News from Westminster Labour

Westminster-wide petition calls for axed City Guardians to be re-instated

Labour Councillors will be handing in petition at Wednesday’s Council meeting calling for Westminster City Council to reinstate the 66 City Guardians who face the sack as a result of the Conservative Council’s mismanagement of its finances which resulted in a £20 million hole in the Council’s budget.

The petition says: “We, the undersigned, call on Westminster City Council to halt plans to sack 66 City Guardians who work with the police to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour all over Westminster. We call on the Council to reinstate the 66 City Guardians, the cost of whom could be met by cutting £2.1 million from the Council’s £3 million a year press and communications budget, thereby providing a much better use of residents’ Council Tax payments”.

The petition has been signed by many hundreds of people living and working in all parts of Westminster, including:

* Residents on the Queen’s Park Estate

* Residents in Odham’s Walk, Covent Garden “who have found the services of the Covent Guardians very helpful. Anti-social behaviour has been reduced”

* Residents living in Peabody Avenue, Pimlico

* Businesses in Soho and Covent Garden who feel “the City Guardians’ presence helps their business run smoothly and is good for the area”

* ‘Big Issue’ sellers who say “the Covent Guardians have helped keep the illegitimate vendors away”

* Parents and Teachers at Soho Parish School

* Residents living on the Peabody Estate in Wild Street

* People working at Wyndham’s Theatre, St Martin’s Lane

Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Labour Group, said: “Residents and businesses across Westminster, from Pimlico to Paddington, are united in wanting the City Guardians to be re-instated in order to tackle crime and reduce anti-social behaviour. The Council has made the wrong financial choices in sacking 66 City Guardians at a time when the fear of crime remains strong amongst many communities.

“Residents are bound to feel less secure if there are 66 fewer people patrolling the streets and working with the police. The Conservatives should think again before we have more crime and more anti-social behaviour.”

Other news from Westminster Labour

• Twelve questions for the next Leader of Westminster Council - 10 February 2012
• Westminster Council joint bottom of London league for Adult Social Care - 6 February 2012
• Westminster Labour calls for an 'outbreak of democracy' over election of new council Leader - 2 February 2012