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The Borough of Opportunity (Tuesday 29/07/08)
Last Thursday evening the Mayor and I hosted a Civic Reception for Sir William Atkinson, the charismatic head teacher of Phoenix High School knighted recently in the Queen's birthday honours for "services to education and community relations". The next morning I attended the ground breaking event to mark the start of construction of the new Imperial Wharf Railway Station. Both these occasions signal that the biggest mission of Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F) Council is regeneration and to make H&F the Borough of Opportunity.
This aim is more than just words on a lamp post banner. Regeneration is not just about bricks and mortar. It is also about growth, skills and jobs. For that to happen we need to ensure that we have an adequate transport infrastructure in place. That is why the new station at Imperial Wharf is so important. We also need to have a clear vision of how we can bring about both the economic and social regeneration of the most deprived parts of the borough. Our state schools are at the heart of our commitment to give our children the best possible start in life. In the next few years H&F Council is planning to spend £120 million on new school buildings so that all our schools have 6th forms and 21st century facilities. But it is the head teachers and teachers that make the difference not the shiny new buildings. That is why we were so keen to celebrate the national recognition of William’s achievement in transforming Phoenix from a failing high school in special measures to a popular and outstanding school with a bright future.
Recently we held a very successful Low Cost Home Ownership day. This council wants to create a housing ladder of opportunity so that more low and middle income earning families can own their own home.
We are fortunate to live in such a dynamic, economically vibrant borough. As a council we are keen to unlock our high property values to pave the way for billions of pounds of investment from the private sector. The catalyst for the regeneration of W12 is the opening of new £1.6 billion Westfield London shopping centre and much more will happen in the coming years.
But what is crucial is that our residents are the major beneficiaries with improved neighbourhood facilities and better access to local jobs. So we are now beginning to talk to residents in W12 about what changes and improvements they want to see in their neighbourhood. Nothing can happen without the involvement of local people. We must put our residents first.
There is a lot to be proud about living in H&F. Crime is falling fast. Our streets are getting cleaner. Our parks are improving. Millions are about to be spent on our schools and there are constantly new housing and employment opportunities. Small wonder we call H&F the Borough of Opportunity.
Cllr Stephen Greenhalgh
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