Sir - As the city council cabinet member responsible for CCTV, let me clarify the situation regarding the Ronkswood project. This is an excellent example of co-operation between local residents, businesses, the church, WCH, the police and councillors to deal with ongoing problems in the Lichfield Avenue area. It is a pioneering effort that other cities may follow. When there was a shortfall in funding I was happy to recommend that the council find £10,000 to bridge the gap.
I was very surprised to read a Labour Rose' claiming that the project could not go ahead due to "Tory budget cuts" - of which there have been none. I was even more surprised at the claim that independent councillors voting with Labour on the city's budget could have "saved" it.
Ronkswood cctv has been a community endeavour and there was nothing political about it until the Labour party got involved. During the pre-budget scrutiny meetings no Nunnery Labour councillor - indeed, no Labour councillor - asked for funding for Ronkswood cctv. In the full council budget meeting the Labour group asked for five items to be reconsidered.
Ronkswood cctv was not among them. It is clear that Labour are obsessed with Nunnery independent councillor Michael Layland and desperately want to defeat him in the May election.
It does not entitle them to make things up in order to do so.
COUNCILLOR Francis Lankester, Worcester.
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