27 July (Part 2) - The Leader’s report
The
Leader’s written report included references to £249,971 from the Heritage
Lottery Fund to be spent on Lesnes Abbey by June 2027, the completion of the
Erith Riverside Gardens refurbishment and the spending of yet more money on
senior management. Tanusha Waters has come from Harlow Council to be Deputy
Director of Housing and Strategic Planning (the new Jane Richardson) and Ayesha Rahman who will take up the new post of
Director of Transformation. Will she survive a Reform takeover next May?
Fortunately the Leader managed to condense her 25 page report into just a few
words, but maybe not as few as usual. The Government has said that London will lose out in the next funding
review but she will continue to provide value for money. New Government bills on
Children’s wellbeing, SEND, Renter’s Reform and Planning will all impact Bexley.
She did not say adversely but probably that can be taken as a given. When did
our Government do anything to benefit people financially?
The Leader has tried to convince the police that shoplifting should be a
priority and the new mobile CCTV units may help to tackle it.
A Department for Transport survey has reported that Bexley’s roads are in better
condition than any neighbouring borough.
Labour Leader Stefano Borella, describing her as his good friend, congratulated
Councillor Slaughter on her MBE and 51 years as a Bexley Councillor. His
question was in effect asking the Leader why she did not acknowledge the
granting of £1·4 billion for rebuilding of “crumbling” schools which will
benefit Bexley. Similarly £39 billion over ten years for affordable housing.
The closure of Community Centres,
dismissed by Cabinet Member Bishop during
Questions was “an appalling failure”.
The Leader replied that the £1·4 million for schools was a re-announcement by Labour of what
the Conservatives had put in place more than a year ago.
Councillor Philip Read (Conservative, West Heath) said that autism diagnoses had gone up eight fold in ten
years and asked for an update on the Council’s autism strategy. He was told only
that there was a strategy and the increased numbers may be due to improved
recognition of the problem especially among females. The strategy includes
raising awareness, access to support services and promoting wellbeing and publishing a website.
Councillor Cheryl Bacon (Conservative, Sidcup) asked for more detail on the
D of T’s road condition report. Cabinet Member Diment
said that the report showed that compared to Greenwich, Lewisham, Havering and
Croydon, Bexley’s roads were in “considerably better condition”. Only 1% of A roads were in need of resurfacing.
Bromley was not mentioned and one must wonder why.
The Leader summed up by saying that residents will be “disgusted” by the Labour
Group “extracting themselves” on the debate on police numbers and she would
continue to fight for the DLR extension to come to Belvedere.