In the upcoming local elections, for the first time ever, Bromley residents will have to produce verifiable ID at polling stations to cast their vote.

This Borough has volunteered to take part in a pilot scheme which, if successful, could see the scheme rolled out across mainland UK. This follows a Conservative government report which claims such moves are necessary to prevent voter ID fraud.

On the face of it, this doesn’t seem unreasonable. Many other countries insist upon ID before you can vote. Surely people can do the same when voting here?  

BULLERS WOOD FOR BOYS WILL OPEN IN TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION SEPTEMBER 2018

The ESFA have just approved funding for the school to open in September 2018 in the old DHSS building on the corner of Westmoreland Road and Mason’s Hill in Bromley South. The building is owned by the ESFA and was previously used as temporary accommodation for Harris Beckenham primary school but we understand that it may nonetheless need planning approval.

The site is identified in the Council’s draft local plan for education use and was subject to a planning application last year for a 10 storey secondary school, known as the SHaW Futures Academy, which was refused. Work will now start apace to get the buildings ready for September.

Council tax for Bromley residents will increase by 4.21% for 2018/2019.  The Conservative Council blame cuts imposed by the Conservative government for the increase.  

This means that people with a property in band D will pay £1,452.71 per year as opposed to the £1,394.04 for 2017/18.  

Bromley Liberal Democrats issued a statement regretting the increase in council tax.  "We all appreciate how much financial pressure all councils are under at the moment with the cuts from the Conservative government, and we would not criticise Bromley Council for increasing council tax if we thought it would result in better services for Bromley residents - but we do not believe that it will."

"This Conservative council have failed Bromley residents repeatedly over the last 4 years, with minimal opposition from the 7 Labour councillors who should be holding the Conservatives to account for their behaviour.  Over their term in office the Conservatives have failed to plan for our futures, either our children's futures with school provision, or for the future of our town centres; they have failed to listen to the community when they call for safer roads and cleaner streets; they have failed to invest their financial reserves in local projects and infrastructure and failed to be open and accountable to the people who voted for them four years ago." 

"Under the current administration, increasing council tax will deliver no benefit to the people of Bromley".  

Bromley police will merge with Sutton and Croydon police the Mayor of London has announced.  Bromley LibDems condemn this decision and ask all concerned Bromley residents to sign a petition calling on the Mayor to urgently reconsider this decision.  

"Bromley is geographically the largest borough in London, and the police here are already under strain - we lost 3 police stations just a few months ago.   Now our police cars will be expected to help in Croydon or Sutton - how on earth are they going to get back quickly enough to assist local residents?" said LibDem road safety campaigner Chloe-Jane Ross.  "We all know how much pressure the police are under due to Tory cuts, but while this might be a possible solution in inner boroughs, combining Bromley, Croydon and Sutton would create a huge area which in our opinion is just too big for one unit to cover without their own dedicated resources.   "

Bromley Council are one of the few London Boroughs that has not submitted  data to the new “Rogue Landlords” database launched by Mayor Sadiq Khan before Christmas.   

Records from 10 London boroughs have now been published on the database and a further 8 have said they intend to submit records in the next few weeks.  A notable exception is Bromley.  Lib Dem Campaigner Sam Webber called on Cllr Colin Smith,  Leader of Bromley Council, to commit to taking part in the database.  “With the lack of affordable housing in Bromley, more and more people find renting privately is their only option.   Fears of rogue landlords and agents make renters feel particularly vulnerable – by joining in this scheme Bromley Council will help to reassure renters that their prospective landlord or agent is not one of the unscrupulous few, while at the same time providing a deterrent to landlords against poor practice.”

Police in Greater London are facing a real-term cut of £26.3 million next year, the Liberal Democrats have revealed.

On 21 December the government announced that core funding for police budgets will remain exactly the same as last year.  Taking into account inflation, that means the Metropolitan Police will fall a real-terms cut of £26.3 million

The Liberal Democrats have written to Mayor Sadiq Khan to appeal to him to investigate why moped crime in the Bromley Borough has escalated recently, in contrast to the rest of London.  This is particularly rife in the Penge and Clock House area, where worried residents have told us of moped riders targeting schoolchildren on their way home, in Croydon Road Recreation Ground, for example, and both adults and children being robbed of jewellery, as well as mobile phones, in residential streets throughout the area, including between Croydon Road and Clock House Road.

Bromley Council have refused planning permission for a new 1260 pupil secondary school proposed on one of the Borough's busiest junctions, the corner of Masons Hill and Westmoreland Road.  "Common sense has prevailed" said LibDem campaigner Rhian Kanat.   "The local residents group, led by the impressive Deborah Williams, have worked tirelessly over the last year, and put together a compelling case for refusing the application."   Mrs Williams made an impassioned speech to the council committee asking them to recognise that while the school is a good concept the site for it was completely inappropriate.   Thankfully the councillors agreed (10 voted to refuse, 2 opposed, 4 abstained). 

A safe crossing is urgently needed on Village Way (in central Beckenham) by the cut through to Kelsey Way for the Harris Schools. The junction of Village Way and Whitmore Road is a busy route for local children, parents, grandparents and childminders on their way to Harris Primary and Harris Secondary School on Manor Way.

The main political parties in Bromley came together to show their opposition to pro-fascist rally on Saturday 4^th November by the far-right political group “Britain First”.

In a unique display of unity, the Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green parties issued a joint statement:

“We have put party politics aside to come together in united opposition to the appearance of a fascist group walking through our town.   We stood together in quiet solidarity in Bromley on Saturday to make it clear that this group does not represent the views of the people of Bromley.   We are an inclusive and all-embracing community in Bromley, we are enriched by our friends, family and work colleagues who come from all corners of the world, who represent all religions and all ethnic backgrounds.  They are part of our community and we will stand resolute against anyone who seeks to divide us.”