Guildford

Labour party:
your voice
in difficult
times

Guildford Borough Council Local Elections 2011

Guildford Labour; your voice in difficult times 1

Contents

3. Foreword from Keith Chesterton

4. Guildford Borough Council; A catalogue

of failure

6. Sorting housing out

9. Our universities policy

11. Getting Guildford moving

13. Radicalism in action; A co-operative

council

15. Transparency and accountability

17. Economy, growth and jobs

19. A cleaner, greener Guildford

21. Summary

Guildford Labour; your voice in difficult times 2

Foreword

The 2011 Local Elections across England are the most important
for a generation. With the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in
power marking some of the deepest cuts in living memory, this
election offers residents across England the chance to voice their
anger at David Cameron and Nick Clegg’s policies.

This election is about more than that though. In Guildford, we are

currently represented by the two coalition parties on the local
council. Guildford Borough Council, under Conservative leadership,
has quite clearly failed to deliver on the many promises they made
at the last election.

Most clearly they have failed to make any significant progress on

affordable housing. Almost 4,000 individuals still reside on the
housing registers in Guildford. 232 have been delivered in the last
three years and only 64 will be delivered next year. That is
unacceptable and Labour councillors in Guildford will make
affordable housing a top priority.

In this manifesto, we outline our principles and policies in a number

of areas, including housing, transport, waste and recycling. Not
every issue comes into the purview of Guildford Borough Council,
but we believe that local borough councillors have a role to play in
campaigning on the issues that residents care about.

This document shows that the Guildford Labour party has the
answers to the big questions facing Guildford Borough Council.
Based on co-operative values of democracy, transparency and
community, this manifesto has the ideas to deliver a cleaner,
greener, safer Guildford.

Together, we can make it happen

Keith Chesterton
Chair

Guildford Labour; your voice in difficult times 3

Guildford Borough Council; a Catalogue of
Failure
The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats on Guildford Borough
Council are failing to deliver for residents in Guildford. They have
over-promised and under-delivered for the last eight years.

Tories in Power; Making a Mess

The Conservative administration just doesn’t get it. They lack any
imagination and creativity in trying to address the problems faced
by residents across the borough. Their last eight years in
administration reads like a catalogue of failures;

They’ve FAILED to significantly increase the level of affordable

housing in Guildford

They’ve FAILED to lobby Surrey County Council to get our roads

fixed

They’ve FAILED to articulate a coherent vision for Guildford’s

future

On housing the Tories really should hold their heads in shame.

Guildford Borough Council has only increased its affordable housing
stock by 232 since 2008, which isn’t enough to meet demand in
the area.

If the situation is allowed to worsen our children and grandchildren

won’t be able to get a foot on the housing ladder; driving out those
who were born and bred in Guildford.

A key plank of the Labour programme will be designed to clear up

the mess that the Tories are making of Guildford Borough Council.

Lib Dems; Letting us all down

Our local Liberal Democrats are no better than the Tories. They
make half-hearted noises to oppose the Tories, but they avoid one

Guildford Labour; your voice in difficult times 4

inconvenient fact; they are the ones making the cuts to local
government.

Rather than taking responsibility for the fact that Nick Clegg
agrees with these cuts, they sit in council meetings pretending to
be enraged by the Tory cuts only to rubber stamp them;

The Lib Dems AGREE with the xxx% cut in Guildford Borough
Council’s budget

The Lib Dems AGREE with front-loading local government cuts to

make them harder on residents in Guildford

The Lib Dems AGREE with Nick Clegg and have refused to voice
any opposition to any of the policies he has foisted on local people.

The local Lib Dems are supposed to be the opposition. They are
supposed to scrutinise everything the Tories are doing but they are
forced to keep quiet and accept the level and pace of cuts to
services because it is their Lib Dems bosses that are forcing them
on us.

The Guildford Labour party is the only alternative voice to the

Tories on Guildford Borough Council. The Lib Dems have neither the
vision nor the space to make the case for an alternative strategy.

Guildford Labour; your voice in difficult times 5

Sorting Housing Out
The ability to live in an affordable and decent home is a basic right
in a civilised society. The most pressing issue that is facing
Guildford Borough Council at the moment is the lack of affordable
housing in the area. It is blight on our wonderful society and an
indictment of years of failed policy.

There are almost 4

,000 people on the housing waiting list in Guildford, in need of
good, decent and affordable housing and the Tories are failing to
address it. Regional housing targets are being scrapped, and the
Localism Bill leaves Tory councils free to carry on with their failed
house building policies.

The Tories and Lib Dems are proposing that Housing Associations
should charge 80% of the gross market rate for housing which
coupled with the changes in security of tenure and cuts in housing
benefit spell disaster for some of the most vulnerable in our
society.

The Guildford Labour Party is, however, committed to changing the

failing policies of old:

1. AFFORDABLE HOUSING:

Guildford Labour councillors will aim for a fixed target of 50%

affordable housing in all new developments for an
emergency period of four years. It will be reviewed in 2015,
when we will assess whether or not there is still a need for
the emergency measures.

2. AFFORDABLE RENTS:

Guildford Labour councillors will fight increases in rental rates

in Guildford. Housing Associations should not be allowed to
charge 80% of the gross market rate for housing. The
resources for new affordable housing should not be drawn
from the poorest in society.

3. SECURITY OF TENURE:

Guildford Labour; your voice in difficult times 6

 The Tories propose ending council tenancies for life and will
introduce short-term leases of 5 to 10 years or less. The
Guildford Labour group will oppose changes to the current
system of security of tenure. The current system gives
tenants, who are often drawn from the most vulnerable
elements of society the knowledge that they are secure in
their own homes.

4. UNDER OCCUPATION

The Guildford Labour party encourages down-sizing providing

it is a voluntary option for tenants and includes positive
incentives. Tenants need spare space. With a shortage of
affordable homes, younger family members may need to
return to live at home from time to time.

5. HOUSING BENEFIT:

The Guildford Labour party supports reform to Housing

Benefit, although we do not support the imposition of a
draconian cap which takes no account of the high living costs
in Guildford.

We support moves to identify those who abuse the system

but not punishing those who genuinely need help. The
Guildford Labour group will support measures to crack down
on genuine benefit fraud.

The Guildford Labour party oppose cuts at a time when Tory

and Liberal Democrat policies are causing rising
unemployment, increasing inflation and a squeeze on living
standards up and down our borough.

The Tories and Liberal Democrats on Guildford Borough Council

seem completely unconcerned about the housing situation in
Guildford. When the imposition of a draconian housing benefit cap
was announced, neither party had the bravery to speak up on
behalf of vulnerable residents who will suffer in Guildford.

Guildford Labour; your voice in difficult times 7

The Guildford Labour party is the only party in Guildford that can
call for a sensible alternative to the coalition’s current policy
prescription. Building decent and affordable houses will be the top
priority of a Labour led Guildford Borough Council.

Guildford Labour; your voice in difficult times 8

Maintaining Excellence; Our Universities
The University of Surrey is one of the finest institutions in the
world. It is renowned for its world class research facilities and
beautiful campus. A Labour run Guildford Borough Council will do all
it can to help maintain the reputation of the University across the
country and around the world.

We recognise that Guildford Borough Council doesn’t have the

ability to affect change on Tuition Fees, but as representatives in a
University town we have a responsibility to represent the
thousands of students in Guildford who contribute to our diverse
and vibrant society.

Councillors also have a role to play in exerting influence on the

government of the day. Our local Tories and Lib Dems are unable to
exert any influence because they are constrained by the actions of
their bosses in Westminster, so it is left to Labour to make the case
for a sustainable future for Higher Education.

Labour Councillors in Guildford will be guided by the following

principles:

UNIVERSITY FEES

(i) We recognise the value that University students bring to

the local area and the wider benefit of an educated
society

(ii) The Tories and Lib Dems are raising the cap on tuition
fees to £9,000, which coupled with living costs in
Guildford, could leave our students with over £50,000
worth of debt.

(iii) The Guildford Labour party does believe that graduates

should make a contribution to the cost of their education
as they accrue direct benefits from it

(iv) We believe that the cap on tuition fees should remain at

its current level until a more progressive alternative is
found.

Guildford Labour; your voice in difficult times 9

 (v) The government should look again at the balance of
funding from students and central government to the cost
of Higher Education, with a view of emulating funding
systems in comparable European Countries.

(vi) Most importantly, Universities should be places of

academic excellence, not businesses primarily concerned
with increasing funding streams from private sector
sources.

A Guildford Labour led Council administration would reverse the

Tories neglect of the University of Surrey Students’ Union (USSU)
and seek to engage with the Union in order to facilitate improved
relationships between students and local residents in Guildford. It
is in the interests of the council, local residents and students to
maintain excellent relationships.

The Guildford Labour party and Labour Councillors will look to

institute a local form of the Educational Maintenance Allowance
(EMA).

Guildford Labour; your voice in difficult times 10

Getting Guildford Moving
The price of petrol has been consistently increasing for years. With
growing instability in oil rich countries, it is becoming more difficult
for residents in Guildford to make as many car journeys as they
used.

It is therefore more important than ever to provide excellent,

affordable and efficient bus services for people across Guildford,
whether they live in urban or rural areas. There is also a role for
introducing better cycling facilities and looking at a cycle hire
scheme similar to the one used in London and proposals that have
been approved in Portsmouth.

We need to stop clobbering the motorist as the Guildford Tories

have insisted on doing so in the last eight years. It is bad for local
business and disproportionately hits the pockets of those who can
least afford to pay.

What do we get in return? Cracked roads and pavements, botched

resurfacing and a lack of proper investment. In the long run it costs
motorists in Guildford thousands of pounds to repair damaged cars.
It isn’t good enough.

Therefore Labour Councillors will be working for:

(i) The abolition of evening parking charges to help

businesses struggling in a time of recession.

(ii) A radically improved bus station at the Friary Bus Station

that we can all be proud rather than embarrassed of.

(iii) A cycle hire scheme and the introduction of more safe

cycling lanes that are accessible to every resident in
Guildford, including cycling lanes running parallel to
railway lines.

(iv) Local referendums on 20mph limits in residential areas

with nearby schools for local residents.

Guildford Labour; your voice in difficult times 11

 (v) Lobbying Surrey County Council for a renewed programme
of investment in our roads and pavements

Guildford Borough Council needs a radical new transport policy that

is innovative, imaginative and inclusive. The Borough Council
doesn’t have to work alone on this. A Labour led Guildford Borough
Council will work with Surrey County Council and private and
voluntary sector stakeholders, passengers and current providers to
produce a holistic transport policy that will radically change the
way in which we think about our transport services.

The Tories have had eight years to deliver and they have failed.
Guildford’s roads are getting worst and our public transport needs
new life. The Lib Dems have had four years as the only opposition
voices on Guildford Borough Council to offer a radical and credible
alternative to the Tories. It is clear that only the Guildford Labour
party can offer something new in our local area.

Guildford Labour; your voice in difficult times 12

Radicalism in Action; Co-operative Solutions
to Common Problems
Co-operatives and mutual organisations have a role to play in
almost every aspect of local government. Public services especially
lend themselves to mutual organisation; housing, leisure, social
services, care for children and the elderly, transport, community
regeneration and economic development.

The Tories and Lib Dems in government have told us that the “Big
Society” delivers on co-operative values, but we all know what that
is really about; cutting services and trying to get you to do all the
work for free. We shouldn’t be fooled by it.

Co-ops embody the following values; self-help, self-responsibility,

democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. Labour Councillors will
work for and ensure the following:

(i) Every service that the Council puts out to tender will have
to include a co-operative or mutual options, driven by local
residents

(ii) Officers involved in the remodelling of any service will

have to consider a co-operative or mutual solution

(iii) Promote Housing Co-operatives to allow tenants greater

control and involvement in their housing provision

(iv) The appointment of a Co-operative Development Officer

at Guildford Borough Council

(v) Continued support for the Surrey Save Credit Union

(vi) Work with Surrey County Council, to promote the Young

Cooperative initiative in Guildford’s schools.

(vii) Work with the Co-operative group to develop a charter

that external organisations delivering council services will
be expected to abide by.

Guildford Labour; your voice in difficult times 13

 (viii) Institute a Community Dividend programme which would
give council staff the opportunity to take time leave off of
work to assist local community groups.

(ix) Create a Community Dividend Scheme which would allow

businesses to contribute to grants programmes to help
support community work.

A Guildford Labour led Guildford Borough Council would also create

a Citizens Commission consisting of local businesses, community
organisations, residents and stakeholders to develop ideas about
how we can encourage cooperatives and mutuals in Guildford. The
remit would also be extended to explore ways in which we can
enhance democratic accountability and transparency on the council
to foster greater community involvement in every aspect of life.

The Guildford Tories have had eight years to articulate a

cooperative vision for Guildford and they have completely and
utterly failed. Their “Big Society” is a smokescreen for the largest,
frontloaded cuts in local government that we have ever seen. And
the Liberal Democrat opposition has offered little more. They offer
no vision or creativity for a cooperative vision in Guildford. So it is
left to Labour to provide the only alternative in Guildford to the
tired Tories.

Guildford Labour; your voice in difficult times 14

Transparency and Accountability
Local democracy is stagnating under the current two party
monopoly in Guildford. The Tories aren’t interested in scrutiny and
their coalition partners, the Lib Dems are incapable of actually
delivering it.

So the local council structure needs to be radically opened up to

allow greater scrutiny of the administration by the general public.
The Guildford Labour party has four specific proposals to increase
scrutiny, transparency and accountability on Guildford Borough
Council:

(i) Leaders Question Time: The Guildford Labour party is

committed to introducing a leader’s question time where
members of the public and councillors would have the
opportunity to raise any concerns or issues they have.

(ii) Plain English Guides: The Guildford Labour party would

publish Plain English guides to accompany documents
such as the budget to make it simpler councillors and
members of the public to scrutinise.

(iii) Committee Names: The Guildford Labour party would

rename the current committee better reflect their actual
activity.

(iv) Council Website: The Guildford Labour party is committed

to redeveloping the council website to make it easier for
councillors and members of the public to navigate.

Underpinning all of these measures would be the establishment of

a Citizens Commission, similar to the commission developed in
Lambeth. It would look at ways in which the Council can open itself
up to more transparency and scrutiny. The Guildford Labour party
would invite local residents, business leaders and representatives
of Residents Associations from across Guildford to take part in this
commission.

The Tories have for the last eight years hoarded power and
shunned public scrutiny. They don’t want their policies to be

Guildford Labour; your voice in difficult times 15

scrutinised by the public because they realise that the more we
know, the more we dislike their policies. The Lib Dems have failed
to adequately scrutinise the Tories for the last four years and now
that they are in coalition with them rendering their position
untenable.

So it is left to the Guildford Labour party to make the case for

greater transparency and scrutiny on Guildford Borough Council.
This isn’t just about publishing the amount of money that it has
been spending, although this is very welcome. It is about giving the
public a greater say in the way their council is run and with a
Labour led Borough Council, we can deliver that.

Guildford Labour; your voice in difficult times 16

Economy, Growth and Jobs
The Tories and Liberal Democrats are currently embarking on a
policy of slashing and burning our public services. Local
government has received the worst settlement of any part of the
public sector. The Tories and Liberal Democrats have decided to
frontload these cuts, meaning that big cuts are having to be made
earlier than they have to be.

The Guildford Labour party will continue to support the case for an
alternative economic strategy that doesn’t stall growth and
hamper job creation in the private sector. Cuts will have to happen
in government spending and the structural deficit does need to be
reduced, however the government are going too far and too fast,
endangering growth in Guildford’s economy.

The effects can be felt across the United Kingdom and no more
keenly than in Guildford, where shops are being vacated by
independent businesses who can no longer afford to stay open
when demand is so low, VAT increasing and lending to businesses
stalled. The questions that we have to ask are these:

(i) Why is Guildford Town Centre suffering more than Woking

Town Centre and other comparable neighbours?

(ii) How can we re-establish Guildford as a top regional

shopping venue once again?

(iii) What can the Borough Council do to get consumers back

through the doors of our local businesses?

The Guildford Labour party does not hold all the answers to these
questions; no political party does. However we can identify some
key areas that we need to work on in order to boost Guildford’s
economy:

(i) The cost of parking. The Guildford Labour party would

freeze car parking charges for three years as we look to
secure recovery in our economy.

Guildford Labour; your voice in difficult times 17

 (ii) A vibrant town centre. The Guildford Labour party would
reinvigorate the Friary redevelopment process which
needs to be completed in order for us to compete with our
neighbours.

(iii) Clean and safe high streets. The Guildford Labour party
would work with Surrey County Council to ensure that our
town centre pavements are safe for shoppers and get
more litter bins in place. The Guildford Labour party would
also close the upper high street to traffic at the
weekends.

(iv) Diverse local businesses. The Guildford Labour party

would work with the Chamber of Commerce and the
Federation of Small Businesses to develop a strategy for
encouraging small and medium sized enterprises to remain
in Guildford.

The Tories and Lib Dems locally have failed to develop a coherent
growth strategy for Guildford. The Tories are only concerned with
chopping services and sacking staff and the Lib Dems lack the
imagination to reinvigorate the private sector in Guildford.

The Guildford Labour party recognises and celebrates the

importance of our private sector. As jobs are lost in the public
sector the Borough Council needs to be proactive in encouraging
businesses in the local area to create more jobs. A Labour led
Guildford Borough Council would make this a priority.

The Guildford Labour party also recognises the value of the public
sector and the work that is done by public servants in Guildford. We
are committed to efficiency in the public sector. We also recognise
the interdependent nature between the public and private sector;
job losses and cut backs in contracts often lead to significant job
losses in the private sector. Working with key actors in the public
sector we will work to protect services.

Guildford Labour; your voice in difficult times 18

A Cleaner and Greener Guildford
Climate change is one the greatest threat facing the planet.
Guildford is doing its part to help in the fight against climate
change, with good and improving recycling rates and the Council
deserves a lot of credit for the work it is doing.

But it can do so much more.

We need to maintain levels of cleanliness in our local areas.

Guildford is a beautiful place with lovely green space and we will
ensure that this remains the case in the future. At the same time
we also need to recognise that the streets in our urban areas in
Guildford need to be kept clean. They are as important as one
another.

If elected in May, Labour Councillors will introduce Labour-hood

Watches, regular patrols of every street in their ward to find
problems like litter and graffiti, in order to get them sorted out as
soon as possible.

Labour Councillors will also be working for:

(i) Tougher sanctions on fly-tipping and quicker response

times when problems are reported

(ii) An increased recycling rates by enhancing doorstep

collections to the majority of household waste.

(iii) An increased level of plastics collection,

(iv) The maintenance of Guildford’s council-parks and gardens

managed as organic gardens

(v) The creation of a climate change strategy for Guildford

with ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas
emissions.

(vi) A business environment which allows for the development

of a vibrant and diverse green industry in Guildford.

Guildford Labour; your voice in difficult times 19

Both the Tories and Lib Dems deserve credit for their work on
recycling. The Guildford Labour party will work on a cross-party
basis with both the Tories and the Lib Dems to build on the work
being done in this area.

Climate change is an issue that transcends ideology and party

politics. And only by working together can we achieve our aims.

Guildford Labour; your voice in difficult times 20

 Summary; a 40 point plan for Guildford
Borough Council.

1. We would aim for a fixed target of 50% affordable housing in all

new developments for an emergency period of four years.

2. We will fight increases in rental rates in Guildford. Housing

Associations should not be allowed to charge 80% of the gross
market rate for housing.

3. We will oppose changes to the current system of security of

tenure..

4. We would encourage down-sizing providing it is a voluntary

option for tenants and includes positive incentives.

5. We support reform to Housing Benefit, although we do not

support the imposition of a draconian cap which takes no
account of the high living costs in Guildford.

6. We will support measures to crack down on genuine benefit

fraud.

7. We will oppose cuts at a time when Tory and Liberal Democrat

policies are causing rising unemployment, increasing inflation
and a squeeze on living standards up and down our borough.

8. We believe that graduates should make a contribution to the

cost of their education as they accrue direct benefits from it, but
we will campaign against the current government’s ill thought
out proposals.

9. We will work to institute a local form of the Educational

Maintenance Allowance (EMA).

10. We support the abolition of evening parking charges to help

businesses struggling in a time of recession.

11. We want a radically improved bus station at the Friary Bus

Station that we can all be proud rather than embarrassed of.

Guildford Labour; your voice in difficult times 21

12. We will work for a cycle hire scheme and the introduction of
more safe cycling lanes that are accessible to every resident in
Guildford, including cycling lanes running parallel to railway
lines.

13. We will lobby for local referendums on 20mph limits in

residential areas with nearby schools for local residents.

14. We will lobby Surrey County Council for a renewed programme

of investment in our roads and pavements

15. We will ensure that every service that the Council puts out to
tender will have to include a co-operative or mutual option,
driven by local residents

16. We will ensure that officers involved in the remodelling of any

service will have to consider a co-operative or mutual solution

17. We will promote Housing Co-operatives to allow tenants greater

control and involvement in their housing provision

18. We will appoint a Co-operative Development Officer at Guildford

Borough Council

19. We will provide continued support for the Surrey Save Credit
Union

20. We will work with Surrey County Council, to promote the Young
Cooperative initiative in Guildford’s schools.

21. We will work with the Co-operative group to develop a co-

operative charter that external organisations delivering council
services will be expected to abide by.

22. We will institute a Community Dividend programme which would

give council staff the opportunity to take time leave off of work
to assist local community groups.

Guildford Labour; your voice in difficult times 22

23. We will create a Community Dividend Scheme which would allow
businesses to contribute to grants programmes to help support
community work.

24. We are committed to introducing a leader’s question time where

members of the public and councillors would have the
opportunity to raise any concerns or issues they have.

25. We will publish Plain English guides to accompany documents

such as the budget to make it easier for councillors and
members of the public to scrutinise.

26. We will rename the current committee better reflect their actual
activity.

27. We are committed to redeveloping the council website to make

it easier for councillors and members of the public to navigate.

28. We would establish a Citizen’s Commission, similar to that set up

in Lambeth, to bring residents closer to the democratic
structures of the council.

29. We would freeze car parking charges for three years as we look
to secure recovery in our economy.

30. We would reinvigorate the Friary redevelopment process,

working with local stakeholders, which needs to be completed in
order for us to compete with our neighbours.

31. We would work with Surrey County Council to ensure that our
town centre pavements are safe for shoppers and get more
litter bins in place.

32. We would also close the upper high street to traffic at the
weekends.

33. We would work with the Chamber of Commerce and the

Federation of Small Businesses to develop a strategy for
encouraging small and medium sized enterprises to remain in
Guildford.

Guildford Labour; your voice in difficult times 23

34. We will campaign to keep our Bobbies on the beat in all areas of
the borough.

35. We support tougher sanctions on fly-tipping and quicker

response times when problems are reported

36. We want increased recycling rates in Guildford, by enhancing

doorstep collections to the majority of household waste.

37. We will look to increase the level of plastics collection,

38. We will continue supporting the maintenance of Guildford’s

council-parks and gardens managed as organic gardens

39. We will work for creation of a climate change strategy for

Guildford with ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas
emissions.

40. We want a business environment which allows for the

development of a vibrant and diverse green industry in
Guildford.

Guildford Labour; your voice in difficult times 24

 Make a difference: join Labour today. Go to labour.org.uk/join or call 01483 511272
Promoted by Oliver Deed, on behalf of the Guildford Labour party, both at 9 Martyr Road, Guildford, GU1 4LF

Guildford Labour; your voice in difficult times 25