This was our Manifesto for 2008/2009.

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Working with our communities

A BETTER WAY FORWARD

MANIFESTO for Daventry District Council Elections

In May 2007, for the first time, the Liberal Democrats became the official Opposition on Daventry District Council, ahead of Labour. At the same time, the LibDems took control of Northampton Borough Council.

In forthcoming elections, fighting on a broader front than ever before, we hope to consolidate and improve our position on Daventry Council, win more votes and seats, and offer a strong alternative for this District. Again for the first time, we have produced a Manifesto, to present our proposals for the whole District and to offer a better way forward for all our communities.

INTRODUCTION

Liberal Democrats have a different policy on Local Government from all other parties. We believe in the devolution of power. This means bringing decision-making back to the local communities affected by these decisions. Central Government has too much control over Local Government, and we aim to reverse this trend. You will see many examples of this throughout this Manifesto.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCE

Liberal Democrats believe in Local Income Tax. We would abolish Council Tax which, like the old Rating system, is based on property values, not on ability to pay. We are also against the stranglehold which Central Government exercises over local government expenditure and decision-making.

PROTECTION AND IMPROVEMENT OF SERVICES

Many of our local services are the responsibility of the County Council, eg, highways, schools, social services, and the youth service. The County Council is deep in debt, and has a lower performance rating than Daventry District; so it is no wonder that these are among the worst quality and most poorly funded services we receive. Liberal Democrats would prefer most of these services to be provided by District and Borough Councils, which are closer to their communities and more aware of local needs. Meanwhile, we will continue to exert pressure on the County Council to do a better job, particularly on road and pavement repairs, public transport, and educational opportunities for all.

TOWN CENTRE DEVELOPMENT

While accepting the expansion of Daventry Town – we have no choice, it will happen anyway! – Liberal Democrats campaign to prevent our villages becoming suburbs through this expansion. We oppose the encroachment of both Daventry and Northampton upon surrounding villages, such as Welton, Norton, Newnham, Moulton, Boughton and the Bramptons, to name but a few.

We believe in communities, and this dictates our policy on Planning. We oppose the role of the West Northants Development Corporation, which is not democratic but has the power to override elected Councils on larger planning applications. The development of Daventry Town must be planned for the benefit of its present and future residents, not for the convenience of the region or the government.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

The Council recently sold off our remaining 3100 Council Houses for about £6000 each. The average market value of these houses was over £100,000 each. Your Liberal Democrat District Councillors were the only ones to oppose this sale.

In the propaganda circulated to tenants during the ballot campaign, promises were made about a better repairs and home improvement service from the new Housing Association. Since they took over last year, we have had more complaints than ever from tenants about these services. We have been told that they are sticking to the old Council repairs and improvements policies – despite the fact that they receive 100% of the rents, while the Council was only allowed to keep 56%! LibDems will keep on their case, and hold them to the promises made in their flash and expensive campaign for Housing Stock Transfer.

Liberal Democrats support building as many affordable homes to rent as possible, both urban and rural. We will continue to campaign for this. We also believe that Disabled Facilities Grants should be made more readily and quickly available, especially to the elderly.

COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT

Daventry is at present a town of low wages and high house prices. The average house price in the town is over 8 times the average annual salary.

We do not want to see Daventry become a dormitory town for people who have to work in the big towns and cities, so we must attract better-paid jobs to the area. We need more and better skills training for our young people. We also support the other parties in working to attract University education here, to improve the prospects of the next and future generations, as well as bringing new academic jobs. We wish to offer a brighter and better future to those of our young people who wish to make their lives here.

Our watchword therefore is “NO MORE SHEDS!”

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

We are proud of the District Council’s record in this sphere. Our record remains within the top ten in England for recycling and conservation. This policy was started by the previous LibDem/Labour administration, and still has all-party support. But we cannot rest on past achievements – much remains to be done.

We must protect the Country Park – a jewel in our crown – from the encroachment of housing and commercial development. We must tackle the ever-worsening problems caused by the weight and density of traffic on our roads. LibDems will work towards 20 mph speed limits on our estates, and in our villages where Parish Councils request them. We must continue to improve and diversify our waste disposal and recycling services, and not allow existing landfill sites, such as Kilsby, to pollute and damage the environment of surrounding areas. LibDems are fighting for reclassification of existing A roads which carry excessive weight and volume of traffic, such as the A361, to allow weight restrictions and lower speed limits to be imposed. We should divert heavy freight traffic as far as possible away from villages, to avoid excessive traffic noise and danger.

These examples show why Liberal Democrats campaign for the transfer of many powers from County to District and Parish level, where they can be exercised with more local knowledge and attention to detail.

POST OFFICES

Do not be deceived into believing that the 2500 Post Office Closures recently announced by the Government will be the last. Liberal Democrats are pledged to fight all further closures.

We have a fully funded plan to save Post Offices from closure. We would keep Post Office Ltd in the public sector, but split it away from the Royal Mail. We would then raise £2 billion from the sale of a minority of shares in Royal Mail, and invest this money in the Post Office network.

MERGER PROPOSAL FOR DAVENTRY AND SOUTH NORTHANTS

Liberal Democrats support joint working between District Councils on specific projects where this improves efficiency or cuts costs, but we oppose the creation of larger authorities which are more remote and take power and decision-making further away from our communities.

The Conservatives are trying to talk up the merger of these two Councils into one authority which will cover over half the County. By these means they hope to ensure a permanent Conservative majority here. Do you really want decisions about your town or village taken by councillors from Brackley or the Milton Keynes area, or faceless civil servants in London or Nottingham? Liberal Democrats pledge to oppose this or any merger every inch of the way.

If you wish to contact us, please use the contact page on this web site.

Printed and published by B Lomax, 24 Castle Mound, Barby, CV23 8TN,

on behalf of Daventry Liberal Democrats.