised major concerns amongst London's councils and Bromley have agreed to mount a legal challenge - not for the first time, for those who remember 'Fares Fair'.

The first problem is that the CIL will only apply within Greater London. The extra cost of development will tend to push businesses over the border into the Home Counties, particularly from outer London boroughs. There is also a reasonable argument that Crossrail is a project with national benefits, so the whole country should pay. A stretch to ask Scotland and Wales to cough up perhaps, but Crossrail will actually stop at Brentwood and Maidenhead, so it is only fair that they make some contribution. It feels like the London only Olympic levy all over gain.

Then there are concerns about the distribution of the charge within London. The legislation that enables the CIL does not allow the charge to be focused along the route where the benefits will be felt. The only variation that is allowed across London is based on existing property values and there are three charging bands. Luckily Havering is in the cheapest band and Redbridge is in the middle band - both get the benefits of access to the route and new stations, so far so good. However Richmond is in the top band and the line goes nowhere near them - needless to say they are not happy, and other north and south London boroughs share their concerns.

CIL only applies to Crossrail at present, but the witnesses accepted that it could be used to raise money for other transport projects, including a resurrected Cross River Tram. The legislation seems blunt and doesn't consider London's size and variation - not for the first time - so the witnesses did agree that the government should be pressed to make changes next time the matter came up for debate.

London Conference

Saturday saw the London Conservative conference, kindly hosted at Hammersmith Town Hall. Left wing bloggers billed it as a 'secret gathering' and promised a large demonstration - but as it started early on a Saturday morning and it was pouring with rain very few people turned up to man the picket lines - I guess the revolution will have to wait.

Inside a packed hall, we were addressed by Boris who outlined his achievements and his plans to seek a second term. He takes his opponent seriously, describing Ken as a 'seasoned campaigner - more than seasoned, marinated perhaps or even embalmed.' He took some good natured questions and our own Cllr Nick Hayes made the best of the opportunity to seek assurances that the overground improvements which form part of Crossrail would still take place. Boris pointed out that Network Rail were responsible for the stations in Redbridge and Havering, and that he would lobby them to ensure the essential improvements were made.

Lynton Crosby spoke to us about the campaign, revealing all the secret details which I won't repeat here. Then we had sessions on the No To AV campaign and the upcoming boundary review which will see London lose several Parliamentary seats.

Then we were addressed by Transport Secretary Philip Hammond, who talked about his support for Crossrail and his commitment to transport in London. Governments always face pressure from Scottish and Northern MPs to cut London's funding so it is reassuring to have the Minister on our side. He acknowledged that he faces a fight over high speed rail but is determined to press ahead with it as the only viable alternative to airport expansion in the south east.

We broke for lunch with our MEPs, providing them with an opportunity to talk about their work and face the tough grilling that this subject always attracts at party meetings.

Then it was on with the afternoon, and a session on local government chaired by Wandsworth Leader Edward Lister and featuring a star panel - including myself. I spoke about how proportional voting had twisted London Assembly politics, giving Lib Dems and Greens far more power than they merited, and talked about the sometimes tense relationship between my team and the Mayor's office. We also had a good discussion about cutting waste, sharing services and improving procurement to get a better deal for taxpayers.

With that session completed it was time to slip away. I had to miss the final session with London's new MPs because I was off to the Havering Mayor's fund raising evening. A very exciting boxing match and dinner hosted at the Prince Regent Hotel in Chigwell. There was just time for me to get home and change for the event.

A productive Saturday with plenty of jabs and crosses hitting the target!

Big Budget Day

Wednesday saw the agreement of 2011/12 budgets both at City Hall and Havering Council.

Greater London Authority

Boris presented his final budget to a full meeting of the assembly. He had noted our concerns about plans to spend £6 million on the 101 single telephone number for public services in London. He assured us that he would be reviewing the project. Having received this assurance, the Conservative Group withdrew that part of its amendment.

Political groups presented amendments that remained largely unchanged from two weeks earlier, with the exception of the Greens who wanted to spend £4 million on the Year of Walking. None of the amendments attracted enough votes to clear the necessary two thirds hurdle required for their adoption.

John Biggs lost his temper with the mayor, calling him a 'lazy liar' and a lot more before the chair proposed a vote to exclude him from debate - which was passed. Biggs is often casually rude but it seems to arise from thoughtlessness and I don't take offence. There is however something about Boris that gets under his skin and sometimes he really loses it. This was one of those occasions and it was the first time in its history that the assembly voted to silence one of its own members - not a very welcome precedent, particularly as the session was going out live on BBC Parliament.

With no amendments, the mayor's budget was approved by default, giving Londoners another year's council tax freeze, the third in a row - contrasting with Livingstone's 154% increase over his term of office.

London Borough of Havering

With riots and the police called to some council meetings, we were on the edge of our seats in the evening. However there were no protests and the meeting was very civilised.

Over the years Havering has become accustomed to being short changed by central government, so the council is used to introducing efficiencies and sharing services to save costs. The difficult budget was masterfully constructed by Cllr Roger Ramsey and his team of finance officers, working with the unions who therefore did not find it necessary to wave placards outside the meeting.

The Labour opposition didn't propose any alterations to the budget, although a couple of them did dedicate their speeches to polishing Gordon Brown's reputation, after young Conservative councillors made references to the dreadful economic legacy he had left.

The Official Residents' Association councillors proposed introducing free parking in their wards and paying for it by cutting special responsibility allowances and consultancy fees. This is pretty much what they do every year.

The Independent Resident's Association Group (yes, it really is like Monty Python's Life Of Brian) proposed spending £5,000 on a legal challenge to force more grant from the government, but this was disallowed by the Mayor because they had failed to identify where the money was coming from and £5k won't get you a cup of tea at the High Court these days.

With little else on the table the opposition groups congregated around the free parking amendment which fell to the overwhelming Tory majority. However there was some consolation for them in the Leader's announcement that several committees would be scrapped along with the chair's allowances (my own Partnerships Scrutiny Committee included). The Deputy Mayor would also have his allowance ceased, although he would still fulfil his duties.

The administration budget was approved, freezing the council tax at £1,505 for a Band D property.

Save The Accident & Emergency

Following last week's council resolution, there was a meeting of representatives from Havering and Redbridge on Friday, to plan the way forward.

New figures obtained from the plans show that outer London is set to lose out again. With A & E focused on Queen's Hospital for three London boroughs, that overstretched unit will have to serve a population of over 700,000. This compares unfavourable with the North East Inner London hospitals each serving a single borough of just 200,000 people. No doubt the statistics claiming that Inner London has greater 'needs', poverty etc. will be trotted out again but account never seems to be taken of Havering's large elderly population. Older people need more hospital services.

And whilst Waltham Forest Council have decided no to oppose the changes, we noted that there had been no assessment of the additional pressure that will be placed on A & E at Whips Cross Hospital. Residents of Wanstead and Woodford are far more likely to present themselves there rather than travel all the way to Romford.


Consultation

It was noted that the response to the original consultation had been very low. Of 57,000 questionnaires sent out, only 3,080 (5.4%) had been returned. Of these, 29% were returned by NHS employees who obviously have access to more information about the changes and who view them largely from their position as providers rather than users of the service.


Campaign dates

The main event will be the rally on Friday 8th April, with a march starting from Queen's Hospital at 4pm. The march will conclude - for those who stick with it - at Ilford Town Hall where all the MPs from the two boroughs will address the crowd. There will also be some words of support from former Mayor Ken Livingstone.

The day before - Thursday 7th April - will see a visit to Downing Street by a delegation of six councillors from both boroughs, to deliver a letter making the case for keeping the A& E at King Georges.

And campaigns always need money so we are arranging a fund raising dinner for 11th March, venue to be announced, but somewhere convenient for both boroughs is being sought.

Our next campaign meeting will take place on 4th March.


After the meeting Redbridge Cllr Andy Walker did a short interview with me and it can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlTr909EYYs

Tube Summit

This afternoon I joined other politicians for a meeting with Kulveer Ranger, the Mayor's transport advisor.

Our main concern was the recent disruption on London Underground, for once not the result of industrial action, but a consequence of equipment failures. Kulveer explained that much of the new equipment needed several weeks to bed in. Making changes to the Tube during running hours was like performing heart surgery on someone running the marathon - well perhaps not quite that challenging, but you get the picture.

Jubilee

The worst problems have centred around the introduction of a new moving block signalling system. This will enable automatic train operation and is being welcomed by train drivers as a massive improvement. More trains can be run and irregularities in the timetable will be corrected automatically. But the new system is having teething troubles and there have been rumblings of discontent at Canary Wharf and Westminster.

Kulveer told us that he had spent two weeks visiting the line on the Mayor's personal instructions to see the problems for himself. He was convinced that they were being resolved and the a good, reliable service would be available soon.

Victoria

A similar situation, this time arising from the introduction of new trains. Here the sensitivity of the doors had led to failures of service, but again Kulveer assured us that the worst of the problems was behind us now.

The renewal of escalators at Victoria Station was going to cause rush hour congestion and passengers were advised to find alternative routes at busy times. The work would be done quickly, but even so it was expected to take seven months. Interestingly, the Victoria Line escalator at this station is the second busiest in the world - not a lot of people know that...

Central

I have noticed that our own Central Line has been experiencing delays too. In this case the culprit was a faulty signal card, which sets the timetable and operates the signals accordingly. After two breakdowns the fault had been rectified and the line was now operating a good service.

I was very impressed by Kulveer's detailed knowledge and his clear commitment to passengers. He is optimistic about the quality of service in the future, but he knows that I will be back to see him again if things don't improve.

Budget Day (Number One)

Thursday saw the first of two budget debates, with the Mayor presenting his proposals for 2011/12. The Assembly has the power to amend the budget if two thirds of the members can support the change - but that has never happened...

The Budget

Boris led off with his budget speech. Once again he had frozen the council tax precept, a continuing policy which now amounted to a 10% cut in bills over three years, and contrasted with Livingstone's 152% inflation busting increases. Council tax impacts particularly on pensioners and others on fixed incomes, and Boris felt that they would welcome his value for money approach, particularly as so many are struggling in the financial mess that Labour bequeathed them.

Discussing policing, Boris was proud to announce the end of the recruitment freeze. Money vired from the Fire Authority budget would help to boost police numbers and the Mayor promised that there would be more police on the streets by next year than there were when he came to office - a proud legacy. Moving to single patrolling in quieter areas had also freed up another 330 officers, and the concerted effort to move them out of desk jobs and onto the streets would continue.

For transport, Boris pleased London's boroughs by announcing that funding from TfL would be held at 2011/12 levels for two more years - this had originally been slated for a cut, but they had found £22 million for environmental and transport improvements at local level. The Mayor emphasised that support from the boroughs was vital to the delivery of his policies - a welcome contrast with Ken who always seemed to be at war with council leaders.

LDA funding was still sketchy as negotiations with central government continued, but Boris hoped to be able to bring us more good news soon.

A short statement from budget committee chairman John Biggs followed, then there were two hours of questions. As these concluded, each group was invited to move its amendments.

Conservative Group

We sought to produce yet more savings and cut the precept.

Firstly, by seeking a 15% cut in the support budget for all political groups. At a time when front line services are under threat, protecting the political support budget cannot be justified. Last year we made the same proposal but the other groups vetoed it, no doubt unsure if it could be achieved. Over 2010/11 we have made considerable savings by sharing some personal assistants and researchers, and removing some of the management. Having proved that it can be done, we would like to see the other groups follow suit.

We also sought to delete a £6 million spend on the 101 telephone number project. Always a questionable investment, improvements in technology and changes in behaviour now make a universal phone number for public services obsolete.

Other than these suggestions, we welcomed the Mayor's budget, especially the council tax freeze and the greater support for boroughs.

Labour

Whilst agreeing with the precept freeze, Labour had different priorities.

They would use TfL reserves to hold down bus fares, fund step free station access projects, and guarantee more Tube station staff, in a nod to Ken's rail union supporters. They also proposed ceasing the project to smooth traffic flow by removing unnecessary traffic signals.

At the Met they would provide 200 more police officers and invest more in tackling youth crime, to be paid for by savings in the overtime budget and the police media department.

Interestingly they supported the Fire Authority budget, despite having voted against it at the Authority's earlier budget meeting. A case of Ed Milliband's 'blank page' perhaps?

Liberal Democrats

There were no signs of 'coalitionism' at City Hall, as the Lib Dems promoted their own ideas:

Once again they proposed their One Hour Bus Ticket, a big idea which featured in last year's offering. Another big idea was an Inner London Low Emission Zone. £10 million would be saved by delaying the roll out of cycle superhighway routes 2,5,8 and 12. Route 2 runs from Aldgate to Bow and I am already getting demands from Redbridge to extend it to Ilford. They would save another £15 million by ending free travel for partners of TfL employees.

In policing, they also targeted the directorate of public affairs for a large cut and sought to save £500,000 by cutting our payments to the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). Extra police would be used to bolster neighbourhood teams and to deal with child trafficking at Heathrow and St. Pancras.

Greens

As usual, Darren and Jenny came up with the most radical proposals:

Cutting police overtime, cutting back on surveillance and reducing the Territorial Support Group (the controversial unit which polices demonstrations) would provide savings to be spent on supporting safer neighbourhood teams. £3 million would be spent on traffic policing, and £1 million would be invested in training to improve public order policing.

A 'retro' transport budget would save money by retaining bendy buses and reintroducing the congestion charge Western Extension Zone. Scrapping work on river crossings in the Thames Gateway would save a further £1 million. Congestion charge would be whacked up to £16, with a special charge of £30 for highly polluting vehicles. The money raised would be used to introduce a new 'Very Low Emission Zone' and to increase funding for cycle lanes, pedestrian crossings, and 20mph zones.

At the LDA they proposed cutting the academy programme and scrapping the 101 number project, to pay for more home energy efficiency.

Common Ground

Needless to say none of the above alternatives commanded a two thirds majority.

The three opposition groups got together to pass a critical motion which ensures the budget process will continue with a final vote on 23 February.

And finally, seeing the Green's proposal on the 101 number, we set up another motion calling on Boris to scrap the plans. This was supported unanimously by all four groups and was actually the only constructive proposal that we could all agree on!

Now Boris will go away and consider our comments. He will also continue negotiations with central government over the LDA budget, returning with finalised proposals in two weeks.