Leading Lines
Croydon Council Leader Mike Fisher's Reflections
The latest issues
Tackling crime
The trend for young people to carry and use vicious weapons is a worrying development. When linked to drugs or alcohol the results can be fatal.
All the more reason, then, for the council to have a crime reduction strategy - if only to keep things in perspective. Croydon has a population of a third of a million. It's inevitable that in any city of this size incidents will occur. Thankfully, though, most residents only hear about crime and don't directly experience its effects. But understandably crime worries them and that's why our strategy focuses on steps to help people feel safer. The deployment of more neighbourhood enforcement officers and the encouragement we're giving to setting up more police teams are practical steps we are taking in response to public concern.
I hope also that parents will take greater responsibility for their children and not allow a vicious circle to develop. Youngsters need parental role models to help shape their young lives and distinguish between right and wrong. It used to be the natural way of family life with respect at top of domestic agendas. Perhaps it's no coincidence that as some parents appear to be shirking their duties to their children, we seem to be raising too many youngsters who want to fit into an underclass rather than a classroom.
I don't have a magic wand to solve these problems in Croydon. All I would say is that where possible we will develop efforts to drive down crime. And most of us will remain thankful that whatever we may read or hear about serious incidents thankfully we will never actually experience it.
Drinking in Croydon
It was interesting to see the Government's report on the impact of relaxed licensing laws. Part of the study was undertaken in Croydon where statistics show no increase in drink-related crime despite several places offering extended drinking hours. My view is that this is no thanks to the Government's ham-fisted attempt to convert us to a liberal café society. Rather it's an outcome that owes much to preventative policing undertaken by our local officers and a lot of proactive liaison with licensees.
Those attracted by longer drinking hours in Croydon tend to be predominantly young people, fuelling themselves with alcohol in the belief that it's the only way to enjoy a good time. Frankly, I believe the laws should have been left alone. It's not clear to me that the expense of meddling with drinking hours has been worthwhile for anyone - and certainly not the council that has to clear up the mess left behind, or Mayday that has to deal with the effects of alcohol-induced violence or accidents.
Purley Pool
Our intentions to replace the ageing pool at Purley with two new ones at Waddon and Coulsdon appear to have upset some of the regulars.
I'm sorry they feel so strongly - but I'm convinced the council is doing the right thing for the majority of people in the area.
We're keeping Purley running until Waddon opens - but we're not going to waste money by bringing it up to scratch when we know we'll be knocking down the whole complex - including the empty Sainsbury store and the car park - in a couple of years. We need the site cleared to make way for a High Street regeneration scheme, including a new library and cinema.
Demand for a survey to see what it would cost to modernise Purley and make it fit for purpose misses the point. If it remains in situ it will prevent a major renewal scheme from going ahead. And with brand new pools to be built north and south of Purley, we're hardly depriving swimmers of choice. In fact we're embarked on an ambitious programme that will bring five public pools to the borough - more than we've ever had before.
I'm a firm believer in people making their views known. It's also entirely right that the council should consider a range of opinions and options. But then we have to act in the best interests of the majority. The Purley protesters may continue to make waves, but they won't blow us of a course that's intended to bring widespread leisure benefits in several parts of the borough.
Improving our schools
I'm grateful to Ian Carter, the editor of the Croydon Advertiser, for splashing my first web-based commentary on his blog site. Let me return the favour. I was interested to learn from him that the news he posted on his paper's website about the retirement of our children's director, Peter Wylie, attracted 300 hits in the first hour. That made it one of his most popular stories although way behind the latest crime episode.
I think this does show that, in addition to the public appetite for news on crime, there is also a lot of interest and concern about attainment and behaviour in our schools.
Peter has done a sound job for Croydon over several years and, as Ian himself acknowledges, is not responsible for some of the worst excesses of pupils. His successor will have a wider role and will come in at a critical stage in the development of education in the borough. I'll have more to say on this in weeks to come. In the meantime it's because we recognise the genuine desire for improved standards in all aspects of the borough's education system and the care it provides for young people, that we'll be looking for someone with a wide range of skills to work closely with our cabinet member for children, young people and learners. The aim will be to restore confidence and ensure our children leave local schools with the best possible start in life - something in which I'm sure we can count on parental support.
Beacon status
For those of us in local government, getting beacon status is a bit like receiving an Oscar - it's that big. So we're pretty chuffed at getting our latest award - a magnificent seventh since beacon awards were introduced in 1999. I was delighted to be able to collect the trophy along with representatives of our partners in the PCT, business and voluntary sector.
Although the awards are for councils, it's fair to say we do little these days without help from partners and this latest recognition owes a great deal to the groups and bodies that do so much for our town. Make no mistake - there are some very thorough inspectors examining everything we do and say to make sure we're worthy of a beacon award so the contribution from our partners has been vital.
In Croydon many of the greatest improvements in crime, education, health and the environment over the past few years have been achieved through joint working. And this was the case behind our award for the strategic partnership and local area agreement category which, by definition, involves a far greater depth of representation than is the case with more traditional awards.
Going up in the world
It's good to see Croydon going up in the world. The 25-storey residential tower alongside the Croydon Park Hotel is nearing completion. We've given permission for Wellesley Square, a 44-storey tower that will form a striking new northern gateway to the town centre. And we are looking forward to an application for another mixed use scheme in Cherry Orchard Road that could involve four diamond shaped skyscrapers including a 52-storey tower.
Now living so high up is not to everyone's taste but all of these schemes are bringing life and vitality to the town centre. And they're certainly putting Croydon on the map. Two national newspapers recently commented on the modernisation of Croydon. The Daily Telegraph gave us a headline - ‘Croydon finally gets a facelift', and The Guardian had a very positive ‘Let's move to Croydon' slant.
Later this summer we'll get a decision on the future of the Gateway site alongside East Croydon station. Whichever way it's decided, we will work with the successful developer to bring this long vacant site into productive use.
Road maintenance
Although Croydon's got great public transport, a lot of people still travel around by car. In recent years that's involved a bit of a bumpy ride. That's not just due to the speed humps we inherited it's also the state of our roads, pock-marked with pot holes after years of inadequate maintenance.
Now, with the finances under control, we're about to give borough roads the most expensive maintenance makeover that they've had for more than a decade. We've earmarked £4.35 million for road resurfacing and repairs in 2008/09 - the highest level of maintenance since 1996.
However, ten years of underspending has left a backlog estimated at well over £12 million so we'll have to continue the higher level of spending for some time. But, in making a start, we expect to completely resurface around 5.5 miles of highway, giving our roads a treatment that will protect them from further deterioration and enable motorists to pass by neither shaken nor stirred.
Recycling
Finally this time round, I'd like to pose a question. Did you know that nowhere else in the country is currently investing as much as Croydon to improve recycling services for residents?
We believe the extra £4.75 million we have earmarked for environmental investment in 2008/09 is unmatched by any other local authority in the country. The extra money - coming from this year's increase in council tax - will mean that:
All houses with gardens will receive the seasonal garden waste collection service from 31st March 2008.
An extra 75,000 people living in houses and blocks of flats of four properties or fewer will be receiving the council's twin recycling box service from 30 June 2008. This means that residents will now be able to recycle cardboard and plastic as well as paper, textiles, tins, cans and mixed glass.
A further 1,000 recycling sites being installed at those blocks of flats that do not yet have a site near them.
Six of the Neighbourhood Recycling Centres will be renovated by putting in new bins and signs and making the sites more practical and pleasant to use for recycling.
The point of this effort is to raise the level of household recycling in Croydon to 28% next year - nearly double the rate we inherited just two years ago when our borough was among the worst in London. Our next target is to hit 40% by 2010 - a tough ambition but achievable if residents take advantage of all the opportunities we're providing.
And incidentally, I can confirm that every item of recycled waste collected in Croydon is recycled. Croydon is most definitely not one of the councils that is dumping recycled waste in landfill sites. Residents can be confident that in this borough everything that is carefully put out for recycling goes through the proper channels to be used again in some way.
