CCTV Car still causing mischief !

Havering Council's CCTV smart cars are still giving out tickets left, right and centre it would seem, following a question to Council by Councillor Andrew Mann recently.

When the Cabinet member for StreetCare (Cllr Barry Tebbutt) was asked by Cllr Mann how many tickets the cars had issued to to date in the 2008 / 2009 year, the answer was an amazing 14,240 tickets(from 1st April to 23rd November).

This is on top of the 24,000 that was issued in the part year of 2007 / 2008, the full year to june was 26,837. In a second question by Cllr Mann, he asked how much income was produced by the CCTV car for the municipal year 2007/08.

The answer was £875,702.43, this was for only a part year, as the car did not start until mid June, so in a full year the figure would be over £1 million.

Click here to see previous story "CCTV Car is just a cash cow"

CCTV Car Troubles

Below is a copy of a letter received by the Havering Residents Association, copied below for information, it make interesting reading.

Dear sir’s I am writing to you as a paid up member of the Residents Association. I wanted to let tell you about an incident that happened yesterday (15.11.08) in Front Lane Car Park concerning one of the Borough's Smart Cars.

I pulled into the car park at 9.55 (I know this because when I paid my 20p the parking ticket is timed at 9.57). Stopped in the middle was the white coloured Smart Car, the driver's face looking quite concerned. He reversed so that I could park and then I noticed that he did not have the periscope on top of the car.

As I parked in my bay, I could see the periscope on the ground by the entrance to the 2nd part of the car park. The Smart car driver got out of his car, made a mobile phone call and ran back to the periscope. He picked it up and put into the car and drove off.

What had happened was that he had driven in with his periscope down and proceeded to take pictures of cars in the car park but forgot to lower the periscope when leaving so that it hit the "crossbar" immediately to the left of the recycling bins and snapped off.

I am telling you about for this two reasons.

Firstly, it was quite amusing to see the look on the driver's face as he was obviously embarrassed (not very Christian - I know!). Secondly, I believe that the cost of kitting out these cars is very high and I would like to know who foots the bill for this damage – I certainly would not want my council tax to pay for the error of this driver.

I assume that he was paid for a days work but could not carry it out due to his equipment not working. Personally, I am against these cars touring the borough and taking pictures and believe that having a team of conventional traffic wardens was sufficient.

These Smart cars have become a "cash cow" and antagonise a lot of residents. I understand that there are selfish peole who park where they shouldn't but these CCTV equipped cars have taken it too far. Sorry for the rant - I feel much better now.

Best wishes.

Mr SG
Cranham

CCTV Car is just a Cash Cow

Residents Association spokesman for StreetCare and Parking, Cllr Andrew Mann has hit out over the amount of income the Councils new CCTV Smart Cars are making from issuing parking tickets by stealth across the Borough.

This Follows Havering’s Cabinet member for Parking (Cllr Barry Tebbutt) having to supply Cllr Mann with the breakdown of the amount of tickets issued since the car was introduced at a recent Full Council Meeting.

Mobile CCTV Parking Enforcement commenced on Tuesday 8th June 2007.

At the close of business on the 7th June 2008 (exactly 12 months since the cars started to operate) 26,837 CCTV Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) have been issued.

The total amount of tickets to be issued across the Borough since the cars started operating is 28,011

Cllr Mann said “The truth is finally out, the figures say it all, in the original report concerning the car, it was assumed they would only issue 2200 tickets a year, at an income of £80k. However, this is not the case, as they have been issuing that amount each month, with a much larger payment rate due to the photo evidence and have actually issued that amount in a month and issued over 26,000 tickets”

The worse place to be caught, is in Victoria Road, Romford, with over 8% of all tickets, with almost 1000 issued in this one street alone, second place in the top ten is Atlanta Blvd, Romford with 6% of all issued.

If the same payment rates were kept up throughout the year, then income could be well in excess of £1.7 million in a full year. The original report also suggested that the car would only be used around protecting school children at schools and on yellow zig zags and crossings.

Over 12 months ago, Cllr Mann warned about the possible future use of the covert cars and felt at the time they were introduced, caution should be taken and also warned that they should not be used as an income generator for the Council.

In a Town Hall press release dated 20/03/07, Conservative Cabinet Member Cllr Barry Tebbutt said “I have no problem with this car being used to target indiscriminate parking around schools and pedestrian crossings which poses a real danger to our children”. However, it would seem that this is not the case as there is no school or crossing near to these shops.

Cllr Mann said “It has now become quite clear that this car was only introduced to make money, it is just a cash cow, sucking the life out of our Town Centres, coupled with the new charges being introduced for smaller shopping centres such as Collier Row, Hornchurch, Upminster, Cranham, Elm Park and Rainham this Conservative Administration are going to kill of the smaller towns in Havering in favour of Romford Town Centre”

Breakdown of income and ticket numbers:

According to the answer at the last Full Council meeting (on 23rd July 2008), the total amount of tickets issued since 7th June 2007 and up to and including the 8th June 2008 comes to 26,837. That makes an average of just over 70 tickets a day, on 7 day week (which they work) and on 365 days a year that makes 25,513 tickets in a year.

So if we say that the average over the six months was 70 a day, I come up with the following income workings.

70 tickets issued, of that 90% are paid, 10% are lost due to bad DVLA data and non traceable.

90% of the daily average of 70 is 63 tickets issued that are paid.

Half are paid at discount 31.5 at £50 £ 1,575

Half are paid in full 31.5 at £100 £ 3,150

Total Income a day £ 4,725

Total Income a Week £ 33,075

Total Income a month £ 143,718

Times 365 days a year £1,724,625

That makes a grand total of £4,725 a day or £143,718 a month; these figures are worked out on only the first seven months issued. However, it does not take into consideration that each ticket issued was at the lower amount.

For example, I have worked each ticket out at the lower band of £100; however any ticket issued within the Romford Ring Road is £120 and £60 at discount. The sums could in fact be quite a bit higher, as I know for example; Atlanta Boulevard is the highest ticketed location in the Borough, which is inside the Ring Road.

With the above sum of £143,718 a month, this makes a grand total of £1,724,625 a year, or in simple terms £1.7m a year of parking tax being taken form Havering residents.

CCTV Control Room, two faced Tories

Following the Romford Recorder story last week, with Five Conservative Councillors pictured in the CCTV control room, Havering Park (R.A) Councillor Andrew Mann has hit out at senior Conservative Councillors and Council Officers as being hypocrites.

Following the Recorders coverage of Cllr Mann visiting the CCTV control room in February of this year (pictured above), he was written to by Christine Dooley, head of Law at Havering Council to say he should not have been photographed in the control, this despite making a pre-arranged visit with the manager and asking permission to take a photo.

The letter from Mrs Dooley came following a complaint from a Conservative Councillor, he was told Councillors could not be pictured in the room, but then went back through the press archives and found various Councillors and M.P’s in the room over the last 2 years.

Now, only two months later (during a London Election) there are five Conservative Councillors pictured in the room, Cllr Mann said “Why does it need five of them, are they that worried about my press coverage, they complain that I am in the CCTV room, but then it is o.k. for them, this is typical of the two faced Administration we have at the moment”

As the overtly political photo was sent out during an election period, Cllr Mann has now lodged a formal complaint against the press office, Government legislation that controls Council press officers during any election states “In coming to any decision on publicity, the Council must have regard to the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity” Cllr Mann feels that this has not been followed in a proper manner.

That said, Cllr Mann is pleased that the CCTV Cameras have now been turned on and are working up in Collier Row and other area in the Borough.

CCTV Car - Top 20 Schools

Cllr Mann has hit out at the Conservative Administration over the amount of tickets the CCTV car has been issuing, in less than 9 months the total is now up to 21,000, however the most disturbing reading was the breakdown of how many tickets have been issued around schools in that time.

In a recent question at Full Council, Cllr Mann asked for a top 20 breakdown of vehicles around schools issued parking tickets, the top two were Ardleigh Green at 58 and St Edwards (although it does not make clear if this is primary or senior) was at 50. However the average was less than 10 tickets in 9 months outside the rest of the schools. Not one school in the North Romford area was on the list.

Cllr Mann Said “This is just another example of the CCTV car being used to target motorists, the very people the car was designed to protect are being neglected, at the cars launch Councillors were told it was going to be used outside schools, but this is not the case, I feel Cllr Barry Tebbutt (The Cabinet Member) has a lot of explaining to do”.

He went on “Lets not forget that Cllr Tebbutt also told us the CCTV car would only issue 2200 tickets in a year, yet it done that in its first month of operation and at 21,000 tickets in 9 months it is well on its way to issuing 25,000 in a full year, which should bring in approx £1.7m if the sums are correct”.

The Residents Association successfully called for the Environment Overview & Scrutiny Committee to launch a review of the cars policy, this will then allow local residents to air their views and for the Cabinet to realise that they are using this car as a revenue income stream and not indeed improving road safety issues.

Question: The Breakdown of the Question is as follows.

Can you tell me how many tickets the CCTV Car has issued to vehicles parked around schools, with a breakdown of the top twenty across the Borough ?

Answer:

The database in Parking Services records the road in which each PCN is issued, but does not distinguish whether a ticket is issued in conjunction with enforcement around schools during the ‘school run’ period, or general enforcement at other times. However, records maintained by the parking attendants indicate that a total of 586 PCN’s have been issued, the top 20 schools being as follows;

Ardleigh Green 58
St. Edwards 50
St. Ursulas 35
Brady 25
Rainham Primary 18
Branfill 17
Brooklands 17
Crowlands 15
Chaffords 14
Gaynes 13
Dame Tipping 12
Mawney 11
St. Marys 10
St. Patricks 9
Nelmes 7
Engayne 7
Parklands 7
Whybridge 7
Harold Wood 7
Hilldene 7

Angry of Havering Webs Site Launched

Following the Residents Associations high profile campaign to highlight the wrongs of the Conservative Councils CCTV Smart Car, local residents and business people have got together and launched a web site to help increase the profile of this issue.

The site www.angryofhavering.com has only been up for less than two weeks and it has already had a massive 2000 plus hits, which we have to say is very impressive, that is even more hits than our own site.

Cllr Mann has been helping residents and shop keepers in the Collier Row area for over six months on this issue, he has been inundated with people contacting him about the car and how the tickets have been issued.

All of this has been reported to Council officers and printed in the local press, however what do our Conservative Councillors do ?

Nothing, they tried to kick a review of the car into the long grass last week, after Cllr Mann moved a motion at a Environment Scrutiny meeting in the Town Hall.

There are some interesting views and pictures on the web site, take a look at www.angryofhavering.com the picture in the "Highway Robbery" section is interesting !

CCTV Car under Scrutiny

Last night saw the Environment Overview & Scrutiny meeting at Havering Town Hall, approx 30 local residents had turned up to see what happened in relation to the CCTV smart Car, that was to be discussed at the meeting.

The whole meeting to be honest was a joke; the Conservative Members (there were four of them) attempted to kick the whole thing into the long grass and refused to discuss it, by suggesting that they need a report on the subject first, what nonsense, you hardly need a report as the thing has been in the press almost on a weekly basis for months now.

It was a shame that the Chairman (Tory, Cllr Binion) refused to allow any member of the public to speak, I know they are not allowed unless the Chairman allows them, however I think there would have been no harm in letting a few people speak.

Myself and Cllr Ray Morgon (R.A Cllr for Hacton ward) attempted to move the discussion on and were eventually successful in getting the committee to agree to our motion to review the CCTV smart car, however as of yet, we have not agreed the reviews groups make-up or its terms of reference. Just as soon as more is known on this issue, we will post it on the web site.

CCTV Car Review

Following a question from Cllr Mann to the Chairman of the Environment Overview & Scrutiny Committee at the last Council meeting, the chair has agreed to consider a review into the use of the car.

The issue was raised following hundreds of complaints to Residents Association Councillors about how the car was issuing tickets, from people being pictured with one foot hanging out of the door, to disabled drivers being wrongly issued tickets.

Recently the Council supplied information to Cllr Mann outlining the top ten locations for tickets across the Borough, with over 9% of the total tickets being issued in Atlanta Boulevard alone. See story below.

The Environment Overview & Scrutiny meeting is being held at Havering Town Hall on Thursday 6th March at 7.30pm, although this is a public meeting that anyone can attend, it is up to the Chairman if you can speak. So its over to Cllr Binion on that one !!

CCTV Crackdown in Havering Country Park

Cllr Mann and Havering Park Action member, Kevin Tonks were on hand this weekend to see how a new style CCTV vehicle can help against the fight of motor bikes and other anti-social behaviour.

The problems with bikes has been an issue for years, largely due to lack of decent funding in the park, however over the last 12 months, the local Havering Park Safer Neighbourhood Police Team have done a lot of work to combat some of the problems. Working with the Council the Team have been able to secure extra PCSO’s to work with the existing team.

With the introduction of the “Friends of Havering Country Park” group being set up by local residents and the increased Police presence, over the last 6 months, we have seen a marked difference with bike riders being prosecuting and the Police issuing confiscation orders for the bikes to be destroyed.

This weekend, saw a mobile CCTV van being operating by the Havering Park team on site around the park monitoring any anti social behaviour, the van was supplied by “DSSL Group” to the Havering Community safety Partnership.

Cllr Mann said “It is good news that the Police have been given the use of this vehicle to help combat the problems with bikes and anti-social behaviour in our park, the local SNT have done a great job, working with Council partners and local residents in cracking down on this issue”

Action member Kevin Tonks said “Havering Country Park is one of the best in the Borough, the mindless people who feel they can use it as there personal motor bike playground have no respect for local residents are the wildlife of the Park and deserve all the Police can throw at them”

For more information about joining the Friends of Havering Country Park group, please drop me a line by phone (number at top of page) or e-mail on haveringpark@hotmail.co.uk and we will pass on your details.

CCTV Car's Top Ten !

In a question to the Cabinet Member for StreetCare (Cllr Tebbutt) at Full Council last week, Cllr Andy Mann was given the breakdown of the top ten spots for CCTV issued Parking Tickets in Havering.

Cllr Mann also asked about how many tickets had been issued in total, the answer comes to a mind boggling, 15,300 since the car started, which according to Cllr Mann’s sums, could net the Council over £1.7 million in a full year.

Victoria Road, Romford, is the top location for tickets issued by the CCTV parking enforcement vehicle this year, with the top ten looking like this.

1. Victoria Road 880 (8%)
2. Atlanta Blvd 654 (6%)
3. Mungo Park Rd 292 (2.7%)
4. Brentwood Rd 242 (2.2%)
5. Camborne Ave 190 (1.7%)
6. Upminster Rd South 175 (1.6%)
7. North Street (Romford) 158 (1.5%)
8. Market Link 133 (1.2%)
9. Station Rd (Gidea Pk) 133 (1.2%)
10. Mercury Gardens 99 (0.9%)

CCTV Cameras for Collier Row

North Romford residents and the Collier Row & Mawneys Residents Association are celebrating after Havering Council has finally installed CCTV cameras in Collier Row Town Centre.

Following a campaign launched over 12 months ago, by the Collier Row & Mawneys Residents Association over 2000 local residents and shop keepers signed a petition calling on Havering Council to install CCTV in Collier Row town centre, which Cllr Andrew Mann presented to the Mayor of Havering at a Council meeting last year, shaming the Council into bringing forward a report to Cabinet outlining the plans.

Although only three cameras were proposed for locations around the shopping centre at a cost of approx £85k, Cllr Mann put up a case for this to be increased to four cameras, which means we now get far better coverage. The cameras are located at Collier Row Roundabout x 2 and two in Collier Row Lane, one outside the Library and the second opposite Ramsden Drive.

Cllr Mann has also recently visited the newly upgraded CCTV control room, to speak with staff and see how the new cameras will work, he said “this is a small price to pay for the provision of cameras in North Romford, our residents have felt vulnerable for to long, this will go some way to make people feel safer”.

During the last local elections, the Residents Association in Collier Row made the provision of CCTV for our Town one of its main priorities. With Romford Town Centre fully covered with cameras, Collier Row has gone without, to the detriment of its residents and shopkeepers.

Cllr Mann said “For to long, Collier Row has gone without, we have spent a lot of money on improving our Town Centre and we need to protect that asset, with the Police no longer issuing dispersal orders, those intent on causing trouble know that they can do so, without being caught”

He went on “Things have to change, it is wrong to demonise all youngsters, as only a small minority are intend on causing trouble, but we need better protection for our residents and shop keepers, Collier Row is a vibrant busy place, but a lot of people, in particular the elderly, do not like to go out in the dark”

During our campaign last year, members of the CRM Residents Association spent Saturday mornings in Collier Row talking with residents and collecting signatures. Thousands of people supported the petition, along with shopkeepers displaying posters and placing copies of the petition in their shops.

The Wording on the petition: With ever rising problems with anti social behavior and youth disorder, we the undersigned, call on Havering Council to install CCTV for Collier Row, not just the town centre, but to deal with known trouble spots across North Romford as a whole.

Copy of a letter to the Romford Recorder

To the Editor

With reference to the letter from the current Cabinet Member for StreetCare and Parking, Cllr Barry Tebbutt (letters 19th Oct 2007) I can confirm that he is incorrect in his assumption that the story printed by the Recorder concerning the estimated £1.7 million income is wrong and was based on figures for all tickets issued, not just the car.

I will repeat the figures here for his benefit; on the latest figures given by himself, the Council have issued an average of 2,500 tickets a month using the CCTV car, which gives an estimate of 30,000 tickets a year. At a cost of £100 at the full price and £50 at the discount rate, according to the councils own figures half are paid at discount and half at the full price, with a total of 90% of all tickets issued being paid, the other 10% would be for bad debtors or no vehicle keeper details or untraceable.

So that means an estimate for a full 12 months would be 13,500 tickets paid at £100 (which makes £1,350.000) and 13,500 tickets paid at £50 (which makes £675,000). That makes a total of some £2 million pounds. I accept that this is only an estimate based on current figures; however, the cars have issued three times the amount of tickets they thought it would issue in a whole year, in just three months.

The comments about “Tax on Parking” are ones expressed to me on an almost weekly basis from shopkeepers and residents who feel they are being targeted and issued tickets without any due care to common sense or within the law. Tickets have been issued for parking on the pavement, where the white lines have all been scrubbed away, but it is still legal to park there. More money needs to be spent on re-painting the white lines.

I have been inundated with letters, phone calls and e-mails about people’s experiences with the car; I have seen photos of a car stopped in the road, door open and someone’s leg half out of the door, the fact that they had a blue badge in the front window seems hear nor there to the operator. Many of our elderly and most vulnerable residents are blue badge holders and they are getting ticket after ticket as the car is not looking in the front window to see if it has a blue badge.

I have meet with three different shop keepers in Collier Row in the last week alone, who have expressed deep concern about the parking issues and have seen a loss in custom due to the CCTV car issuing tickets. With car parking fees to be introduced into our car parks in the New Year, those that drive a car in this borough have been well and truly done !

For the record, I have to say that nobody is suggesting that it is acceptable to park illegally, people that park on zig zags outside schools, on zebra crossings or obstructing pavements will always get a ticket as this sort of parking is quite obviously illegal.

The issue that residents have is the draconian manner in which this latest policy from the Conservative Administration running Havering Council is having on their lives and that in many peoples opinion, are starting to suck the blood from our smaller town Centres, the Town that I represent, Collier Row, being a prime example.

Cllr Andrew Mann
Residents Association
Town Hall

CCTV car is set to make £1.7 Million in 12 months

Residents Association spokesman for StreetCare and Parking, Cllr Andrew Mann has hit out over the amount of income the Councils new CCTV Smart Cars are making from issuing parking tickets by stealth across the Borough.

This Follows Havering’s parking Manager supplying Cllr Mann with the breakdown of the amount of tickets issued since the car was introduced.

Cllr Mann said “The truth is finally out, the figures say it all, in the original report concerning the car, it was assumed they would only issue 2200 tickets a year, at an income of £80k. However, this is not the case, as they have been issuing that amount each month, with a much larger payment rate due to the photo evidence and are on target to issue over 26,000 tickets”

If the same payment rates are kept up, the income could be well in excess of £1.7 million in a full year. The original report also suggested that the car would only be used around protecting school children at schools and on yellow zig zags and crossings.

Cllr Mann met with shop owners and business people in Collier Row after they spoke out earlier this month about the targeting of their shops, one of those was B & D Tyres in Collier Row who have been trading for over 35 years. Dave Fuller from B & D said at the time “This is just daylight robbery, we get this CCTV car here at least 2 or 3 times a day hitting on customers and delivery vehicles and its just not on” Now, due to the continued use of this car, one of his major suppliers “Motex” of Romford is refusing to make deliveries due to the amount of tickets his delivery vans have been issued with.

Over 12 months ago, Cllr Mann warned about the possible future use of the covert cars and felt at the time they were introduced, caution should be taken and also warned that they should not be used as an income generator for the Council.

In a Town Hall press release dated 20/03/07, Conservative Cabinet Member Cllr Barry Tebbutt said “I have no problem with this car being used to target indiscriminate parking around schools and pedestrian crossings which poses a real danger to our children”. However, it would seem that this is not the case as there is no school or crossing near to these shops.

Cllr Mann said “It has now become quite clear that this car was only introduced to make money, it is just a cash cow, sucking the life out of our Town Centres, coupled with the new charges being introduced for smaller shopping centres such as Collier Row, Hornchurch, Upminster, Cranham, Elm Park and Rainham this Conservative Administration are going to kill of the smaller towns in Havering in favour of Romford Town Centre”

He continues, “Whilst I chaired the Collier Row Regeneration Committee, we spent a lot of time and money in trying to improve the shopping experience in our Town Centre, the provision of parking restrictions is always going to be difficult, but it appears that this particular parade of shops is being picked on”, he went on "Along with car park charges in our town centres, this is yet more proof this Administration has no sympathy for small businesses”. "While they are wasting time targeting this parade, other parts of the Borough - particularly outside schools - are being neglected"

Romford Recorder Letters Page

A copy of a letter published in this weeks Romford Recorder, concerning the on-going issues with Havering Councils CCTV smart car.

To the Editor

Thank you for highlighting the issue with Havering Councils CCTV camera car, I have been inundated with letters, phone calls and e-mail concerning the manner in which the car seems to operate and issue around individual cases.

These have come not just from businesses all over the Borough, but from residents who live anywhere from a main road to small little closes and they all paint a horror story about the way the car seems to operate.

Nobody is suggesting that we should not issue tickets, its all excepted I’m sure that you can not park on double yellow lines, zig zags outside schools, disabled badge offences or just mount the pavement and park were you like.

The information that I am collecting on behalf of the Residents Association group on Havering Council will help me and my colleagues, to call for a review, on how the car is deployed across the Borough.

If you would like to write to me, please do so via the Town Hall or e-mail me at andrew.mann@havering.gov.uk. Last week my address was printed incorrect, so if you think you have not had a reply from me, please send your e-mail again in case it did not come through.

Regards

Cllr Andrew Mann
Residents Association
Town Hall

CCTV Parking Car Review

Cllr Mann will be calling for a review at Havering Council into the use of its CCTV car and to examine how and when tickets are issued.

Cllr Mann said "Since the story broke in the local press this week, I have been inundated by phone calls and e-mails from residents telling me of their horror stories concerning the car"

One of the biggest complaints from residents seems to be around the lack of proper white lines in the pavement parking bays, across the Borough, cars that have parked in the same spot for 20 years are now receiving tickets.

The next biggest issue concerns small residential streets, in particular Cul de sacs and dead end roads. It would seem again, that cars that have parked for years on part of the pavement are now being penalised.

In one particular close in Collier Row, the dustcart is unable to get down the road unless cars on at least one side park on the pavement. However last week at the same time the dustcart was in the road, with cars moving onto the pavement to allow it access, the CCTV car followed the dustcart down the road.

Cllr Mann said "At the moment we have no way of knowing if any tickets were issued, but if they were, it would seem like another example of Haverings new parking policy not working, i will wait and see if anyone contacts me"

Cllr Mann went on "There is nothing wrong with proper parking enforcement around schools, crossings, double yellow junctions and abuse of disabled parking spaces, after all that is what the Conservative Cabinet member (Cllr Tebbutt jnr) said at the time of its launch, it would seem only three months later that is not the case".

Parking CCTV car causing Chaos

Cllr Andrew Mann, the Residents Associations spokesman for the Environment has hit out this week over the tactics being used by Havering Council in deploying its two CCTV parking enforcement cars.

Cllr Mann has met with Dave Fuller, the owner of B & D Tyres in Collier Row after the company which has been based in Collier Row for over 35 years feels it is being targeted by the Council along with other shops and businesses in the small parade in Collier Row Road.

Over 12 months ago, Cllr Mann warned about the possible future use of the covert cars and felt at the time they were introduced, caution should be taken and also warned that they should not be used as an income generator for the Council.

In a Town Hall press release dated 20/03/07, Conservative Cabinet Member Cllr Barry Tebbutt said “I have no problem with this car being used to target indiscriminate parking around schools and pedestrian crossings which poses a real danger to our children”. However, it would seem that this is not the case as there is no school or crossing near to these shops.

The issue has now intensified following the decision by Romford car parts firm “Motex” refusing to delivery to garages across the borough unless they can guarantee off street parking following their vehicles receiving a huge amount of parking tickets.

Dave Fuller of B & D tyres said “This is just daylight robbery, we get this CCTV car here at least 2 or 3 times a day hitting on customers and delivery vehicles and its just not on”.

Cllr Mann said, “Whilst at the garage this week, I witnessed one of the delivery vehicles drop off some parts, it pulled up and was no longer than 3 minutes, I do not consider that to be an unreasonable amount of time to allow deliveries to be made, to issue tickets in this way does indeed to be picking on the little people”

He continues, “Whilst I chaired the Collier Row Regeneration Committee, we spent a lot of time and money in trying to improve the shopping experience in our Town Centre, the provision of parking restrictions is always going to be difficult, but it appears that this particular parade of shops is being picked on”, he went on "Along with car park charges in our town centres, this is yet more proof this Administration has no sympathy for small businesses”. "While they are wasting time targeting this parade, other parts of the Borough - particularly outside schools - are being neglected"

Cllr Mann has also announced that the Residents Association will be asking questions and conducting there own review within the Town Hall on this issue and would like anyone who owns a shop or business that feels that they are being targeted to contact him at the Town Hall. The same applies to residents that may have been hit with a penalty, if it has been issued unduly, the Residents Association want to know about it.

Collier Row CCTV Consultation

As you will know, following a successful campaign by your Residents Association, the Council have finally brought forward plans for CCTV in Collier Row, something only the Residents Association campaigned for during the last local elections.

In order to get the system right and cameras in the correct locations, council staff are now undertaking a CCTV Consultation day on Thursday 5th July at Collier Row Library between 10am and 4pm. For people who are unable to attend, questionnaires will be available at Collier Row Library. If you can not get along to the Library, just drop me a line and i will be able to post or e-mail you a copy of the questioner.

The purpose of this questionnaire is to establish the areas within Collier Row town centre that are of greatest concern to local businesses and residents.

In a statement, Council officers said;

All responses to this questionnaire will be given careful consideration alongside other available crime and disorder information. All efforts will be made to meet the needs of the community, however it may not be possible to meet all expectations as the funding available is limited.

Please note the installation of CCTV cameras is a complex and lengthy process. We will, however, be working to keep the disruption to the town centre to a minimum.

Residents win CCTV for Collier Row

North Romford residents and the Collier Row & Mawneys Residents Association are celebrating after Havering Council has finally listened to the local residents of North Romford in bringing forward plans for CCTV for our Town Centre.

Following a campaign launched last October, by the CRM Residents Association over 1000 local residents and shop keepers signed a petition calling on Havering Council to install CCTV in Collier Row town centre. Cllr Andrew Mann presented the first part to the Mayor of Havering at a Council meeting last year. Now the Council has been forced into bringing a report forward to next weeks Cabinet meeting (17th Jan 2007) outlining the plans.

Three cameras are proposed at yet to be determined locations in and around the shopping centre at a cost of approx £85k; Cllr Mann said “this is a small price to pay for the provision of cameras in North Romford, our residents have felt vulnerable for to long, this will go some way to make people feel safer”

During the local elections last May, the CRM Residents Association made the provision of CCTV for Collier Row one of its main priorities. With Romford Town Centre fully covered with cameras, Collier Row has gone without, to the detriment of its residents and shopkeepers.

Cllr Mann said “For to long, Collier Row has gone without, we have spent a lot of money on improving our Town Centre and we need to protect that asset, with the Police no longer issuing dispersal orders, those intent on causing trouble know that they can do so, without being caught”

He went on “Things have to change, it is wrong to demonise all youngsters, as only a small minority are intend on causing trouble, but we need better protection for our residents and shop keepers, Collier Row is a vibrant busy place, but a lot of people, in particular the elderly, do not like to go out in the dark”

During October and November last year, members of the CRM Residents Association spent Saturday mornings in Collier Row talking with residents and collecting signatures. Hundreds of people supported the petition, along with shopkeepers displaying posters and placing copies of the petition in their shops.

Now sit back and wait for the Tory spin, about how they were always going to install CCTV in Collier Row, just ask yourself one question, were have they ever said it, it was not in their manifesto for Collier Row at the last election.

I would like to just add a big thank you to all those residents that wrote to me and signed the petition, without your support we would not have been able to achieve this. Andy Mann

CCTV for Collier Row

Over the last month, we have seen quite a lot of broken windows and damaged walls in Collier Row, it seems a small minority of youngsters are running riot in out Town Cente at 04.00 in the morning, and yes i have wondered as well why they are out at that time of night.

During the recent local elections, the Collier Row & Mawneys Residents Association made the provision of CCTV a priority for Collier Row, it was not something we dreamed up, we had been campaigning for it for over 2 years.

So we were surprised at the recent outburst from Tory Councillor, Peter Gardner, who accused us of just using this as a photo opportunity, he also reminded everyone in Collier Row that we live in a safe Borough, the 3rd safest in London actually.

Well thats o.k then, as long as Cllr Gardner thinks we are all safe in Collier Row. Seeing as he is such a local chappy himself, he lives in Cranham actually, he should be safe at night when he's tucked up in bed.

This is the sort of comment you expect from someone that lives no where near Collier Row and was one of the masses bussed in by former Councillor, Alby Tebbutt and Co.

Now the Tory Council are saying they were going to provide CCTV for Collier Row all along, well funny that, if they were going to install it, where is it ? They would have done so a long time ago, they have now been shamed into action by the Collier Row & Mawneys Residents Association.

But if it means we get CCTV in Collier Row, so what. Just remember where you read it first.