8/3/2019 News Bulletin from Greg Hands M.P. #318

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Subject: NewsBulletinfromGregHandsM.P.#318

Date: Friday,18November201115:40:08UnitedKingdomTime

From: GregHandsM.P.

To: news@greghands.com

In this edition:

Greg Hands M.P.s DiaryWebsite of the Week:Thames Waters SuperSewer consultationSuper Sewer Summit on

Wednesday 7th DecemberBoosting apprenticeshipsfor young people and small

businessesHave your say on the futureof Earls Court and WestKensingtonRoyal Borough calls onGovernment to rethinkrelaxation of licensing lawsH&F to put armed servicesfirst on local housing listHands in the papers:Supersewer site's lorryroute 'will cause road

chaos'Hands in the papers:Police hope new Twitterfeed will help buildcommunity linksHands in the papers:Westminster ColumnHow to contactGreg Hands M.P.

Issue 318 Friday 18th November 2011

Since the last edition, Greg:

Laid a wreath at Fulham War Memorial as part of theRemembrance Sunday service, conducted by Rev Joe Hawes ofAll Saints Church, under the auspices of the Royal British Legion.

Addressed the annual general meeting of the Milner Road AreaResidents Association, Chelsea, addressing issues such asbasements developments, new planning guidance, District Line

changes and the Thames Tideway Tunnel. Visited again the site of Thames Waters proposed Super Sewer

main drill site at Carnwath Road, Fulham, to assess the likelyimpact both on the local area and on the areas traffic network.

Chaired a meeting of the All Party Romania Group in the Houseof Commons with guest speaker, the UK Ambassador toBucharest, Mr Martin Harris.

Attended the dinner of the No Turning Back Group ofConservative M.P.s with guest speaker, the Chancellor of theExchequer, Rt Hon George Osborne M.P.

Had a full schedule of activity as a Government Whip in andaround the chamber of the House of Commons, including

ministerial meetings and organising votes and standingcommittees.

Held a weekly surgery for Chelsea and Fulham residents atFulham Town Hall. Gregs surgeries are held generally everyMonday at either Fulham Town Hall or at Peter Jones, SloaneSquare. To ask for an appointment, email mail@greghands.comor call 020 7219 5448.

Website of the Week:

Thames Waters Super Sewer

consultation

Click here for the website of Thames Waters Super Sewerconsultation. It is vital that ALL local residents respond tothe consultation and give the projects proposed Fulhammain drive site the thumbs down.

Super Sewer Summit

on Wednesday 7th December

Greg Hands M.P. highlights the residential surroundings ofThames Waters preferred site for their super sewer drive shaft.

An urgent public meeting to challenge Thames Waters ludicrousdecision to dump the giant super sewer drive shaft on a residentialstreet in Fulham has been called by Hammersmith & Fulham Counciland Greg Hands M.P.

The Super Sewer Summit, on 7th December, will allow locals to probeThames Waters decision to earmark south Fulham for the main sewerconstruction site for their 4.1billion Thames Tunnel.Thames Waters u-turn, in deviating from their original choice outsideof the borough, has sparked a wave of protests from residents andbusinesses south of Lillie Road especially in the tight knit residentialcommunity around Carnwath Road.The impact of Thames Water's latest proposal will be felt far beyondFulham, with 29,000 lorries travelling through Chelsea and

Wandsworth to and from the Carnwath Road site.Despite admitting at a meeting in October that using the Fulhamriverside would be more costly and more disruptive to more peopleThames Water named Carnwath Road as the preferred site for themain west London tunnel drive shaft earlier this month.The public meeting, organised by Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F)Council, will be the first chance that residents, councillors and GregHands M.P. have had to publicly question Thames Water about theirchange of heart.Greg Hands M.P. said: "Thames Water's proposal to move the main

tunnel entrance from an uninhabited site in Richmond to the middle ofa densely-packed residential community in Fulham is obscene andwrong. Thames Water officials have admitted that it will affect more

people and cost more money. We need to understand what is drivingThames Waters bizarre u-turn and then persuade them that there arebetter alternatives.Work by Greg has shown that Thames Water's own figures show that29,000 lorries will bring roads like King's Road, New Kings Road andWandsworth Bridge Road to a standstill during the six years ofconstruction work.

The Sewer's costs will be passed through to Thames Water bill payersfrom 2013 - despite the fact that the earliest the Government couldgive approval to the Tunnel is 2014!Anti super sewer site campaigners, backed by H&F Council, havevowed to fight the proposal and launch a concerted effort to persuadeThames Water to reverse the decision in time for the final selectiondeadline - which is expected next spring.If construction work goes ahead on the Fulham riverside there wouldbe an average of 31 extra lorry trips every day on west London streetsfor two years during tunnelling and around 33 per day when the tunnelis being lined.

Thames Water plans to move all plant and construction materials byroad, and some of the excavated spoil to reduce costs. Only part ofthe excavated spoil will be taken by barge, despite the existence ofthe wharf being given as one of their key reasons for using CarnwathRoad.Earlier in the autumn the Selborne Commission - which was anindependent study and report sponsored by five London councils announced that a shorter tunnel, combined with green infrastructuresolutions that are built up incrementally in the medium to long term,would be both compliant with EU directives and less costly anddisruptive to Londoners.Cllr Stephen Greenhalgh, H&F Council Leader, says: Fulham isuniting to say no to these plans. The Super Sewer Summit is a call toarms and we will all need to man the barricades if we are to defendour close knit residential neighbourhood from Thames Watersbulldozers.Any resident south of the Lillie Road who is unaware of ThamesWaters plans needs to understand that the super sewer is the biggestthreat to our quality of life that we will face this decade.It is a real and present danger with the potential to blight the lives of

thousands of west Londoners from the heart of Fulham and ParsonsGreen to Chelsea and all along the New Kings Road.By proposing to use the Fulham riverside as the main west Londondrive shaft Thames Water is threatening homes, jobs and localschools - not to mention the disruption on our roads for six years. Wewill continue to defend residents' and water bill payers' interests byhighlighting the sensible alternatives that exist for cleaning up theThames."South Fulham resident, Alex Kennaugh, says: We know that thereare cheaper and greener ways to clean up the river but if ThamesWater is determined to push ahead with its nineteenth century tunnelsolution the main drive shaft needs to go in the least disruptive place

possible. If there is a choice between uninhabited sites and a thrivingresidential community, then Thames Water must pick the area thatharms the fewest people.Campaigners have asked Thames Water to provide a documentspecifying how Fulham was chosen as the main drive shaft, includingthe pros and cons of using other sites, and to explain why theirthinking has changed since the phase one consultation.The Super Sewer Summit is open to all residents and takes placefrom 7pm on Wednesday December 7 at Hurlingham and Chelsea

School, Peterborough Road, SW6 3ED.

Greg Hands M.P. visiting local social housing blocks onCarnwath Road home to hundreds of local people and just

yards from Thames Waters proposed super sewer drive shaft.

Boosting apprenticeships for youngpeople and small businessesGreg Hands M.P. has welcomed new measures from theGovernment, which will ensure young people and small businessesfeel the full benefits of the successful expansion of apprenticeships.Data released last month showed that in Chelsea and Fulham:

100 people started an apprenticeship in 2009/10.

230 people started an apprenticeship in 2010/11.This means the number starting an apprenticeship locally has alreadymore than doubled under the Coalition.

On 16th November 2011, the Government announced it will be:

Offering cash bonuses for taking on young apprentices. TheGovernment will offer employers with 50 employees or fewerup to 1,500 for taking on an apprentice aged between 16and 24. This will support up to 20,000 new apprenticeships in2012/13.

Making it quicker and easier for employers to take on anapprentice. The National Apprenticeships Service and training

providers will be required to ensure that every employer isable to advertise a vacancy within one month of deciding totake on an apprentice.

Targeting apprenticeships where they are needed. Theprogramme will focus on younger adults, new employees,higher level qualifications and particular sectors whereapprenticeships can make the greatest impact.

Equipping apprentices with basic skills. Apprenticeshipproviders will be required to offer all apprentices training inEnglish and Maths up to the standard of a good GCSE.

Ensuring high standards. A review has been launched intothe standards and quality of apprenticeships, undertaken by aleading employer and reporting in the Spring.

Commenting, Greg Hands M.P. said: In Chelsea and Fulham, 130more people are benefiting from an apprenticeship thanks to thegovernments extra funding. Thats not just great news for them, butalso for the whole local economy.Too many businesses have been put off taking on an apprenticebecause of unnecessary bureaucracy and red tape. Thats nowchanging.

I would urge local companies to take advantage of the new systemand give our young people these vital opportunities.

Have your say on the future ofEarls Court and West KensingtonResidents can have their say on the future redevelopment of the areaaround Earls Court.Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F) Council has launched the next stage

of consultation on its planning framework called the SupplementaryPlanning Document or SPD.The framework sets out key principles for the long term futuredevelopment of the area on issues such as urban form, housing,employment, social and community facilities and transport.The SPD supports the idea of comprehensive regeneration, includingbuilding new homes for residents on West Kensington and GibbsGreen estates.The proposed planning framework comes on top of a separate

economic study which showed that comprehensive regenerationincluding the estates would bring significant benefits for local peopleincluding new jobs, homes, better transport links, a greater range ofhousing choice, new community facilities and other neighbourhoodimprovements.A masterplan has already been produced by Sir Terry Farrell whichimagines a future of four villages and a high street, with up to 7,500new homes and more than 12,000 permanent new jobs.No land agreement has been signed yet and the council will continueto consult local people before making a final decision.

The council will only consider signing a land agreement if legalagreements drawn up by residents themselves can be met. Theseguarantees include:

An offer of a new modern home for council tenants,leaseholders and freeholders within the regeneration area

People will only move once their new home is ready

Everything will be done to keep neighbours together

Residents leaseholders and freeholders will receive themarket value of their home, plus 10% compensation AND a10% discount on their new home should they wish to buy in to

the development Council tenants will remain secure tenants and receive

4,500 compensation, plus moving costs and new householdgoods such as fridge freezer, washing machine, dishwasher,oven and carpets/curtains

Leader of H&F Council Cllr Stephen Greenhalgh said: We have saidall along that we will only support including the estates incomprehensive development if there are substantial benefits for

people living there.There is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to create thousands of jobs,

build new homes and secure major neighbourhood improvementssuch as new schools, parks, health centres and shops. We aredetermined to continue to explore the potential benefits with local

people."You can view the Supplementary Planning Document in locallibraries or log on to www.lbhf.gov.uk/earlscourtspd. Theconsultation will last for six weeks from 11 November to 23 December2011.

Royal Borough calls on Government torethink relaxation of licensing lawsPubs and clubs in the Royal Borough may soon be able to put onmusic without first having to get a licence from the Council if a currentDepartment for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) consultationbecomes law.Alarmingly the DCMS consultation is not just proposing thederegulation of small-scale events but those with audiences of up to5,000.In Kensington and Chelsea there are currently 878 venues which,under the DCMS proposals, would be able to lay on unregulatedevents. The Council is worried that not only would this result in asharp increase in noise and nuisance for Royal Borough residents, buta spike in associated antisocial behaviour.Another implication for the Royal Borough is that it hosts one ofEurope's largest events, the Notting Hill Carnival. In the interests ofpublic safety it is essential that the Council and the MetropolitanPolice bring Carnival to a close at a reasonable hour. With completederegulation any premises within the Carnival area could legallyprovide live and recorded music 24 hours a day over the Carnivalperiod, as long as any alcohol sales they make are within their

permitted hours and their audiences are not more than 5,000.Councillor Nick Paget-Brown, the Royal Borough of Kensington andChelsea's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment, said:"Far from being meddlesome, pointless bureaucracy, entertainmentlicences are actually how we ensure that noise is controlled, thatevents close down at a reasonable time and that landlords generallyact responsibly."It's no secret that councils and constabularies are hard pressed rightnow and indeed for the foreseeable future. We for one simply do nothave the resources to cope with a serious rise in complaints and urgethe DCMS to rethink its proposals."In addition to our formal response to the consultation, I have writtento the Secretary of State at the DCMS to express the Council's graveconcern about the adverse impact this proposal will have on densely

populated inner-city residential areas like Kensington and Chelsea."You can have your say on the consultation by visitingwww.culture.gov.uk/consultations and clicking on the link entitled"Consultation on proposal to examine the deregulation of ScheduleOne of the Licensing Act 2003".The consultation closes on Saturday 3 December 2011. Please send

your comments or if you have any queries about this consultation to:regulated_entertainment_consultation@culture.gsi.gov.uk.Or by post to:Nigel WakelinDepartment for Culture, Media and Sport2-4 Cockspur StreetLondonSW1Y 5DH

H&F to put armed services firston local housing listHammersmith & Fulham (H&F) Council is aiming to become the firstlocal authority in the country to put members of the Territorial Army(TA), as well as members of the regular armed forces, at the front ofthe housing queue.The move comes as the council, which was the first in the country tostart prioritising working households in 2007, looks to review how itallocates its social housing and Home Buy products to give a greaterpriority to those who also undertake voluntary service or have servedin the armed forces.The announcement follows a recent commitment by the Government,and endorsed by H&F, to ensure that priority is also given to formerarmed services personnel and their families who have a strong localconnection to the Borough.The council believes that the nature of military work means thatservicemen and their families all too often end up living in poor qualityand expensive rented accommodation. The council also plans to giveSpecial Constables priority for social housing.Hammersmith & Fulham is home to the Royal Yeomany TA Regiment

who were awarded the Freedom of Hammersmith & Fulham earlierthis year. The Royal Yeomanry has a prestigious history and hasserved in every major campaign dating back to the Boer War in avariety of roles. The regiment is the oldest and most senior TerritorialArmy Cavalry regiment.Cllr Andrew Johnson, Cabinet Member for Housing, said: We areeternally grateful for the courage and bravery of our armed forcesserving in dangerous places across the world. However, all too often,when they return home from duty they struggle to find appropriatehousing. We do not believe that years of loyal service to this countryshould become an obstacle to finding a home. There can be no

people more deserving of a council house or access to home

ownership that those who give voluntary service in the name of Queenand Country.In the meantime, the council says that under its new Tenants Charterit hopes to prioritise allocating council housing on the condition thatpeople find work or enrol on a training course or undertake voluntaryservice whilst in part-time work. New tenants who are able to work butrefuse to do so may forfeit their right to a council property withinHammersmith and Fulham.Cllr Johnson added: If we want to build strong, mixed and sustainablecommunities we need to prioritise hard working local people when

considering applications for council housing. We want to give people ahand up and not a hand out and the best way to do that is to prioritise people who are making an effort and penalise those who simplycannot be bothered. Council housing can be a great safety net to helpget people back on their feet, but that is all that it should be. Councilhousing is a springboard - not a destination.Since April 1, 2011, the council has helped 58 working families intosocial housing. Between April 1, 2010 and March 31, 2011, that figurewas 134. Between August 2009 and March 2010, 114 workingfamilies were helped into housing.

Hands in the papers:

Supersewer site's lorry route'will cause road chaos'Mark Prigg, Science Editor, The Evening Standard

Wednesday 16th November 2011Up to 29,000 extra lorry journeys could blight Chelsea and Fulham foryears under plans for London's supersewer, it is claimed.

Thames Water recently revealed that Carnwath Road in Fulham hasbeen identified as a key drilling site for the 4.1 billion project. MPGreg Hands claims it could cause chaos on the area's roads."This route would bring traffic misery," said Mr Hands. "We alreadyknew that parts of Fulham would be affected, but not on this scale.Both Fulham and Chelsea could see gridlock, as well as noise andother disruption." The extra traffic could also cause problems forChelsea fans on matchdays. The latest proposals also see majordrilling sites at Chambers Wharf in Bermondsey and at Kirtling Streetin Battersea.Thames Water says 90 per cent of excavated soil will be transportedaway by barge or rail to minimise congestion on roads during thework. Mr Hands says it is not enough, adding: "It is completelyunacceptable for Thames Water to put thousands of lorries throughresidential areas."The 7.2 metre-wide tunnel is set to be the biggest engineeringscheme undertaken in the capital, with a six-year construction periodset to begin in 2016.

Hands in the papers:

Police hope new Twitter feedwill help build community linksGreg Burns, Hammersmith & Fulham Chronicle

Friday 18th November 2011Police in Hammersmith and Fulham are hoping their new Twitter sitewill help them reach out to young people in the borough.The www.twitter.com/@MPSHammFul feed was launched lastMonday (14/11) posting crime appeals, updates and public safety

information between 8am and 6pm on Monday to Friday.It comes after residents and community groups urged police to makebetter use of social media in the wake of the London riots last August.Hammersmith and Fulham escaped relatively unscathed from thewidespread disorder compared to neighbouring borough Ealing whichsaw looters and violent thugs pour onto the streets.And Chief Superintendent Lucy D'Orsi, borough commander, said themessage from the community, and young people, was clear.She told the Chronicle: We were one of just five boroughs that was

not really affected by the riots across the capital and my officersworked tirelessly to make sure that was the case and helpneighbouring boroughs where needed.But there was a lot of concern within the community and we heldnumerous public meetings to reassure them and speak about anumber of issues.The thing they kept telling us was that we should be making betteruse of social media like Twitter and Facebook. That was especiallythe case with young people who we are really keen to engage with.

So we took that all on board and I am really excited about our newTwitter site.Mrs D'Orsi is aiming to make the @MPSHammFul site the mostfollowed police site in the capital and is already looking at other waysto keep the public informed.She said: The general Met Police site has more than 40,000 followersand my ambition is for our site to go beyond that.Ultimately, I want to have dedicated Twitter sites for each of ourpolicing wards. But we will take it one step at a time.

The police's arrival on Twitter has been welcomed by the onlinecommunity and was racing towards 200 followers after its first week.Councillor Greg Smith, H&F Council residents' services leaders,tweeted: Big welcome to Twitter to Hammersmith & Fulham Police.MP Greg Hands said: Welcome H&F Police to Twitter. I like the 'don'treport crime by Twitter' plea.

Hands in the papers:

Westminster ColumnGreg Hands M.P., Hammersmith & Fulham Chronicle

Friday 18th November 2011The news that Thames Water has chosen Carnwath Road on thesouth Fulham riverside as its new preferred site for the drill shaft of itsSuper Sewer will bring years of misery to my constituents across bothFulham and Chelsea.Buried in the small print of the documentation is the fact that some29,000 lorries will travel along the Kings Road, the New Kings Road

and Wandsworth Bridge Road to go to and from the site, transportingconstruction equipment to and from the tunnel site. The impact onKings Road retailers, Chelsea and Fulham Football Club matchdaysand the general public going about their business by bus or by car islikely to be severe.The decision to choose Carnwath Road comes despite Thames Waterthemselves admitting that using a residential area will cost more thanthe uninhabited site they had previously between Putney and Barnes.It will also disrupt far more people.The Council and I have responded swiftly to the news, and have

called an Open Meeting for Wednesday, 7th December, at Hurlingham& Chelsea School. Thames Water have been invited. Residents willhave the chance to have their say. We need a big turnout to showThames Water that their decision needs to be reversed.

5 ways to contact Greg Hands M.P.:

By Phone: 020 7219 5448

By email: mail@greghands.com

By post: Greg Hands M.P.

House of CommonsLondon SW1A 0AA

In person: Click here for details of howto book an appointment atGreg Hands M.P.s weeklysurgery

www.greghands.com

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