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When in the Summer I raised concerns over how far police numbers had been cut and the idea that the rise in violence and drug dealing which members of the public were experiencing might have something to do with there not being enough officers to tackle crime, I faced an onslaught of criticism. The Police…
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Today is #OurDay the annual effort by the Local Government Association to draw attention to everything councils do on behalf of local communities. Under the Conservatives, local government has been hit far harder than any other part of the public sector (because it’s always easier to make other people take the tough decisions) and yet…
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Christmas is almost here and the council has been working hard for months to deliver a programme of events fit for the season. Including, following years of residents’ requests, securing another Christmas ice rink for Crawley, this year even bigger and better than last. As the cold sets in, I’m reminded that much of my…
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People don’t care who’s responsible for a service, they just want things fixed. I get that and as an elected representative it’s infuriating to have to tell residents that we either lack the legal authorisation to resolve an issue they’ve raised or that the Government has given the money to pay for it to an…
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What started out as a normal Saturday for two of Crawley Borough Council’s Community Wardens, ended with them preventing two young people from taking their own lives. On 18 August, Christopher Oakley and Stuart Adesilu were called to assist Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs) with removing a couple from the roof of Orchard Street Car Park…
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I’m aware that a number of mistruths are being circulated around about this, so in the interests of fairness I thought you might like a true account of events. When Springboard opened they decided to take on a commercial property at a commercial rent. At this time all the risks were highlighted to them, but…
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A Post Office is a service every community needs, yet there are changes afoot which put at risk the future of this service in Crawley. Post Office Limited are consulting on changes which would see the current Crawley Post Office closed, with services moving into WH Smith. Unlike Royal Mail, the Post Office remains wholly…
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Disturbing figures, following the introduction of Universal Credit in Crawley Borough which indicate that council rent arrears are increasing in Crawley, were revealed today by concerned Labour Borough councillors. Leader of the council Peter Lamb and Cabinet Member for Housing Michael Jones, have spoken out, calling on the Government to stop the roll out of…
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The Budget is in and everyone is pawing over the detail to see how they come out of it, something which for local authorities won’t become clear until a further announcement later in the year. As a council leader you might expect my main concern would be what Crawley Borough Council gets out of the…
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Crawley Labour activists were joined by leading Shadow Cabinet Member Emily Thornberry as they launched a campaign to get more police back on Crawley’s streets. Following the rise of violence on Crawley’s streets over recent months, Crawley Labour has launched a petition to ensure the voice of local residents is clearly heard by Sussex’s Police…
