June 4 elections: North Yorkshire

Cllr John Weighell, Conservative Leader of North Yorkshire County Council, says their down to earth approach has delivered better results than in the soft south.

Other, mainly southern councils, tend to get the limelight for flying the Conservative flag.  Here in North Yorkshire our hard work and down to earth approach has been as, if not more, successful.

In the final round of CPA we achieved a 4 star ‘improving strong’ rating – the best a council can get. We scored maximum marks on use of resources and were 2nd in the Price Waterhouse Coopers performance rankings amongst county councils.

It is with this proven track record of success that we embark on our campaign for the county council elections on June 4th.  Over a twelve month period we’ve held group away days, scrutiny based workshops, and conducted a countywide opinion survey.  The result, we believe, is a manifesto which offers policies to meet the needs and aspirations North Yorkshire’s residents.  Although our full manifesto goes into a little more detail the four main themes we will are using in our election campaign are:

LOW TAX, HIGH QUALITY

Services are more efficient and cost less with the Conservatives. Band D Council Tax can be as much as £165 less in North Yorkshire compared to similar counties. We will protect and improve the services which matter most to local residents whilst keeping council tax increases under tight control. A vote for the Conservatives is a vote for high quality value for money services.

GREAT EDUCATION – A GREAT START IN LIFE

Conservatives will ensure children continue to get a great start in life.  Our services to children have been ranked as outstanding by Ofsted. Our top priority is to continue to provide the best education for children. North Yorkshire students performed substantially above the national average in their GCSEs. We will protect small village schools which provide a good education and are vital to a village’s community life. Conservatives believe in the importance of a good school dinner – we will ensure that all children can enjoy the benefits of a freshly cooked, nutritious two course meal at a value for money price. We will do everything in our power to make sure children are free from abuse and neglect.

FULL INDEPENDENT LIVES FOR OLDER PEOPLE

Conservatives will offer more choice to more older people. We are committed to supporting and encouraging older people to live full independent lives in their own homes.  Since 2005 we’ve helped 2,400 more people to achieve this. We will continue the expansion of our highly regarded ‘extra care’ supported housing schemes.  These give people a home, with their own front door and round the clock access to personal care support. We will provide more services that give older people extra help with daily tasks like gardening, cleaning, general repairs and shopping. Conservatives will increase the help available for relatives and other carers so that they have the reassurance that someone is there for them at times of need.

A SAFER, CLEANER, PROSPEROUS COUNTY

Conservatives will strive to maintain safe and reliable roads and footpaths. We will seek to provide cost effective local bus services. We will help protect the environment by encouraging people to reuse and recycle. We will divert 75% of waste away from landfill sites. Conservative councillors will be a strong voice with the NHS and Police to help plan and coordinate improved local services. We will ensure local businesses get the right help and advice during these difficult economic times. We will continue to expand the availability of next generation broadband to enable North Yorkshire businesses to develop and compete.