Restore the Pride in Romford
"I love Romford! I was born at Rush Green Hospital. I was Christened at St. Edward the Confessor Church in Romford Market. I went to school at Rise Park and Marshalls Park. I played in the Romford Salvation Army band. I served as a Councillor for Chase Cross and Havering-atte-Bower for twelve years and this year marks my twenty-third year of proudly serving Romford as Member of Parliament. As a true Romfordian, every day since being declared the MP, I have served humbly and with an abundance of pride in the place I call home. Last week I spoke about Romford several times in the House of Commons and invited the Prime Minister to visit.
However, alongside many local people, I have seen a worrying decline in our area, making our town unrecognisable to old Romfordians! So many of our roads have been left to crumble; our streets and alleyways are full of litter; we see a concrete jungle of high-rise buildings going up, with so much of old Romford demolished to make way for flats. Romford Market is a very different place from the bustling Market that we all remember and if you can find the River Rom, you will only see only a litter-filled swamp. Many local people do not want to venture into the town centre for fear of crime, with rough sleepers being commonplace. Our local Romford heritage is not cherished as it should be and we do not even display our historic town crest, which is a wonderful symbol of our town! This sorry situation does not reflect Romford’s true character and its people. Instead, it represents mismanagement and declining ambition. Things have to change!
Last month, I launched my “Love Romford” campaign to restore our pride in our town! The aim is simple but of utmost importance. We must repair and renew our town centre, restore character and pride to Romford and in so doing, uplift the spirits of local people. Our Council, local businesses, market traders, the voluntary sector, churches and politicians must now urgently work together to end this decline and stop Romford from ending up like so many parts of east London.
As Romford’s MP, my mission is to preserve our rich history and restore our ambition, so that future generations can carry the torch of pride in the place we know and love to call home. I will not cease in this effort and I hope that you will join me!"
