Angry Mums on a deprived estate have slammed Hounslow Borough Council for "penny-pinching" after a children's playground was forced to close - reports the Hounslow Chronicle.
The cost-cutting council recently removed swings, slides and a climbing frame from the play area on the Beavers Lane Estate. The equipment was deemed unsafe, but leisure services provider CIP has been unable to fund repairs or replacements.
One Mum-of-three said: "This administration's penny-pinching is hitting kids on this estate - including my eight-year-old girl - very hard."
"First the community teacher was cut, then a dance teacher from Waterman's art centre who used to hold classes at the Hub was axed, and now this."
No doubt speaking for hundreds of local parents, she added: "My daughter loved the play area and it's really sad it's gone."
To be fair, councils like Hounslow are operating under a great deal of financial pressure, caught between insufficient funding from central government and the deadly unpopularity of hiking council tax bills unreasonably.
It's for local MPs like Ann Keen to justify why her local council can't be given more to prevent such cuts by the government. Especially when she's enthusiastically intending to approve paying £2.5bn a year extra to the already lavishly-funded but endlessly wasteful EU.
If the government can't afford to give local councils more, why is she going to approve wasting such vast amounts of public money by handing it to an organisation that hasn't had its accounts approved by auditors for twelve years running?
If Mrs Keen doesn't block that extra money for the EU when it comes to the vote in Parliament, local residents will know who's really to blame for cuts to local services come the next election.
Showing posts with label hounslow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hounslow. Show all posts
Thursday, 3 May 2007
Thursday, 18 January 2007
Health care cuts are 'half-baked' policies
Compulsory redundancies could cripple' our hospitals and cause residents' confidence in the NHS to plummet, it has been claimed - according to the Richmond & Twickenham Times.
According to research by the London Assembly Conservatives, as many as 2,500 jobs could be axed in NHS health trusts across south-west London, including Hounslow, Kingston and Richmond.
Tony Arbour, Richmond and Hounslow's Assembly member, said: "These latest figures show just how much this Government's half-baked policies are destabilising the NHS and making the work of local Primary Care Trusts and hospitals virtually impossible."
The research comes after a leaked Department of Health memo recently revealed there will be a critical shortage of nurses and GPs in the longer term. The memo contained proposals for 37,000 NHS job cuts across the capital within the next 12 months.
Tony Arbour AM added: "The prospect of job losses across the NHS in Hounslow, Kingston and Richmond will not only be unsettling for the staff themselves, but patients will also continue to lose confidence in the services the NHS should be providing at critical times in their lives.
"Kingston and the West Middlesex hospitals could be crippled if these proposals are implemented. I and my colleagues will resist them."
Kingston hospital, where many borough residents receive treatment, say they have been holding a number of vacant posts in anticipation of reduced activity or income and efficiency savings.
They confirmed that 20 clinical and administrative staff are at risk of redundancy, but claim that many of these will be redeployed into vacant posts within the trust.
A spokesman said: "The trust's consultation on workforce reductions has come to an end and decisions have been made as a result of feedback from staff and unions and it is vital to clarify that not all staff at risk will be made redundant."
According to research by the London Assembly Conservatives, as many as 2,500 jobs could be axed in NHS health trusts across south-west London, including Hounslow, Kingston and Richmond.
Tony Arbour, Richmond and Hounslow's Assembly member, said: "These latest figures show just how much this Government's half-baked policies are destabilising the NHS and making the work of local Primary Care Trusts and hospitals virtually impossible."
The research comes after a leaked Department of Health memo recently revealed there will be a critical shortage of nurses and GPs in the longer term. The memo contained proposals for 37,000 NHS job cuts across the capital within the next 12 months.
Tony Arbour AM added: "The prospect of job losses across the NHS in Hounslow, Kingston and Richmond will not only be unsettling for the staff themselves, but patients will also continue to lose confidence in the services the NHS should be providing at critical times in their lives.
"Kingston and the West Middlesex hospitals could be crippled if these proposals are implemented. I and my colleagues will resist them."
Kingston hospital, where many borough residents receive treatment, say they have been holding a number of vacant posts in anticipation of reduced activity or income and efficiency savings.
They confirmed that 20 clinical and administrative staff are at risk of redundancy, but claim that many of these will be redeployed into vacant posts within the trust.
A spokesman said: "The trust's consultation on workforce reductions has come to an end and decisions have been made as a result of feedback from staff and unions and it is vital to clarify that not all staff at risk will be made redundant."
Monday, 18 December 2006
Hounslow: Budget cuts could mean loss of six community teachers
Anger is brewing over council proposals to cut funding for six valuable community teachers working in Hounslow schools - reports the Richmond & Twickenham Times.
The community outreach officers currently help organise activities - including fun trips, adult education classes and evening clubs - at the Beavers Community, Green Dragon, Berkeley, William Hogarth and Edward Pauling primary schools, as well as Sparrow Farm Infants school.
But, as part of £1.3million cuts to be made to next year's children's services and life long learning budget, Hounslow Council has proposed cutting funding for the officers in a bid to save £350,000 over three years.
It is believed that alternative funds might be available to allow these workers to carry on their work, but some teachers and parents said they still feared the worst.
Kim Osborne, whose eight-year-old daughter Broghan attends Beavers Community, has written to all the parents at the school asking them to support her fight to keep the funding.
In her letter, Mrs Osborne writes: "Without our valuable community teacher, school funds will dwindle, families will not get the opportunity to socialise, our children will not be able to continue taking part in fantastic educational events, the PTA may fold and teachers may not get as much vital support as they would like from parents. The school will never be the same again.
"We cannot allow this to happen."
A petition has been placed at The Hub community centre and in shops around Hounslow by Mrs Osborne.
Mrs Christine Haflam, acting headteacher at Berkeley Primary, said her school would "lose out a great deal" if community outreach officer Stephanie Collis had to leave.
"I think we would either be working really hard to maintain the work that Stephanie does, or some of these services might not happen," she said.
In its report on the proposed cuts, the council recognised that "these community officers are based in some of the most deprived areas of the borough and perform a valuable role in involving parents with education".
A final decision on the fate of the teachers could be made as late as March 2007 when the council sets its final budget for the next year.
At the time of going to press, Hounslow Council could not be reached for comment.
Other possible changes proposed in the Children's Services and Lifelong Learning report:
1) Increasing school meals by 10p from 2007, raising an extra £100,000 per year for the Hounslow council's coffers.
But a council report warned there was "the risk of a reduced take-up of meals if prices are increased".
2) Grants for voluntary language classes could be cut to save £33,000 a year.
The classes help residents to learn English.
A report examining all possible budget cuts said that "opportunities for ethnic- minority communities would be reduced at some cost to the council's policies for social cohesion" if the classes were stopped.
3) The Ride children's home in Brentford could be closed to cut £200,000 a year from the budget.
Cared-for kids would be placed in other facilities and staff would be made redundant, the council's report said.
The under-utilised home is in a prime residential area, the council noted, and could be sold to generate a "significant" amount of money.
Mr Valery Agborsangaya, manager of The Ride, did not wish to comment on the proposed closure.
The community outreach officers currently help organise activities - including fun trips, adult education classes and evening clubs - at the Beavers Community, Green Dragon, Berkeley, William Hogarth and Edward Pauling primary schools, as well as Sparrow Farm Infants school.
But, as part of £1.3million cuts to be made to next year's children's services and life long learning budget, Hounslow Council has proposed cutting funding for the officers in a bid to save £350,000 over three years.
It is believed that alternative funds might be available to allow these workers to carry on their work, but some teachers and parents said they still feared the worst.
Kim Osborne, whose eight-year-old daughter Broghan attends Beavers Community, has written to all the parents at the school asking them to support her fight to keep the funding.
In her letter, Mrs Osborne writes: "Without our valuable community teacher, school funds will dwindle, families will not get the opportunity to socialise, our children will not be able to continue taking part in fantastic educational events, the PTA may fold and teachers may not get as much vital support as they would like from parents. The school will never be the same again.
"We cannot allow this to happen."
A petition has been placed at The Hub community centre and in shops around Hounslow by Mrs Osborne.
Mrs Christine Haflam, acting headteacher at Berkeley Primary, said her school would "lose out a great deal" if community outreach officer Stephanie Collis had to leave.
"I think we would either be working really hard to maintain the work that Stephanie does, or some of these services might not happen," she said.
In its report on the proposed cuts, the council recognised that "these community officers are based in some of the most deprived areas of the borough and perform a valuable role in involving parents with education".
A final decision on the fate of the teachers could be made as late as March 2007 when the council sets its final budget for the next year.
At the time of going to press, Hounslow Council could not be reached for comment.
Other possible changes proposed in the Children's Services and Lifelong Learning report:
1) Increasing school meals by 10p from 2007, raising an extra £100,000 per year for the Hounslow council's coffers.
But a council report warned there was "the risk of a reduced take-up of meals if prices are increased".
2) Grants for voluntary language classes could be cut to save £33,000 a year.
The classes help residents to learn English.
A report examining all possible budget cuts said that "opportunities for ethnic- minority communities would be reduced at some cost to the council's policies for social cohesion" if the classes were stopped.
3) The Ride children's home in Brentford could be closed to cut £200,000 a year from the budget.
Cared-for kids would be placed in other facilities and staff would be made redundant, the council's report said.
The under-utilised home is in a prime residential area, the council noted, and could be sold to generate a "significant" amount of money.
Mr Valery Agborsangaya, manager of The Ride, did not wish to comment on the proposed closure.
Friday, 17 November 2006
Hounslow: Green energy as school plans 15-metre turbines
A Cranford college got a step closer to its dreams of green energy this week when Hounslow Council said it could put up two wind turbines – reports the Brentford, Chiswick and Isleworth Times.
The 15-metre tall turbines planned for Cranford Community College will cost around £50,000 to install but should substantially reduce power bills and help the environment.
Julie Spiller, senior laboratory technician at the college, said that the turbines would also be a helpful tool to give pupils practical lessons in sustainable energy.
The machines will be connected to college computers so that youngsters studying geography or science can keep an eye on how much power is being generated.
If MPs weren’t going to vote £2.5bn extra a year away to the EU, 100,000 wind turbines like this could be installed on public buildings across the country every year, making a significant contribution to reducing CO2 emissions.
Surely if MPs were serious about tackling what they call the serious threat of global warming, this is what they’d choose to spend that money on.
Instead they choose to lecture us all about making drastic changes to our lifestyles, while throwing public money that could help combat the problem away on the EU.
There’s a serious credibility problem looming for MPs on climate change if they vote this £2.5bn extra every year away to the EU.
The 15-metre tall turbines planned for Cranford Community College will cost around £50,000 to install but should substantially reduce power bills and help the environment.
Julie Spiller, senior laboratory technician at the college, said that the turbines would also be a helpful tool to give pupils practical lessons in sustainable energy.
The machines will be connected to college computers so that youngsters studying geography or science can keep an eye on how much power is being generated.
If MPs weren’t going to vote £2.5bn extra a year away to the EU, 100,000 wind turbines like this could be installed on public buildings across the country every year, making a significant contribution to reducing CO2 emissions.
Surely if MPs were serious about tackling what they call the serious threat of global warming, this is what they’d choose to spend that money on.
Instead they choose to lecture us all about making drastic changes to our lifestyles, while throwing public money that could help combat the problem away on the EU.
There’s a serious credibility problem looming for MPs on climate change if they vote this £2.5bn extra every year away to the EU.
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