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West End Extra - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 4 January 2008

£100,000-a-ward handout to make all our lives better

• THE start of a new year is always a time of expectation, and ambition. This is as true for the City Council as it is for individuals and families across Westminster.
I can’t predict what all our residents, businesses and local organisations hope for this year, but I am writing to assure you that the City Council will do its best to ensure our neighbourhoods are safe and that we create the opportunity for people and enterprise to flourish in 2008.
In March, I will announce the priorities for the third year of our One City programme. We will continue to build strong communities through excellent, value-for-money services. In addition to driving sustainability through “Go Green”, I expect housing and education to be priorities.
We will start to implement the recommendations of the Housing Commission and the Building Schools for the Future programme.
I would welcome your views, whatever your role in the life of the city, on where our energy and resources should be focused in the coming year.
I would also like to assure you we do listen and respond to your views.
Small but important projects such as the “SatLav” texting service for public toilets and the tea dance for older residents came out of public discussions about One City.
Larger projects, such as our new city academy schools and our successful Civic Watch scheme, providing city guardians in every part of the city, are concrete examples of our ability to turn your views into action.
The City Council is committed to delivering cost-effective services, and maintaining low local resident taxes. We will again set a tax rate which is among the lowest in London. We also hope to do more for businesses.
By 2009, Westminster businesses will pay £1 billion in rates, but only around 13p in every £1 will be returned to the City Council to support local services.
We will be lobbying government for a fair share of our business rate, for the benefit of the whole city.
There will be other exciting developments over the course of the year. We will be giving each ward £100,000 to spend on improving the quality of life. The UK’s first family drug and alcohol court will meet in January.
We will have launched a construction skills centre by March and the new Pimlico Academy is to open in September.
I look forward to your continued support in 2008 and an increasingly bright future for One City.
I wish you a very happy new year.
SIR SIMON MILTON
Leader of Westminster City Council

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, West End Extra, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@westendextra.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Wednesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld. Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number.
Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

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