Labour launch local election manifesto

When we lost control of the council in 2004 it was a blow for Labour. But it was also a lesson. And we have learned from it.

We have spent the last four years listening to local people. Listening and changing. Being told where we went wrong. And changing to get it right.

Now Labour is back on track again. Taking up the issues that matter to you. Putting local issues first.

Labour has spent the last year working hard, within a Liberal Democrat controlled council, to deliver on what we know is important to you - cleaner and safer streets, good quality parks and play areas, local shops that look tidy and are welcoming.

Under the leadership of the Lib Dems Rochdale is going backwards. We were one of a handful of councils to be downgraded a star this year by the Audit Commission and it is clear that the council are failing too many people in our Borough. The choice you face at the ballot box this year could not be clearer. A vote for the Lib Dems is a vote for waste, neglect and incompetence.

We can make a difference with a change of council in May. More of your money spent on the things that matter to you.

Getting the finances right
In the last council budget, which the Lib Dems rejected:

• We proposed a lower council tax.
• We proposed a 2% reduction in council tax for pensioner households.
• We proposed spending £500.000 on employing a street cleaner in every ward - who would not only clean the streets, but would also report pavement repairs, grot spots and fly tipping, making our streets cleaner and safer.
• We still propose putting £350,000 into saving home care for the elderly.
• We propose to collect council tax arrears built up over the Lib Dem period in control.
• We propose to cut the Cabinet members from 10 to 6 saving over £50,000 each year.
• We would remove the bureaucracy and the post of a peoples champion, saving £150,000 each year.
• We would cut the £10,000 spent on giving councillors free parking each year.

So before you cast your vote this year, look back on a year under the Lib Dems in Rochdale and consider some of the key differences offered in the local Labour Party manifesto:

A party where results are more important than headlines
It is well known that the Lib Dems employ a large publicity machine and always favour spin over substance. While in opposition on the council the Labour Group is quietly going about making a difference in our Borough. It used to take 40-days to get an abandoned car removed from our streets, now they are cleared in days with the partnership between the fire brigade and the police.

We have worked with our Government to raise even more money to invest £90 million in Housing Renewal. And millions more have already been invested in bringing our homes up to a decent standard. We have invited Ministers to Rochdale to see the problems we face and the Government is listening. In recent weeks the Minister, Andy Burnham, who visited here earlier this year, made Rochdale the only local authority in Greater Manchester to become a Play Pathfinder area, giving us £2.5million to improve play facilities.

Clamping down on grots spots, litter and constant fly tipping Rubbish dumping is ruining our environment and seriously damaging people’s quality of life. We've made a start with local clean ups, and we promise to fight for more convictions against fly tippers.

Latest Government fly-tipping figures on enforcement action reveal that Rochdale Council made just one successful prosecution in 2006/07. In the same period, Bury Council achieved 14 successful prosecutions, Burnley achieved 34, Oldham achieved 12 and Manchester managed 126. When fly tipping costs rate payers in Rochdale £3million a year it’s time we ditched the soft Lib Dem line and got tough on offenders.

An end to fortnightly bin collections We pledge to replace the disastrous fortnightly collections of household waste introduced by the Lib Dems, which are costly to us the council tax payers and do nothing to increase re-cycling.

We know that it costs less to collect all waste weekly in dual purpose wagons than it does to collect fortnightly in single item wagons. We would replace the three wagons it takes now to collect your waste, with one wagon which picked up your waste weekly. This would save money and increase recycling, thus reducing the amount of waste going to environmentally damaging landfill. There is no evidence locally or nationally that alternate weekly collection contributes anything to recycling.

We take community facilities seriously
We are in the process of completely renovating Heywood Library. Contrast that with the Lib Dem Library closure policy which has seen Castleton library and its Carnegie building closed and sold off, and Norden Library closed and now empty. They also closed a community Centre in Heywood.

But under Labour Middleton is beginning to see the start of development of their New Town Centre.

An end to disastrous traffic management
The Lib Dems incompetent traffic planning has resulted in gridlock across Rochdale. They have scheduled major road works on Rochdale's main routes all at the same time. This has caused mayhem and frustration for drivers, not to mention the increase in exhaust fumes. This has hit Rochdale businesses hard. Is it any wonder that town centre traders have reported a downturn in sales because people simply cannot get to the town centre?
Employment opportunities for all

A Labour Council will attack the labour market inequalities that persist in Rochdale; our vision is for 'employment for all'. We will work with the Benefits service and other partners to develop appropriate interventions to help people back to work; we will tackle the barriers to employment and causes of long term incapacity to work.

A Labour Council will work with local employers to support their productivity and growth; we will introduce an occupational health collaborative scheme for small businesses to help sick or injured employees to a speedy recovery.

Health and social care in Rochdale Borough The Lib Dems have refused to acknowledge the scale of the social problems that exist in Rochdale Heywood, Middleton and the Pennines and do not have the answers to build a strong programme of social regeneration. Rochdale Borough needs a council that recognises the following:

• Life expectancy for men in Rochdale Borough is 3 years less than the average in England and 2 years less for women.
• Across Rochdale people in the lowest income groups live approximately 5 years less than the highest income.
• Health inequalities - the social gradient in poor health - are getting worse; they are socially constructed, unjust and not inevitable.
• The rate of benefit claimants in Rochdale with poor mental health is almost double the England average.
• Approximately 1 in 9 people in Rochdale report to be in ‘poor health’ compared with approximately 1 in 13 for the England average.
• Local people consistently raise concerns about care and caring, on the doorstep and on leaflet feedback forms.
• Adult care services in Rochdale are not good enough and were the prime reason why we have been downgraded to a two-star council

We will lobby to ensure our funding allocations from Government reflect our population needs, ensure that carers are recognised and supported, and that the unfairness and inconsistency in care services is tackled, and develop services so that they are provided at home or as close to people’s homes as possible.

Furthermore, we will strive to build better inter-agency partnerships to tackle social deprivation, seek to influence additional investment in local mental health services to reflect local needs and support and enhance the Learning Disability Partnership Board, giving service users and carers greater influence over the services they receive.

Above all, the Labour Group believes in a public sector ethos in health and social care and wants to strengthen local governance and accountability arrangements putting local people, service users and staff at the heart of all social care planning.

Crime
Earlier this year it was announced that more than 100 extra police officers will be pounding the beat in Greater Manchester. Here in Rochdale, we will be fighting to get more police and lobby the Government to free up more officers from dealing with paperwork so they can have a visible presence on our streets. We will also be supporting the use of Anti Social Behaviour Orders and dispersal orders – which the Lib Dems oppose – to tackle the worst street gangs.

Working with Government to get better youth facilities and more investment in crime prevention projects will help reduce youth nuisance, promote social inclusion and build stronger communities.

Finally
A Labour run council will work with central Government to get the best deal for Rochdale. The Lib Dems have not been in Government for over 100-years and are seemingly unable to influence central Government.

We are determined to build on improvements and cut waste in the council budget and spend your money on matters that are important to you.

With your support on 1 MAY, we have the strength to change Rochdale Heywood Middleton and the Pennines for the better.