This week:

• I reported an overflowing communal bin that I had seen under the Swing Bridge. It turned out that the bin didn’t belong to local businesses or residential properties so it was removed. (‘Abandoned’ bins that have been moved to the wrong place or are no longer needed for their original purpose, often end up overflowing and causing problems. If you spot an abandoned bin, please get in touch.
• I contacted council officers to ask about the Quayside New Year’s Eve plans. Local councillors weren’t briefed in advance and I wanted to know what the impact on residents would be.
• I contacted the Public Health Team about the plans to end the contract for the sexual health service . There were concerns when this service was awarded to a private contractor two years ago. Its recent move to a premises in Summerhill has also been problematic. It’s not easily accessed on foot or by public transport. Its location on a quiet residential street has raised privacy and access issues for patients and residents.
• Sadly, we heard that Abdullah al Derazi, the young man sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia that I and other councillors wrote to King Salman about in an appeal for clemency, had been executed.