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Labour's 2022 South Cambs District Council manifesto. Version for SE Cambs CLP web site-compressed

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LABOUR’S MANIFESTO

ONE SOUTH CAMBRIDGESHIRE

FAIR FOR ALL

PUTTING THE VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY

AT THE HEART OF THE COUNCIL

Promoted by David Jermy on behalf of South East Cambridgeshire CLP all at Alex Wood Hall, Norfolk Street, Cambridge, CB1 2LD.


Labour’s SCDC manifesto 2022 Page 1

A manifesto for a modern, community-focused Council

On 5 May you elect a new District Council.

We are proud of our vision for a green,

well-run, open and trusted South Cambs.

Our manifesto builds on the success of

other Labour Councils. For example,

Labour in Cambridge City leads the way

on the environment, anti-poverty and

affordable homes.

South Cambs has suffered from years of

dominance by just two parties: first the

Conservatives and now the Lib Dems.

The ruling Lib Dem group asks you to

‘trust them’ yet they have failed to issue

any audited accounts since taking charge

four years ago 1.

A Labour council will:

★ Act on the climate and biodiversity

emergencies.

★ Work closely with the Labour Mayor of

Cambridgeshire to deliver the Climate

Action Plan. And operate to recognised

United Nations climate and biodiversity

agreements.

★ Create the Council’s first-ever antipoverty

strategy to address effects of

poverty e.g food parcels and tackle the

causes e.g. pay the Real Living Wage.

★ Be responsible in budget setting. Ensure

openness, transparency and

accountability in decisions and in

spending taxpayers’ money.

There is little accountability in planning as

many decisions are made by officers.

Labour wants community involvement in

decisions, with a bigger say for Parish and

Town Councils through a Parish Forum. We

will hold ‘Leader of the Council Question

Time’ so the public can quiz the Council.

Last May, Labour’s Dr Nik Johnson won

the directly elected Mayor of Cambs and

Labour gained seats to be part of the Joint

Administration at the County Council.

Voters are turning to Labour’s positive plan

and our track record of delivery. It is time

to change to Labour in South Cambs.

★ Insist on at least 40% affordable housing

across new build sites. The default will

be Council homes for social rent.

★ Exercise the Council’s powers for good

e.g. local and ethical buying. Enhance

natural habitats through Biodiversity Net

Gain targets in developments.

★ Follow planning laws and encourage as

much participation as possible. Update

the planning portal for easier use,

version control and good archives.

★ Apply good business practice by

publishing dashboards that show

targets, current status and best

achievements by similar councils.

1 Correct at 18 March 22


Labour’s SCDC manifesto 2022 Page 2

A green Council acting on climate and biodiversity

Any growth must start from community

needs and be based on the green agenda.

We’ll work with communities, landowners

and Parish Councils to create robust Local

Nature Recovery Plans. We’ll end

glyphosate use and aim to be Peat-Free.

South Cambs Council should be doing far

more to address the climate and

biodiversity emergencies. Lib Dem SCDC

ranks a poor 86 th out of District Councils in

an assessment by Climate Emergency UK.

Household carbon emissions here are the

highest in the county.

We will protect our environment and help

to deliver the Cambridgeshire Climate

Action Plan, and we’ll operate to evidencebased

United Nations frameworks.

We’ll use planning controls and buying

power to promote a green economy: low

carbon, resource efficient and biodiverse.

Labour will give the Climate Lead

Councillor a seat at the Cabinet table.

Labour is committed to reconnecting our

villages with a good bus service. We’ll

work with Mayor Dr Nik Johnson and with

other Councils to achieve this.

We’ll make sure there are safe and good

quality foot and cycle paths. And bring

community e-bikes to more villages.

A Labour Council will:

★ Become a 100% net zero council by

2030. Labour in Cambridge is doing this.

The Lib Dems in South Cambs fall short

at a 75% reduction by that date.

★ Adopt a local version of the UN

Biodiversity Framework and set clear

targets to be measured by a regular

Biodiversity Audit.

★ Stimulate the Green economy. Work with

the Mayor for green apprenticeships.

★ Ensure everyone has access to nature.

Create community gardens and set up

schemes such as a Tree Canopy project.

★ Shake up Community Transport to give

real emphasis to reducing reliance on

cars and lessen rural isolation.

★ Install more electric vehicle charging

points to increase from the current 43.

★ Raise additional funding through a

Community Municipal Investment fund

(ethical crowdfunding for local people to

invest in a greener community).

★ Work with farmers and landowners to

enhance natural habitats including

grasslands, wildflower meadows, chalk

streams, woodlands and fens.

★ Protect our communities from the

impact of climate change with naturebased

anti-flood measures and doing

the basics of keeping gullies clear.

★ Increase renewable energy capacity and

back the Local Electricity Bill so that

electricity generated can be sold to local

people. Divest from fossil fuels.

★ Introduce more ways to reuse e.g. repair

cafes, car clubs and a ‘library of things’

where you borrow rather than buy new.


Labour’s SCDC manifesto 2022 Page 3

Fair for all: creating pathways out of poverty

Over 10% of children in South Cambs are

entitled to Free School Meals. It’s one of

the fastest rising rates in the country.

Labour County Councillors delivered our

pledge for meals to continue in the

holidays. And to help struggling families

with everyday costs.

The dignity and well-being of all local

residents matters to Labour. We cannot

claim progress while some are left behind

in poverty.

The Conservative Government has

reduced benefits for the poorest by £1000

a year. The current Lib Dem Council does

not even have an anti-poverty strategy.

With soaring costs of living, energy prices

shooting up and National Insurance hikes

hitting, more families than ever are facing

tough choices of which bills to pay.

The structural causes of poverty are lack of

well-paid secure work, rapidly rising living

costs, inadequate social security, and

racial injustice. For real reform we need a

different Government. But there’s still

plenty that a Labour South Cambs Council

can change. We will tackle the root causes

of poverty and address its effects.

We will create and implement the first-ever

South Cambs anti-poverty strategy. We will

involve people living on low incomes,

public agencies and voluntary groups. Our

anti-poverty strategy will include health

inequality and build on the Labour Cambs

Mayor’s public health focus.

A Labour Council will:

★ Become Real Living Wage accredited. A

permanent commitment to pay Council

staff and contractors enough to live on.

We’ll encourage local businesses to do

the same.

★ Accelerate home insulation and install

eco-heating pumps. Take action against

private landlords renting poorly insulated

properties (which the current Council

hasn’t done since Minimum Energy

Standards were introduced).

★ Sign up to the ‘Right to Food’ campaign

to end the scandal of food banks.

★ Tackle digital exclusion through digital

champions and projects to support lowincome

residents to acquire skills. Run

sessions including for tenants,

leaseholders, and in sheltered housing.

★ Provide Poverty advisors. Expand the

welfare advice services that Labour

Councillors made sure are funded.

★ Work with organisations helping with

basic needs, preferring cash-first

approaches to food insecurity.

★ Address period poverty by providing free

sanitary products in community centres

(e.g. ‘blue bag’ at Cambourne Soul).


Labour’s SCDC manifesto 2022 Page 4

Building genuinely affordable homes

Decent housing is a fundamental human

right. Too many local people live in overcrowded

houses because renting and

buying are so expensive. Fewer than half

of homes in South Cambs are wellinsulated

and are expensive to run.

Labour will insist on 40% minimum

affordable homes in new developments.

Lib Dems and Conservatives have failed to

deliver this. We lost 1100 affordable homes

at Waterbeach New Town when the

requirement was slashed by a quarter

We will follow Labour in Cambridge and

change the scope of the South Cambs

Investment Partnership to make building

Council Homes its main purpose.

A Labour Council will:

★ Insist on the 40% minimum affordable

homes target in new developments and

focus on homes for social rent. Our

target is to build 50 more Council Homes

a year by 2024 than the current plans.

★ Develop better strategies for ending

homelessness. Some families have been

waiting a year for permanent housing.

We must do better. And South Cambs

should look at innovative approaches for

rough sleepers such as housing pods.

★ Make all of our new housing accessible

to people with disabilities, with at least

5% specifically adapted.

★ Support Community Land Trusts —

democratic, non-profit organisations that

own and develop land for and with the

local community.

★ Back tenants to stand up to private

landlords so that their homes are

maintained properly, making better use

of inspection and enforcement.

Our housing programme will be ambitious.

When we say: ‘affordable’ we are clear that

we mean Council Homes providing secure

tenancies at social rent. We want new

homes at net zero carbon standards.

We’ll work with villages interested in Rural

Exception Sites. This means small patches

of land can be used to provide affordable

housing for local people.

Under the Conservatives, the council

housing stock in South Cambs reduced

and the Lib Dems have done little to turn

this around. They have added a mere 109

homes (2% increase). Yet there are 1700

families waiting on the housing register.

★ Bring the 300 non-decent Council

homes in South Cambs up to standard.

★ Safeguard sustainable futures in new

developments, with large green spaces,

community facilities and quality active

transport links (using Section 106

agreements). No more waiting years for

a proper High Street as Cambourne has.

★ Work with the Domestic Abuse Housing

Alliance to improve the response to

domestic abuse. Housing is the main

barrier to fleeing violence (for women,

especially).


Labour’s SCDC manifesto 2022 Page 5

Co-operating across South Cambridgeshire

We will always remember that the Council

is there to serve local residents. We know it

isn’t possible to please everyone all of the

time, but we believe that the Council must

do better than its present performance.

We will build on the values of the

Co-operative Movement to help us to

listen to what residents want, to build trust

and to benefit every town and village.

Labour will work with community

organisations to aid volunteering, providing

funding and supporting events. Labour will

deliver high quality essential services in the

face of Government cuts.

We’ll support local businesses, through a

new Economic Recovery Officer, and work

to keep our village high streets accessible

and lively to attract shoppers.

The planning process must be more cooperative

and welcome local knowledge.

We’ll set up a water management review

involving local groups and experts. The

council must play its part in ending overextraction

and sewage overflow.

Thanks to a Labour initiative there’s now a

Cultural Strategy process. We will make

sure South Cambs is a welcoming place

with something for everyone.

A Labour Council will:

★ Work with Parish and Town Councils to

create a Parish Forum as a trusted

partnership. The Forum will share good

ideas, influence to improve residents’

lives, and co-ordinate environmental

stewardship across South Cambs.

★ Explore ways to put community assets

under the control of local people through

the use of Community Land Trusts.

★ Increase engagement in consultations.

There will be better publicity. More ways

to take part to suit people’s preferences.

And fewer closed questions.

★ Strengthen the network of Community

Centres to deliver a broad range of

clubs, sports, leisure activities and

entertainment for all ages. Involve

disadvantaged groups.

★ Promote physical activity: children’s play

apparatus and outdoor gym equipment.

★ Communicate the work of the Council

including a monthly briefing for Parishes.

Make sure that schemes that the Council

funds are clearly identified as such.

★ Tackle the growing problems of

loneliness and isolation through

outreach work with a focus on new

communities e,g, Cambourne,

Northstowe, Waterbeach New Town.

★ Help stop fly-tipping with Community

Skip Days. Prosecute rubbish dumpers.

★ Monitor air quality by major roads and

schools (today, just three locations are

monitored). Find mitigations for plans

such as for the Waterbeach New Town

School being built next to the A10.

★ Provide training for councillors on

support services to help with their case

work and to comply with anti-corruption

and data protection legislation.


Labour’s SCDC manifesto 2022 Page 6

Using the Council’s powers to deliver fairness for all

Labour will establish a Community Wealth

Building Strategy for local prosperity.

When awarding contracts, we’ll consider

the overall benefit to our community.

We’ll target investment on high-skilled jobs

and to help young people be job-ready.

We’ll support community owned

businesses and co-operatives.

A Labour Council will promote the benefits

of Union membership. Workplaces with

unions are safer and have higher pay.

Employers benefit from well-motivated

staff and higher customer satisfaction.

Local people have little real say on major

planning decisions; too often they are

‘done deals’. Labour will rebuild trust in the

process by involving communities early on.

We will review planning delegation so that

key decisions are made by elected

councillors rather than officers.

The Council doesn’t regulate large

infrastructure, but can influence for good.

The Council must push for a stronger

green focus at the outset and seek better

mitigations as decisions are made e.g.

East-West Rail and moving the Waste

Water Treatment Plant.

A Labour Council will:

★ Stop investing in office buildings and

instead focus on projects that benefit the

community such as renewable energy

generation and leisure facilities.

★ Add good practice endorsements to

‘Visit South Cambs’ e.g. Ethical

Accreditation and ‘Safer Spaces Kite

Mark’ (welcoming the LGBT community).

★ Negotiate a comprehensive Trade Union

Facilities agreement with relevant public

sector unions. Endorse the TUC’s ‘Stay

Safe, join a Union’ initiative.

★ Decide development sites based on

community needs. Support residents to

be involved as much as possible in the

earliest stages of planning discussions.

★ Strengthen Building Control rather than

companies monitoring themselves.

★ Link good employment practice to

Council contracts, insisting on jobs and

apprenticeships for local people.

★ Use licensing powers for the good of the

community e.g. on alcohol licences and

street traders, balancing the need for a

healthy social scene with preventing

anti-social behaviour.

★ Update Community Grants to include

education e.g.‘Hope not Hate’.

★ Take a stand against men’s violence

against women and join the four other

Cambridgeshire Councils who have

‘White Ribbon’ accreditation.


ONE SOUTH CAMBRIDGESHIRE

FAIR FOR ALL

PUTTING THE VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY

AT THE HEART OF THE COUNCIL

Promoted by David Jermy on behalf of South East Cambridgeshire CLP all at Alex Wood Hall, Norfolk Street, Cambridge, CB1 2LD.

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