Graffiti,
abandoned cars and potholes - three local
problems.
While they are Kingston Council's direct
responsibility, none of us can sit back when
progress is so slow.
On graffiti, the Council is at last acting. A
clean-up and action with police, magistrates and
schools to crackdown on this vandalism has been
organised.
I was pleased when Lib Dem councillors won extra
cash for follow-up cleaning and delighted to
support MP Jenny Tonge's recent Graffiti
(Control) Bill in Parliament. This develops my
proposals of last year, that sales of spray paint
to minors should be controlled.
Yet I'm under no illusions there is a magic
solution for graffiti. We must all play a part,
especially parents of the vandals. |
On
the Borough's 1,500 abandoned vehicles, I beleive
we can wein - especially now new initiatives are
biting.
Just getting the Council working more closely
with the police and Driver and Vehicle Licensing
Agency (DVLA) has brought results.
I was shocked how long the Council wait for the
DVLA to answer requests on vehicle ownership. One
solution - an electronic link-up direct to the
DVLA - was itself delayed more than 15 months.
So, fed up with excuses, I got the top official
at the DVLA's enforcement unit to see Kingston's
problems himself. |
