Penny Ewens

Children’s Champion for Inner North West Leeds. That’s me!!!
I pay particular attention to services for all young people, 0-19.
Including Education, Leisure Provision, Health and Welfare.
Scrutiny Boards have engaged me in the problems of people of all ages with disabilities, as well as Housing and Parking, occupational health, as well as meeting and talking with residents about their particular problems. If you would like me to meet with you please let me know and we can make arrangements to do so, Phone me on 294-6976, or e-mail me on Penny.Ewens@leeds.gov.uk

Below are some stories which may be of interest to you

Alex Tyson, Penny Ewens & Mick Taylor

The Liberal Democrats are to outline plans to put 3,000 more police officers on the beat over four years.

Under the plan, funded by savings from scrapping identity cards, all forces in England, Wales and Scotland would get extra money to boost force numbers.

Party leader Nick Clegg will say Labour has “talked tough” on crime but police numbers have fallen in 40% of forces in England and Wales since 2005.

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Mick Taylor, Penny Ewens & Greg Mulholland at Royal Park School 

Tuesday, 2nd February, 6.00pm at Baraka’s (across the road from the Royal Park School Building).  I understand that the organisers want the meeting to be “as representative, participatory, inclusive and democratic as possible”.  I support the aims of the group and send them my best wishes for success in their endeavours.

Since Kabeer Hussain’s sad early death at the end of last year I have attempted to cover all the issues in the ward with which he was dealing; if residents wish to follow up any of these, or if I have missed them, I would be grateful if they would contact me or Mick Taylor (Our details are on the Focus leaflets which have been coming through the doors of Hyde Park & Woodhouse residents). 

Kabeer had recently been appointed a school governor at Quarry Mount Primary School - if anyone knows of a resident who would be interested in taking his place please let me know.

There are many issues, small as well as big, for me always to manage well on my own, and I am delighted that Mick Taylor (who was already working with me in the ward) was selected to stand for the Lib Dems in the by-election which is to take place on 18h February. 
(Applications for postal votes should be in to the electoral office by 3rd February. If you are not already on the electoral register or you would like a postal vote the free phone number to call is 08000251067).

Meantime I am delighted to tell you that work is now proceeding on Cambridge Fields and Lovell Park with money coming from 106 sources; and I  am asking for Benson Fields (below Hyde Pak Close) to be brought up to standard.

As a school governor and as Inner North West’s Children’s Champion I am working with the primary schools in the ward “cluster” to advise Education Leeds on how we see the future of education in the ward. If you would like to discuss it with me, please phone me on 294-6976 and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

I have also asked for an agreed policy for the future provision of grit bins. I’m pursuing this one, and I’ll let you know what is decided. 

Kits to remove graffiti are available from the council to local residents and community groups who want to tackle graffiti in their area. Briefly, the packs contain:

1 x 450 ml Graf Attack 1 (graffiti removal spray)

1 x 450 ml Graf Attack 2 (the same, but stronger)

1 x 450 ml Graf Attack 3  (stronger still!)

1 x 75 ml graffiti removal cream

10 x super cloths

1 x heavy duty scrubbing pad

2 x lightweight scrubbing pads

1 x user guide

1 x pair of latex gloves.

Kits can be obtained by contacting Alan Winterburn, our local neighbourhood warden on 077891 277772 or alan.winterburn@leeds.gov.uk 

Essential works are to be carried out to strengthen and improve Clay Pit Lane Bridge, which carries traffic over the inner ring road from Sheepscar towards the city centre.

The works, which include general strengthening and the replacement of existing parapets with new stronger ones, will start on 25 January and be completed by July 2010. For safety reasons, the inner ring road will have to be closed beneath the bridge. The closure will be restricted to night time and Sundays, and to one carriageway whilst the other carriageway will be used for contra flow traffic.

There will be some delays to traffic whilst these works are in progress, but the restrictions are essential to ensure the safety of motorists and operatives. A 30mph speed limit will be in force and road users are asked to approach the works with care and make sure that they follow the traffic management signage provided.

Leeds City Council

You are invited to join The Lord Mayor of Leeds and other local people on Sunday 24^th January, in the lighting of candles to commemorate all those who have been affected by the Holocaust and more recent genocides such as those in Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda and Darfur. The candle lighting is part of an afternoon of commemoration at Leeds Town Hall to mark the 65^th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenhau on 27^th January, now known as International Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD).
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