Lib Dem Priorities for Essex
County Council Elections – 2 May 2013
Four years of Tory scandal and financial mismanagement
Over the last four years Conservative run Essex County Council has been hit by a series of financial and other scandals
The former Leader, Lord Hanningfield, was forced to resign over his House of Lords expenses for which he was imprisoned
Lord Hanningfield’s ECC expenses were exposed which showed ?287,000 had been spent over the five years 2005-10, the previous five years records having been destroyed.
Further revelations showed his office staff claimed ?70,000 over three years and ECC paid his ?4,600 bar bill at the House of Lords
The Conservatives, with Labour support, refused a Liberal Democrat call for an Inquiry to establish who authorised those payments and why
The use of ‘P’ cards (payment cards) by officers was exposed which revealed ?1.7m had been spent on luxury hotels, trips abroad and shopping sprees
Five cases of personal identity data were leaked or mislaid
The revelation that ECC had ?14.5m of art treasures hidden away from public view
Developer contributions (Section 106 monies) were lost through inaction
Now is the time to sweep away the secrecy and open up the County Council to public scrutiny
The Liberal Democrats will make that change by:
Council meetings to be web cast
Allowing the public to speak and ask questions at Council meetings
No more decisions made behind closed doors
During the last four years the standard of basic services has fallen. The Liberal Democrats will change that by restoring services and improving others by:
Repairing roads properly, not just patching up
Improving poorly performing schools
Ending the shortage of school places
No more cuts to Library opening hours
Re-opening the Martins Farm, St Osyth Recycling Centre
No more Recycling Centre closures
Ensuring the under 5’s nursery provision is fully taken up
Providing swimming concessions for the under 16’s
Improving youth provision
Providing concessionary fares passes for those on Job Seekers Allowance and undertaking Apprenticeships
No more increases in car parking charges in ECC Country Parks
Protecting concessionary fares for pensioners
Stopping the street light switch off for review
Introduce ’20 is plenty’ – 20mph speed limit near schools and in residential areas
The Liberal Democrats will ensure value for money by:
Cutting waste and bureaucracy at County Hall
Using cash sitting in the Council’s Banks
Cutting business trips and conferences
Reducing the number of Cabinet members and Deputies receiving allowances
Cutting the publicity budget
Slashing the use of expensive consultants
No more gimmicky projects like Banking in Essex which wasted ?400,000
Making sure Developers contributions (Section 106 monies) are spent in time and not returned