On Friday, Julia Lopez MP, brought independent shopkeepers and major retailers in the St Andrew's ward (Hornchurch and Upminster Bridge area) together with police and politicians (our GLA member Councillor Keith Prince A.M. and councillors) at Hornchurch Library to talk about our town centres.
Julia called the stakeholders together to help build a strong network that can push more effectively against anyone seeking to steal or cause nuisance. The group discussed some of the lessons from the work around Farnham Road in Harold Hill, where the partnership from the Clear Hold Build project has worked well.
Julia is grateful for the time everyone put into the meeting and will be working with her team to follow-up on the action points that came out of it. We want to keep our town centres as brilliant places to shop, eat and meet friends, and promote the local businesses at the heart of them.
Policing in London is led by the Mayor however Julia will continue her long campaign to:
- keep Hornchurch Police Station in the Met's hands (an update on this work remains outstanding from the Met - originally due in 'late summer')
- prevent our officers getting pulled off Havering wards to police central London protests
- reallocate police resource across London so outer boroughs get more officers.
Following on from this discussion, Julia will also be inviting the Deputy Mayor to visit our town centres and asking the Met to change its reporting system so it is easier for shopkeepers to share data and intelligence.
Julia Lopez MP also shared at the meeting information on her latest Jobs Fair and how we can help local shops recruit, her forthcoming Older People's Fair at Queen's Theatre and her campaign for a banking hub.
The Havering Daily also covered this meeting and reader's can view their report on the meeting here.
