19th Feb: Hammer to fall on Hammersmith Hospital

An execution date has been set for our local NHS, with the NW London NHS Primary Care Trusts group, authors of a North Korean style "consultation", described as "fatally flawed" by a former NHS Chief, holding a meeting to agree the final cuts. Appropriately enough they will be meeting at Methodist Central Hall, which is a grand Victorian building, so the pronouncement of death will take place in a suitably sombre environment.

The end result will be all Accident & Emergency services in Hammersmith & Fulham being closed, with emergency cases having to be ferried greater distances to central Middlesex or Chelsea & Westminster hospitals instead. And as we know there is never much traffic on the way to either of those destinations.

This is of course a process which was designed in a way to pit local hospitals against each other, and despite the very welcome cross party nature of opposition to that, involving a Labour MP and a Tory Council, some hospitals pretty shamefully actively campaigned for the closure of their fellow hospitals, using tax payers money to do so. Chelsea & Fulham MP Greg Hands, who represents Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, sadly seemed happy to turn a blind eye to that sort of behaviour by his hospital, which weakened the local coalition.

NHS NW London has still refused to answer questions about the financial interests many involved with the group have with the proposed new arrangements. Specifically the Guardian reported recently that parts of the NHS estate will be sold of to property developers who will in turn make vast profits. And guess which companies some of those involved in making these decisions, particularly local GPs, have shares in 

The Save our Hospitals campaign has had some difficulty in persuading local GPs to sign up to the campaign, although many have now done so, giving the lie to NHS NW London's claim to have universal support from them.

Campaigners tell me there will be a local demonstration on 16th Feb and people from across London will be attending a mass demo outside Methodist Central Hall on the 19th. I'm sure they'd love to see you there, email campaign@saveourhospitals.net for further details.

Finally, let's remind ourselves of the sort of people running this sham - here's possibly one of the most disastrous television appearances I have ever seen from Dr Mark Spencer, leader of the bureaucrats wanting to wield the axe. Appearing on the BBC Politics Show he was both untruthful and disingenuous, and frankly arrogant, arguing that non clinical people should just accept that people like him knew best. That led his fellow studio guests, including a former Health Minister, to suggest that he represented a lack of "credible leadership", and that people like him should "get down from their high horse". Ouch.

He's since retreated back into the shadows, so not much chance of that. But people wishing to send a similar message to the great man may wish to pencil Feb 19th into their diaries.

By-election: Tory own goal

H&F Conservatives posted a mocking piece on their blog yesterday, pointing out that Labour's candidate for the Wormholt & White City byelection lives in Parsons Green, at the leafy and well heeled other end of the borough. A far cry from the White City Estate where his well respected predecessor lived.

This proved, they said, that Labour took the area for granted, before listing a series of achievements they argued that the council had delivered for residents of the area.

I read on, through the article, with baited breath. Having attacked Labour's candidate they were surely about to unveil a shining example of their own .... must be coming up soon .... keep reading ....

But no. No candidate for the Conservatives yet, at least not on their official website. What does that say about how important they think the by-election is?

And that, Ladies & Gents, is what you call a political own goal.

Mind you, Labour's candidate for our area is going to have a real schlep getting up here and back once he gets elected. I've done a guide for him - we're a helpful lot in this ward!

Max Schmid's political journey

Gambling shops spread in W12

Our MP has attacked the Council's decision to support the opening of new gambling shops in Shepherd's Bush, with the latest example having been the replacement of the J Hunt family butchers at 173 Uxbridge Road with another branch of Ladbrokes.

There is of course another Ladbrokes within a few minutes walk further along Uxbridge Road down near the H&C tube, and in the other direction a few minutes walk away on Askew Road. The new Ladbrokes sits almost directly opposite a William Hill, of which there are also numerous outlets around. In the Hammersmith constituency there are now 41 such shops.

Andy Slaughter has condemned the decision, claiming that there are enough betting shops in the area already and accusing the council of failing to protect our local high streets from decline and local residents from exploitation by the big bookmaking firms.

While Max Schmid, Labour candidate for Wormholt and White City in next month’s council by-election, said:

“Many people have told me on the doorstep that they are concerned by this decline. Our high streets are the heart of our communities: if I am elected on 7th Feb, I will be demanding that the council takes seriously its duty to ensure they are not swamped by business that put little back into a neighbourhood.”

A year ago, TV’s town centre expert Mary Portas produced a report for the government saying she believed “the influx of betting shops, often in more deprived areas, is blighting our high streets”. But the government refused to take any action to prevent the big bookmaking firms flooding our streets with more betting shops, claiming that adequate legislation was already in place.

Only last weekend, The Fairer Gambling Campaign released figures showing Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs – a modern type of “Fruit Machine”) in licensed betting shops are taking a disproportionate amount of money in areas of high unemployment.

Areas of high unemployment and less well-off communities appear to be most popular with the big bookmaking firms. They provide a ready customer base and there are more likely to be vacant premises at rock-bottom rents. It is a toxic combination, according to the MP: Hammersmith has 41 betting shops and 149 Fixed Odds Betting Terminals: Chelsea & Fulham has half that number - 20 shops and 73 FOBTs; Richmond Park has 14 shops and 51 FOBTs.

Andy Slaughter said:

“I know from my postbag every time a new betting shop is proposed that very many of my constituents are unhappy at the proliferation of betting shops, payday loans stores, pawnbrokers and other parasitic ventures: they contribute little to the well-being of a shopping street, economically or socially. 

“It is high time that government and local councils, stepped in to reverse this trend. It is nothing to do with demand and supply – any passer-by will confirm that many betting shops are virtually empty most of the time. Many bookmakers justify their application for Fruit Machines by claiming that a shop wouldn’t be viable without them. There is no demand for so many of these shops – they are there because big businesses realise they can make a fast buck. There is a place for betting shops in our towns – but I agree with Mary Portas that the current proliferation is damaging our high streets and our communities.”

 25th Jan UPDATE: With thanks to Cllr Harry Phibbs, it seems that this issue is basically out of the hands of our Council when it comes to deciding whether or not to give planning permission. Here's what a Council official in the relevant department had to say in relation to this case, this week:

"It is worth noting that until the Government consider a change to the way betting premises are classified in the use classes order, officers cannot treat them any differently in land use terms to an estate agents, bank, employment agency etc all of which fall within the same use class as a betting office in planning legislation."

Council cuts tax & freezes parking charges

Our Council has declared itself the UK’s "low tax borough" - as it unveils plans to cut tax for the sixth year out of seven and freeze parking charges. To accompany this good news story it has released the above film.

While most household bills - including gas, electricity, food and petrol - continue to soar, H&F has announced its intention to buck the national trend by cutting council tax by 3% again this April.

This reduction will see H&F taxpayers paying the third lowest council tax in Britain while resident satisfaction with services is close to being at an all-time high. While household bills have rocketed by around one third (33%) since 2007, council tax will have fallen by 17% in H&F - if the latest reduction is approved at a budget meeting in February. Pay and display and permit parking charges are also set to be frozen at £2.20 per hour or £119 per year.

The cumulative saving of six tax cuts, of 3% or more, over the past seven years has saved H&F residents £667 since 2007. In comparison, during the same period, the cumulative, year-on-year cost of gas, electricity, petrol and food has risen by almost £5,000

While H&F Council is announcing its latest reduction - thought to the largest in the country, many other local authorities, such as Rochdale, Harrow, Herefordshire and Aylesbury Vale are proposing to increase their council tax by up to 3.5%

H&F Council argues that it has been catapulted from one of the worst councils for value for money in 1999 (27th out of 32 in London) to the top 3 low tax boroughs in the country. The journey has not been without controversy though. Yet however much you agree or disagree with their priorities you have to give them credit for this latest announcement, which will come as a relief to many.

The ‘low tax borough’ says the secret of its low-tax/high-performing services is mainly down to a relentless private sector ethos that means the council is now more ‘lean, agile and in tune with residents’ concerns than ever before.

Senior management costs have been reduced by half, debt repayments to the banks have also halved and office accommodation costs have been reduced by more than a third.

Cllr Nicholas Botterill, H&F Council Leader, said:

“A radical revolution has seen the council transformed from a cumbersome and bureaucratic place into a lean and dynamic organisation. From a lower cost base, we are now able to respond rapidly to the needs of our customers - just like the best companies in the private sector do. 

“Our approach has catapulted us from relegation fodder in the league table of low tax boroughs into the top 3 of the Premier League. While other household costs continue to rise and pile pressure on families we have strived to leave more of our residents’ hard-earned cash in their pockets. 

“While council tax is falling year after year, our parks have never been greener, our streets are cleaner, our schools have never performed better and residents are noticing the improvements. 

“Other public bodies wanting to follow our lead need to know the top three factors to improving front-line services while delivering savings are to strip out duplicated layers of management, reduce debt repayments to the banks and drive down accommodation costs and overhead.” 

Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles MP, said:

"Once again, Hammersmith & Fulham is leading the way in saving taxpayers’ money and cutting out waste and inefficiency. Other councils across the country should follow its example, and adopt innovative ways to deliver sensible savings that protect frontline services and keep council tax down.” 

Matthew Elliott, Founder of the Taxpayers' Alliance, the Conservative lobby campaign for lower taxes, said:

"Cllr Nicholas Botterill and his team should be heartily congratulated for managing to cut council tax so consistently over so many years. Hammersmith & Fulham truly is a shining example of a low tax borough. Other local authorities up and down the UK should learn from them, follow their example, and deliver better services and lower council tax for their residents." 

From April 2013, the average ‘band D’ council tax bill in H&F is set to fall by £23.44 - from £781.34 to £757.90. The cumulative saving of six tax cuts, of 3% or more, over the past seven years has saved residents £667 since 2007. While reducing tax and debt, services have improved in a host of areas:

• Secondary schools are amongst the best in the country, according to Ofsted. H&F is one of only nine of the 151 local authorities to have all its schools judged to be ‘excellent’ or ‘outstanding’. H&F has more sixth formers going to a top university than any other authority, despite the fact that 36% of pupils receive free school meals compared to 17% nationally 
• Crime is down six years out of seven, thanks in part to the Council’s spend on extra town centre police. This year there were 489 fewer crimes compared to the previous 12 months. 
• H&F is in London’s top five for the cleanest streets. A mobile phone app was recently launched to make it easier than ever for people to report fly-tips, graffiti and litter. 
• Nine of H&F’s parks have been awarded the national ‘Green Flag’ accolade. 
• More vulnerable people are eligible for free homecare in H&F that would be denied if they lived in 28 out of 32 other London boroughs. 

In 2013/14 the council is planning to save £22million in total, of which just over £5m is a result of sharing services with Westminster City Council (WCC) and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC). Just over £2m is being saved in debt repayments.

Around 175 senior management jobs have gone as a result of sharing children’s, adults and library services with WCC and RBKC. H&F and RBKC also share environmental services and a chief executive. The three councils are on course to save £40million a year by 2015/16.

The Council lists its top three secrets of ‘the low tax borough’ as:

• Cutting out duplicated management posts by sharing services with neighbouring boroughs. Around half of senior management posts (175 posts) have been deleted as a result of sharing services with Westminster City Council (WCC) and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC). 
• Cutting debt repayments to the banks. H&F has cut its historic debt from £168million to less than £100million for the first time in a generation, saving taxpayers £5million in annual debt repayments. 
• Reducing fixed costs. Over the last six years H&F has cut its accommodation costs by more than a third as the council’s office footprint has shrunk from 29,343sq m in 2007 to 18,547 sq m. i.e. reduced by 10,796 sq m/116,200 square feet or equivalent to what it calls a staggering 2.7 acres!

Free help for the elderly in W12

H&F Circle have teamed up with H&F Council and local third sector organisations to help tackle fuel poverty this winter. They would really appreciate your help in spreading the word to older people in the borough who need help warming the home or advice about fuel bills.

Circle is working alongside the Council to help residents stay warm in their homes during severe wintry spells. There’s also advice available about heat insulation, energy bills and benefits that can be claimed. Their Neighbourhood Helpers can assist by gritting and shoveling the path outside the door, measuring the temperature inside homes, giving out blankets or a storage heater, buying shopping, picking up medications and doing errands, fitting carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms, and helping people get to hospital appointments, the doctors, shops, etc

All this help is absolutely free, and they're here to assist anyone, Circle member or not, who needs help with these jobs. Please pass the information to anyone who needs help warming their home and call 0800 112 3448 for more info. Offer ends March 31st. 

This is a really solid initiative, and as we are warned of impending cold weather in the news at the moment, very timely. I can think of at least two people on my road who might need this support. Full marks to the Council and all involved, especially the volunteers.

Why you should avoid T-Mobile

T for Terrible

Following the exhibition of humanity shown by a stranger in returning my phone yesterday, I've had nothing but incompetence and shambles from T-Mobile.

And I report this just in case any of you are thinking of joining them!

Yesterday I was told by two people in their UK call centre, conveniently located in the Philippines, that a replacement SIM card would be with me within 24 hours. All part of the service I was told. No problem.

By mid afternoon today, having stayed at home for the day in order to receive it, I called again. Oh yes, sir, just be patient it will be with you before 6pm. Guaranteed.

Strange, since the UK team (the ones actually in the UK) on Twitter told me that was wrong and that it would take 3-5 days.

So this evening I call the Philippines again and I'm told oh no, nobody ever told you 24 hours, it's 3 days. Maximum. Obviously.

How do I complain, I asked? Well, you could always visit our website and give us some "feedback".

Avoid them like the plague...

09.01.13 UPDATE - Wow, I thought my T-Mobile nightmare was over but it seems it's the gift that keeps on giving. Having eventually received my SIM card I installed it last night... and ever since then the phone has been stuck on a constant restart sequence with no possibility of turning it off until the battery runs out. And then no promise of it working again after that. Looking on the internet I find that this has happened to many people who are the not so proud owners of an HTC One S phone - so it seems they've gladly handed out handsets that they know to have a serious software problem.

T-Mobile - Truly Terrible.

Blog bashed as "receptacle for leaks"!

Greg Smith

Wow. I've upset the Council. I've just come across (not being a regular reader of what the great man says) this speech by sweary Greg Smith, Deputy Leader of H&F Council, back in October last year. He was thundering at the Labour opposition for what he called their lack of a policy on the merger of services between this borough with Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea.

In his preamble Mr Smith raged thus:

"Madam Mayor, as the Leader has already set out, what has been achieved through Tri (and indeed bi-) borough in such a short space of time is remarkable. 

And as I was looking through the impressive savings figures, it struck me that there is no clear line on Tri-Borough from the Opposition. 

Are they for it – or against it? With taxpayers or against taxpayers? 

Hopeful of an answer, I consulted that colossus of local political commentary and analysis: no not the bravely anonymous and recently silent HFConwatch blog; nor that receptacle for leaks run by Chris Underwood; but that flow of self-consciousness published by the Leader of the Opposition – The Cowan Report".

Apparently this blog is a "receptacle for leaks". And he's right, of course. 

His speech, he'll be delighted to know, provides me with the opportunity to highlight what some of those rather embarrassing leaks have been - from secret Cabinet papers marked "not for publication" revealing the severe financial risks they are taking over Shepherd's Bush Market, to a letter which revealed Boris had been telling lies about the same scheme, to an embarrassing climb down over access to public information by the Council Chief Executive over West Kensington, to yet more secret documents which lay behind their determination to try to resurrect the King Street redevelopment scheme in the teeth of local residents opposition. 

But what I find most interesting about Cllr Smith's venom is that he seems to regard these leaks as inherently a bad thing. Are they? When I leaked these cabinet papers it forced our Council onto the back foot and to defend it's secret maneuverings in public, bringing much needed scrutiny to what they were up to. 

And in response to an investigation led by excellent fellow blogger MayorWatch which I applied to H&F they were forced to admit that they'd be shelling out £2 million for Boris' Bikes, just in time for the Mayoral election. That doesn't mean that the expenditure is either wrong or right - people have views both ways - but it does mean people have the chance to debate it. 

So why the red mist?

Greg Smith does red mist

A clue lies with the fact that this is of course the Council which acted to muzzle it's own planning committee, the infamous "scrutiny" body that rubber stamps their most controversial decisions, and now does so without even releasing documents to elected Councillors that - in it's view and nobody else's - are too "sensitive". 

And clues to why people may not trust everything our Council says may be found, for example, in their track record over the "super sewer". Having spent loads of your cash on a public campaign warning of the imminent destruction of Furnival Gardens by evil Thames Water, which I naively believed and called on you to support, we found that actually they knew this wasn't true in the first place. Oh ... and we later found out that the Council wanted to concrete over Furnival Gardens themselves with their King Street property development. Funny, that. 

Or perhaps the West Kensington Estate development, over which our Council first sought to block access to public information, before being forced to back down and now find themselves being investigated over after a complaint to the police. Not to mention a High Court action. 

From time to time I get sent things that I don't end up publishing frankly because I either can't stand them up or I don't fancy getting sued but dear old Greg, perhaps in in his quieter moments, must concede that shining a light into dark corners isn't always such a bad thing.

Cllr Smith has actually led some of the better projects of our Council, particularly in his steadfast support for the police and against anti social behaviour. His colleague Nick Botterill, Leader of Council, has pushed through improvements to the Green which, after the long wait, now look really quite impressive. And other Conservatives such as Harry Phibbs have quietly been on the front foot sorting out problems around the Bush that have made our area a better place to live. They deserve a great deal of credit for all of that and more - personally I have never understood why they seem hell bent on undermining all that with this tendency  toward secrecy and bullying. It really isn't necessary.

So, what about the "receptacle"? Following my appeal for new writers I was really delighted that a number of you responded, and about five of us will be meeting at the Bush Theatre this week to work out how to take it forward. I plan on writing the occasional article and the others are keen to follow different aspects of Bush life too. What would be great would be to get coverage across the range - community affairs, sport, arts, music and so on. So if any more of you want to get on board do just email shepherdsbushblog@yahoo.co.uk 

UPDATE - One reader sees a dark future ahead of me, for having provoked the Wrath of Smith:

Eek.

Oh my word - another reader suggests I may have to "do a Depardieu" and seek emergency help from Vladimir Putin:

A tale of honesty

Earlier today I lost my phone. Having gone to one of the shops on Askew Road I came back to the car minus a phone. Retracing my steps it was nowhere to be seen so I searched the car to see if it had dropped out. One exhaustive search later and I had to accept it was either lost or stolen.

After an hour, during which I'd had a T-Mobile call centre worker sitting in the far east telling me in a bored voice I'd just have to buy a new handset and could I go now please, I had another call, this time showing a more positive side to people.

It was, bizarrely, a call from my mum who'd received a weird call from a guy who started the call with the words "it's about your son" ... not the words a parent really wants to hear. It was a guy who had found the phone which, being new is quite valuable, and looked up "mum" on the contacts to call to return it. Moments later I was talking to him myself, a Bush dweller from Algeria called Bilal. And officially one of the nicest people to live in W12.

Meeting him outside a bustling Damas Gate I offered him a reward, but was turned down flat. He said he just hoped that someone else would do the same for him. It was enough for him to know the phone had been returned.

Driving back from the meeting I passed by the address I visited here, one night out with the local police. It had been burgled and the young woman living there was terrified, upset and angry all at the same time. She was getting out of the Bush as soon as she could, and after an experience like that who can blame her. But with people like Bilal amongst us, it's also worth remembering some of the best people in Old London Town live right here too.

Thank-you Bilal.

Fancy writing a blog?

I was contacted yesterday by a reader who's eagle eyes had noticed that the blog hadn't been updated for some time.

I did warn you in October that this was on the way, but the reader concerned had a useful idea. How about others take it on?

He's game and so might some of you be - and if you are let me know by emailing shepherdsbushblog@yahoo.co.uk


Having started the blog back in 2008 I've taken this about as far as I can, having had some great times along the way. It's taken me out with the police one Saturday night, down a sewer to investigate flooding, into shouty meetings of our local Council and into some of our best local businesses. I half hoped I'd get to know my local neighbourhood better and it's been more rewarding than I'd ever hoped, even with some of the darker sides to where we live.

So, over to you. Who's game?