Dear <<First Name>>,
 
Welcome to my latest e-newsletter

Firstly, Happy New Year. Apologies this email is a bit late coming - I've been ill this month (the perils of having only one councillor in a ward...) and I've been planning a wedding! My partner Alex agreed to marry me over Christmas and we're looking forward to the reception at Limehouse Town Hall later this year.



In Limehouse

• The application to install five new pontoons on Limehouse Basin was rejected by the council's planning committee last Thursday. This came after significant concern from residents on and around the basin about loss of water space and pollution. Well done to everybody who made their voice heard.

• The application to redevelop the Sailmakers site on Commercial Road (opposite St Anne's church) was agreed by the planning committee on Thursday. The Mile End councillors and I had expressed concerns about the relative lack of social and affordable housing on the site. While the site coming back into use is welcome, this is a missed opportunity. The campaign did yield an additional unit of social housing (in spite of their protests they couldn't afford any more on the site) though, which was a consolation.

• Council officers presented some plans to slow down rogue cyclists in Ropemakers Fields park. Thank you if you fed back your view on these plans. The feedback is being reviewed and plans revised accordingly. Watch this space for new as it comes....

• I have met twice with Tower Hamlets Homes (THH) and council officers about Malting and Brewster Houses in the past few weeks. The safety inspections have now been completed and THH are waiting for contracts for refurbishment work. Once these have been received, the process will begin for the council to release the significant funds needed for this. A public meeting will be held when this has taken place- around end the end of February.   

• I met with the Canal and River Trust before Christmas to discuss several issues round the basin, including the proposed weekly market. This is is proposed to be starting in the spring.

• The council published its draft budget over Christmas. This will shape cuncil service for the next few years. It is currently going through the scrutiny process before coming to full council at the end of February. You can read more about it by clicking here.

• Conservative Brexit chaos delayed the publication of the local government settlement before Christmas. Council's didn't know how much they would have to spend, which frustrated budget planning across the country. Tower Hamlet's Brexit impact assessment will be published on 14th February. It has also put together this toolkit for EU citizens resident in the borough, which you can access by clicking here.

• Improving our children's services is a key priority of the borough- it is something I'm engaged with as a member of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee. A recent Ofsted inspection have noted ongoing improvement. 

• The council recently agreed a new homelessness strategy. It has also activated Sever Weather Protocol for rough sleepers. You can find out more by clicking here.

 Coming up

• Limehouse Community Forum AGM - Today (Tuesday 29th January) at Barley Mow Estate TRA Hall from 7.30pm

Best wishes,

James King
Labour Councillor for Limehouse
 
P.S. I want as many people in Limehouse to know how I’m working for them. Please pass this email on to your friends and neighbours and encourage them to sign up for future updates.