Angie with Councillor Seema Kumar and TFL Director of Rail Ian Brown
As reported on the ActonW3 website (September 27th), Angie recently called a meeting at Acton Mainline station of the train operator, First Great Western, TFL, London Travel Watch and local councillors to discuss the problems faced by passengers using the station. This follows months of complaints about cancelled services, poor information provision and lack of security near the ticket office. They discussed ways of improving service reliability, upgrading the passenger information system and installing an extra CCTV camera. Angie also pointed out how difficult access to the platforms is for disabled passengers. She has been promised that it is possible for disabled travellers to ring in advance and book a taxi from Acton Mainline Station to Paddington for the price of a train ticket and a notice will be placed on the ticket office window with details. Telephone number to ring is 08457 484950.
Angie has now been in contact with Network Rail who have promised a meeting at the station to discuss how they can help improve passenger services.

ANGIE CHALLENGES KEN LIVINGSTONE OVER STATE OF EALING BROADWAY

Angie talking to a regular user of Ealing Broadway trains
Angie has been receiving a load of complaints from passengers using Ealing Broadway station. They range from problems with lack of proper service information provision through to continuing worries about personal security around the station. There is also the on-going problem over where passengers can be dropped-off immediately outside the station which councillors are resolving. But one of the most important issues still to be tackled is the totally inadequate disabled access to the trains at the station. Angie has now tabled questions to Mayor Livingstone as Chairman of Transport for London to get him to focus on these important issues.

ANGIE ACTS TO PUT ACTON FLOOD VICTIMS IN TOUCH WITH THAMES WATER

Angie with Flood victim Jane Kelly
A group of desperate Acton residents asked Angie to help them after suffering another summer of floods. Angie contacted Thames Water and approached the Association of British Insurers to ask for their assistance. Residents have now been put in touch with Thames Water to arrange an on-site visit so it can see the damage to properties, many of which have been flooded several times in the past few years.

Angie with Lord Coe and Council Leader, Jason Stacey
Angie was delighted to help arrange a visit by Lord Coe to Ealing to address local residents about the Olympics. He spoke passsionately at length about the legacy of the games which he hopes will provide a springboard for young people to get involved in sport. Afterwards he took questions from the audience. Angie believes the Olympics can provide a huge opportunity for Londoners but will continue to urge the organisers to ensure that West London gets real benefits from the legacy of the games which we are all paying for.

Angie with Party Leader, David Cameron
David Cameron came to Ealing Town Hall as the special guest at a campaign party for Angie. He told the packed room of supporters that he and the party would be doing everything they can to help get Angie elected. He also said there would be exciting new policy announcements at this year's party conference in Blackpool. Angie says she was thrilled that David Cameron had joined in what was a very successful event with so many supporters there to cheer them both.

Angie has been reappointed for a second term to serve on the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA). At their first meeting, Sir Ken Knight, the Commissioner for LFEPA welcomed her back and said he was looking forward to working with her. Angie is delighted to have been asked to return to this very important functional body which does such vital work protecting Londoners.

John Perryn School headmistress Von Smith with Councillors John Ross and Jim Randall
Angie spent a very interesting morning at the John Perryn Primary School along with local councillor, Jim Randall. Headmistress Von Smith gave a thorough briefing on the problems the school faces and then led a tour of the school. Angie and Jim met a number of staff and pupils and were impressed with the progress that is now being made at the school. Angie wishes them all the very best in their endeavours to lift the performance of the school and after seeing all that is being done there, feels confident that things are moving in right direction.

Angie and local Assembly member, Richard Barnes, paid a visit to the BAA Headquarters at Heathrow aiport for a tour of the new Terminal 5 building and to discuss proposals for a third runway and sixth terminal. They came away more certain than ever that there will be a determined push by the Government and BAA to get an eventual go-ahead for the plans although they insist that they will have to meet a variety of environmental targets in order to get approval.
Angie says she believes that they will forge ahead if they can long before they have got the kind of noise and air pollution reduction which West London residents are entitled to demand.
"There is no doubt" she says "Heathrow is a huge blight for hundreds of thousands of residents in West London which just goes on getting bigger and bigger. We were originally told that Terminal 5 would give them everything they needed but now they are back wanting even more including a sixth terminal. Any further growth at Heathrow is simply not an option we can allow".
There is still time to add your name to the on-line petition Angie has set up with London Assembly colleagues to oppose further expansion. Just click on the link below:
http://petitionthem.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=3816

Angie has continued to apply pressure on Ealing PCT over the poor provision of GP services to West Twyford residents. The closure last February of the GP surgery at Central Middlesex Hospital was a huge blow to many residents who found it easy to access. Now they are forced to make difficult journeys across the gyratory system to other Ealing GPs. Although the closure of the surgery at the hospital was in fact a Brent PCT decision beyond the control of Ealing PCT, Angie says
"it is imperative that our local PCT stands by the residents affected and ensures they are provided with a GP service which is properly accessible. So far Ealing PCT has been negotiating with Brent to allow new West Twyford residents to access nearby Brent GPs but this completely ignores the problems faced by the many established residents."

Residents living around Ealing Common, Chiswick Park and Turnham Green tube stations have been complaining about increasingly noisy tannoy announcements and Angie has been tackling both Mayor, Ken Livingstone and the head of London Underground, Tim O'Toole about how they intend to deal with this noise pollution problem.
In fact Angie has discovered that this appears to be a growing problem across London where tube stations stand above ground within residential communities and she is determined not only that the volume levels get turned down but also that the number of announcements is also cut.
"It is ridiculous that just when Transport for London (TFL) is spending money on a poster campaign telling passengers with blaring radios and music players to keep the noise down, it is TFL which is proving the worst culprit."

Angie welcomes the newly-formed Conservative Future group for Ealing Central and Acton which will be chaired by Paul Pambakian from Twyford Church of England School (standing furthest right of picture). She says "It's great to be getting together an enthusiastic team of young people to help us push the Conservative message in this constituency".

Angie with Lady Thatcher, Councillor Barbara Yerolemou and her husband Tony
Angie had the chance to discuss the new constituency of Ealing Central and Acton when she met Lady Thatcher with Councillor Barbara Yerolemou and her husband Tony at a reception for Conservative women candidates. Lady Thatcher wished Angie well and said she has every hope of seeing a Conservative 'win' in Ealing and Acton on Election night.

A response to Angie's letter to the PM about Heathrow Expansion

Angie has finally received a response to her letter to the Prime Minister which she, with eleven other leading West London Conservatives, organised making clear the reasons for their opposition to any plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport. Amongst those supporting the letter were Jason Stacey, leader of Ealing Borough Council and Richard Barnes, local London Assembly Member. In the letter Angie said:
"We are writing with regard to the proposed third runway at Heathrow Airport, expressing the serious concerns of many people who live in west and southwest London over the damaging impact it will have on the environment, local air quality and local noise levels.

One of the key issues for local residents is the expected increase in noise pollution, admitted by the Department for Transport (DfT) in their noise assessment of the proposed third runway. There would inevitably be some people, living close to the new runway and its approach and departure routes, who would suffer an increase in noise.

Residents who live under the existing flight path already suffer a reduced quality of life, due to the high frequency of aircraft using Heathrow airport. The noise pollution is unrelenting, with the frequency only abating for a few hours a night, albeit still with some scheduled night flights. An additional runway would further to add to this problem, increasing noise pollution, reducing quality of life and further devaluing properties under the new flight paths.

The letter, signed by Gillian Merron, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Transport, reads:
"The Project for the Sustainable Development of Heathrow is currently assessing the prospects for meeting the noise, air quality and surface access requirements and the measures that might ned to be taken to achieve them. We do not underestimate the environmental challenge that any development of Heathrow poses and the impacts and mitigation measures will be carefully assessed.
"There will be extensive consultation on the results of this work later this year before any decisions are taken. There will be ample opportunity for all interested parties to engate constructively in the debate and to respond to the consultation. Ministers will make final policy decisions only after consideration of all the responses received during the consultation. Any proposals for significant development will of course be subject to BAA obtaining planning approval in the normal way."
Angie professes herself "not exactly impressed with the waffle and the vague promises about wide consultation before decisions are taken. In fact the only part of the letter which may prove of some interest is the last paragraph about consulation later this year. The last sentence is important as this brings the Mayor of London into the equation as his London Plan includes the issue of airport expansion around London and as we know he is supportive of our position which is to oppose further expansion.
That is why I hope you will help to get as many to sign our Heathrow Petition as possible as its stated aim is to win as large amount of signatures as possible so that it will a useful tool for the Mayor in his discussions with Government about the future of Heathrow."

The direct link to the petition is: http://petitionthem.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=3816

Angie organises petition to the Mayor of London to stop the third runway at Heathrow

Are you as concerned as Angie is about the plans to build a third runway and a sixth terminal at Heathrow? That is why she wants everyone to sign this petition. Click on the link below to get your opposition registered - it should far better placed than petitioning the men in Whitehall.
Click here to make your voice heard!

Angie Bray at Ealing Police Station
Angie has welcomed the additional 50 PCSOs, which have been funded by extra resources made available in the first budget from the new Conservative administration. They will be deployed around the borough where the council and local police believe they are most needed and they come on top of the new Safer Neighbourhood police teams which have been set up in every ward. Angie says "there is no doubt that fear of crime and general anti-social behaviour is one of our biggest concerns because it stops people going about their daily lives. These extra PCSOs, made possible through prudent budgeting by the council, can help to make a real difference.

Acton High School Deputy Head Neville Lassiter and Headmistress Lesley Hall with Angie Bray
I spent a fascinating afternoon with staff and pupils of Acton High School and found myself learning a great deal about a wide range of subjects from film-making to graphic and fashion design through to astronomy and statistics! It was a very enjoyable visit and I came away full of optimism. It is a great school where the staff are really committed and the pupils I met were all welcoming, chatty and full of enthusiasm for their work.

Dr. Rami Ranger MBE and Angie Bray at the Sri Guru Ravidass Celebration
I was honoured to be invited to address the special celebration of the Sri Guru Ravidass International Organisation for Human Rights marking the 630th anniversary of Sri Guru Ravidass Ji Maharaj at Portcullis House in Westminster. It was a very moving occasion at which members from all over the world came together to celebrate the life, work and wisdom of this saint who fought all his life for justice and human rights.

Angie Bray, Stephen O'Brien, Noor Sacoor and Richard Barnes
Shadow Minister for Health, Stephen O'Brien, joined Angie Bray, Conservative candidate for Ealing Central and Acton and local London Assembly member Richard Barnes at a special reception at Noor Sacoor's Dental Practice in Acton High Street. They were celebrating 50 years of having a dental practice on the site there and they were joined by a host of local doctors, dentists, nurses and local pharmacists. Mr. O'Brien spoke about the difficulties that burdensome government targets are creating for dentists and Noor Sacoor said that too often being forced to meet centrally-set targets meant that dentists were no longer able to give individual patients all the attention they need. Angie says she is very clear that that medical practioners must be free to make decisions about how best to treat patients as they are far better placed than the man in Whitehall.

Angie Bray in her role as leader of the Conservatives on the London Assembly was a key speaker at the final protest rally against the Westward Extension of Ken Livingstone's Congestion Charge scheme. She told the gathering that it was outrageous that even though nearly 70 percent of Londoners had opposed it in the consultation, Mr. Livingstone had ignored them and pressed ahead. She described his behaviour as unacceptably arrogant. "Enough is enough" she said and urged everyone to make sure he gets a big thumbs down at the next London election in May 2008.

Ken Livingstone predicts Conservative victory

London Mayor Ken Livingstone was quoted in the Evening Standard of 2nd February, apparently predicting election victory for Angie Bray in Ealing Central and Acton: "her combative style will upset the Commons authorities when she becomes an MP".

Angie Bray has welcomed the new coalition of Conservative led local authorities against the Tram.  At a packed meeting, Angie joined councillors from Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham and Hillingdon on the platform to promise a fully-financed and hard-hitting campaign against the Tram.  She said in her speech "the real issue where the Mayor, Mr. Livingstone and Transport for London will come unstuck is on funding.  They keep trying to pretend that the project will come in at around £650 million but we all know that the cost will rise and rise and nobody knows even now where the money will come from - including the Mayor who just refuses to discuss the costs.  We will keep pressing on this until we get the truth and I don't believe that in the end there will be the funding because it cannot be justified on a project like this that nobody wants".

Angie Bray with Ealing Council leader, Jason Stacey
The Conservatives now running Ealing Borough Council have just announced their first budget for Ealing and Acton residents and it is the lowest rise for 10 years.  The increase of 1.9 percent is below the inflation rate which means that in real terms it is in fact a cut in tax.  But even with such a small rise, the Council is budgeting for more investment in street cleaning, more council enforcement officers and crucially for the first time, funds to fight the Tram proposals.  Angie Bray, the Conservative Parliamentary spokesman for Ealing Central and Acton says this is great news for local residents.  "I am really delighted that my Conservative colleagues have been able to deliver on some of their key pledges from their election manifesto last year.  It is a great start for them and I am confident that this is just the beginning of many improvements for local residents".

Angie spent a morning at the Central Middlesex Hospital with the Chairman of the local hospital trust, Moira Black, to whom she handed the petition against the proposed closure of the A and E department.  Ms Black has reassured Angie that they are now confident that the closure will not now have to take place. Angie also discussed the closure of the GP surgery at the hospital which has had serious repercussions for many West Twyford residents and she confirmed that this was a decision made by the Brent PCT.