MK Lib Dem 2019 Local Election Manifesto

The Milton Keynes Liberal Democrat Manifesto for the local elections, "Demand Better for Milton Keynes", is launched today.

Our Key Priorities for 2019/20

• Action to tackle child poverty
• Action to reduce levels of litter
• Protection for the most vulnerable from Tory austerity cuts
• Support for the homeless to help them off the streets
• Action to build more affordable homes to buy and rent
• Protection for our bus services
• Protection for our environment
• Maintenance of our roads, redways, pavements and street lights
• Maintenance of our drains to reduce flooding
• support for our senior citizens to live independently.

The full manifesto is below. It can also be downloaded in full as a PDF by clicking here.

The Liberal Democrats in MK

The Liberal Democrats are vital for Milton Keynes. From 2002
to 2011 when we ran MK Council we transformed MK for the better. We made the
council work for residents by improving vital services for the most vulnerable.
We supported buses and their use increased, empowering residents and helping keep
traffic off the roads. We helped all in MK take more pride in our area by
taking actions such as creating the graffiti buster teams and ensuring derelict
cars were removed quickly. We transformed recycling in MK, improving rates from
11% when we took over to 55% in 2011, those rates stagnating since in the years
the Tories or Labour have led the council. Recycling rates are now expected to
increase again with the launch of the Waste Recovery Park, an innovation
planned under the last Lib Dem led council in MK.

We are the only party in the last 20 to have majority
control in MK, running MK in more of the last 20 years than any other party!
With Tories or Labour having minority control of MK since 2011 our councillors have
played an essential role on the council, holding the other two parties to
account and ensuring the best for residents in MK.

Much of MK Council's progress to help the homeless off the
streets of MK in recent years has been from the hard work and ideas of Lib Dem
councillors.

Our party continues to put the interests of residents and
communities first and foremost, defending the most vulnerable in society and ensuring
the council works for residents. We are enthusiastic and optimistic for Milton
Keynes and continue to believe that MK can be the city of the future. We will
fight for enough good homes for all now growing up in MK, for new strategic
projects such as a new university and a mass public transport system, while
caring for the interests of existing urban and rural residents by ensuring any
new developments are well planned with good infrastructure at their heart.

We will always demand better
for Milton Keynes.

Key Achievements in 2018/19

Over the last few years the Liberal Democrats have engaged
with others to ensure the best for Milton Keynes, including helping change
council policy for the benefit for residents. Some of our Lib Dem successes are
below.

• Street Homelessness:
  The Liberal Democrats have helped change council policy to "housing first",
  meaning that those with serious problems-addiction, mental health issues, etc.
  will be offered housing while they work on the other problems, rather than
  having to struggle with them while living on the streets. Over 100 people have
  been given housing this year through that policy, and support to help them with
  mental health and addiction problems has increased. For those still living on
  the streets, Lib Dem councillors have actively helped secure the future of the Winter
  Night Shelter, and enable the MK Bus Shelter and the expansion to the YMCA.
• Family
  Homelessness. Most of the homeless in MK are not living on the streets but
  in temporary accommodation. Hundreds of
  families are being housed at the taxpayers expense with no secure future home
  because the market has failed to house them.
  And many more are in short term accommodation with no guarantee of a
  year's stay. We have campaigned for more
  effective use of temporary accommodation so that today no-one is housed more
  than a few miles outside MK, B&B has reduced, and no children are outside
  MK or in B&B. Looking ahead, we've helped plans to build more council
  housing and affordable housing so that we can reduce the numbers in temporary
  accommodation.
• Potholes:
  Liberal Democrat pressure led to change in rules meaning more potholes have
  been fixed. Until 2018 the council had a strict policy that only potholes at
  least 50mm deep would be fixed, meaning council officers spent more time
  measuring potholes than fixing them. The Liberal Democrat changes
  meant the intervention level was reduced to 40mm resulting in more
  potholes being fixed,
  and smaller potholes near ones being fixed are now also being repaired due
  to the new cluster policy.
• Environment:
  Liberal Democrats have fought and succeeded to defend against Conservative
  Government funding cuts, so that there is still budget to fix street signs and
  to carry out other essential maintenance. In the recent 2019 MK Council budget
  we succeeded in securing money to address litter 'hot-spots' which need more
  regular litter picks, as part of looking after our borough. For the future, we have secured even stronger
  planning policies safeguarding our environment as the city grows.

A City Fit for the Future

Milton Keynes is a great place to live and to bring up
children, so our birth rate is above the national average - and we are living
longer than we were, so our population is rising. Our economy is booming, so, even though
almost all local people are employed, we still attract workers from outside -
and when they get here, they want to live here!
So we are growing - and growing fast.

By 2050 we estimate that our population will be 450-500,000
people. And that means our children will
need a lot more places to live, work, go to school, receive healthcare, etc.
And for the cultural life that goes with a big city.

We believe that planned growth, planning the infrastructure
along with the homes and jobs, is what has made MK successful, so Liberal
Democrats are planning for that growth. We want to "make a great city greater"-
and that means strong local policies to make sure that the growth keeps MK
special. Liberal Democrats have been
involved in the current Plan:MK, and are working on plans for MK2050 to secure
the infrastructure we will need. The first stage of the 2050 process will come
out for public consultation later this year.

A City Fit For Our Children

Life in MK is not great for all right now. For many people,
rising housing costs are a nightmare, forcing them into poverty. For others,
total lack of housing means a life on the streets or in temporary
accommodation. Our low-density city, with poor public transport means they
can't get to jobs, services and leisure activities.

And poor access to healthy food, our obsession with the car,
and insufficient exercise means too many suffer from obesity, leading to
massive impacts on their quality of life from diabetes and heart trouble. The
stress involved leads too many to turn to smoking, alcohol or other addictions,
which in turn lead to poor health, finances, and ultimately homelessness.

In particular, this is affecting our children. 25% currently
live in poverty. Obesity among children
is rising to dangerous levels. Hundreds of children live in temporary
accommodation, unable to maintain friendships, stable schooling and healthcare,
and generally to feel part of their communities. And thousands are living in
overcrowded accommodation. We MUST demand better.

In the pages that follow, we outline priorities to help with
the housing crisis, support those on the lowest incomes, help both children and
adults with mental health problems and reduce obesity. Together those policies
can have a serious impact on our children's future. They would be much easier
to implement if our Government would take children's future seriously. Liberal
Democrats continue to work at all levels to demand better for our children.

Demanding a Good Home for All

Having good and affordable homes for all residents is essential to
making sure people have stability in life. Milton Keynes is a great place to
bring up children, so every generation is larger than the previous one. MK has
successfully attracted more businesses and employers, and more jobs have
attracted more people to Milton Keynes. While our population has been
increasing, not enough homes have been built so that many families in Milton
Keynes are living in overcrowded accommodation or 'sofa surfing' between
friends and family; there is a hidden homeless crisis in addition to the
visible homelessness we have seen on our streets over the last few years.

The housing crisis in MK worsens other problems including being a
source of much of the poverty in our area. Rough sleeping reached record
levels. Many children are being brought up in poverty because of the cost of
housing, and where families are forced to move regularly it can seriously damage
children's education, ability to make friends and build personal confidence. We
are demanding that MK has more housing, the right housing for its needs, at prices
residents can afford, and to a decent standard fit for the future.

Enough Good Homes for the Future, Right for Residents

• We will strengthen Council policies to ensure
  that we deliver at least 36% affordable housing on Council and MKDP land as
  well as the 31% on commercial developments now required in Plan:MK.
• We support a new council housing building
  programme to build family homes at truly affordable prices.
• The council needs to be clear about types and
  sizes of homes we need; in particular, developers are not building enough 3 bed
  homes that many families need. The council needs to give clear advice and use
  all tools to influence what is built.
• There needs to be more safe housing for young
  people who have left home and aren't able to rent privately. We will support
  the Council in discussions with the landlords that specialise in young people's
  housing to bring new schemes to the city. We are pressing for any spare places from
  university accommodation to be available to MK's young adults too.
• There are many older residents who feel stuck in
  homes too large for them to manage and don't have the savings to downsize
  without help. MK council should investigate options to support voluntary
  downsizing.
• and finally - we need better information to plan
  the homes we need. We are pressing for
  the Council to bring in a housing need register by March 2020.
• When the new lettings system comes in, it's
  vital that it gives all residents a fair chance of getting housing based on
  housing need.

Homelessness

Homelessness devastates lives. Thanks to improvements Lib
Dems pushed for over 100 rough sleepers are now in permanent accommodation, but
there is more to be done to help rough sleepers and to prevent homelessness.
For those who are homeless, proper temporary housing should be available in
Milton Keynes: it is not good enough to house people miles away or in B&Bs.
Milton Keynes must be a place where people have a safe, secure place to live.

• Continue to work with partners to improve
  services to prevent homelessness, including more support for those with mental
  health problems and better advice for those at risk of homelessness.
• Continue the Housing First policy to support people
  to get off the streets while they work on improving their mental and physical
  health, beat addictions, and improve their work skills.
• Continue to press for a sufficient supply of
  temporary accommodation to ensure that no-one is housed outside MK or in
  B&Bs.
• Campaign to end the use of "Section 21" that
  allows landlords to evict tenants with no reason - the main route to
  homelessness in MK.

Improving the Quality of Housing in MK

• we support the Council working to bring all
  Council homes up to the Governments decent homes standard within 5 years.
• We demand that MK Council produces a plan to
  bring all Council homes up to the 'A energy efficiency rating' required for new
  homes, to help reduce energy costs for residents and reduce MK's carbon
  footprint.
• The council needs to support private renters
  too; we support the Council work with private landlords to provide more good
  and affordable housing.
• We support the Council in working to advise home
  owners on the help including grants available to bring their property up to
  standard.

Regeneration of Older Estates

Our party supports the plan to regenerate some of our older
estates where the process involves and is supported by those local communities.
We have led scrutiny of the regeneration process and welcome the
administration's commitments to implement more transparent and consultative
processes in the future.

We support moves to widen the scope of the regeneration
plans, recognising that needs such as improved access to health care information,
or healthy food, local employment and training, etc. can be just as important
as housing. We also support the
recognition that demolition is not the only option for improving housing, but
continue to support demolition where the local benefit warrants it and local
residents opt for it.

Maintaining our Managed Environment

We believe that the managed environment should be safe for our
residents, landscaping and road repairs should be carried out properly, and our
streets should be cleaned and abandoned cars removed quickly.

Many of our streets have become increasingly run down. When the Liberal
Democrats last ran the Council we tackled environmental neglect by such
initiatives as introducing the Graffiti Busters and removing abandoned cars
quickly. We would once again look at ways of tackling environmental neglect,
such as making the cleansing service more flexible, enabling areas with more
frequent problems to receive an adequate service.

Landscaping and Open Spaces

Milton Keynes is suffering from increasing neglect, and
there must be a change to fix the issues which have been worsening while the
Conservatives and then Labour have been running the council. We demand better
for the removal of weeds and plants in and near paths and roads, since these
can both make paths and roads less safe, and can cause avoidable long term
damage to our infrastructure. Litter and
dog mess are hazardous to children, pets and wildlife.

• The council needs to ensure weeds are removed
  properly.
• Paths must be kept clear and safe to use,
  including removal brambles by redways which can be a danger especially to
  children and cyclists.
• The Council should negotiate with the Parks
  Trust to secure the long term management of our landscaping.
• The new money allocated by Liberal Democrats
  should be used to clear up the litter and dog mess grot spots, while we work
  with communities to reduce the amount of litter and dog mess.

Improving our Streets

In 2018 the Liberal Democrats had success changing the pothole
policy about depth and size to ensure the council repaired more potholes.

• We will continue to campaign for safer roads and
  paths for residents to use, including ensuring council staff spend more time
  fixing potholes and less time measuring.
• Paths and redways must receive better treatment
  as poor surfaces in these areas have a larger impact on more vulnerable
  residents with limited mobility.
• Safe streets need reliable lighting - and many
  of our street lights now need replacing.
  We will continue to press to speed up the work, and to provide lights
  that are both energy efficient and effective.

Better Water Management to Prevent/Reduce flooding

We will continue to work to improve our management of water
and rivers to reduce water consumption and protect MK from flooding, and make
sure that that good Flood & Water Strategy is implemented.

• To ensure good water flow and prevent flooding
  we will push for the council to work with all appropriate organisations to
  ensure all necessary dredging (clearing of blockages) takes place in rivers
  across MK.
• We will push for better maintenance of drains to
  reduce the chance of flooding of roads, redways and properties.

Protecting the Environment In the World

The environment is very important to us, which is why in the 9 years
that MK Council was Lib Dem controlled between 2002 and 2011 proper investment
was put in and recycling rates increased from 11% to 55%! At that time we also made sure that all
recycling waste from MK is processed as locally as possible in the UK, which is
better than many other councils which send their waste around the world to
China to be processed.

Single Use Plastics

Liberal
Democrats are passionate supporters of campaigns to reduce waste, including the
elimination of single use plastics. Our party will continue to lead efforts in
MK Council to reduce waste, and for good support and communication to go to the
public and local organisations to reduce the environmental impact in Milton
Keynes.

Recycling and Waste Collections

We will continue to fight to maintain Milton Keynes at the
innovative edge of recycling and aim to continually increase MK's recycling
rates. Much of the improvement in recycling rates delivered when the Liberal
Democrats last ran MK Council was by making it easier for residents to recycle
correctly, and we will campaign for a good system that residents can use.

• We will continue to defend weekly waste
  collections, and free green bins to make it is easy as possible for residents
  to dispose of waste properly.
• We support the Waste Recovery Park in Wolverton,
  initiated by the Liberal Democrats, as an innovative and efficient way to
  increase recycling and reduce our impact on the environment.

Demand Better Recycling.

We will get a grip on Labour's failed policy for the
delivery of replacement recycling sacks.

• We will campaign for a new delivery process
  allowing residents to pick an agreed location at their properties with the
  sacks being delivered to that location within 5 working days.
• We will campaign for a return to collection
  points on a click and collect basis at suitable locations across Milton Keynes,
  ensuring residents can collect sacks without a return of the abuse of the free
  sacks made by some companies which used them as packaging.
• If the current provider cannot provide the
  required changes we will demand a review about who does supply the service for
  MK Council. The Lib Dems will encourage recycling and reduce the amount of
  plastic we are using on replacement sacks.

Public Transport

We continue to defend public transport as it is essential
for those without access to a car, the elderly, young, and the low paid. Early
morning, evening and weekend services are essential for the low paid to work 7
days a week. But beyond that, a move to more use of public transport, and
cleaner public transport, is essential if we are to reduce congestion and
pollution and carbon use as we grow.

• We will continue to fight for bus services to be
  maintained and improved, for all residents to have access to a service nearby.
• The council must continue to support bus
  services which are vital for local residents, where necessary using subsidy to
  ensure vulnerable residents have access to transport links.
• We will continue to push for more evening and
  Sunday buses.
• We will support development of a mass transit
  "bullet bus" scheme to reduce congestion as we grow and make public transport more
  attractive.
• We continue to support the variety of "shared
  transport" schemes that reduce congestion and pollution from single car use.
• We continue to push for electric vehicles to be
  used in all public transport schemes to reduce pollution and carbon use.

Caring for our Most Vulnerable

Local government provides vital services for the care of some of the
most vulnerable in our communities. We must continue to demand that MK council
delivers the best services possible, ensuring teams and organisations work as
effectively as possible, and that good systems are in place to ensure teams
communicate well and work as efficiently as possible with limited resources

Adult Social Care

• Liberal Democrats
  support independent living for our senior citizens, being mindful of the
  importance of quality support for independent living.
• There should be a
  review to introduce a Warden Service to support residents who wish to remain in
  their own homes as well as maintaining the superb care provided at Milton
  Keynes Sheltered Housing Schemes.
• We will continue
  to push for MK Council deliver better services for the growing number of
  elderly residents in MK including those suffering from dementia, working
  collaboratively with the NHS to deliver services and holding the NHS to account
  when necessary.

Children & Young People: social care

• To press to
  ensure help for families in poverty in Milton Keynes.
• To press for
  increased long-term funding of children's social care.
• Improve the
  Council's recruitment/retention of high-quality social workers.
• Build on the work
  of the Council's Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) particularly its
  relations with schools.
• Work with the NHS
  to ensure adequate funding for local youth counselling and mental health
  provision directed especially at reducing waiting times and, where necessary,
  providing beds.
• Support policies
  to increase the number of foster parents within MK.
• Speed up the
  Council's adoption procedures in order to reduce the number of children waiting
  for a family.
• Ensure all steps
  are taken to make the transition from children's to adult social care as smooth
  and seamless as possible.

Health

• We will continue to campaign to ensure there is
  a local GP for everyone
• Where there are new developments in Milton
  Keynes good healthcare provision must be provided to the new residents in a
  timely way.
• We demand that the same level of support should
  be given to those suffering for physical and mental illnesses, and the council
  should follow all appropriate policies from the Liberal Democrats national
  policy "Equal Care for Mental Health". https://www.libdems.org.uk/health/
  
• Ensure that any Brexit effects as to Care staff
  are mitigated as quickly as possible.
  
  

Education and Employment

The long term success of Milton Keynes depends on ensuring there is a proper
environment for small home grown businesses as well as attracting investment
from larger companies.

Alongside employment we will continue to fight for good integrated
education at all levels, for lifelong learning, and for a full-time university
in Milton Keynes.

The Economy

We will support the economy by making sure our council uses
all powers it can to put in place good infrastructure which encourages inward
investment. Long term investment depends
on good infrastructure, and we will continue to support and try to improve
developments such as the Oxford to Cambridge development arc (with Milton
Keynes at the centre) to ensure that any new road and rail links are appropriate
to support businesses which may move to Milton Keynes.

As with residential spaces, roads and information links need
to be set up correctly. Therefore, we
will need to support strategic plans such as Plan:MK to ensure that
developments are well thought out for the long-term interests of the residents
of Milton Keynes.

Education

• Campaign to restore responsibility for education
  to local authorities
• Invest in high quality early years education in
  order to improve all our children's life chances
• Oppose any moves towards selective education and
  fight for a good comprehensive education for all children
• All schools should have a good Special
  Educational Need Department (SEND) to ensure students with additional needs
  have good support wherever they are
• Spread good teaching practice across the MK
  Council area so as to improve the education for our children
• Support the Youth Cabinet's Curriculum for Life
• Help our secondary schools improve their careers
  advice services
• Support the work of Milton Keynes College including
  in its links with business, apprenticeships, life-long learning and move to the
  city centre
• Support MK:U and the universities of
  Bedfordshire and Buckingham in their current and planned higher education
  provision within the city
• We will continue to defend the policy that
  schools with enough places should be available as residents move into areas,
  not making students wait for a good school to be built nearby after they have
  moved in
  
  

A Good Council in The Face of Cuts

Traditionally most local council funding has been from central
government grants, council tax providing a smaller share of funding. In the
last 8 years central government has cut MK Council's budget by £145m, resulting
in a fall in money for services for residents despite an increase in council
tax.

While we call for a change in policy from central government, we will
fight for a council budget which is sustainable in the long-term in the face of
further cuts expected in the future. This will mean we can avoid a situation
like the Tory run Northamptonshire County Council running out of money!

While funding is being cut, the council also needs to look for ways to
better spend the resources it has, this includes working alongside other
councils for joint services and investing in technology to ensure staff can
provide the best services possible in the most efficient ways.

To Maintain a Stable Financial Position with a Balanced Budget

Despite the talk of the end of austerity, Milton Keynes faces
ongoing challenges as the Rate Support Grant comes near to an end. We need to
maintain the stable situation that two balanced budgets for Milton Keynes
Council have created while avoiding any effects on front line services.

• No cuts to libraries, Children Services and
  maintaining Adult Social Care at a high level.
• Continue MK Council exploring shared services
  with other local councils to enable ongoing savings in things like HR and
  Payroll also including procurement.
• Ensuring the Council has the best IT system in
  place to help deliver a good and cost-effective service to residents.
• Maintaining council reserves at a level that
  will in the short term avoid the Council becoming insolvent through lack of
  finance.
• Joining with the Local Government Association
  for a sustainable financial agreement with Central government which can protect
  services for residents, since the current Conservative government's plans are
  expected to cause more councils to run out of money like Northamptonshire
  (section 114 notices).

Digital Transformation to Improve Services

• We will accelerate the Council's digital
  transformation programme to make services available online for those who wish
  to use them, ensuring that all Council applications are tablet and mobile
  compatible. The Lib Dems will take inspiration from the best online services we
  see from other Councils, and be forward-thinking in seeking efficiencies and
  improved services.

Better Reporting Systems for Residents

Residents need a good system to report issues, which should
be as efficient, reliable and transparent as possible to give greater
confidence.

• Demand
  better reporting for roads issues. We will ensure that residents can report
  online missing and broken street signs, and roads needing line repainting. The
  Labour administration have removed these options due to budget cuts - we will
  campaign to reverse this and call for a review in the next budget to understand
  the scale of work needed. The Lib Dems are determined to restore pride in our
  estates and streets.
• Demand
  better on recycling sacks a better system to order recycling sacks; see the section in "Protecting the
  Environment in the World".

Demand Better for Grieving Parents

We demand the council be compassionate and humane to those
who have lost a child. The Government has failed to deliver on their pledge to
set up the Child Funeral Fund despite this being promised by the Prime Minister
in April 2018. In the interim we will campaign to allocate money for the
council to match this pledge, and to not charge for child burials or cremations
for those under the age of 16. We will put pressure on the Government to make
good their pledge. The Lib Dems will always support those at their time of
greatest need.

Working With the Voluntary Sector, Charities and Parishes

Our highest priority is to protect the vulnerable from the
impact of cuts being imposed by the Tory government in Westminster. We will
continue to work with other organisations to support our communities as
efficiently as possible.

We will continue to support voluntary sector organisations
and charities who work with low-income families to find real, long-term
solutions to the plight of our most vulnerable individuals and families. And we
will review the use of the short term help funds the Council offers to those in
dire need.

As Milton
Keynes Council shrinks with imposed cuts, we would work with the Voluntary
Sector and Parish/Town councils who may be able to take over some services
which may otherwise be cut.

Beliefs of the Liberal Democrats

Taken from the preamble to the party constitution

The Liberal Democrats exist
to build and safeguard a fair, free and
open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in
which no one shall be enslaved by
poverty, ignorance or conformity.

We champion the freedom, dignity and well-being of
individuals, we acknowledge and respect their right to freedom of
conscience and their right to develop their talents to the full. We aim to
disperse power, to foster diversity and to nurture creativity. We believe that the role of the state is to enable all
citizens to attain these ideals, to contribute
fully to their communities and to take
part in the decisions which affect their lives.

We look forward to a world in
which all people share the same basic
rights, in which they live together
in peace and in which their different cultures will be able to develop
freely. We believe that each generation
is responsible for the fate of our planet and, by safeguarding the balance
of nature and the environment, for the long-term continuity of life in all its
forms.

Upholding these values of
individual and social justice, we reject
all prejudice and discrimination based upon race, colour, religion, age,
disability, sex or sexual orientation and oppose all forms of entrenched privilege and inequality.
Recognising that the quest for freedom and justice can never end, we promote human rights and open government,
a sustainable economy which serves genuine need, public services of the highest quality, international action based
on a recognition of the interdependence
of all the world's peoples and responsible stewardship of the earth and its resources.

Our responsibility for
justice and liberty cannot be confined by national boundaries; we are committed to fight poverty,
oppression, hunger, ignorance, disease and aggression wherever they occur
and to promote the free movement of ideas, people, goods and services. Setting aside national sovereignty when
necessary, we will work with other countries towards an equitable and peaceful
international order and a durable system of common security.