Due to the escalating situation in Lebanon, all British Citizens in the country are being advised to register with the UK Government.
If someone you know is in Lebanon, please tell them to follow this link and input their details. If they cannot access the website, they can call +44 1767 667 600 to speak with the Foreign Office's helpline.
COFFEE MORNINGS IN MORTLAKE AND KINGSTON VALE
As Conference Recess comes to an end, I've been meeting with residents from Mortlake and Kingston Vale to hear about the local and national issues that have been on their minds over the last few months. In Mortlake, it was unsurprising that issues around traffic and Hammersmith Bridge came up on several occasions, but with the bridge task force set to meet later in the year and a new Government in place, it does feel as if progress is being made.
It was also great to meet so many of my Kingston Vale residents yesterday. During this meeting, I was concerned to hear how the 85 bus has declined in recent months. This service, which was previously so reliable, is a lifeline for this corner of our community and it's extremely concerning to hear how often buses are cancelled or delayed. There was also extensive discussion regarding the burst sewage main on Derwent Avenue which has resulted in lane closures and tailbacks along the A308. I am pleased to say that following this meeting, Thames Water have completed their repairs and are demobilising from the site.
If you missed my coffee mornings, but would like to attend one in the future, I will be hosting more coffee mornings and evening briefings later in the year. I look forward to seeing you there.
TEDDINGTON DRA: CHANGES TO THE SCHEME
Yesterday afternoon, I met with Thames Water's team to discuss the latest changes to their highly controversial Teddington DRA scheme which will be going to public consultation this weekend.
While I have covered many of these changes in previous newsletters, the major new development is that Thames Water have, after extensive lobbying by local MPs, the council, and the community, agreed that the "sweetening flow" should not be put into the river above Teddington Lock.
This means that 15 million litres of effluent a day will not be piped into this section of the river, but will instead join the main Mogden outflow at Isleworth. This is a definite step in the right direction as it means the DRA will only impact the water quality of the area above Teddington Lock during periods when it is operational (Thames Water estimate this to be once every two years).
While this is good news, it does not change the fact that the scheme was ill-conceived from the start. Although I am pleased that the company has seen reason and made this adjustment, I believe that the fundamental flaws in the proposal are insurmountable without a total redesign. I remain committed to blocking the DRA and will do all I can to protect our community, green spaces, and the river.
CROSS QUESTIONS WITH IAIN DALE
On Tuesday night, I joined Iain Dale and a panel of commentators on LBC's Cross Questions to discuss the week's events and issues raised by callers. Due to the escalating situation in Lebanon and the Middle East, the discussion was dominated by these events and the role of the United Kingdom in the region going forward.
For my part, I highlighted how vital it is that there is de-escalation of this terrible conflict. While the Liberal Democrats support the use of UK forces to prevent loss of life from Iran's missile attack, the Government now needs to put its full diplomatic weight behind convincing Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu not to retaliate.
FULL OF LIFE FAIR
It was a pleasure to visit the Full of Life Fair on Friday last week to meet with so many of the excellent organisations working in our community. It was particularly lovely to meet with Karen King from the Cambrian Centre who told us about the new kitchen they were building with support from Richmond Council.
It was also a pleasure to meet with the teams behind SSFA (a charity which supports ex-service members and their families), VISOR (who support blind and people with limited vision), Richmond Talking Newspapers, and AGEUK.
If you missed the fair, but still want to know what services are available in our community, you can learn more about the Full of Life Fair by following the link here.
RUILS: DECAYING HOMES, FORGOTTEN LIVES
Last week, I joined MPs, councillors, social housing providers and local residents for the charity RUILS' presentation of their report Decaying Homes, Forgotten Lives. This report summarises the experiences of over a hundred households living in social housing in Richmond. Of those surveyed, 50% had experienced more than 5 serious disrepair issues since taking occupancy. Of these issues, over half were related to ill fitting windows, damp and mould, or broken boilers and only 44% received a response to their query within a month.
Social housing providers must do better, and while most of Richmond's major providers were there to hear this message and commit to a change, one was notable in its absence. I will be writing to PA Housing to express my concern at their refusal to attend this vital meeting, urging them to make a clear, public statement that they will work to improve their service.
ST RICHARD'S 60TH BIRTHDAY TEA PARTY
It was a pleasure to visit St Richard's Church in Ham over the weekend for the 6oth anniversary of Church's foundation stone being laid. I am incredibly pleased to say that this unique building in the heart of Ham has now been granted listed status and it is my hope that it will continue to play host to our community for decades to come.
Unfortunately, St Richard's is in a difficult situation. Its unique roof is in dire need of replacement and if you have the means to help maintain this beautiful community structure, I would urge you to visit their fundraiser here.
E-BIKES IN THE CONSTITUENCY
Regular users of e-bikes in the constituency will have noticed that Forest and River vehicles can no longer be used within the boundaries of Richmond upon Thames (however they do remain operational in Kingston).
The bikes can no longer be used in the borough as they have never had an agreement with the Council allowing them to operate. This has meant that after extended conversations, the Council had to take the decision to "geo-fence" the borough, meaning riders will not be able to park within the borough's boundaries.
You are still able to hire Lime Bikes in the constituency, and I have been speaking with Lime regularly about ongoing concerns related to e-bikes blocking pavements or public spaces. If you see one of these bikes parked incorrectly you can either report them through the app, by emailing London-ops@li.me, or by clicking the link here.
COMMUNITY NEWS
KINGSTON REPAIR CAFE
The Repair Café will be back in Kingston Library's community room tomorrow.
Transition Town Kingston's Repair Café can help residents to save money, keep repairable stuff out of the waste system, and learn new skills. Visitors can bring all sorts of broken items to fix on the spot with the help of their volunteer repairers with refreshments while you wait, watch and learn.
Electricals and electronics are usually their busiest tables, with textiles just behind, but they can tackle all kinds of other repairs, including small items of furniture - find out more with the link here.
STREETW!SE CAMPAIGN
Local campaign group Mothers Against Mugging have just received funding from the Richmond Safer Neighbourhood Board to expand their StreetW!se campaign focused on giving children and young people the skills to protect them from criminals as they take their first steps towards independence.
The StreetW!se Campaign offers helpful, simple advice to both young people and their parents regarding what they can do to reduce the chance of being mugged and what to do if they are robbed. If you have young teenagers, I would highly recommend visiting their website to learn more.
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