Pride in Sutton – safer, cleaner, greenerI am determined that the population of Sutton Coldfield should find support from the public purse for their schemes to revitalise the town.We must foster the organisational talents of the neighbourhood and we must make them aware that they are not alone. Encourage neighbourhoods to take responsibility for their appearance, yes for their policing and certainly for their safety. The word ‘Pride’ is often ill used. We cannot afford to squander the desire within communities to feel good about themselves and their surroundings. |
Tough Action on Private Land DevelopersLet us not underestimate the role of the private developer and let us also acknowledge his part in producing the interesting mix of dwellings which is today’s town.But let us also weigh up the cost, in the widest sense, of allowing the less attractive players in this market free licence. We need firmer guidelines on development, not so much to suppress development but to constrain it. We desperately need a development plan, we must work to fashion the town as we would have it. |
Ambitious upgrade of our Town CentreI will arrange Planning Summits, open to all groups to produce the blueprint for a 21st Century Sutton.The combination of neglect and market forces has saddled us with a need now for a fundamental rethink. I will bring people together to address the problem; we have gone through the motions for years, it is time for purposeful action. We need to refine our dealings with serious developers, we need to bring off the difficult task of sparking a positive interaction between developer, retailer and people. |
More cash for schools, healthcare, childcareLabour’s record in office has been one of consistent support for public services.From school meals to increased pensions back to nursery places, Labour has fulfilled its promises to reward the hard working and play its part in safeguarding the potential of our young people. Public services are no longer the whipping boy to be compared with tales of excess from elsewhere in the economy. Under the careful stewardship of the Labour government they are comparable with the best in Europe. |
A new democratic Sutton Town CouncilThe time has come to drive a ‘Save Sutton’ Campaign.Sutton has been ill served by complacent councillors and a hands off MP. The signs of decline are all around us. We look with dismay at the dismal capitulation on the Brassington project: we see the Town Centre stubbornly refusing to modernise, we see a travesty posing as a transport system, we see a black hole labelled ‘long term planning’. Someone must take charge. Let us build the political institutions to enable progress, let us make lax posturing behind out of date structures a misdemeanour of the past. |