A strong, independent voice for you

Greenwich Conservatives Manifesto

Royal Borough of Council elections

May 2018

Greenwich Conservatives Greenwich Conservatives manifesto 2018

Contents

Foreword - Cllr Matt Hartley, Leader of the Opposition 3

Why Greenwich needs an Opposition 4

Our track record of getting things done 5

Our priorities for the next four years 6

Holding the Labour Council to account 7 Opposing waste at the Town Hall 8 Improving local health and education 9 Campaigning for better transport 10 Supporting our small businesses 11 Working to improve local policing 12 Improving our local environment 13 Pressing for more affordable homes 14 Supporting vulnerable residents 15

Your local Conservative candidates 16

Get involved with our local work 16

Visit our website at www.greenwichconservatives.com

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Foreword from the Leader of the Opposition

Conservative councillors provide the only opposition to Labour at the Town Hall

Councillor Matt Hartley Leader of Greenwich Conservatives

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Why Greenwich needs an Opposition

Labour wants to turn Greenwich into a one party state at these elections - they are aiming to win all 51 seats on the council this year.

This means there would be no Opposition councillors left to scrutinise and oppose their decisions on behalf of residents. The council could just do whatever it likes. We can’t let that happen.

Here’s why Greenwich Council needs an We provide the only Opposition to Opposition to fight residents’ corner over Labour on Greenwich Council the next four years.

✓ Time and time again, Labour councillors have failed to stand up for our borough. From failing to oppose the Labour Mayor of London’s police station closures to ignoring small businesses, Labour keeps letting us all down. It is Opposition Conservative councillors who stand up for residents.

✓ Even in Opposition, we get things done. In the last 4 years, Conservative councillors have secured more support for our High Streets, funding for local environmental projects and a Living Wage Scheme to tackle low pay. We’ve made real improvements in the wards we represent.

✓ However you vote, it is Opposition Conservative councillors that make sure your voice is heard when decisions are made at the Town Hall. On issues like parking, road traffic problems, housing maintenance or street cleaning, without an Opposition, no one would represent people who disagree - and the Council could just do whatever it likes.

Find out more at www.greenwichconservatives.com

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Our track record of getting things done

Despite being in Opposition, since the last election Conservative councillors have continued to get things done for residents - both inside and outside of the Council Chamber.

As well as holding Labour to account and opposing their bad decisions, we have worked hard to pro-actively bring about positive change for our area.

We are asking for your support on May Opposition Conservative councillors 3rd so we can continue this local work. work hard to get things done locally

• We secured help with business rates • We have made the most of the Ward for small businesses affected by the Budget Scheme that we first proposed, High Street works. driving significant local investment. • We worked with traders and officers to • We have secured external funding for keep rent rises down on Old Dover Rd. local projects in our wards. • We helped secure funding for the • We have pressed for funds from ‘Renew ’ project, and developers to be spent effectively and improvements at The Mound. more fairly across the whole borough.

• We worked with Trees for Cities to • We secured a new Living Wage plant trees on the Estate. Incentive Scheme to tackle low pay. • We secured external funding for • We successfully pressed for expansion several local environmental projects. of Discretionary Housing Payments. • We have regularly organised We secured an exemption from Council community litter picks to help make Tax for local young people leaving the our borough cleaner and greener. care system up to the age of 25.

• We stopped the Council’s plans to • As a constructive Opposition, we have leave local parks unlocked overnight. often worked across party lines. • We worked with residents to help stop • Whether on community cohesion, hate the closure of Coldharbour Police Base crime, rogue landlords or protecting • We have supported the work of our local heritage like the Avery Hill Winter Safer Neighbourhood Ward Panels. Garden, we always put our area first.

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Our priorities for the next four years

If elected for the next four years, as Opposition Conservative councillors we will continue to stand up for our borough, get things done for residents and make your voice heard when decisions are made at the Town Hall.

On the following pages you can find more information about some of our priorities, as campaigning Opposition Conservative councillors, for the next four years. If elected, Opposition councilors will work hard for you at the Town Hall

✓ PAGE 7 ✓ PAGE 8 ✓ PAGE 9

✓ PAGE 10 ✓ PAGE 11 ✓ PAGE 12 ✓ PAGE 13 ✓ PAGE 14

✓ PAGE 15

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OUR PRIORITIES Holding the Labour Council to account

We work as a team of Opposition in the planning system, affordable councillors to hold the Labour-run housing and wasteful advertising. council to account and support our local public services. We bring a We also take up individual residents’ range of skills and perspectives - the concerns with officers and Cabinet local Conservative team includes Members on issues ranging from teachers, small business owners, an parking to the housing maintenance. NHS doctor and people with Without a strong Opposition holding expertise in social care, transport Labour councillors to account, our and tackling poverty. local democracy would be at risk. We use this expertise to hold the Leader of the Council and Labour If elected, we will: Cabinet Members to account at Full • Continue to scrutinise Labour’s Council meetings. We successfully decisions and oppose actions and campaigned for these to be streamed policies that will harm our area. online, to increase transparency. • Ensure that residents’ views are We work hard on ‘scrutiny panels’ heard on parking, street cleaning, which give us the opportunity to housing and other local issues. question Labour councillors - and • Seek action to ensure a healthy, other public services including the independent local press - including NHS - on their actions. We closely opposing Labour’s taxpayer-funded examine decisions as they are made, ‘Greenwich Info’ magazine • Press for Planning Board & other and ‘call in’ decisions for further key meetings to be web-streamed, scrutiny where needed - for example to improve transparency and public we have ‘called in’ decisions on delays confidence in decision-making.

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OUR PRIORITIES Opposing waste at the Town Hall

We are opposing Labour councillors’ fortnightly magazine (down from wasteful spending at the Town Hall. nearly £600,000 of waste a year Conservative councillors have following our campaigning) identified millions of pounds of • £248,000 a year subsidising Trade waste including Labour’s pointless Union activity in the borough ‘Greenwich Info’ magazine, huge • £35,000 a year on PR, ‘reputation subsidies for Trade Unions and PR management’ and photography and photography services. As local taxpayers we are all being taken for This comes on top of Labour wasting a ride by this Labour-run council. £120,000 on a failed legal bid to save ‘Greenwich Time’, £140,000 on In February Labour councillors pushed redundancy payments for staff who through another increase in general were then re-employed and countless Council Tax for a third consecutive other examples. With no Opposition on year, adding £32 to ‘Band D’ bills. the Council, this would only increase.

As Opposition councillors, we put If elected, we will: forward an alternative Budget proposal at the Town Hall that would • Expose and campaign against have delivered the same services, a Labour’s waste and inefficiency. lower council tax rise and more • Support measures to ensure that support for vulnerable residents. Children’s Services, Adult Social Labour voted our proposal down. Care and other frontline services get the investment they need. Our proposal identified at least £1.6 • Campaign for a ‘Library Lock’ policy million of wasteful spending including: to protect all our smaller libraries. • £305,000 a year on the Council’s • Campaign to keep residents’ pointless new ‘Greenwich Info’ Council Tax bills as low as possible.

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OUR PRIORITIES Improving local health and education

We are committed to protecting and government. We have also used our improving our key public services, seats on the Council’s Health Scrutiny working to secure the improvements Panel to scrutinise our local NHS we all want to see in health and commissioners and press for the education. Our local team of provision of local services to respond councillors and candidates includes to local priorities. teachers and NHS professionals who can use their experience to press for Over the last two years we have fully change, and make sure the right supported the new Adult Social Care decisions are made for local people. precept that has delivered extra funds for social care. Our proposals have On education, we have always always protected frontline services. championed higher standards and greater choice. We have supported If elected, we will: local parents and teachers who have worked to set up new free schools and • Scrutinise the Council’s decisions academies, in the face of ideological on schools, including ensuring that opposition from the Labour Council. school places planning and We have also worked hard to ensure a admissions are fit for purpose. fair school admissions process, which • Press the Council to ends its costly Labour failed to do in 2017 and were failure on apprenticeships. • Use the expertise in our team to then forced to apologise for. help ensure our local NHS We have welcomed extra investment commissioners make the right in our local NHS services, including decisions for local people. new facilities such as the Eltham • Continue to support measures to Community Hospital, which was ensure proper funding of social delivered by the Conservative care and other frontline services.

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OUR PRIORITIES Campaigning for better transport

We are campaigning to improve hands of a failing company that has transport links in the borough, shown, despite our campaigning over proposing a new ‘X161’ bus route many years, that it is incapable of linking to Crossrail via delivering the improvements required. Eltham - and a new route from Change is long overdue. Village to North Greenwich via Blackheath. We also We continue to press the government continue to press for Southeastern to to place the franchise under Transport be placed under TfL control. for London control, as well as for local stations to be more fairly ‘zoned’. Last Our borough remains incredibly poorly year we campaigned against a ‘one served by public transport. The new line, one terminal’ policy, now Crossrail stations at and scrapped, and we continue to oppose will be a significant boost, the loss of direct Victoria services on but the benefits of the Elizabeth Line the Bexleyheath Line from 2022. need to be shared across the whole borough. That’s why Opposition If elected, we will: Conservative councillors have proposed a new Express ‘X161’ route • Press for new bus routes to tackle from Mottingham to Woolwich our borough’s north-south divide Crossrail via Eltham and Shooters Hill. • Continue to press the government to place Southeastern under TfL We are also campaigning for a new control, and campaign against the bus route from Kidbrooke Village to loss of direct Victoria services. North Greenwich via Blackheath. • Support TfL’s Bakerloo extension plans to enhance connectivity. Southeastern commuters, of course, • Continue to press for Cycle Hire have suffered for far too long, at the and for safer cycling in Greenwich.

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OUR PRIORITIES Supporting our small businesses

We have always worked to support keep rent rises down at the Old Dover local small businesses, High Streets Road shops, and successfully and smaller shopping parades. campaigned for two-hour free parking. Small businesses are the lifeblood of our local economy, and we will do all In New Eltham, we played a key role in we can to support and defend them. securing £15,000 funding for the community-led ‘Renew New Eltham’ Thanks to £6million funding enabled initiative, which funded the new village by the previous Conservative Mayor of sign, three community Festivals and London Boris Johnson, Eltham High set up costs for the New Eltham Street is being upgraded and we Business Association. We have also welcome improvements such as the helped secure improvements at The cinema, which we have long called for. Mound on the Coldharbour estate. Small businesses needed support, As Opposition councillors we will however, when footfall suffered as a always support our small businesses. result of the Labour Council’s mismanagement of the High Street If elected, we will: works. We secured help with Business Rates for traders, and have prevented • Press for targeted use of business the expansion of parking charges. We rate reductions to support local have also arranged for free Wifi shopping parades where needed. through new BT InLink terminals. • Campaign against any plans for parking changes that would In another area represented by damage local businesses, including Opposition Conservative councillors, on Eltham High Street. Blackheath Westcombe, we worked • Propose new ideas to promote with traders and Council officers to regeneration of our town centres.

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OUR PRIORITIES Working to improve local policing

We campaigned against the Labour Assembly Member to organise a Mayor’s closure of Eltham Police successful joined-up campaign to save Station, while the Labour-run Council Bexleyheath Police Station. If didn’t even try to stop it. By contrast, Conservatives in Bexley could change Conservative-run Bexley Council the Labour Mayor’s mind, residents saved their station, and we worked are right to ask why Labour in with residents to save Coldhabour & Greenwich could not. New Eltham Police Base, alongside CTRA. We will work hard to improve We have since been working to find a local policing. solution that would keep a strong police presence in Eltham. Late last year it emerged that Labour councillors failed to oppose the Meanwhile Conservative Assembly Labour Mayor of London’s plans to Members are working hard to oppose close Eltham Police Station. The the Labour Mayor’s poor decisions, Council’s brief response to the including his removal of £38 million consultation, written from an officer from the Met’s recruitment budget. rather than the Leader or any other Labour councillor, did not even If elected, we will: mention the closure of other police • Work hard to improve policing in bases in the borough. our area and oppose the Labour In contrast to Labour’s approach, in Mayor’s poor decisions on policing. neighbouring Conservative-run Bexley • Continue to support the work of our Council, the council administration Safer Neighbourhood Ward Panels. • Work with residents to set up more worked with their local MPs and the Neighbourhood Watch groups.

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OUR PRIORITIES Improving our local environment

We are fighting hard to improve air Mayor’s plan to extend the ULEZ road quality in our borough, and have charging zone to the South Circular, opposed measures that risk which risks increasing pollution along increasing pollution like current the boundary, near to local schools. plans for the Cruise Liner terminal, the IKEA development and Labour’s We have worked hard to attract plan to expand the ULEZ road funding for local environmental charging zone to the South Circular. projects and towards a zero-tolerance We have also worked hard on local approach to litter - and at the Town planting and environmental projects . Hall proposed a fully costed plan to help tackle fly-tipping by scrapping the We opposed the imposition of IKEA on £10 charge for Bulky Waste Collection. the (pushed through by Labour) which will increase If elected, we will: congestion and air pollution significantly, and we have consistently • Continue to oppose developments pressed for environmental mitigations that increase local air pollution. • Argue for free Bulky Waste if the Silvertown Tunnel goes ahead. Collections to reduce fly-tipping. We also oppose current plans for the • Campaign to protect our parks and Cruise Liner terminal, again being green spaces, and against the pushed through by Labour. While the overuse of Blackheath for events. terminal would bring significant • Campaign to save and restore our economic benefits, current plans precious local heritage assets. including the lack of on-shore power • Press to make it easier for groups/ generation represent an unacceptable residents to enhance their areas. risk to air quality and public health. • Pressure the council to support the Similarly, we have opposed the Labour London National Park City initiative.

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OUR PRIORITIES Pressing for more affordable homes

We are pressing for more affordable to which Labour councillors have housing to rent and buy. The Labour- transferred a huge level of assets. As run Council built no council housing it stands, local councillors have no during 2016-17 or the first quarter of access even to the minutes of the 2017-18, instead deciding to spend Meridian Home Start board meetings £65million buying homes on the where decisions about how these open market, which will push up assets are spent are taken. prices even further. We need more affordable housing locally, not less. At the same time, after our campaigning led Labour councillors to Labour councillors’ approach to introduce a ‘Damp Team’ back in housing, like so many areas, is to 2013, we continue to press the constantly pass the buck and evade Labour-run Council to do more to live their responsibility. We have been up to its responsibilities as a landlord pressing Labour councillors to bring and improve the quality of council forward plans to build council homes housing stock. in the borough as soon as possible, rather than its buy-not-build approach. If elected, we will: Labour councillors actually voted • Press the Council for more against building more council homes affordable housing to rent and buy at the Full Council meeting in March. as Opposition councillors. • Campaign for full accountability for We have also raised concerns over the Meridian Home Start. lack of accountability of Meridian • Press for a full, rather than partial, Home Start, which describes itself as survey of council housing stock “fully independent of the Council” but and for improved maintenance.

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OUR PRIORITIES Supporting vulnerable residents

We have consistently proposed delivered a lower Council Tax rise for policies at the Town Hall that would everyone, also included improvements increase support for the most to the Council Tax Support scheme to vulnerable in our community, lift up to 15,000 working-age including people in in-work poverty residents on the lowest incomes out of and young people leaving the care Council Tax altogether. Labour system. Labour regularly vote down councillors voted against it. our anti-poverty ideas in the Council Chamber, but then implement them The Council could and should do more anyway. to support people in financial difficulty, and as Opposition councillors we will Finding and proposing innovative ways continue to hold Labour councillors’ to support the most vulnerable in our feet to the fire to ensure they do. community has been a focus for Opposition Conservative councillors If elected, we will: for many years. • Press for improvements to the As a result of this approach, we have Council Tax Support scheme, secured a Living Wage Incentive including 100% working age Scheme that led to a pay rise for some support and a longer taper period. of the lowest paid workers in • Campaign for action on financial Greenwich, an expansion of the exclusion in Greenwich, including Discretionary Housing Payments fund working with LINK to improve and an exemption from Council Tax for access to free cash withdrawals. care leavers up to the age of 25. • Press the Council and NHS partners to do more to tackle In February our fully costed alternative loneliness, a serious public health Budget proposal, which would have challenge, in our communities.

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Your local Conservative candidates

On Thursday 3rd May, voters in each of the 17 wards in the Royal Borough of Greenwich will be able to cast three votes for who they want to serve as their three local councillors between 2018 and 2022.

Find out more about your local Conservative candidates on our website.

Find out more about your local team www.greenwichconservatives.com of Conservative candidates at www.greenwichconservatives.com

Get involved

Your Opposition Conservative councillors are supported by hundreds of local Conservative Party members, activists and supporters, who help us with our campaigning on local issues and social action projects locally.

If you would like to get involved in our local work, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

[email protected] fb.com/greenwichconservatives 0208 850 2880 @GreenwichTories

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© Greenwich Conservatives April 2018

Printed & promoted by Roger Tester on behalf of Greenwich Conservatives, 74 Westmount Road, London SE9 1JE.