How to write to your local politician!

Write to Them! is a website which helps people write to their local politicians

Here's what you have to do

1. Click this link to get started
2. Put your post code in the box
• Do you need help with your postcode?
• Are you running a campaign?
3. This produces lists and links for the following PLUS  a link to how to contact them for:
• Your Councillors 
• Your London Assembly Members 
• Your Member of Parliament 
• Your Members of the European Parliament

This is an important message, the basic principles of which applies to all politicians.  The example below relates to Local Councillors.

Read this before writing your message

• Please be polite, concise and to the point; if you abuse your Councillor you devalue the service for all users.

• Use your own words (new window); we block copy and pasted identical messages.

• It’s a waste of time (new window) writing to Councillors other than your own; your message will be ignored.

• Read this (new window) to learn when a Councillor can help you – and when they can’t.

We've included a link to this service in the right hand column under "WRITE TO THEM!" - just under the useful telephone numbers

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Ennerdale rubbish problem: DAY 53 and counting......

The lack of resolution for the Ennerdale House waste management problem:  WORKING DAY 46 / ACTUAL DAY 53 and counting.........

MERA is STILL chasing the Council to get a satisfactory resolution of the problem with the rubbish outside the entrance to Ennerdale House.

Monday 20th December 19.00 - the only place for large domestic refuse bags for Ennerdale House residents at Derwent House now full so residents are forced to use recycle bins for general waste resulting in contamination

Monday 20th December 19.00 - the only place for large domestic refuse bags for Ennerdale House residents at Derwent House now full.

This was the scene last night.

• There are still no black bins for rubbish which cannot be recycled and bags which are too large to go down the chute.  
• The rubbish collections are still too infrequent to prevent flytipping and contamination of the recycling bins

What'e even worse it appears the Tower Hamlets Council Complaints People can't even log complaints on to their complaints system properly.

• On 30th November, we told the Waste Manager who looked into the problem that his response was inadequate.  The complaint should then automatically move to the next stage.
• The Corporate Complaints Manager thinks Stage 2 started on 13th December - which was the date we sent an email chasing the lack of a response from Corporate Complaints to our email saying the response was inadequate dated 30th November
• 21 days later our photographs since 30th November spell out why we were correct in saying that the response was no solution at all.

We reckon Tower Hamlets Council have got 5 days left at the current stage of the complaints process.

After that:

• LBTH think the complaint moves to Stage 3 (assuming they had identified the start date correctly for the current stage!)
• MERA believes that this complaint can then go to the Ombudsman - if the problem has not been resolved to our satisfaction.

Let's not forget that this problem was reported as a complaint on 31st October.  On 21st December we are no nearer a solution.  We make that 53 days and counting..........

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Mile End Estate Management Board - queries, comments and complaints

Many local residents have concerns about the development of the Eric & Treby Estate and how it is going to affect them. However many people don't realise that they are able to comment direct to the Council about their concerns. 

You can object to planning proposals if it affects your life, home or amenity.  Here in Tower Hamlets (and every other local authority in the country) the democratic system puts a priority on ordinary residents having an input to important planning decisions which affect their lives.

This means everybody is entitled to comment to the Council about any planning policy or planning application which affects their lives, their property and their amenity (eg peaceful enjoyment of where you live).  

The Minister of Town and Country Planning in 1951 stated that 'anything ugly, dirty, noisy, crowded or uncomfortable may injure the interests of amenity'. Amenity is often a material consideration in planning decisions.

You can even OBJECT if you want to! Not only that but the Council INVITES us to comment if you live nearby!

You can do more than just comment on planning matters.  If you have a concern about a proposed development, you can

• get questions about planning aspects answered by the Council's Planning Officers
• submit an objection to a planning application direct to the Council
• ask the Council's Planning Enforcement Team to take action about developments which deviate from what has been agreed
• contact Highways to express your views about obstructions to the streets and pavements
• contact Environmental Health and ask for support about aspects of developments which constitute a statutory environmental nuisance - such as noise

The important point is that you do NOT have to direct your comments to the applicant (ie EastendHomes) or any intermediary (including the Estate Management Board or MERA).   You can if you choose - but it's your choice.

However you may want to provide your feedback direct to EastendHomes........

How Mile End Estate Management Board handles feedback

This is the Resident Involvement page on the EastendHomes website.  It states

Local delivery of services, decision making and accountability are at the heart of EastendHomes approach.

However some of the Board members on EastendHomes' Mile End Management Board have criticised MERA for representing residents' views direct to the Council's Planning Department!

MERA’s direct complaints to the Planning Department should have been discussed with the Board in the first instance and DO added that MERA’s action had subsequently undermined the Board.
Minutes of Mile End Estate (Special) Board Meeting 10th June 2010 (MERA inserted the bold italics in above quote)

It seems to MERA that Board members may fail to understand the distinction between comments/objections about planning applications and complaints.

They may also not appreciate that all households have various opportunities to make representations about various matters about redevelopment contracts direct to the Council. Residents in Mile End are doing this more and more as they lose confidence in the Board's approach to handling comments and complaints promptly and effectively.

Bernie Cameron (Chair of the Mile End Estate Management Board, Vice Chair of the EastendHomes Main Board and “Resident of the Year" - whose photo is frequently in EEH publications but who is NOT seen often on the Eric & Treby Estate) has suggested we should approach the Board with any queries we have about the building works.

Too much tarmac and too little grass and permeable surfaces
means Telford Homes MUST redo this landscaping

• The Chair of MERA raised an example of just one aspect of the current development by Telford Homes at a meeting with the Board held on 10th June. (download minutes here). 
• To date there has been no response despite reminders.
• However, after contacting the Council direct about exactly the same matter, MERA received a letter from Planning Enforcement in July indicating that this area of concern MUST be addressed by Telford Homes on behalf of EastendHomes as it does not form part of the permitted development.

MERA would consider approaching the Board but we have serious reservations about its speed of response and overall effectiveness.

On the whole we still need to be persuaded that the Board is very accessible, genuinely interested, will listen carefully to residents' concerns and take prompt action to address them.

MERA says....

• comments and/or objections are NOT complaints per se and 
• comments and/or objections do NOT have to reported to the Board first
• some issues need to be addressed quickly - and can't wait until the next Board meeting - whenever that is....
• if the Board doesn't sort issues out quickly then residents are left with no option but to go direct to the Council

MERA would like to know how local residents' queries, comments and complaints regarding the development proposals can properly be  dealt with by the Estate Managament Board which has.....

• NOT met in a normal session open to residents since 22nd April 2010 as indicated on the website...

The Mile End Board meets regularly at the British Street Community Hall.

• NOT included the latest minutes on the website - the latest are Minutes 4 March 2010
• a POOR TRACK RECORD in involving the residents from Eric & Treby Estate in decision-making which affects their lives 
• IGNORED very many representations about the planning application being made by tenants and leaseholders to the Council in 2009 - and FAILED to respond adequately to the concerns which were highlighted.
• FAILED to highlight on its website how local residents can contact the Mile End Board
• FAILED to highlight how residents can get a quick response to queries from the Board
• FAILED to highlight to residents how they can comment to the Council on the Application for Approval of Details of Planning Conditions to residents  (unlike MERA)
• NEVER made any comments to Planning about various matters which are an infringement of the conditions of the permitted development (unlike MERA which has been very active in this area - resulting in visits from the Planning Enforcement Team and the Health and Safety Executive and subsequent enforcement action)
• NOT responded to queries from MERA about building works
• several VACANT places on the Board and inactive members
• NO EVIDENCE (in Board minutes) that the Mile End Estate Management Board has even seen - never mind signed off - the revised Construction Management Plan for the Eric & Treby Estate.  (It took MERA 30 pages to comment on all the errors and omission in the plan)
• NO RELATIONSHIP whatsoever with the local Mile End householders who do not live in EastendHomes Properties;
• NO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION with other local Mile End householders who do not live in EastendHomes Properties about their concerns.  Many have been totally ignored despite representations.

Mile End Estate Management Board also refuses to recognise MERA!  Apparently we undermine it, don't fit their structures, etc. etc.

The reality is that MERA does exist, does represent local resident's views to the Council and provides support to individuals who want to make their own independent representations.

PLUS as a direct result of writing direct to Tower Hamlets Planning and the Health and Safety Executive, MERA has secured changes which will improve the health and safety of the environment for local residents

Would we have got the same result in the same time by submitting comments direct to the Mile End Estate Management Board?

We don't think so! What do you think?

Tomorrow - find out how to make a comment. We'll highlight what you can comment on and explain how to comment or register an objection to a planning application.

KEEP UPDATED: Subscribe to MERA - Mile End Residents Association Blog by Email

Alarming Tower Hamlets Council Offices in Southern Grove

Residents living around the empty Tower Hamlets Council offices in Southern Grove will be well aware that the office alarm has been ringing incessantly for hours on end on quite a few occasions of late.  On one weekend recently it rang for 30 hours non-stop.

Despite representations from both MERA and local councillors and assurances from the Council that the problem has been identified and addressed the alarm continues to ring at night for hours on end. 

Last night the alarm rang from midnight until 2.45am and the Council's noise abatement service refused to do anything about it.

So one of the residents of Brokesley Street has decided to take matters further - and has given us permission to reproduce the email that was sent - at 2.58am this morning - below. 

Dear Sirs,

I am writing regarding the persistent noise nuisance caused by the intruder alarm at the council's premises on Southern Grove, which constitutes a nuisance actionable in tort

I am writing in my capacity as owner occupier of (number) Brokesley Street, E3 4QJ.

At the time of writing the alarm has been sounding continuously for over two hours, and sounds for at least this period during unsocial hours at least once per week, and once sounded for a single period exceeding 30 hours over a weekend.

I understand that the Tower Hamlets Noise Abatement Team will not investigate or take action with respect to this nuisance on the basis that it is caused by a council property.

Please be advised that the general law is not subject to any such limitation.  Unless the nuisance identified above is addressed in the near and long term to my satisfaction, I will apply for an injunction requiring the Southern Grove intruder alarm to be deactivated and reserve my rights in any event to bring proceedings against the Tower Hamlets for damages for nuisance.

I trust this matter will receive your immediate attention.

Yours faithfully
(name of resident living in Brokesley Street)

The Mile End Residents Association are also today making an official complaint to the Council about the alarm and its impact on the people living in properties either side of Southern Grove. 

Do please comment below if you have also been disturbed by the alarm.

We'll keep you in touch with what happens next...........