Happy Christmas Dad

This time of year means many things to many people, and for me Christmas Day is extra special ever since I woke up on Christmas morning in 1995 to discover that my Dad, friend and life time mentor had passed away.

I am writing this very personal blog not only to mark the 15th anniversary of Dad’s death, but to share with you just how influential my Dad was to me.  I am not claiming to be unique because there are millions of similar stories that can be told of how the father-son relationship has shaped generations, but for me at the end of an historic year in my own life, I really do owe it all to everything my Dad taught me.

My election as a councillor in May, as the newspapers reported at the time, had a remarkable similarity to my Dad’s achievements of a quarter of a century earlier.  We both won our council seats as independents, we both took seats in perceived Tory strongholds and we both defeated candidates who had been Mayors of Harrow.  In my case, the sitting Mayor was ousted to the disbelief of political rivals and commentators alike.

Becoming the second generation of Bond on the council is not unlike taking over the hot seat of the family business.  First you are the apprentice, listening and learning, stockpiling the pearls of wisdom along the way and then before you know it you are being given a bit of responsibility.  For me it was attending council meetings and taking notes of what was said about the decisions being taken.  The requirement to understand how local government works is paramount to making things happen.

Christmas is a time to reflect on the year gone by and almost eight months serving the people of Headstone North is no different.  It has been said that my election has been a breath of fresh air and my presence on the council has put the proverbial cat amongst the pigeons! I will leave it to others to judge how they think I have done because that is another thing my Dad taught me.  Never rest on your laurels.  Complacency and taking the people who elected you for granted is political suicide.

Dad also told me that ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’, and many things that you want to do will take forever and a day but with determination and a steely resolve you will be able to achieve some of the things that you set out to do and in the process make a modest difference to people’s lives.

Dad warned me that politics is a dirty business and only a few politicians, of all parties and none, actually mean it when they claim to be serving for the good of the people, so as I wish both friends and foes a happy Christmas, I am proud to dedicate my election to the council to the one man who made it all happen. Happy Christmas Dad.

Back to school!

I went back to school last week when I attended my first meeting as a newly appointed school governor at Longfield School, which is one of the four schools in the Headstone North Ward.

Walking through the school gates on the 14th October was a very poignant occasion for me because I was thinking of my Uncle Graham who passed away exactly 20 years ago to the day.

My uncle was “Mr Education” and I first realised that he was someone of great importance when, as a small child, I watched in awe as he debated on television with Rhodes Boyson, who himself was a giant in the education world.  They were discussing the Plowden Report which has proved influential in the way education is delivered in schools to the present day.

Joining the governing body of Longfield School as a local authority representative is an honour and it makes me feel very proud because it has become something of a Bond family tradition to play an active role in the running of a school.  My uncle, who was head teacher of Marshlands School in Hailsham, East Sussex pioneered parent participation in the running of schools and under his leadership parents were amongst the first in the country to sit on school governing bodies.

My father was also a leading figure in Harrow’s education system which included serving as a parent governor to both West Lodge School, where he founded the Friends of West Lodge Schools, and later at Nower Hill High School.  In 1984 when he was elected an independent councillor he joined the governing body of Pinner Wood School as a local authority representative.

I know that I have a lot to live up to but I am totally inspired and motivated by the achievements of both my father and uncle and as I approach my first landmark as a councillor – six months in office – I am reminded that although the demands in running a school are not dissimilar to the challenges faced in times gone by, we are living in an altogether different world.  As I write this we are only days away from the government’s comprehensive spending review which without a shadow of a doubt will mean there will be even less money in the pot to go round in the years ahead.

Longfield School is the amalgamation of two schools and it also includes a nursery provision to cater for those of a pre-school age.  After my meeting I was given a tour of the school and it was an absolute joy to be greeted by so many staff and children who were already aware of whom I am.  Community involvement, as my tour guide indicated, is one of the key elements to the success of any school.

Forgive the cliché, but becoming a local councillor and school governor amounts to a very big learning curve and 2010 is turning out to be one of the most rewarding and fulfilling of my life.

A politician’s promise is not worth the paper it is written on!

The trouble with me is that I take people at face value; I believe that what they say is what they will do.  I really should know better and have realised that a politician’s promise is not worth the paper it is written on.

In April 2008, Boris Johnson, then the challenger to Ken Livingstone stood outside North Harrow Tube station.  He was electioneering in his bid to become Mayor of London and many people were lead to believe that he was going to be the man who would call a halt to Red Ken’s policy of closing ticket offices and cutting the staffing levels at dozens of Underground stations.

“I will be a Mayor for zone 6,” declared Boris as he went onto tell the world that the ticket offices at suburban stations were the hub of operations and were the places that people go to when they are lost, frightened or are just in need of information about the train service.
Boris, as my picture shows, even signed the passengers’ petition adding to over 4,000 names demanding that the ticket offices were saved from cutback and closure.

“Consider the threat has been lifted, annihilated, vapourised, liquidated, exterminated, removed, obliterated, as of now,” thundered Boris at Mayor’s Question Time in June 2008 when presented with the petition that now included his own name.  The ticket offices were saved.  A politician had delivered exactly what it said on the tin and now we could all go home in the knowledge that the battle had been won.

Boris isn’t the first and he certainly won’t be the last politician to renege on an election pledge.

Now I declare an interest in all this because in addition to being a local councillor, I work at North Harrow each weekday morning and as the people who use my station know, I am very passionate about the role that the ticket office contributes to the efficient running of the station, as well as being immensely proud to be part of the team that have been voted the best station on the Tube network for customer service for the past two years.

That aside, I would be neglecting my duty as a servant of the people if I did not highlight the hypocrisy and the way that the mayor has let down those who put their trust in him.  Much has been written in recent times about the general public’s disillusionment with politicians and broken election promises are a major cause of this disaffection.

So I leave you with this thought.  Ken Livingstone, now a challenger to Boris Johnson’s mayoralty was spotted yesterday outside Rayners Lane Tube station.   With a hefty dose of irony he was not only condemning the incumbent mayor for breaking his election pledge but stating how he could stop the ticket office cuts and maintain a staff presence at the outer London Tube stations.

We have all been warned, a politician’s promise is not worth the paper it is written on.

It’s good to talk!

Meeting the people is not just for election times.  I have just spent a day out on the road, as I call it, where I have given all of my time exclusively to my constituents.  This is the best part of being a councillor as far as I am concerned and it is certainly the most rewarding.  Keeping in touch is vital in order to be as fully informed as possible with the issues of the moment and whilst face to face contact is the best way of doing this, phone calls and emails are also an important and necessary way of communication.

To give you a flavour of the day I am now better informed of the problems of living on a flood plain, which according to some in the insurance industry is a big problem for anyone living in the HA2 postcode which makes up about 90 per cent of my ward.  But by talking to a couple of residents, whose house incidentally is on high ground, who have been refused cover by their insurance company I now know that this situation affects many with no danger whatsoever of being submerged by flood water.  It seems there is a postcode lottery because another house just yards away which is in HA5 is not
affected.

I am also asking everyone I meet what they think of the idea of a community farm in Harrow.  City farms were pioneered in the inner cities to bring a bit of country life to the urban landscape.  There are dozens of them all over London with many occupying sites in the outer London Boroughs and now there are moves afoot to create such a project right here in Headstone North.  I hope very much that the brainchild of a handful of residents comes to fruition and I am honoured that they have asked me to assist them. Everyone I mention it to seems to warm to the idea and a number of people have enquired as to what they can contribute in order to make Harrow Community Farm come to life.

I spoke to 47 people in the nine and a half hours that were spent knocking on doors; many were expecting to hear back from me having been in touch over the past week or so, whilst others caught my attention while they were washing the car and tending to the garden.  I am not trying to portray myself as unique in that human contact is the sole preserve of an independent councillor because there are many party politicians who also make themselves available to their electorates and as a result they command the respect that they deserve.  But there are also far too many who are not seen or heard of from one election to the next.

I may not always get it right but I will never forget the people who entrusted me with the responsibility of representing them.  I intend to have many more days out on the road!

Our Harrow, our community

Today is my 100th day as a councillor serving the people of Headstone North. Reaching the ‘ton’ is often seen as something of a political landmark following an election and the press has been full of stories passing judgement on the new government.  For me I spent part of my 100th day living up to my 007 namesake by undertaking a bit of covert surveillance on the roof of a building to take pictures and make notes of some very dodgy building work being carried out somewhere in my ward.

It seems that this kind of thing is not as uncommon as you may think and much of my first 100 days have been dominated by planning and (lack of) enforcement issues.  I have titled this blog Our Harrow, our community because the people I represent DO care and they don’t like it when others take liberties and flout the rules by which the majority of us respect and live by.

One of my biggest cases involves the illegal conversion of a three bedroom house into a six bedroom bedsit.  The person behind this knows he is in the wrong because he is breaking the enforcement notice the council imposed on him in 2008.  My Saturday surgery was full of angry people demanding action and wondering why the planning department appear to be reluctant to act with any urgency. Tomorrow I shall be taking this issue right to the top and Harrow’s Chief Executive will be asked to intervene.

Then there is the smaller, but just as important matter of the shopkeeper and his storage area made out of bits of broken hardboard. It is the picture I have chosen to accompany this blog because you have to see it to believe it!  The brick wall doesn’t look too impressive either does it? Next to this eyesore there is also a disused billboard hoarding (responsibility of the same shop) that has been allowed to become another blot on the landscape.  And again the council have to be cajoled into action.  Enforcement in Harrow seems to mean ‘sending the boys round three weeks next Tuesday if you’re lucky!’

Before the election the then ruling party made much of their ‘baby’, Neighbourhood Champions.  I wondered if this was just a PR stunt designed to give the impression that the council would be responsive to residents concerns in dealing with everything from potholes to the flouting of planning rules.  In my view the ‘jury is still out’ on the success or otherwise of the champions scheme but as I and others commented at the time,
if the things that matter to residents remain unresolved, apathy and disillusionment will set in and the whole project will have been a massive waste of time, effort and money.

As I approach my 101st day as a councillor the sense of pride in the community is self evident and the so called ‘silent majority’ are making their voices heard.  The council now needs to listen.

A traffic jam of indecision that tailbacks for decades!

How many times have you heard the following statements?  “We must not let this happen again” or “Lessons will have to be learnt”, or even more alarming, “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of.”

The banner that accompanies this blog was produced by the art department of my old school, Nower Hill High, which has been pressing the authorities, along with residents, for action to make the traffic junction right outside the school gates a lot safer for pedestrians to cross and for car drivers to pass through.

I became involved in this campaign 18 months ago but others have been asking for safety improvements for more than three decades, and this week, yet again, demands were presented to the council by the banner-waving school children in an effort to lobby the Traffic and Road Safety Advisory Panel to make the recommendations that will benefit everyone.

As a councillor I am approaching everything I campaigned on before the election and everything that I have been subsequently asked to do by my electorate, with a matter of urgency.  I am motivated both by a sense of enthusiasm and a sense of duty and this road safety issue will remain on top of my ‘to do list’ for as long as it takes.

The pleas on the banner to “fix it now” and the references to death are not the work of a sensationalist scaremonger out to get a cheap headline; these are real and justified concerns.  By Harrow Council’s admission the junction where George V Avenue, Headstone Lane and Pinner Road all converge is the most dangerous traffic blackspot in the whole borough.  It is the scene of numerous collisions and near-misses and sadly it may only be a matter of time before a pedestrian or car driver is seriously injured or worse.

To compound matters, Nower Hill High School, which is already the eighth most populated in the whole of the Greater London area (based on pupil numbers) is about to get even bigger from this coming September when another 300 pupils join the school, so everyone who cares about the situation has every right to feel the frustration as the transport and road safety experts appear to be caught in their own traffic jam of indecision that literally
tailbacks for decades!

In many people’s view the reluctance to install right turn filters where they are currently missing along with indicators to tell pedestrians either to walk or don’t walk are overshadowed by concerns of greater traffic jams that may occur with a re-phasing of the traffic lights themselves.  Surely the co-ordination of a signaling system that goes red to stop vehicle movements and simultaneously goes green for pedestrian movements and
vice-versa is not rocket science?  And in any case would it not be better to change the habit of a lifetime by being pro-active if it means the most dangerous road junction in Harrow is going to be much safer as a result?

A man of independent mind!

Last week my blog was titled, North Harrow deserves better than this, and it spoke about a constituent who cannot expand his business because he is hampered by rules governing change of use and the loss of retail outlets in North Harrow’s shopping area.  I will return to this at another time because the matter is ongoing.

Instead I will report this week’s council meeting in which I gave my maiden speech and why I supported motions by both Conservative and Labour councillors.  During the election campaign I said that by electing an Independent councillor it would be seen by the established parties as an attack on the ‘accepted way of doing things’.  After all I have no party whip to instruct me what to think and how I should subsequently vote, and nor do I want one because as I said to the meeting of all 63 Harrow councillors, I will judge every issue put before us entirely on its merits and vote accordingly.

My maiden speech just happened to support a Conservative motion on greater transparency of council business.  This is a subject I feel strongly about and as I pointed out to the meeting after the scandal of MP’s expense claims, local councils must be completely open for scrutiny in all aspects of their work, especially when it comes to councillors’ allowances and the pay of senior officers.

I don’t actually think that Harrow’s ruling Labour group want to block our access to information, they can’t anyway because of a government directive and of course the Freedom of Information Act, but in my view they made a tactical error by opposing this motion as it will be interpreted by the wider public as just another group of politicians voting for a cover up.  So despite the lone Liberal Democrat councillor and I backing the opposition, the motion was defeated by 30 votes to 29.

I then supported a motion by the Labour group.  It was an amendment to a Conservative motion opposing the closure of Harrow Magistrates Court.  In reality the council is united in opposing the government’s plans to close the court.  I took the view that Labour’s amendment would be more effective as it directed the council to lobby our MP’s, seek meetings with ministers and promote the use of petitions.  In the end there was no actual vote as a consensus across the council chamber was achieved.

If Labour had presented an amendment motion on greater transparency with the same resolve they put into opposing the court closure they would have demonstrated their support for open government, which having spoken to individual councillors at the end of the meeting I know to be the case.

The criticism of my council colleagues, I hope, will always be constructive and given in good faith.  This blog will not indulge in party political point scoring and will be written with an entirely independent mind!

North Harrow deserves better than this

In my election address I quoted from an email that had been sent to me by a resident.  It is worth quoting again on here.  It said: “Let’s face it North Harrow has changed from a lovely little sector of Harrow into a disgraceful urban mess that I am totally ashamed of.  In the past I have volunteered for just about everything from the cubs to Neighbourhood Watch.  Now I have lost all interest in North Harrow.  Who can find enthusiasm for a dump?”

My email postbag in the two months I have been a councillor has largely echoed these sentiments and the views expressed have contrasted from the optimistic in that I am seen as the ‘new broom that will sweep away the past’, to a resignation from others that despite the good intentions, I, too will be beaten down by the civic centre red tape and a ‘we can’t do that’ attitude.

But to give up when the going gets tough is not the Bond way!  Yes, there will be setbacks and frustrations in the months and years ahead but I have the advantage of a head start in all of this: my late father, as many of you will know, was an Independent councillor for Pinner Ward.  His knowledge and experience of how the council does and doesn’t work has already prepared me for what lies ahead.

One of my current battles that I am pursuing on behalf of a resident of my ward perfectly illustrates why so many people are in a state of despair and have lost all interest in North Harrow.  My resident is also a local businessman.  He wants to expand his company from its current back office position to include the use of the front of a shop (which he already owns) but Harrow Council is refusing him permission because it says that it would
exceed the quota of premises in the town centre that are non-retail.

My resident has been fighting his battle with the planning department of the council for several years but the irony of this is that the council’s own policy for businesses on the high street already allows for a change of use from non-retail, even if it exceeds its designated quotas.   A government directive has been in place to help local economies but to date Harrow Council won’t exercise the flexibility that will allow a flourishing business to grow.  Instead 40% of North Harrow shop fronts remain boarded up contributing to the urban mess and run-down look that has plagued this part of the borough for far too long.

Next week I shall be at a meeting of the council’s planning department along with the resident concerned to attempt to have this unacceptable situation resolved.  I shall let you know how we get on.  As I said during the election campaign: North Harrow deserves better than this.  My resolve is strong, the fight back has begun!