Local Elections May 2018

Below is our manifesto in full for the local elections in May 2018. For information on our candidates, including what they are standing for and how they will represent you on Bury Council, please click on the 'Elections' tab, or click here.

Bury Green Party Local Election Manifesto

3^rd May 2018

Improve Transparency, Accountability & Local Democracy

Scrap the Cabinet and "Strong Leader" model
Reinstate full powers to Council Committees & Scrutiny Committees
Review the Statement of Community Involvement policy and allocate appropriate resources towards a bottom-up approach to empower local communities at neighbourhood level
Devolve budgets & planning matters at Township level where appropriate

Protect Our Environment

Keep all our Green Belt land free from housing and commercial or industrial development
Ensure that brownfield sites are developed as of priority
Seek to attract investment to refurbish Bury’s old textile mills and other industrial buildings to meet the housing needs of young couples, single people and the older generation
Allocate a substantial proportion of the Council’s investments portfolio into renewable energy production and distribution schemes. Offer energy savings incentives to landlords in the private sector to reduce domestic gas emissions
Develop and implement a food growing policy in partnership with conservation volunteers, local farmers and self-managed allotment associations
Create new allotments across the Borough to meet demand and national legal requirement
Create new cycling tracks, protect existing foot paths and nature trails in partnership with Bury Conservation Volunteers
Drop the £30 charge for a second grey bin for large families and those who need one
Improve species diversity in the Borough by effective ecological monitoring of proven sites of “natural value”
Install visible air pollution monitoring outside primary school gates and traffic light-like signs around the circular road to the centre of Bury
Campaign to reduce the use of plastic in partnership with the retail sector and conservation volunteers
Commit to a programme of tree planting within Bury, including on Green Belt land and on appropriate neighbouring land

Support Local Communities & Volunteers

Reinstate Bury’s independent Council for Voluntary Services as a matter of urgency
Promote Bury as a City of Sanctuary for asylum seekers and refugees
Protect our industrial heritage and promote heritage tourism as part of Bury’s local economy in partnership with civic societies and local history groups
Explore the creation of a Radcliffe People’s History Museum in partnership with local historians, the BBC/ITV, Greater Manchester Universities and creative industries
Redesign part of Radcliffe Market as a community space to temporarily replace the demolished Civic Hall until such time as the promised Leisure Centre / Civic Venue is built

Services, Savings and Housing

Explore Preston Council’s pioneering local economy model and seek to implement some of their initiatives
End zero-hour contracts with all Bury Council contracted-out service providers
Phase-in the implementation of the Living Wage for all Council employees and people employed under outsourced contracts
Review the Councils' top Officers' salaries to ensure that they earn no more than 5 times the average wage for council employees
Ring-fence all moneys saved to be used from the above towards restoring Youth & Park Rangers' service
Ensure that all planning applications for housing development include 25% of their units as affordable for rent or purchase
Checks to be carried out to ensure that private properties for rent are fit for purpose and comply with all health and safety and environmental health legislation. Special attention to be paid to inspect private accommodation allocated to refugees and asylum seekers
Tackle fly tipping with quarterly provision of large skips free of charge in appropriate built-up areas and review free access to small company waste carriers for household waste
Address car parking issues related to Metrolink commuters
Review the state and size of the Council’s sites for Gypsies and Travellers and bring such provision in line with its statutory duties