Residents First

Fall in the number of children in care

A report to next week's meeting of the Council's Education Select Committee shows that the number of "Looked After Children" in the borough, children in care, has fallen from 394 four years ago to 260 now.

The report includes the following section detailing plans for further progress - notably by early intervention and keeping bureaucratic delays to a minimum.

Thames Water dig up Richmond Way 22 times in two years

The Evening Standard has a report today about Thames Water digging up Richmond Way 22 times in just two years. They can find billions for the Super Sewer - but say they can't afford to replace the mains pipe and so are endlessly dodging it up.

Hammersmith & Fulham cabinet member for environment, Cllr Nicholas Botterill, says:

"We have asked Thames Water to replace the mains pipe on numerous occasions but each time our calls were ignored. Despite posting record profits of £605 million last year and earmarking £2.2
billion for the Thames Tidal Tunnel - known as the super sewer - they claimed working on the main was unaffordable and would not happen.

"Our fear now is that the pipe will never be replaced and residents and businesses in Richmond Way will have to suffer recurring leaks and continual road works, especially once the cold winter weather begins."

BBC Radio London have also covered the story on the Drivetime with Eddie Nestor programme. Cllr Harry Phibbs is interviewed (about 45 minutes in.)

The legacy of debt: Slaughter speaks

When the Labour MP for Hammersmith, Andrew Slaughter, was leader of the council he presided over a massive increase in debt. In 2006 the new Conservative administration inherited a legacy from Labour of £169 million debt. Although some of it has already been paid off and it is down to £133 million that still means £5 million of our Council Tax goes on paying debt interest each year - rather than providing services.

Mr Slaughter has now commented on the matter. He says of proposals to sell surplus buildings:

They are said to be necessary to cut debt. But almost all councils have debt, managed at low interest rates from a gold-plated lender over decades, specifically to allow them to provide public services. H&F’s is no different to any other council – this is just opportunistic, latching on to media –fed concerns about the national deficit.

Well I suppose an apology would be too much to expect. The amount of debt Councils have varies considerable and several such as Wandsworth have shown that clearing debt can be achieved. In 2004, under Slaughter's stewardship, our borough had the sixth highest debt level of the 32 London boroughs. Furthermore the Council's debt divided by the number of households was the highest in London. The interest bill that results such huge debt does not help us provide public services - it does the opposite.

We face a double whammy of the Slaughter legacy of local debt and Gordon Brown's debt legacy meaning that Central Government is obliged to give a tight grant settlement to Town Halls. To dismiss concern at the national deficit as "media-fed" suggests that Mr Slaughter is just not living in the real world.

Cllr Harry Phibbs,

Cabinet Member for Community Engagement.

Ravenscourt Park Ward

Have your say on local licensing policy

I have written on this blog before about the wild inadequacies of the previous Labour Government’s Licensing Act – which has led to misery for many residents in Hammersmith & Fulham.  Labour’s laws allow for pubs, bars and clubs to get late night drinking hours with very little effort, whilst attempts for residents to seek redress is incredibly drawn out and difficult.

Locally we have tried to counter the effects of the Licensing Act – and the mess we inherited from the previous Labour Council where late night licences in residential areas were handed out like confetti as soon as the 2003 Act came into force.  For example, we have made Fulham Broadway a saturation zone – where new bars cannot open without old bars shutting and have worked with the Police to introduce the Behave or Be Banned scheme.

One small area of discretion open to councils in the Licensing Act is the local statement of licensing policy.  Now don’t get too excited, as this cannot overturn the main planks of the anti-local Licensing Act – but it does give some discretion around certain common conditions for licenses, designation of town centre areas, etc.   This local policy is due for a refresh and you can read our new draft Statement of Licensing Policy here.  Then, it would be really useful to hear what you have to say about the draft policy and how licensed premises affect your neighbourhood, by clicking here.

You may also be interested in reading and having your say on the new Sex Entertainment Venues & Sex Establishment Licensing Policy, by clicking here and here.

Cllr Greg Smith
Cabinet Member for Residents Services

Shepherd's Bush Families Project is not facing axe

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg visited the Shepherd's Bush Families Project this week. There were various reports that the Project was being scrapped. Wrong. The proposal is for it to move to another building.

The Council's building consultation says:

58 Bulwer Street is a three storey building adjacent to Westfield Shopping Centre and the new Shepherds Bush Library.  The building is let under three separate leases:
-    Ground floor: The ground floor comprises a large hall with a kitchen and WCs and offices. The space is hired by a range of organisations for sports, dance, religious and social activities.
-    1st floor: the first floor comprises a large hall, large kitchen, offices and a treatment room.  The space is used to provide the local Children’s Centre, which is commissioned by the council.
-    2nd floor: the second floor comprises one office and a small IT training room.

There is no disabled access to the first floor where the Children’s Centre is located, or to the offices on the second floors.  Parents accessing the Children’s Centre are currently required to carry pushchairs and buggies up a flight of stairs.

Alternative accommodation will be identified for the Children’s Centre and users of the ground floor community hall will be provided with information on alternative sites for hire in the borough.  However, with extensive space to be available over the Edward Woods and NDC Hub sites, there is not a strong business case to also retain 58 Bulwer Street for 3rd sector premises use.

The voluntary sector may not wish to move. That is understandable. But when it comes to a tough choice of disposing of building that aren't really needed or cutting services isn't it the right choice to cut surplus accommodation? The last person eentitled to complain is the former Labour council leader Andrew Slaughter who is to blame for the crippling levels of debt interest which we are now having to clear.

New h&f:tv video shows how H&F Council, working with the Police, are cutting crime

Boris boosts ping pong in Shepherd's Bush

Mayor of London Boris Johnson was at the inaugural Ark schools table tennis contest at Burlington Danes Academy in Wood Lane on July 13.

The visit came hot on the heels of the launch of the Free- Sport London scheme, which is funding a variety of 120 free sporting activities across the capital.

The scheme ties in with H&F Council’s search for local sporting stars to become heroes at the 2016 games.

Boris says:

“We need to push forward for 2012. Things haven’t been going totally well for British sport lately, what with the World Cup and Wimbledon.

“We are good at sports where we sit down – rowing, yachting, cycling – but when it comes to standing up and running around we have issues.

“We invented this game – it was called ping-pong and whiffwhaff – and we know we are good at it.”

Boris went on to ask around 70 students – players and supporters – if Team GB could beat Spain, Germany and France in table tennis, to which they cheered ‘Yes!’.

But the enthusiasm ended there: “Can we beat China?” he shouted. ‘No!’ was the response.

He watched an exhibition match between two England youth players before looking at the seven all-weather tables in the playground.

“I can’t play ping-pong for toffee!” he said, as he traded volleys with fellow guest, author Howard Jacobson, whose novel, The Mighty Walzer, revolves around table tennis.

Pupil David Alalade, 13, said: “Boris was OK at table tennis – but he needs to work on his return of serve.”

Livingstone campaign funded by unions and Socialist Action crony

Donations to Ken Livingstone's campaign for Mayor of London have been published. He has been paid £5,000 by ASLEF, £10,000 from Unite and another £10,000 from Unite London and Eastern Region.

He has also had a non-cash donation of £3,083.56 and a cash donation of £1,916.44 from Mark Watts.

Watts was a member of the clique from the Trotskyist group Socialist Action who used to run City Hall when Livingstone was Mayor. He can certainly afford to chip in. He was among eight advisors who secured
£1.6 million in payoffs after Livingstone lost the election - courtesy of the Council Taxpayers of London. usually political advisors are expected to take their chances but they managed to secure highly favourable employment contracts.

Livingstone also has the endorsement (although so far as we aware no money) from 12 of the 15 Labour councillors in Hammersmith and Fulham. Only Cllrs Holman, Murphy and Needham have resisted. But they don't seem to be supporting rival Oona King either. This is despite King having the backing of most London Labour MPs and plenty of Labour councillors from other boroughs.

Hammersmith and Fulham Council publish assets register

Hammersmith and Fulham Council has become the first Council  to publish its register of property assets. Hundreds of buildings - cafes, restaurants, shops, sports centres, a snooker club, a laundry, the Lyric Theatre, Riverside Studios....

We are planning sell some buildings - including Fulham Town Hall. It's a splendid building but having two Town Halls does seem a bit extravagant. There is also Pallingswick House, which is in my ward and I have written about on Conservative Home.

At the moment we are looking at selling nine building altogether which could reduce the debt mountain we inherited from Labour by £20 million. When we took over from Labour in 2006 the Council debt was £169 million. We have now got it down to £133 million. But we need to clear it. At the moment our bill for debt interest is £5 million a year. The figure we are looking for is nil.

Asset management is crucial. So the argument for asset transparency is much the same as for spending transparency. By publishing our assets register we make ourselves more accountable. Why aren't you selling building x, it's empty anyway? Instead of selling building y why don't you relocate the group from building z in there, who would find it more suitable, and sell building z, for which you would get more money? You've missed off building v and building w from the register? Didn't you even know you owned them? Etc, etc. It is helpful for us to be challenged on these points.

Cllr Harry Phibbs

Cabinet Member for Community Engagement

Councillor for Ravenscourt Park ward

Cracking down on benefit fraud

Fraudsters who have tried to illegally claim almost £2.5million of benefits have been collared by H&F Council’s anti-fraud team.

Since the specialist fraud-busting team was created four years ago, investigations by the council have led to 418 prosecutions, with hefty penalties for convicted fraudsters.

Already the team has identified £2,488,322 in dishonestly claimed benefits. In the last year alone, the anti-fraud team (known in the council as the corporate anti-fraud service or Cafs) has concluded 108 successful cases, and identified £897,567 which is being recovered.

This includes cases unearthed by the national fraud initiative, a scheme that matches data held by local agencies such as the police, health service, probation boards and fire and rescue authorities, as well as councils, in order to catch fraudsters.

In addition to conducting its own investigations, council bosses say the team has forged strong ties with the police, resulting in several high-profile prosecutions.

In January 2010, Shepherds Bush resident, Nelli Kellaway, 41, was found guilty of swindling the council out of £57,000 of housing and council tax benefit.

As reported in national newspapers, it was suggested that Kellaway had spent the proceeds of her crime on surgical breast enlargements.

One month later, another Shepherds Bush woman, Farah Damji, 43, was jailed for 15 months for a £17,500 housing and council tax benefit fraud plot described by a judge as “dripping with dishonesty”.

The council is also using the Proceeds of Crime Act to seize the assets of proven fraudsters, and using the confiscated funds to pay for additional work by the police, and to reduce crime within the community.

As well as benefit fraud cases, Cafs bosses say they also investigate, prevent and recover fraudulent tenancies.

Since 2006, Cafs has prevented 172 fraudulent tenancy applications, resulting in savings to the public purse in excess of £3m.

Fraudulent tenancies include residents illegally subletting, breaking the terms of their lease or claiming a 25 per cent single person discount on their council tax when they do not, in fact, live alone.

In the last year alone, the value of recovered fraudulent tenancies has been put at £2,775,000, a council spokesman said.

Commenting on the council’s success in tracking down fraudsters, H&F Council leader Stephen Greenhalgh said:

“We work around the clock to catch benefit cheats.

“Every pound lost to cheats is a pound that cannot be used for people who need it. Reducing the council’s £133m debt is my solemn pledge, and during these tough financial times, we will simply not accept people putting their hands straight into the hard-working taxpayer’s pocket and taking what they want.”

"The anti-fraud team has saved the public purse £6m – which frees up much-needed cash to protect both council and government services.

“We are determined to give our residents the freedom to succeed. In return, we ask that you take pride in your neighbourhood.

“If you know someone who is committing fraud against the council, contact our corporate anti-fraud team.”

If you suspect someone of committing benefit fraud in the borough and want to tell H&F Council call the anti-fraud hotline on 020 8753 1273. Or send an email to: benefitfraudlbhf@lbhf.gov.uk.

All information will be treated confidentially.