It is apparent that many of our local Labour Councillors do not understand their role in the local community.
Instead they try and confuse the electorate by referring to national and other issues, over which they have no control or expertise.
It is no accident therefore that recent local Labour Party leaflets have focussed on national issues in order to deflect attention from their failure to deliver effective and well-managed services in Sefton.
To help clarify matters we have set out quite simply the key duties for which the local electorate in Sefton expect our local councillors to take leadership and responsibility.
We challenge the Labour Council to explain how they have addressed each of these issues.
• Meaningful and transparent communication with residents and businesses, listening to their needs and regularly informing the community of issues affecting their local area.
• Conveying the concerns of local residents to Scrutiny Committees and ensuring objective discussion.
• Demonstrate a willingness to work with other agencies in the public, private, religious and voluntary sectors to make Sefton a better place in which to live, work and visit.
• Effective financial management of the Council’s budgets, using all available resources. This includes careful and critical management of assets such as land and buildings owned by the Council.
• Provision of safe and reliable Children’s and Adult social services, addressing the issues highlighted by the Commissioners in their review of Children’s services.
• Working with community schools and academy trusts to share best practice and ensure choice and diversity of schools for local residents.
• Ensuring availability of schools, doctors and dentists and adequacy of road and sewer infrastructure before granting consent to new housing development.
• Redevelopment of brownfield sites, especially those owned by the Council, before allowing further building on prime agricultural land.
• Cleaning and maintaining our roads and footpaths, including maintaining street trees. Ensure road gullies are regularly cleaned and highways swept to avoid or reduce flooding risks.
• Protecting our unique coastline from erosion, pollution and flood risk, working with other agencies to ensure it is safeguarded. Ensure our promenade is “fit for purpose” and accessible for pedestrians, wheelchair users, and cyclists.
• Protecting our historic environment and heritage, including conservation areas, listed buildings and public parks. Lead by example by demonstrating care for Listed Buildings owned by the Council.
• Encouraging and supporting new sustainable businesses to create employment, variety and vibrancy in our town centres and business parks.
Local Councillors should NOT allow their core purpose be distracted by:
• attempting to manage speculative commercial, hospitality or housing projects, for which the Council has no track record and which swallow up council funding and Officer time. These activities can be provided by organisations with appropriate skills and expertise and offer the potential for the Council to work in partnership to achieve shared goals and minimise financial risk to the local electorate.
• pretending to control national policies regarding the economy, the NHS, defence issues or national energy policy.
• producing declarations about international issues over which the local council has no influence or jurisdiction.
