It is clear that Labour is failing in its duty to keep our streets clean and tidy.

After four years of mismanagement of the council, residents have given a damning indictment of Labour’s local record on street cleaning in the latest Annual Residents’ Survey.

Its misguided decisions to slash the street cleaning budget, close Weir Road, scrap the free garden waste service and get rid of road sweeping on the same day as rubbish collections have all come home to roost. The result is a 10 per cent increase in concern about dirty streets over the last two years with over a third of Merton residents now citing this as their top concern. This is the highest level for a decade and well above the London average.

Only 49 per cent of residents are now satisfied with how the council tackles dog fouling which is a drop on last year. Unfortunately this comes as no surprise from talking to my own constituents here in Hillside. Meanwhile only 41 per cent of people  in Mitcham and 45 per cent of residents in Colliers Wood are satisfied with the way the council deals with fly tipping.

Given that it cannot even keep the streets clean, it is hardly surprising that Labour is making such a mess of the current budget process. Their mismanagement has created a deficit in council finances with Labour now cutting vital services to cover its own incompetence.

The only bright spots for Merton’s hard pressed taxpayers are that the Government’s Council Tax Freeze Grant has at least helped save us all from inevitable Labour tax rises whilst the Government’s long term economic plan continues to ensure the creation of more and more jobs for local people. 

Councillor Daniel Holden

Conservative Councillor for Hillside Ward

 

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