Local County Councillor Calls For County Council To Give Local Pedestrians A Fair Deal

12.00.00am GMT Fri 25th Feb 2005

Epping and Theydon Bois Liberal Democrat County Councillor Janet Whitehouse spoke out about Conservative County Councillors' failure to give adequate resources to pedestrians at Essex County Council's budget meeting on Tuesday (15 February).

Speaking in favour of a Liberal Democrat amendment that would have invested an extra £4.5 million in footway repairs Janet Whitehouse said: "Most of us drive, many of us use public transport, some of us may cycle - but almost without exception everyone is a pedestrian. Yet you wouldn't know this from the state of the pavements and dropped kerbs round Essex. The county council spends over a billion pounds a year. This modest increase in the highways budget would mean fewer people tripping, fewer people injuring themselves and a smoother journey for the thousands of people who rely on wheelchairs or push buggies."

The Liberal Democrat amendment would also have reduced the Conservatives council tax rise from 2.9% to 1.9%. "Over the past four years the Conservatives have hiked the county council's share of the tax by 38%. High rises in past years are how they can afford a lower rise this year. But they could and should have gone further," she added.

Janet Whitehouse also highlighted the Liberal Democrats' determination to give the youth service a boost. As well as putting more money into pavement repairs the Liberal Democrats alternative budget allocated extra funds to the youth service. "We recognise the need for the youth service to work with young people in order to reduce anti-social behaviour," she said. She contrasted this with the Conservative record of closing youth centres in Theydon Bois and Buckhurst Hill (Roding Valley).