BROMLEY LABOUR MANIFESTO 2006

On May 4th voters in Bromley will decide who runs our Borough Council. The election will decide whether Bromley moves forward with a Labour Council or goes back under the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.
The following items will give you information on some of the policies that will be a priority for your Labour councillors after the next election. We look forward to seeking your support in addressing those issues that remain a concern for us all – the state of our streets, the safety of us all, the education of our children, the care of our elderly. Our aim is to make Bromley a better place to live for all its residents. We hope you will join us.

Councillor John Holbrook, Leader, Bromley Labour Group, April 2006

Labour's Key Pledges for Bromley

• SAFER NEIGHBOURHOODS for every Bromley community with dedicated police teams and tougher anti-social behaviour powers.
• A “SURE START” CHILDREN’S CENTRE serving every appropriate area of Bromley; schools’ re-building programme.
• CLEANER STREETS, IMPROVED RECYCLING, TOUGHER PUNISHMENTS FOR THOSE WHO GRAFFITI AND LITTER
• MORE PUBLIC TRANSPORT INVESTMENT WITH BETTER ACCESS FOR ALL IN BROMLEY i.e. buses, trains, Tramlink, tubes, taxis.
• MORE AFFORDABLE AND SOCIAL HOUSING ACROSS BROMLEY 50% target in new appropriate housing schemes, whilst protecting the Green Belt. Fairer housing densities across the Borough.
• INCREASED INVESTMENT IN SOCIAL and YOUTH SERVICES through fair Council Taxes and prudent use of Council reserve funds. Increased Council support for the voluntary sector and the establishment of a Borough 'Law Centre'.

  SAFER NEIGHBOURHOODS for every BROMLEY community

  Labour supports the 250 London Safer Neighbourhood Police Teams already set up, and looks forward to every Bromley district benefiting from such record investment in community policing.
  Labour councillors will expect Bromley Council to use its' powers to prevent anti-social behaviour.
  We welcome the overall reduction in crime across Greater London, including in Bromley, the capital’s safest Borough.
  Labour councillors will work with the police and housing associations (especially Broomleigh) to use tough new powers to control anti-social behaviour i.e. ASBOs, on-the-spot fines, dispersal orders, and powers to evict anti-social tenants.
  We will ensure that our housing estates and streets are reclaimed from petty criminals.
  We will support

  • increasing Metropolitan Police numbers to 35,000;
  • a special police unit to concentrate on responding to and tackling crime and anti-social behaviour on London’s buses and transport interchanges;
  • new powers to tackle gun crime, knife offences, and alcohol-related violence.

  A "SURE START" CHILDREN'S CENTRE serving every appropriate are of Bromley; schools' re-building programme

  Education has been Labour’s top priority since coming to power in 1997. School standards are at record levels, especially in most Bromley schools.
  Bromley's schools are now better funded than ever, thanks to large increases in grants from the Labour Government.
  Every 3 and 4 year old in Bromley is now guaranteed a free part-time nursery place - Conservative Bromley Councils pre-1997 always refused to support free nursery education.
  Under Labour, 140 Sure Start Centres (to be renamed Children's Centres) have been set up across London - Labour wants a Centre in every appropriate Bromley area, and extended-hours schools.
  Labour will rebuild or refurbish every single secondary school over the next 10-15 years, and rebuild or refurbish at least half of Bromley’s primary schools.
  Labour in Bromley will campaign for more resources to be directed at schools serving areas of high deprivation and children with Special Needs.

  A CLEANER, GREENER BROMLEY

  Labour councillors will expect Bromley Council to use all its' powers to prevent fly-tipping, graffiti, and abandoned cars.
  Labour will extend Bromley’s kerbside recycling to include all compostable waste, as in neighbouring Boroughs like Bexley.
  Labour expects cleaner streets and parks in every neighbourhood of Bromley, not just in some areas seen as 'special residential character'.
  A Labour council would restore a free twice yearly bulk waste collection to prevent fly-tipping.

BETTER FUNDED AND MORE ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Bromley’s London bus services are now carrying the highest level of passengers since 1968, and bus and tram travel is free to all under 16s and will be extended to under 18s, thanks to Labour policies. Labour will resist any attempts by the Conservatives to threaten free travel or the “Freedom Pass”.
Safety on buses through 100% CCTV installation is a Labour priority, as is the regulation of the mini-cab industry.
Labour will support the extension of Tramlink to Crystal Palace, and improvements to the Croydon-Beckenham Junction service. We look forward to the extension of the East London line.
Labour in Bromley supports the extension of democratic control over the whole of London's transport system, including the railways. We will closely monitor the performance of the new South East rail service provider.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN BROMLEY - A TOP PRIORITY FOR MANY BROMLEY FAMILIES AND NEIGHBOURHOODS

Nationally, investment in affordable/social housing is up over £500 million in the past 5 years. Labour‘s housing plans mean a 50% target for affordable homes in appropriate new housing developments. Bromley’s 'brownfield sites' must be developed to create the number of units needed to meet the Borough’s 2,000 homes shortage. This can be done without threatening the Borough’s beautiful green belt areas. All districts in Bromley should benefit from fairer housing densities.
More help should be provided for first-time buyers by providing homes for as little as £60,000.
Bromley’s most deprived communities must benefit by access to Government grants - i.e. the New Deal for Communities and the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund. Labour will build on the success of the New Deal, the Working Tax Credit, and the National Minimum Wage to increase employment and widen opportunity in the Crays, Penge and Crystal Palace, Mottingham, and Bromley Common especially.

INCREASED INVESTMENT IN SOCIAL and YOUTH SERVICES

Labour in Bromley will put more resources into supporting local communities es and for Children and Young People through fair Council Taxes and by prudent use of the Council’s considerable reserve funds.
The recent inspection of Bromley's Youth Services judged them to be failing. Our young people deserve a better service and in areas where there are no suitable facilities, we will make sure new facilities are provided.
Labour will also enhance its support to the Borough’s voluntary sector, especially in the areas of social service and youth work. Advice agencies such as the Citizen's Advice Bureau will benefit from additional investment.
A Labour Council will initiate a Borough Law Centre to improve legal advice and representational services by employing professionally qualified lawyers to give free help to the disadvantaged.

The Choice for Voters in Bromley and Greater London on May 4

The Council elections offer voters in Bromley and the rest of London a clear choice between Labour, committed to improving our borough and our capital city by listening and acting on people’s priorities, and the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats who want to take Greater London backwards with cuts and under-investment.

The Conservatives

• London Conservatives have voted against every increase in police numbers in the London Assembly. Steve Norris their defeated Mayoral candidate said, "I do not believe we should have more money for the Police Budget.". NB Under the last Conservative Government police numbers actually fell in London by over 1,000 to 26,500.
• When the Conservatives left power, Britain had one of the highest rates of child poverty in Europe – with 1 in 3 living in poverty. This applies to a number of neighbourhoods in Bromley, such as the Crays, Penge, and Crystal Palace.
• The Conservatives would scrap free travel on buses and trams for under-16s - "...a luxury we can’t afford", they say. Is the 'Freedom Pass' safe under the Conservatives?

The Liberal Democrats

• The Liberal Democrats joined with the Conservatives in the London Assembly and voted against every increase in police funding since 2000.
• The Liberal Democrats have voted against tough new Government measures to tackle anti-social behaviour and oppose their use in Councils across London.
• The Liberal Democrats would cut bus, train, and tube services in London given the chance. Simon Hughes MP, their spokesperson, said, "It may also be that at certain times of the day we are going to have to reduce the frequency of trains and tubes."