tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268010742009-06-25T15:56:13.235+01:00greenwich.watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529660447898392292noreply@blogger.comBlogger343125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26801074.post-11231070717342751662008-07-21T12:24:00.001+01:002008-07-21T12:26:08.279+01:00

Regular readers will have noticed that we've not been posting anywhere nearly as regularly as we used to. We feel bad about this, we really do want to provide an outlet for stories and information about Greenwich Council, but we've become more and more busy with our own lives and so we've decided to take a break from this blog.When we set this blog up in May 2006 we did so with the aim of cutting

greenwich.watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529660447898392292noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26801074.post-69092618561486321972008-07-11T18:55:00.006+01:002008-07-12T08:29:52.142+01:00

Councillor Kanta Patel has passed away last week after being ill for some time. She had served on Greenwich Council for 21 years. She was a Councillor for the Plumstead ward along with Councillors Cornforth and Jawaid.Our respects to her family and friends.The official council tribute can be found here.

greenwich.watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529660447898392292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26801074.post-29340112490149484762008-07-10T13:16:00.003+01:002008-07-10T13:27:34.923+01:00

Looks like Greenwich Council have been caught jumping the gun again. In the Audit Commissions' Report of the repairs and inspection services it looks like Greenwich Council has been threating legal action before it should. This way it gets what it wants from people.Paragraph 95The gas servicing programme is not sufficiently managed. The programme is based on a geographical basis, with contractors

greenwich.watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529660447898392292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26801074.post-47911627996488888062008-06-20T11:04:00.007+01:002008-07-02T21:39:30.934+01:00

Here are this years pay rises. This year the councillors gave themselves a pay rise of about 2.5%. We'll let you digest these figures, we think there all correct but the work experience photocopier boy isn't what he used to be.Just like last year most of the positions for panels go to favored Labour Councillors and the ones who don't get a freebie might get the change to be the Mayor the

greenwich.watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529660447898392292noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26801074.post-4074344157998981682008-06-06T12:54:00.003+01:002008-06-06T13:03:50.295+01:00

Its being reported that the new Mayor of London, Boris Johnson has enacted one of his election promises and has overturned Ken Livingstone's policy over the Blackwall Tunnel's tidal flow operation. This means that the tidal flow operation is now back in use, this is likely to be welcome by anyone trying to drive in Greenwich in the mornings.Does this mean that the possible Greenwich Congestion

greenwich.watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529660447898392292noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26801074.post-57551066888495747532008-05-15T11:31:00.002+01:002008-05-15T11:36:24.509+01:00

Last night was again the Council's AGM, we wouldn't have bothered to write a post as apparently it was very similar to last years. With councillors awarding themselves different jobs which have already been decided in closed door discussions. The Tories and Lib Dems made their usual plea for a more impartial mayor as it is constitutionally supposed to be an unbiased position, and not the former

greenwich.watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529660447898392292noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26801074.post-3445002238511971372008-05-08T23:01:00.005+01:002008-05-08T23:12:33.905+01:00

Following on from our last post about Greenwich Time and the role that it plays within Greenwich its interesting to note that this week sees a relaunch of the viewspaper. It would appear to be trying to mimic the style and front page content of a real local newspaper albeit with a strong tabloid influence. The front page has as its lead story a photo of Charlton Athletic's Zheng "Zizi" Zhi along

greenwich.watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529660447898392292noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26801074.post-56852768776794423172008-05-04T19:10:00.001+01:002008-05-04T19:10:01.176+01:00

Looks like the nonpartisan, kitty litter liner that is Greenwich Time was being delivered on the Polling Day for the Mayoral and GLA elections. Along with the usual pro Council stories and smiling photos of various Council Cabinet members there was also a piece covering the elections. Now, was it that Greenwich Council and the newspapers' controller in chief (Cllr Chris Roberts) wanted to help

greenwich.watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529660447898392292noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26801074.post-63175006808798231002008-05-03T10:53:00.001+01:002008-05-03T11:06:29.950+01:00

Here are the final results for Greenwich for the Assembly Member; Len Duvall LAB 53,174 Andy Jennings CON 37,040 Brian Robson LD 18,174 Susan Luxton GRN 15,607 Tess Culnane NF 8,509 Stephen Hammond CPA 5,079

greenwich.watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529660447898392292noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26801074.post-10739115049982188532008-05-02T10:48:00.000+01:002008-05-02T10:49:29.867+01:00

We're getting reports of a very high turnout in Greenwich for yesterdays elections. The count is being done today and the result should be out by around 6pm. We'll post as soon as we know what's going on.Looks like this has been an interesting election afterall.

greenwich.watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529660447898392292noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26801074.post-2878156837608606782008-05-01T11:15:00.001+01:002008-05-01T11:17:02.519+01:00

Today is polling day for the London Mayor and Assembly, we have covered this election a little bit, here.As we have said before we will not tell you who to vote for, but we will say this, if you want to be noticed and listened to, you need to vote. Otherwise the politicians and their parties will continue to thrive on apathy.Go on vote, polls close at 10pm tonight.

greenwich.watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529660447898392292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26801074.post-84503580051187306242008-04-20T18:54:00.015+01:002008-04-22T16:22:22.573+01:00

Has Greenwich Council come up with a new way of deterring tagging and graffiti? Thanks to a reader's email it looks like they might have, of course it might just be some enterprising local resident as well? Still, let's hope it works. These photos was taken near Vanburgh Road.If it does turn out not to be the Council's Cleansweep department, but instead someone else then here at Greenwich Watch

greenwich.watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529660447898392292noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26801074.post-2404020963419017662008-04-15T18:24:00.004+01:002008-04-16T13:08:48.918+01:00

We've covered some of Thamesmead's problems before, epically with Negative Equity, looking at this map and article from the Evening Standard it would look like five out of the top ten streets in London for Negitive Equity are in Greenwich, and two are in Thamesmead. They are; Calderwood Street, SE28 Erebus Drive, SE28 Woolwich Common, SE18 Glashier Street, SE8 Greenhaven Drive, SE28 Even

greenwich.watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529660447898392292noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26801074.post-81028032339413356972008-04-14T17:32:00.003+01:002008-04-14T17:36:41.234+01:00

You can always tell when there is a election happening, as suddenly from every nook, cranny and barstool your locally elected officials appear. As you might have noticed it is the Mayor of London election, with elections for the Greater London Assembly running at the same time. Whilst this website is more concerned with Greenwich Council we will cover what we can of this election, as it does of

greenwich.watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529660447898392292noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26801074.post-85198131537586230992008-04-07T11:37:00.005+01:002008-04-07T11:44:14.588+01:00

Ever heard of SOCITM? Nope neither had we, turns out that they are The Society of IT Managers, and recently they have put Greenwich Council's website in a list as being one of the top 20 Local Authority Websites. Yes, we were wondering if they had been looking at the same site the rest of us have to use, but still they seem to want to give the Council praise. Even Greenwich Council deserves some

greenwich.watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529660447898392292noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26801074.post-12973903191665249752008-04-01T00:11:00.006+01:002008-04-01T16:00:55.121+01:00

We've heard about plans to make Greenwich an independent nation in much the same way as Monaco, although without the glamorous casinos, so poor old AEG missed out again then. This has been decided after the long and well publicised, public consultation which has now already finished.Councillor Chris Roberts would cease to be Council Leader and would instead be elevated to the position of

greenwich.watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529660447898392292noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26801074.post-8912147792076989932008-03-17T13:09:00.001Z2008-03-17T13:12:08.177Z

Would two little boys make room on their horse for one more?We ask because we recently came across the following links and it looks like one of the Conservative Councillors, Cllr Truss, may be eyeing up the job of becoming the Lib Dem Whip. The Dynamic Duo must too be getting all exited at the prospect of increasing their numbers by 50%.But let's face it as she used to be one of the fence sitters

greenwich.watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529660447898392292noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26801074.post-78165292489567499162008-03-12T00:02:00.003Z2008-03-12T10:54:29.746Z

If your a council in need of money how do you go about filling a few funding gaps, well you look to sell off the family silver, or better still someone else's family silver if you can get hold of it. What could we mean, well following on from Greenwich Phantom's post we're talking about the Council's little plans to forcibly take the John Roan Foundation's prized land next to Greenwich Park and

greenwich.watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529660447898392292noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26801074.post-1647251119400858892008-03-10T18:31:00.004Z2008-03-10T18:39:23.283Z

More on the Budget Efficiency Savings Cuts following on from what Charlton Average spotted, which in turn followed on from The Last Boy Scot's post, and this is the issue of the Charlton Fitness Centre being set to close in the near future. Now if you take the time to look at this PDF you will see Greenwich's Health Profile for 2007, as you can see it shows that Greenwich has a significantly

greenwich.watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529660447898392292noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26801074.post-7738648754619903882008-03-06T09:11:00.002Z2008-03-06T09:13:55.714Z

Its been a few weeks now since the new recycling plans started in the people's republic of Greenwich, we're still seeing rubbish on the streets after the bin men have been around in the evening. These are of course not just our reports as we here at Greenwich Watch Towers are still being regularly emailed with stories from around the borough about the new system. As well as seeing some of the

greenwich.watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529660447898392292noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26801074.post-3725162534620930532008-03-04T16:41:00.002Z2008-03-04T16:44:55.480Z

As well as silly motions the Budget was also discussed, but was hardly dissected at the last council meeting on Wednesday.Here's some things which might have been missed; this budget saw the continuation of last years smash and grab raid on various council services.In an Oscar like ceremony the leader of the council praised various departments for making tough decisions on "efficiency savings".

greenwich.watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529660447898392292noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26801074.post-53186631972007135972008-03-03T13:56:00.002Z2008-03-03T13:59:30.937Z

If you have ever wondered where Greenwich Council gets its ideas for the dictatorial regime that seems to pass for a London Borough Council, then look no further than the Early Day Motion which was signed by two of Greenwich's three MP's and former members of Greenwich Council. John Austin (Lab, Erith and Thamesmead) and Clive Efford (Lab, Eltham) both signed EDM 982, praising Fidel Castro. This

greenwich.watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529660447898392292noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26801074.post-28717846459413624682008-02-25T22:53:00.004Z2008-02-26T08:24:34.959Z

Contrary to emails that may have been received by our readers from the Leader of the Council, we would just like to confirm that we are not dead. We considered it for a while, and we even dug our own grave and grew huge muscles as a result, but we have now decided that death is worse than... well... it's worth than death. The good news is that our wives/husbands are not dead either. Nor are they

greenwich.watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529660447898392292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26801074.post-78977752842593078682008-02-25T22:05:00.003Z2008-02-26T08:24:59.938Z

There is something very strange going on at the Council this month. They're having a full Council meeting just four weeks since the last one. We've been thinking that it was almost democratic but then we read the agenda and found ourselves in a corner of the office giggling like a pretty schoolgirl in pigtails.The thing that made us giggle was a motion tabled by the councillor for Thamesmead,

greenwich.watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529660447898392292noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26801074.post-28390467716101897242008-02-21T11:18:00.001Z2008-02-21T11:19:47.653Z

Knowing if someone is still alive or if they sadly are no longer with us, that would be a pretty definitive test as to if an organisation is competent or not? Following on from an email conversation that we’ve just been forwarded it would appear that in that case Greenwich Council have failed this test, as a message was sent out to large number of people informing them that sadly someone had

greenwich.watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05529660447898392292noreply@blogger.com3