Sunday 24 June 2012

Write to the Council by 7 July to Save our EMD Cinema


Artist's impression by Paul Lindt of what the
restored Cinema might look like.
Stella Creasy MP has written in her newsletter this week: 

"As part of their long running attempt to convert Walthamstow's Granada EMD Cinema into a church, The United Church of the Kingdom of God has submitted yet another new planning application for this building. The fight to stop this and restore our cinema has been going on since 2002 when they bought the site. Yet again, this latest proposal requires us as a community to speak out if we wish to challenge their plans so that the alternative plan to restore the cinema can be brought forward. Given the relatively short length of time for residents to respond to this and the urgency of doing so, this newsletter is a special edition with the details of how to help. Please also forward this email to friends and family to ask them to write in as well
As this is a new application it has been sent to the local authority, not the national planning inspectorate, to consider. Please note they must consider this new application on its own merits rather than in the context of any previous application, so any previous correspondence you may have sent on this matter will not be relevant for this purpose
The new element in this latest plan from the UCKG, in contrast to their earlier proposals, is six very compact screening rooms around the periphery of the main auditorium, totalling 690 seats.  The main auditorium remains reserved for church use, with no meaningful access to non-UCKG members.In other respects there is little change from the previous plans that have been overwhelmingly rejected repeatedly by the local community and the local council.
The Waltham Forest Cinema Trust and theMcGuffins will be making representations on this as will I, but it is vital individual residents also make their views known by writing directly to the planners - please note more national UKCG members than Walthamstow residents wrote to the planning inspectorate about their previous application to support it being approved and it is clear the church has considerable resources to put towards making their case. The full details of the application are on the Council’s website
Relevant concerns to raise in your objection to this latest version of their proposals are as follows: 
  • The mixed use that UCKG are suggesting does not preserve the heritage of the building. Heritage is not just about the fabric of the building, it is also about what it is used for and how this reflects its history. The best use for this building is the purpose for which it was built, as an entertainment venue. It is a Grade II* listed building and so concerns about its heritage status are paramount to any planning application made for the site. 
  • Heritage planning legislation encourages local authorities to consider if viable alternative uses for a site which are in keeping with the historic use of a building can still happen when considering a plan which would change the use of a building. If such a viable alternative exists this can be used as evidence to refuse an application. It is important therefore to highlight The Waltham Forest Cinema Trust plans to restore the building as an entertainment venue. This planned alternative use is commercially viable and would be in keeping with the heritage of the site, combining live performances in the main auditorium, plus some film screenings and live screenings of events. This proposal is also distinctive from any possibility of a multiplex in the town centre area in the future because it will aim for a different market. Above all, as it offers the opportunity to retain the use of the site which reflects its heritage value  it is a superior offer to the plans put forward by the church.
  • The proposals by UCKG would also not contribute anywhere near as much to the economic regeneration of the town centre as a major entertainment venue would. The scale of cinema provision in their plans is limited. In contrast, the proposals by the Cinema Trust sit alongside and complement the possibility of a multiplex in the area, so giving the town centre a sizeable and attractive entertainment hub, which has to be good for local businesses.
  • The UCKG plans severely limit public access to the main auditorium which is a unique space. They are suggesting a minimum of 12 days a year when it could be used for purposes other than their own. They also have a poor record of allowing access at the Rainbow in Finsbury Park, so we can have little confidence that there would be significant public access to this heritage asset.
  • There have to be serious doubts about whether their plans are sustainable. We know of no other instance of a church sharing a building with a cinema in the way they are proposing. In a multicultural area like Walthamstow many people would not want to use the cinema if it meant (as it would under their plans) having to pass through what are essentially church areas.
  • There is no question that there is minimal local support for the UCKG proposals. (No local elected representatives have had any significant volume of letters or emails supporting them, in contrast to the large numbers against.)  
Please send your objections into the council by Saturday 7 July 2012. Objections should be sent to dmconsultations@walthamforest.gov.uk

Where to find Stella Creasy MP for Walthamstow this week


  • Friday 22 June holding an appointment only surgery (bookings on020 8521 1223)
  • Monday 25 June meeting with local community representatives to discuss the Waltham Forest gangs strategy 
  • Tuesday 26 June attending an update meeting on plans to re-open the Lea Bridge Station 
  • Thursday 28 June Speaking to Labour party members in Vauxhall about the End Legal Loan Sharking Campaign
  • Friday 29 June Meeting the new Borough Commander, Discussing citizenship with pupils at Willowfield School, before submitting my parliamentary office budget to our panel of local scrutineers for approval.

Tuesday 19 June 2012

"Red Card for Wonga" campaign success for MP for Walthamstow


In reporting the end of the Football League's advertising deal with Wonga the BBC acknowledges the leading role played in the campaign for this outcome by Walthamstow's own Labour MP Stella Creasy


Wonga sponsorship on shirtCommenting on the campaign it said  "The "Red Card for Wonga" campaign was being led by football fans and Labour MP Stella Creasy. Ms Creasy said the company's adverts appeared on about 75 out of the 85 clubs which use the Football League Interactive website "platform". She said other companies also targeted football grounds, with the Money Shop sponsoring a stand at Nottingham Forest."

Saturday 16 June 2012

Where to find Stella Creasy MP for Walthamstow this week


  • Friday 15 June Holding an appointment only surgery (bookings on020 8521 1223) before attending a public meeting on dangerous dogs. See other column for details. 
  • Saturday 16 June visiting the Edward Road area with Cllr Clare Coghill to discuss the plans for a new school for the area with local residents. 
  • Thursday 21 June attending parliament to hear  Burmese opposition leader Aung Sang Suu Kwi 
  • Friday 22 June Holding an appointment only surgery (bookings on020 8521 1223)

Saturday 9 June 2012

Where to find Stella Creasy MP for Walthamstow this week


  • Saturday 9 June attending the launch of Citysafe in Markhouse ward and the picnic to celebrate this in Thomas Gamuel Park and then meeting with the Pak Cultural Society.
  • Monday 11 June returning to parliament for the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill debate. 
  • Tuesday 13 June attending the Labour Women’s Network fundraising dinner.
  • Friday 15 June Holding an appointment only surgery (bookings on020 8521 1223) before attending a public meeting on dangerous dogs. See below for further details. 

Monday 4 June 2012

Where to find Stella Creasy MP for Walthamstow this week


  • Saturday 2 June Attending street parties in Higham Hill Rec, Wood Street Market, Winns Avenue and Winns Terrace.
  • Sunday 3 June Attending street parties in Elmfield Road, Kingsley Road, Victoria Road and Kings Parish Church.
  • Monday 4 June Attending street parties in Ulverston Road, Ravenswood Street, Lloyd Park, the Village, Ruby Road and Melbourne Road.
  • Tuesday 5 June Attending a street party in Church Hill.
  • Wednesday 6 June meeting our new Borough Commander. 
  • Friday 8 June Attending the Emmanuel Ark Church Street party.

Jennette to ask Boris about the Dog Track

From Jennette Arnold's newsletter this month (following her very successful GLA election campaign):


Walthamstow Stadium


 
I am continuing to fight for the best deal for Walthamstow residents following the decision of Waltham Forest Council to approve the L and Q plan for re-developing the historic stadium. I have been clear from the outset that this proposal does not offer the best deal for local residents and I have a number of serious concerns about the proposals.

 One concern is the lack of affordable housing. There will be no social rented provision and only 24 flats will be at “affordable rates” of rent. In the last few days I have written again to the mayor to ask him to consider this issue very carefully and to listen to the voices of local people. I am also deeply worried about the potential impact of the development in displacing water in the event of the River Lee bursting its banks. Given that a recent report stated that the Stadium was “an extreme hazard” and lies within a “significant” flood risk area I am asking the Mayor to look in detail at these issues in making his decision.

Back in the chair for 2012

I am privileged to have been elected to the position of Chair of the London Assembly once again. The assembly is a vital part of the accountability structure at City Hall.
 
The Assembly may not have the powers that some would wish it. But in the 12 years I have been a member of the Assembly that has never deterred us from scrutinising the Mayoralty and the bread and butter issues of crime, housing, employment, education and health.
 
Our enquiries open up City Hall on a daily basis so that Londoners can have a stake in the democratic process. In the last Assembly term we played a crucial role in examining policing after the riots and holding senior officers to account. On the Olympics the Assembly’s investigations into Olympic ticketing made national headlines. I am proud of what the Assembly has achieved.
 
The Mayor has significant new powers to address regeneration and housing need in the Capital. The Assembly will be watching closely to see that he delivers on his election promises to Londoners, and does so in an efficient and effective manner.