Our Policies and Councillors
Brent Conservatives - Building a Better Borough
Contents
Better Services at Lower Cost
Brent Under the Conservatives
Under the Conservatives Brent started to work. Residents saw a real difference in the quality of service people were being offered. All of our Services were being recognised as Leaders in the field of Local Government. We had the best Revenues & Benefits Section, the best Environment team dealing with the basics such as rubbish collection and continuous improvements in the standards of Education.
Under Conservative Control Brent won more Chartermarks and Quality of Service Awards than any other Borough. Tight financial control meant that we could spend more on the services people cared about; Education budgets up fifty percent since we took control, the Streetcare budgets were properly focused on rubbish collection, road improvements outside of schools and clear areas of complaint.
What was very important was that under the Conservatives Brent had a Council Tax that fell year after year. Brent was well on the way to becoming the Council with the lowest Council Tax in London. All of that has changed - Labour is costing residents dearly and the Liberals back them on almost every issue.
Council Services are getting worse. There have been major cuts in Social Service budgets. Attacks on the pensions of teachers. Key Officers who led the turn around of Brent Council have gone - the Council is stagnating and all the time residents are having to pay more and more for less and less.
In April 1997 Brent had the biggest Council Tax increase anywhere in London. In 1998 the Council Tax went up again. We can expect yet another increase in 1999. We will get nothing for it. The Council Leisure Centre has been closed because it is a danger to the public. Rats have been caught in the street. Even Labour says Education standards in two schools are a big worry.
We reaffirm our Commitment to the provision of Better Services at Lower Cost. Brent under the Conservatives will have the Lowest Council Tax in London.
Improving Education
Education is best left to the parents, teachers and Heads and Board of Governors. It is best left to those involved. Politicians should not involve themselves in the running of Schools, they should not decide which children go to which school. This is not the case in Brent. The Labour Party have offended Brent Teachers by calling them incompetent. The Labour Party interfere in the day to day management of Schools and are now desperate to end the independence of the previously Grant Maintained Schools (almost all Brent Schools became Grant Maintained).
We will value the independence of Schools and minimise the involvement of Local Council Bureaucrats.
We will make maximum use of independent Inspectors to check on Schools and will support and supply the maximum levels of information about schools to parents, including League Tables.
We will increase at a rate reasonably afforded by taxpayers the level of School budgets.
Housing & Social Services
These are the services that affect the most vulnerable in our Community. The Council spends as much on these two services as it does on all other services combined.
We will look at Social Services and examine all ways of improving the Services available without dramatic increases in cost.
We will encourage a partnership approach with the Local Health Authority and will attempt to restore many of the Labour cuts in Social Services.
In Housing we do not support the building of new houses on the last remaining bits of green in the Borough. We will defend our Parks and Open Spaces. Brent is a very industrialised area, with very few open spaces for residents. We cannot afford to lose any more.
Our Housing Stock is in very great need of repair.
We will use the money available to the Council to reinstate the External Decorations Programme,
We will encourage tenant opt outs and listen to the local community to develop new policies on housing
We will re instate the Windows replacement Programme and work on improving our repairs contracts. Residents should be able to expect the best possible service from Brent Council.
We will also work with Private Landlords and Registered Social Landlords (Housing Associations) to encourage the maximum level of choice in Housing.
Regenerating Brent
Financial confidence in Conservative Brent led to Brent becoming a major area of development. Park Royal, Harlesden, Chalkhill and the Stadium were all part of a programme of obtaining Łone billion of investment in the Borough. That financial confidence has gone.
Confidence in Brent must be restored before we can restart major improvements. Our next targets must be improvements to Wembley High Road and the surrounding areas. Wembley has many major success stories, the Indian Jewellers and the food stores are renowned across the Country and even the World. We have however lost many major stores on the High Road and shoppers do not feel safe and confident.
We will develop real consultation about the Stadium development so that residents can feel involved. We will bring the Stadium scheme closer to the hearts of local people.
We will investigate ways of improving traffic flow in Wembley and bid for partnership funding. Wembley will once again become the heart of Brent.
Conservative Councillors
Brent Council has the following Conservative Councillors. Conservative Councillors will be happy to help residents currently served by Labour & Liberal Councillors.
The Conservative Group 1998 - 2002
Councillor Robert Blackman is the Leader of the Conservative Group
;Messages for the Leader of the Conservative Group can be left with Linda Silver, PA to the Office of the Group Leader on 0181 937 1111. Email linda.silver@brent.gov.uk
Barnhill Ward
Suresh Kansagra
8907 1138
Irwin Van Colle
8908 0728
Cricklewood Ward
Jack Sayers
8450 1895
Carol Shaw -
8459 1896
Kenton Ward
Sean O'Sullivan
8931 4118
Arthur Steel
8909 1663
Kingsbury Ward
Reg Colwill
8907 0930
Carupiah Selvarajah
8204 3326
Preston Ward
Bob Blackman
Harshad Patel
8723 6871
Tom Taylor
8902 4413
Queensbury Ward
Eric McDonald
8204 3806
Saint Andrews Ward
Councillor Jim O'Sullivan
8903 4528
Sudbury Ward
Uma Fernandes - Spokesman on Social Services.
8204 4026
Cormach Moore
8201 3644
8931 1314
Neil Rands
Sudbury Court Ward
Gideon Fiegel
8904 7868
01296 614 232
Vanessa Howells
8450 6864
Tokyngton Ward
Nicola Blackman
Messages can always be left with the Conservative Group office on 020 8937 1111
Other Details
The Conservative Group Office is based at Brent Town Hall and staffed during the hours of nine to five. The Conservative Group PA is Linda Silver, the fax number is 0181 937 1112. Her email address is linda.silver@brent.gov.uk
All Brent Conservative Associations can be written to c/o:
Brent Conservative Associations
271 Preston Road
Wembley
Middlesex HA3 0PS.
The Chairman of the Conservative Party in Brent East is Ian Lyon, who can be contacted on 020 8208 0758
The Chairman of the Conservative Party in Brent North is Reg Colwill who can be concted on 020 8907 0930
The Chairman of the Conservative Party in Brent South is Nicola Blackman, who can be contacted on 0850 709 801
Last Revised: August 2000