Cllr Corina Gander is the Leader of Broxbourne Borough Council.
When I became Leader of Broxbourne Borough Council, I became only the second Woman to hold the position in 51 years. It is an immense honour to lead the Council in the Borough I care so passionately about and as a Conservative where our values can be imbedded in everything we do.
Broxbourne has always punched above it’s weight. Nestled in the southeast corner of Hertfordshire, bordering London and Essex, it combines Green Belt, thriving town centres, great transport links and has some attractive potential sites for future employment use. As the only Council in Hertfordshire still under firm Conservative control, Broxbourne stands as proof of what strong competent political leadership can achieve in challenging times.
But we are not complacent, relying on our past successes. We know only too well that the electorate has a short memory. In the face of mounting pressures, from Labour’s unrealistic housing targets to juggling Local Government reform, we are shaping a future based on ambition and projecting Conservative core values which we have a poor record of demonstrating whilst in Government.
Local Government Reorganisation needs a clear strong voice. We also need to be sensible to what we can achieve and ensure the needs of our communities are put first, against a chequered political landscape. The discussions are happening across Hertfordshire and beyond. But lets be clear LGR is not a silver bullet and it cannot be a tick box exercise to satisfy the Whitehall Blob. Reorganisation must be rooted in local understanding, resident needs and democratic accountability.
In Broxbourne, we run a tight, efficient ship which is reflected in our low Council Tax. Our services are lean, well-managed and responsive to local priorities. As a Council, we are close to the people we serve, and we cannot afford to lose that relationship in any future arrangements.
That said, collaboration is key; if we deliver best value for money and high-quality services, we must work in partnership with neighbouring councils, the county but most importantly the communities who elect us. Reorganisation should be about getting the best outcomes for our people every time. Yet the biggest challenge facing our Borough today is losing its identity and overstretched services, exacerbated by Labour’s housing agenda.
The Labour Government’s drive to impose top-down housing targets on local councils is nothing short of an attack on local democracy. These targets take no account of infrastructure, character, or environmental pressures, and they place Boroughs like Broxbourne in an impossible position. Broxbourne has already delivered thousands of homes over the last thirty years. There is a stark difference between sustainable growth and unchecked expansion!
Part of the attractiveness of Broxbourne is the green fields which surround the urban areas. Over half the Borough is Green Belt, which certainly isn’t justification to build over it! Our communities enjoy and our proud of their surroundings and rightly so. Being forced to meet arbitrary, inflated targets that ignore local voices risks destroying not just the countryside, but public trust.
My Conservative council will always fight for residents, building homes that we need, in the places that can support them and rejecting those that serve no one but the developers and bureaucrats in Westminster.
My Hope and Ambitions for the future of Broxbourne……
Despite the challenges I am deeply optimistic about the future.
We are ambitious and do not want to stand still. From the Brookfield Riverside Development, a inspiring retail and leisure destination, through to our continued investments in our parks and our committed approach to economic growth. We have built a Borough where people want to live, work and raise families.
We are supporting local businesses, ensuring that growth is matched with investments in community services. Focusing on achievable, affordable and effective action rather than empty slogans.
This is what CONSERVATIVE leadership looks like. As the second female leader in Broxbourne’s history and a mother of five daughter’s I am passionate about encouraging more women into public life. Leadership is about representing the broad, lived experience of our communities and when Councils listen to the people they serve we make better decisions.
Staying true to Conservative principles
As we approach a period of national political uncertainty and look towards what could be the toughest set of local elections we have seen, Broxbourne stands as a beacon of Conservative administration.
We are facing our future with ambition and confidence, and our vision is clear, a well run borough that protects what makes Broxbourne so special, whilst embracing the opportunities of tomorrow.
To my fellow Conservatives across the country, stay focused, stay grounded and never forget that Local Government is the frontline of public trust. If we lead with clarity, compassion and courage we will continue to show that Conservative councils don’t just talk about delivery, We get the job done!
