Newham Council's Local Service Centre in Forest Gate will have new opening hours from June 2nd.
The Centre, which has moved from Romford Road to the new facility at The Gate in Woodgrange Road, will be open from 9 am to 5.30 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 8 am to 8pm Tuesdays and Thursdays and from 9 am to 1 pm on Saturdays.
Forest Gate will be among the areas to be patrolled by a team of ten community wardens in an effort to reduce criminality and anti-social behaviour, especially littering and fly-tipping.
The wardens, who are all full-time, will patrol in pairs and aim to begin their duties by the middle of next month. They have been employed as part of the borough's Respect campaign.
Two small post offices in Forest Gate are to close because the Post Office says there are too many outlets competing for too little business.
The branches in Godwin Road and Katherine Road will close at the end of June.
A Post Office spokesman said that there are alternative outlets in the area that are "conveniently accesible to customers." For users of the Godwin Road branch this means a trip to either Romford Road or Woodgrange Road, while Katherine Road users will now have to go to either Romford Road or St. Stephens Parade.
He added that the closure programme was intended" to safeguard the overall viability of the urban branch network."
The Mayor of Newham, Sir Robin Wales has issued a statement on the recent attacks on the Jewish cemetery and local mosque and has asked for anyone with information to come forward:
"I am sure that many in our community were shocked and saddened by the news of the recent desecration of over 380 graves at the Jewish Cemetery in East Ham on Thursday Morning last week.
This is without question an appalling outrage and one that will be condemned by all within our community. My thoughts and wishes go out to the Jewish community in Newham and the wider community. In particular I would like to send my sympathies to the relatives and friends of those whose graves have been attacked.
One shudders to understand what could drive any individual or group to commit such a barbarous and insensitive act.
I am also saddened to report of an attack on a local mosque at 88 Green Street at the weekend, in which pork sausages were left at the entrance to the Mosque. I only know that those who will seek to use such outrages to divide and segregate our community will not succeed. Instead we will grow stronger in uniting to defeat those who seek to divide us.
Newham has a rich a varied history of welcoming and supporting all communities and these acts of hatred rather than destroying that, will only make us stronger.
I have no hesitation in condemning those responsible and call on all those who have information that we assist the Police in convicting them to come forward, so that justice may be served."
If you have any information that can assist with these or any other hate crime call your local police station on 020 8534 1212 or the Council?s freephone number on 0800 328 1413.
Local community publication The Forest Gate Times is to go monthly, with immediate effect.
The paper, which is produced by volunteers and funded by a Neighbourhood Renewal grant, has up to now been published quarterly. The editorial team believe this will make the paper more releveant and more 'newsy'.
One immediate consequence of the move is that the paper now needs an experienced Distribution Manager to oversee deliveries to households and businesses in the area. Anyone interested should call 020 8555 1473 and ask for Albert.
Graham Moore has appointed as ther new neighbourhood Facilitator for Forest Gate. His job is to keep in contact with all of the groups and Projects fund it by your new home, offering them support and training opportunities.
Graham will provide support for local organizations in budget monitoring, policy making and strategic planning. With this knowledge and experience in place, they should then be able to approach funding bodies for more money. Graham will also work on projects such as an anti-bullying campaign in local schools.
Graham has more than 20 years experience of working in the voluntary sector and came to Newham two years ago as director of the Newham Training Network. Since November 2002 to he has worked in Forest Gate and is based at Durning Hall.
On 19 May Newham Council will open The Gate, a combined library and local service centre.
The key to The Gate is innovation, from self-service to external design.
The library will use smart card technology, which will enable users to serve themselves, as well as boasting thousands of books, free to use ICT facilities, CD ROMs, videos and exhibition spaces for local artists, coffee facilities and a meeting room which can be hired for community use.
The revolutionary card will allow users to issue and return books, take out and pay loan charges on CDs, DVDs, videos and other chargeable items and even pay fines.
The expectation is that 95 per cent of all transactions at The Gate will be self-service, which means that there will be no issuing counter, but rather self-service kiosks. In the future the same smart card will be used on London's public transport and other council services in Newham.
The new technology means staff will have much more time to help and advise The Gate's customers, and despite the high-tech element there will actually be more staff in the library than in the one it replaces. The opening hours have also been extended by more than 50 per cent.
At The Gate Local Service Centre customers can find out about and access a whole range of council services and much more. Up-to-the-minute technology will ensure enquiries will be dealt with efficiently and quickly, which means everyone will have more time to enjoy the library.
The building has a long front window with a breathtaking design of trees, grass and leaves. Inside there will be a fresh, vibrant look. The Gate has been designed by the same team responsible for the award-wining Stratford Library, the Library Association's "Best New Large Public Library Building" of 2001.
The Gate is at 4-20 Woodgrange Road, Forest Gate E7
A former councillor and governor of Shaftesbury School in Forest Gate will go on trial next month at Southwark Crown Court.
Greg Vincent faces 5 charges relating to possession and distribution of indecent images of children.
Mr. Vincent represented Bemersyde ward on Newham Council until he stepped down in 2002. He acted as election agent for Tony Banks MP in the June 2001 general election.
Forest Gate teachers will share in a spring cash bonanza after the area's schools were identified as having substantially improved pupil achievement since 1999.
The School Achievement Awards recognise the hard work and dedication of staff in raising standards.
Winners in E7 were: Kay Rowe Nursery, Earlham Primary, Elmhurst Primary, Godwin Junior, Odessa Infants, Sandringham Primary, St. James' Junior, St. Angela's, St. Bonaventure's and Stratford.
A Forest Gate man who fell to his death from the multi-storey car park in Stratford committed suicide, an inquest has decided.
Coroner Dr. Elizabeth Stearns recorded the verdict after hearing that Malcolm Tan, 23, had left a note before jumping into the goods service bay at the side of the car park on January 20th, 2003. She concluded that he had killed himself while the balance of his mind was disturbed.
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