It i s time for change - and you can make it happen Stratford Liberal Democrats want to create: A listening council that acts for residents and puts them first. We must restore trust. Excellent services that are value for money. Public money should be spent wisely. A healthy, green environment - We will continue to lead the fight against climate change. Strong active communities - every community and place is different, but e verywhere should be a good place to live A working relationship with communit ies to support affordable, well - built homes and infrastructure in the right places. A strong sustainable economy that looks after our high streets and small businesses and develops the economy of the future. Published, printed and promoted by R. Vos on behalf of the Liberal Democrats at 55 Ely Street, Stratford upon Avon CV37 6LN Manifesto 2023 2 Our Vision: To lead and support the District and its communities: developing a strong and sustainable economy that supports improved standards of living for residents; promoting thriving and healthy communities; and maintaining an attractive and sustainable environmen t that residents value. We want Stratford on Avon District Council to have a proud record of success in its role as community leader, delivering first class services and projects that residents and businesses value. To achieve this we have to demand bett er. Local government is facing external pressures including potential loss of income from central government, and we need to take a fresh look at our priorities. We need to give the Council a clear direction enabling us to manage our resources to deliver excellent services for local people now and in the future. We will lead the way for our communities to meet the needs and aspirations of our residents and customers so that our towns and villages continue to be great places to live, work and visit. It is our aim to build a council elected by you; working for you and for your interests. We will ensure an open and accountable council. Transparency, openness, honesty and competence has to be at the heart of all that we do in local politics. We want to creat e a district where we acknowledge our communities and their sense of identity. In everything that we do we will engage with residents, consult and ensure our work remains rooted in the communities we serve. We need empowered and active local communities. We want a D istrict where everyone can thrive and be healthy, have access to services and employment, where there are good quality genuinely affordable homes that our residents can rent or buy, and where all have access to opportunities to exercise and soci alise. Tackling the Climate Emergency and ecological crisis is central to our plan. All our decisions must ensure that we consider the impact of climate change on the residents we serve and on their environment. Sustainable transport, utilities, flood pre vention, green spaces and social infrastructure must be in our plan. The council needs to be financially stable after the impact of recent events. We cannot deliver services without this stability. We must also ensure that our voice is heard at a Governm ent level. Too often national policies have disadvantaged this District and not supported our residents. Manifesto 2023 3 A listening council that acts for residents and puts them first. We will create a li stening Council that puts residents at the heart of decisions – involving and consulting the people who live and work here about the issues that affect them . We must restore trust. We will f undamentally review the Council’s policies and the processes for resident consultation We will seek to improve Freedo m of Information access by routine publication of key data. Public interest, proper scrutiny, openness and transparency must be a key part of the Council’s management. The Liberal Democrats will adopt a transparency charter underpinned by the principle tha t the Council’s job is to inform and involve the public, not defend the Council against the public. We will provide a competent administration where the use of your money to provide services is always carefully managed. Excellent public services that deli ver for our communities must be accompanied by financial responsibility. We will bring meetings to our towns, involve our residents, and devolve activity away from the Council offices We will provide open and honest local government. We will act with fi nancial responsibility. We will work with communities and Town and Parish councils to deliver for residents. At Stratford o n Avon District Council, the L eader and seven other cabinet members hold the power This Leader and cabinet system relies on scrutiny and audit arrangements . At present, t he councillors who chair the committees responsible for scrutiny and accountability of the council’s activities and spending belong to the same party as the Cabinet . We will end this practice where the governing party chooses their own members to scru ti nise the administration We will make the case to Government that some committee meetings could be virtual or hybrid to encourage access by residents . In addition, we will investigate a move to paperless meetings. Manifesto 2023 4 S e rvices that are value for money. W e will never forget that it is your money the council spends and that the services are for our residents. We seek a n excellent Council, delivering high quality services meeting residents’ needs – improving our standards to ensure best practice , with performance targets for services within the top decile of second tier authorities nationally We will p ublish quarterly performance information on the Council website We will r eview the annual resident Satisfaction Survey to ensure it is fit for purpose Pride in our areas , means that we must tackle littering and fly tipping. Our waste and recycling service must be the best available with good quality information available to assist residents to make decisions. The District Co uncil must work closely with the County Council to ensure that roads and pavements are kept in good repair. Lack of public transport and mobility issues are factors in visits to town centres for older residents We will revise the charges for residents parkin g, particularly for those of pensionable age . Many of pensioners support voluntary organisations and car - parking charges can inhibit this activity. We will install sufficient electric vehicle charging points in district council owned car parks. Pa rks, green spaces and children’s play areas must be kept up to date and be of a high quality. We will review current weed cont rol practice to eliminat e the unnecessary use of harmful chemicals We support the Shop Mobility service in Stratford upon Avon. We will invest in improving Street scene and improve liaison with neighbourhood policing to tackle Anti - Social Behaviour , county lines and crime hotspots Manifesto 2023 5 A healthy, green environment - We will continue to lead the fight against climate change. We all ben efit from a healthy, green environment. We will continue to lead the fight against climate change , improving public spaces for all to enjoy. We will r elaunch the Climate Change Funding programme with updated criteria focussing on local action S tratford on Avon District should aim to be carbon neutral with a strategic vision that pu t s environmental sustainability, fairness and community resilience to both climate change and pandemics at its heart We will make action against climate change and make environ mental sustainability a priority area for a local ‘green’ recovery. We will update the Council’s Climate Emergency Action Plan (with communities and stakeholders), taking into consideration the existing Climate Emergency Task and Finish Group Report . Any a ction plan should include an adaptation strategy. We will also continue to support the Climate Change Panel and the Climate Change Officer post, as well as a responsibility for climate action at a portfolio level. We will also implement a regular Climate Forum with all stakeholders, acting as convenor. We will support Council procurement contracts that have social and environmental benefits (e.g. carbon reduction, resource efficiency, supporting local businesses) F uture procurement contracts must have environmental sustainability at their core and identify opportunities to reduce carbon emissions across council operations and assets. We will support the continued monitoring of the air quality and reduce pollution. We will encourage external inves tment in local and community renewable energy schemes. We will also support energy efficiency and grant advice for residents. Our ambition is that all District Council buildings should become carbon neutral , and t hat community buildings and v illage halls should be supported to be exemplars to their communities of energy efficiency and sustainability. Stratford on Avon District Council can play an important role in increasing walking and cycling. Through influencing planning and taking a wider, strategic v iew of travel infrastructure, the Council can ensure that active travel infrastructure connects residents to services. The Council can also work with local businesses, industrial estates and business improvement districts to enable active travel As plann ing authority, the District Council can play a significant role in enabling active travel modes by work ing in partnership with the County Council and our residents on sensible ways to reduce motor traffic through town centres and extend pavements near shop s, schools and parks to make walking safe and enjoyable We will consider options to promote sustainable travel, with a focus on walking and cycling within the Local Plan and by working with the County Council. We will develop cycling connectivity distric t - wide and encourage off - road cycle routes. We will increase number of electric vehicle charging points and will engage with stakeholders (taxis, bus companies for example) to switch to electric vehicles. We will promote the use of large buildings for th e installation of solar energy. The next local plan is underway and tackling climate change must be a central theme with clear guidance on low - carbon construction, retrofit and renewable energy Manifesto 2023 6 Strong active communities - every community and place is di fferent, but everywhere should be a good place to live We intend a Council that supports strong, active and thriving communities – building resilience in our towns and villages, working with the voluntary sector to ensure everyone has a high quality of li fe and feels connected to their neighbourhood (the Five Ways to Wellbeing) We will agree a new compact with the voluntary sector for service delivery We will campaign to increase and support volunteering across the District We identify funding to support l ocally led activities in neighbourhoods Decision - making should be close to local communities, involve them and support them in their desires for their community. We will build on the community spirit we saw in the pandemic by supporting community groups, village halls and community initiatives and we will make it easier for local residents to gain information and advice. We will recognise the challenges that rural communities face in accessing services, housing, transport and opportunities and work to add ress the difficulties these communities face. We will support quality leisure centres, play areas and green spaces that are essential to the health and the wellbeing of our residents. We will support and respond to communities with local issues such as H S2 construction and the Ellen Badger services. Manifesto 2023 7 To work with communities to support affordable, well built homes and infrastructure in the right places. We seek properly managed development, affordable homes in the right place, with infrastructure to match – setting and enforcing strategies for housing which meet local need and include appropriate facilities and connectivity to reduce pressure on existing services We will increase the capacity of the Planning Enforcement team We will review Planning po licy and associated guidance to increase provision for climate mitigation measures We will Increase the percentage requirement for affordable housing in development schemes. There has to be a balanced mix of housing with more housing that is genuinely affo rdable to our young people, those who work to support our communities and those who want to downsize. A policy framework must find ways to provide more genuinely affordable housing, including housing for social rent, to better provide for the needs of our residents. This must ensure that homes are delivered in a way that supports the environment and healthy lives. Getting more truly affordable housing built where it is supported, including social housing is our aim. We need innovative policies to achieve this. We will only solve the housing crisis by working with communities to get the right housing built, in the right place, with the right infrastructure. We will stop developers from making deals to wriggle out of building affordable housing. The homes t hat are built must be fit for the future. A failure to put in place meaningful energy efficient building policies has left us with a legacy of thousands of houses that are not energy efficient to the highest standards. This has left residents paying higher bills for life. Innovative housing will help us to meet our need for high quality, low energy, zero - carbon homes. We will ensure that future housing developments are subject to the highest possible environmental standards, including the drainage systems, and will work with partners to eliminate the discharge of sewerage into our waterways. We will make the Climate Change emergency a material consideration in all planning matters. We will explore alternative ways to focus on delivering a wide range of reg eneration and community benefits including housing, community facilities, land maintenance and health benefits. We will work with our Housing Associations to enable good quality homes that are well maintained. We will hold them to account for their servic es to their tenants. We will continue to improve the quality of all rented housing and will use the powers of the Council as appropriate. We will continue to work with partners to improve the insulation of homes in the District, offer energy efficiency ad vice, and advise on grants available to assist residents. Manifesto 2023 8 Good planning can deliver real benefits for loca l communities. It can mean high - quality affordable homes, infrastructure upgrades, more jobs, better public transport and vibrant town and village centres. Community wishes and Neighbourhood Plans must be the driver of development. We will ensure full respect for Neighbourhood plans in planning decisions The proper provision of infrastructure such as roads, walking and cycle routes, water, sewage, health and energy provision must be a key part of a Local Plan. When new development is built, our infrastructure must consider how to deliver active travel for all. The planning enforcement team must have more staff and resources to enforce planning br eaches. We will not accept poor excuses when planning conditions are broken. These conditions exist for a purpose, and by allowing these to be broken, the Council is condoning the behaviour. We will ensure full and comprehensive enforcement of breaches of environmental law restrictions. We will ensure that adequate safeguards are in place to protect historic buildings, and will develop robust guidance on improving the energy efficiency of heritage buildings, learning from best practice elsewhere. We will implement Natural Flood Management projects that encourag e wildlife across the District and engage with the Environment Agency on flood protection. When developers claim that they cannot meet the expenses of building any affordable homes, we will ensure t he publication of their assessments so they can be independently scrutinised. There has to be tougher negotiations with developers. Manifesto 2023 9 A strong sustainable economy that looks after our high streets and small businesses and develops the economy of the future. We will target g rowing the local economy sustainably , supporting the recovery of cultural tourism and local businesses – building on our strengths and securing a fair share of national funding and investment We will work with regional and sub - regional structures to optimise investment opportunities for the district We will c ommission an updated strategy for the visitor economy and develop a clear destination management partnership and plan We will e stablish dedicated and experienced capacity to bid for external funding The Council needs to take an active role in promoting economic growth and this should be reflected in the Council’s policies. The Government’s focus on bidding for investment is short sighted, but the Council must bid to attract funds to this district. We have seen parking charges hiked with no reinvestment into the local economy and a failure to plan for the future of high streets in our towns and villages. We need a balanced, resilient and innovative economy across t he district. Liberal Democrats want a sustainable economy that delivers innovation, growth and skilled jobs worth having for all, across the district. We want our communities to be able to drive and take ownership of their economic future with a culture t hat actively contributes and invests in communities. We also need an innovative business sector that invests in creating the decent jobs and wealth needed to fund infrastructure and public services. A shift is needed to support a green economy, making sur e it is Net - Zero. Support is needed for locally sourced R&D and innovation. Within t he district there needs to be diversification of work opportunities to generate long term, sustainable and resilient economic growth. We will encourage responsible, sustain able companies We will develop a district - wide strategy to support the development of community owned enterprises, particularly focusing on key local services such as pubs and shops, and promoting community owned renewable energy generation projects. We will support micro businesses and thriving small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The Council needs to take an active role in promoting economic growth and this should be reflected in the Council’s policies. Government funding uses a bidding process which n eeds skilled officers to win bids. We will promote policies, objectives and ideas to make and rebrand the District of Stratford on Avon as one of the most sustainable tourist destinations in the UK and beyond and promote high quality cultural tourism, in cluding encouraging tourists to stay longer and visit other parts of the District. The council should support our hospitality businesses, arts organisations and charities to thrive in a more sustainable way with an inclusive cultural strategy, which benef its residents as well as visitors. The Council‘s strategy must include all the district and the many towns and villages to support the diversity and distinctiveness of our area and facilitate sustainable tourism ventures and businesses. We will promote Co u ncil support and resource for Arts and Culture , particularly small creative businesses, arts and creative charities and smaller museums.