Labour's candidate believes he has what it takes to be a "good local councillor"

“We need a councillor focussed on Putney pavement politics” says Christian Christian Klapp, Labour’s candidate in the Putney by-election on Thursday 30th June, has
started a campaign to tackle dangerous, uneven and unsightly pavements throughout the streets of riverside Putney.

Christian has set up a clear and simple Google map on his website to flag up the examples of dangerous and uneven paving he comes across as he goes around the area
throughout the course of the by-election. You can view the map at:
www.putneyriverside.info/pavementpolitics/

And he’s inviting Putney residents to flag up examples he hasn’t yet come across so that he has a complete picture of the work that needs doing for Putney’s next councillor. Just email christian@putneyriverside.info with details and he’ll add them to the map.

Christian said:
“For the past three years Putney has been the pothole capital of London. Council cuts of up to one third of the road maintenance budget resulted in our streets cracking up at the first sign of bad weather. Putney Bridge is the most long-running example but we can all come up with plenty more.

“Today the problem is not less our roads than our pavements. Trees have upturned pavement bricks like the example here in Danemere Street; or entire paving slabs as in Festing Road. It goes ignored. And there are plenty of examples of the council felling and removing old trees without replacing them and just leaving a hole in the ground where they stood.

“Making sure that pavements and roads are well-maintained should be the first duty of a good local councillor – it’s why it’s called pavement politics. Yet we have all the examples I’ve come across already – and no doubt countless more out there that I haven’t yet. Selfevidently the current councillors have been focussing on other things. It’s time for a fresh pair of eyes, a new approach and a councillor focussed on local problems to be sent to the Town Hall. If fellow Putney residents lend me their votes I will be that councillor.”