‘It’s time to Revive Romford’-Andrew Rosindell MP.

The Romford MP Andrew Rosindell today writes in the Havering Daily:

Earlier today I appeared on GB News to about why it’s time for levelling up to come to Romford!

Romford is a proud Essex market town but recently we have seen our area neglected, the River Rom and the market to name but two.

Our town centre used to be one of the premier shopping centres in East London and Essex but has also been allowed to deteriorate.

One of the root causes of this is undoubtedly our status as part of “Greater London”, a real muddle of an administrative arrangement which we never wanted to be a part of. We never wanted to be part of the GLA or the London Mayoralty.

The problem with being a part of these administrative structures is that Romford pays a lot in but gets very little back in terms of Police, investment and transport infrastructure. One only has to look at the planned closure of Gallows Corner and the delays to Crossrail for evidence.

It’s time to Revive Romford and I will be pressing the government to ensure that levelling up takes place in our area too. Levelling up must be for all areas of the country. Crucial to the levelling up agenda is providing more autonomy for local areas. Without control of our own affairs in Havering, we will continue to be ignored.

We also need to see cuts in Council Tax and Business Rates. We have a higher Council Tax than Westminster but we don’t get anywhere near as good services. Business meanwhile should contribute to local services, but they are currently being hit unfairly by extortionate business rates.

There is a strong argument for scrapping business rates all together and replacing them with a new fairer system, as small businesses cannot afford these high business rates which we are seeing. Small businesses and entrepreneurs are the motor for our economy in Romford and our taxation system needs to reflect that.

With these changes I am confident we can make significant progress on the road to Revive Romford!