Tories vote down proposals for safer neighbourhoods

2.30.36am GMT Tue 21st Feb 2006

Conservative Councillors have ignored local residents' wishes by voting against Liberal Democrat measures which would have helped tackle anti-social behaviour in the Borough's streets.

An amendment to the Council's budget which would have seen extra mobile CCTV units deployed was voted down by the Tories. They also voted against employing local Neighbourhood Wardens in Orpington, Bromley, Beckenham and Biggin Hill. This is despite the fact that surveys have said that residents have huge concerns about anti-social behaviour locally.

Liberal Democrat Leader Cllr David McBride attacked the Tories, saying that they had voted down a chance to make the Borough safer for its residents. "The CCTV units would have been moved around the Borough to monitor nuisance behaviour in local neighbourhoods. There are some areas of the Borough where local youths are making residents' lives a misery. They need to be caught and dealt with. This proposal would have helped."

Deputy Leader Cllr Reg Adams added that the Neighbourhood Wardens would have a key role in keeping the Borough clean and safe. "We would have had these Wardens enforcing environmental issues like littering, flytipping and graffiti removal. They could also act to monitor the standard of street cleaning. I am disappointed a chance to make our Borough safer has been lost."