Cllr Maium Miah edges forward in gym battle

“IF THIS IS ‘transparent’ government, we’ll never find out what’s going on,” said Cllr Maium Miah. The Canary Wharf councillor was speaking about his long battle to to find out how the Council decides where to site outdoor gyms.

The story began last summer, when Cllr Miah set out on the trail of trying to get an outdoor gym in his ward. He realised the health benefits that could come from using outdoor gyms and decided that Sir John McDougall Gardens would be a convenient site for his constituents.

That was when Cllr Miah hit the first hurdle. Although the Council supported outdoor gyms, he could not get a clear answer on how John Biggs, Labour’s Executive Mayor, decided who got one.

Last November Cllr Miah received a formal answer from a Council officer, who said that planning was underway and Sir John McDougal Park was being considered as a site. There was no mention of how sites were chosen from the list of possible places.

The letter went on to say that the Council was aiming to install the gym in May 2018 – which would be around the time of the elections.

Local residents have been helping Cllr Miah in his campaign to find out how John Biggs decides on when and where outdoor gyms should be installed.
•First, Cllr Miah set up a 38 Degrees petition calling for the allocation process to be made public and for Canary Wharf residents to receive fair consideration.
•Second, a residents’ petition was submitted to the Council this month – again, asking for a transparent process.

However, neither Executive Mayor John Biggs nor Council officers have revealed how decisions are taken. Cllr Miah remains undaunted and has vowed to carry on campaigning for an outdoor gym – and for a dose of transparency from the Council.

•Sign Cllr Miah’s petition here:
petition

•Read more about it:
Cllr Maium Miah calls for outdoor gym in park
Cllr Maium Miah “tower blocks – we need answers”

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