New Bexley Leader

Brampton Ward Councillor Teresa O’Neill was elected as the new Leader of Bexley at the Annual Meeting of the Council held on 14^th May.  

Councillor O’Neill, a Bexley Councillor since 1998 and the Council’s Deputy Leader since 2006, is the only female Leader of a Conservative Council in London (and only the second of London’s 32 Borough Councils).   

Commenting on her election as Leader, Councillor O’Neill, said:-  

“I’d like to thank the Council for placing their trust in me and I will do my best not to let them down. My mission as Leader is to stand up for Bexley and, in building on the good work we have done in the past two years, to do everything within my power to improve the lives of residents in all parts of the Borough”.  

Barnehurst Councillor Simon Windle is the new Deputy Leader,  

“It is a great honour to have been elected as Deputy Leader and I am looking forward to working closely with Teresa to deliver on our priorities of keeping Council Tax low and offering Bexley residents value for money on first class local services”  

One of Councillor O’Neill’s first actions as Leader was to appoint popular and well respected Sidcup Ward Councillor, June Slaughter, as Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and promoting one of the 2006 intake, Councillor John Fuller, to be the new Chairman of the Planning Control Committee.

Boris appoints former Bexley leader to senior role in new administration

Following his stunning victory on 1st May Boris Johnson the new Mayor of London has announced the names of his team that will work with the Mayor to run the Capital. Among the appointments is Ian Clement who takes up the position of Deputy Mayor with responsibility for Government relations. Mr Clement who prior to the elections had been the leader of Bexley Council has resigned as a Councillor to take up this prestigious role.

Mr Clement a Bexley Councillor for ten years said,

” I am greatly honoured Boris Johnson has asked me to do this is important job and play my part in changing London for the better. I am of course sad to be leaving Bexley Council after ten very happy years, but I have every confidence that Bexley Conservatives will continue to stand up for all the people of the borough”.

Cllr Teresa O Neill has been appointed as Acting Leader until the Council elects its new leader on 14th May. Commenting on Mr Clement’s appointment she remarked,

“ Ian Clement worked very hard for Bexley & provided the strong & dynamic
leadership that led to the Conservatives winning control of Bexley Council
in 2006. Since then the team have ensured that Council Tax was kept low
whilst local services were improved.

Bexley residents sent a clear message that they wanted a change at City Hall
by electing Boris Johnson as Mayor & we know that Ian will take his
knowledge of Bexley with him when helping Boris to drive that change for the benifit of everyone living in Bexley”

 

Bexley Conservatives Ask “Where is Ken?”

Today local campaigners in Bexley have been asking ‘Where is Ken?’ As the contest for the next Mayor of London draws closer, people in Bexley have been campaigning to highlight Ken Livingstone’s neglect of London’s outer boroughs.

Councillor Ian Clement leader of Bexley Conservatives said:

“The current Mayor of London has been running an administration for zone 1, not for the rest of us who live in Greater London. We need a Mayor who will represent all Londoners and Boris Johnson has already demonstrated his commitment to doing this by visiting Bexley.”

Bexley Conservatives Deputy Leader Councillor Teresa O’ Neill added,

“We are fed up with Ken Livingstone’s out of touch approach to running London. After eight years as Mayor all he seems to be interested in is preserving his job and looking after his cronies.

“It is time for a change. Boris Johnson is campaigning on the issues that matter to the people of Bexley and offering fresh solutions on issues like Crime , Transport and Housing. We want to see a Mayor who cares about Bexley and is committed to working for all those who live in Greater London. Boris has clearly demonstrated he is the man for the job.”

Delivering Better Services and Keeping Council Tax Low

Bexley Council has approved a budget from the Conservative administration that guarantees first class services for Bexley residents and keeps the council tax increase below inflation at 3%.

As Labour Councillors voted against the budget without coming up with any alternative proposals it fell to Bexley Conservatives to reveal Labour’s real alternative budget based on their spending commitments and opposition to the introduction of weekly recycling collections which would have meant an 11% increase in Council tax.

Rejecting the suggestion from Labour leader Cllr Chris Ball that prioritising keeping Council Tax low was “immoral” Bexley Council leader Ian Clement said,

“What was immoral was increasing Council tax by 40% in four years of Labour Control and planning to put it up by 11% this year”.

Conservative Councillors reacted with disbelief to Labour calls for a bigger council tax rise to pay for grants to community forums with no questions asked about how taxpayers money was being spent.

Cllr Clement added,

“Labour have lost touch with people in Bexley more than even I had imagined if they think people care more about forums than how much their council tax bill is going to be”

Conservatives lead March to save Queen Mary’s

Over 1500 people joined a March organised by Bexley Conservatives to protest against NHS plans to close the A&E and Maternity units at Queen Mary;s Hospital in Sidcup. The March culminated outside Queen Mary’s where the David Evennett MP handed over to NHS representatives a petition signed by over 5,000 local people. In a rousing speech at the demonstration Cllr Ian Clement vowed Bexley Conservatives would continue the fight to save our services at Queen Mary’s.

The mass demonstration the like of which not seen in Bexley for many years was also attended by Boris Johnson Conservative candidate for Mayor of London and Bexley & Bromley GLA candidate James Cleverly along with local MP’s David Evennett and Bob Neill.

Speaking afterwards Cllr Sharon Massey who had co-ordinated the days events said,

“The incredible support Bexley residents have given our campaign to save Queen Mary’s shows the enormous local opposition there is to plans to downgrade our hospital. The NHS and the Government should listen to what people are saying and abandon their plans to axe our A&E and Maternity departments”

Hollytree Parade Post Office Earmarked for Closure

Cllrs Cheryl Bacon, Ross Downing and Don Massey were shocked to hear that Hollytree Parade Post Office in Foots Cray was listed in the Post Office’s latest round of closures published this week. Though the process will be subject to public consultation, the Post Office has already closed thousands of branches across the country and are expected to close as many again in the coming year.

Cllrs Bacon, Downing and Massey said:

“Residents in Cray Meadows feel they are being stripped of essential services, with the imminent closure of Longmead Drive Surgery, the threat to vital Accident and Emergency and Maternity services at Queen Mary’s Hospital and now the proposed closure of their local Post Office.”

Cray Meadows councillors will be fighting to save this much needed local service and have urged local residents to respond to the consultation. Comments can be sent by letter to Anita Turner, Network Develoment Manager, C/o National Consultation Team, Post Office Ltd, FREEPOST CONSULTATION TEAM or by e-mail to consultation@postoffice.co.uk or by logging onto www.postoffice.co.uk/networkchange.

Councillors Challenge Care Trust over Surgery Closure

Cllrs Cheryl Bacon, Ross Downing and Don Massey have challenged Bexley Care Trust over the proposed closure of Longmead Drive Surgery. Bexley Care Trust was summoned to the meeting of Bexley Council’s Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee last week to answer questions about the closure of the surgery at the end of March and provision of GP services for the practice’s 2400 patients.

Cllr Downing questioned Mr Weaver (representing Bexley Care Trust) about plans for existing patients and asked for a detailed breakdown of where they were to be accommodated. Many patients have grave concerns about being able to access a GP within a reasonable distance from their home. Cray Meadows will be the only ward in Bexley without a GP practice.

Cllr Bacon challenged Mr Weaver about the Care Trust’s failure to consult with local residents, local councillors and Bexley Council. Mr Weaver admitted that the Care Trust had failed to carry out the required consultation about the closure. He also agreed that the current surgery catered for some of Bexley’s most vulnerable residents.

Under pressure from Councillors, Bexley Care Trust has agreed to work with council officers to try to identify possible sites for an alternative practice in the Ward.

Cllrs Bacon, Downing and Massey said:

“Understandably, local residents are very concerned to preserve a GP presence in the area and we will work with local residents, Royal Park Residents Association, Bexley Council officers and the Care Trust to see if an alternative practice site can be found within Cray Meadows.”

Bexley Council Tax to be below Inflation Again

Bexley’s Conservative administration have announced plans to increase Council tax by just 3% meaning for the second year running a below inflation increase for Bexley residents.

The Council tax plans come despite Bexley receiving the worst grant settlement in living memory from Gordon Brown’s Labour Government.

Bexley Council leader Cllr Ian Clement said he was “proud” to lead an administration that had delivered a below inflation increase in Council tax in consecutive years the first time this has happened in Bexley since the Council tax was introduced.

Contrasting this record with the 40% increase in Council tax during the 4 years that Labour ran Bexley, Cllr Clement added,

“Labour’s 40% increase in Council tax was cruel and hit pensioners and those on low incomes the hardest, Bexley Conservatives are committed to keeping Council tax as low as we can whilst improving services too”

The Budget will go to the Council for approval on 5th March.

NHS March in March

Bexley Council Leader Councillor Ian Clement and Bexley Conservatives are leading a March to protest against cuts in services at our local hospital Queen Mary’s Sidcup.

The march will take place Saturday 1st March at 10.30 am. The starting point will be The Crescent a green open space next to the Horse and Groom Harvester, Main Road, Sidcup. The march will then proceed to the hospital along Elm Road, finishing at the putting green next to Queen Mary’s Hospital.

Local MP David Evennett accompanied by the Leader of the London Borough of Bexley will hand into the hospital a copy of the petition signed by over 5000 people protesting against the closure of the Accident and Emergency Unit, the Maternity Unit and the closing of Children’s wards.

If you wish to join us in this peaceful protest please contact either Councillor Ian Clement at cllr.ian.clement@backboris.com or Councillor Sharon Massey on 01322 555446

We are working in co-operation with the police and we encourage all who wish to support this march to please park a good distance away from the meeting up point and please avoid parking in Morrisons car park. Preferably attend via public transport.

We expect the march to finish at approximately 11.15 am when we will disperse quickly and quietly.

Government denies local community money for station improvements!

Conservatives in the Erith and Thamesmead Parliamentary Constituency, led by Erith Councillor Bernard Clewes MBE and Belvedere Councillor David Leaf, have criticised the Government for refusing to provide a share of the £370 million available to improve access to rail stations serving the local community. The Access for All programme’s third tranche allocates funds between 2012 and 2015 to provide step free access at train stations to help disabled passengers as well as those with walking difficulties, pushchairs, in wheelchairs and with bulky luggage, but nothing has been allocated to local stations. Belvedere Councillor David Leaf, who had requested that local stations be added to the Access for All programme, said:

“This is a very disappointing result for the local community and the uncaring Labour Government has once again ignored the needs of this area. As a consequence of the Government’s refusal to earmark local train stations for access improvement, elderly and disabled passengers, as well as families with pushchairs, will continue to struggle to use the railways. We need to get more people using the trains and public transport, but yet again the Government are being very unhelpful.”

“In my correspondence with the Government on this issue the Department for Transport have recognised that access improvements along the Woolwich and Greenwich lines are required, but they are refusing to stump up any cash. While other parts of the country will benefit from the Access for All programme and funding, we will miss out.”

Erith Councillor Bernard Clewes MBE! added:

“Residents in wheelchairs find it impossible and those with pushchairs and walking difficulties find it a real struggle to access all of the platforms at local stations, especially Erith and Plumstead, where access is via a footbridge. We will continue the campaign and press the Government and Southeastern Trains to improve train station access.”