01 May 2024
We all want the best for our city and district, but at present, we are stuck with a failing council which is in financial disarray. The council is £3M in the red, has failed to produce audited accounts since 2019, and even though there was no prosecution, has been the subject of a fraud investigation.
Moreover, SADC’s attempts to be a property developer have failed catastrophically, with residents footing the bill to the tune of at least £125K per month.
In attempting to sort our failing finances, the council is hiking up the costs of services.
Parking charges have been raised to an all-time high, the universal senior citizen parking permit has been cut, free car parks are no longer free, the green bin tax has gone up, and under fives are now charged to swim at Westminster Lodge.
On top of this, the council has put our precious Green Belt at risk by failing to ratify an agreed Local Plan. As such our planning department is now considered one of the worst in the country and has been put into special measures by the Government.
This litany of failure has occurred under the tenure of the Lib Dems, and has happened at a time when they hold 48 out of 56 council seats (85% of all councillors).
With such a majority, they have been allowed to act with little to no accountability or scrutiny, and as a result, residents are paying the price.
Only the local Conservatives are able to provide the effective opposition that will ensure issues are properly scrutinised and risks assessed.
We will insist on more transparent government locally, and will communicate with, and give people a say on, the issues that impact them.
Our Conservative candidates are all local people, many of whom have lived and worked in the St Albans area their whole lives. They come from a wide variety of backgrounds from policeman to junior doctor to pharmacist. Some are highly experienced and have been former councillors for many years.
They are energetic, enthusiastic and want the opportunity to represent their local community and put new ideas forward.
We want to return good governance to our council and bring back political balance to our district, and we commit ourselves to providing excellent public services whilst keeping taxes and charges down.
To this extent, if we were to take back control of the council, the Conservatives commit to not just freezing car parking charges, but actively cutting city centre parking fees to boost our local economy and support our historic Charter Market.
We are also committed to delivering a Local Plan which protects our precious Green Belt as quickly as possible.
For too long, St Albans and its surrounding villages, have been at risk from large developments being rubber stamped on appeal at the national level – this has to stop.
St Albans City and District needs a stronger opposition to ensure that every decision made is properly scrutinised, and, at a time when budgets are tight, not a penny is wasted. Only the local Conservatives can offer this.
Some of this year’s candidates include: Former district councillor Frances Leonard, who is keen to rejoin SADC to push for improved council services both locally and across the district; Ambrose Killen, who was born and grew up in London Colney, and long-term resident and current district councillor, Simon Calder, the candidates in London Colney, who would both like to see the car park behind the Co-op remain free of charge; and Matt Cowley, the Conservative candidate in Harpenden South, who was a Harpenden Town councillor from 2019-2023 and, like all of the candidates, would like the chance to bring some political balance to the district council and to be able to constructively challenge some decisions.
