A message from Councillor Peter Callow…
I believe that BLACKPOOL should be doing so much better. Over the last 16 years with Labour we have seen dreadful changes to Blackpool. We have witnessed the closure of public libraries, old people's homes, cutbacks in Social Services, shocking violence in the Town Centre, a free for all licensing policy which is fuelling alcohol related deaths. We have seen the erosion of Blackpool's tourism trade, with a loss of nearly 7 million visitors a year; the collapse of our once thriving conference trade and the Casino dream, with all that it promised, simply become a faint glimmer of hope.
Blackpool is in a shocking state and needs a change of direction. Fortunately the Conservative Party has a team of new candidates running in the local elections who will halt the decline and bring about necessary changes at the Town Hall to give Blackpool a fresh start. People are tired of politicians who talk and talk but fail to deliver! How many pretty pictures have Labour shown us over the years?
Dreams that have now turned into a nightmare because of missed opportunities. We Conservatives will bring about a professionalism to Town Hall business and pledge that we will truly clean up Blackpool and get it working again.
This manifesto sets out clearly some of our priorities and the values by which we will take the town forward.
Peter Callow
Leader of Blackpool Conservatives
OUR MANIFESTO
MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE
Conservatives will run the Town Hall along similar lines to that of a large company. The council will be looked upon as a PLC answerable to the council taxpayers (Shareholders). The Town Hall has become a labyrinth of confusion delivering poor services. Millions in grant aid cash is being squandered without proper accountability to local residents. Countless committees and forums have been set up – some with real power while others are mere talking shops. This needs to be sorted out. Conservatives will review internal Town Hall structures and look closely at the many outside bodies with a view to bringing clarity to service delivery and creating frameworks more in tune with Blackpool. The post of "Council Chairman" will be disestablished: the present post holder has proved this role superfluous to requirements. Council proceedings and minutes will be more easily understood with the use of "Plain English". Labour has established a large Press Office employing six staff. Some of the press staff also help out at neighbouring Fylde Borough Council; this indicates spare capacity. Conservatives will carry out a review of the Press Office. In addition we will immediately carry out a review of the numbers and costs of consultants employed by the Council. Taxies alone now cost council taxpayers £700.000 a year and we will identify possible savings which can be made in this direction. A comprehensive review of staff and materials will be carried out to identify further savings. Quality, value for money and customer satisfaction will be the hallmarks of a Conservative Administration.
FINANCE
Town Hall finances are in a mess. Council Tax has gone up 70% in six years. Working balances are low. Conservatives will work hard to restore healthy balances and rebuild confidence. Bad debtors will be chased and spending programmes will be strictly adhered to. Assets will not be disposed of for short term gain. Windfalls raised through sale of assets will not be used to prop up empty revenue accounts. Recently, money from the sale of the airport literally went into repairing holes in the roads. Whatever happened to a rolling programme of highways maintenance? Sufficient sums will be put into revenue funds. The recent Casino loss devalued council owned land and assets and it will take some time before these values can be restored. Above all Conservatives will never gamble with your future!
REDEVELOPMENT
The loss of conference and exhibition business highlights the need for a new Conference and Convention Centre. The Master Plan that was drawn up by the Labour administration depended on the resort being granted a casino licence. Labour admitted that they did not have a Plan B. This was nothing short of negligence. Recent events in Parliament mean that Blackpool must wait longer for the final casino decision. We are in no doubt that the whole casino saga has been costly for Blackpool. Anyone who would listen has been told that we are "Drinking in the Last Chance Saloon" and that unless we were handed the casino licence our future would be one of decline. This strategy brought about decline resulting in poor visitor numbers and a massive loss of business confidence. Holidaymakers simply do not want to visit a place shouting about deprivation and residents do not want to live in a town blighted by such publicity. Conservatives believe that our future can be bright with or without the casino. We have the confidence and boldness to believe that we can be the biggest and the best again. It would be folly to wait around any longer without making and planning alternative futures. We will make immediate plans for a better Blackpool making good use of the Central Area Corridor land that we Conservatives wisely acquired for development many years ago. We will work hard to rebuild trust and pride in Blackpool and will press for Government assistance in funding a new Conference and Convention Centre. We will vigorously regenerate run down areas and will engage with the private sector to meet our objectives. Central Drive is an eyesore and must be revitalised. On day one we will ask Re-Blackpool to look at this area as a priority in the hope of attracting funding from the NWDA and others. Plans will be make for the tramway to be extended inland. Never again will road repairs be allowed to gridlock the town centre causing misery and inconvenience to all. We promise to rebuild a better Blackpool for both residents and visitors.
GREEN MATTERS
Conservatives believe that we must all shrink our carbon footprint. A review of Blackpool Borough Council will be carried out to establish greener ways of going about our business. We will work with other to make everyone aware of the need to look after our planet. Residents will be encouraged to identify savings which will offset current carbon emissions. We will bring in a programme aimed at school children to make them aware of this vital issue. We will make war on waste and monitor stringent recycling options. Our simple aim is to build a reputation of being the fastest growing green town in the UK.
GREEN AREAS
Blackpool is the most densely populated urban area outside of London and therefore all green areas, parks and gardens must be protected. Conservatives will commence the task of "Greening Blackpool". Gateway entrances to the resort will be graced with meaningful and imaginative floral displays. Grass verges will be cut and we will embark on a major tree planting programme in urban areas. Conservatives will stipulate that every approved new development by a commercial company, whether it is private housing or business, must include a green area and landscaping. The upkeep of this will be the responsibility of the developer. We will look at ways of creating new green areas such as the proposed Central Drive improvement area. All green belt land will be preserved where possible, and a policy of redeveloping "brown field sites" will be adopted. Parks and gardens throughout the borough will be included in our plans and we promise not to favour any area over another. Politics will play no part in our obligations to residents.
INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENVIRONMENT
Blackpool is in a shocking state! Money has been spent but poor workmanship and delivery has spoilt many co-called improvements. There is still much work to be done to allow ease of access for disabled persons. Conservatives will tackle the problem of dirty and neglected streets. We promise to cleanup Blackpool. We will bring in stringent quality control measures. Proper inspection of all outside contracts will be carried out. The approved list of contractors will be scrutinized. Road repairs will be co-ordinated so as not to gridlock the town centre. Road repairs within tourism areas will be done in the off-season and residential areas will receive attention in the summer season. A properly costed rolling programme of road repairs will be adopted. Much of Blackpool's uniqueness has been lost because of cheap, un-coordinated and thoughtless shop front design for older properties. We will enforce local bylaws and acts relating to street drinking and dog fouling. Every endeavour will be made to contain the cost of waste collection, particularly to the holiday trade, which has been hardest hit under Labour. Illegal street traders and beggars will not be welcome in Blackpool.
TOURISM
Blackpool has sustained a loss of 7 million visitors per year since Labour took control. Conference and exhibition trade is now minimal and Blackpool's status as a Summer Entertainment Capital is in tatters, with the Council now having to support the Grand Theatre with grant aid. The damage is there for all to see. Conservatives will charge planners with greater accountability in screening out unacceptable Housing Association activities, which have damaged communities creating problems in residential and tourism areas. We promise to reclaim the Town Centre for all age groups and clean up the Town with a stringent Bars Policy. We will truly regulate licensed premises with a zero tolerance policy towards drugs and bad behaviour. Blackpool has too many bars. We will introduce a "Voluntary Code of Practice" for stag and hen parties aimed at introducing respect for other holidaymakers. We will market Blackpool to bring about changes to the visitor age and social profile. Direct invitations aimed at "stag and hen" group to "party" in Blackpool will not be included in advertising materials. Blackpool can look forward to a future of regaining its "family" resort status. We will review the £1million Winter Gardens Conference agreement. We will fight the Bed Tax. The Tourism Department will be replaced with an Attractions and Publicity Department, charged with the responsibility of advertising Blackpool and seeking out new markets and bringing new attractions to the Town. Good publicity was the oxygen which fed Blackpool in its growth years. New attractions could include themed weekends and other events aimed at "empty nesters" and senior citizens. We will look at ways of having a regular "Farmers' Market". We must also target the UK's growing migrant population. We have over 25million people living within three hours driving distance of the resort – how dare we fail! The Illuminations need bringing up to date and the Conservatives will re-introduce the magic with a programme of annual improvements. Displays must be at the cutting edge of technology and aimed fairly and squarely at families. We need more dialogue with theatre and venue owners to ensure Blackpool is included in entertainment tours. Blackpool must reclaim its show business crown with a wide and varied range of entertainment.
LAW AND ORDER
Conservatives will clean up Blackpool. They will be strong on law and order. Residents and visitors do not feel safe in the town centre at night. The stag and hen Code of Practice will be brought in and we will target "Benefit Drunks" who openly flaunt street drinking rules. More stringent drug control measure will be discussed with the Police to curb present problems. There is no room for street beggars and illegal traders. The battle for proper law and order within Blackpool is at the heart of a Conservative policy for regenerating the resort. We will reclaim the town centre and make it safe for all age groups.
CULTURE
Conservatives will encourage the arts, museums and shows. The Grand Theatre will be at the heart of Conservative plans to revitalise our town centre. The Grand must become a true town venue. It would be good to welcome back many of the local amateur companies who have been forced to vacate the Grand for other venues in the Fylde. Talbot Square will become a true "Civic Square" and we will introduce a new water feature with music and light. Liverpool and Manchester have established and developed major visitor attractions with inspirational manipulation of funding and artistic ideas. Blackpool will follow this example and we will explore ways of establishing a major National Exhibition that will form part of the new Conference Centre.
HEALTH
Statistics show that Blackpool's population suffers greatly through drug and alcohol related illnesses. In spite of healthy natural surroundings average life expectancy is not good. Therefore it is imperative that we should have better than average NHS resources. Conservatives will work closely with the PCT to get the best facilities for Blackpool. We support the Victoria Acute Trust to gain Foundation status. Conservatives will fight for better NHS dental treatment. It is a scandal that our children do not receive better preventative treatment!
ARCHITECTURE AND THE PEOPLE
Recent new building projects have been appalling. We have witnessed 16 years of lost opportunities. There will be no more buildings like Devonshire Road School – cheap constructions that are completely out of keeping with surrounding buildings. The building of cheap flat roofed sheds will cease. All new public buildings must have substance style and generate the same confidence that Blackpool enjoyed with the "heroic" style of the 30s. Blackpool is long overdue for a renaissance. If it can't be done with taste and style … it will not be done at all. If Blackpool is to attract good quality shopping and enjoy a healthy and vibrant cultural scene then it should have a more socially diversified resident population. Blackpool needs young middle class families who will not only demand quality, but will sustain it. Blackpool is long overdue for good class quality housing. Private homebuyers should not need to move outside of the resort to purchase good quality homes. Conservatives will bring about requisite changes to stem the flow of our young people leaving the town in search of better facilities. We will seek ways and means to halt the spread of HMOs and one bed accommodation that bring problems and downgrade the area
TRANSPORT LINKS
First class transport links are vital if Blackpool is to enjoy a successful future. We will look to a future phase of an extension inland to the tramway system. We will lobby for a direct rail service to London with the Preston/Blackpool rail electrified. There is a need for an easterly bypass and we recognise that the Red Route is all but dead. Therefore we will support the Blue route; that is the only alternative that could be beneficial to Blackpool. An increased capacity and frequency of main route bus services is required. An early feasibility study into the introduction of "Park and Ride" will be carried out. We will look at ways on introducing cheaper resident parking in the Town Centre and keeping West Street Car Park open later at night for theatre patrons.
EDUCATION
In spite of good teaching staff Blackpool's schools continue to under perform to the national average. We will put more focus in creating more Beacon Schools and to improving the OFSTED ratings of all of Blackpool's educational facilities. Conservatives will strive for lower class sizes and better schools. It will require a complete change in culture to drive up KS3 and KS4 results. We will put more emphasis into increasing music and performing arts tuition into our classrooms. Research shows that children taking music lessons also improve in other subjects. There should be a concerted effort to attract our youth into higher education in order to gain further qualifications. Education should be used to reduce the high teenage birth rate. Parents live in dread of their vulnerable children being introduced to drugs and pushers and we will work with the Police and teaching staff to bring about a policy of zero tolerance in this respect. Conservatives will not shrink from spending and investing in our future we want to put more thought into the children of Blackpool's future.
SOCIAL SERVICES
Blackpool has high levels of deprivation together with a substantial transient population and needs a good Social Services department. Conservatives aim to develop a Social Services department that ensures a collaborative approach to meet the needs of the community. A thorough evaluation and monitoring of services will take place with changes aimed at improving service delivery. Conservatives will lobby the Government to increase funding to Social Services to pay for increased hours for the carers of the frail and elderly under the "Home Care System". Many elderly residents have had a raw deal under Labour and we will seek to examine those services currently on offer with a view to making favourable changes. The Conservatives will always look after those who are most vulnerable.
BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY
The Conservative Party recognises the value of the flourishing partnerships with business interests that have emerged over the last few years. It is right and proper for Blackpool to diversify with light industry, but ensuring that we keep tourism as our main industry. In recent months many jobs have been lost and we will fight to bring new industry to the area.
