Thursday, April 26, 2007
Our Manifesto Pledges on Housing, Environment, and Transport
Housing and Neighbourhood Services.
It is Conservative policy to deliver and supply first class local services. In order that this might be delivered it is sometimes necessary for an administration to hold its hands up and admit that it cannot do this without outside help. Proper maintenance and upkeep of Council properties is one such example. Without the input of a third party, the housing stock will continue to fall into worse states of disrepair. For this reason the Conservative administration will:
1) Face up to the challenges which have been pushed aside by successive administrations in Milton Keynes over past years, and recognise that to carry on as we are is not an option.
2) Explore all avenues open to ensure that all Council Properties can reach the decent homes standard by 2009.
3) Having carefully considered each option, both at policy development committee and Cabinet level, write to and inform all tenants of the options open to them, and to subsequently ballot them on the possible ways forward.
4) Keep tenants fully appraised at all times of the latest situation and any decisions which will affect their own day to day well being.
5) Recognise that it is the tenant and not the budget which is the main concern of the council, and direct the department in the best way to serve the needs of the tenant.
Environment
Milton Keynes has much to boast about with its open spaces and green landscape. But there are many parts of the city and borough which are currently blighted by graffiti, fly tipping, and rubbish. A Conservative administration will:
1) Tackle the route causes of the problems of dirty streets and areas, as well as the symptoms, in conjunction with regular deep cleaning and swift clearance of problem areas.
2) Promote a regular programme of street cleaning and litter picking, with increases of services in problem areas, in order to promote cleanliness and the inevitable feel good factor which goes with it.
3) Retain the weekly domestic collection of both black bag refuse and recycling, but with a greater emphasis on how to expand the current recycling scheme in order to continue to work towards a zero waste policy in Milton Keynes.
4) Explore more economically, and ecologically, sound ways of disposing of our black bag waste than the current landfill methods, but continuing Milton Keynes’ adopted policy of opposing incineration.
5) Champion the e-government and electronic communication agenda for Milton Keynes to reduce the demand for paper bureaucracy.
6) Place a much greater emphasis on the role of the Parks Trust (one of MK’s greatest assets) in the management and preservation of our open spaces.
Travel and Transport
A city and borough like Milton Keynes relies on the ability to travel quickly and freely. That is why it is essential to continue to recognise all that has made Milton Keynes the success that it is, such as the grid road system. Local Conservatives have always supported an effective and efficient integrated public transport system to allow travel for those who do not have access to the motor car, but not at the expense of the motorist. After all, Milton Keynes was built and designed around the car. Specifically a Conservative controlled administration will:
1) Implement an integrated public transport system to ensure that public transport is widely available to all who wish or need to use it.
2) Continue to support the motorist, so heavily penalised by previous administrations, by positively promoting the preservation of the entire grid road system, the dualling of specific parts of it, and its extension into the designated expansion areas.
3) Licence the CMK retailers and commercial operators to impose their own city centre parking charges in order to promote the facilities that MK has to offer.
4) Continue to press for the dualling of the A421 as a southern relief road for Milton Keynes, and the construction of a “Junction 13a” on the M1 in order to enhance traffic flows and movements.
5) Support the proposed east – west rail link, and continue to support the campaign for more frequent rail links to London and a new direct Eurostar link to Europe.
6) Continue to support the current upgrading of Milton Keynes Railway Station in order that it is fit for purpose for a 21st Century City.
7) Support the extension, and proper maintenance of, the red way network in order to provide safe passage for those who wish to walk and cycle.
It is Conservative policy to deliver and supply first class local services. In order that this might be delivered it is sometimes necessary for an administration to hold its hands up and admit that it cannot do this without outside help. Proper maintenance and upkeep of Council properties is one such example. Without the input of a third party, the housing stock will continue to fall into worse states of disrepair. For this reason the Conservative administration will:
1) Face up to the challenges which have been pushed aside by successive administrations in Milton Keynes over past years, and recognise that to carry on as we are is not an option.
2) Explore all avenues open to ensure that all Council Properties can reach the decent homes standard by 2009.
3) Having carefully considered each option, both at policy development committee and Cabinet level, write to and inform all tenants of the options open to them, and to subsequently ballot them on the possible ways forward.
4) Keep tenants fully appraised at all times of the latest situation and any decisions which will affect their own day to day well being.
5) Recognise that it is the tenant and not the budget which is the main concern of the council, and direct the department in the best way to serve the needs of the tenant.
Environment
Milton Keynes has much to boast about with its open spaces and green landscape. But there are many parts of the city and borough which are currently blighted by graffiti, fly tipping, and rubbish. A Conservative administration will:
1) Tackle the route causes of the problems of dirty streets and areas, as well as the symptoms, in conjunction with regular deep cleaning and swift clearance of problem areas.
2) Promote a regular programme of street cleaning and litter picking, with increases of services in problem areas, in order to promote cleanliness and the inevitable feel good factor which goes with it.
3) Retain the weekly domestic collection of both black bag refuse and recycling, but with a greater emphasis on how to expand the current recycling scheme in order to continue to work towards a zero waste policy in Milton Keynes.
4) Explore more economically, and ecologically, sound ways of disposing of our black bag waste than the current landfill methods, but continuing Milton Keynes’ adopted policy of opposing incineration.
5) Champion the e-government and electronic communication agenda for Milton Keynes to reduce the demand for paper bureaucracy.
6) Place a much greater emphasis on the role of the Parks Trust (one of MK’s greatest assets) in the management and preservation of our open spaces.
Travel and Transport
A city and borough like Milton Keynes relies on the ability to travel quickly and freely. That is why it is essential to continue to recognise all that has made Milton Keynes the success that it is, such as the grid road system. Local Conservatives have always supported an effective and efficient integrated public transport system to allow travel for those who do not have access to the motor car, but not at the expense of the motorist. After all, Milton Keynes was built and designed around the car. Specifically a Conservative controlled administration will:
1) Implement an integrated public transport system to ensure that public transport is widely available to all who wish or need to use it.
2) Continue to support the motorist, so heavily penalised by previous administrations, by positively promoting the preservation of the entire grid road system, the dualling of specific parts of it, and its extension into the designated expansion areas.
3) Licence the CMK retailers and commercial operators to impose their own city centre parking charges in order to promote the facilities that MK has to offer.
4) Continue to press for the dualling of the A421 as a southern relief road for Milton Keynes, and the construction of a “Junction 13a” on the M1 in order to enhance traffic flows and movements.
5) Support the proposed east – west rail link, and continue to support the campaign for more frequent rail links to London and a new direct Eurostar link to Europe.
6) Continue to support the current upgrading of Milton Keynes Railway Station in order that it is fit for purpose for a 21st Century City.
7) Support the extension, and proper maintenance of, the red way network in order to provide safe passage for those who wish to walk and cycle.
# posted by Sherington Tory @ 3:25 PM 
