Labour Launch Northumberland's vision for the Future
PARTY LAUNCHES ‘PLAN TO INVEST’ FOR JOBS, HOMES, AND A ‘NEW NORTHUMBERLAND’
‘Our plan is fully costed, positive and we’re backing Northumberland with investment for all compared with Conservative plans that would ‘hammer over 50% of the population in South East and bankrupt the rest of the county’
To view to the manifesto click here: Manifesto / Plan for the Future
- Grant Davey, Leader of Labour group
Northumberland Labour group and the party across Northumberland have launched a manifesto for May’s elections which would see 1500 affordable homes added to the county housing stock, 10,000 jobs created or safeguarded through initiatives like Energy Central which stretches from Lynemouth to Blyth and to continue to roll out planned investment of over £380m across major towns and communities in Northumberland.
Scott Dickinson Business Chairman said: " it is great to see such a positive plan for the future that supports all areas of Northumberland. It is a real alternative to the Conservative doom and gloom that they want to force on to Northumberland. Voters now know it doesn't need to be that way."
The plan includes new leisure centres for Berwick, Ponteland, Blyth and Morpeth, new school projects like James Calvert school that serves Amble and Druridge Bay and in Ponteland and Seaton Delaval.
The plan would see council jobs and services spread across the county market towns as they move these from centralised County Hall as part of the Market Towns Initiative and would see the council concentrate on embarking on huge infrastructure projects like the Ashington-Blyth-Tyne line which would see thousands of new jobs created and a huge boost to SE Northumberland’s economy.
But Labour will continue to focus on building 1500 more affordable houses to add to over 1000 added to the affordable housing stock from 2013.
Labour inherited a record housing waiting list in 2013 from a Liberal led coalition with the Conservatives but have reduced it to around 7,500. 1500 new affordable homes would see the list dip below 5,000 for the first time since the 1970’s.
Labour say in May, there’s a stark choice between a Conservative party which has campaigned to stop projects like free car parking and the move of council jobs and services back to market towns across Northumberland and Northumberland Labour’s plan to invest sensibly in projects which will benefit the whole county.
They say Tory plans would ‘halt investment in South East Northumberland putting projects like Bedlington town centre redevelopment in doubt.
But Labour are warning that Conservative plans are ‘silent on cost’ and ‘silent on the future of council services’ with policies like scrapping the county development arm Arch likely to cost over 500 jobs and leave the council with a £25m ‘black hole’ in its budget. Conservative silence on services and jobs have raised fears that they’re intent on resurrecting a 2013 plan to privatise services and slash council jobs.
Labour are also highlighting that Tory plans would see a ‘halt to investment in South East Northumberland in communities like Bedlington, Newbiggin, Cramlington, Blyth and Ashington’.
