2008 Manifesto

Derby Labour Party 2008 Election Manifesto Proud of Derby and ambitious for its future

Labour’s vision for Derby is transforming our city for the better. We will give people opportunities to benefit from Derby’s booming economy. We will also ensure local residents have more influence over public services and continue to improve the services for which the Council is responsible. We will ensure the city makes a growing contribution to tackling climate change and we are determined to continue giving value for money. This is our manifesto for the next two years. Labour will…

1. Provide value for money and high quality local services for Derby

Labour has consistently delivered high quality public services in return for the lowest council tax in the East Midlands.

We will maintain the standard of the services we provide, which will be delivered wherever possible, by directly employed, motivated and accountable Council employees.

We will also ensure that Derby’s council tax remains one of the lowest anywhere in the country.

2. Ensure that everyone in Derby can fulfil their true potential

Labour has continued to increase funding for education. Over the last year alone, we have opened Sure Start Children’s centres and re-built schools, while also attracting massive inward investment and new jobs.

We want to create opportunities for everyone in Derby to develop new skills and have higher aspirations for themselves and their families.

That is why we will go on working hard to attract new businesses to our city to create more jobs for local people and why will be investing more in our schools and children’s centres.

3. Put pride back into our neighbourhoods

Labour has already given Derby’s residents a greater say on local services by establishing Neighbourhood Forums in every ward in the city.

We now wants to give local people greater control of local services by establishing ‘Neighbourhood Charters’, and by giving all the Neighbourhood boards a budget to spend on improving their areas.

4. Deliver a 21st century city centre worthy of Derby

Labour has already delivered the Westfield centre while supporting the unique Cathedral Quarter. We want our city centre to be a vibrant and exciting place where everyone can come together to have fun in a safe environment.

We will do this by continuing to invest in transforming Derby’s public spaces. We will also guarantee that Derby has even more cultural events, ensure that they are accessible to everyone and open the QUAD visual arts centre.

We will deliver a city centre that is more accessible by getting the new bus station built as the first phase of the Riverlights scheme.

We also make sure that the railway station is transformed into a modern new facility that is fit for our vibrant 21st century city.

We will improve the links between the city centre and the railway station by constructing a new boulevard and enhancing the bus links between the railway station, bus station and city centre.

5. Make Derby environmentally sustainable by 2025

Labour has already started reducing the council’s carbon emissions, which we intend to cut by 25% within the next three years, and we are now recycling almost 50% of the city domestic waste.

But we want to go further. We intend to make Derby an environmentally sustainable city by 2025. We will achieve this by building partnerships with the city’s public, private and voluntary sectors to develop ‘green’ power projects, better public transport and more efficiently insulated homes and commercial premises.

6. Support Derby people to be healthy, active and independent

Labour has always maintained a high quality free home care service for disabled and elderly people.

We now want to give vulnerable members of our community more choice to decide what support they need to maintain their quality of life by giving them their own personalised budget.

We will step up the support for our nationally recognised ‘B-Active’ keep fit scheme and we will invest in improving and extending the city’s cycle network.