ROBIN MELTZER: Fighting for ALL residents in Kensington

Click here for Robin's blog.

My contract with Kensington residents

• I will put local people first. I will be there to help, listen to your concerns and stand up for our community.

• I will hold regular, advertised MP surgeries in community venues in both South and North Kensington.

• I will make sure your voice is heard - locally and in Parliament.

• I will be a strong voice in Kensington.

• I will be open and honest about all expenses incurred in representing you.

Tories attack 'Save Portobello Market' campaign

25th April 2010

Robin Meltzer has said Portobello Road is not safe in the hands of the local Council following a series of extraordinary comments by the Conservative leadership in the Council chamber last week.

One Conservative said, on the record: "I'm not quite sure what this Save the Portobello Market campaign is all about." Another said: "The young prefer to go to Ikea and DFS." A third said called the traders' reaction to the disappearance of dozens of antiques market stalls "hysterical" and said they should "stop fearing change".

For the full details, and Robin's reaction, see the main news section of the Kensington & Chelsea Liberal Democrats website.

Read the full story.

Kensington Lib Dem Candidate Robin Meltzer talks about housing

20th April 2010

Robin with Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg

Robin Meltzer, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Kensington, has been setting out his housing priorities:

Just 1 home in 100 in Britain is properly energy efficient yet Malcolm Rifkind didn't bother to vote in Parliament on the Fuel Poverty bill. Liberal Democrats would begin a ten year programme of home insulation, offering £10,000 per home, paid for by the savings from lower energy bills. We would make sure every new home is fully energy-efficient by improving building regulations. Lib Dems would scrap Home Information Packs and replace them with a simple requirement to have an energy performance certificate.

In Kensington, house prices prevent many local people from moving into a home big enough to raise a family. There is an affordable housing crisis in our Borough with a shortfall of nearly 4000 homes per year. The Council's controversial 'estate renewal' programme actually leads to the proportion of affordable housing falling because revenue from building luxury housing is really used to replace, rather than add to, existing stock. This means some families are forced to live in overcrowded conditions and key workers have to leave the area.

A good start would be to insist that developments always contain affordable housing on-site so we get a real mix of public and private housing. Kensington & Chelsea has a shameful record on this.

Meanwhile, there are 250,000 empty homes in Britain and, according to the council tax base, as many as 4000 of them are in K&C. We would bring these homes back into use with cheap loans and grants as part of our job creation plan. It's quicker, cheaper and greener than building.

But it isn't the whole solution: that's why Liberal Democrats would also free councils to borrow money against their assets in order to build a new generation of council housing and to keep the revenue they generate from that housing.

Robin Meltzer blogs about Earl's Court development

16th April 2010

Robin Meltzer, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Kensington, has been blogging about the proposed Earl's Court development, in particular about the effect of demolition of the Earl's Court exhibtion centre on existing residents whose houses and flats are right on its doorsteps.

Read Robin's blog about the proposed Earl's Court development.

Robin Meltzer talks about transport

15th April 2010

Robin Meltzer: "air quality in Kensington is appalling"

Robin Meltzer, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Kensington, has been setting out his transport priorities:

Britain's railways are the most expensive in Europe. Rail fares have increased by 13% in real terms since Labour came to power. Bus fares have increased by 24%.

Buses and trains should be clean, affordable and reliable so people can have a real choice about how to travel. That's how we can cut pollution and make it easy for people to leave their car at home.

The Liberal Democrats have proposed a National Infrastructure Bank to invest in public transport like high speed rail.

We will ensure regulated train fares go up by less than inflation so that prices come down. We will make Network Rail refund a third of your ticket price if you have to take a rail replacement bus service.

Heathrow is big enough already. Only the Liberal Democrats say no to the third runway AND to expansion of other airports in the South East.

Our cycle routes are a mess. Where dedicated lanes do exist, they often end abruptly, dumping cyclists out into the traffic. The idea that cyclists should be encouraged to share crowded roads with lorries, vans and cars flies in the face of reality and safety. A North South cycle route combined with East West routes along Holland Park Avenue, Kensington High Street/Cromwell Road and Kings Road would be a good start. This would reduce pavement cycling, lower the accident rate, and encourage more children cycling to secondary schools.

Air quality in Kensington is appalling, with dangerous airborne particles way above the legal limit. One good reason to scrap the Western Extension of the Congestion Charge is that it doesn't stop the worst polluting lorries and trucks from outside the Borough driving through here, spewing out the most toxic particles and shortening the lives of residents. We need a tougher emissions zone.

Robin signs the Power Pledge

6th April 2010

Liberal Democrat Kensington prospective parliamentary candidate Robin Meltzer has signed the Power 2010 pledge, which calls for a reforming Parliament. Robin said: "Now that the election has finally been called, it is a good moment to consider how broken our political system is.

"The Liberal Democrats will change politics forever and end safe seats by introducing a fair, more proportional voting system for MPs, and for the House of Lords. By giving voters the choice between people as well as parties, it means they can stick with a party but punish a bad MP by voting for someone else.

"Liberal Democrats would scrap ID cards. Getting rid of this illiberal, expensive and ineffective scheme will free up money for thousands more police on our streets. We will also get innocent people off the DNA Database and scrap the intrusive ContactPoint database which will hold the details of every child in England.

"Liberal Democrats will replace the House of Lords with a fully elected second chamber with considerably fewer members than the current House.

"People should have the power to determine a new, written, constitution in a convention made up of members of the public and parliamentarians of all parties, and subject to final approval in a referendum."

Kensington High St Post Office is not "surplus to requirements"

23rd March 2010

Robin Meltzer, the Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Kensington, who is campaigning to save the Post Office on Kensington High Street, has criticised the claim by the developer that the site is "surplus to requirements".

Writing on his blog, Robin Meltzer said: "This Post Office is not part of the national programme of closures. Royal Mail accepts that it is a very busy and popular Post Office. Yet developers have told the Council that the building is 'surplus to requirements'.

"The site would only be surplus to requirements if a new Post Office site in the immediate area had been identified and secured. The current Post Office is a vital community service for thousands of local people. Were this application to succeed, it could mean the loss of the Post Office without any commitment about a replacement, let alone a promise that there would be no break in service should a replacement be found."

The Liberal Democrats argue that a successful application for redevelopment of the Kensington High Street site should be one with the replacement of the Post Office at its heart. Robin added: "The Council should apply a condition that the Post Office is replaced in the immediate vicinity prior to the commencement of any development work."

Read Robin's blog post on the subject of the Post Office.

Robin at launch of new website for first time voters

20th March 2010

Robin Meltzer talks with particpants at the Active Citizens event

Robin Meltzer, the Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for the new constituency of Kensington has attended the London launch of Active Citizens: Virgin Voters a special website designed to encourage first-time voters to participate in the upcoming General Election. The site was created by The Scout Association in partnership with Oxfam GB and The Hansard Society.

Robin said: "This year, across the country, some 10,000 Scouts and Young Leaders will be eligible to vote for the first time and I am delighted to support The Scout Association's initiative to give them the tools and information they need not only on how to vote, but more importantly why they should vote."

The website - www.activecitizens.net - features general information about voting, campaigning and volunteering, as well as offering a number of practical tools including how to register to vote, how to start a campaign, and local volunteering opportunities. It also hosts a forum that will enable MPs, councillors and prospective local and national candidates to participate in online discussions; allowing them to directly engage with young people on issues of concern to them.

Activecitizens.net was launched in London at an event to encourage youth participation in local and national political activity. At the event Robin Meltzer met dozens of young people - many of them first time voters.

Robin Meltzer said: "Talking to young people about the issues that affect them is the best way to understand how much needs to change to ensure we are giving everyone the best chance in life. The young people I spoke to had views on everything from university funding to the age at which different subjects should be made compulsory at school. In a media culture where too often young people are portrayed negatively, I applaud The Scout Association for fostering an environment where young people are not only involved in their local community but want to get actively involved in the political system to make their voices heard."

Wornington Green decision shows the system needs to change

3rd March 2010

Robin Meltzer has criticised the 'casting vote' rule in Kensington & Chelsea which saw a controversial plan to redevelop a large housing estate get the green light despite an even split among councillors.

On 2nd March, Kensington & Chelsea's Major Planning Development Committee passed the plan to demolish the Wornington Green estate in North Kensington in order to replace it with a an estate with almost double the number of residents.

Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary candidate Robin Meltzer said: "This is to be funded by adding top market accommodation to the site, changing the demographics over night without providing any extra open space, play space or community facilities. In addition, the basement flat bedrooms with poor access to sunlight are going to be disproportionately allocated to social rented housing and the total number of bedrooms of social rented housing is actually going to fall. To top it all off, the design for the blocks is at best boring and at worst deeply unattractive. In short, I believe this was an application which should have been rejected."

The Committee were split exactly half and half, but because the number of members was ten, this meant there was no majority on either side. The Chairman then cast the deciding vote in favour. Robin said: "Leaving aside for a moment the merits of (or lack of) this particular development, this is about governance. When members of the majority party assert their independence, it is a good thing for democracy. The 'casting vote' along the lines of the Cabinet line sticks in the craw because there was genuine cross-party doubt and anger about the application."

Imposing public art without consulting the public

16th February 2010

Site of the proposed artwork. (Copyright Paul Farmer. Licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence)

Robin Meltzer, Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for Kensington, has called for the local Council to start its process for choosing a site for public art in the Earls Court area from scratch after the Council admitted that they had failed to consult properly on its location, the artist or the artwork.

At a heated public meeting on 15th February which was billed by the Council as "a conversation about art", dozens of residents stood up to say none of them would have chosen the site at the junction of Warwick Road and Old Brompton Road for this piece of artwork if the Council had consulted them.

Robin Meltzer said: "Public art has a relationship with its environment and to the people who will see it every day. To exclude those people from the process of choosing not only the art but also the location for that art is ridiculous.

"Now that the Council has admitted that its consultation on the Warwick Road location was seriously flawed, the entire process should now stop and begin again."

Read Robin's blog post about the Earls Court public art controversy.

Robin hands in petitions organised by Portobello antiques traders

1st February 2010

Robin with some of the petitions

1800 letters and almost 2000 petitions have been hand-delivered to the Town Hall from more than 2500 people who are deeply concerned about the future of Portobello Market following the loss of an arcade which housed as many as 200 traders.

Robin Meltzer, the Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Kensington, was asked by Portobello Road antiques traders, who organised the campaign, to deliver the signed letters and petitions to the Town Hall.

Robin said: "I am proud to support the antique traders' campaign. The letters and petitions have been signed by people from across the political divide - by supporters of all three main parties in the Borough and by people who don't define themselves as party-political at all. It is very much a grass-roots effort organised by the traders and supported by local residents.

"The traders want to bring greater public and Cabinet attention to the plight of the Portobello Road and Market which many now fear is heading towards extinction, symbolised by the incongruous appearance of the All Saints chain store at the end of last year.

"These small businesses are part of our local heritage. They not only put us on the tourist map; they also make our Borough a more diverse and fascinating place to live. As many of 200 them lost their pitch when the famous Lipka's arcade was closed down to make room for a branch of All Saints.

"Real leadership is sorely needed from the Council now, to turn around the sad state of affairs we are witnessing in Portobello."

Sign the antique traders' petition.

Robin on Lib Dem plans for 4000 empty homes in Kensington

18th January 2010

Robin Meltzer, prospective parliamentary candidate for Kensington, has welcomed the party's plans to bring thousands of homes across the country back into use, including over 4000 right here in Kensington & Chelsea: "Our plan will bring empty homes back into use, making homes available for people who need them and creating 65,000 jobs,"

Under the Lib Dem plan, people who own these empty homes will get a grant or a cheap loan to renovate them so they can be used: grants if the home is for social housing, loans for private use.

The plan forms part of the Liberal Democrat economic stimulus package. Robin added: "Allowing thousands of houses to sit empty when families have been waiting years for a home is nothing short of a scandal.

"The cost of bringing these homes back into use is just a fraction of the cost of building new ones yet the Government is sitting idly by while they fall into disrepair.

"These new Liberal Democrat plans will create jobs, provide more family homes and help Britain on its way to building a fair, sustainable economy."

Take the Kensington Residents' Survey

22nd December 2009

We want to hear YOUR views about your street, our local area and the national issues you care about most.

Take the Kensington Residents' Survey.

Robin Meltzer in Kensington & Chelsea News

17th December 2009

Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate, Robin Meltzer, has had a letter published in this week's Kensington & Chelsea News setting out some of the local policy issues he has been campaiging on recently, and criticising both the sitting MP and the leader of the Council for not engaging with local residents.

Read the letter at the Kensington & Chelsea News website.

Note to Malcolm Rifkind: holding surgeries is not a very controversial idea

7th December 2009

Robin Meltzer has challenged Sir Malcolm Rifkind to match his commitment to hold regular surgeries in both North and South Kensington if elected to Parliament for the brand new constituency of Kensington.

Read the challenge and the reason why.

Robin joins Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg MP at The Copenhagen Wave in London

5th December 2009

Robin Meltzer, prospective parliamentary candidate for Kensington, joined Nick Clegg MP and hundreds of Lib Dems who marched on Westminster as part of the Copenhagen Wave in London.

Kensington prospective parliamentary candidate Robin Meltzer and Nick Clegg MP at the Wave

Find out more about the Wave by reading Robin's blog.

C-Charge Extension: We shouldn't have to choose between people's livelihoods and our health

3rd December 2009

Robin in Portobello

Kensington Liberal Democrat campaigner Robin Meltzer has given his reaction to the local Labour group's extraordinary snub to local traders in Notting Hill. In the Town Hall on 2nd December, Labour councillors dismissed concerns from Portobello and Golborne traders about the impact of the Western Extension of the Congestion charge, saying: "Capitalism is a risk game. There's no guarantee in life."

Robin said: "The Western Extension of the Congestion Charge is a blunt instrument which has caused misery in Councillor Caruana's ward, without doing enough to mitigate congestion or improve Air Quality in our part of the city. The only solution is for it to be replaced.

"We need a new plan to bring down Nitrogen Dioxide and harmful airborne particles in London. Only smart charging, combined with a stricter inner city low emissions zone, can safeguard our health AND people's livelihoods. We shouldn't have to choose between one and the other. In any sensible congestion charging system, a street like Portobello Road with a historic market would never be caught up in it. It's ridiculous that Labour refuse to accept this.

"It takes a particular type of arrogance to dismiss legitimate concerns from traders with these glib phrases about no guarantees in life. If Labour councillors had bothered to walk down Portobello Road, as I have done on many occasions, talking to stall holders and shop owners, they would know that these business people have traced the decline of their takings to the introduction of the Extension.

"The damage to the midweek market since the introduction of the Congestion Charge Extension is plain. It's real, it's happening and if Labour's loyalty to the previous Mayor's policies means they won't stand up for residents who want to protect their market, the Liberal Democrats will be only too happy to step into the void and do just that."

Robin's campaign against Council Leader's expenses featured in Private Eye

11th November 2009

The saga of the expenses of Conservative Council leader Merrick Cockell was covered by Private Eye in their 13 Nov - 26 Nov issue. The story features prominently on their Rotten Boroughs page. The article mentions the dossier handed to the District Auditor by Robin Meltzer, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary campaigner for Kensington.

Private Eye website.

Cockell expenses controversy started with the Bentley

3rd November 2009

Kensington Town Hall (© R Sones)

Robin Meltzer, the Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for Kensington, has written formally to the District Auditor regarding the expenses of Councillor Merrick Cockell, the Conservative Leader of the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea. The matter had been referred to the District Auditor by Michael O'Higgins, the Chairman of the Audit Commission, to whom Mr Meltzer had expressed concerns about the appointment of Councillor Cockell to the Commission.

The saga of Councillor Cockell's expenses began at the end of 2008 when residents in Kensington & Chelsea expressed concern about allegations of inappropriate use by Councillor Cockell of the Council's Civic Bentley. Robin Meltzer explains: "When the truth got out about what the Bentley was being used for, it set in motion a whole string of other revelations about expenses which Councillor Cockell had failed to disclose."

Read the full story.

Robin quoted in Evening Standard over Cockell expenses

28th October 2009

As reported in today's Evening Standard, Robin Meltzer, the Liberal Democrat prospective Parliamentary candidate for the new constituency of Kensington, has written to the Chairman of the Audit Commission to express concerns about the appointment to the Commission of Councillor Merrick Cockell. Councillor Cockell is the leader of the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea and Chairman of London Councils.

Read the full story.

Read the Evening Standard article.

Robin Meltzer supports 1 Hour Bus Ticket campaign

21st October 2009

On 21st October, Robin Meltzer, the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson for Kensington, joined Lib Dem Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon and Tom Brake MP to call for a one-hour bus ticket on Oyster cards.

Robin Meltzer with Caroline and Tom Brake MP outside City Hall

Read the full story.

Local Lib Dem chairman chosen to fight Sir Malcolm

Robin Meltzer

Local Liberal Democrats have chosen their party chairman to stand against Sir Malcolm Rifkind MP at the next General Election in the newly created constituency of Kensington.

Robin Meltzer, a TV producer by profession, has been Chair of Kensington & Chelsea Liberal Democrats for three years and also serves on the party's London Region Executive Committee.

Most recently, he was the campaign manager for Carol Caruana, the winning candidate in the Colville ward council by-election in Notting Hill in July. The Colville victory was historic because it was the first time the Liberal Democrats had won a council seat in Kensington & Chelsea.

Commenting on Robin Meltzer's selection as prospective parliamentary candidate, Cllr Caruana said:

"Anyone who has ever worked with Robin here in Kensington knows that he is a tireless campaigner for local people. I really can't think of a better prospective candidate as we go into this important election."

Robin Meltzer said:

"It will be a genuine honour to stand for Parliament in my home constituency at the next election.

"Local residents and business owners are struggling with the economy in a mess. Only the Liberal Democrats are offering real solutions to the problems people face every day. Lower taxes for ordinary families, investment in green jobs and public services we can all be proud of.

"I don't believe that Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the current MP for Kensington & Chelsea, understands local people. He certainly doesn't speak up for residents here. In fact, when do we even see him in our diverse local communities? I will expose this complacency and show how Liberal Democrats would do things differently - it's time we had an MP who really listened to people round here and got things done locally.

"Residents are crying out for some proper opposition but Labour have proved they simply can't provide it. They've got no ideas for Kensington - just like Gordon Brown has run out of ideas for the country.

"With the General and council elections likely on the same day, there will only be one way of making a real change in Kensington: voting Liberal Democrat."