THORNTON HEATH
Community Meeting
SEPTEMBER 25, Beulah Family Church
What Thornton Heath residents told me they loved about their area:
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The close-knit “village within a city” feel
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Transport links across the borough and into central London
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The vibrancy of the high street
There were also three big issues for change:
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Crime and anti-social behaviour
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Street cleaning and fly-tipping
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Unresponsive and distant council
Key learnings
NEXT STEPS:
NEXT STEPS:
1. What can we do to make Thornton Heath safer?
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We need more police officers. I have already spoken to the head of police in Croydon about getting more police on the streets. Right now, many of our officers are pulled into central London to deal with protests and events in the capital. We need them here.
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We also need more support services going out to meet street drinkers, drug users and rough sleepers. Groups like Thames Reach are trained to go out and offer people the help they need so they don’t just get moved on and return later with the same problems.
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Finally, more and better activities for young people to keep them safe off the streets and make the most of their talents. I want to introduce a Croydon Baccalaureate which will give young people proper apprentices in our businesses and industries, from technology to sport.
2. What can we do to make Thornton Heath clean and beautiful?
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We need CCTV, fines and prosecutions for disgusting behaviour. Croydon has become the fly-tipping capital of England because we don’t do enough to catch the criminals who repeatedly offend.
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Big Skip Days, where residents are given a giant skip once or twice a year for free, can give people a safe and accessible way to get rid of bulky items responsibly. Merton does this!
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A landlord licensing scheme would help hold landlords to a higher standard when it comes to cleanliness and garden management. And I really like the idea of building out Best Garden competitions across the area to encourage and celebrate people bringing beauty into the area!
3. What can we do to change the culture of the council?
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‘People First’ means putting people at the heart of every decision that is made. Council officers will be asked to treat every resident as if they were a member of their family and spend every pound as if it was their own money. We should celebrate and promote staff that do this and crack down on those that don’t.
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I’ll work with everyone and anyone to bring investment and renewal to Croydon. And I’ll prioritise Council contracts for local organisations over out-of-town outsourcing wherever I can. I will also look to devolve power and budgets to local neighbourhoods and communities.