Derby Labour Manifesto 2021
Delivering a Derby to be Proud of
INTRODUCTION
By Baggy Shanker, Leader - Derby Labour Group The Labour Group has learned a great deal since we were last in charge in 2018. We have new leadership, we have taken stock of the past, we are reviewing the fast-paced changing scenery of our pandemic present, we are listening and allowing those lessons to inform us; to define a new future for Derby: one of prosperity, inspiration, respect, community, collaboration, and nurturing. Our manifesto centres around us developing Derby’s identity and celebrating the pride we have for our city. For too long Derby has struggled with its identity, living in the shadows of our East Midlands neighbours. It’s time to develop our self-confidence and celebrate our unique character. We need to be loud and proud about who we are, where we began and where are we going. We are a collaborative city, built on innovation, a place where as partners, all of us; businesses, residents and students, creatives, engineers, scientists, technologists and entrepreneurs can celebrate our past, live in the present and drive our future, proud of who we were, where we are and where we are going; proud of our identity.
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Derby is a city of industry. We have the Silk Mill, Rolls Royce, Alstom, Toyota and Royal Crown Derby, yet do we really celebrate it? By promising a face and a personality for our city we can help our residents embrace it instead of being embarrassed by it. We want every resident to come along on the journey with us, for you to be fully involved, so that you feel the sense of place and value that defines us. This won’t happen overnight, but we can start now. We invite you to see the Derby that we see, believe in it and work with us to achieve it.
Baggy Shanker I am so proud to present this manifesto to Derby. In this document is a vision of the city I want to live in. It’s time to give Derby an identity to be proud of, making our Council the most community-focussed it has ever been, developing a fairer city, following through on our commitment to the climate crisis - putting the environment at the forefront of every decision we make. In the local elections this May we are asking you to vote for the most complete plan this city has ever seen. Cast a vote to believe in Derby. Vote Labour.
Nadine Peatfield
Deputy Leader- Derby Labour Group
IDENTITY DERBY
How do we find our city’s personality? We start with a vision...
DARING... to be different. Identifying & embracing who we are DESIRABLE... a place to work, live, visit and call home. A city to be proud of DEVELOPING... current & new schemes that make Derby unique. Embracing the green industry of the future. A city that goes above & beyond on climate change action DISTINCT... known as the ‘City of Industry’; of planes, trains & automobiles. Recognised instantly by our unique urban industrial design & architecture across the city DESTINATION... the ‘City of Making’, nurturing artisans, crafters, makers, up-cyclers & re-purposing businesses. Known for our excellent cycling infrastructure, for embracing active travel and as a welcoming base for visiting the Peak District 3
DELIVERING a DERBY to be PROUD of
We pledge to give Derby an identity and a city centre to be proud of Linking our cultural & arts heritage with our industrial past and our green future, our city centre will be a flexible, adaptable stage where artistic, performance, meeting, living & social spaces can be set.
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DELIVERING We will create a city centre focal point that encompasses our identity, attracts visitors and delivers a multi-purpose flexible entertainment & social space that celebrates Derby We will create a city centre up-cycling industry. From white goods to furniture, from bikes to crafts & clothes, we will be a city of recyclers & up-cyclers, making the old, new. We will encourage use of empty shops by our city’s entrepreneurs with incentives for landlords We will develop a heritage trail with our city’s biggest partners; telling Derby’s industrial story at key entrance points to the city such as the bus & train stations, stamped with a distinct industrial identity We will challenge budding artists, graphic designers & students to give Derby its identity through art & design, bringing themes together to unite disparate areas of the city, making Derby recognisable as we enter, travel around and exit our city We will renew our cultural commitment to make Derby a festival city. We will build on the strength of our Book Festival, Folk Festival, Beer Festival and Derby Festé; working with our cultural partners for year round entertainment and celebration of our city We will embrace community-led housing projects to deliver more housing for all, allowing community groups to shape the housing that appears on their doorsteps and creating a self-build register to support self-build housing across the city
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If the finance works, we will do what’s right for Derby and support the Becketwell Arena
DETERMINED to FIGHT for DERBY We pledge to be bold and bring everyone along on the journey with us
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We are driven and dauntless in wanting the best for our city. We embrace and celebrate the strength of our Silk Mill union roots and remind ourselves of how Derby has stood together and can do so again. We are strong and resilient in our covid recovery. We will learn from our time in lockdown and take forward the positives that emerged from the shared experience. We demand a fair deal for Derby- We will fight austerity & cuts to services.
DETERMINED We will redefine the council’s boards to be inclusive to all. We will develop Derby together; not a talking shop, a doing shop with real outcomes We will hold local public meetings to discuss major issues or projects We will embrace Community Wealth Building such as • Work with Trade Unions to achieve a council living wage • •
Local procurement, suppliers & supply chains- redirecting money back into our local economy Partner with The Co-operative Party to promote co-operative ownership of businesses
Moorways Leisure Centre will be council-run to ensure it is affordable and accessible to all We will investigate recent major decisions such as the closure of Allestree Golf Course and privatising Moorways Leisure Centre to ensure due process has been followed We will bring our services back in house to • Create more jobs •
Make more savings
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Set our own high standards
We will fight for the stability of 4 yearly elections for Derby 7
We will not raise Council Tax to the maximum unless absolutely necessary
DOING the DECENT thing for DERBY We pledge to treat everyone equally, with compassion and respect We believe in developing a fairer city with the same opportunities whichever area you live. We believe that every child deserves the best start in life, whatever their learning ability. We are dedicated to equality of education, pay, gender, ability, race, sexuality, health, mental health and opportunity. We are allies & champions. Violence, abuse and fear have no place in our city. We commit to play our part in changing the narrative.
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DECENT We will deliver the Derby Promise for every child 1. Opportunity of experiences through school to inspire 2. Develop inspiration through work experience opportunities 3. Live online vocational lessons with local experts 4. 16+ options and opportunities in one place 5. Wider apprenticeship options to nurture aspiration 6. Next step 18+ guidance to achieve their aspiration
We will develop School Safety Zones We will set targets to increase local SEND provision We will work towards an end to holiday hunger We will work with the Police & Crime Commissioner and partners towards providing positive youth programmes across the city to address the root causes of anti-social behaviour We will strive to reduce 10-year life expectancy health inequality We will develop a Fair Funding Grants Programme for the voluntary sector; support excellent working structures that already exist, facilitate collaboration, recognise our shared goals and ensure our most vulnerable are reached, together We will create a social care assessment appeals process We will work with partners to improve the council’s engagement with all communities, restore Derby Racial Equality Council & increase diversity of representation across the council & chamber 9
We are commited to supporting women to feel safe in our city. We will collaborate to champion respect and eradicate abuse
DECARBONISATION for DERBY We pledge to care for your future, putting the environment at the forefront of everything we do We are devoted to decarbonisation and clean air for Derby We will work with local residents to implement a Climate Action Plan as quickly as possible to slash emissions over the next 10 years. No decision, project, partnership or infrastructure change will take place without first ensuring our carbon target is still on track. The climate emergency will be the first and most important consideration in all council actions.
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DECARBONISED We will deliver a climate change council policy that puts the environment before every council decision We will set a Derby city carbon neutral target of 2031 We will build a credible climate department with a dedicated Cabinet Member leading it We will initiate a Waste Review to reduce waste and increase recycling We will work towards a fit-for-purpose Clean Air Plan We will encourage working from home and flexi-hours to reduce congestion, starting with Derby City Council We will support pedal and pedestrian power across the city, providing a dedicated Active Travel Hub to connect resources and we aim to be a connected cycling city by 2030 We will introduce courtesy crossings at non- traffic light junctions to give people right of way before cars We will work with Derby’s bus partners to increase use We will target idling vehicles in populated spaces We will work with residents to develop low traffic neighbourhoods 11
We will help communities and groups to plant trees, orchards and wildflowers, ‘greening’ our city with urban trees & plants
BEING DEPENDABLE for DERBY We pledge to invest in our neighbourhoods, putting you first. Our services will be reliable and easily accessible We take deep pride in our communities. They are integral to our city. We listen to their needs and we can be depended on to deliver for them.
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DEPENDABLE We will bring back free bulky waste collections & keep brown bin collections free We will review the new Raynesway Tip booking system to ensure ease of use and accessibility for all Derby residents We will invest in our PPOs and Neighbourhood Teams to fight anti-social behaviour, fly-tipping, support neighbourhood pride, community inclusion and development We will work with the Police to improve CCTV coverage, giving police better access to help them fight crime in our communities We will create 20mph limits in key hotspots to reduce deaths on our roads We will open a joint City Centre Safety Hub to bring a partnership approach to city centre safety, enforcement and vulnerability We will work with the Police & Crime Commissioner to support local shops and businesses, to make our city centre a vibrant place to live, work and visit and to protect shoppers, shop workers and businesses from abuse and criminality We will prioritise highway repairs to ensure the worst roads are targeted first 13
DELIVERING DETERMINED DECENT DECARBONISED DEPENDABLE On Thursday 6th May, or safely by postal vote, vote for our plan for Derby. Vote Labour.
DERBY Labour
DELIVERING a DERBY to be PROUD of Promoted by James Shires on behalf of Derby Labour Party, both at 2a Wentworth House, Vernon Gate, Derby DE1 1UR