Beverley Brewer, Joe Hehir and Saiqa Qayum Hussain were all elected as Labour councillors for South Woodford in May. Here are their ambitions for the ward over the next four years
Firstly, we would like to thank everyone who participated in the council elections this year. It was good to see that, once again, South Woodford had one of the best turnouts in the borough. We are very grateful to those of you who lent us your vote this time.
Until eight years ago, Labour had never held a majority on Redbridge Council. This year’s elections have seen South Woodford elect three Labour councillors for the first time ever, and the council is now made up of 58 Labour councillors and five Conservatives.
We believe that the best days for South Woodford are ahead of us. Despite dreadful central government cuts, Brexit and Covid, our communities continue to thrive. As your local councillors, we will do all we can to support the success of our area.
During the election period, we spoke to literally thousands of local people, and there were some very clear themes that we will be taking up as your new councillor team.
Pollution and rat running
It is unacceptable that school children in South Woodford experience some of the worst air quality in the country. South Woodford is so much more than somewhere people drive through. We will pick up where last year’s low traffic neighbourhood consultation left off and do all we can to build a local consensus for a scheme that will improve traffic management, make our streets safer and our lungs cleaner.
Crime and antisocial behaviour
We will work with the local Safer Neighbourhoods Team and lobby for more policing resources in South Woodford. A new enforcement hub on the Orchard Estate will be an important step in the right direction, but more must be done to combat crime and antisocial behaviour in our area.
Neighbourhood planning
South Woodford was the first area in the borough to be given Neighbourhood Forum status, and that is important. It gives our community the chance to develop a Neighbourhood Plan that meets our local needs. We will be working with the South Woodford Society to take this forward and we encourage everyone to become involved in co-producing the plan.
Above all, we are here to listen and be South Woodford’s voice in the Town Hall.
We are currently reviewing how best to balance surgery and other communication arrangements. We will make an announcement soon; in the meantime, you can contact us at any time by email.
For local councillor contact details, visit swvg.co.uk/councillors
