Residents Association Opposition Budget

The Residents Association group on Havering Council has today submitted its opposition budget as an alternative to the Conservative Administrations.

The proposal, would see a reduction in the increase from the Conservative Administrations 3.5% to only 3.3%, however the main theme of the budget has been to reinstate free car parking in our out of town shopping centres, to scrap Sunday charging across Romford and introduce free parking for the disabled and increase road sweeping and staffing in our Parks.

Key Budget points:

Free Parking in out of Town Shopping Centres

Free Sunday Parking in Romford

Free Parking for the Disabled

Phased Re- Introduction of Park Keepers

A second Park Ranger at Havering Country Park (to help combat ASB and increase maintenance)

Increase Road Sweeping staff in StreetCare

Re-Instate the School Uniform Grant

All of the above pressures will be funded by:

Reduction in the Frequency of the Councils Living Magazine

Efficiency gains on Furniture and equipment

Cut in Council Publicity

Reduction is Councillors Special Responsibility Allowances

Cut in provision of Overview & Scrutiny

Better marketing of sports pitches

Increase Technical fees for TfL work

Shadow Chancellor for the Residents Association, Cllr Clarence Barrett said “Our budget proposals, whilst only marginally lower than the Administrations, still reduce the burden on our over stretched residents and at the same time better reflect the wishes of our residents, following our own surveys and comments from local residents”

Cllr Andrew Mann, the Residents Association Shadow Cabinet member for StreetCare & Parking said “Our proposals to scrap the parking charges in out of Town Car Parks is in direct response to the many thousands (over 20,000) of local people who have objected to us, whilst the Administration have not listened to residents, we have, we will also scrap the charge for disabled drivers”.

He continued “Our proposals to increase funding in our parks is also in response to residents wishes, in particular in Havering Country park, were we only have one Park Ranger, but Hornchurch has two, we wish to even out this provision”