Posts

Silver Birch Academy Trust: Lost in the Forest?

May 18, 2018 Academies

As this blog has periodically observed, to mere mortals the world of primary and secondary school academies, and in particular their governance, is sometimes rather puzzling. Last Sunday, the Observer featured a local case that well illustrates the point. Silver Birch Academy Trust (SBAT) runs four primary schools with nearly 2,000 pupils, three of which (Chingford Hall Primary Academy, Longshaw Primary Academy, and Whittingham Primary Academy) are in Waltham Forest. Like its peers, SBAT is regulated by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), and subject to periodic inspection. Where the controversy arises is that, according to the Observer, when ESFA inspectors recently visited SBAT... »

LBWF councillors and their register of interests forms: an update and reflection UPDATED

May 10, 2018 Cllr. Anna Mbachu, Cllr. Khevyn Limbajee, Cllr. Simon Miller, Mark Hynes, register of interests, the Labour Party in Waltham Forest

Previous posts have looked at the problems that some councillors are having over accurately filling in their register of interests forms (see links below). What follows summarises the current state of play with the three most egregious cases, all uncovered by residents, and in particular looks at how LBWF Director of Governance and Law Mark Hynes has handled them. So, starting with the three cases, this is how they stand: Cllr. Anna Mbachu In the autumn of 2017, it emerged that Cllr. Mbachu had not disclosed that she was a director of a private property letting company called Knice Industries Ltd., and in fact had been so since February 2016. Mr. Hynes response was that ‘strictly speaking’ t... »

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Steven Saxby, the ‘red vicar’ of Walthamstow, and Mr. Mahmood ul Hassan Raja, the ex-imam who praised an Islamist killer, but joined the Labour Party because ‘Mr. Corbyn will fix knife crime’.

April 28, 2018 Momentum, the Labour Party in Waltham Forest

A good barometer of Labour’s ongoing moral collapse is the ever-expanding list of questionable characters who are currently being welcomed into its ranks, even (as Guido Fawkes regularly demonstrates) chosen to stand for the party at elections. No one with a few pounds to spare, it seems, is beyond the pale. Recently, the blog Harry’s Place published details of yet another revealing case, this time in Waltham Forest. The dramatis personae are three close pals, Canon Steven Saxby of St Barnabas Church Walthamstow, a Momentum activist; Mr. Mahmood ul Hassan Raja, said to be an ex-imam at Lea Bridge Rd. mosque; and (in a supporting, though still notable, role) Mr. Khalid Iqbal Malik, a ‘s... »

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Waltham Forest Matters: 100,000 views up

April 18, 2018 Uncategorized

In the past few weeks, Waltham Forest Matters has sailed through the ‘100,000 views’ mark. As is obvious, ‘view’ does not mean ‘read’, and ‘read’ does not mean ‘digest’, let alone ‘agree’. Nevertheless, those caveats accepted, the milestone does indicate that (a) there is an appetite for discussion about the way that Waltham Forest is evolving, which can only be a good thing; and (b) despite the vast amount that LBWF spends on PR and spin, not everyone accepts its much proffered version of the truth. Anyway, warm thanks to all our readers. »

Redevelopment in Waltham Forest: the shocking fate of Section 106 ‘planning gain’ UPDATED

April 18, 2018 Redevelopment

In recent years, there has been growing unease in Waltham Forest about the character of redevelopment, particularly in terms of the balance between public and private good. While LBWF in theory is charged with advancing the interests of local residents, there is a feeling that all too often it has tiptoed around the big property companies now operating in the borough, meaning that what is built tends to cater for those with ready money, and overlook those without. Readers will no doubt have their own views on these matters, but one important detail that has escaped much attention is the so called ‘planning gain’ that accrues to LBWF as building work continues, and may be used to soften the r... »

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