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CLLR IAN CLEMENT WRITES
We’re about to enter a particularly important period in the Council year. February and March will see a series of meetings at which we will make the decisions leading up to the setting of this year’s Council Tax.
This is something we have been looking forward to since we took control of the Council last May.
Up to now, we’ve been working with the budget we inherited from the previous administration. This is our chance to do things the way we want - and to keep the promises we made to you.
Council Tax was a big issue on the doorsteps during the election campaign - maybe the biggest issue. It’s been almost a year since then, but we remember what you told us. You said you were fed up with big Council Tax increases and we told you that keeping the Council Tax down would be our number one priority.
It is.
We want to let you keep as much as your own money as we can - so you can choose how to spend it, not us.
We will aim to take only what we need - and spend that wisely.
Since we came to power, we have given priority to ensuring the Council provides value for money. We’ve streamlined management and we’ve reorganised a number of services to make them leaner and focussed more closely on the needs of local people.
We have taken great care to protect the services on which you rely. We’re proud of Bexley’s reputation for first-rate services and we are working to make them even better.
What we’re not proud of is Bexley’s recent record of big Council Tax rises. That’s going to change.
Unfortunately, the bill that drops through your letterbox in March will include not just Bexley’s Council Tax, but also the tax we have to collect for the Mayor of London.
The Mayor has announced that he is looking to increase his share of the Council Tax by more than 5.3%. I believe strongly that this increase is too high and not necessary - and I have written to Ken Livingstone to ask him to think again. It’s his decision.
Here in Bexley we are listening and we are going to do things differently.
Council Tax is yet another issue where we will show you that we’ve listened and that we keep our promises.
Comment on this story
MP John Austin Writes
I welcome the assurance from Bexley Council’s Tory Leader that the Freedom Pass, giving free bus and rail travel to elderly and disabled residents is safe. Nevertheless, we must continue to be vigilant. The current scheme depends upon all 32 London Boroughs and the City agreeing a common scheme with Transport for London. It is essential, therefore, that there is legislation to guarantee a reserve scheme if the Boroughs fail to agree. I accept Cllr Clement’s word, but there are Tory boroughs in London who have tried to wreck the scheme in the past, so the reserve powers are vital.
The government is right, in my view, in encouraging lone parents into work. Most wish to, but we must also respect the decision of those who feel their place is at home caring for their children. We know the difference that helping lone parents into work can make. A significant proportion of progress in tackling child poverty is due to helping lone parents move into work. But the key to success is adequate and affordable child-care. There is now more help available for lone parents through child care and support from the state and providers than ever before but still not enough.
Under the Labour Government, the lone parent employment rate is up over 11% to 56.5% - but this is still the lowest lone parent employment rate of any major European country. We often think of child care as being important for the under-fives, but if more lone parents are to work, extended care needs to be available for older children who are at school – otherwise we could create a new latch-key generation with all the problems that brings.
There is good news and bad news on local transport. The bad news is that commuters in our area have experienced a larger increase in fares than other parts of London. The authorities also made a mistake in missing out Zone 3 in their calculations meaning that many commuters paid more than they should. The train company has agreed to reimburse passengers who can show proof of travel. That is OK for season ticket holders, but sadly most passengers who paid for individual journeys may no longer have the evidence. If any of your readers have a problem, please let me know.
The good news is that Oyster is to be adopted across London. I raised the issue in Parliament on 22 January urging the train operating companies to accept the Mayor’s offer of £20million to enable the Oyster card to operate across London. They have now agreed and this will bring reductions in costs as well as other benefits to local people. I have argued that south east London should be a priority for introduction as we do not have the benefit of the underground.
I have also complained to the local train company about proposals to reduce staffing at stations and reduce ticket office opening hours. Although, none of the stations affected are in Bexley, some are stations which local residents use elsewhere in South London and Kent.
I have also had a private meeting with the secretary of state for Health to convey my concerns about changes to local services being proposed by the local health Trust.
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