Dagenham deserves better.

Young Conservative member Ben Suter today writes in the Havering Daily.

For years the town of Dagenham has been on the decline. I believe it has been neglected by the Barking focused Council. Ever since its creation, Barking and Dagenham Council (previously Barking Council) has been under the control of the Labour Party, and since 2010 has held every seat on the Council. Yet Barking and Dagenham has some of the worst statistic across the GLA and the nation. Why is it we continue to see this decline of the borough?

In recent years the Labour administration has seen their homework unmarked. The lack of opposition in the borough has let the administration, in my own opinion, become complacent. This must change. We must not let our town fall behind, Dagenham has great potential, but we mustn’t let it turn into a concrete jungle or let it become the home of a new wave of gentrification in the East of London.

Labour has neglected Dagenham for years, that must change. The administration’s attitudes to some of the most deprived communities in the GLA shock me. How on earth could a Council plan to impose parking permits onto hard-working families during this difficult time? An example of this is Heath Park Estate where the Council are planning to bring in Controlled Parking Zones. This isn’t about reducing parking issues, this is about getting as much money out of working families as possible.

The administration’s approach must change, and I invite them to work with residents and local political parties of all persuasions to really make Dagenham one of the best places to live in the East of London. Unfortunately, after years of neglect this is not the case as of now, but hopefully in the future Dagenham can be on the up, but with the current approach of this Council administration it will never happen.