THE LEADER of Harlow Labour has set out his vision for the future as we approach the local elections next week.

Councillor James Griggs said:

“Let’s make one thing absolutely clear from the outset. The claims of the Local Conservative leader regarding regeneration are complete nonsense and he knows it.

His protestations that the regeneration programme will stop if he isn’t running the council are utter rubbish.

Regeneration projects took place during the previous Labour administration despite the 14 years of austerity measures, funding cuts and neglect of local councils by the Tory government. Some of the current projects were initiated during that time but are only coming to fruition now with proper funding from the Labour Government.

His claim that the expertise to deliver these projects vanishes if he isn’t at the helm is a disgraceful insult to the talented and hard working council officers who manage these projects from day to day.

Harlow Labour has always supported investment in our town and always will. Investment is now increasing thanks to a Labour government properly funding local councils after years of Tory neglect. What we will not do is pander to the developers who over promise and then don’t deliver.

So what of the regeneration?

Far too many of these projects promise additional council housing as part of the package but fail to deliver. The developers renege on this and buy their way out of their commitment claiming that the provision of council housing is ‘not viable’, words we hear far too often from the Local Conservative leader of the council.

I refuse to accept that it is not viable to provide safe and secure homes for harlow families. A council run by Harlow Labour would build more and hold developers to account to deliver on their social housing responsibilities.

Some projects are underway but the lengthy delays are clear for all to see.

Terminus House was bought with a whole raft of promises about its future. The Local Conservative leader disgustingly told its residents they were not welcome in Harlow and should go back to where they came from. Would it surprise you to know that, despite this, new tenants are being moved in each week?

What of Harlow homes for Harlow people?

Burnt Mills tower was bought by the council for £55m and then sat empty for a year whilst at the same time the Local Conservatives threw Harlow people off the housing list.

The Bus Station redevelopment started with the usual Hi-vis and hard hat photo opp for the leader and then nothing happened for months. Work has been limping along but when will it be finished?

We were promised a grand opening in June, in just a few weeks time, but we now know that due to Local Conservative incompetence it is to be delayed by over a year!

We all know parking is a major problem across the town, where is the parking for the residents of the planned developments in the town centre? Hundreds of new homes with no parking provision. The Local Conservatives have deluded themselves into thinking everyone will have migrated to using their idiotic electric scooter scheme and won’t want cars.

I’m all for encouraging the use of more sustainable transport but it’s Local Conservative LaLa Land to assume people won’t still use cars and need somewhere to park.

At a time when our community organisations are struggling to continue providing their much needed support to residents the Local Conservatives drastically slashed the grants budget.

They chose instead to revamp the civic centre, spend fortunes on a PR company to shamelessly promote their leader and buy themselves branded clothing to further boost their egos.

On top of that the Local Conservatives decided to massively increase Councillor Allowances, the leader awarded himself an incredible 280% pay rise!

Labour opposed all of the allowance rises.

I have been accused of ‘waffling on’ about unity in our community.

Seeking to foster unity in our town is something for which I will never apologise.

The fact that there is a need to continue promoting unity amongst residents should be a concern to us all.

Whilst there are people aspiring to lead in our town who seek to promote division and hatred I will continue to speak in favour of unity, diversity and tolerance.

Harlow is a town built on and by migration. The diversity of our town is a cause for daily celebration.

There is no place in Harlow for the repellant attitudes of those who seek to divide based on religion, ethnicity, sexuality, disability, health or anything else.

It was a shameful moment in our history when the Local Conservative leader chose to stir up unrest last year by deliberately misleading residents over plans to house asylum seekers.

His pandering to the far right in this way led to racist and divisive intimidation in our communities by Reform and others, it is something of which he should be thoroughly ashamed.

He knows he didn’t tell the truth but he won’t apologise.

We also need to give the Local Conservative leader a maths lesson. He falsely claims that no other party can win a majority in these elections.

That is total rubbish.

Labour only need to win two more seats to have a majority and take control of the council.
If we did that, what would we do differently?

The investment in big projects is important and safe in the hands of a Labour administration but, unlike the Local Conservatives, we have not lost sight of the smaller needs at ground level.

Residents have told us of their experiences…

The Local Conservatives have stopped repairing council house fences.
Labour will change that.

The Local Conservatives stopped cleaning gutters.
Labour will reverse that.

Charges for Heavy Squad have increased leading to a rise in fly tipping.
Labour will give each household one free heavy squad collection per year.

Labour will further reduce fly tipping by introducing free ‘Big Skip Days’ on our housing estates, encouraging residents to bring out their unwanted items for disposal.

The Local Conservatives scrapped the annual Big Spring Clean. Labour will reintroduce it bringing our communities together with pride in their areas.

I was pleased to secure the saving of the colourful canopies from the market square and see them installed at paddling pools and splash parks to provide much needed shade.

Labour will invest in more of these canopies to provide additional shaded areas at these popular family play areas.

The Playhouse is a jewel in our artistic community. It’s funded by you.

Labour will give each secondary school in Harlow 2 days free use of the theatre each year allowing a year group of students to develop and perform a piece, to learn technical skills and experience how the theatre works.

We know how hard it can be for some of you to contact the council during your working day.

Labour will extend Contact Harlow opening hours to include some evenings and Saturday mornings.

Labour will reverse the outrageous allowance increases made by Local Conservatives. We will use the money to create pots of money for councillors to spend in their wards in consultation with residents.

Practical policies centred around the needs of residents, that is what you will get if you vote Labour on 7th May.

Cllr James Griggs
Leader – Harlow Labour