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West End Extra - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 9 January 2009

An economic recovery plan that’s costing local businesses

• AT a time of harsh economic conditions why are Westminster Conservatives making life so difficult for residents and local businesses? Over recent times, the local Conservatives have:
• Increased rents by 25 per cent for Church Street shopkeepers battling to keep their businesses going;
• Refused to pass on the 2.5 per cent VAT cut to users of local services;
• Imposed a £150 a year charge on local motorbike owners simply to park their bikes;
• Used CCTV cameras to rake in thousands of pounds in parking fines outside shopping parades in Moscow Road, Shirland Road, Lupus Street and Abbey Road, which has badly damaged local trade;
• Demanded a 1,000 per cent increase in rent for three tennis coaches at Paddington Rec, thereby destroying their businesses.
The Conservatives claim they have launched a multi-million pound “economic recovery plan” but it looks like the multi-million pounds are being raised by the Conservatives at the expense of local residents and local businesses.
Of course, this will come as no surprise to your readers living in a city where the Conservatives have already put at risk £17million of council taxpayers’ money by investing in now-failed Icelandic banks.
Last month, Labour councillors announced a £5.5million savings plan to cut out waste and bureaucratic red-tape at City Hall.
At a time of harsh economic conditions there needs to be a reality check at City Hall to ensure that council taxpayers’ money is not further squandered by the Conservatives running the city council.
During 2009 we will continue our campaign to expose the waste, incompetence and unnecessary expenditure at City Hall and to fight on behalf of local residents and businesses
Cllr Paul Dimoldenberg
Leader of the Labour Group
City Hall, Victoria Street, SW1

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, West End Extra, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@westendextra.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Wednesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld.
Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number.
Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

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