Conservatives will be contesting all 54 Havering Council seats in the local elections due to take place on 3 May. Their candidates will include the current Council Leader Roger Ramsey and his Deputy Damian White. On Saturday the candidates came together at the Town Hall to mark the launch of their campaign and manifesto.

They intend to match stable council tax and efficiency with prudent capital investment, building on their record of progress over the past four years. Having put in place popular new leisure facilities such as Romford’s new ice rink and swimming pool without cost to the taxpayer, they announced their plans for a major step up in investment in roads and footpaths and in the quality of town centres. Other policies include:

· Providing new primary schools to meet demand and improving standards.

· Further investment in parks and leisure.

· Protecting Freedom Passes.

· More affordable homes for local residents.

· New housing schemes must respect the local environment.

· Maintaining the Green Belt.

· Maintaining weekly refuse collections.

Councillor Damian White said: “A high priority for us will be to protect our borough. With the many facilities which we have and our strong transport links we know that we are well placed to secure the investment for regeneration where this is needed. The Council can also play its part by providing a clean environment and improving still further our parks adding to the 13 Green Flag awards already gained by them”.  

Councillor Roger Ramsey said: “A lot has been achieved over the last 4 years. New schools, new leisure facilities and investment in local parks have been secured without high council tax increases. We can continue to improve our area in this way. However, there are challenges ahead and we need to be ready to meet them. Any new housing must be matched by adequate public services such as health and police. The Council must use all its powers to ensure this happens.”