• Coombe Vale Councillors, Lynne Finnerty, Adrian Holder & Julie Pickering ... working for you.
  • Getting things done ...
  • ... the disabled parking bay at the Triangle is now fit for purpose.
  • Getting things done ...
  • ... footpaths being kept tidy, not just functional.
  • Getting things done ...
  • ... blind spots are a danger to both cars and pedestrians.
  • New security barriers in the Dickerage Road playing field will prevent travellers’ camps being established.
  • Cllr. Lynne Finnerty is an active protagonist for the Groves.
  • Former police officer Cllr. Adrian Holder is leading on measures to keep Kingston's night clubs under control.
  • Cllr. Julie Pickering combines management experience with local knowledge to bring common sense to the Council.
  • Alert us to anything that needs fixing by the Council ... it's our job to make it happen!
  • Mayor Boris Johnson and local MP Zac Goldsmith combine to improve our environment.
  • Conservatives have a great team in the North Kingston wards of Coombe Vale, Coombe Hill, Canbury and Tudor!

Top story

Call for Lib-Dem resignations over failure to protect children

A review published in February that exposes mis-management by the LibDem Guildhall Administration in the protection of vulnerable children has led Coombe Vale councillors to demand the resignation of Cllr Bamford, responsible for Children and Young People, and also for Cllr Osborne, the Lib-Dem Council Leader to go.

The problems in Kingston are were so bad that Government intervention was necessary.

Further discloures about Kingston's problems with child protection are expected to reveal that a child was left at significant risk during a period of domestic violence which led to homicide.

Serious Case Reviews are undertaken learn lessons, but the expression ‘lessons learnt’ is hollow unless action is taken resulting in sustained improvement

says Cllr Lynne Finnerty. Reviews in 2006 and 2008 highlighted problems in sharing information between agencies and called for more training. In 2010 Cllr Bamford felt confident that ‘all procedures had been upgraded’, but 2012, Ofsted was still demanding that action be taken.


As Lead Member responsible for Children's Safeguarding, Cllr. Bamford is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the warnings from these reviews were followed up, but admitted that she was ‘still bemused as to where we got to’. But, as Cllr Finnerty pointed out:

Lead Members receive a special responsibility allowance. With that, comes accountability. Why did she fail to challenge the Children's Safguarding team and its former Director from her uniquely well-placed position?

Guldhall guidelines state that the Council Leader should support Lead Members and hold them to account. As Cllr Finnerty points out, this latest review reveals Cllr Osborne’s many missed opportunities to intervene.

Cllr. Osbourne has stated he’s worried a continuing negative political debate will have an adverse affect on Kingston’s ability to retain quality staff. We offer a solution, resign. By clinging on, both are putting their personal positions before the interests of children & young people.


Ofsted identified 22 local authorities, including Kingston, that were having problems protecting children, but what is alarming in Kingston’s case is that the administration was surprised by the issues Ofstead raised. In many of the other councils, the Lead Member has resigned.

Why in Kingston’s case was it the Director who ‘moved on’, and not the Lead Member, Cllr Bamford?

Cllr. Julie Pickering asks.

What has emerged over the last few months is a clear difference in the quality of managing change between Kingston and Richmond, and how Richmond works in a multifaceted business-like approach.

Front

Richmond Park and North Kingston Conservative Association Coombe Vale Ward

Your Coombe Vale ward councillors

Julie Pickering, Lynne Finnerty and Adrian Holder, seen here, are your local Councillors for Coombe Vale. They care about our area and work constantly to improve it. With your help, they identify issues within our Ward and bringing them to the attention of the Council. Please help them by drawing any problems that you know about to their attention. They also follow up individual resident’s problems raised at their monthly surgeries.

Last year they advised and supported over 60 local residents and groups on wide-ranging matters, including anti-social behaviour, traffic issues, roads and pavements, housing and benefits, and nursey and school provision. They held street meets on parking and recycling, and facilitated community group meetings between schools and residents in the Groves area.

Neighbourhood WatchThey also hold regular meetings with local police and suport panel meetings arranged by the Safer Neighbourhood Police team to re-enforce the message that residents are increasingly concerned about Coombe Vale burgularies. 

Ward surgeries are held on the second Saturday of the month (excluding August and December) at the Dickerage Road Recreation Ground.You can find out more about these surgeries, and other ways of obtaining assistance with local issues, here. To find out how to get in touch with your Councillors directly, please click here.

Next Surgery: Saturday 11th May 10am–noon

Twitter Updates

Lynne Finnerty

Met SWTrains again + residents following New Malden station petition Impression = fobbed off. Need access franchise agreement re cleaning

... and from Zac

Zac Goldsmith

Indonesia's Constitutional Court rules that indigenous people's customary lands are not state property. V good news; http://t.co/YWFcw6yXdS

Your Opinion

Following complaints, we are gathering feedback on the Council’s decision to provide small bags only for food waste