Westminster Council's recession busting measures

Westminster Council leader Cllr Colin Barrow says that among other things they are paying their bills early, freezing Council Tax, boosting apprenticeships and helping local shops.

As the employment figures this week demonstrate ahead of the pre-budget report we are in the midst of a severe global recession which will impact nationally but have serious consequences locally as well. The party nationally has offered good ideas about how to tackle recession, but Conservative councils should be doing more to demonstrate effective local policies to help maintain household incomes, improve job prospects and mitigate unemployment.

Westminster, at the heart of London is facing an historic challenge to maintain the wellbeing of our residents and the prosperity of the city's businesses. That is why we have drawn together a far-reaching 15-point package of measures aimed at helping residents and business in central London fight the economic downturn.

I hope that this might serve as a blueprint for how Conservative councils can respond to the current difficulties and combine fiscal prudence with targeted measures to mitigate the downturn. The key measures include an extra car-free day for the West End to boost income for the capital's premier shopping streets, loans for those struggling with mortgages and a recommended freeze on council tax for 2009 - 2010.

The tough 3%. Tackling anti social behaviour in Westminster.

Cllr Colin Barrow, leader of Westminster Council, says 3% of the families in his borough are in chronic difficulties causing great trouble and expense for the other 97%. He has a plan.

The impending recession will inevitably mean a change of emphasis from social and environmental to economic issues. But as stretched incomes and poorer job prospects impact on families, the need for Conservatives to address the pressing social problems identified in Breakdown Britain will become more urgent.

Westminster Council is currently trialling an approach to restore the pride and purpose of families facing the most chronic and complex difficulties. We think it will reduce crime, improve life chances and in time reduce public spending. It’s called Family Recovery and will use a combined public services team to address the needs of those families living in the heart of London who have a history of behavioural problems, from petty crime to drug abuse.

There are up to 600 families in Westminster, around 3% of the total population with these severe difficulties.  They account for around 80% of the social spending we undertake, a massive commitment to a tiny minority of citizens. These are people who may never live contented lives with a good job, whose children fail at school and live in homes where rent payments are made irregularly.