Commitments and Concerns

I was grateful to be elected for the 5th time on May 3rd 2007. And pleased to see the Labour Party increase its representation on the City Council.

A number of commitments have been made in Labour's manifesto and in our election literature (available elsewhere on the internet), but in particular -

5 Local Commitments -

· Retain “MyBus” and improve bus services further;

· Improve pavements, fencing and gates;

· Reduce kerb-crawling & crime further;

· Retain Sure Start;

· Better local schools.

5 City commitments -

· Cut Crime by a further 25%;

· Make Nottingham England’s cleanest big city;

· Achieve the fastest rate of improvement for GCSE results in the country;

· Double the rate of recycling in Nottingham;

· Deliver new or improved schools, pavements, street lighting and housing in every neighbourhood.

But a number of points have been raised in Mapperley ward during the election campaign and here is a presentation of those issues, along with some indication of progress made or to be made - (in geographical order) -

· the closure of The Elms school - probably goes to adjudication in the Summer;

· kerb-crawling - we will maintain a focus on this issue;

· a better deal for private tenants;

· recycling - around 4 patches where 3 bin system is struggling (enforcement action has relieved problem); also want to see recycling expanded to City Heights;

· failure to deliver road and water infrastructure projects by the Council (Woodthorpe Road now planned for mid-October, Burgass Road entrance to Hogarth school now planned for this Summer);

· crime & ASB, esp. on Ransom Road estate & Kildare Road;

· better fencing (& other measures) to prevent trespass & ASB (especially on The Wells Road estates);

· general poverty;

· improving the Kildare Road estate;

· housing patch mgmt. for Warton Avenue & The Wells Road;

· Thorneywood Mount traffic volumes and speed; (we will support a camera scheme to support public transport which could also deter volumes and speed of traffic; need first powers and then to prove technology on existing bus lanes; meanwhile new buses has increased patronage on lilac 21 by 4% and NHS has installed dragon's teeth to stop rat-running through their estate);

· community facilities at Hogarth school; (co-Councillor Emma Dewinton is attending meetings with the school);

Other early objectives include -

· the successful introduction of neighbourhood policing;

· new customer centre and call centre;

[Posted - 2007-05-31;  Last updated - 2007-08-01]