A Fresh Start for Basingstoke

BasingstokeLabour
Manifesto 2013/14 Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council
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Thank you for taking the time to read this. Your first thought m called the document ay be - why have we A Fresh Start for Ba singstoke We want to offer ho pe and positive polit ics in these hard tim es. We want to do politics differently an d restore your faith in your Council. We are a group of La bour councillors com ing from all walks of in the improvements life with a shared be lief that we want to see. We want the Counci and residents, to achi l, working with partn eve those much need ers ed changes that will difference to you. W make a positive e believe that the Co uncil must be far mor transparent, inclusive e open, accessible, and democratic. We have been worki ng on a range of po licies and ideas that we believe can improv Basingstoke. Weve pu e t these ideas together in this document in to you about them, ge order that we can ta lk t your views and mak e changes where need much a work in prog ed. So this is very ress and its importan t you tell us if there missed is there an is anything weve ything we should be including to make Ba singstoke a better pl to live and work? Plea ace se get in touch, our contact details are at booklet. the back of this If youd like one of us to come and talk to your group then we you. Thank you for d love to hear from your time and lets w ork together to mak Deane Borough Coun e Basingstoke & cil an authority that serves everyone, a Co can all be proud. uncil of which we

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Leader of the Labour Gr oup

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Councillor Laura James

& Opposition
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a borough to be proud of
Our core values are those of fairness, social justice, and equal chances in life for everyone. Our overriding commitment is that whoever you are, wherever you live, you will be treated fairly by a Labour led Council and we will work with our partners to make sure they offer the same commitment.

Whilst we understand the difficult times we live in, we will seek innovative solutions to maintain service delivery using co-operative partnerships which put power back in the hands of you, the people of Basingstoke and Deane.

We want publicly run local services of high quality, delivered by an open and transparent Council that makes customer service and helping the most vulnerable a priority.

Everyone should have access to good local facilities. We will address the inequalities in our communities, and spend money where it is most needed.

Social Justice Equality Fairness

values

Basingstoke and Deane: A Cooperative Council

Co-operative and mutual models allow Councils to retain jobs and investment locally, are ethical, are more flexible around residents and workers needs, and can contribute to all aspects of the local economy. Co-operative values also shape the way we rebuild our local economies, putting long term social benefit ahead of short-term private gain. Labours co-operative councils initiative shows Labour Councils taking practical steps to transform major services in ways that We believe in Cooperative values and like other Councils up and down the country the Cooperative model is something we will move towards. From the way that the Council is run,

Fresh Start Reviews

We will introduce a four yearly review of the Council. The Council structure has been through efficiency and staff reviews to the point that the reviews themselves have become a major

structured and managed to the way that it invests and uses the problem for the authority in operating to the best benefit of resources at its disposal, we see the pressing need for a new direction of travel. We will bring in an independent audit regime where every four We must be clear what co-operative communities can be and what they are not. Co-operatives and mutual models are not a years services and departments, on a rolling rota, are reviewed under community principles. Of course normal annual audits will continue, but these new detailed and indepth reviews will look much deeper at what the Council does, they will be residents.

hand power to residents, while the Tory-led Government simply way of getting something for nothing, or getting people to do uses the language of cooperation and mutualisation as a cover for their agenda of cuts, privatisation & de-professionalisation. Labour councils aim to reclaim the founding traditions of the Labour and Co-operative movements of collective action and things on the cheap that the state or professionals should be

providing. They are models built on enduring values of fairness, comprehensive service reviews. accountability and responsibility that offer huge potential for innovation. Our audit principles do not just mean financial efficiency, but they also refer to community value, public good, and effective

co-operation, of empowerment and enterprise, in order to help Co-operative approaches can be applied to almost every aspect service delivery. transform local services and local communities. We are determined to end the era of top-down services where people are expected to put up with whatevers on offer. In future, residents, rather than town hall officials, will be in the driving seat. Co-operation is about people working together for the common good benefiting individuals and the wider community they are part of. of local government, including community regeneration and An efficiency strategy that is obsessed with cutting the Council economic development, youth services, housing, leisure, social services and education. The precise model is different from service to service, but the approach is the same working together, building self-reliance, encouraging innovation. and development regime. and only cutting the Council will not succeed. We need to be far smarter than that. Again, the Council has failed, and we will put it back on track with a proper well considered holistic audit

investing for all our futures

County Council
We will identify what County functions the Borough Council

Your Money, Your Council

Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council needs a real overhaul of the Councils resources can do for people and our communities while achieving a positive return on that investment to fund improved services people want and need. We will work with our partners in the public and private sector investment and public good generated by the publicly owned and the voluntary sector to build and develop innovative ways assets and money of our Borough. to invest the assets of the Council based on our cooperative Instead of the Council simply acting like a bank or a property company, and a pretty poor one at that, we will apply our principles. We want to create a virtuous local circle of investment, social benefit, financial return and reinvestment. We will create a new and challenging change of ethos at the benefit to our residents and local economy. The Council has an annual revenue services budget of roughly 20million, based on 148million invested in banks and the city, and over 200million of land assets. Truth be told we are one of the richest Councils in the country so it is right and proper, prudent and financially sound to ask the question what do our residents get for that? We will use the land assets of the Borough Council to generate housing and employment, and therein generate income to the Council, a lot of land is simply land-banked at a poor development valuation. We will see our cooperative values underpin a new investment strategy that focuses on what good Council where the focus of our effort is on local investment to the benefit of the community.

currently fund, and how much money the Borough Council puts its financial policy and we propose to do just that. We want into services and organisations which are a county function We will publish that information so that residents can clearly see were their Council Tax is crossing over between authorities and their different statutory functions. We want to see openness and transparency in local government funding. cooperative and mutual values to get the best return and most We will also map and identify the cuts that County have made and propose to make to services and organisations, and all the things that County are responsible for in Basingstoke & Deane. We will publish this openly so everyone can see the impact of cuts. We want people to understand what is a County function and a Borough function and how the County is failing our communities. investment and income generation to be priorities, but not at the expense of sound community values. We want intelligent

more power to you

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Decent Homes For All - Council Homes

Homes are not just bricks and mortar they can be the foundations for our entire lives. A decent home to live in is a fundamental human right. The outlook for people trying to find homes in Basingstoke is not good. The average age of a firsttime buyer is nearly 40! Single people can be on the housing list for over 15 years! We currently have over 6,000 people on the housing register, but we are building less than 300 affordable units a year for them to move in to only 31 affordable units this year alone, which is a disgrace. environment, green space, and a holistic community as about the housing that is actually built. We will enable and revitalise the Housing Partnership that brings all our key partners together to deliver best practice solutions that focus on two targets - 1) to meaningfully reduce the number of people on the housing register by enabling housing solutions to be sourced and built that meets their policy and we will create a new proactive approach to strategic parking solutions for existing communities who are suffering because the parking situation is so bad. That means a new review of roads and a toolbox approach to solutions with a significantly increased capital budget. We will promote quality design and ensure strong planning policy that not only protects new but seeks to enhance existing

needs, 2) to ensure that existing communities benefit from new public open space. A key part of our holistic agenda will be a development and regeneration. policy on the provision of allotments throughout Basingstoke.

Our priority is building socially rented homes.

We will build homes, either by direct capital investment or enabling funds for Housing Associations and preferred partner developers to deliver what we need. We will also establish two pilot schemes, one rural and one urban, for a Cooperative Housing Social Enterprise. Using the Councils land and money we can help find innovative ways that involve communities in finding solutions to the housing crisis they face. When it comes to the regeneration of existing housing stock we will look very closely at land deals to secure the best low density development and delivery of socially rented housing. We want regeneration to be as much about the physical

We would change the Housing Mix Policy in the Local Plan to a We cant look at housing in isolation we need to look closely at target of 50% affordable housing, 35% of which would be socially rented housing and 15% intermediate/shared ownership, and we would have more effective management of the housing allocations policy to that intermediate & shared ownership we meet local needs of people from the register. We will look closely at the vacant commercial land in Basingstoke and examine the reuse potential of this land specifically alongside our economic inward investment strategy. We will bring in tighter policies on density of housing to make sure developers could not cram, we would also bring in a clear back garden sizes policy, but also to help define density and provide decent standards for all future housing. Alongside these two areas we will look again at the parking standards the impact of the Welfare Reform Act and balance the needs of the most vulnerable and those working but on low incomes. We will stop people being placed outside the Borough. We will source a local provider of quality emergency housing, because while we know our goal will be to prevent homelessness we recognise the dramatic increase caused by the Governments misguided policies. We will commit to no second night out for rough sleepers as a principle and work with BVS and our partners to adopt this policy. We will revisit the Tenancy Strategy with our partners and link their continued status as preferred partners to the implementation of best practice.

socially rented housing

We will publish the statistics of a reviewed and renewed Vulnerable Persons Protocol every

We will link planning policy and actual house building so that we can in each Annual Monitoring

quarter, showing off best practice and shaming bad Report show the true picture of what people face practice. We will extend the rent bond scheme and we support the principle of life time tenancies. We will review the mortgage rescue scheme and seek to improve it where possible. We will undertake a housing needs survey, as well as an older and younger peoples housing needs survey. We must understand the issues facing under 35s and over 65s. There is a mismatch of housing stock and need in the Borough. We will work with our preferred partners to do a housing needs analysis of their tenants and stock. This information will both inform planning and housing policy and help shape future development, as well as support those residents who choose to move. We will work with Housing Associations to develop a whole package of support for residents, using the Birmingham Model. This package will be tailored to meet residents needs from start to finish. Through Community Land Trusts, through Cooperative and Mutual Enterprises we want to give residents the opportunity to use the money and resources vested in their Council to help deliver for their local needs. We will aggressively tackle the scandal of empty homes taking punitive action against those who for no good reason keep properties empty for longer than 6 months. We will establish an Article 4 ruling for the whole Borough for all HMOs, and we will introduce a licensing and regulation regime to tightly control standards of HMOs throughout the Borough. year in year out and what the Council & Partners are actually doing to solve the housing crisis. We will establish a developers forum and new awards to champion best practice and promote through an annual published league table the quality of local developers.

Cooperatives and Mutuals

Fair and Sustainable Planning

Restoring the integrity of the local planning process is a priority. especially as the onus will be on the developer to show how their No more sleight of hand over Manydown. We believe in open and application is meeting the communities and Boroughs needs. transparent local government. No more urban cramming or We will ensure planning meetings, which make huge decisions that destroying protected countryside. affect communities for generations, are more accessible and open. We will do all we can to oppose and resist a developer free-for-all in Basingstoke. Planning can provide a way to coordinate individual decisions so that developments support, rather than detract from one another. Planning should be able to evaluate each development proposal in the light of community objectives and priorities. We need to be precise in the strategic picture of need, realistic in what infrastructure is needed, and the future shape of our Borough. The balance between employment land, land for housing and protecting our countryside is difficult, and it is easy to play political games, and that is the problem - the Tories have played games with peoples lives and their concerns. We need to step new structure to the local planning process that promotes cooperative values and community empowerment. No longer will residents be confined to four minutes of making the case for or against development. We want substantive preapplication consultation which we will enforce in policy. We want a

Fairness matters when it comes to planning. People all over the town and Borough need to have confidence that the Council takes fair decisions. Cllr Laura James. The High Court has ruled that the Tory Council Administration has acted unlawfully and irrationally over Manydown. They have brought the Council into disrepute. Not one Tory Cllr who acted disreputably has taken responsibility, instead they have blamed the officers. We need to look specifically at the member officer protocol, and the way that Councillors made such fundamental errors of judgement. This is so vital in order to restore any sense of integrity to the Council. Saying sorry is not good enough, the Council have acted unlawfully. The Tories scrapped scrutiny and now we need an independent, powerful and responsible opposition led Scrutiny Committee that can protect our local democracy and hold the Council Administration to account properly.

We will fundamentally change how the council delivers planning.

We will make planning neighbourhood led. Our planning policies have to be championed by the Council and have the credibility of reflecting local need and embracing localism, and not interpreted in a way that allows developers to get away with poor development. We will ensure the local communitys needs and aspirations for their area are agreed and documented. These would play a huge part in making individual planning decisions,

back and restore credibility to the planning system in Basingstoke & Deane.

fairness

Decent Homes For All - Our Whole Community

There are over 6000 people on the Council Housing Waiting Register, and thousands more who aspire to own their own homes. Developers need to build homes that people can afford and at the moment most housing built in Basingstoke & Deane is too expensive or is bought out by buy to let landlords who operate a bloated rental market. It is self sustaining perpetual housing crisis Last year, according to the Halifax Building Society, house prices rose by 15% in Basingstoke despite the recession. A one size fits all policy will not work but flexibility needs boundaries and we want high standards. Simply rolling out the developers chosen stock wont meet local need. We will enforce in policy real sustainability Developers will be expected to build to Code for Sustainable Homes Level 6. We will increase the number of lifetime homes accessible properties on new build sites, and increase disabled access new builds that meet local need.

We need planning policies that shape development, that enable developers to offer homes that people can afford. Homes that have high build standards, that are sustainable both financially and environmentally.

By enforcing the requirement for whole site design briefs the communities wider aspirations and needs can be built into proposals with certainty. We want to see community centres and schools, infrastructure and roads all catered for in proposals that are brought to Development Control.

We will set up a developers panel of officers and leading

We want to stamp out the practice of having to retrofit

partners to set out development principles of need and design planning approvals and sites with community facilities that will give developers a clear steer on what we need in Basingstoke & Deane. and infrastructure. Its time that strategic planning in our Borough meant just that.

This work will be focused through our Local Plans policy framework which will require developers of all major sites in Basingstoke to prepare fully worked up design briefs, working with the Councils urban designers. We want the principles of high standards that meet local needs to be written into the policy framework that governs what actually gets built in our Borough.

Tackling the impact of Welfare Reform

Our approach to the Governments welfare reforms is fundamentally different from the Tories. We see a Council responsible and able to help the most vulnerable people, but also that helps all those people striving to stay afloat in a crisis. From April 2013, tenants will have their housing benefit entitlement reduced if the Government decides their home is too big for their needs. You may have heard this referred to as the under-occupancy rule, or 'bedroom tax'. we have passed a motion at Full Council to hold the current scheme in place for a year. We want a new scheme designed to reflect the impact of the Welfare Reform Acts changes in April 2013, prepared for April 2014. Working with our partners we will undertake a detailed analysis to better understand the real life The Tories have twisted the notion of responsibility and welfare to We will work to ensure that house building creates a better supply impact of the Welfare Reform changes and what peoples real life situations are, so that we can shape a new Council Tax Discount Scheme that doesn't cause hardship.

fit their debate about who is unworthy, who has the right and who of move on properties for people to downsize, but that our
does not, and who should have and have not. Our approach will show compassion but also understand the reality of what people in Basingstoke are facing. A new cap on the total amount of welfare benefits that can be We believe that in a time of crisis and when people reach out for help the state has a role to support them. Your Council has a role to help everyone at their time of most need. But more than that we need to prevent people getting into crisis in the first place. How we approach benefit support, how we manage housing for example can have a huge impact on whether people find themselves in crisis or they are helped to avoid it. Efficiency and claimed by people of working age will be introduced from April 2013. We will develop and improve access to the local Credit partners work to support people in their homes. We need a flexible approach that avoids eviction.

Labours Commitment
We will work with partners to mitigate the impact of the Welfare Reform changes. We utterly oppose the changes taking place, but we recognise that the Council has to respond with meaningful

Union, access to safe financing through a local cooperative finance policies. schemes which help people so that they dont have to use loan sharks, and we will aggressively target loan sharks. Key to any successful intervention is partnership working with our Housing Associations, clear leadership from the Council on the We want to see information and access to help made far easier for principles we want applied to tenancies, arrears, and evictions. We want to see investment in crisis prevention and information that empowers people to make choices, but that those choices are also

savings are better made from supporting people in a home, with a people so that the obligation to explain, to support and direct job or in hope of work, than to see them evicted, taken to court and put into absolute crisis. people to help falls on the housing provider and the Council. By

reviewing our Tenancy Strategy we can set out clearly our goals of based on our Vulnerable Persons Protocol. It is no good if all the enforcing were possible best practice from Housing Associations. Housing Associations do, working with the Council is reinforce poverty and crisis. People in work on low incomes as well as some The Tories proposed a 30% cut in Council Tax Benefit for 3339 working age households in Basingstoke. Labour stopped this and of our most vulnerable residents need a Council that puts their interests first.

In April 2013, major changes are being made to the benefits system that could mean you, your parents or children receive less housing benefit, council tax discount & child care support.

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Supporting people in their time of need

Housing Benefit
We will work with our preferred partners to ensure that the thousands of people affected by the housing benefit cuts, under-occupancy, and changes are supported and that we avoid evictions and homelessness. We will through our Tenancy Strategy and Vulnerable Persons Protocol establish processes with preferred partner RPs to develop safeguarding and red flag mechanisms where people who get into arrears and

Child Care Support

The changes to benefits will impact on child care support too. Weve seen cuts to Childrens Centres, weve seen Youth Services scrapped, weve seen plans to restrict child benefit and child tax credits. It is a disgrace that large families can no longer claim support for a 5 bed house, they are only entitled to a 4 bed. So the Government are creating overcrowding and misery for those families rather than tackle the real issues

financial difficulty get the support they need to sustain the in the inequity of available housing for all. home they are in. We want to see far higher standards of housing management, intervention and advice and we will act through the powers we have to make sure RPs respond. It costs more to evict someone, drag them through the courts than to intervene early and effectively. We will lobby government for stronger rent controls. NO child should suffer from the Welfare Reform changes and we will have at the heart of the Vulnerable Persons Protocol the safeguarding of children. If a family present as homeless those children need appropriate accommodation and continued access to school. We will buy or provide local temporary accommodation options. We will maintain as best we are able a staffed housing and Our allocations policy needs to reflect real family life, not benefits team at the Council, because at the moment it looks highly likely that the planned introduction of Universal Credit will be pushed back, and the impact will be so huge that people will need a local point of contact to help deal with the fundamental change it will bring about. Our focus is prevention, intervention and support. We want to see people supported to cope, not penalised. some rigid idealistic notion of what the family is or needs, all needs are different. We want flexibility, security, safe guarding and the principle that every child matters to be at the heart of a Labour led Councils.

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Tackling Fuel Poverty

Fuel Poverty is a major problem facing people throughout our community. The rising cost of domestic fuel means that people are genuinely having to choose to heat their homes or put food on the table. This is an absolute scandal in the 21st Century. The End Fuel Poverty Coalition is a broad based group of agencies, including Age UK, UNISON, Child Poverty Action Group, Disability Alliance, Macmillan Cancer Support and Save the Children. They have challenged local authorities to sign up to their poverty and cold-related ill health Develop a strategic approach to improve energy efficiency in all housing and fulfil its potential to create jobs and prosperity in our local communities Work with energy companies and related organisations to help make sure the Green Deal, Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and other energy efficiency programmes are delivered effectively in our area

campaign and to show commitment to act on tackling fuel poverty Administer the benefits we are responsible for efficiently and fairly, in their areas. and help make sure eligible households receive the benefits to A Labour Council will sign up to the Local Authority Fuel Poverty Commitment. We will treat these issue as a priority: Local authorities can play an important role in tackling fuel poverty through, for example, our new public health responsibilities, our strategic role in improving housing and our concern to encourage residents to contribute to the local economy and community. Help us meet our ambitions to eliminate fuel poverty in our area We commit our Council to: Make sure Public Health Directors can effectively deliver on their Make sure we understand the extent of fuel poverty in our area, its impact on health, housing and quality of life, and to take action to address it Work with the LGA to support local authorities provide peer-toMake sure that the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, agreed between Councils and local NHS organisations, informs strategies to tackle fuel poverty Help disseminate information and guidance on legislation, policy Work with partners such as Health and Wellbeing Boards and advice services to develop effective referral systems to reduce fuel initiatives and best practice peer support and sign up to locally appropriate actions and targets responsibility for meeting the public health outcome on fuel poverty Help compile standardised housing stock data on all housing in the country Require Green Deal and ECO providers to inform local authorities of works taking place in their area, to enable authorities to report on referrals and outcomes. Make sure we have the resources to make an effective contribution towards meeting the national target to eliminate fuel poverty by 2016. We want the Government to: which they are entitled Explore ways of reducing fuel poverty that involve the whole community, including community groups and town and parish councils

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Co-Operative Councils Network - Best Practice

The Co-operative Councils Network is a network of Labour Councils that are implementing co-operative policies and ways of providing services, which give communities power and a real say over the ways they are run. So far, over 25 Councils and opposition Labour Groups have been invited to join the network including some of Englands largest metropolitan boroughs, from Newcastle to Lambeth. More Councils will come on board as the Network develops. The Network is run by the Co-operative Party, supported by the Local Government Association Labour Group. There is a hard-headed case for this kind of bottom-up decision making. Often it is the best way to make sure that change reflects what residents want, or to make sure that services are protected. But it fulfils Labours values too. At the heart of One Nation politics is a belief in binding people together as a community. Making our Councils more co-operative may yet be a good way to do that. stake in how Britain is run, it is essential that this includes local government, our public services and our high streets.

Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP Foreword for Towards Co-operative Councils One Nation Labour means ensuring that every single person has a stake, that prosperity is fairly shared, and that we protect the institutions which express our common life as a nation. Ultimately, it is a vision of a country bound together, sharing a common purpose, and where those three principles run through every part of society and public life. If we want every single person in Britain to feel that they have a

Often the services that are chosen or protected are the very services that do that. In that way, co-operative councils can be a direct means to building One Nation. Instilling an ethos of the common good, emphasising what we share, and beginning to rebuild the ties of community and solidarity that encourage people to spend time together and look after one another.

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Decent Neighbourhoods
Between 2000 and 2010, we transformed some of our 60s housing estates like Popley and Oakridge, spending millions of pounds on regeneration and investing in community For us its about the things that make a difference to peoples facilities. These places are now vibrant, growing communities, quality of life and the street you are living in. Better parking with massively improved surroundings and quality of life. solutions to meet the growing need and expectations of Community Halls are important; key health and education services are delivered from them, and many of our Childrens Centres are based in them. We will ensure that our Much was done under the past Labour-Lib Dem Council to community centres used to capacity in ways that support the tackle crime and the causes of crime. Labour drove crime local community and self finance their staff. We will support community centres to achieve this and we will not allow of policies, with more Police Officers, PCSOs and Community centres to fail or close. Basingstoke has lost at least ten Post Offices in the past decade. We want to pursue community and business partnerships that see our local Post Offices restored, starting with Brighton Hill. Most communities feel consulted out, the Council are great at asking people what they want, they are poor at actually delivering that on the ground. The past few years has seen a growing disconnect between problems, expecting them to work together. We want a can the Council and residents, on day one of a Labour led do attitude focused on standards. Council we want to work with partners to restore that link, Wardens on the beat, more people working in the community and investment in regeneration. It is this holistic approach which defines us as a party who understands the issues people face day in day out. We will introduce local Neighbourhood Managers, focused on wards. Accountable for budgets, standards and coordinating services between partner agencies, they will be expected to deliver lasting results. We will stop the pass the buck culture where agencies avoid responsibility for fixing down and built communities up through a wide-ranging set communities all over the Borough, but especially in urban areas. and above all else deliver what communities have been calling for. That means we need to refocus the Council.

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Neighbourhood Neglect
We are proud of our communities. But in recent years we have Changes need to include a new focus on gardening skills to We will keep the Councils streetcare team, parks and environmental staff run by the Council and Basingstoke based. all seen a growing condition of neglect on many of our streets. keep the environment in better condition. Its not just about The Borough Council, County Council and other agencies like Housing Associations have not been providing the standard of service we expect. Cuts to services are having a real impact on standards. Three years ago we launched a Zero Tolerance Campaign against neglect. A campaign that received a lot of support from residents all over Basingstoke. From broken walls, to overgrown shrub-beds. From broken fences and derelict garages to poorly maintained footpaths and fly tipping. From poor housing management and nuisance neighbours to the serious problem of drugs. We want this campaign to become a Basingstoke wide initiative. We set about highlighting these issues and challenging the authorities to take action. The Borough Council admitted that standards were not good enough and that they had failed. It is a shame that Sentinel decided to hire in private contractors. So it is important that we now move forward with a new way of working. We want to see joined up estate management and investment to improve standards. quality of our environment all year round. We will ensure that every street and neighbourhood: training. We will ensure that a percentage of all new development monies will go to maintaining the environment of the new development. One successful scheme has been the pictorial meadows. The public response to these has been so positive that we would roll these meadows out all over the Borough, really improving the local environment and reducing maintenance costs considerably.

cutting bushes back, it is also about maintaining them properly. We want our Council staff to build up pride in where they are Its not just about repairing walls, its about whether the walls are in the right location in the first place. It is not just about repairing pathways its about tackling the weeds as well. If we take pride in our community, it is about the standard and working. We want our Council staff to develop skills and have the opportunities to undertake real apprenticeships and training schemes to help build their knowledge in gardening and environmental care, with guaranteed jobs at the end of the

Is clear of rubbish; Has well maintained open spaces; Trees and bushes are cut back; That the Councils streetcare teams include trained

gardeners;
Has working street lights; Has well maintained roads and pavements; Has a dedicated neighbourhood police, community

safety and street cleaning team;

Has enhanced recycling facilities.

standards of service
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Understanding Business Needs

We want Basingstoke to keep the balanced mixed economy which defines our Boroughs success. The focus cannot solely approach to cuts is wrong and that we must seek to invest in both the private and public sector - the balance between the employment land that meets businesses expectations. We must not forget the road network, Basingstokes strength has always been the Towns location. We need to see inward investment focused in new markets and new areas of industry. Basingstoke suffers from a skills gap and that situation will be economy that creates jobs. The social purpose of local made worse as training funds have been cut. As talent moves businesses need to be about job creation. So we need a focus out of our town; as the Council pulls up the draw bridge to on supporting and sustaining business to create and sustain development; as they fail to deliver infrastructure the jobs we need to be a successful Borough in the South East. There are four essential areas that are impacting on our improvements; as the Borough is left behind by regional competitors like Reading and Southampton, Basingstokes We recognise the need to attract big employers, business community. Access to finance & funding; public sector economic vitality will ebb away. We have to address this cuts; skills and infrastructure; and innovation. There is a shortage of business finance. The hurdle for businesses to meet are so high that while banks claim they are lending the truth is that local businesses find it increasingly problem with real and tangible action. importance of Basing View, but also all of our business parks. A That means the needs of our economy and business may be in conflict with other priorities. We need an honest debate about Labour led Council will deliver the aspiration we all hold for Basing View, and we will deliver a full and considered Economic entrepreneurial talent and inward investment, we see the through establishing a new and effective local Trades Union Council. practices in agency work. We will defend the rights of workers From low wages, to the misuse of apprenticeships and poor be about regenerating the office based business parks, it has to two matters. be broader to reflect our wider economy. We need a resilient

what Basingstoke wants to be, because the choices are real and Strategy for Growth. Basingstoke is an economy of big business and SMEs and we will foster both.

hard to get finance. We would bring the banking sector leaders stark. in Basingstoke together to ensure that a coordinated approach was taken to sustaining local business investment. The effects of the public sector cuts on the wider economy have been grossly underestimated. As Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council and Hampshire County Council cut into vital local services the negative message this sends out to the business community is dangerous. We believe that the We need an economic strategy that can address the immediate crisis and triage the wounds that at the moment have been self inflicted by the Council, we then need a coordinated inward investment action plan to map out what each partner and sector can do. Broadband is critical and business needs high speed and stable access, we will champion the challenge to providers to meet that need. We need the right kind of

prosperity for all

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Focus on Jobs and Small Businesses

Rising Costs of Living
grappling with for the past 3 to 4 years. Whether it is because of the cut in welfare support, unemployment or increases in fuel and food prices, people are suffering from the recession. Austerity has gone mad. We will support people and businesses in these tough times. We want to reduce the number of vacant shop and office units We need to make sure more jobs are created in Basingstoke: quality jobs, secure jobs, that pay a decent salary. That is the only way to generate demand in the local economy. We will champion the living wage and promote a scheme for local employers, but as an employer the Council will lead the way. in the Borough and strive to introduce better retail provision through a sensitive lettings policy. Instead of allowing landlords to ask for exorbitant rents for empty shop units, we will push hard for independent retailers to be allowed to rent units at reduced rents, on the basis that a filled shop unit at partial rent is better than an empty one at full rent. We will hold Council Tax at inflation increases only, or within 2%, but we recognize that Council Tax and Fees and Charges are out step. Fees and Charges have become the Councils stealth taxes. We will review how Fees and Charges are set. We will listen and respond to the needs of the small business We will address the problems caused by high rent and property prices effectively pricing companies out of Basingstoke. The Tories have presided over a number of firms closing down or moving out of Basingstoke: Huawei, Ericsson, De La Rue, Alberto Culver, Wella, Eli Lilly, Linde and Sony have all cut jobs, and some firms have pulled out completely. A lethal Tory double whammy of high rents and a lack of support has made it increasingly difficult for firms to stay in Basingstoke.

Support through tough times

Jobs for the Future

Basingstoke has traditionally enjoyed very low rates of

This is the problem that families across the Borough have been No one is immune from the effects of the global economic

crisis, but our small business sector in Basingstoke has been hit unemployment, but since 2010 more people in the Borough are hard. out of work, a trend that is accelerating under the Tories with a 67% increase last year in youth unemployment.

sector, ensuring that support and inward investment is there to Working with our partners, we will make sure the right sustain and grow new jobs and businesses. We want to make start ups easier, make securing finance possible, opening up conditions are created for firms to locate in Basingstoke, creating quality, high-paid, professional jobs. We will make

opportunities for business with the public sector in Basingstoke sure the right transport and fibre optic infrastructure is put in and ensuring where possible the Council leads by sourcing from local businesses. place. Basingstoke is just 45 minutes from Central London or Heathrow, and only 30 minutes from the South Coast and the Thames Valley.

17

Supporting People
The cuts to the Supporting People budget have been catastrophic; we have seen the loss of valuable and vital services to vulnerable people. Our priority will be to protect and grow these services for the most vulnerable. We all have times in our lives when we need a helping hand; many times it means someone to talk to or to get some advice from. But getting the right advice and help can be difficult, often time consuming and sometimes costly. We will open a One Stop Advice Shop located in the Top of Town. We will establish an Advice Taskforce, made up of advisors from the CAB, the Council, Job centre plus, Education, Legal, and the voluntary sector professionals and all manner of support that could be accessed easily by simply walking in off the street. what they need to know about services local to them. Special mention has to be made of the Citizens Advice Bureau which does an incredible job in helping people resolve their legal, financial and other problems by providing free, independent and confidential advice. Because of this and the additional workload they have seen we would provide extra support to them. In particular we will invest in supporting outreach workers who will go into communities and offer support, advice and guidance to people in these times of need. Hubs either online or physically where people can find out lifetime homes standards in policy. We want advice and support readily accessible. So we will develop Community We will look to services and support that can be coordinated between partners to promote independent living, to increase and fill the gaps that exist when needs are identified. It will be a proactive service. Persons Service survives and has its funding secured. We need to see this service grow and expand to support more people, We need to reach out to the most hard to help individuals. Many people struggle get to small repairs done, be it because of the cost or because of not knowing who to contact. Either

Tackling Child Poverty

One of the biggest barriers to raising education standards is child poverty. There are 3,237 children living in poverty in Basingstoke. The picture of child poverty is inconsistent across

way things get left which we know can lead to bigger problems Basingstoke, highlighting massive inequalities. with bigger bills later. We will ensure that the current Handy

We will tackle child poverty as a priority, investing in tried and tested services such as Sure Start Centres, which have had such a massive positive impact.
Every pound spent on tackling child poverty now will pay itself back many times over in later life. We truly believe every child matters.

Supporting Youth Services

to the support offered to young people in Basingstoke. We need to look at the issues being raised by young people and seek to address them in a meaningful way. There is a massive gap in service provision, and we need to map this gap.

We will set up pilot projects to deliver community gardens and When the Tories ended Connexions they did so much damage community orchards. We will also facilitate and support local supported food banks.

there in your time of need

18

A Fair Deal for Elderly and Disabled People

We will empower older people and seek to redress where we are able the impact of cuts on services to disabled people. We will push for a cooperative approach with the County Council but we will act again where we are able: We will invest in disabled access increasing the capital program. We will roll out a program of dropped kerbs to increase safe access around the town for older and disbled people. We will introduce higher standards for lifetime homes in planning policy. We will seek to renew and reinvigorate the over 55s forum to drive forward policies for older people that can make a difference to their lives and needs.

Welfare Reform
Many disabled people will suffer because of the underoccupation rules for social housing. We will develop a full audit of all disabled adapted properties in the Borough and create a reserve funded by partners as well as the Council to specifically meet the need of disabled people who may need to move and adapt new properties. We will also address the supply of new homes to meet disabled needs.

19

Education, A Right for All

Education is a birth right. Every child should have the able to continue to learn throughout life. Our aim is for all schools in our Borough to be recognised as institutions of excellence. We set out here our aims and aspirations that we will push the County Council to deliver. This year schools in Basingstoke equalled Hampshire and Winchester in average results. Schools in Basingstoke are delivering success and we need to tell that story. Peoples perceptions are not the reality and we will challenge that. We will bring a new focus, attention and rigour to the efforts to raise educational achievement in the community for all ages. We will do this by supporting, co-ordinating and harnessing all the contributions and resources already available and by introducing a complete and unrelenting attention to raising standards and achievements. Five elements are key to the success: 1 A complete and coherent approach to raising standards of All students reach their chronological reading age by the end of Year 8 by 2016; We will encourage a range of vocational courses. For example, In collaboration with the Childcare and Family Information Team, Hampshire Learning, Parent Support Team, Childrens Centres and other agencies establish a local parent education marketing service; catering, engineering, motor vehicle maintenance, sport and leisure, health and social development will form part of the overall provision for learners in our Borough. Basingstoke schools will act as hubs for the community they serve. We will At least 60% of students across the Borough will achieve 2 A levels qualifications by age 21; The Local Childrens Partnerships in the Borough quality of service provided by 2016 and 90% satisfaction by 2019; literacy and numeracy across the age range 0 16, and beyond, with family support - a Basingstoke wide strategy; 2 A personalised approach to learning that brings teaching and learning, curriculum, resources, guidance and support in line for all learners; 3 An individual child-centred approach to multi-agency support which enables resource and support to be drawn to the particular needs of each student and their family; We have the following overarching objectives: At least 85% of students across the Borough will achieve 5 GCSE A*-C grades (or equivalent level 2 qualification), including English and Mathematics by age 19; There will be no separate selection of students but rather a culture of diversity, inclusivity and excellence will be embraced. We will work closely with the Basingstoke Consortium. The Consortium recognises the central importance of effective achievement for young people and narrow the gap in achievement between those from low income and disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers. 4 Leadership and management in our schools within the developed that runs from Pre-school through to Further Education to enable the standards and aspirations we want to see embedded in best practice at every level. The curriculum will be inclusive and aspirational, encouraging all students to succeed at their appropriate level of ability, ensuring educational stretch. Those with learning difficulties and those gifted and talented will all experience a curriculum which is both challenging and rewarding. The curriculum provided for students will be broad and balanced, recognising the special place of English and Mathematics, Science and ICT and Sport. opportunity of a first-class education and every adult should be Borough which is confident and collectively committed to success for all - promoting cooperative principles; 5 The development of innovative ways of engaging carers/ parents in their childrens learning and in their own adult learning; thus breaking the cycle of low social outcomes and limited life-chances.

achieve 80% of clients expressing satisfaction with the partnership to meet the aims of raising educational

providing area-wide advice and support on how to be play a large part in supporting the delivery of positive effective carers / parents differentiated to convey outcomes for our children by providing a range of extended key messages for carers / parents at different stages of development. Future employment, further and higher education opportunities depend on the acquisition of core skills in Maths, English, Science and ICT. We want to see a cooperative approach services designed to tackle barriers to childrens learning, improve well-being and support safeguarding of children within the community. The primary goal of this extended services provision will be to contribute towards raising achievement and attainment.

20

We will develop opportunities that:

Additional resource will immediately be employed to provide support for current students. Extended day sessions, vacation catch-up programmes and individual learning programmes will be deployed alongside a Borough-wide focus across the curriculum on defined approaches to literacy and numeracy. Our family school partnerships will be a learning hub for their community and especially for those adults who lack functional literacy or English skills. We will work to ensure that Family Learning programmes are

understanding their individual identities, we can help them define their own strengths and passions so they can make sense of their lives, and give them the disposition, capabilities, knowledge and ideas to help them determine the shape of things yet to come.

Provide a menu of activities including study support,

play and childcare;

Offer young people a safe place to be; Provide parenting support, including family learning Offer swift and easy access to targeted and specialist
services;

We will offer a unique learning journey that fuses innovative ideas and forward thinking with established traditions. We will hold uplifting moral and intellectual principles close to our hearts respect for people, truth, justice and responsibility. These values will be crystallised in the way we work.

Enable community access to facilities including adult

learning, ICT and sports facilities.
We will encourage primary schools and secondary schools to work in family cooperative partnerships alongside other

in place and integrated with the work of the schools. Employer engagement and community partnerships will also be sought

professionals. These partnerships will always have in mind their to seek a community-wide approach to improvements. Our responsibilities for the welfare of children especially: commitment to provide multi-agency support for our schools

Our schools will be founded on a strong sense of mutual respect, based on the acceptance that each one of us is of equal worth. Our students will learn what it is to have a sense of achievement. They will understand that there are many ways to do well and that whatever shape their success takes, it is recognised and celebrated by others. Each will have a place to shine.

physical and mental health; protection from harm and neglect; education, training and recreation; general contribution to society achievement of economic well-being.

will underpin this activity and enable greater community commitment and cohesion to be developed. We believe that the co-ordination of all agency efforts, resources and programmes will be a key element in ensuring coherent support for literacy and numeracy.

We will actively empower and encourage learners and their families to access community learning opportunities and information about services and local events through effective communication of extended community services. We will especially provide learners with opportunities to learn that raise their aspirations, encourage excellence and enable them to enjoy and achieve beyond their expectations. Extended services will help to improve the attainment of our learners as well as their self-confidence, motivation and attendance. The services will be developed further to reduce or eradicate potential exclusion rates, to enable teachers to focus fully on teaching and learning and to enhance childrens and families access to services. We will work energetically and vigorously to place our schools in pole position not just in the Borough but beyond. We will see our mission as working with educational leaders to help young people discover their futures and understand their past. We will want them to make their way in the world with dignity, respect and happiness. Achieving this goal means recognising that each individual student has different talents, hopes and histories and that each needs nurturing in different ways. In We enjoy the excitement of successful innovation. We will work hard to remove obstacles to creative and dynamic thought and refuse to be limited to the confines of what we believe constitutes mediocrity in terms of original thinking.

21

A Sustainable Future for Basingstoke & Deane

Basingstoke is a strong vibrant and growing community. But population and economic growth is straining our environment to a breaking point. Now is the time to strike a balance between our needs and our planets finite resources. We can no longer take it for granted that we can take what we like Your Labour Council is committed to making our Borough a more efficient user of energy. We aim to reduce the amount of energy we use by 20%. Equally we are committed to increasing the amount of renewable energy we generate. By 2020 we aim to see 20% of the Borough energy demand being We will reduce the energy consumption within the Borough by 20% and we will invest to ensure 20% of our energy comes from renewable resources. 40% of all the energy we use in the Borough is used to heat We understand that that a sustainable community can only be built on a foundation where wellbeing is seen as important as our homes, shops and workplaces. We need to make our existing building much more energy efficient. We need to We are failing on two levels. As a Borough we throw away too many things and at the same time we do not recycle the waste we produce. Our Borough has one of the worst records on A less wasteful Basingstoke. in new clean local energy supplies. This will bring both cheaper and more reliable energy into the area whilst creating new jobs.

from our environment and put nothing but waste and pollution met by renewable sources. back into it.

economic growth; where prosperity is better than consumption ensure all new buildings are built to the highest possible and where we value the natural environment in which we all live. standards. We will work with local business to improve the insulation of all homes in the borough. We will ensure all new

buildings are built to meet and exceed the latest environmental waste and recycling in the country. Your Labour Council we Our new Council will focus on delivering five key improvements standards. This will give the people of Basingstoke warmer homes that are cheaper to heat. A lower carbon Basingstoke. We will set up a Basingstoke & Deane Energy partnership: to Each of us is responsible for nearly 8 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. This leads to dangerous climate change. Almost all of our emissions come from burning fossil fuels such as oil, petrol, gas and coal. The energy produced is used to heat our homes, fuel our cars and produce the electricity to run our machines. The easiest ways of reducing Carbon Dioxide is to use less energy and to use renewable resources to generate it. take a long hard look at our future energy needs. It will be led by residents, supported by experts and delivered by business. work to both reduce the amount of waste we produce and increase the amount of waste we recycle. Our watch words will be reduce, re-use and recycle. As a community will waste less and save more. We will set ourselves a target recycling rate of 65% by 2020, which is what is being achieved by the best councils in Britain today. No more excuses from Tory councils about what does and does not have a market for recycling. If Local energy production should be a priority for us all. We will Surrey Heath can recycle 65% of its waste, so can we. If support planning applications that propose local power generation. Whatever the technology wind, sun, water or biomass we need a Council that supports, promotes and invests Holland and Germany can average 75% to 80%, with time so can we.

cleaner, greener, recycle

22

Delivering Change
A more resourceful Basingstoke. to use. To facilitate this, we need to increase maintenance levels through partnership solutions between the Borough We need to make much better use of our local resources. This includes water, food and materials. Our homes use far too Council, local residents, and local voluntary and conservation groups. We would introduce local Neighbourhood Managers, From planning policy to building homes, from reducing waste to energy district heating systems to home insulation and promoting green industries and a green local economy your Council can make a difference and we will ensure the Basingstoke we leave to the next generation is a better place than the one that we inherited from the last.

much water; we dont take advantage of the food that is grown focused on wards. Account table for budgets, standards and locally and we dont make use of the materials available to us locally. Your Labour Council will ensure all new homes make co-ordinating services between partner agencies, they will be expected to deliver lasting results. We will stop the pass the

use of the latest water saving and recycling technology; we will buck culture where agencies avoid responsibility for fixing work with local farmers to make more of their produce available to us all and we will encourage local business to resource their materials as close to the Borough as possible. An Entrepreneurial Basingstoke. A natural Basingstoke. We believe that being green is as much (or more) about As a Borough we are blessed with some of the most beautiful landscape in the country. Our urban areas have some of the best greenspaces in the land. We will work to protect the best of our countryside from further degradation; we will protect both the River Loddon and Test from further pollution; we will work with local groups to widen bio-diversity in out towns and building a prosperous economy as it is about protecting the environment. A focus on less waste; more renewable energy and using local resources is the way for Basingstoke to achieve both greater competiveness and lower costs and at the same time create more jobs for the next generation. Your Labour Council understands the opportunities that building a problems, expecting them to work together. We want a can do attitude focused on standards.

across our countryside and to create the green spaces we need. sustainable community will create for both the people and the businesses of our Borough. We will work in partnership and Our parks and open spaces are not just our green lungs but are co-operatively with both business and individuals to create the the home to the wildlife we cherish. We need to encourage people to use them and make them more attractive for people community we want

23

Investing in Infrastructure (water, roads, broadband, transport, health, schools)

We are seeing increasing problems with congestion, especially on the Ringway East, A33, Brighton Hill and Winchester Road roundabouts. This is caused by more cars on the road, and deteriorating bus services meaning fewer people are using public transport as an alternative. We will make sure the necessary infrastructure investment is Congestion acts as a disincentive for businesses to locate in Basingstoke, and for people to live in Basingstoke, and something needs to be done about it. We can reduce the number of cars on the road by providing better public transport services. We can better manage our existing services and infrastructure. And we can invest in better infrastructure to increase capacity and reduce journey times, and reduce the need for journeys with better communications infrastructure. This is good for our environment with lower emissions, good for our residents who spend less time travelling to work, and good for our businesses who lose further hours to congestion. Basingstokes 1960s new town infrastructure served it well If Stagecoach wont change then someone has to respond to until around 10 years ago. Now, rising traffic levels and increased demand for high-speed internet access mean more campaign to highlight the cuts being made by Stagecoach and investment is required. It goes without saying this hasnt to attempt to redress them. We succeeded in part in getting happened under the Tories: all they have is excuses, convenient our residents needs. It was Labour Councillors who led the Basingstoke. So we will promote the principle of direct action. technology. Parking is a key area for us. We want to see a new parking improvements scheme because we recognise the difficulty parking problems cause to many communities. We will invest in the Shuttle Bus to operate more routes and develop on an income generating focus. We cannot continue to see the service lose money, and yet we know that public transport and buses are one of the most controversial issues in We need a step change in the way we see these issues and we need innovation and focus to achieve results. We will do this through applying our cooperative and mutual values. Borough. face. We want preferred developer partners who see the bigger picture with us, and look to the legacy of what they do in the done. We will also push for world-leading communications infrastructure, and will give special incentives for companies to pilot the next generation communications technology in Basingstoke, such as fibre to the home and 4G mobile principles have value in helping us to examine new policy and focus investment in awarding planning to developers who will address the infrastructure deficit in Basingstoke in ways that help out water cycle issues, that solve communication issues, and that begin to address directly the road network issues we excuses for not building houses, when new build and investment is what is desperately needed. And when new build happens, its usually too late to put right the infrastructure We need to better understand the link between infrastructure, mistakes that have been made. the environment and better planning. The Garden City new timetables for Brighton Hill and hospital routes, but there is much more to be done.

access, investment

24

Better Public Transport

Stagecoach and Hampshire increasingly deliver poor bus services to Basingstoke. Recently services were cut so that no buses run after 9.30pm. Ostensibly this was down to the Tory-led Government cutting grants to Hampshire County Council, who pay Stagecoach to run the buses. But in fact the real reason for no late services is that Stagecoach want to close their depot earlier. On our busy bus routes, people still use the buses late at night to get to and from town. Passenger numbers have been rising, but service cuts risk numbers falling again as people look at alternatives, rather than run the risk of missing the last bus. We need to take Hampshire and Stagecoach to task over the continuing cuts to services, at a time when Basingstoke as a town is growing and passenger numbers are rising.

Pushing up Cycling
Prior to the Tories gaining control of the Borough Council, there was much talk about creating cycle paths with a view to a comprehensive cycle network in Basingstoke. Cycles are a much more environmentally friendly way to get around town, and has the added advantage of health benefits through exercise. Unfortunately, the Tories appear more interested in car ownership and dont appear to care too much about cycling. We will develop a new Supplemental Planning Document specifically focused on cycling in Basingstoke and how the Council can better enable safe and increased use of cycles as a good green form of transport. This will lead to a program of joining up the cycle routes through the town, and a strategic bigger picture approach to incentivising safe cycle use.

Stagecoach desperately needs competition.

Hampshire has consistently let us down by drawing up a service model for Basingstoke based on Winchester and Andover which are less than half the size. We need better bus services, closer to whats on offer in Reading and London. We will offer incentives for people to use buses for work, for shopping and for getting around the town.

25

Community Safety
We all know that anti social behaviour, nuisance neighbours and crime in our communities creates tensions, fear and leads to confidence issues with local Police and the Council. We will tackle this lack of confidence head on. We will develop and Council. We will take a hard line on the negative drinking culture in Residents will be able to set the standards that they expect for their communities. We want to connect people with those our Town Centre. The level of readily available cheap alcohol is a serious problem. No-one wants to stop people enjoying Town Centre and excessive drinking can cause problems. We also want the Council to work with the Police to be far more responsive to residents. Communication makes a big difference in tackling the fear of crime. We will take a zero tolerance attitude to drugs. By linking the work of the Housing Associations, the Police, the Voluntary Sector and the Council we can begin to make a difference to prolific offenders. We will oppose the Governments cuts to Police that may see tactical units like drugs and child protection teams cut and/or merged with other forces. We want to see effective actions, not a target culture, in We will roll out a programme promoting Neighbourhood Watch across Basingstoke reinforcing the communities role in preventing crime. tackling crime. We want to see standards driven actions and our communities needs, not what simply ticks a box. We see the impact on our streets, in anti social behaviour and vandalism. We need to get the right balance in licensing and codes of operation for bars and pubs, door staff and the relationship between business, the residents who live in the Town Centre, as well as the Police. We want a safe Town night out. We will work with the new Police & Crime Commissioner, but We will enhance late night bus services to disperse people from the principle we will set down clearly is that our position is that the town centre. their can be no frontline Policing cuts. We were promised that frontline policing would not be affected by the Coalitions cuts and here we see frontline policing directly affected. We fear that many more of the 440 police We will work with what is left of the County Youth Service, that The balance needs to be right between tactical policing that has been so drastically cut back, to identify where County is now failing and we will highlight the gaps in services. The Borough Council will be the peoples champion in holding other authorities to account for actions they should be local actions plans agreed between communities and the Police fulfilling. delivers major effects in keeping Basingstoke one of the safest boroughs in the country, and in the street patrolling which gives residents confidence and allays the fear of crime. The Council has a key role in tackling the fear of crime. We will ensure that services like environmental health, housing, community safety, community development and our partners are far more coordinated.

charged with delivering security and keeping our Borough safe. themselves or from having a good time, but we need a safe

Frontline Police Cuts

It is an absolute scandal that Basingstoke is losing 4 frontline officers this year, 2 rural officers and 2 urban officers.

Centre, but so too our suburbs when people walk home after a jobs set to be lost in Hampshire will impact on Basingstoke.

policing by consent...

26

Parks & Open Spaces

Our parks and open spaces are our green lungs. We need to encourage people to use them and make them more attractive for people. conservation groups. Basingstoke has always been susceptible to litter, graffiti, fly tipping and broken glass on paths and play areas risking injuries to children and pets.

We will protect our all parks and open spaces that our community value and care about. We will introduce a specific planning policy to protect our open spaces.

When Labour led the council, we had a good scheme in place with teams of street cleaners and community wardens reporting problems and tackling the fly tippers. Much of this has been axed by the Tories since they took

To facilitate this, we need to increase maintenance levels through partnership solutions between the Borough Council, local residents, and local voluntary and

charge of the council, and we need to do something about it and clean up our parks and open spaces.

27

Night Time Economy

The Night Time Economy is vital to the town and brings much needed employment, visitors and retail profits. However, the growth of problems within the night-time economy and alcohol-related crime and disorder in Basingstoke and Deane has increased, and are causing police officers to be diverted from other priorities. With a joint approach from agencies and our other partners these issues can be resolved. The Government have made yet more, recent, changes to the licensing laws, with the Police Reform & Social Responsibility Act. Measures like these now need to settle instead of being consistently changed, causing confusion to everyone involved. The present powers properly used should effectively go a long way to solving the present issues. There is a decline in the proportion of alcohol consumed on the licensed premises and a growth in the proportion of alcohol purchased from supermarkets and convenience stores at heavily discounted prices. This encourages patrons to go pre-loaded and arrive inebriated in the Town Centre. More robust action by staff in refusing to serve customers already showing signs of excess alcohol consumption would help discourage the practice of pre loading. being in a crowd that provides more opportunities for conflict with others. Staggered closing times could help to avoid large numbers of patrons gathering in the same area at the same time. Other issues include competition for transport to get home. There is no public transport in Basingstoke after 9.30pm and this means a further gathering of patrons already inebriated in queues for taxis. Its a choice between taxis and private hire vehicles or walking home through residential areas which creates the opportunity to cause further public nuisance, litter, crime and disorder. The promotion of good design and maintenance of licensed premises, through appropriate design of seating, bar layout and how it affects the traffic flow of the patrons, convenient bar access, lighting, good ventilation, no hidden alcoves that prevent the easy monitoring of behaviour, raised bar-areas to permit monitoring of customer behaviour, and good clear image CCTV, sound monitoring with cut out when levels are too high, is all very important. The free provision of better training, which could be either/or online or facilitated at a local college, to encourage bar would include for example fast glass removal and how to best deal with aggressive or violent individuals in the safest manner and what to do when is someone intoxicated, would be a positive step to ensuring a safer and more enjoyable experience in our town. We would work to achieve the reduction of excessively loud music by working closely with our environmental teams. We will promote the current Pubwatch and Business Watch schemes, so for instance known patrons with a history of aggression or binge drinkers are not served and the Police are alerted swiftly. The reduction of drink related injuries can be achieved by the use of alternatives to glass. In some areas of the country a qualified medic is close at hand, and as most premises are radio linked in the top of town this would encourage a quick response. We believe a feasibility study to see if this could be achieved and bring value to the borough by reducing numbers needing hospital treatment and reduce health and safety issues is a positive response to calls for better safety. Our town centre is safe, it is a vibrant place which we want to support and encourage. The diversity of offer matters, and the need to maintain a close watch on cheap binge drinking is important. We want to see an innovative Licensing system that supports a vibrant night time economy.

Another factor that plays a significant role in the generation of workers to follow best practice and responsible serving is crime and disorder is the density of licensed premises in close something we will promote. To write a course that licensed

proximity, this coupled with the numbers of people present are premises can send staff on, working with BCoT, has in other a cause for situations to develop. This also causes excessive noise and violence. Serious violence can be apportioned to authorities been very successful. Promotion of good practice for bar staff to include the Challenge 21/25 scheme, the course

vibrant, renewal, tradition

Copyright don cload and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

28

Top of Town
We have a vision that the Top of Town should become the market place, the meeting place and the cultural centre of Basingstoke. We see a Top of Town equipped with childrens play areas, green areas, and space for entertainers and exhibitions. An area for residents to be proud of and an area that becomes a destination in its own right. We need to invest in improving the street scene image of the Top of Town, encouraging the creation of shop fronts in New Road. In short we would return the Top of Town to an traditional town centre. To achieve this vision requires ambition, determination and partnership working. There are a number of things we can We support Basingstoke Live for the wonderful event it is, .

Backing Basingstoke Live

do to get things moving and to stop the area falling further and want to work with partners and the community in behind. We would establish zones for special rents in the Top of Town to attract new small businesses and help existing ones. Basingstoke has a long and proud tradition as a market town and we want to invest and support the local market to be successful and grow to help and support local food producers. A major part of our strategy to revitalize the Top of Town would be our commitment to review car parking charges in We will develop a Young Persons Passport that will act as order to attract shoppers to the area. We will rule out privatising or selling off our car parks for housing and flats. We want to see cheap and easily accessible parking that boosts the local economy. a means of access to public transport, to facilities and opportunities and offers throughout Basingstoke. We will work with young peoples groups and partners to develop this scheme as a cooperative social enterprise. We will work with occupiers of the Leisure Park to deliver discounts as part of this scheme. developing the event to fulfill its full potential. We will commit the Councils resources and organizational strength to making sure Basingstoke Live continues to thrive. We want to see the War Memorial Park used all year round, so we will look at a year round calendar of events that puts Basingstoke on the regional map.

Young Persons Passport

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Restoring Integrity to your Council

Its time to take our democracy seriously, not as some play thing of councillors, but as the bedrock of good governance for all in our Borough. The Judicial Review and High Court Judgement has exposed serious issues that need to be addressed, not least the need to shine a light into the darkest places of the Council. We will create a Scrutiny Committee of the Council, tasked with holding the Council to account. It will always be chaired by the opposition and its role will be to look carefully, and with real focus, at how we can make the Council a better organisation for We need openness and transparency, we need accountability and all. It will have the power to establish task and finish panels that fairness, and we need to tackle the culture of arrogance and political manipulation. like the old Best Value Review panels can examine specific subjects, investigate evidence and produce recommendations for improvements. This will be a committee of 10 or 11 members. These are the regulatory committees that we must have by law and will oversee the important statutory roles of councillors. These would be committees of 14 or 15 members.

Scrutiny

investigate policy proposals, come up with new policy and recommendations and to consult and involve the public in the making of policy. These will be smaller and more focused committees of 11 or 12 members.

Development Management Committee, Licensing Committee, Audit Committee.

We will restore the balance between scrutiny and leadership.

Cabinet
The Cabinet system can form a strong and stable system of good governance if the committee system is strong enough to balance it. We want to get the balance between leadership and getting things done and good solid scrutiny and member involvement right. All 60 members have an important role to play. We want encourage strong committees that can challenge and develop policy. In response to the Ernst & Young Independent Inquiry Report we support an independent scrutiny function supported by policy forming and reviewing committees.

Finance & Resources Select Committee, Environment Select Committee, Housing & Planning Select Committee, Community Select Committee.
We will set up four policy forming and reviewing committees to look at what the Council actually does. We want policy to originate in these committees first before it goes to the Cabinet, as much as to have Cabinet drive forward policy. Recommendations from these committees should be formally responded to by the Cabinet. No longer would an Executive of just 8 or 10 members be empowered to make policy decisions on their own. It will be the responsibility of these committees to

Human Resources Committee

We will reinvigorate the relationship between staff, management and councillors through a Human Resources Committee which reviews and supports all staff functions of the senior management. The aim is not that the Committee replaces these management functions but the actions, of, policies and relationships are held accountable through the Committee. All Trade Unions represented within the workforce will be represented fully on this 10 or 11 member Committee.

openness

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Area Forums
There is a lot of merit in local community issues being debated and focused into Area Forums, where the spirit of localism can

Call In & Minority Mechanisms of Challenge Communicating in the 21st Century

The need to challenge the Cabinet, we hope, will change with more power being devolved to committees and vested in Full We will review the Councils PR department and IT services with a view to bringing the Council into the 21st Century with social media communication and access to services online. We want the community and partners to have a modern, accessible and reliable image of the Council. Paying bills, making contact with

be fully expressed. We talk a lot about neighbourhood plans and Council. But we need to ensure that minority groups can always the idea of bringing democracy closer to the people, but we must put this into practice. refer a matter to the floor of Full Council and that they can always refer a matter to Scrutiny. That should no longer be in

the gift of the Chief Executive. We want clear rules that empower officers, logging complaints, communicating success and issues. In terms of planning pre-application Area Forums could play an excellent role in advising developers of local community wishes, aspirations and constraints, and as a formal part of the Council structure they would have to take notice. members. We want the IT and PR of the Council to serve our residents and partners with the best practice possible.

Constitution
We want to see a full and comprehensive review of the constitution which has been tinkered so much in recent years it

On community based issues it is far better to coordinate the

is no longer fit for purpose. The Tories got rid of scrutiny and

views of residents and community groups that can feed evidence they neutered call-in, so we have to open up the debate about into the Select Committees or Scrutiny on key policy areas. We see these Forums as being the real face of localism in action in Basingstoke and Deane. We will establish 7 Forums North East, transparency and democracy within our Council and seek to review the constitution with the express aim of making fit for purpose. We need to stop a simple majority being able to fix the

North West, Central, & South Basingstoke Town, Rural East, Rural constitution in its favour in the future, any changes must be South and Rural North East Basingstoke & Deane Area Forums. Each with members drawn from the allocated wards. We want these bodies to be talk-shops, to act as key points of contact. agreed by two thirds of the members, and the relationship between senior management and members needs to be carefully reviewed. There is a lot of work to be done to make your Council open, inclusive, and democratic.

Inclusion
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Your BasingstokeLabour Councillor team BasingstokeLabour

Buckskin Brighton Hill Popley East Popley West Norden South Ham Brookvale

NORDEN
Cllr Paul Harvey
Cllr.paul.harvey@ Basingstoke.gov.uk

SOUTH HAM
Cllr Colin Regan
Cllr.colin.regan@ Basingstoke.gov.uk

BRIGHTON HILL
Cllr Carolyn Wooldridge
Cllr.carolyn.wooldridge@ Basingstoke.gov.uk

POPLEY EAST
Cllr David Potter
Cllr.david.potter@ Basingstoke,gov.uk

POPLEY WEST
Cllr Jane Frankum
Cllr.jane.frankum@ Basingstoke.gov.uk

Write to us at: The Labour Group, Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council, Civic Offices, London Road, Basingstoke, RG21 4AH Telephone us at: 01256 845324

07968 941009
Cllr Laura James
Cllr.laura.james@ Basingstoke.gov.uk

07796 225618
Cllr Sean Keating
Cllr.sean.keating@ Basingstoke.gov.uk

07913 841439
Cllr David Eyre
Cllr.david.eyre@ Basingstoke.gov.uk

07941 507801
Cllr Viv Washbourne
Cllr.vivien.washbourne@ Basingstoke.gov.uk

Cllr Paul Frankum

Cllr.paul.frankum@ Basingstoke.gov.uk

01256 819924

07780 663713
Cllr George Hood
Cllr.george.hood@ Basingstoke.gov.uk

01256 422969
Cllr Gary Watts
Cllr.gary.watts@ Basingstoke.gov.uk

07715 279539
BUCKSKIN
Cllr Tony Jones
Cllr.tony.jones@ Basingstoke,gov.uk

07900 890088
BROOKVALE
Cllr Jack Cousens
Cllr.jack.cousens@ Basingstoke.gov.uk

01256 359917

01256 331031

07983 950032

07912 012746

We are here for Basingstoke, We are here for you.

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