Holocaust Remembrance, Checking on the Council and Counting PCNs

Chiswick Riverside Councillor Peter Thompson reports on his week

Cllr Peter Thompson

January 29, 2023

Never Again

Schools across the country will have marked Holocaust Memorial Day which falls on 27th January - the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp. In my own school, I delivered assemblies to help our students remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, alongside the millions of other people killed under Nazi persecution of other groups and during more recent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

I firmly believe that the more we learn about the past the more we will do to create a safer future. I was shocked to read in The Times this week that almost one in four Dutch people born after 1980 think the Holocaust is “a myth” or that the number of Jewish people killed by the Nazis is “greatly exaggerated”. Thankfully the figure is far lower in the UK but these sorts of headlines are a reminder of why we must remember.

In the words of the Holocaust Day Memorial Trust “Our world often feels fragile and vulnerable and we cannot be complacent. Even in the UK, prejudice and the language of hatred must be challenged by us all.”

Checks and balances

One of the key roles of opposition – both in local and national government – is to provide ‘checks and balances’ on those in power. We work hard to challenge council policy, ask questions which probe the controlling group’s policies and delivery and seek to hold the controlling group and individual cabinet members to account. Therefore, the weeks leading up to a Borough Council meeting are a busy time for us as we create questions and motions to discuss and consider our approach.

At this week's Borough Council my colleague Cllr Jack Emsley will be asking why it is that less than half of local Homes for Ukraine sponsors have received their promised support payments from the Council. This scheme was launched over 10 months ago and over 70 host families are still on the waiting list for local authority support.

My ward colleague, Cllr Gabriella Giles, will be asking the Cabinet Member for Climate, Environment and Transport Strategy if she accepts “that the South Chiswick Liveable Neighbourhood project is causing problems regarding visitor access, speeding across the area, confusion regarding access via Thames Road and the lack of non-resident access from Staveley Road, and increased traffic on Burlington Lanes because of the introduction of a barrier on Staveley Road?” Those of us who live in Grove Park and Strand on the Green – I refuse to refer to my area as “South Chiswick” – will be interested in her reply.

Our motion this month was inspired by the tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak who died from severe respiratory problems, with fungus in his blood and lungs, caused by mould and dampness in his home. The Government has told all councils across England to make an urgent assessment of housing conditions for tenants with a particular focus on issues of dampness and mould, and enforcement action being taken. Everyone has the right to feel safe in their homes and all accommodations in the borough - whether social or private and whether managed by Hounslow Housing, housing associations or private landlords – must meet safety and quality standards.

Zero, Zip, Zilch, Nada

We are rapidly approaching the time of the year when the Council sets the Council Tax. I know that local finance is a complex area as every year there seems to be a rise in demand for services, budgets get tighter and costs increase. However, I also know that people expect to be informed and consulted about how services are going to be run and how their money is going to be raised and spent.

Consulting over the budget is never straightforward. When I was the Leader of the Council I was sent to the various Area Forums across the Borough, I was grilled by my fellow councillors on Scrutiny Panels, I watched focus groups being questioned and Citizen’s Panels being quizzed on their priorities and views about Council services. This year nothing is happening. If you google Hounslow Council Tax Consultation you will find some information on what was decided for last year’s budget. If you type in Council Tax Consultation you will find other Councils consulting on their plans for 2023/24! The ultimate decision on spending and what level of council tax to set obviously rests with the Labour Group but don’t they want to know your priorities and how far people are prepared to go to fund public services in Hounslow?

Play Your Cards Right

I can remember watching Bruce Forsyth inviting a couple of contestants to guess how many of a survey of 100 people gave a certain answer to a question. Then a second couple would guess whether the actual number was higher or lower than the first couple's guess – it is probably easier to watch a clip on YouTube! I was reminded of all this by the ongoing controversy about how much the Council is raking in fines from PCN’s issued at Staveley Road and Hartington Road. We are told that is definitely lower than the £20 million that some residents have calculated based on their FOI requests but it could well be higher than the £10 million that was initially ridiculed by some! Others then jump in and say the figure that matters is lower because we should only care about those people who live in the area and get fined. Others reply that the higher figure is still important because those non-Chiswick residents who are getting a ticket could be our visiting family members, or tradespeople coming to our homes. The Council admits that it is surprising that the level of PCN’s issues is still so high and that they are looking at the signage – then again they have been saying this since when I was elected last May. What surprises me is that Hounslow can’t tell us how much has been raised in fines. They know how many PCNs are issued, how many get cancelled, how many are paid at the reduced rate and how many at the full amount. I don't know what financial management system the Council is using but surely calculating the total amount isn’t rocket science?

Cllr Peter Thompson

peter.thompson@hounslow.gov.uk

07977 395810

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Tuesday, 31 January at 7:30pm: Borough council

Thursday, 2nd February at 7:00pm: Planning Committee

Tuesday, 21st February at 7:00pm: Cabinet

Tuesday, 28th February at 7:30pm: Budget Setting Meeting Borough council

Thursday, 2nd March at 7:00pm: Planning Committee

Tuesday, 14th March at 7:00pm: Chiswick Area Forum

Tuesday, 28 th March at 7:00pm: Cabinet

CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLOR SURGERIES

Chiswick: Every Saturday from 9.30am to 10.30am at Chiswick Library (the eight Conservative councillors take this surgery in turn).

Gunnersbury: First Saturday of the month from 10am to 11am at The Gunnersbury Triangle Club, Triangle Way, off The Ridgeway, W3 8LU (at least one of the Chiswick Gunnersbury ward councillors takes this surgery). 

CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLORS and CONTACTS

Chiswick Gunnersbury (was Turnham Green) ward

Cllr Joanna Biddolph joanna.biddolph@hounslow.gov.uk 07976 703446

Cllr Ranjit Gill ranjit.gill@hounslow.gov.uk 07976 702956

Cllr Ron Mushiso ron.mushiso@hounslow.gov.uk 07976 702887

Chiswick Homefields ward

Cllr Jack Emsley jack.emsley@hounslow.gov.uk 07977 396017

Cllr Gerald McGregor gerald.mcgregor@hounslow.gov.uk 07866 784821

Cllr John Todd john.todd@hounslow.gov.uk 07866 784651

Chiswick Riverside ward

Cllr Peter Thompson peter.thompson@hounslow.gov.uk 07977 395810

Cllr Gabriella Giles gabriella.giles@hounslow.gov.uk 07966 270823

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