MORE police, better CCTV, one-hour free parking – and fewer boulders – should be on the way for New Addington after last week's Labour victory in the council elections.
The party will now be expected to deliver on its wide-ranging manifesto for the estate after taking control of the ward and, for the first time since 2006, of Croydon Council.
For the past four years the ward has had one Tory and one Labour councillor; Tony Pearson and George Ayres – but Conservative Mr Pearson was defeated last Thursday while Mr Ayres stood down before the vote, with Labour's Oli Lewis and Louisa Woodley elected as the new councillors. Neighbouring Fieldway councillors Carole Bonner and Simon Hall, also Labour, were comfortably re-elected.
New Addington was seen as a strategically key area for Labour, who created a manifesto specifically for the ward, which included pledges for new CCTV, one-hour free parking in Central Parade and to get rid of the controversial concrete boulders in Central Parade.
The party had also promised a "new police team dedicated to New Addington", with Mr Lewis telling the Advertiser in April: "We are committed to at least two additional PCs at a cost of £72,000."
Mr Lewis said this week that pledge stood, adding on the promise of free parking: "It is down to our cabinet member for transport and parking to take that forward and get a timetable."
The CCTV coverage of Central Parade, he continued, would now be assessed and "then we will move forward with trying to upgrade it to top-quality, state-of-the art."
As for the boulders, installed using money from the Mayor of London to prevent illegal parking, Cllr Lewis said a vote could be held to determine their future.
He added: "I think they were symbolic of the council not listening; we want to make sure we are in tune with the community."
Labour's win in the elections came as Ukip also polled strongly, with Cllr Pearson beaten into fourth place by Ukip's Clive Christensen.
Mr Pearson, who lives in New Addington and was the first Tory councillor elected to the ward, said he was "disappointed, but sensible enough to know that is politics."
