Labour Councillors challenged to debate Fair Deal for York (York Liberal Democrats)

York Liberal Democrats <info@yorklibdems.org.uk>

Labour Councillors challenged to debate Fair Deal for York

April 7, 2005 4:08 PM

Lib Dem Council Leader Steve Galloway The York Council on Tuesday may be given the opportunity to test what local Parliamentary candidates think about the future of Local Government.

A Lib Dem motion asks candidates to make their views known on key issues facing the Council including the long running saga of obtaining a fair grant deal for the Lib Dem.

Lib Dem Leader Steve Galloway says, "I hope that Labour will be prepared to support this motion.

"Too often in the past they have tried to avoid any responsibility for either the funding that the City receives from central government or the amount of red tape which eats up so much of our resources.

"I hope that - now a general election is on the horizon - they won't continue to duck the key issues facing York's Council".

ENDS

The motion reads:

Local Government policy priorities and the General Election

The City of York Council calls on local candidates in the forthcoming General Election to give their backing to the "Fair Grant for York" campaign and make their views known on the following policies

1. Replacement of the Council Tax with a local Income Tax

2. Cutting red tape by funding more of the Councils budget directly and by reducing the current inspection regime (thereby decreasing the amount of officers' time and money spent both chasing special grants and jumping through hoops set by Whitehall) which would allow the York Council to focus more of its resources on improving service quality

3. Central government action to reduce the amount of waste generated, direct a larger proportion of Landfill Taxes into waste volume reduction programmes and to act to stimulate increased markets for reused products & recycled materials.

4. Provision of free, at the point of delivery, personal care services for the elderly

5. Simplification and streamlining of the planning system while giving a higher priority to reducing CO2 emissions, and reforming building regulations to improve the environmental efficiency of new buildings which would make the power, water and heating costs of running a home more affordable.

6. Give local communities more influence over their neighbourhoods, including crime fighting, together with the introduction of 'fair votes' for local government elections, so councils are more representative of the people who elect them.

7. Introduce additional powers to permit Councils to install passive speed control measures, such as cameras, where local neighbourhoods favour more effective enforcement and provide additional powers to Councils to enable them to control "the school run".

8. Increase the supply of low cost homes through more shared equity schemes, a 'golden share' model that controls resale value through planning conditions together with a new model of mutual home ownership.

9. Help tenants by giving them a right to invest in their home to build up an equity stake, a right to remain as a Council tenant if they choose to and an end to the unfair stock transfer subsidy.

Proposed: Steve Galloway