Suzette Nicholson, Ray Ball and Carol Stratton: councillors for Hampton working for Hampton North

cllr.snicholson@richmond.gov.uk · · · cllr.rball@richmond.gov.uk · · · cllr.cstratton@richmond.gov.uk · · · Please scroll down the page for full details of roles, biographies, etc..

• January 2008: £2m ENVIRONMENTAL improvements planned for five areas of the borough: Richmond Council's Cabinet is being recommended to approve spending of £2 million on the schemes over the next three years at its meeting on January 14. Shopping parades and other public spaces have been identified as the priorities for the five areas: Castelnau; Mortlake; Ham; the HAMPTON NURSERYLANDS; and Heathfield. These have been identified in the Community Plan as being the borough's five areas of relative deprivation.

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FROM COMMENTS Autumn 2007: • ANOTHER Green Promise Met: Richmond Borough goes even greener from November with the introduction of cardboard and plastic bottle recycling. The new scheme will see rubbish and recycling collected on the same day. In Hampton waste collection day is Thursday.The new scheme means that all plastic bottles including milk cartons and even bottles that contained household cleaning products can be recycled. Your recycling and waste will be collected by different vehicles at different times of the day. At the beginning of the new service we also expect collections to take place up until 5pm. If you think your recycling has been missed please report it at www.richmond.gov.uk/waste_and_recycling online or by phoning 08456 122 660 after 3pm on the day of your collection. Hampton Cllr Carol Stratton said : "Recycling cardboard and plastic bottles is vitally important if we are to protect the environment. Central Government is also going to increase charges on landfill waste so it makes good financial as well as environmental sense to recycle more."

• MORE Police Community Support Officers for our Area: Transport for London has now allocated 18 Police Community Officers (PCSO's) for the Borough. They started work on the 20th June and they will be patrolling the buses and trains in the Borough. The emphasis will be on certain target school routes at the end of school days. If you know any routes that you think should be of particular concern to the the PCSOs please contact the Hampton Neighbourhood Team on 020 7161 9156 Earlier this year the Liberal Democrats launched the" We Can Cut Crime Campaign". One of the main campaign pledges is for more police on patrol particularly at night. This would be paid for by scrapping Labour's plans for an expensive and unworkable ID card scheme.

• BROAD Lane Resurfaced: after representations by your Lib Dem Councillors Broad Lane has now been resurfaced. The surface of Broad Lane has been de- teriorating for several years. "Transport for London (TfL) does not consider this a priority road so we have not been able to use any funding from them. However we are delighted that the council has found some funding for this new road surface." said Councillor Ray Ball.

• DOG MESS: The Council has now got improved powers to fine dogowners who don't clear up after their dogs. Whilst most dog owners behave responsibly and clean up the mess, we now have powers to tackle the few persistent offenders who allow their animals to foul the borough. They risk an £80 fixed penalty notice or a maximum of £1000 fine if they do not pay and the matter goes to court. If anyone knows of areas plagued by dog fouling, please contact the Enforcement Team on 0845 612 2660.

• 30 YEARS and Still Going!: Congratulations to the White House Community Centre who are celebrating 30 years since they first opened.

• BELL Hill Restored: The local Council have now restored the Bell Hill part of the Hampton Riverside thanks to pressure from Hampton Riverside Trust, and local Liberal Democrat Councillors. There are still a few finishing touches to be made but now residents can walk there without fear of falling or becoming covered in mud. It had been hoped to use resin bonded gravel but the Environment Agency's flood policy would not allow for this to happen.

• HAMPTON Youth Project has been newly refurbished and now has extended opening hours. The refurbishment includes a new music production studio which has been recently created in the old shower blocks. This half term the Youth Project were running music and streetdance workshops, with the help of Groove Academy and our own music production and dance worker. There have also had visits from young people Shooting Stars Hospice who have been taking part in the workshops, and hopefully this will lead to more work in the future with them. Investing in youth services is a top priority for the local Liberal Democrat led Council.

FROM COMMENTS April 2007: • Lib Dems invest in local services: After one year the Liberal Democrats are investing millions of pounds in key services for local people. Money from Council Tax reserves is being invested in improving secondary schools, the environment and facilities for young people. • Despite already being the lowest spending council in London, the Liberal Democrats have managed to make additional savings of over £4.5m to keep Council Tax down and pay for key service improvements. The increase in Council Tax was only 0.3% above inflation compared to the Tories who in 2003 increased total Council Tax by 15.6% (12.7% above inflation). Here are some of the things which are being invested in: • The introduction of improved recycling services from November 2007 including doorstep cardboard and plastics collections (£750,000). Extra youth services. An extra £250,000 per year. • A new sustainability team to reduce the Council's energy use (£100,000). • £0.5m on youth club refurbishment. • The Lib Dems have also found extra money to meet the growing need for care services for older people and those with learning difficulties (£900,000), the needs of children in care (£400,000) and with special educational needs (£300,000). • The surplus reserves built up by the Conservatives will be invested over the next four years. Here are just some of the things which the Lib Dems will be investing in: • £20 million on our secondary school buildings, over and above the £24m already planned for Teddington School. • £3.5m on setting up the new recycling service. • A new £1 million fund to help tackle climate change • A new £1 million fund for new youth facilities. • A new £400,000 economic development fund to help local businesses and high streets. • In the run up to the local elections last year, the Liberal Democrats promised to invest money in local services. The Liberal Democrats have kept their promises.

• VINCENT Cable MP and your local Councillors are putting crime and personal safety at the top of the agenda. • The Liberal Democrats have launched a national campaign called "We can cut crime" which is a 5 point plan to tackle crime and help victims of crime. Priorities include putting more police on patrol and making prison work. • Local Councillor Jonathan Cardy said "We want to hear local people's experiences with crime and their ideas on how to make our community safer. Your councillors have been pressing for CCTV cameras for Hampton Hill High Street and a scheme has been costed. This should deter crime and improve policing across our area". • There are also regular opportunities for local residents to discuss policing in our area. Regular police surgeries at held at the Greenwood Centre on the first Wednesday of the month at 7pm. Councillor Cardy added "These meetings are a great opportunity for local residents. Please use them if you have local concerns and let your friends and neighbours know about them also".

• ROAD Safety Issues: The Liberal Democrats want to improve safety of roads and pavements across our area. Cllr Elloy is interested in hearing from any residents who may have road safety concerns. Cllr Elloy said "There is a big issue with illegal parking on the corner of streets in our area especially the busy Hampton and Stanley Roads. I have asked the council to put double yellow lines in the most dangerous corners." Cllr Cardy added "If you know of any other road safety issues then please drop us a line". • RECYCLING Improvements: Doorstep plastic and cardboard recycling is being introduced in November. In the mean time, if you are missing any recycling boxes or would like more information please get in touch with your local councillors. Apparently some residents never got their food waste boxes. For your free boxes please contact 08456 122 660.

• FROM COMMENTS winter 2006/7: the Liberal Democrats will introduce the doorstep collection of plastic bottles and cardboard later this year, whilst retaining the weekly waste collection. Despite scare-mongering and lies by the Tory opposition, the plastics and cardboard pilot scheme which had been in operation in some of the streets of Hampton will be extended across Hampton and the Borough in November. There will be a massive education exercise to let residents know how and when their waste will be collected and importantly extra investment in new street collection vehicles which will be purchased later this year. The Tories have been claiming that the Lib Dem council was planning to collect residual household waste fortnightly rather than weekly. This simply isn't true. Residents in Hampton were concerned to see a vehicle mixing recyclable materials together, however this was just part of an experiment to understand which was the best method to collect recycled materials. The Council still wants residents to separate materials as this is the most environmental and cost effective way to recycle.

Cllr Suzette Nicholson said "We aim to have the best and greenest waste collection in London. Doorstep collection of plastic bottles and cardboard was a key election promise, which we will be delivering later this year. This will increase the recycling rate in Hampton and across the Borough". Cllr Carol Stratton added "Recycling all recyclable waste is vitally important to protect our environment. Central government intends to impose increasing charges on waste going to land fill, especially organic waste, as landfill space is running out". Carol continued "Boroughs who do not meet recycling targets will be heavily penalised. More charges from central government mean more Council Tax so it makes financial as well as environmental sense for all of us to do all we can". The Council is hoping to encourage more residents to make use of the current food waste collection or for residents to compost their own organic waste. For more information contact one of your local councillors. Organic landfill is being particularly discouraged because it creates methane which is a much more powerful greenhouse gas than CO2.

• TACKLING climate change: The Lib Dems are tackling climate change locally. They have led the way including a policy to charge parking per- mits based on carbon emissions or engine sizes for cars older than 2001. Cllr Nicholson said "We hope people will change their behaviour and the next time they buy a car they will buy a less polluting car". As well as this national first the Council have also employed a Sustainability Manager to help the council and the borough's residents become even greener. Cllr Stratton (pictured above) added "As well as signing up to a climate change strategy we have also reduced the amount of energy the Council used in its first hundred days".

• YOUR local Councillors are eager to hear about any crime or anti-social behaviour problems in your area. Cllr's Ball, Nicholson and Stratton are eager to tackle these issues to help make Hampton as safe as possible. Cllr Ray Ball said "We hope residents will come along to the next police meeting to discuss these issues with your local police team as well as your councillors". Residents who are interested in the policing of their local area are being invited to Police Liaison Group meeting at Hampton Junior School on Monday 19th March at 7.30pm.

• HAMPTON Community College has received the Investor in Careers (IiC) accreditation. Awarded by Connexions, the accolade followed a rigorous inspection and covered all aspects of careers work. It was structured around four key elements relating to the management of careers education and guidance; commitment; organisation; delivery and evaluation.

• BUCKINGHAM Fence has been dismantled. This was put up by the last Conservative administration without consultation and has been taken down because of opposition by the residents. Consultation has already been a mark of the new Liberal Democrat Council, and following representation about the open land; the Council has agreed to award Buckingham Fields Village Green Status. This should ensure that it remains safe and open for community use well into the future.

• CARLISLE Park: We are very pleased to welcome our new tenant who has taken up residence in the flat on the top floor of the pavilion. We hope that our park keeper will be very happy in his new home. Residents can feel reassured that although he may not be working in the park all the time he will be present when the rest of us have gone home! This is something that Cllr. Suzette Nicholson has been pressing for since she was first elected in October 2004.

• THE future. The Council and other key groups are responsible for producing a Community Plan that sets out some key objectives for the next ten years. Residents were asked to register their views. The themes in the consultation included: Safer and stronger communities Greener and cleaner Healthier Communities Children and young people Business and culture As well as being able to make your views known online, some of you have been visited and asked to complete paper versions. By doing these two things we hope that more people would be able to contribute than a traditional consultation meeting. The results will be analysed and feedback given.

• PARKING in Station Road: Cllrs. Ray Ball and Carol Stratton are particularly taking the lead in changing the present restrictions. They are discussing the change of this area's parking to include 20 minute parking slots so that car drivers can make quick visits to the Post Office and other shops in this road.

• HORSE Chestnut Trees: You may have noticed that leaf miner moth has affected the Horse Chestnut Trees in Bushy Park and elsewhere. This caused their leaves to brown earlier than usual. If the tree becomes weakened it is also likely to be affected by the more serious 'bleeding canker'.

• BUS stops Work will be taking place in the Hampton area in the coming months on a number of the local bus stops in order to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act of 1995. Consultation to minimise any possible major inconvenience has taken place, but it is necessary that access to buses by disabled people does comply with the act.

From Hampton On Line [http://www.hampton-online.co.uk/]: With the 3.5m fence gone, about 30 users of Buckingham Fields assembled at the White House in Hampton to decide on management plans and improvements for the future of the 60-acre area - now on the Commons Register following the successful application for village green status.

The meeting was held with Cllr Serge Lourie, leader of Richmond upon Thames Council, and senior parks officers, and attended by local ward members, Cllrs Geoffrey Samuel, Martin Seymour and Kate Howard, as well as representatives from Hampton Community College and Buckingham Primary School.

There were plenty of ideas coming through from the community, as well as a pledge of £30,000 from the council for the coming financial year, 2007/2008.

Cllr Lourie explained that the whole field would now be managed by the council, rather than split into two with care and maintenance of the five pitches at the southern end the responsibility of HCC.

Parks Manager, Eve Risbridger, also confirmed that hedging, badly damaged by contractors in the course of erecting the fence in June 2005, would be replaced with new planting.

. . After the 18-month campaign by residents to have the lottery-funded fence removed, the meeting was welcomed by all. One resident said she was looking forward to the school's five pitches once again being marked out, used and enjoyed by pupils and the community alike.

"I am delighted that the meeting has gone so well," commented Cllr Lourie. "I am hoping you will invite me to the launch party in the spring. We want to make Buckingham Park a flagship for the borough."

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At the election in May 2006, three Conservative Councillors were elected in Hampton North. However if you would like to raise an issue or concern with a local Liberal Democrat your Hampton North Comments team are eager to hear from you.

Paul Bensilum

Tel: 8255 3877

E-mail: pkbensilum@hotmail.com

Paul Bensilum lives and works in Hampton; living on the Nurserylands with his wife and two cats and working as a manager for a Hampton based Business Credit Reference Company. Originally Paul was an analytical chemist before moving to work with the Liberal Democrats at Westminster (1994-97). After working for a Telecom company Paul then moved abroad and is now fluent in Chinese. In 1999 Paul survived one of the world's worst earthquakes (Richter scale 7.8) and as a result knows how to keep calm in a crisis. A writer of university textbooks, Paul believes in clear communication and that local councilors should listen to and help local residents. Paul looks forward to drawing on his local, national and international experience.

James Cox

Tel: 8892 7790

E-mail: james.cox3386@blueyonder.co.uk

JAMES COX was a BBC journalist for over 30 years, mainly as a political reporter and interviewer. He presented the World This Weekend on BBC Radio 4 for 11 years and co-presented the World at One. Before that he was Poltical Editor and presenter of BBC2's Newsnight. He also worked as a BBC political correspondent in the House of Commons following three years in New York as the foreign correspondent based there. After giving up full time broadcasting last summer, he decided to become, not just an observer of politics, but to take a more active role, joining the Liberal Democrats and now standing as a candidate for the local elections in May. He has lived in the Borough for 20 years, first in Kew and for the last 14 years in Twickenham.

Matthew Wherry

Tel: 8241 9562

E-mail: matthew@wherry.co.uk

Hampton resident Matthew Wherry was brought up and educated in the borough. His interest in politics began in his early teens and he was soon helping deliver leaflets for the Liberal/SDP Alliance. Matthew read Classics at Trinity College Dublin and was elected head of the student body at the university's halls of residence. On his return to London he worked in marketing, telecoms and book publishing. He has worked for the Liberal Democrats in their Westminster headquarters for the past four years and has served on the Federal Executive, the party's highest committee, and as a staff representative. Matthew's interests include travel, culture and strategy games and he is passionate about the environment and education. He is engaged to be married/civilly partnered later this year.

. . working for you, all the year round!

Election, May 2006: Electorate 6506 Seats 3 Ballot Papers 3002 % Poll 46.14

Catherine Howard The Conservative Party Candidate 1574 Elected

Martin John Seymour The Conservative Party Candidate 1556 Elected

Geoffrey James Samuel The Conservative Party Candidate 1493 Elected

Paul Kenneth Bensilum Liberal Democrat 1319

Matthew Henry James Wherry Liberal Democrat 1236

James Heddle Cox Liberal Democrat 1228