The power of positive politics – guest blog by Chiswick Riverside councillor Amy Croft

Cllr Amy Croft, Labour Councillor for Chiswick Riverside

‘For the first time in years, there can be certainty about what Government funding will look like’ says Cllr Amy Croft

Guest blog by Cllr Amy Croft

With the recent good weather, the daffodils springing up across the Borough and the magnolia blooming on almost every street, you can sense the positivity in the air. But it isn’t solely the change in season that is contributing to that mood.

The announcement of the Government’s Fair Funding Review, and what that has meant for Hounslow; the Council’s budget meeting taking place this evening; and political parties getting ready to announce their manifestos all contribute to a positive political buzz in the air.

READ ALSO: Hounslow Labour welcomes Fair Funding decision

READ ALSO: Hounslow’s finances rescued by Government policy change

The Fair Funding Review has realigned council funding to match areas of need, so Hounslow has seen increased funding to better match the statutory services that we must provide.

“Hounslow can now plan for the short and long term and start doing more of the things that residents want to see”

The Review also comes with a change to a multi-year settlement, meaning that for the first time in a number of years, there can be certainty moving forward about what Government funding will look like for the Council for the next three years.

This is hugely important for Council funding.

While times have been very tough for councils over the last 10 years Hounslow has managed to maintain frontline services whilst balancing the budget, something that many councils without such sound financial management have not been able to do, and this now allows us to plan for the short and long term and start doing more of the things that residents want to see.

Budget measures

One of the things that the Council has recently announced as part of the Budget, is the addition of £750,000 immediately to double the frequency of street cleaning services across the Borough.

More support for our young people and communities is also on the agenda, as part of the budget, which you can watch live this evening on the Council’s YouTube channel youtube.com if you are so inclined, or attend in person if you wish.

READ ALSO: Council Tax goes up by the maximum as LB Hounslow publishes budget ‘that invests in the future of the borough’

READ ALSO: Care leavers under 25 set to receive full council tax relief

For Chiswick more specifically, following consultation on what services residents wanted to access, the Council is investing £4 million in a brand-new state of the art leisure centre on the Brentford Fountain site (little known fact, Brentford Fountain Leisure Centre is actually in Chiswick Riverside).

READ ALSO: Smaller pools and more flats proposed for Brentford Fountain leisure centre redevelopment

READ ALSO: Hounslow Council commits to funding repair of river wall at Strand on the Green

The Council is also using £400,000 to continue our commitment to repair the river wall at Strand on the Green. We are also working in partnership with TFL and Network Rail to realise step free access at both Gunnersbury and Kew Bridge stations, something which is long overdue.

No left turn into Strand on the Green from the A316 unless you have a resident’s permit, and even then you will be fined if you have not separately registered for exemption so you can drive down Hartington Road

Council promises to scrap dual system of residents permits and also having to apply separately for exemption to drive into Hartington Road from Chiswick Bridge

Moving to Chiswick Riverside, where I am a Labour ward Councillor, I have been listening to residents and working positively with Officers in the Council to try and find better ways for us to deliver some of our services. One thing that comes up on the doorstep is confusion over the split between CPZ parking permits and resident exemptions to the Hartington Road entry into Riverside.

Residents sometimes fall foul of penalty notices by assuming they have an automatic exemption due to holding a valid parking permit in an area where they are entitled to an exemption. Whilst, in my experience, the Council have been willing to waive these fines once the misunderstanding has been explained, this is obviously not an ideal solution.

I have been speaking to Officers on this topic for some time and have now managed to secure agreement that they will move to amalgamate the two systems.

They are currently looking at the logistics of this, but hope to have it completed by December (so please be mindful that this will remain as two separate systems until then). There are a number of other areas, shaped by talking to residents about their interactions with the Council, where I am in discussions with officers about positive changes we can make to improve resident experience, so watch this space!

I became involved in politics, because I believe deeply in Labour values and I wanted to make a positive difference to people’s lives.

I am genuinely excited about the things being proposed under the Budget and the manifesto (which will be launched on 21 March), and the little wins I make for residents every week through casework, as I feel I am fulfilling what I have set out to do.

Read more stories on The Chiswick Calendar