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62 Autumn 2012.Qxp Issue 62 Autumn 2012 Price £3 newsforum The London Forum - working to protect and improve the quality of life in London The London Forum of Amenity and Civic Societies Founded 1988 w www.londonforum.org.uk In this issue 1 Is the BBC impartial? 9 Outsourcing public sector development 2 London Forum AGM services 16 News from the Mayor and GLA Spotlight on 4 London Forum Survey 2012 10 Spotlight on Hammersmith 17 Update on Thames Tunnel project 5 London Forum responses Society 18 Round the Societies Hammersmith 6 Volunteering at the Olympics 12 Airports Update 19 News briefs 8 A round up of recent legislative 13 Transport matters 20 Events and meetings Society Page 10 matters 14 Heritage, planning and A matter of public concern Is the BBC impartial? Heathrow third runway was championed by a supposedly “impartial” BBC interviewer when interviewing London’s Mayor on the newly established Commission on Aviation Capacity. Newsforum editor Helen Marcus found the BBC complaints procedure a barrier to communication. n November 2nd 2012 Radio 4’s complain. However when I tried to find a Today Programme ran an item on Evan Davis sounded as phone number or email address to contact on Othe announcement of the Davies the BBC website complaints page, it seemed Commission on aviation capacity. Evan Davis though he was a lobbyist for designed to be a barrier to prevent people interviewed three people. He first spoke to from complaining or contacting the BBC at all. MP Julian Huppert, who said that we should the Heathrow 3rd runway The complaints web-page is circular – you make better use of existing infrastructure, and Johnson quite need to be tech-savvy to decipher it. and then Jo Valentine of London First, who I managed to bypass it because I found an agreed, and even acknowledged that justifiably told him so. email address I had used some years ago that aircraft noise was a real problem. still seemed to work. The reply I received was However when Evan Davies interviewed unsatisfactory, and further advised that: “This Mayor Boris Johnson, far from remaining the is sent from an outgoing account only which disinterested interviewer, his tone became is not monitored. You cannot reply to this increasingly confrontational and critical. He could say it’s inappropriate for a small email address but if necessary please contact scarcely allowed Johnson to make his own number of constituencies in this whole us via our webform quoting any case number points but just kept pressing him about the country to determine the national we provided”. But If you make your Heathrow third runway, constantly infrastructure shape of the nation”. complaint through their webform you have interrupting him, implying that he represented Around 8 million people live in greater no record of it on your system. no-one but himself, and putting words into his London out of the total UK population of mouth: “let me just shut you up for one about 60 million; hardly a “small number of A barrier to complaints second.... because we know your view on constituencies”. A complaints system that dictates to people this. .....What you’re trying to do is get These remarks show an astonishing how they must complain, and says that if Heathrow 3rd runway ruled out...... That’s your contempt, not just for BBC impartiality, but they do not do it in the prescribed manner motive. It’s just that you don’t like that option”. for the people of London, and the whole their complaint will be ignored, is no democratic process. Evan Davis sounded as complaints system at all. This is surely Disrespect for the democratic process though he was a lobbyist for the Heathrow unacceptable for an organisation which When the Mayor tried to point out that he 3rd runway and Johnson quite justifiably receives its funds through mandatory was democratically elected to represent told him so. contributions from the tax-payer. this view on behalf of Londoners, and is It would be interesting to know what supported by “huge numbers of London Lack of "impartiality" or "balance" other London Forum members think, if they politicians and the London Assembly across I felt that this interview was so far from the heard that interview. all parties”, Evan Davies dismissed this too: BBC’s much vaunted commitment to "impartiality" or "balance", that I should (Quoted statements in this text were transcibed “You could say that’s democratic but you from the BBC’s play-back facility). newsforum Autumn 2012 1 London Forum AGM London Forum AGM 2012 17th October 2012 at The Gallery A summarised report of the AGM meeting, from notes taken by Derek Chandler and others hairman Peter Eversden opened the Excessive density of housing, basement meeting introducing the President of The work of the London developments and BT cabinets are also Cthe London Forum, Sir Richard contentious matters, and some Boroughs MacCormac, and the Chair of the Planning Forum is of increasing have not developed sufficient policies to and Transport Committee of the London control these. Forum, Michael Bach. He welcomed the importance, thanks in large Open Meetings for members, and any representatives of the Societies present, part to the commitment of other interested participants, had been held especially new members. throughout the year, with good attendance Peter Eversden and participation[ they had been fully President’s welcome Sir Richard MacCormac reported in the Newsforum. Sir Richard said that the work of the London The Chairman recorded the Forum’s great Forum is of increasing importance, thanks in thanks to Alan Baxter for his generosity in large part to the commitment of Peter issues requiring a lot of interpretation and providing office space and the use of the Eversden to the Forum over the past 16 lobbying. The London Forum has Gallery. This enabled the Forum to hold years. The London Forum does not concern strengthened its relationships with London meetings and network with the many other itself with politics but with Government MPs, Members of the House of Lords, residents of the building involved in proposals and acts, voicing concerns from Ministers and Opposition shadow planning and kindred matters. The recent member societies around London. London spokesmen to try to influence them to make installation of a comprehensive audio-visual Forum now has a recognised importance DCLG and DCMS understand the system in the Gallery had already proved due in large part to Peter Eversden’s implications of the suggestions and changes very useful. commitment to its aims. they are making and to achieve input to The Forum’s four to five yearly survey Sir Richard continued by commenting on Parliamentary Select Committee work. was conducted in May and the results were the need for an appropriate density when The Mayor’s London Plan has had to be discussed at an open meeting in planning housing developments. High revised to take account of the changes the September. It identifies members’ interests density development, achieved by high rise Coalition has introduced, including an and concerns, enabling the Forum small apartments, excluded many families ‘affordable rent model’ which seems to be Committee to plan its activities to suit due to both cost and lack of space. Such most unaffordable for London, requiring members. It has been sent to all members developments led to a transient occupation income of £65,000 annually to qualify. The by email. in buy-to-let properties. This matter would London Forum has commented upon the The London Forum web site was be discussed in more detail during the Open alterations to the London Plan and has been recreated and its content management Discussion session. invited to participate in the public system is now being finalised so that it can examination of those changes, to be held in be updated regularly. It has news feeds that Chairman's Report November. This work is still in progress bring the latest information from The Chairman began his report by thanking The GLA regards the Forum as a Government and the GLA and the Twitter the Patrons for their support, and Helen “stakeholder group”, enabling the Forum to system is being used to spread information Marcus and Peter Pickering for compiling be involved at the draft stage of proposals. on live issues quickly and widely. the Annual Report, already circulated, which which are now focusing on character and reflected a great deal of work by many context and creating sustainable Financial Report people during the year which was also neighbourhoods. The Chairman had Financial Report:The Treasurer had prepared reported more fully in Newsforum, edited to continued with membership of the Outer the Financial Report but had been called away a very high standard by Helen Marcus. He London Commission and the Final Report from London at the last minute. The also referred to Planning in London which was in preparation. The Mayor’s Outer Chairman summarised the Report. Income he recommended as an important journal London Town Centre Rejuvenation Fund had was currently just sufficient and the Balance on London planning matters and suggested 43 “special areas”, more than the GLA Sheet was healthy. The website and Survey that Societies could subscribe for copies to “outline” frameworks. had been major costs in the same year but support the journal in its work. It is vitally important for societies to were very worthwhile. After several years The Chairman highlighted some of the ensure their borough’s Local Plan was up to without any increase, despite inflation, an Main points raised in the Report. date. Local decision making would be a increase had been essential to meet rising Over the past year, the London Forum has very important area for action in future.
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