Tag: petition

No pass for Maryland station

Maryland residents and Green Party members have been campaigning to get Maryland station included in Zone 2/3

Maryland residents and Green Party members have been campaigning to get Maryland station included in ‘Zone 2/3’, like all other Stratford stations.

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‘Maryland is a Stratford station’ by @MarylandPoint

Sadly we discovered this week that the campaign to rezone Maryland as zone 2/3 hit a major stumbling block. Staff from the office of Mayor Sadiq Khan responded with a no, but only commented on the financial concerns campaigners had raised:

The re-zoning of stations in the Stratford area from Zone 3 to Zone 2/3 was done as part of plans to secure the Olympic legacy and on the basis that it would be self-funding due to the increased value of the land owned by the Greater London Authority in the area. These considerations do not apply in the same way to Maryland. The decision to re-zone the other stations was also made to prevent passengers from having to travel through Zone 3 on the Jubilee line to reach Stratford. Without these changes Jubilee Line users would still have had to buy a Zone 3 ticket, which would have put them at a disadvantage compared to Central Line users.

While we are disappointed about this, we’ll continue to urge TfL and the Labour Mayor of London that safety and overcrowding is an issue they should reconsider.

Rezoning Maryland to 2/3 would encourage residents to board there, easing the scary over-crowding at Forest Gate and Stratford stations. Already a real danger, particularly at rush hour and on West Ham match days, station over-crowding will only get worse once the Elizabeth link (aka Crossrail) opens for Stratford, Maryland and Forest Gate in December 2018.

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Newham Record piece on complaints to TfL about overcrowding at Stratford

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Yes, as an added bonus, it would make travel cheaper for local residents too, which could be a huge relief for many struggling with ever rising costs. However our main priority, and that of TfL and the Mayor of London’s office, should be in making sure all travellers are safe when using Newham’s stations.

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Local campaigners in the Friends of Maryland group have pledged to continue the campaign, with support from Councillor Seyi Akiwowo and their ongoing petition.

Hopefully the increase in foot traffic from the Elizabeth Line will lead to a full review of the situation, if we’re unable to get it resolved sooner.

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Let’s clean up Newham!

Help us get our council taxes paying for much needed services, not paying interest to banks

So you may have heard by now that there is a by-election coming up in Forest Gate North.

FGN bannerWhile I’ve been going round talking to local residents about what we can do to help them, I hear time and time again about environmental concerns: fly-tipping, rubbish on the streets, and dog mess.

If elected, I would prioritise solving these problems. However, some of them come down to one thing: money. And we all know how this Conservative government has tightened the screws on the most disadvantaged boroughs in the country. Newham is high up on that list.

Sir Robin Wales has been spreading the news everywhere that we have to save £50 million a year from now on; potentially even more after the economic disaster of last week. So Labour in this area have been quietly getting on with privatising one public service after another. So far this includes:

  • Council housing (Red Doors);
  • Administration (OneSource);
  • Supplies to council services (NewCo);
  • Waste collection (East London Waste Authority);
  • Language and translation services (Newham Language Shop);
  • Schools (academisation across the borough)

…and worse is to come as more savings need to be found. (Here’s an excellent blog by councillor John Gray of West Ham on his concerns over the increasing privatisation of council services).

However, Newham Greens have a plan to raise the money we need without privatising one more service. It can get us the extra money we need to stop fly-tipping, and improve street maintenance, as well as reopening Sure Start centres and community centres!uk-pwlb-vs-lobo-debt

How?!
Throughout the 2000s, our Labour council took out over £500million in loans (called LOBOs) from private banks. They were a very bad deal. And now we are paying the equivalent of 80% of our council tax in interest each year. How much does that work out at? Surprise: £50 million!

Our legal advisers say that Newham’s mayor, Sir Robin Wales, could put a stop to all this by taking the banks to court for mis-selling, just like we can do with PPI.

Help us get our money back from the banks by signing this petition.

If you support our efforts and live in the the ward, please make sure to vote Green on the 14th July.

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