Wycombe Liberal Democrats

1. Value for Money
Liberal Democrats aim to enhance services by saving money, not by raising the Council Tax. We are aware that we need to give value for money to our residents.a) We will consult the electorate on the options before any Council Tax increase.

b) We will implement the Best Value culture in every area of Council services.

c) We will subject all areas to scrutiny for wastage in expenditure.

d) In all areas, however, we will insist that council service to the public has more priority than bureaucracy.

2. Housing
Liberal Democrats wish to ensure decent housing for every family and individual in the District. A secure base gives stability to each person.

a) We will ensure housing developments are of high quality and meet the needs of local residents of all ages in terms of size, density, location, affordability and type of tenure. We are concerned that local needs for housing of nurses, teachers, firemen, council workers, single people, and single parents, etc are not being met. We will seek to optimise its provision with every planning application. Extension of the Foyer Housing at the YMCA is needed for those young people who do not feel safe or are no longer welcome in the parental home.

b) We will ensure that proper infrastructure, including facilities for young people and public transportation, is included in every housing development.

c) Since there are now many more single person homes, we would encourage the creation of low-rise flats to cope with the changing society, as part of a mixed development if possible.

d) We would seek to include appropriate new low cost housing in every village and town, which
may be enjoyed by people whose families have been living there. Parish and Town Councils must be encouraged to produce a Village Design Statement, in order that new housing may be sensitively included where appropriate.

e) We will seek adequate off-street car parking in developments, in order to facilitate free movement of the statutory vehicles (ambulance, fire engines, etc).

f) We will do all we can to ensure village and community shops remain open and assist to reopen those that previously proved not to be viable – as we did in Speen.

e) We will encourage the public and council employees to put forward their suggestions on how to improve services and maximise efficiency, and use successes to boost morale.

3. Optimising Land Use
Liberal Democrats wish to protect our green heritage, whilst ensuring land availability for necessary development. This balance is hard to achieve but essential for long-term sustainability.
a) We support controlled development on brownfield sites, and would assist in the provision of decontamination grants.

b) We will commission a survey of empty and substandard properties in the District to endeavour to bring them back into use, thus adding to the local housing stock, and diminishing demand for development on greenfield land.

c) We would explain to developers and the public where any extra payment from a planning permission has been spent – whether it be a local community centre, a more effective road junction, or a contribution to public transport.

d) We will give greater protection from development to sensitive areas eg Slate Meadow.

e) We will prevent building in the Green Belt except in exceptional circumstances.

f) We will designate the valley floor west of High Wycombe town centre (south of the West Wycombe Road) as a “special assistance area” with regeneration planned to improve the quality of life for residents, making better use of land for employment and housing.

g) We will prevent over-development on the Thames Water Sewage Works area.

4. The Environment
The Environment is at the heart of Liberal Democrat policy. We strive to ensure that every policy we promote is environmentally sustainable.

a) We will heighten awareness of the need for recycling, and will increase the collection of recyclable waste by doorstep collections, (glass, plastics, batteries, etc) giving a discount in Council Tax to those who assist by sorting their waste.

b) Our rivers are important: we will continue to enhance the River Wye and its tributaries, and also our bank of the River Thames.

c) We will ensure more litterbins are available in areas where existing ones are full, and aim for more frequent collection of the litter. We will support local schools in their efforts to encourage children to adopt good habits for litter disposal.

d) We will encourage residents to report fly-tipping throughout the district, and aim that such rubbish should be removed immediately. We will promote the council collection service.

e) We will ensure that all council housing is well-insulated, and publicise grants for insulation that are available to home owners.

f) We will encourage the use of solar-powered street lights.

g) We will ensure that every council-owned vehicle is running on LPG or other environmentally friendly fuel, and encourage the availability of LPG.

h) We will aim for grey water to be used wherever possible in particular by encouraging rainwater collection and recycling.

i) We will seek to enhance the work of the Environment Centre on Holywell Mead in bringing the message of sustainability to our District and beyond.

5. Leisure & Community
Liberal Democrats aim to have many varied leisure activities in Wycombe District, to encourage a healthy, lively and interested population.

a) We will encourage development of facilities for young people, eg: skate-boarding areas, bowling alleys, and roller and ice skating rinks, advising on grants which may be needed by the developer. Improved facilities give all of us opportunities to make friends, have fun and develop skills within our community.

b) We will support voluntary groups such as the Millennium Volunteers (Wycombe Youth Action).

c) We will carefully review the contract for council leisure facilities, currently run by Wycombe Leisure Ltd and Leisure Connection PLC.

d) We will support the new Heritage Centre in Marlow.

e) We will care for our archaeological treasures, particularly Desborough Castle. We will ensure the Wycombe History and Chair Museum continues to promote our rich and unique history.

f) We will ensure each village and each town community has its local village hall centre or community centre.

g) We will support the expansion of the University of the Third Age throughout the District.

h) We will support Wycombe Community Arts Network in their search for a suitable location for
an Arts Centre, and will facilitate its creation.

i) We will support the introduction of pony trekking in the country areas of the District.

j) Where possible, we will optimise the use of council-owned buildings and schools for the use of everybody.

k) Town Centre Management has proved effective and we will ensure greater support.

l) We will seek partnership opportunities to promote physical activity and health promotion to improve the quality of life of our community. We will seek to raise awareness of the need to prevent obesity in the young.

m) While primarily a County Council responsibility, we will seek to develop safe cycle routes and footpaths throughout the District, so that people can gain access to our countryside and beauty spots without adding to pollution.

n) We will support the Parents As First Teachers groups being set up throughout the District – a recommendation of the 1996 survey of deprivation in High Wycombe.

6. Crime
Liberal Democrats are aware of the importance of crime and the fear of crime to our residents, and wish to combat crime in any way within our power.

a) We will support neighbourhood policemen in every area.

b) We will extend the use of CCTV to areas where it could be useful.

c) We will encourage Neighbourhood Watch Schemes to be active, and offer to print a bi-annual newsletter at the Council Print Room.

d) We will support the Victim Support Scheme in the valuable work they do.

e) Enhancing the Youth Facilities as outlined above would assist in combating crime, as would the continued support for the Foyer at the YMCA and the Youth Advisory Centre, both started in our administration with the Labour Party. It is important that young people are valued for the good they can contribute to our community.

7. Environment Friendly Transportation
Whilst this is mainly the sphere of the County Council, a Liberal Democrat-led District Council would wish to help in the enhancement of user-friendly public transport that will encourage people to avoid using their cars.

a) We will facilitate communication among the Community Transport providers so that the availability of the several Community Buses in the District is maximised.

b) We will support:-
· Demand Responsive Transport technology – to quickly meet journey requests through efficient sharing of 8-seater vehicles, at rail stations, work places, hospital, leisure venues, etc, in rural and urban areas – perhaps integrated with Dial-A-Ride
· Integrated transportation at the Railway Station
· Rural transport
· Local bus companies raising the quality of vehicles and service
· Park and Rail at Saunderton Station
· Secure parking for bicycles, motorcycles and scooters in town centres
· Use of motorbikes in bus lanes
· A tram route along the valley, following the success of trams in Croydon – if feasible
· Public transport linkage to Maidenhead, Slough and Heathrow and London
· Yellow FREE school buses to reduce rush hour school run traffic
· Low cost subsidised bus services, and all night bus services

c) We would expect our councillors to lead by example – car-sharing to meetings and using public transport where possible. We would institute a cycle allowance for councillors and council officers if there are journeys that can feasibly be made by cycle.

8. Business, Industry, Agriculture
Liberal Democrats appreciate the necessity for thriving economic base to our District. Aware of the industrial past of High Wycombe and also of the changing patterns of business, industry and agriculture today, we aim to be sensitive to the changing needs of our business, industrial and agricultural communities.

a) We will reinvigorate the Rural Forums, being sensitive to the problems of farmers who are the custodians of over 80% of our District. Rural revitalisation is needed in the Chilterns, and we would be supportive of many diversification schemes.

b) We will support the Farmers’ Markets.

c) We will ensure that Wycombe District Council buys local products where they are available, and encourage everyone to do likewise.

d) We will work positively with the Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College.

e) We rejoice in the fact that Wycombe District has the highest number of small- and medium-sized businesses per head of population and will aim to support them in any way possible, and to enhance the business networking we created through the breakfasts in our previous administration, and support the Enterprise Centre, created in our previous administration.

9. Partnerships
Liberal Democrats believe that the work of the District Council is enhanced by working in partnership with other sections of the community.

We will strengthen links with
a) the Voluntary Sector
b) the Churches and other Faith Groups
c) the Race Equality Council
d) local schools
e) Residents Associations
f) Buckinghamshire County Council
g) the Police
h) the Government Office for the South East
i) other interested organisations as we become aware of them

10. Schools
Liberal Democrats, while aware that schools are County Council responsibility, would nevertheless

a) Question the closure of “community schools” and selling off land to developers.
b) Promote a school transport system to reduce “school runs” – yellow free school buses
c) Promote local schooling
d) Ensure new development has appropriate schooling infrastructure

11. The Eden Project
Liberal Democrats were disappointed that the Conservatives allowed the investment in the MAB Western Sector project – which they had never voted against – to be wasted, and the development to be delayed by several years.

a) We wish the Eden project to enhance High Wycombe town centre shopping and leisure, and will aim to promote its success in every way possible.

b) We are concerned that the “artists impressions” of the Eden Project are not computer-enhanced accurate representations of the development.

c) We will do our utmost to ensure that the River Wye is resurrected along the Oxford Road and through the town.

12. Enhancement of Local Democracy
Liberal Democrats have democracy at the heart of their thinking and wish the electorate to be involved as greatly as possible.

a) We will aim for all Councillors to feel involved in the Council’s work, and to use their expertise.

b) We will expand the use of public speaking at the Development Control Committee and extend it to other meetings, allowing, moreover, the use of supplementary questions.

c) We will press for proportional representation at local elections.

d) We will campaign for a Town Council for High Wycombe, so that it may have the local tier of government enjoyed by the rest of the District.

e) We support the creation of a Unitary Authority for our area so that areas controlled by Buckinghamshire County Council eg: roads and transport, would be run locally.

13. Our Council Officers
Liberal Democrats aim to ensure that the council offices are run by officers whose contribution is valued, and who find great satisfaction in serving the public.

a) We are concerned at the recent increased turnover of staff, which has been costly and disruptive to services.

b) We wish to work with the Council Officers to serve the people of Wycombe District to the best of our ability.