ROBIN MELTZER: A Fresh Start for Kensington

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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."