THE leader of Waltham Forest Council has dismissed criticism levelled at the authority by a departing councillor as political manoeuvring.

Former Tory representative Ed Northover slammed the council in his resignation letter last week as he prepared to move with his family to Hong Kong for work.

He accused the authority of "going backwards" and lacking imagination and guts, leading to the demise of high streets and the departure of families to other boroughs.

But Labour and council leader Chris Robbins said he had ignored the criticism, which he felt was borne of Conservative jealousy at not being in power.

"I don't take much notice of what he's said," added Cllr Robbins. "I wish him and his family well for the future but what he's said is a political tactic: he's left behind those grenades, that's what politicians do.

"He's made no contributions to Waltham Forest and I think it's anger that the Tories are not actually responsible for the improvements Labour has made to the borough recently."

He pointed to the £2.8 million refurbishment of High Road in Leytonstone and the reduction of crime by 10 per cent in the last year, as well as rebutting Mr Northover's point that more needs to be done for businesses in the borough by highlighting the counmcil's recent £1.8 million transformation of Walthamstow town centre, which he claimed is attracting business.

"The town centre's looking great and is a much more attractive place to be so people like to spend time there - that's good for business."

Cllr Robbins argued that the council had done everything possible to reopen the Hall Farm Curve rail track linking Chingford and Stratford, which Mr Northover said could have been reopened had the authority pushed harder for it, bringing more employment to the borough.

And Cllr Robbins claimed that the long-held aim of reopening Lea Bridge Station in Walthamstow, which would provide a direct link with Stratford, was on the brink of success.

"It's almost guaranteed that it will open," he added. "It's a major achievement that's a £4 million investment in our borough."

The council leader also defended the authority's acts of passing housing developments providing far less than the borough's stated aim of 50 per cent affordable housing.

"We must be realistic at a time like this," he said. "It won't do anyone any good if we don't pass any housing. Developers are being forced to provide less affordable units because there's less money being given to them by the government."

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