West End Extra - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Published: 01 May 2009
Making use of ward cash
• I'VE just received my area forum update from Westminster City Council. When the council launched the My Ward scheme they made a big noise about how they were giving local residents the chance to have a say in spending £100,000 a year ward budgets.
Well, in Regent’s Park ward, it looks from the update that local people got what they wanted – social events for older residents, adult education classes, activities for younger residents, more benches and improvements to lighting. Strange then that all the money in Abbey Road ward went on security doors on the Boundary Road estate, when we were asking for the same sorts of facilities provided elsewhere by ward budgets.
I totally support the need for security doors in Boundary Road, but how does this benefit local residents generally?
Shouldn’t the council be making CityWest Homes pay for this sort of expenditure?
Now the council are asking us for our views in 2009/2010.
Hopefully this time they’ll listen to us rather than give our money to their private enterprise partners.
Mark Blackburn
Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Westminster North
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