June 2016 E-Newsletter
Content
June 2016 E-Newsletter
Just as I was finishing writing this, news came in regarding the death of my colleague, MP Jo Cox - a new MP and mother of two tiny chil
dren. We can’t rush to any conclusions about the circumstances of her death and I am not going to. I can say however that MPs, our staff, coun
cillors and many others in public life have to live with abuse, aggression and threats as part of our daily lives. And many people feel that this has,
for various reasons, got worse in recent years (and maybe even in recent weeks). We need, at the right time, to take a long look at why this may
be and what we can do about it. Yet it should also be said that I and my team are also overwhelmingly treated with courtesy and kindness,
thanked when we help and even when we can’t always get the result people want. We must there for hold on to the goodness and decency of
the majority of people whilst trying to find ways of dealing with the uglier side of our dealings with each other.
But first and foremost, our hearts go out to Jo’s family, friends and the community she loved and represented so well for all too short a time.
Contents
1. Europe - why I am voting remain - and hope you will, too (and, just for fun, test your knowledge with the IMORI quiz)
2. Westminster Council to ‘switch off CCTV’ as financial pressures bite ever deeper
3. Hathaway House W9 - another flawed development. We need to build, but we need to get it right!
4. Local news round-up - what I have been doing in the constituency this month
5. Petition to extend Santander cycle scheme launched by Westminster cyclists
6. What I’ve been doing in Parliament
-
Affordable housing
-
Work and Pensions inquiry into the collapse of BHS and the hole in the pension scheme
-
Investigatory Powers Bill
What you have been writing to me about this month
Europe-why I am voting remain
We’re on the eve of the EU referendum - and it will probably be the most important vote you will cast in a generation. Yet, truthfully, it’s been a
dispiriting few weeks, marred by hysteria, myth-making and half-truths - such as the ‘Leave campaign’ doubling the amount the UK pays for EU
membership and then painting the false figures on the side of its bus , to take just one example.
This referendum - like others before it, is also increasingly about something more and different from the specific question being asked. It is as
much about how people feel about identity in a fast-changing world (including the impact of migration), who are the winners and losers in a
globalised economy and the effects of austerity since the worldwide crash- as it is about membership of the EU. That makes the debate much
more complex and more deeply emotional. Critically, June 23rd can’t be the end of a vital conversation.
Yet the risk is that a vote for exit from Europe on the 23rd WILL mark an end. The die will be cast and the consequences will have to be lived
with. I don’t want us to take that risk.
Of course the EU is far from perfect- there’s much more we need to do to improve how it works. We as politicians haven’t done well enough in
either explaining the value of negotiated agreements and compromises in our national interest, or setting out clear, measurable goals for im
provement. Meanwhile, the continuing fall-out from the global financial crisis on the one hand, and the implosion of Syria and the wider refugee
crisis on the other, have added to the challenge of promoting European co-operation as a force for good and order in a tough world.
Yet I believe that it is. I’ve been campaigning to vote remain, and I’ll carry on doing so until polls close on the 23rd. And here’s why:
European co-operation emerged out of the ashes of the worst wars in human history. We should be proud of our recent history of peaceful
compromise - and we can’t take it for granted. Watch this video by former Prime Minster Gordon Brown.
We pay into Europe, of course, but it’s a tiny proportion of our national wealth, and we get far more back in investment and trade. £26.5 billion
is invested in Britain by EU countries every year. The EU is Britain’s biggest export market: almost half of all of Britain’s exports go to the EU.
Exports to the EU are worth £227 billion a year to the British economy. Trade would continue if we vote to leave, but we would still have to fol
low EU rules when we do business there. Meanwhile, we would have given up our say in the making of those rules. Surely it is better for Britain
to have a seat at the table and a say in making the rules?
Millions of British jobs are linked to EU membership. Independent research by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research shows
over three million British jobs are linked to our trade with Europe. If EU countries buy less of our goods and services, UK jobs are put at
risk. Above all, it will be our young people whose future is most at risk. The young are most pro-European in their outlook - we, the generation
who are their parents and grand-parents, must think about their interests.
British workers benefit from EU agreements on workers’ rights - fought for by Labour - including the right to holiday pay, paid maternity and
paternity leave, anti-discrimination laws, equal pay and protection for agency workers. Leaving would allow this or a future government to cut
back on employment, social and environmental protections. This would be a race to the bottom and erode rights we now take for granted.
From organised crime to protecting the environment, the challenges we now face don’t respect national boundaries but do require international
co-operation. For example, thousands of criminals, including terrorists, have been arrested under the European Arrest Warrant. Britain has also
taken a lead in a range of environmental campaigns in Europe from climate change to air pollution. The EU enables European countries to form
“one negotiating bloc” which amplifies British influence in climate discussions.
Being in the EU enhances Britain’s global influence and allows us to take our place at the top table. The ‘soft power’ of the EU has been a major
factor in locking human rights and democracy into the politics of the Continent. And at a time of continuing instability, from the Ukraine to the
Middle East, we need more co-operation, not less.
Voting to remain is a positive choice- giving us the opportunity to benefit from our membership but also the scope to keep working to make
things better. A ‘Leave’ vote is unlikely to be something we can change in my lifetime. So please - do use your vote, make your voice heard and
let’s make the next steps we take as a country be forward, not back.
How much do you really know about the EU? Just for fun, take the MORI quiz…
Westminster Council to ‘switch off CCTV’ as financial pressures bite ever deeper
Westminster Council has announced its intention to switch off all of its crime and disorder cameras across the city, due to the cost of replace
ment of ageing equipment (£1.7million) and running costs (£1m annually).This comes only three years after Conservative Council Leader Cllr
Philippa Roe declared in her budget speech that “Westminster has been a beacon in the use of public realm CCTV for many years. Our camera
deployments are proportionate, appropriate, based on evidence of need and have a clear value in protecting our communities.”
Financial pressures are becoming so acute that the council cannot maintain the system they made central to their crime and security agenda for
so long. It is important to keep reviewing the best means of ensuring an effective crime and security response, and I recognise that the current
CCTV network needs further investment to remain operational. However we are deeply concerned that this decision is primarily financially driv
en and that an alternative strategy is not yet in place. It must also be seen in the context of a drastic reduction in police capacity (down by
around a third since 2011 locally), and the cancellation of all council support for the Westminster Youth Service. The public will understandably
demand reassurance that there will be no increase in risk flowing from this decision and Westminster Council must be constructive in its en
gagement with the new Mayor, MOPAC and other key stakeholders to safeguard the public.
There are particular concerns in wards outside the centre of Westminster where public spaces are less likely to be covered by TFL or private
CCTV cameras. My council colleagues and I are calling on the council to provide reassurance that areas that have had a high number of incidents
recorded on the current camera network such as Harrow Road and Church Street wards won’t be left without support.
If cameras are switched off or transferred from council control we, want Westminster to use the money saved to make clear and specific com
mitments to delivering public realm security works, such as improved lighting, and supporting the work of the Integrated Gangs Unit and other
human security measures.
Growing concerns about 16 storey Hathaway House scheme in Woodfield Road
Local councillors and I have submitted our arguments against the proposed development in Woodfield Place, which includes a 16 storey tower
on the Hathaway House site. I believe there is a strong case for a wider master-plan for this area, drawn up in partnership with the local commu
nity, and we should not be proceeding piece-meal with a flawed scheme such as this. Here is our full letter of objection:
Full objection by Cllr Adam Hug and Karen Buck MP on behalf of the Westbourne Ward Cllrs, Westminster Labour Group and the Member of
Parliament for Westminster North (May 30th 2016)
Westbourne’s Labour Councillors (Cllr Adam Hug, Cllr David Boothroyd and Cllr Papya Qureshi) and Karen Buck MP are writing to make a further
objection about the proposed plans for the redevelopment of Hathaway House on Woodfield Road. Building on the initial objection submitted on
our behalf by Cllr David Boothroyd in April and following past discussions with the developer and the council, there are a number of concerns
about the scheme that have not been addressed and mean that we do not believe the planned scheme should proceed.
At its heart, the ward councillors believe the currently proposed scheme is too tall for the area in which it is proposed, that the current scheme
does not deliver enough or the right mix of affordable housing and could undermine residential and environmental amenity.
At 16 stories high (G+15) this proposal is dramatically higher than the surrounding area. While the north of the site on Woodfield Road would be
slightly higher and bulkier than the surrounding properties and the tower would dominate the local skyline, potentially blocking light to the
neighbouring Athlone House care home and reducing the residential amenity for people living in Grand Union Close and other lower rise housing
and offices on Woodfield Road, including the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA) and new development of the Harrow Road police station.
The developers’ contention that the presence of towers on Alfred Road/Torquay Street and the Trellick Tower in Kensington should facilitate this
development shows a fundamental lack of understanding about the local geography with both examples a significant walk from the Hathaway
House site. As Cllr Boothroyd has also pointed out previously, Council policy DES 3 and its stated approach to planning are not to take precedence
from the other tall buildings in the (much wider) area as the applicant currently seeks to do. If the scheme was to receive planning permission it
should be revised to reduce the height of the tower significantly, potentially providing the space elsewhere on the site.
While it is welcome that the scheme proposes to build the affordable housing on site, at 19% by unit type (15 properties) the proposed development falls far short of the Council’s already low affordable housing targets (35% in sites outside of the Central Activity Zone such as Woodfield
Road, and 30% overall). Westminster Labour cannot support a scheme that does not deliver at least a policy compliant level of affordable housing. The proposed rent levels and size mix are also not to be supported. We would want to see an affordable component that includes a significant provision of social housing to help tackle Westminster’s chronic waiting lists and overcrowding problems, and ensured that any intermediate
housing products are both for rent and are genuinely affordable to households earning below £40k per year, the demand for which has been
identified in the council’s draft Housing Strategy. The size mix of the affordable housing should also include at least some 3 bed family units.
The provision of office space may potentially add some benefits in terms of supporting local food and drink outlets. However as the scheme plans
to use the new office space to replace the existing CNWL offices in central London this is not directly creating new jobs, beyond potential cleaning
and security jobs that are not restricted to the proposed use of the space. Any new offices should include a significant proportion of the looor
space to be used by local small businesses and startups to provide new jobs and opportunities for local people.
A number of local residents have passionately made the case that by proposing to build on the car park area it removes the only potential site for
accessible public, and potentially green, space on the north side of the canal between Little Venice and the Ha’Penny Steps. We support residents’
desire for part of this scheme to be used for public access green space, a garden only accessible to residents and users of the new development
would not meet public need.
Woodfield Road also experiences a high level of traffic as it forms cut through going from Harrow Road south to Great Western Road. Therefore
we would ask the Council to reconsider the requirement for parking provision for 64 parking spaces, looking to reduce this number, potentially
making the residential scheme car free given the proximity to public transport routes. The local area is experiencing a wave of redevelopment,
further adding to the pressures on Woodfield Road, any building traffic would need to be carefully and strictly managed if the scheme was to
proceed. The canal itself could be explored as a potential alternative route for the provision of building materials to/removal of spoil from the
site.
At a strategic level the scheme has the potential to prejudice the slowly emerging Harrow Road Management Plan that would seek to place this
site within a more cohesive and integrated planning framework for the area. There is a strong case to delay any development on this site so that
any new buildings meet the wider objectives of local residents and the council that will be identified over the coming months.
For all these reasons identified the Westbourne ward councillors, Westminster Labour Group and Karen Buck MP call for the rejection of these
current plans for the redevelopment of Hathaway House.
What I’ve been doing in the last month: Out and about in Westminster North
Maida Vale
It was wonderful to finally get together with residents from Didbin House, in the newly re-opened tenant’s hall - which has been unavailable for
years! Thanks to the excellent efforts of Polly Roberston and other’s from the tenant’s group, it now hopesto start a programme of activities for
older residents and for families. Local councillor Rita Begum and I are committed to helping fund-raise for activities and to furnish the room for
events.
Lancaster Gate
The Hallfield estate AGM was, as always, well attended by lessees and tenants, and inevitably the long-standing (7 years so far!) Major Works
programme dominated the proceedings. I have undertaken to organise another LEASE lessee advice session and invite Hallfield residents
amongst others, and have now booked the Stowe Club on September 10th for that purpose. A further invite will come round, but if you would
like to reserve a place now, please drop me an e-mail (whether or not you are on Hallfield). I have also been taking up the recurrent problem of
rough sleeping on the estate with CityWest Homes and the Council.
Church Street
I joined residents from Blackwater, Lambourne and other blocks last week, along with Cllr Grahame, to discuss their concerns about the pro
gress of the Church Street regeneration programme, the neglect of their blocks during the (now long delayed) period before renewal, and every
day issues such as cleaning.
Improving road safety
Local parents have been lobbying for improved road crossings at a number of points in and around Harrow Road. I was pleased to see work
starting last month at the junction of Elgin Avenue and Shirland Road - but then everything seemed to stop! Now we are told July 10th for com
pletion, so fingers crossed (via Tim Roca)
Pub news
We now await the conclusion of the planning inquiry into the wrongfully-demolished Carlton Tavern in Maida Vale, and congratulate the cam
paigners (and the Council) in putting a powerful case to the inquiry for the re-building of the pub. Here’s how the BBC reported it:
“Developers who knocked down a 1920s west London pub shortly before it was to be given listed status have been called “thugs and vandals”.
Local and community activist John Simmance made the comments at a public inquiry into the demolition of the Carlton Tavern. Mr Simmons said
the pub had survived the Blitz, the Westway build and 1960s housing development. Developers CLXT Ltd knocked down the pub last year despite
being refused planning permission to build 10 loats. The local authority ordered it to be rebuilt, but the developers refused. Westminster City
Council and local campaigners said it should be rebuilt “brick by brick”.
Unfortunately, permission was granted this month to convert the former Chippenham pub into a shop, despite a strong local campaign and sup
ported by the Council.
Westminster Carers visit Parliament
I was delighted to be able to sponsor Westminster Carers on a well-deserved visit to Parliament during Carers’ Week. Do let me know if you
have groups who may be interested in a vist…
Carers Network@Carersnetwork
Westminster #carers enjoy a @visitparliament tour! Big thank you to @KarenPBuckMP for sponsoring tour! #carersweek
North Paddington Foodbank
The organisers and volunteers who run the North Paddington foodbank kindly asked me to go along and speak at the first annual general
meeting, which I was pleased to do. They are doing a terrific job, but they need help and supplies to meet the growing need (688 people/
families were supported this year).
Whether you need help, or can help, here’s their website for details:
http://www.npfoodbank.org.uk/
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Interested in supporting a campaign to extend the Santander cycle scheme fur
ther into North Westminster? Here’s your chance.
“Westminster cyclists” have got a petition up: You can sign it here.
In Parliament
…the never-ending housing crisis
With housing continuing to dominate my postbag, I spoke in the recent debate on “Affordable housing in London”, drawing particular attention
to the boasts of (some) developers as to the health of the luxury housing market. Simply put, there seems to be land for luxury properties, often
sold abroad, sometimes scarcely lived in, whilst the majority of people are squeezed by rising rents and a shortage of decent but ordinary
homes to buy or rent. You can read my speech here.
I also wrote an article for Inside Housing magazine on how homeless households are getting moved further and further from their original
homes and communities-and why this matters.
Select Committee work
I’m a member of the cross-party Parliamentary Work and Pensions committee which has been looking into the background to the collapse of
British Home Stores, and particularly, what happened to the pension fund. You can watch us questioning former owner Sir Philip Green
here (warning-not for the faint-hearted!)
Investigatory Powers Bill
The Joint Committee on Human Rights, of which I am also a member, has produced this report on the government’s Investigatory Powers Bill.
I was very pleased that the Government accepted several of Labour’s demands on the Investigatory Powers Bill as it returned to the Commons
recently.
The concessions included: An overarching 'Privacy Clause' to ensure that privacy is at the heart of the Bill; A historic commitment that trade un
ion activities cannot be considered sufficient reason for investigatory powers to be used; Assurances that the ‘double lock’ process includes
power for Judicial Commissioners to scrutinise the decision to issue a warrant, not just the process.
What you have been writing to me about this month
Here are my responses to some of your recent letters about policy concerns:
Government proposal for the privatisation of the Land registry
Pharmacies
Investigatory Powers Bill
As always, comments and ideas always welcome…
Thank you for reading!
Website: www.karenbuck.org.uk
Promoted by Robert Atkinson on behalf of Karen Buck MP at 4G Shirland Mews, Maida Hill, London, W9 3DY. The information used to supply
this email is for the use of Karen Buck and will not be passed on to any third party organisation.
Just as I was finishing writing this, news came in regarding the death of my colleague, MP Jo Cox - a new MP and mother of two tiny chil
dren. We can’t rush to any conclusions about the circumstances of her death and I am not going to. I can say however that MPs, our staff, coun
cillors and many others in public life have to live with abuse, aggression and threats as part of our daily lives. And many people feel that this has,
for various reasons, got worse in recent years (and maybe even in recent weeks). We need, at the right time, to take a long look at why this may
be and what we can do about it. Yet it should also be said that I and my team are also overwhelmingly treated with courtesy and kindness,
thanked when we help and even when we can’t always get the result people want. We must there for hold on to the goodness and decency of
the majority of people whilst trying to find ways of dealing with the uglier side of our dealings with each other.
But first and foremost, our hearts go out to Jo’s family, friends and the community she loved and represented so well for all too short a time.
Contents
1. Europe - why I am voting remain - and hope you will, too (and, just for fun, test your knowledge with the IMORI quiz)
2. Westminster Council to ‘switch off CCTV’ as financial pressures bite ever deeper
3. Hathaway House W9 - another flawed development. We need to build, but we need to get it right!
4. Local news round-up - what I have been doing in the constituency this month
5. Petition to extend Santander cycle scheme launched by Westminster cyclists
6. What I’ve been doing in Parliament
-
Affordable housing
-
Work and Pensions inquiry into the collapse of BHS and the hole in the pension scheme
-
Investigatory Powers Bill
What you have been writing to me about this month
Europe-why I am voting remain
We’re on the eve of the EU referendum - and it will probably be the most important vote you will cast in a generation. Yet, truthfully, it’s been a
dispiriting few weeks, marred by hysteria, myth-making and half-truths - such as the ‘Leave campaign’ doubling the amount the UK pays for EU
membership and then painting the false figures on the side of its bus , to take just one example.
This referendum - like others before it, is also increasingly about something more and different from the specific question being asked. It is as
much about how people feel about identity in a fast-changing world (including the impact of migration), who are the winners and losers in a
globalised economy and the effects of austerity since the worldwide crash- as it is about membership of the EU. That makes the debate much
more complex and more deeply emotional. Critically, June 23rd can’t be the end of a vital conversation.
Yet the risk is that a vote for exit from Europe on the 23rd WILL mark an end. The die will be cast and the consequences will have to be lived
with. I don’t want us to take that risk.
Of course the EU is far from perfect- there’s much more we need to do to improve how it works. We as politicians haven’t done well enough in
either explaining the value of negotiated agreements and compromises in our national interest, or setting out clear, measurable goals for im
provement. Meanwhile, the continuing fall-out from the global financial crisis on the one hand, and the implosion of Syria and the wider refugee
crisis on the other, have added to the challenge of promoting European co-operation as a force for good and order in a tough world.
Yet I believe that it is. I’ve been campaigning to vote remain, and I’ll carry on doing so until polls close on the 23rd. And here’s why:
European co-operation emerged out of the ashes of the worst wars in human history. We should be proud of our recent history of peaceful
compromise - and we can’t take it for granted. Watch this video by former Prime Minster Gordon Brown.
We pay into Europe, of course, but it’s a tiny proportion of our national wealth, and we get far more back in investment and trade. £26.5 billion
is invested in Britain by EU countries every year. The EU is Britain’s biggest export market: almost half of all of Britain’s exports go to the EU.
Exports to the EU are worth £227 billion a year to the British economy. Trade would continue if we vote to leave, but we would still have to fol
low EU rules when we do business there. Meanwhile, we would have given up our say in the making of those rules. Surely it is better for Britain
to have a seat at the table and a say in making the rules?
Millions of British jobs are linked to EU membership. Independent research by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research shows
over three million British jobs are linked to our trade with Europe. If EU countries buy less of our goods and services, UK jobs are put at
risk. Above all, it will be our young people whose future is most at risk. The young are most pro-European in their outlook - we, the generation
who are their parents and grand-parents, must think about their interests.
British workers benefit from EU agreements on workers’ rights - fought for by Labour - including the right to holiday pay, paid maternity and
paternity leave, anti-discrimination laws, equal pay and protection for agency workers. Leaving would allow this or a future government to cut
back on employment, social and environmental protections. This would be a race to the bottom and erode rights we now take for granted.
From organised crime to protecting the environment, the challenges we now face don’t respect national boundaries but do require international
co-operation. For example, thousands of criminals, including terrorists, have been arrested under the European Arrest Warrant. Britain has also
taken a lead in a range of environmental campaigns in Europe from climate change to air pollution. The EU enables European countries to form
“one negotiating bloc” which amplifies British influence in climate discussions.
Being in the EU enhances Britain’s global influence and allows us to take our place at the top table. The ‘soft power’ of the EU has been a major
factor in locking human rights and democracy into the politics of the Continent. And at a time of continuing instability, from the Ukraine to the
Middle East, we need more co-operation, not less.
Voting to remain is a positive choice- giving us the opportunity to benefit from our membership but also the scope to keep working to make
things better. A ‘Leave’ vote is unlikely to be something we can change in my lifetime. So please - do use your vote, make your voice heard and
let’s make the next steps we take as a country be forward, not back.
How much do you really know about the EU? Just for fun, take the MORI quiz…
Westminster Council to ‘switch off CCTV’ as financial pressures bite ever deeper
Westminster Council has announced its intention to switch off all of its crime and disorder cameras across the city, due to the cost of replace
ment of ageing equipment (£1.7million) and running costs (£1m annually).This comes only three years after Conservative Council Leader Cllr
Philippa Roe declared in her budget speech that “Westminster has been a beacon in the use of public realm CCTV for many years. Our camera
deployments are proportionate, appropriate, based on evidence of need and have a clear value in protecting our communities.”
Financial pressures are becoming so acute that the council cannot maintain the system they made central to their crime and security agenda for
so long. It is important to keep reviewing the best means of ensuring an effective crime and security response, and I recognise that the current
CCTV network needs further investment to remain operational. However we are deeply concerned that this decision is primarily financially driv
en and that an alternative strategy is not yet in place. It must also be seen in the context of a drastic reduction in police capacity (down by
around a third since 2011 locally), and the cancellation of all council support for the Westminster Youth Service. The public will understandably
demand reassurance that there will be no increase in risk flowing from this decision and Westminster Council must be constructive in its en
gagement with the new Mayor, MOPAC and other key stakeholders to safeguard the public.
There are particular concerns in wards outside the centre of Westminster where public spaces are less likely to be covered by TFL or private
CCTV cameras. My council colleagues and I are calling on the council to provide reassurance that areas that have had a high number of incidents
recorded on the current camera network such as Harrow Road and Church Street wards won’t be left without support.
If cameras are switched off or transferred from council control we, want Westminster to use the money saved to make clear and specific com
mitments to delivering public realm security works, such as improved lighting, and supporting the work of the Integrated Gangs Unit and other
human security measures.
Growing concerns about 16 storey Hathaway House scheme in Woodfield Road
Local councillors and I have submitted our arguments against the proposed development in Woodfield Place, which includes a 16 storey tower
on the Hathaway House site. I believe there is a strong case for a wider master-plan for this area, drawn up in partnership with the local commu
nity, and we should not be proceeding piece-meal with a flawed scheme such as this. Here is our full letter of objection:
Full objection by Cllr Adam Hug and Karen Buck MP on behalf of the Westbourne Ward Cllrs, Westminster Labour Group and the Member of
Parliament for Westminster North (May 30th 2016)
Westbourne’s Labour Councillors (Cllr Adam Hug, Cllr David Boothroyd and Cllr Papya Qureshi) and Karen Buck MP are writing to make a further
objection about the proposed plans for the redevelopment of Hathaway House on Woodfield Road. Building on the initial objection submitted on
our behalf by Cllr David Boothroyd in April and following past discussions with the developer and the council, there are a number of concerns
about the scheme that have not been addressed and mean that we do not believe the planned scheme should proceed.
At its heart, the ward councillors believe the currently proposed scheme is too tall for the area in which it is proposed, that the current scheme
does not deliver enough or the right mix of affordable housing and could undermine residential and environmental amenity.
At 16 stories high (G+15) this proposal is dramatically higher than the surrounding area. While the north of the site on Woodfield Road would be
slightly higher and bulkier than the surrounding properties and the tower would dominate the local skyline, potentially blocking light to the
neighbouring Athlone House care home and reducing the residential amenity for people living in Grand Union Close and other lower rise housing
and offices on Woodfield Road, including the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA) and new development of the Harrow Road police station.
The developers’ contention that the presence of towers on Alfred Road/Torquay Street and the Trellick Tower in Kensington should facilitate this
development shows a fundamental lack of understanding about the local geography with both examples a significant walk from the Hathaway
House site. As Cllr Boothroyd has also pointed out previously, Council policy DES 3 and its stated approach to planning are not to take precedence
from the other tall buildings in the (much wider) area as the applicant currently seeks to do. If the scheme was to receive planning permission it
should be revised to reduce the height of the tower significantly, potentially providing the space elsewhere on the site.
While it is welcome that the scheme proposes to build the affordable housing on site, at 19% by unit type (15 properties) the proposed development falls far short of the Council’s already low affordable housing targets (35% in sites outside of the Central Activity Zone such as Woodfield
Road, and 30% overall). Westminster Labour cannot support a scheme that does not deliver at least a policy compliant level of affordable housing. The proposed rent levels and size mix are also not to be supported. We would want to see an affordable component that includes a significant provision of social housing to help tackle Westminster’s chronic waiting lists and overcrowding problems, and ensured that any intermediate
housing products are both for rent and are genuinely affordable to households earning below £40k per year, the demand for which has been
identified in the council’s draft Housing Strategy. The size mix of the affordable housing should also include at least some 3 bed family units.
The provision of office space may potentially add some benefits in terms of supporting local food and drink outlets. However as the scheme plans
to use the new office space to replace the existing CNWL offices in central London this is not directly creating new jobs, beyond potential cleaning
and security jobs that are not restricted to the proposed use of the space. Any new offices should include a significant proportion of the looor
space to be used by local small businesses and startups to provide new jobs and opportunities for local people.
A number of local residents have passionately made the case that by proposing to build on the car park area it removes the only potential site for
accessible public, and potentially green, space on the north side of the canal between Little Venice and the Ha’Penny Steps. We support residents’
desire for part of this scheme to be used for public access green space, a garden only accessible to residents and users of the new development
would not meet public need.
Woodfield Road also experiences a high level of traffic as it forms cut through going from Harrow Road south to Great Western Road. Therefore
we would ask the Council to reconsider the requirement for parking provision for 64 parking spaces, looking to reduce this number, potentially
making the residential scheme car free given the proximity to public transport routes. The local area is experiencing a wave of redevelopment,
further adding to the pressures on Woodfield Road, any building traffic would need to be carefully and strictly managed if the scheme was to
proceed. The canal itself could be explored as a potential alternative route for the provision of building materials to/removal of spoil from the
site.
At a strategic level the scheme has the potential to prejudice the slowly emerging Harrow Road Management Plan that would seek to place this
site within a more cohesive and integrated planning framework for the area. There is a strong case to delay any development on this site so that
any new buildings meet the wider objectives of local residents and the council that will be identified over the coming months.
For all these reasons identified the Westbourne ward councillors, Westminster Labour Group and Karen Buck MP call for the rejection of these
current plans for the redevelopment of Hathaway House.
What I’ve been doing in the last month: Out and about in Westminster North
Maida Vale
It was wonderful to finally get together with residents from Didbin House, in the newly re-opened tenant’s hall - which has been unavailable for
years! Thanks to the excellent efforts of Polly Roberston and other’s from the tenant’s group, it now hopesto start a programme of activities for
older residents and for families. Local councillor Rita Begum and I are committed to helping fund-raise for activities and to furnish the room for
events.
Lancaster Gate
The Hallfield estate AGM was, as always, well attended by lessees and tenants, and inevitably the long-standing (7 years so far!) Major Works
programme dominated the proceedings. I have undertaken to organise another LEASE lessee advice session and invite Hallfield residents
amongst others, and have now booked the Stowe Club on September 10th for that purpose. A further invite will come round, but if you would
like to reserve a place now, please drop me an e-mail (whether or not you are on Hallfield). I have also been taking up the recurrent problem of
rough sleeping on the estate with CityWest Homes and the Council.
Church Street
I joined residents from Blackwater, Lambourne and other blocks last week, along with Cllr Grahame, to discuss their concerns about the pro
gress of the Church Street regeneration programme, the neglect of their blocks during the (now long delayed) period before renewal, and every
day issues such as cleaning.
Improving road safety
Local parents have been lobbying for improved road crossings at a number of points in and around Harrow Road. I was pleased to see work
starting last month at the junction of Elgin Avenue and Shirland Road - but then everything seemed to stop! Now we are told July 10th for com
pletion, so fingers crossed (via Tim Roca)
Pub news
We now await the conclusion of the planning inquiry into the wrongfully-demolished Carlton Tavern in Maida Vale, and congratulate the cam
paigners (and the Council) in putting a powerful case to the inquiry for the re-building of the pub. Here’s how the BBC reported it:
“Developers who knocked down a 1920s west London pub shortly before it was to be given listed status have been called “thugs and vandals”.
Local and community activist John Simmance made the comments at a public inquiry into the demolition of the Carlton Tavern. Mr Simmons said
the pub had survived the Blitz, the Westway build and 1960s housing development. Developers CLXT Ltd knocked down the pub last year despite
being refused planning permission to build 10 loats. The local authority ordered it to be rebuilt, but the developers refused. Westminster City
Council and local campaigners said it should be rebuilt “brick by brick”.
Unfortunately, permission was granted this month to convert the former Chippenham pub into a shop, despite a strong local campaign and sup
ported by the Council.
Westminster Carers visit Parliament
I was delighted to be able to sponsor Westminster Carers on a well-deserved visit to Parliament during Carers’ Week. Do let me know if you
have groups who may be interested in a vist…
Carers Network@Carersnetwork
Westminster #carers enjoy a @visitparliament tour! Big thank you to @KarenPBuckMP for sponsoring tour! #carersweek
North Paddington Foodbank
The organisers and volunteers who run the North Paddington foodbank kindly asked me to go along and speak at the first annual general
meeting, which I was pleased to do. They are doing a terrific job, but they need help and supplies to meet the growing need (688 people/
families were supported this year).
Whether you need help, or can help, here’s their website for details:
http://www.npfoodbank.org.uk/
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Interested in supporting a campaign to extend the Santander cycle scheme fur
ther into North Westminster? Here’s your chance.
“Westminster cyclists” have got a petition up: You can sign it here.
In Parliament
…the never-ending housing crisis
With housing continuing to dominate my postbag, I spoke in the recent debate on “Affordable housing in London”, drawing particular attention
to the boasts of (some) developers as to the health of the luxury housing market. Simply put, there seems to be land for luxury properties, often
sold abroad, sometimes scarcely lived in, whilst the majority of people are squeezed by rising rents and a shortage of decent but ordinary
homes to buy or rent. You can read my speech here.
I also wrote an article for Inside Housing magazine on how homeless households are getting moved further and further from their original
homes and communities-and why this matters.
Select Committee work
I’m a member of the cross-party Parliamentary Work and Pensions committee which has been looking into the background to the collapse of
British Home Stores, and particularly, what happened to the pension fund. You can watch us questioning former owner Sir Philip Green
here (warning-not for the faint-hearted!)
Investigatory Powers Bill
The Joint Committee on Human Rights, of which I am also a member, has produced this report on the government’s Investigatory Powers Bill.
I was very pleased that the Government accepted several of Labour’s demands on the Investigatory Powers Bill as it returned to the Commons
recently.
The concessions included: An overarching 'Privacy Clause' to ensure that privacy is at the heart of the Bill; A historic commitment that trade un
ion activities cannot be considered sufficient reason for investigatory powers to be used; Assurances that the ‘double lock’ process includes
power for Judicial Commissioners to scrutinise the decision to issue a warrant, not just the process.
What you have been writing to me about this month
Here are my responses to some of your recent letters about policy concerns:
Government proposal for the privatisation of the Land registry
Pharmacies
Investigatory Powers Bill
As always, comments and ideas always welcome…
Thank you for reading!
Website: www.karenbuck.org.uk
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