The Government’s decision to appoint commissioners to take charge at Croydon threatens local democracy and doesn’t provide the solutions we need to deal with Croydon’s financial situation.
It is clear that Mayor Perry has completely failed to fix the finances or get a grip on the challenges Croydon Council faces. So, in that respect, we welcome advice from the Commissioners who have experience working in other Local Authorities, but the appointment of the Commissioners is not sufficient on its own and those Commissioners must not act against the interests of Croydon residents.
The situation Croydon Council finds itself in is not the fault of local people. Croydon residents should not be punished by stripping away our Council buildings and services while increasing taxes on people who are already struggling to pay.
Continuing to cut services is harmful to Croydon residents and won’t fix the finances. The fundamental problem at Croydon Council and Councils across the country is that we have suffered over a decade of cuts by national Government. The Government has so far refused to restore the funding that was cut and is punishing Councils like Croydon by charging interest on loans that the Councils were forced to take out from Government. We are also now being forced to cover the costs of the Commissioners appointed by Government.
The Croydon Green Party has three clear demands:
1. There must be some debt relief on Croydon’s Government loans, as one of the main causes of this debt was inadequate funding by the Government
2. We need fair and adequate funding from Government to enable Councils to deliver the services that residents need in a sustainable way
3. We must protect local democracy and ensure that residents have a say in any significant changes at Croydon Council, its assets, and its services.
Croydon Green Party is committed to creating a borough that thrives. We have already put forward proposals that would begin to tackle the poor administration at Croydon Council and we would be happy to take on the responsibility for continuing improvement if that is the choice of Croydon residents at next year’s Council elections.
Councillor Ria Patel Peter Underwood
Co-leader Croydon Council Green Party Group Green Party candidate for Mayor of Croydon