Colchester Borough Council Conservative Group OUR MANIFESTO FOR COLCHESTER S FUTURE FOR MAY 2016 Cllr Dennis Willetts Group Leader 30 th March 2016
1. Introduction With an expanding population, unrivalled heritage and strategic business location, Colchester should be thriving. The sad reality is that eight years of a divided and divisive Lib Dem, Labour and Independent coalition council has left Colchester struggling. We are a top tourist destination that few tourists know about; a prime business area that pulls the shutters down on enterprise; and a large borough that that is led by people with little ambition or talent to improve our infrastructure, economy, civic pride and quality of life. If Colchester is to thrive, residents urgently need a Borough Council with strong leadership and a long-term vision that will transform our town and countryside into one of the most desirable places in England to live, learn and do business. This manifesto is how Colchester Conservatives will achieve this goal by restoring intelligent and imaginative leadership to our Town Hall. 2. The State We re In Colchester has lost ground to its neighbours because its Lib/Lab/Independent administration is stuck in the past. Instead of efficiently delivering essential public services, it stands in the way of progress and enterprise. It strangles enterprise and job creation with red tape and expands its bloated bureaucracy at the expense of private sector job creation. By attempting to act like a paternalistic council from a long-vanished era, it has instead presided over a period of decline that has seen: Falling tourist numbers with only half the number of people staying in Colchester for one night compared to 2008 Stalled town centre development by failing to attract investment in its flawed plans for Vineyard Gate and St Botolph s A near veto on major, private investment by blocking retail proposals for Tollgate Village and Stane Park and failing to attract high-quality retailers like John Lewis to the town centre Unfair competition as the council has earmarked the Northern Gateway to enhance its own profits and power, to the detriment of private investment Economic naivety by sinking valuable capital in Leisureworld at the same time as selling land to a major competitor in the Northern Gateway
Environmental incompetence by slipping to second last place in the Essex recycling league tables after ignoring Conservative advice to introduce food waste collections for two years and regarding wheelie bins as a magic solution instead of inspiring and educating residents to re-use and recycle more. Colchester cannot afford another two years of mismanagement and misrule. This May is the last opportunity residents will have until 2018 to end this embarrassing period in our town s history and return a majority Conservative administration to run the Borough Council. 3. The Conservative approach to leading Colchester Our ambition is not simply to halt and reverse any further decline of the Borough. We intend to be bold and to innovate, creating opportunities and leading the Borough into a bright future. We are determined to make Colchester the home for successful businesses in East Anglia, attracted by a new freedom from unnecessary red tape and financial restrictions. By bringing new investment into the Borough we will stimulate the local economy, create new jobs and boost our reputation. This will allow us to make better use of Council assets and concentrate on providing the best possible services to residents, at the lowest cost to the taxpayer. We will measure the quality of our services by asking our customers whether they are satisfied with what the Council provides. We will move to a commissioning model of providing major services where third party providers can provide them more effectively and economically subject to strict performance targets and financial claw-back clauses if those targets are not met. We will also develop shared services where appropriate with other councils, charities, mutual societies, community interest companies and others. We will encourage town councils, parish councils and other groups to bid to provide better services in their own areas if they can do better than the Colchester Borough Council. 4. Our detailed plans for our Borough We will work to make Colchester the principal retail and commercial centre of East Anglia by acting as a catalyst for investment and innovation, both at the grassroots and established levels. We aim to run the Council as an effective business and deliver efficient services for the benefit of all of our residents and visitors, regardless of their race, religion, disability or background. We know our plans will work because they are based mostly on the successes of other Conservative Administrations from around the country.
Our Pledges (1). TOWN CENTRE a. The town centre will become a prime visitor and shopper destination. We will make much better use of our historical and cultural attractions to attract residents and visitors revitalising our economy as we do so. b. We will redefine the stalled plans for Vineyard Gate that reflect the changing nature of retail and internet shopping. c. We will promote and preserve The Lanes area, centred on Eld Lane, as a quarter for specialist retail outlets and independent businesses. d. We will take an active and zero tolerance approach to littering by issuing more fixed penalty notices and ensure all instances of antisocial behaviour are dealt with. e. We will work closely with Colchester Presents and other town centre organisations to clean up the town centre and make it attractive and welcoming to all. We will introduce extra cleaning at weekend evenings, when it is most needed. f. We will make a contribution of 50,000 towards the cost of a Town Centre Manager who will implement our vision of the future central area, and work to attract investment. g. We will consider Business Rate Relief for fledgling businesses that take up the empty retail properties in the town centre. This will be for a threemonth period, to provide a town centre shop-front for start-ups. h. We will start a programme of tree planting in the town centre. i. The High Street will be closed to through traffic on Sundays and Bank Holidays to provide a safe, relaxed leisure environment. j. We will nurture the best market environment in the area. (2). TACKLING NIGHT-TIME ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOR a. We will make our Town Centre a safe and vibrant place, including at nighttime. b. We will use the Council s licensing powers to control anti-social behaviour and heavy drinking in the Town Centre. We will adopt a Zero Tolerance policy. c. Fast food outlets and other businesses that open at night will contribute to the cost of cleaning up the mess caused by their customers. (3). CAR-PARKING STRATEGY a. We will attract more visitors and boost the local economy by making car parking in the town centre free on Sundays and Bank Holidays. b. We will reduce car parking charges to make them much more competitive in relation to neighbouring towns and cities.
c. The number of Blue badge parking spaces will be protected and increased. d. We will restore the number of car parking spaces available before the LibDem/Labour/Independent coalition began to sell off our car parks. (4). IN-TOWN TRANSPORT a. The Council will sponsor a free Nipper Bus service between the two railway stations, the Bus station and the town centre. (5). BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT a. We will professionally market the Borough of Colchester to businesses. We are the fastest-growing Borough in the country and we aim to help investors create many new jobs to match the increase in housing and help the next generation. b. We will reignite the entrepreneurial spirit and work with business leaders from across the region to attract large companies to Colchester. (6). INFRASTRUCTURE a. We will revise the Local Plan to ensure that new housing will no longer outstrip the essential community facilities that are available. b. We will ensure the provision of essential infrastructure (community halls, footpaths and cycle-ways, doctors surgeries, etc) is accelerated to keep pace with Colchester s expansion. (7). RECYCLING & WASTE STRATEGY a. We will not introduce a waste collection service using wheelie bins unless the residents of the Borough approve such a change in a referendum. b. We will re-open the consultation with residents to find out how they wish to recycle their waste. We will improve on the current coalition s shameful record that has seen it sink to 10 th out of 12 Essex Boroughs & Districts in the waste and recycling league tables. c. We will introduce a new programme to educate residents about the importance of recycling and of reducing waste sent to landfill. d. We will work with other local authorities to achieve economies of scale in recycling and waste collection. This will allow us to offer a comprehensive of waste collection service that should have a solution for everyone. e. We will instigate a dedicated, fast-reaction service for issues such as dog fouling, fly-tipping, etc. f. Food waste will be collected every week from every property in the Borough, including flats which currently do not have this service. g. We create a reward scheme for households which recycle efficiently.
(8). IMPROVING THE ENVIRONMENT a. Conservatives will set up a Borough Environment Commission to review and audit all aspects of Colchester Borough Council s policies & operations. This will improve the quality of life for residents. b. The commission will principally consist of independent representatives and experts who hold formal qualifications in environmental matters. c. We will discuss with Essex County Council a programme to speed up traffic flow in the Town, so that idling vehicle engines do not pollute the town centre. d. We will define a uniform standard of cleanliness for the whole Borough, whether in the town centre, the urban areas and the rural areas. e. We will make the Council s Zone teams more accountable the local communities that they serve and we will allocate Zone services on a fair basis throughout the Borough. (9). THE ELDERLY AND VULNERABLE a. Conservatives will guarantee a proper voice for the elderly and vulnerable in Council decisions. b. Never again must the elderly of the town suffer the fiasco of the Liberal Democrat, Labour and Highwoods Independent Administration s uncaring handling of the closure of Abbots, Abbeygate and Joyce Brooks House, and other facilities much needed by senior citizens. c. We will ensure that current parking for the disabled is protected, and that the planning system delivers an increase in parking for the disabled. (10). HERITAGE AND TOURISM a. Conservatives will accelerate the restoration, exhibition and preservation of Colchester's heritage by tapping into sponsorship funds. b. It is our intention to light-up the Roman walls and other historic feature of the town so that they are as attractive in the evening as they are by day. c. We will reinvigorate a tourism promotion team and promote the town both nationally and internationally, working closely with key Colchester organisations. d. During eight years of stagnation under Liberal Democrat and Labour control, the number of tourists staying overnight in Colchester has halved. We will reverse that trend. e. We will become the tourist capital of Essex and improve the effectiveness of the Borough Council s tourism team. We will encourage and help
visitors to explore all areas of the Borough and will plan routes, activities, attractions and destinations. This will be a joint venture with our neighbouring authorities and businesses involved in tourism. f. Licensed street entertainers will become a characteristic feature of our Borough s ambience. (11). STREAMLINING THE COUNCIL a. A Conservative Administration will be open and transparent. We will consult on all schemes that affect residents and will take consultation results properly into account when making decisions. b. We will reduce the number of paid portfolio holders in the Cabinet from eight to six. c. We will aim to put an end to the current, high-risk reliance on the New Homes Bonus, in which 2m of this short-term Government grant has been included in the council s long-term budget. The District Auditor sees this as major risk to the Council, yet the current administration have taken no significant action. d. Where non-statutory services overlap with those provided by other organisations, we will look at forming partnerships or devolving services to specialist organisations, obtaining best value for money for the taxpayer. (12). TAX FREEZE a. We will commission an independent and forensic examination of the Borough Council s accounts to identify exactly how the LibDem/Labour/Independent coalition has wasted such a significant amount of public money. We will publish our findings and take no decision on Council Tax rates until we understand the true condition of the Council s finances. b. We will consult on a policy to reduce Business Rates, particularly where it will stimulate new jobs within the Borough. 5. Cost of our manifesto pledges Some, but not all of our manifesto pledges have an associated financial cost. To achieve them, we will need to reduce the Council s spending on non-statutory services by 850k. This is a significant amount, but it needs to be remembered the Council proposes to reduce costs by 1.5m by removing inefficiencies and duplication in the forthcoming year, and will make similar savings in 2017-18. We will bring forward these efficiency savings at a faster rate.
# MANIFESTO COMMITMENT from Section 4 Cost 1 TOWN CENTRE Extra cleaning 100 Town Centre manager 50 2 NIGHT-TIME ECONOMY Additional legal advice 50 3 CAR-PARKING STRATEGY Colchester welcomes shoppers' cars 400 4 IN TOWN TRANSPORT Contribution to Nipper Bus 150 10 HERITAGE AND TOURISM Increase in publicity budget 100 11 STREAMLINING THE COUNCIL Reduction in non-statutory services -850 NET FINANCIAL IMPACT 0 6. The Council s budget proposals for 2016-17 Each year in February the Borough Council debates and approves the budget for the forthcoming financial year. Although our alternative, Conservative proposals are always rejected, they are often later adopted as the LibDem/Labour/Independent administration has to balance the council s books. The Council s income remains buoyant for 2016-17. Some Government Grants have been cut (Revenue Support grant) but other Government grants have increased (New Homes Bonus). Overall, the Council proposes an increase in income and expenditure of 2.65%, from 23.3m to 23.9m. 7. New Homes Bonus The New Homes Bonus is a grant from Government, currently paid for 6 years (but likely to be curtailed at 4 years in future). Government pays the bonus to councils for every house that is built in their District or Borough. This year the grant to Colchester is expected to be 5.7m. The Government believes that the New Homes Bonus should be used to support and enhance the infrastructure within these developments. However, in a high-risk
financial manoeuvre, the current Lib Dem /Labour / Independent coalition has incorporated 2m of this temporary grant into the Council s base budget, which will have dire consequences for the Borough if the funding is cut or stopped in the future. We intend to make sure the Council will stop becoming reliant on short-term funding as soon as possible. 8. Council Tax We have demanded that there should be no increase in the rate of CBC element of Council Tax levied as part of this year s budget. At the beginning of the current financial year, the Council s usable reserves had crept up to 19 million. The Council s Audited accounts to 31 st March 2015, page 9, show that the usable reserves on which we could draw for general expenditure stood at 19 million, as in the table below. April 1st General Fund Balances x 000 Earmarked Reserves x 1000 Repairs Reserves x 000 TOTAL x 000 2012 4918 5318 1162 11398 2013 5893 5718 1223 12834 2014 6515 8455 1551 16521 2015 8675 10385 0 19060 As the CBC part of Council Tax raises 10m per year, these reserves are equivalent to almost 2 years of Council Tax With these reserves, and a 2.6% increase in income predicted for the forthcoming year, there is no need to increase the rate of Council Tax. However, we will make no decisions on whether to raise or cut Council Tax until an independent, forensic examination of CBC s accounts has been completed. 9. We re listening it s time for change It s time for the Tories We have been listening to Colchester s residents. They tell us loud and clear that they are disillusioned by the way the Borough is being run. They know change is overdue and that it is time residents were listened to and respected. With your help, we will reinvigorate Colchester and make it the great Borough it could and should be. It is time for a new thinking and a fresh look at our future by electing a Conservative Administration. END