Greenwich.co.uk

Greenwich news and information

Council proposes four year pay freeze

By

Greenwich Council is proposing to freeze the pay of its workers for the next four years.

A statutory consultation with workers must be undertaken before the freeze can be implemented but the council says that he measure would save £2.4 million – the equivalent of “77 front line jobs”.

The council is having to find savings after being warned to expect a 40% cut to its grant from central government.

Councillor Peter Brooks, Deputy Leader of the Council, commented:

“This is a consultation  – not a firm decision.  We are bracing ourselves for the Coalition Government’s spending review on October 20th and must allow ourselves the flexibility to be able to make savings where we can.  We have always indicated that front line services must come first. We have been told to prepare for a 40% reduction in funds and have no choice but to plan for what might lie ahead.

Pickles calls time on Greenwich Council’s weekly newspaper

By

Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles, has announced proposals to clamp down on “town hall pravdas” and singled out Greenwich Council’s weekly newspaper, Greenwich Time, as “one of the most blatant examples”.

New guidelines put forward by the government would restrict councils to publishing their own free-sheets no more than four times a year.

Speaking exclusively to Greenwich.co.uk, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government said:

“Councils should be focusing resources on frontline services, not running one-sided Town Hall papers that threaten the genuine local press. ‘Greenwich Time’ is one of the most blatant examples of this practice that I’ve seen, and demonstrates why tightening the rules is so necessary.”

The new rules, which are subject to consultation, would also impose stricter controls over the content that councils can publish. Local authority publications should only include “information for the public about the business, services and amenities of the council or other local service providers”, according to the proposed code of practice.

Greenwich Council’s controversial newspaper was the subject of a debate at the last full meeting of the council when local Conservatives put forward a motion calling it for to be axed.

Leader of Greenwich Conservatives, Cllr Spencer Drury, welcomed the government’s announcement. He added:

“Greenwich Time undermines local business and publishes what I would describe as propaganda masquerading as news.  I hope that this will encourage our existing local newspapers to revive their news reporting function and to start investigating the failures of Greenwich Council in a more systematic manner.”

Council Leader, Cllr Chris Roberts, defended Greenwich Time at the last full council meeting. He said that the paper, which is delivered to homes across the borough, was “very close to being self financing” and allowed the council “to deliver statutory notices almost at no cost”.

Greenwich Council’s funding for Blackheath Fireworks fizzles out

By

The popular Blackheath Fireworks risk turning into a damp squib after Greenwich Council “reluctantly” decided to withdraw funding, leaving partners Lewisham Council to find the extra cash for the event to go ahead.

The annual fireworks display, which attracts an attendance of about 80,000,  has until now been jointly produced by Greenwich and Lewisham councils but with large cuts to their grant from central government anticipated, Greenwich has pulled out of this year’s display in order to protect “front line services”.

Greenwich’s decision not to fund the popular pyrotechnics display has left Lewisham Council requiring public donations to meet the shortfall to allow the event to go ahead.

Lewisham council announced its appeal earlier this week, with Mayor Bullock commenting: “I don’t want to see this event cancelled without giving people the chance to show their support. Just £1 each from every one who attends would ensure that the skies sparkle as usual over the heath this year.”

Local blogger, Darryl at 853, was quick to spot that Lewisham’s announcement conspicuously failed to mention their traditional event partner, Greenwich Council.

Greenwich Council has now confirmed to Greenwich.co.uk that they have decided not to contribute to the funding of the event.

A Greenwich Council Spokesperson said:

“The Council has reluctantly taken the decision not to fund the event this year, having been advised to anticipate up to 40% cuts to its grant, representing some £70m when the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review is published on 20 October. The Council is committed to maintaining front line services and has a strong track record of identifying efficiency savings, which has enabled us to freeze council tax in six of the last 12 years. “

Back in October 2008, it was Greenwich councillors who were worried that Lewisham may withdraw funding from the event. Blackheath Westcombe councillor, Alex Wilson, raised the issue after there were local news reports that Lewisham could pull out. In response  Councillor John Fahy, Cabinet Member for Culture & Olympics, stated that councillor Wilson should not believe everything he read in the newspapers.

Visit www.lewisham.gov.uk/fireworks if you would like to contribute.

Updated 17th September

Blackheath Westcombe councillor, Alex Wilson, has responded to the news with this comment:

I think that Greenwich Labour have been looking for an excuse to stop paying their share of the funding for Blackheath Fireworks for years and are now using Government cuts as cover. I think that this has been done without probably considering all the options. I am worried that Blackheath is going to see the bare brunt of the cut backs in spending whilst Woolwich remains untouched.

Two other points come to mind when I think about the Blackheath Fireworks.

Firstly, the safety of the public, fire and health officials often state that they would rather people go to professionally organised events rather than risk using fireworks at home, if this event is not provided then it is likely that there will be more fireworks parties happening at home and so therefore at greater risk of accidents.

Secondly, on the night of the fireworks both Blackheath Villages and Blackheath Standards shops, restaurants and pubs are able to attract a large number of customers, this helps to fuel the local economy.

Greenwich Council: July’s full meeting of the Council

By

Councillors met on the last Wednesday of July for their monthly full council meeting. Here’s Greenwich.co.uk’s somewhat-delayed report on what happened.

Meridian Music Centre closure

Following on from a previously submitted petition, council offers reported back on the closure of Greenwich Community College’s Meridian Music Centre. The MMC is based at East Greenwich Library and currently has 87 students with 17 employees.

Steve Wreyford from the Safer Neighbourhood Panel in East Greenwich spoke from the public gallery against the closure, praising its role in providing “diversionary activities” for local youth and called upon the council to come up with a “bridging loan” to keep it going until a “big society bank” or social enterprise fund could provide further funding.

All three Labour councillors for the Peninsula ward in which the centre is based joined Mr Wreyford in support of the MMC.

Councillor Dick Quibell called the closure a “tragedy” and warned it was a “foretaste of what is to come”.

Councillor Mary Mills said she was “very sorry to see them pulling out of East Greenwich Library” and Councillor Miranda Williams said she would be making representations about re-using the centre’s audio equipment elsewhere.

Leader of the Conservative Group, Cllr Spencer Drury (Eltham North) said he was “concerned about the lack of clarity” from Greenwich Community College. He said that before attributing the closure to budget cuts, the GCC’s “initial pitch [for closing] was poor exam results”, and then they claimed “the building wasn’t in good enough condition” despite it being “in the best condition it has been for many years”.

Cllr Drury suggested that options be explored to move the facilities to Shooters Hill Over-16 Campus or The John Roan.

Cllr David Grant (Labour, Greenwich West) derided the claim in council officers’ report that the music industry does “not have a skills shortage” and said it was a “misunderstanding of the nature of adult education” which should not be “limited to getting people jobs” , calling it “one of the  less fortunate aspects of policy from the previous government”.

Cllr Dermot Poston (Conservative, Eltham North) described it as a  “tremendous mistake” for the council to have have handed over Greenwich Community College “twelve or so years ago” to what was then Woolwich College and spoke out against the loss of adult educational activities “for fun” which weren’t linked to examinations.

Deputy Leader of the Council, Cllr Peter Brooks (Labour, Thamesmead Moorings) commented that “under normal circumstances I could have stood up here tonight and said ‘I reckon we can sort that out for you'” but with the cuts the council is facing, he didn’t know if he could.

The report by council officers stated that “Lewisham College offers the same provision” to which Cllr Harry Singh (Labour, Woolwich Common) curtly replied: “I don’t think so”. Drawing upon his own experience of the industry, he said he didn’t think any college in the South East had such good facilities, adding that it would be a “sad loss if this goes out of the borough.”

“Cutty Sark continues to make progress”

In a written question, Cllr Alex Wilson (Conservative, Blackheath Westcombe) asked for an update on the renewal of the Cutty Sark.

Cllr John Fahy (Labour, Woolwich Riverside), Cabinet member for Culture and the Olympics, replied:

“The renovation of the Cutty Sark continues to make good progress. Work is ongoing to refix hull planks on both sides of the ship.”

The Cutty Sark is due to be lifted into place in October “with a view to reopening next year”.

Greenwich Park and London 2012

In a written question, Cllr Geoff Brighty (Conservative, Blackheath Westcombe) asked Cllr Ray Walker, Chair of Planning, to confirm that LOCOG had not yet submitted a reinstatement plan or any mention financial guarantees, despite applying for partial approval of a Condition of their London 2012 planning application which required both those to be submitted.

Cllr Walker (Labour, Eltham West) replied that this was a “complex issue” and instead referred Cllr Brighty to the Council’s Planning Officers.

Greenwich Time

Greenwich Conservatives put forward a motion calling for an end to the weekly production of the council’s newspaper, Greenwich Time. The motion was defeated and councillors instead voted for an amendment praising the publication. See Greenwich.co.uk’s report on the debate here and also check out Darryl’s write up at 853.

Housing Delivery Vehicle

The council is proposing the creation of a new “arms length company that can own, manage and let mainly family homes below market rent”.  The proposal, which  would see the council disposing of 28 family sized properties and providing the new “Housing Delivery Vehicle” with £50,000 start up costs, will require permission from the Secretary of State.

A spirit of bipartisanship descended upon the council chamber as the opposition voted in favour of the proposal and the Labour group accepted an amendment from the Conservative Group which would make the Housing Delivery Vehicle’s lettings policy specifically prioritise families for the Company’s homes.

There is no full council meeting in August so the next one will take place on the last Wednesday of September.

I was airbrushed out of Greenwich Time, claims councillor

By

A Conservative councillor has told a council meeting that she was airbrushed out of an edition of the controversial weekly council newspaper, Greenwich Time.

The claim was made by councillor Eileen Glover during a debate at Wednesday night’s full meeting of the council at Woolwich Town Hall.

The councillor for the Eltham South ward told the meeting that she had ensured she was in all the photos taken by Greenwich Time at an event in her ward attended by the Council Leader but by the time it went to print, she had been “airbrushed out”.

She was only able to make an appearance in a later edition by changing her hair so that she was unrecognisable to the Leader of the Council, she said.

The debate over Greenwich Time was prompted after Greenwich Conservatives put forward a motion calling for weekly production of the newspaper to be ended.

Cllr Nigel Fletcher (Conservative, Eltham North) questioned whether the newspaper offered value for money and asked if it could really be considered a “front line service”. He expressed his doubts over the impartiality of the publication before mocking the content in this week’s edition.

“Is it really a core function of this council to provide, for example, a review of Toy Story 3? Do we really have a duty to inform our residents … that Prince’s new album is his most ‘soulless yet’?”, he asked. He said ending the weekly printing of Greenwich Time would be an “easy cut”.

Cllr Maureen O’Mara (Labour, Greenwich West) commented that Greenwich Time’s council property pages were “very important” to residents who wanted to move, describing it as providing an “essential service” for those that couldn’t or wouldn’t get the  information online.

Cllr Dermot Poston (Conservative, Eltham North) told colleagues that he regarded it as a “political newspaper” and that he “bitterly resents” it. He said the ruling party have “lost any sense of fairness and democracy”.

Cllr Matt Clare (Conservative, Eltham South) used his maiden speech at a full council meeting to say how he would frequently see “No Greenwich Time” notices whilst going door to door during the election campaign. He asked why only Greenwich and Tower Hamlets were delivering newspapers on a weekly basis if it had “such demonstrable benefits”.

Cllr John Fahy (Labour, Woolwich Riverside) reminded fellow councillors that the Conservatives “fought the election on the arguments of Greenwich Time and lost”. He criticised local freesheet, the News Shopper, for printing “10 pages of stories in Lewisham and beyond, and perhaps 2 or 3 stories about the community in Greenwich”.  He said that in raising the issue, it was “payback time” for the opposition because during the election, the “News Shopper was the extension of Conservative news”.

West Greenwich councillor, David Grant (Labour) also suggested that he had been “airbrushed out” of a Greenwich Time photo but said that because of the cabinet system of the council, it was inevitable most of the coverage would be on the executive although he said would like to see more backbenchers featured.

The Leader of the Council, Cllr Chris Roberts (Labour, Glyndon), said that in strict terms, Greenwich Time is “not a political newspaper” and nor could it be according to the law. In fact, council lawyers check it line by line before it goes to print, he revealed.

Cllr Roberts said the paper was “very close to being self financing” and that the cost of producing it had fallen from 22p per copy to just 3.5p per copy. “We are already making significant savings which run into the hundreds of thousands of pounds”, he added.

He said it was “absolutely right that we should prioritise our spending” but printing Greenwich Time meant the Council was “able to deliver statutory notices almost at no cost”.

The Conservative motion was defeated.

New Mayor of Greenwich inaugurated

By

The new Mayor of Greenwich was inaugurated at a ceremony held in the Painted Hall of the Old Royal Naval College last week.

Councillor Barbara Barwick was elected to the post of Mayor at a meeting of Greenwich Council on the 19th May. Councillor Jim Gillman, himself a former Mayor, was appointed as the Deputy Mayor for the year.

Councillor Barwick’s will be accompanied by her husband, Fred, on official duties and he’ll known as the Mayor’s Consort.

The Mayor commented:

“The coming year will see our role as host for the Olympics and Paralympics get even closer, and I am sure that it will be a year in which the excitement continues to build. There is great anticipation at the return in 2012 of the Cutty Sark – a real emblem for the borough, which has been greatly missed. The arrival of two new battalions at Woolwich Barracks is also a great opportunity to reaffirm the borough’s close relationship with the army and I know we will want to provide a very warm welcome to our new residents”.

The Greenwich Carers Centre and the Medical Foundation for the care of Victims of Torture have been chosen as the Mayoral charities for the year.

Mouse infestation forces temporary Tapas restaurant closure

By

Greenwich

Greenwich Council forced the temporary closure of a tapas bar in Greenwich last week.

San Miguel in Greenwich Church Street was closed for three days after evidence of mouse and cockroach infestations were found by Environmental Officers from Greenwich Council.

Council officers initially found evidence of the infestation in an unannounced visit on May 4th, and then found that there was still evidence of mice and cockroaches in the basement, kitchen and food preparation area when they returned a week later.

Greenwich Magistrates Court issued an emergency prohibition order on May 10th, and San Miguel was allowed to reopen again last Thursday after undertaking the improvements required.

Councillor Maureen O’ Mara, Greenwich Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Community Services, said: “The majority of food businesses in Greenwich comply with the law but there is a minority that despite our guidance continue to put their customers’ health at risk. The Council is urging food businesses to take advantage of the free advice available to them in order to protect public health and safety. We also want residents to enjoy their leisure time in the borough without putting their health at risk.”

UPDATE: 16/05/2012 San Miguel in Greenwich Church Street has since been successful in gaining a Food Hygiene Safety award from Greenwich Council.

Chris Roberts re-elected as Council Leader

By

Greenwich Council met this evening at Woolwich Town Hall for the Council Annual Meeting.

The meeting, which lasted just 13 minutes, saw Cllr Chris Roberts (Glyndon, Labour) re-elected as Leader of the Council for the next four years – a post he has held since 2001.

Also on the agenda at the meeting was the appointment of Cabinet Members and the establishment of, and appointment of members to, Council Committees and Panels for 2010/11.

Cllr Barbara Barwick (Woolwich Riverside, Labour) was elected as the Mayor of Greenwich for 2010/11 with Cllr Jim Gillman (Kidbrooke with Hornfair, Labour) appointed as her Deputy.

The Mayor-elect’s inauguration will take place next Wednesday at the Old Royal Naval College’s Painted Hall.

Council shuts sushi shop

By

A sushi restaurant in Greenwich was temporarily closed last week after an unannounced check up by Council environmental officers.

Itoshii in Nelson Road was forced to stop trading on Tuesday after the Council went to court to get an emergency prohibition order issued.

Council staff visited the business  to check if improvements required after a visit a month earlier had been carried out. Instead they discovered evidence of extensive rodent infestations.

There was evidence of mice and rats found in the storeroom, kitchen and even inside the wok burner cooker. There were large holes in the walls that allowed pests easy access to the restaurant and the general cleanliness of the premises was below standard.

Work was undertaken by the owners and the restaurant was allowed to reopen for business last Friday.

Matthew Norwell, Assistant Chief Executive for Community Safety and Integrated Enforcement at Greenwich Council, said:

“The Council will continue to carry out unannounced visits to food businesses in order to safeguard customers’ health. We also want residents to enjoy their leisure time in the borough without worrying about putting their health at risk.”

Candidates for Council elections confirmed

By

Candidates for the elections to Greenwich Council on May 6th have been confirmed.

201 candidates in total are standing in the 17 wards at the council elections, which take place on the same day as the General Election. Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats are all standing 3 candidates in every ward.

21 Greens and 13 BNP candidates are standing. The Christian Peoples Alliance is fielding 9 candidates around the borough, and there will be 3 independents.

The English Democrats and UKIP both have only one candidate each.

With its SE10 focus, Greenwich.co.uk will be concentrating on the Greenwich West and Peninsula wards.

Candidates in the Greenwich West ward

  • Acty, Ryan John (Conservative)
  • Austin, Anthony (Lib Dem)
  • Ball, Darren (Green)
  • Gallie, Simon (Conservative)
  • Gerrard, Ian John (Lib Dem)
  • Grant, David (Labour)
  • Harris, Mary Stewart (Conservative)
  • Mortimer, Lucy (Lib Dem)
  • O’Mara, Maureen (Labour)
  • Pennycook, Matthew Thomas (Labour)
  • Ross, Adrian Norman (Green)
  • Stott, Robin Bradley (Green)

Candidates in the Peninsula ward

  • Bailey, Toks (Conservative)
  • Butt, Philip David (Lib Dem)
  • Chamberlain, Darryl David (Green)
  • Cunliffe, Alex (Lib Dem)
  • Easton, Charlie (Conservative)
  • Mills, Mary (Labour)
  • Powley, Marek Daniel Alexander (Green)
  • Quibell, Dick (Labour)
  • Reid, Malcolm David (Conservative)
  • Sharman, Dave (Green)
  • Tybura, Julia Helena (Liberal Democrats)
  • Williams, Miranda (Labour)

Information on all candidates in all of the wards can be found on the council’s website.