Cllr Johar Khan

Dozens of High Street residents joined Cllr James O’Rourke, Cllr Johar Khan, Lib Dem Walthamstow Parliamentary Candidate, Farid Ahmed, and Focus team member, Mahmood Hussain, to demonstrate against Labour’s proposal for a drug rehabilitation centre in the former St James Street Library.

High Street councillor, Liaquat Ali, who recently became the latest Labour member of the Councils cabinet suprised everyone by turning up. Cllr Ali’s refusal to provide a straight answer to Cllrs O’Rourke and Khan’s dogged questioning asking whether he would simply vote YES or NO when his party presents the proposal again at July’s cabinet did not impress residents.

Cllr’s O’Rourke and Khan said: “The proposed location of a DAT in the former library is totally inappropriate being right in the middle of four primary schools and on the main route to the shopping area in High Street. Labour needs to think again and Cllr Ali needs to keep his promises.”  

The demonstration follows an open letter from Cllrs O’Rourke and Khan to Cllr Ali asking him to honor the commitments he made to residents by voting against the proposal now he is a member of the Councils Cabinet. Labour members continue to push through proposals to house a drug rehabilitation centre (DAT) at the former St James Street Library in Coppermill Lane. Click here to see a copy of the letter.

Local Liberal Democrat councillors have met for a second time with the UK’s largest independent cinema operators to discuss the historic former EMD building in Walthamstow - on the same day that the Council’s portfolio holder for regeneration appeared to dash resident’s hopes that the venue would ever be restored as a cinema.

Lyn Goleby, Managing Director of City Screen - the owner of Stratford’s popular Picture House cinema - met at Waltham Forest Town Hall with the borough’s Chief Executive Andrew Kilburn, Liberal Democrat group Leader John Macklin and High St councillor James O’Rourke to discuss previous Council-commissioned reports which made the business case for a 5-screen cinema on the EMD site.

The building is owned by the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG), but recent comments from the UCKG have seemed to suggest that the Church would consider moving if an offer was made for the building.

Cllr O’Rourke said that the meeting with City Screen had been organised in order to ensure all parties could “hear another perspective” on claims that the site was not viable as a cinema.

However, just hours later Council portfolio holder Terry Wheeler appeared to strongly rule out any future for the building as a cinema. (Click here to read the Waltham Forest Guardian’s report on Cllr Wheeler’s comments).

Local Lib Dem leader Cllr John Macklin, who was in attendance at the meeting with City Screen, said:

“I have met with UCKG representatives and very much welcome the efforts they have made to begin engaging with residents and councillors. Of course I recognise the legal restrictions which are associated with planning law and respect the UCKG’s position as owners of the site.

“Yet it is completely wrong for the Council - which is led on this issue by Cllr Wheeler - to be seen to be so completely dismissive of the apparent strength of public opinion on this matter. It is the misinformation and manoeuvring that has taken place over a number of years that has fed such confusion and dismay amongst residents.

“Conflicting reports over the viability of the site as a cinema, false promises of Council action and meetings held behind closed doors have all led to an environment of distrust and anger.

“As I have said before, it is simply not good enough to appear to just tell Walthamstow residents what they want in their area.”

Click here to see previous EMD articles.

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Pressure from local Liberal Democrat councillors has forced a delay to controversial proposals to convert the former St James St library building in High St into a drug treatment centre. 

Lib Dem councillors have now been informed that the report containing the proposal – due to go before the Council’s Cabinet at the end of June – has now been withdrawn from the agenda.  It is unclear at this stage when, and in what form, the report will return to Cabinet. 

The Liberal Democrats opposition to the location of the DAT (Drug Action Team) centre mirrors protests from local residents, who have expressed their concerns about the planned conversion of the building.  Local Lib Dem leader Cllr John Macklin recently reaffirmed his group’s opposition to the plans, noting that whilst a drug treatment centre was needed in the local area, the planned conversion of the former library building was “inappropriate”. 

High St Liberal Democrats have called on local Labour councillor Liaquat Ali to reaffirm his opposition to the proposal after he spoke out against it in a recent Community Council meeting.  In an open letter to the Labour High St member, local Lib Dem councillors James O’Rourke and Johar Khan called on Cllr Ali to “honour his commitment to the residents of High St ward by voting against the proposal”. Cllr Ali has since been appointed by Labour as a member of the Council Cabinet, and his continued opposition – coupled with ‘no’ votes from the Liberal Democrats – would see Cabinet split 50/50 on the proposal.  

Cllr James O’Rourke said: “I hope that the delaying of this report will enable those behind the proposal to go away and reconsider plans for the location of the Drug Action Team centre. 

“Local residents have made their views on these plans very clear, and I am pleased that our pressure on this issue appears to have forced a rethink.  A drug treatment centre is an important and necessary service for our area, but it must be in a location appropriate for both service users and local residents.” 

“This delay will hopefully give Liaquat Ali an opportunity to confirm his opposition to his colleagues plans and encourage those behind them to find a solution that better suits local needs”.

Liberal Democrat High Street ward Councillors, James O’Rourke and Johar Khan, have had confirmation that a report ‘Proposal for the Future Use of the Former St James’s Library Premises for the Drug Action Team’ is to be presented to Cabinet on the 25th June.

Cllrs O’Rourke and Khan have written an open letter to Cllr Liaquat Ali, the Labour councillor for High Street, asking him to honor the commitments he made to residents at the last West Walthamstow Community Council by voting against the proposal now he is a member of the Councils Cabinet. See letter below.

Liaquat Ali_DAT Proposal - 09.06.09

New council leader, Chris Robbins, has described the empty Arcade site as “a disgrace” and said “It has been unacceptable that for the past number of years the site has been empty.” in a Guardian article. Click here for full article. 

For the last eight years Cllr Robbins has obediently voted in Cabinet for Labour’s controversial proposals for the site, ignoring the Lib Dems calls for the site to be given temporary usage. Cllr Robbins’ comments are a huge slap in the face to all Labour councillors who have been involved in this site including the former council leader, Clyde Loakes, and the current Portfolio holder for Enterprise and Investment, Cllr Terry Wheeler - who criticised the Lib Dems suggestions for the site just before his colleague Cllr Robbins agreed to follow our lead!  

Liberal Democrat Parlimentary Candidate for Walthamstow, Farid Ahmed, said: “If Cllr Robbins thinks the Arcade site being empty for the last eight years is such a disgrace, why has he kept the man responsible for this shambles - Cllr Wheeler - in his cabinet?”

“Liberal Democrats - including party leader Nick Clegg - have long said that this site should be given temporary use whilst residents continue to wait for Cllr Wheeler to clear up this mess. My two High Street colleagues, Cllrs James O’Rourke and Johar Khan, just recently amended a council motion to try and get the portfolio holder to let the site be temporarily used” he added.

***UPDATE***

The Waltham Forest Guardian has had its say on Labour’s handling of the Arcade fiasco claiming in their editorial that “…the unforgivable indecisiveness of his (Cllr Robbins’) Labour colleagues (has) let the Arcade embarassment develop into something approaching humiliation…”.

See this weeks Waltham Forest Guardian for more comment on the Arcade debacle.