Hello everyone, it’s been a busy few weeks in Parliament and locally, particularly with the Thames Water proposals on the Thames Tunnel, and I have also been working really hard on lots of other local issues including aircraft noise, education, the District Line and transport planning for the Olympics so read on for an update.

Thames Tunnel

The Thames Tunnel consultation closed last month and locally residents very much made their views known.  PutneySW15 readers will know that I organised a number of public meetings on Thames Tunnel project which really helped make our case to Thames Water.  Every year approximately 820,000 tonnes of untreated sewage is being pumped directly along just the Putney stretch of the Thames, so we do need the tunnel to sort that out, but we don’t want to solve one environmental problem and then just create another.  Residents are rightly concerned about the huge disruption and local environmental impact involved in setting up a main draft shaft at Barn Elms, which is unacceptable. I also share many residents' concerns about the impact of the preferred combined sewer overflow sites at the Victorian Putney Bridge Foreshore and King George's Park sites on our local area and local transport infrastructure.

Now the consultation period has closed, I am setting up a working group to ensure residents can meet and talk directly with Thames Water throughout the entire process of developing the Thames Tunnel project. If you are interested in being a part of the working group then please email me directly at greeningj@parliament.uk with the subject ‘TT Working Group'.  I’m also talking to Thames Water about getting an independent review of their work so that we can have some confidence in the next stage of the consultation and the work that goes into it.

BAA meeting over Heathrow Noise

I recently met with Colin Matthews, Chief Executive of BAA, to discuss BAA’s plans to tackle aircraft noise from Heathrow.  Though we have won the fight against a third runway I wanted to make sure BAA’s noise action plan actually makes a difference to our quality of life locally.  The meeting was helpful in enabling me to set out residents’ concerns and I hope that moving forward BAA will look to take a more proactive approach, engaging with our local community to better deal with residents’ day to day concerns.

As our local MP I am going to continue to press for independent monitoring of aircraft noise and a review of the fining levels set for airlines that breach noise limits.

Olympics Tansport meeting

In Parliament, I met with Norman Baker MP, Transport Minister and Peter Hendy, Transport Commissioner for TfL, to discuss the transport plans for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and how we will be impacted locally.

The tennis competition will be in Wimbledon affecting our road network and public transport round Southfields, West Hill and Wandsworth.  TfL are looking at a number of proposals to limit traffic congestion in the area and ensure the District Line has the capacity to transport visitors.  We’re also going to have the road cycling event pass through Richmond Park and the centre of Putney so I am talking to TfL about their plans to manage any disruption for residents.  Even so, it will be amazing to have some Olympic events right on our doorstep.

Supporting local schools

Earlier this month I met up with Roehampton University and Eastwood Nursery School who are looking at how they can work more closely together to bring together the University’s teacher training expertise and their children’s nursery education.  It’s a great project and I’m going to do what I can as a local MP to support it.  I’m also going to become a governor at Elliott School in Putney.  I am very much looking forward to getting more involved with the school over the coming months, working alongside headteacher Mark Phillips, the staff, parents and students.

Out & about

Our Lady of Victories Primary School visited Parliament a couple of weeks ago and it was great to hear from them about what they thought about the House of Lords and the House of Commons.  Last week, I met up with the Richmond and Bushy Parks Forum to discuss the transfer of the parks from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to the Mayor of London.  Following a visit to Pocklington Court in Roehampton, I went over to the Thrive’s Herb Garden in Battersea to find out more about the brilliant work they do helping disabled people, including visually impaired people through getting them gardening.  As a keen gardener, I think whoever you are, getting out gardening can be incredibly therapeutic.

2011 is now well underway, and if you ever need my help please do get in touch either by email at greeningj@parliament.uk or by writing to me at the House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA, or contact my office on 020 8946 4557.  You can also give me a call to find out where my next weekly MP surgery is, if you’d prefer to come to that – I’ll do my best to help.

 

Best wishes

Justine Greening MP

February 18, 2011