BURY CONSERVATIVES’ MANIFESTO 2008/2009
FOREWORD BY THE CONSERVATIVE LEADER OF THE COUNCIL
The Conservative administration has been in control of the Executive since 16th May 2007 – almost one year. It has been an interesting and challenging experience, not only for myself as Leader, but also for our Executive members. I am proud to be able to say that we have fulfilled the promises made in our 2007/8 manifesto and am now looking forward to the challenges ahead of us. However, to enable us to continue with our programme of improving services and value for money, we need the support of the people in Bury by giving us their mandate at the local elections on 1st May 2008. My commitment to the people of bury is that we will keep to this Manifesto, improving frontline services and controlling the direction of this Council. Value for money has always being the forerunner of Conservatism and our goal over the next twelve months is to make sure that our finances keep within the budget we have set and that the 2008/9 budget will reflect that commitment. We are here to serve the people and make Bury one of the most desirable places to live in north-west England.
COUNCILLOR BOB BIBBY.
Finance
It is our intention to maintain Council Tax rises below inflation, this is a continuation of our previous manifesto promise which has been implemented with success
We are sympathetic to the plight of pensioners and will continue to offer a discount on Council Tax to all addresses where at least one resident is 65.
We are monitoring and will continue to monitor all departments of the Council ensuring that departments do not overspend their budgets.
We will undertake a full review of all our buying-in processes which will increase efficiency and save cash.
We will continue to provide excellent funding to the Police, as a result of the recent inflation busting settlement we are already seeing an increase in the number of Bobbies on the beat.
Parking
On taking overall control of the Council, the Conservatives will introduce free 15 minute parking at all pay and display parking zones. This will enable the residents in bury to access services such as Banks, chemists etc., without incurring a charge.
Refuse Collection
Conservatives will continue to resist any attempt by National Government to impose an additional charge for household waste collection above and beyond that already included in Council Tax.
Although it is reported in the National Press that Labour Ministers are allegedly bribing Local Councils into ending weekly bin collections, Bury’s Conservative Council vows to continue weekly bin collections and resist any Labour Government’s pressure to change it and will not impose any additional charges for household waste collection above and beyond that already included in Council Tax.
Following on from our successful roll out of an additional 28,000 blue bins in 2007,. Bury Conservatives will now concentrate on supplying brown bins for garden waste into areas where there are gardens and where they are requested by Bury residents.
The collection of waste paper and cardboard is a contentious issue and your Conservative Council is looking at waste bins to replace the green bags which in many areas are causing a litter problem. Following on from our successful roll-out of an additional 28,000 blue bins in 2007, your Conservative Council will now concentrate on the supply of brown bins for garden waste.
Under-age Drinking
Under-age drinking has created an anti-social behaviour culture across the Borough and to overcome this problem, we have allocated additional funds to our Trading Standards Officers to investigate and eliminate the supply chain.
Litter
Bury Conservatives are determined to continue their War on Litter by working in partnership with the Police and giving powers to PCSO’s (Police Community Support Officers) to take appropriate enforcement on anyone found littering the Borough. It is also our intention to educate children in schools and will make this a top priority.
Toilets
Bury Conservatives inherited an appalling public toilet situation across the Borough. It is our intention to address this and discussions are now underway with the private sector as to whether an agreement can be agreed for the use of their facilities. The toilets in the Interchange are a disgrace and action will be taken to force the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive to upgrade this facility.
Environment
It is the Conservatives’ intentions to improve the environment for its residents in Bury. Our streets will be cleaner; our parks greener and with regeneration taking place in the Town Centre, Radcliffe, Whitefield and Prestwich, a welcoming and vibrant place to visit.
Housing in Bury MBC
- We will Reduce the numbers of Empty Properties and Increase Housing Supply in Bury. We will do it by incentivising and encouraging landlords to re-enter the housing market.
- Pimhole - Bury Conservatives are committed to ensuring that the new Pimhole Housing Regeneration Scheme is successfully implemented. The previous administration did not allocate funds for the completion of this scheme. We have included in the Capital Programme, the necessary resources to complete Pimhole and make it a great place to live.
- More Affordable Housing
Bury Conservatives have approved measures to utilise funds from capital receipts to make new housing developments in Bury have significant levels of Affordable Housing. We have also been successful in getting funding to extend Affordable Housing to many of the Borough’s Housing Associations.
- Improving Quality and Choice in Social Housing. The new 100% Choice Based Lettings Scheme will allow people a greater say in the housing that they wish to live in.
- Clamping Down on Anti-Social Behaviour on Housing Estates. Bury Conservatives will ensure the new Tenancy agreement is fully enforced in order to deal effectively with residents who engage in Anti-Social Behaviour.
- Improving Housing Conditions for People . Bury Conservatives will ensure that people living in households of multiple occupancy are able to live within decent living standards of accommodation.
- Reducing Waiting Times for Disabled Home Adaptations. Despite many weeks of delaying tactics by the Labour Party, we will implement a new Home Improvement Agency that will drastically reduce waiting times for disabled people who require adaptations in their homes.
Regeneration and Economic Development in Bury
- Thousands of Quality New Jobs to be Created !!! Bury Conservatives will oversee an exciting transformation of Bury’s Housing, Economy, Job Market and Retail Services. Work on the Rock Triangle Retail Development, Townside Fields, Chamberhall and Pimhole is already underway. Bury Conservatives intend to proceed with the Sun Quarter Development in Radcliffe which will transform Radcliffe Town Centre. We also intend to look at opportunities to regenerate Prestwich and Whitefield Town Centres and to protect the unique identities of Ramsbottom and Tottington.
- Giving the People of Bury the Opportunity to Learn and Upskill. Bury Conservatives will protect our Libraries and encourage schools to stay open for family learning. Our WORKSTEP programme has already helped many disadvantaged people in Bury increase their skills which has in turn reduced levels of wordlessness’ in Bury.
- Delivering More English Speaking Courses - Making Savings on Translation Services. Bury Conservatives believe that newly settled ethnic/minority communities should be encouraged to learn basic English, which should allow them to become economically independent.
Crime and Community Safety
CCTV
To ensure more CCTV cameras are installed especially where hot spots are identified and to set up a joint CCTV control room – consultation on which has already begun
Anti-Social Behaviour
To build and work on the joint partnership working with other agencies as outlined in the Council’s new Anti Social Behaviour policy
Making Bury Safer
To publish more information on the Bury Safe website relating to crime and safety issues in Bury
To continue to work closely with the Chief Superintendent of Bury and Township Inspectors to increase police presence on the streets of Bury
To increase awareness to the public about personal safety issues and increase target hardening
Domestic Violence
To develop a comprehensive Domestic Violence policy and to have closer working with all agencies involved in domestic violence and to build on the work already started in schools
Bury Conservatives are committed to making Bury one of the safest places to live in the north-west.
CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
The Conservative Group consider that it is the right of every child and young person in the Borough to have access to first class services and facilities that will develop them to their full potential. To this end we will:
- Continue to support all the Borough’s schools.
- Review the ‘Future of Learning in Bury’ at both Senior and Primary levels.
- Provide the best secondary educational facilities in Radcliffe.
- Provide the necessary support to pupils who have special educational needs
- Sign up to the Every Disabled Child Matters Charter and continue to develop Children’s Centres and Early Years community services.
ADULT CARE SERVICES DIRECTION OF TRAVEL IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS
Care for the Elderly
The Conservatives intend to re-shape the whole of the services for the elderly to enable them to have a bigger choice, wider facilities and a care package to suit individual needs.
We started that process last year with the redesign and modernisation of home care and disability services. We will continue with this reform approach in the service areas of residential care for older people, fieldwork services and learning disability services.
The personalisation agenda for all care services will underpin this reform and modernisation programme, giving adults and older adults greater choice and control over the support they need and the resources available to them, not just in social care, but across other mainstream services as well, such as Housing, Transport, Health, Employment, Education and Training.
We will produce forward looking commissioning strategies across all client groups to ensure a clear direction of reform and modernisation for adults is implemented, based on current and future levels of community needs and resource availability.
Maintaining people at home within their own community, with the appropriate level of support from providers of quality services is the key aim for the next twelve months. For example:
- Increased opportunities of community facilities for people who are learning and / or physically disabled:
- To increase supported housing opportunities for people who are disabled
- Increase take up of Direct Payments and ILF
- Improving Out of Hours Services
- Produce an accommodation strategy for Older People
- Produce a commissioning strategy for Adults
- To increase the infrastructure within Adults to ensure compliance with the findings of the Older People’s inspection, to regain our 2-star status
Voluntary Sector (Third Sector)
Last year, the Conservatives set up Bury Third Sector Development Agency (B3SDA) and are delighted with the progress so far. The Council’s future role in providing services will be the commissioning of those services through the Third Sector. We are delighted with the success so far achieved in reaching the most vulnerable and hard-to-reach groups and encouragement to continue developing the Third Sector is high on our agenda.
Communications
In our Manifesto last year, we were committed to providing a better service of communication between town hall departments and the public. We are pleased to report that during the last twelve months, the Customer Contact Centre has increased its efficiency and is now providing a more robust and professional service. More departments’ calls are now being directed through the Customer Contact Centre which gives a quicker response to customers’ needs. This service is still developing and our aim this coming year is to achieve the final stages of its implementation.