Lew Cent Focus 1209

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Focus

Meet Max Calò Max Calò is a Lib Dem campaigner in Lewisham Central ward. We find out a bit more about him... Max Calò lives with his wife and their daughter in central Lewisham and has lived in the area for over 10 years. By profession, Max is a cartoonist and graphic artist. He always has a sketchbook in his pocket and loves to draw people and places. During the time he’s lived in the area, Max has had a big impact on the council and the local community. Max is known by many locally as the person who helped save Ladywell Pool. Max was at the forefront of the campaign, organising public meetings, petition tables and mass lobbying of the council and ultimately leading the campaign to victory. Max has been

involved with a number of other local initiatives too. Most recently he kickstarted the campaign for an Arts and Community centre in Hither Green.

commuter belt. What started as a vocation has become a condition and must be cured,” says Max.

Max writes about local issues on his He's greatly concerned with the lack of blog, almost daily. He says you're all spaces for the community and very welcome to log on and leave a opportunities for the different comment. generations to connect with each other. Max also thinks that the focus of Lewisham council should be towards building a functioning local economy. “If there were more people around, working during the day, local cafes would be able to sell more lunches, streets would be safer and opportunities for local employment would strengthen bonds through the community.” “We must stop focusing on residential development, and balance our suburban nature of the

Advice Surgeries Your Lib Dem councillors hold open advice surgeries twice a month... First Saturday of each month from 11am to 12noon at St. Swithin’s Church on Hither Green Lane. Third Saturday of each month from 11am to 12noon at Lewisham Library.

Sign our petition for more Police on the beat I / we the undersigned call on the Government to recruit 10,000 extra UK Police to patrol our streets. This should be paid for with the money saved from scrapping plans for ID cards.

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Lewisham Central & Hither Green

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December 2009

Call time on crime

Your local Lib Dem team

Knife related crime up 25% across the borough Lib Dems call for 10,000 more Police across the country Lib Dem prospective MP, Tam Langley, is calling for a huge boost to police numbers, to tackle the rise in violent crime in Lewisham. In the past year knife crime has risen 25% according to figures released by the Labour-run Council. Statistics from the Metropolitan Police show 770 violent crimes in a single month across the borough.

Max Calò 8690 4242 [email protected] http://maxink.wordpress.com/

Former Police chief, Brian Paddick, discusses Lewisham’s crime figures with Lib Dem prospective MP, Tam Langley.

Tam says, “People keep on telling me how worried they are about violent crime in Lewisham. Far too many teenagers are victims of muggings or assaults. As a parent myself I sympathise with parents I’ve met locally who worry about their kids going to and from school.”

Cllr. Dave Edgerton 8691 3052 [email protected] www.davidedgerton.mycouncillor.org.uk

Tam has worked on cutting crime with some of Britain’s top experts. She said, “It’s important that we don’t give in to the fear of crime, there is a real problem here that we need to deal with. That’s why the Lib Dems are calling our petition calling for 10,000 more police across the country. We would pay for for 10,000 more Police this with the money saved by scrapping Labour’s ID card on the beat. See back scheme.” page or sign online:

SIGN

“Labour have passed thousands of laws instead of addressing the root causes of crime or recruiting enough police to cut crime. It’s the police, not plastic, that cut crime,” Tam added.

James Jennings 07957 421919 [email protected] www.thiswaytolewisham.blogspot.com

http://bit.ly/4PEu9o

Tam Langley - Lib Dem Prospective MP for Lewisham Deptford

Chris Maines - Lib Dem candidate for Mayor of Lewisham

[email protected]

[email protected]

Cllr. Andrew Milton 8698 5119 [email protected] http://20six.co.uk/andrewmilton

What a waste! Over £400,000 spent keeping the Ladywell Playtower empty The “Playtower” on Ladywell Road has been empty for years. The building used to be home for a number of local community projects. The Lib Dems have discovered it’s not just space that’s going to waste - it’s money too! £419,401 is how much the council has spent on 24 hour security on the Playtower, since May 2006.

The money spent on years of 24-hour security would have paid for some basic works and would have allowed the building to remain in use. The sorry state it is now, and the likely consequent cost of a refurbishment today, was an entirely predictable consequence of the lack of action by the council. In fact, it was predicted by many.

Listening to Lewisham

Lib Dems slam unfair Caribbean air tax • Floella Benjamin backs Lib Dem campaign proposed Air Passenger Duty discriminates against every single member of the The Labour Government is Caribbean community in planning to tax Caribbean Britain. It will hit families passengers at a higher rate very hard indeed, to say than those travelling to the nothing of its impact on the already hard-hit west coast of the United Caribbean tourism States, which is further economy - a key source away from the UK. of revenue for most of The Lib Dems want flight the region." taxes to be based on the distance travelled and the Tam Langley, Lib Dem carbon dioxide levels they prospective MP, says, "Flight taxes should be emit. based on distance and Broadcaster, Floella carbon dioxide emissions, Benjamin OBE, has joined not on arbitrary and unfair the Lib Dem campaign for boundaries drawn up by a a fairer tax. government minister. Labour's plans don't Floella commented, "The

The Lib Dems are calling on the Government to rethink their planned Air Passenger Duty.

Lib Dems Sarah Teather MP and Floella Benjamin fighting the unfair Caribbean air tax protect the environment, they're just unfair".

will govern with integrity, honesty, trustworthiness, Floella Benjamin has urged common sense and morality.” voters to support the Lib Dems saying, “At the next You can support our election voters have the campaign online by visiting chance to alter the balance of power by giving their vote to a party I believe

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already the main opposition to Labour in Lewisham, with 17 councillors across the borough. In Chris Maines we have a strong and Labour have run Lewisham experienced candidate for Mayor of Lewisham. for nearly 40 years and run the country for twelve Electing a Lib Dem Mayor years. It's time for real and MP to work alongside change, and round here's our team of councillors it's only the Lib Dems who will give Lewisham a fresh can deliver. start.

Under Labour we have the The Liberal Democrats are highest Council Tax in

www.listentolewisham.org

Issues raised by local residents recently include: Poor access to Hither Green station for wheelchair users and parents with buggies, overcrowded trains and buses, no oyster pay-as-you-go at national rail stations and useless information boards at London Bridge. You can take the transport survey at www.listentolewisham.org or you can email comments directly to [email protected].

Government cuts threaten Freedom Pass Government cuts threaten the Freedom Pass, which gives pensioners free travel on London’s transport. Labour are planning to take away almost £2 million from Lewisham that is currently used to fund public transport, equivalent to £20 on council tax. Local Lib Dem councillor David Edgerton says, “The Freedom Pass has been a lifeline for many people, an opportunity to travel around London and enjoy their retirement. It must be protected and guarantees given that its use will not be restricted in the future.”

By Chris Maines Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of Lewisham

Compare that with the visionless redevelopment of Lewisham Town Centre. Lewisham's Labour council have pushed through a soul-less high rise over-development that local residents are unhappy with, and does little to address climate change. If Liberal Democrat Southwark Council can create a carbon positive development, why can’t Labour in Lewisham? Action to deal with the environment is a key issue for many Lewisham residents. Across London, Liberal Democrat councils manage to achieve recycling rates in excess of 30% - in Labour-run Lewisham the rate has plummeted to only 16.6%. People who care about the environment realise we need a change in Lewisham. As the largest opposition party in Lewisham, only the Lib Dems are strong enough to provide that change. We need local action to address the global problems of climate change; we need Liberal Democrats running Lewisham Council.

Lewisham. This will be used to put pressure on Transport for London and the train and bus companies to improve services.

inner London, 20,000 people waiting for a house, recycling rates are falling and crime seems to be getting worse by the day.

Making a difference Former President Bill Clinton was in London recently talking about the need to tackle climate change. He praised Southwark Council's redevelopment of Elephant and Castle as a global example for sustainable growth. Liberal Democrat-run Southwark Council is revamping "The Elephant" into a retail and residential development that will release less carbon dioxide than it uses.

Transport - have your say GROT Local Lib Dem campaigner Max Calò has launched a transport SPOTS survey to tackle transport problems in Hither Green and central he Liberal Democrats in Lewisham are committed to listening to local residents. That’s why our team has knocked on nearly 30,000 doors since the start of the year to find out what concerns local people. Many people have told us they feel completely let down by Labour.

Maines4Mayor

James and the forgotten billboard on Hither Green Lane.

Lib Dem Mayoral candidate, Chris Maines, says Lewisham’s recycling rates are amongst the worst in London.