There’s a familiar theme running through the increasing number of the letters, emails and phone calls I get from Harrow residents.

Although the many subjects vary, the common thread is a sense of frustration and annoyance with the damage done by Harrow Borough Council’s Labour administration on Harrow’s standing as a place people are proud to live.

As a Hatch End councillor, a particular focus has been the declining state of nearby Pinner Memorial Park — with the hard-working keeper Tracy let go despite a resident-backed campaign to keep her.

I’ve since been sent photos of out-of-control littering, overflowing bins and generally poor upkeep.

Over the weekend, similar problems were reported in Roxeth Recreation Ground.

Labour’s cuts to park upkeep are already beginning to bite.

Another regular is libraries — cuts are closing those in Hatch End, Rayners Lane, North Harrow and Edgware, but rumours are already flying about others closing in the future.

Worryingly, at March’s cabinet meeting, Labour refused to rule out any further library closures.

Finally, Labour’s cuts have halved the frequency of residential street cleaning to once every eight weeks (and every 12 weeks in some places). I recently had to tell a resident, who thought their cleaning was already two weeks late, that they still had another two weeks to wait.

I rather suspect, even if Labour councillors are getting this sort of feedback from residents, that they wouldn’t admit it.

Or they’d blame the Government, as they always do — ignoring that the sums needed to save these services don’t break the bank.

But I personally think it’s a tragedy that Labour take so little pride in where we live; not only letting our borough decline, but setting a terrible example for residents to follow.

Cllr Susan Hall

Conservative group leader/Hatch End

Harrow Borough Council