Local residents vote for their Camden Councillors on 7th of May. The stakes for our community are extremely high. For too long, Camden has been controlled by one party, determined to impose measures without the consent of local residents - the disastrous Haverstock Hill cycle lane being one poignant example. This has to end. The outcome has been poor-quality Council Services and a high-handed Cabinet system which ignores residents.
From Ombudsman condemnation to ineffective maintenance, Camden continues to underperform. Conservative community champions will hold Labour-run Camden Council to account, stand up for this ward, and continue to make sure that local residents’ voices are heard. Camden Conservatives are the only effective opposition party on Camden Council. The Lib Dems crow about matters, raise national issues to aim for the moral high ground and cave in, agreeing with Labour on far too many decisions.
The only way to have strong community representatives is to vote for Conservative candidates to support you. All your Camden Conservative Candidates live locally. We have had the chance to speak to many of you over the last few weeks and to hear your views on how to protect Camden and make our community even better. These ideas have helped shape our detailed and costed manifesto, which will restore garden waste and better bin collections, put more police on our streets, tackle traffic sensibly and stop irresponsible over-development.
Through dialogue with residents, Camden Conservatives have developed plans to provide strong opposition and deliver a better, fairer and more representative Camden. We state some of our aims clearly below:
- Your Camden Conservatives will fight to keep Schools, Health Centres and Libraries open. The Labour council has knocked down estates, overseen the construction of one and two bedroom flats, which has driven families out of the borough. We pledge to reverse this damaging trend.
- Camden Conservatives will make the criminals, not the Residents of Camden, fear how our Borough is Policed. We will demand the funding of a greater police presence on your streets. Unlike the Liberal Democrats, we DO NOT oppose using CCTV to catch phone snatchers on our streets. We will press for civil protection.
- Labour have promised and failed too many times on Housing Maintenance; far too many promises and far too few results. Camden Conservatives would put this department into special measures until there is real improvement.
- Proper control over development in the borough. We would stop "so-called partners" from delivering unwanted and inappropriate schemes. The O2 Centre site should be for a real community; the Regis Road site, a suitably scaled mixed development; and Bacton Low Rise, low. Each should be filled with family homes, not the gross, towering dormitory blocks which Labour has sanctioned.
- Your Local Conservative Councillors were the only ones to oppose the short-sighted blanket extension of late night Licencing hours. This will cause more noise and disturbance for residents just to placate the leisure industry for the sins of the Westminster government.
- We will campaign to secure an hour's free parking in each of Camden's shopping parades and town centres. This will enable a revitalisation of local independent shops.
- We have been pressing the need for proper controls on the misuse of rental E-bikes for 2 years. Finally, Camden accepts there is a problem. Without Conservative common sense, there would be no enforcement against dangerous and selfish behaviour.
- We would eliminate the need to pay for garden waste removal. Given the high Council Tax rate, this is double-charging. We would also insist on better recycling and general waste collections. No more mess in the streets on rubbish days.
- We would bring in a weekly free car parking period in new high streets to support shopkeepers and other commercial premises, and also help less mobile residents make essential trips.
- We support Neighbourhood Plans and the protection of Conservation Areas. We strongly oppose watering these down in support of irrational policies.
- We would not give in to developers trying to renege on Affordable Housing commitments. This is weak and wrong.
Ultimately, we pledge to listen to you - the residents. Our Council decisions will respect what you want. We will end the charade of consultation manipulation.
