http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/newsarchive.php Recent News Stories from Hounslow Liberal Democrats en-GB Hounslow Liberal Democrats http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/ Prater Raines Ltd http://www.praterraines.co.uk/ (c) 2010 Hounslow Liberal Democrats 2010-03-14T11:06+00:00 United Kingdom http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000381/cable_dakers_and_actor_susan_penhaligon_join_forces_over_houseboat_charges.html Vincent Cable MP and Cllr Andrew Dakers (Lib Dem Prospective MP for Brentford & Isleworth) are working with actress Susan Penhaligon (famous for the series "Bouquet of Barbed Wire") to highlight the plight of residential boat owners on the Thames faced with massive increases in licence fees from the Port of London Authority (PLA). Susan Penhaligon, who has a boat at Kew Bridge, has launched a campaign with her fellow residential boat owners. 2010-03-08T00:00+00:00 http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000380/lib_dem_alternative_council_budget_to_help_jobless_people_in_housing_need_and_small_business.html Hounslow Liberal Democrats have launched their alternative Council budget ahead of the Council tax-setting meeting on Tuesday 2 March. Group leader Cllr Dakers says the Conservative minority administration's budget will hit Social Care services, run the Council's limited reserves down too rapidly and offer little hope for those seeking a job or easier access to improved housing. The Lib Dems also set out detailed plans for regenerating Gunnersbury Park and the local history museum. They want to resecure the Cranford Agreement through an Act of Parliament to prevent Heathrow expansion. 2010-02-24T18:00+00:00 http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000379/message_of_support_for_residents_fighting_thames_water_as_prospective_lib_dem_mp_launches_mogden_storm_tanks_petition.html An online petition from Hounslow Liberal Democrats has gone live that backs up Cllr Dakers and Vince Cable's call last Autumn for the six remaining storm tanks at Mogden Sewage to be covered. Cllr Dakers has also given his backing to residents action against Thames Water which is currently underway at the High Court. 2010-02-24T00:00+00:00 http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000378/fix_hounslow_town_centre_say_lib_dems.html Liberal Democrats have launched a new petition setting out local peoples' concerns at the decline of Hounslow Town Centre. In 2008 the council paid consultants £175,000 to speak to local residents, businesses and employees and draw up plans on how Hounslow town centre could be improved. Whilst Lib Dems welcomed the work of EDAW on the Town Centre vision 'A brighter future for Hounslow town centre', published last January, they are highlighting that progress has now slowed. 2010-02-20T00:00+00:00 http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000377/kew_bridge_site_plans_approved_as_cllr_dakers_calls_for_more_improvements.html At Planning Committee on 17 February Cllr Dakers explained that his view was that if St George's Kew Bridge scheme went to appeal he was doubtful it would be turned down again by a Planning inspector, but the community would incur considerable cost. His conclusion was therefore on balance that the community was best off accepting the scheme as is now presented. 2010-02-18T00:00+00:00 http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000376/cllr_dakers_calls_on_hotels_to_carry_brentford_name_with_pride.html Lib Dem Brentford Ward Councillor Andrew Dakers has today revealed that he is corresponding with the Chief Executives of both Travelodge and Premier Inn urging them to rebrand their local hotels as Brentford not Kew. Many local residents have expressed their disappointed to the councillor over the years at how these businesses have shunned the name of the place in which they are operating. Cllr Dakers is arguing to the hotel CEOs that as the home to Brentford FC, GSK, Brompton Bicycles - and with an extraordinary heritage - Brentford is a place the hotel chains should be proud to have invested. 2010-02-17T16:22+00:00 http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000375/cluck_cluck_cluck__lib_dems__independents_secure_switch_of_25000_eggs_to_free_range.html Lib Dems and Independents this week celebrated the local authority agreeing to switch from buying 25,000+ caged eggs per annum to barn or free range eggs. In a joint campaign Cllrs Andrew Dakers and Caroline Andrews researched the issue and then put a motion to full borough council. This aspect of their motion was passed on Tuesday night. Cllrs Dakers and Andrews will be continuing to push for the Council to phase out food products containing unsustainable palm oil and join the Sustainable Restaurants Association to further improve standards. The Conservative councillors responsible have committed to explore both of these issues further. 2010-01-31T00:00+00:00 http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000374/hounslow_council_must_make_gunnersbury_new_year_resolution__lib_dems.html Hounslow and Ealing Liberal Democrats are calling on Hounslow Council to follow Ealing Council's lead and identify the capital to fund their contribution to the regeneration of Gunnersbury Park of Gunnersbury Park, mansions and local history museum. This follows the Lib Dems' success, along with other local campaigners, in persuading Ealing Tories to commit to not building on the corner of the park. Hounslow Liberal Democrats are now tabling a motion at Borough Council on 2 March calling for a capital fund to be built up with a contribution of £1m per annum from Hounslow over the next 7-8 years backed by the local authority. 2010-01-25T15:15+00:00 http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000371/lib_dems_back_urgent_appeal_for_funds_to_support_high_court_appeal_against_moorings_where_grand_union_meets_river_thames.html Brentford Community Council's Waterways sub-committee has today issued an urgent call for support to raise £3000 in the next week to help fund an appeal in the High Court of planning permission granted to moor boats where the River Brent meets the River Thames. The appeal has also been supported by the Environmental Law Foundation and monies raised will fund their continued work on the case. 2010-01-08T00:00+00:00 http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000373/time_for_nhs_hounslow_chief_exec_to_engage_with_isleworth__brentford_councillors.html Cllr Andrew Dakers, Leader of Hounslow Liberal Democrats, today raised his concerns in public at the Chief Exec of NHS Hounslow, Nick Relph's, lack of engagement with councillors in Isleworth & Brentford - one of the fastest growing parts of Hounslow Borough. Mr Relph was invited this Autumn by local area committee chair Cllr Shirley Fisher to speak to local councillors on the trust's current development plans, but has to date not made himself available. Mr Relph was recently revealed by the Taxpayers Alliance as one of the highest earners in the public sector with a salary of £202,500 per annum. UPDATE: The Chair of NHS Hounslow has agreed to speak to the local area committee in March, although the Mr Relph is still unavailable to attend. 2009-12-22T00:00+00:00 http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000372/lib_dems_urge_speedy_conclusion_to_gunnersbury_funding_fiasco.html Hounslow and Ealing Liberal Democrats today reiterated calls for capital funding to be identified urgently for the regeneration of Gunnersbury Park, mansions and local history museum. Over the past two weeks - at both the Joint Advisory Group and Stakeholder Meeting - they urged Hounslow and Ealing Tory administrations to resolve how they will plug the funding gap. At their AGM on Sunday 6th December the Friends of Gunnersbury Park and Museum decided to call on the Secretary of State and English Heritage to put a Repairs Notice on both Councils directing them to immediately repair the stables and other buildings at risk in the park. 2009-12-15T00:00+00:00 http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000370/dakers_welcomes_approval_of_development_plans_for_alfa_laval_great_west_road_site.html After due consideration Cllr Dakers supported proposals for a 'mixed use' development scheme brought to Hounslow's Sustainable Development Committee (25 Nov) for the former Alfa Laval site on the Great West Road. The scheme will include refurbishment of the Alfa Building for use as a 180-bed hotel and redevelopment of the remainder of the site to provide a 151-bed hotel, 4,677 sqm offices, 228 sqm retail/community use, 206 flats, maisonettes and houses, together with associated public and private open spaces, access, service areas, plant, landscaping and 351 car parking spaces. A number of green innovations, such as roof top allotments and beehives, should be included in the scheme. Cllr Dakers has been encouraging more sustainable design for sites across the borough over the past four years. 2009-12-02T00:00+00:00 http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000365/newly_selected_lib_dem_team_for_brentford_launch_website.html The newly selected team of Lib Dem Council candidates for Brentford ward in the May 2010 elections officially launched their Brentford Focus website today after two months of beta testing. The website provides background on the local team, information on local issues and a number of ways to keep in touch with the team. 2009-12-01T00:00+00:00 http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000366/lib_dems_launch_5_minute_survey_for_2010_hounslow_manifesto.html Hounslow Lib Dems today launched the start of their community consultation on their Hounslow manifesto for the 2010 local elections. The survey can be completed in just five minutes and invites local residents to prioritise spending areas and suggest practical ideas across the full range of local government services. 2009-12-01T00:00+00:00 http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000368/a_1400_tax_cut_for_every_working_couple_in_hounslow_borough__dakers.html Liberal Democrat prospective MP for Brentford & Isleworth Constituency, Cllr Andrew Dakers, today welcomed the party's new plans to bring in a fairer tax system. Under the Liberal Democrats no-one will pay a penny's tax on the first £10,000 they earn each year. The proposals give every working person a £700 tax cut - £1,400 less tax a year for every working couple. Pensioners will each receive a £100 tax cut. And 4 million of the poorest people will be taken out of paying income tax completely. 2009-11-30T00:00+00:00