Doing what s right for Northern Ireland

Transcription

1 Local Government Manifesto 2014 Mid Ulster

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3 Local Government Manifesto 2014 Mid Ulster Contents Doing what s right for Northern Ireland Foreword from the Ulster Unionist Party Leader, Mike Nesbitt MLA... 4 Introduction... 5 Our responsibilities to you... 6 Your Ulster Unionist Candidates... 7 Ulster Unionist Priorities for Mid Ulster Ulster Unionist Party Priorities for Local Government A New Rating System Protecting Local Ratepayers from Convergence Costs Reinvigorating our Town Centres Town Centre Living Supporting Local Economic Development Car Parking Maximising our tourism potential Investing in modern connectivity Urban Regeneration Planning Community Planning Waste Management Sport and Leisure Promoting Good Relations and Tolerance Environmental Health Housing Addressing blight of fuel poverty Future opportunities

4 Foreword from Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party Mike Nesbitt It gives me great pleasure to present the Ulster Unionist Party Local Government Manifesto, one for each of the eleven new council areas. Every election is important, but this year s is perhaps even more so as people across Northern Ireland decide on the 462 men and women they wish to take up office in the new councils across the country. Local government, by its very definition, is regarded as that closest to the community and therefore ideally most directly aware of its needs. I am proud that it has always been a priority for my Party s representatives on councils to strive to ensure that the services delivered by them are responsive to, and structured around, the needs of local communities. I am also proud that it was the Ulster Unionist Party that first put in motion the reform of our local councils well over a decade ago. The priority then was the same as it should be today; to deliver more effective services more efficiently. The Ulster Unionist Party would have much preferred a reduction of 26 councils to 15, rather than the 11 that are about to be implemented. Our proposals would have preserved strong community identities with only a minimal added cost, whilst also ensuring more directly accountable delivery of local services. That is now sadly lacking in the arrangement of our new councils. Unfortunately the restructuring of our councils has been hijacked in recent years for political gain by the current two largest parties. This is no more noticeable than in the utter manipulation and absurdity of some of the new council boundaries. Nevertheless despite our major concerns about these reforms, and the organisation and structure of the new councils in particular, my Party remains committed to harnessing this opportunity for change. Every ratepayer in Northern Ireland deserves no less. In this manifesto you will find information on your local Ulster Unionist council candidates, their priorities for your council area and a range of other policies which my Party will seek to implement across local government. I can do no more than say that if you place your trust with the Ulster Unionist Party in this local government election, the Councillors that we return will work tirelessly for you, they will ensure the most effective delivery of public services and most importantly they will always seek to do what is best for Northern Ireland. 4

5 Local Government Manifesto 2014 Mid Ulster Introduction Local councils are the first tier of public governance and are the very grassroots of Northern Ireland s democracy. They play an incredibly important role at the heart of communities, delivering local services as decided by local representatives. The honour of serving on local councils also comes with great responsibility. Local ratepayers deserve modern services and expect them to be delivered efficiently. Recent years have however seen increasing levels of service duplication when in fact increased cooperation should have been occurring. A further problem is that Northern Ireland is now significantly over administered. Whilst for many years our councils were the only form of locally accountable administration, the fact is becoming increasingly stark that 26 separate councils comprising some 582 Councillors is excessive for a population of little over 1.8millon. Inefficiencies and replication of services are all ultimately borne by local ratepayers, so the need for reform was obvious. It was the Ulster Unionist Party which first proposed the reform of local government in Equally, we spearheaded the transformation of how our local health service was organised throughout the Province. This is an example of how the reform of public administration can succeed. Following a change in political fortunes we no longer held the Environment portfolio in the Northern Ireland Executive from 2007 but our commitment for a fair and beneficial reform of Northern Ireland s councils has never lessened. Our commitment now remains the same as when we started; more effective, more efficient and more targeted services which meet the needs of our citizens. In the recent years progress has been frustratingly slow, often being delayed by political posturing. The changes are now unfortunately far from perfect and the boundaries in many new proposed councils are simply incomprehensible. Disgracefully, the political benefit of some political parties has been put before retaining local community identities and doing what is best for local ratepayers. Nevertheless despite our very real concerns the Ulster Unionist Party is committed to ensuring that this opportunity of reform is not squandered. 5

6 Doing what s right for Northern Ireland Our responsibilities to you; While many will talk of the powers that are being transferred to the new councils, the Ulster Unionist Party believes that to change government and the public perception of government we must no longer talk of powers but instead talk of responsibilities. The responsibility to build a stronger and more efficient local council network which operates more effectively and delivers a greater range of services for less cost to you. The responsibility to make sure that planning powers support you, allowing people within reason to build homes in the area where they may have lived all their lives; the regeneration of our town centres; encouraging economic development; retaining a strong environmental compass; protecting our built heritage. The responsibility to make the new councils more citizen focussed by creating the framework for local people, businesses, voluntary organisations and statutory agencies to work together to decide the real priorities for their areas by utilising the new community planning duty. The responsibility to maximise local economic development opportunities by truly harnessing Northern Ireland s renowned attributes of innovation and entrepreneurism. The responsibility to promote Northern Ireland s true tourism potential. The responsibility to invest in improvements in physical infrastructure where regeneration will support the economic development and wellbeing of the community. The responsibility to look for further opportunities to improve service delivery and adopt a more joined up working approach with other public bodies. The responsibility to ensure that local ratepayers do not end up unjustly paying for these reforms. The responsibility to listen to and act upon any concerns raised by employees of councils, or users of their services, during this reorganisation. 6

7 Your Ulster Unionist Candidates Local Government Manifesto 2014 Mid Ulster Cllr Jackie Crawford Carntogher I have been a Councillor for the past 8 years. I am passionate and dedicated to helping the local community in my capacity as a Councillor and will go above and beyond to help them wherever I can. I am recently retired so I have more time to dedicate to the people of Carntogher. Cllr Robert Mulligan Clogher Valley With a strong farming background I am aware of the various issues that have an effect on the rural community and have sought to support that industry. As an Elder and Treasurer in my local congregation at Glenhoy Presbyterian, a lifelong member of the loyal orders and member of Glenageeragh Pipe Band, as well as 21 years experience of elected office, I know the vital role voluntary organisations play in the social, cultural and pastoral welfare of the community. Cllr Neil Somerville Clogher Valley I see the young people in our community as the voice for the future and it vital that we continue through education and investment to provide a platform for them to be heard and listened to. I am confident that as we move forward in the new Mid-Ulster Council, my Ulster Unionist colleagues and other elected members will support me. Mark Glasgow Cookstown I want to ensure that the new Council delivers outstanding services that people expect from their current Council. I am a hard working person & always go above and beyond to ensure that every person receives help as no challenge is too big for me. I will be a strong & firm voice, with the people s wants and needs close to my heart. Voting for me will ensure that everyone receives the representation that they deserve. 7

8 Cllr Walter Cuddy Dungannon Town As Ulster Unionist Group Leader in Dungannon & South Tyrone I believe our team of councillors & prospective candidates work extremely well together, with skills & experience that will be essential for the challenges ahead. We have a common sense approach to issues affecting our respective areas, with a commitment to keeping the rates low but services high. With the addition of Moy & Killyman Wards I look forwards to new opportunities to work with different faces and communities. Cllr Trevor Wilson Cookstown I have served on Cookstown Council since I am currently Chairman of the Ulster Unionist Councillors Association & a Party Officer. I am currently Chairman of the Joint Committee of the Rural Development Programme, Cookstown Enterprise Centre & Cookstown Arts & Cultural Committee. I am also Vice Chairman of the Mid Ulster Statutory Transition Committee and Vice President of the Mid Ulster Pipe Band Association. Winston Duff Dungannon Town South Tyrone like most areas in Northern Ireland faces many challenges, as one of the fastest growing towns- Dungannon cannot afford to sit still. Unlike other areas we cannot depend on public sector jobs to cushion the economic downturn, we need to support & encourage local industry to become global competitors. Cllr George Shiels Magherafelt Over the last 17 years as a councillor representing Magherafelt Town I have been heavily involved in the economic & social development of the district. I have worked closely with the Magherafelt Town Business Forum & the Minister for Regional Development, Mr Danny Kennedy MLA and have been successful in securing the provision of Magherafelt Town bypass in his schedule of works for this year commencing in Autumn. 8

9 Local Government Manifesto 2014 Mid Ulster Derek McKinney Moyola I am stepping out as a new candidate in the local council elections. I am a local farmer & feel I am in touch with the rural communities in my district & know the issues that are important to these people. I am heavily involved in my local church & through that I am in contact with many young people & there again feel that this provides me with appropriate knowledge to represent this sector of our community. Cllr Kenneth Reid Torrent As well as representing constituents on everyday issues I have lobbied continuously for people living life with a disability, health issues, poverty or isolation, so much still needs done in these areas. The challenge of improving community facilities has also been a challenge, from bus shelters to children s play areas & sports grounds, ensuring these are available for everyone to enjoy. 9

10 Doing what s right for Northern Ireland Ulster Unionist Priorities for Mid Ulster Protecting ratepayers from the costs of these reforms The Ulster Unionist Party has had long-standing concerns about the financial justification supposedly behind the changes to our local councils. Whilst we do support reform, we simply do not believe that what is about to be implemented will save ratepayers in Mid Ulster any money at all. Indeed a previous DUP Environment Minister, talking about the same reforms that his Party has now pushed through the Northern Ireland Executive, said that they would have exceeded the financial benefits that would ve been derived. What has changed? We fear very little, and that the ratepayers of Mid Ulster have been caught up in a political deal. To protect ratepayers we propose; That the costs of RPA should be entirely met by the Northern Ireland Executive. Reducing the rates burden on local businesses by opposing any new increases to the regional rate for as long as it takes the majority of an average rates bill. Promoting economic development The economic downturn had a significant impact across the Mid Ulster area. In particular the construction sector was particularly badly hit so the Ulster Unionist Party is committed to fully exploiting the new Council s economic levers. In particular to maximise economic development across Mid Ulster we propose; The Council should use its new planning responsibilities quickly and efficiently to promote significant, yet sustainable, development which in turn would boost the construction industry. Providing direct assistance to new start-up businesses by putting in place a fully funded network of local enterprise centres. Developing a tourism strategy for the area which especially promotes our outstanding local natural and built heritage. Helping the local burgeoning agri-food industry to continue to expand by campaigning for the implementation of the Going for Growth strategy. Working the Minister of Regional Development at Stormont to secure the timely roll out of key projects such as the A6, A29 and the A31 Magherafelt by-pass. Working with the Northern Ireland Executive to ensure that its Programme for Government commitment is still delivered at Desertcreat. Utilising community planning powers The new Mid Ulster Council will have a legal requirement to engage with local communities and organisations to allow them to shape the delivery of public services. This is something the Ulster Unionist Party warmly welcomes. In order to make the most of this opportunity we propose; The Council must ensure that it has the structures in place to allow residents, businesses and community organisations to fully contribute to a community plan. 10

11 Local Government Manifesto 2014 Mid Ulster Doing what s right for Northern Ireland Ulster Unionist Party Priorities for Local Government Our local councils are going through a once in a life-time opportunity of radical reform. The Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive should have grasped the opportunity to make the reorganisations ambitious, cost effective and ensured they were delivered on time. Whilst the reforms may no longer be as far reaching as once envisaged, and may be coming many years after when they were initially envisaged, these are still the biggest changes to our local councils in 40 years. The Ulster Unionist Party is committed to grasping this opportunity to deliver improved services for less on behalf of local communities. A New Rating System One of the enduring strengths of our local government is its financial independence, which has allowed councils to decide their own spending priorities while remaining fully accountable to local ratepayers. The issue of rates is unsurprisingly often the single biggest issue of concern to residents and businesses in any council area. A typical rates bill is made up of two parts, the regional rate as set by the Northern Ireland Executive and the district rate as struck by local councils. The fact that this charge comes as one single bill often leads to the false perception that all of the money remains within the local council area. In fact, across most councils the regional rate accounts for more than half of the average rates bill. Over the recent years of economic difficulty and fall in house prices, our rating system has not been flexible enough to adapt to changing circumstances. It is becoming increasingly common for a rates bill to be one of a small businesses largest annual outgoings. Many businesses have told the Ulster Unionist Party that rates have significantly stifled their profitability over recent years, and worryingly in some cases directly contributed to making the difficult decision to close. That type of unintended consequence of our rating system helps no one, not least the local community who lose the services and the employment opportunities. Seeking to realign the balance between regional rates and district rates so that the majority of funding collected in the annual bill stays within in the local council area. Informing every ratepayer how their council spent the money collected the preceding year by providing an overview on their next annual bill. Formal flexibility should be built into the Land and Property Service collection of rates from businesses which are in proven financial difficulty. Protecting Local Ratepayers from Convergence Costs One of the single biggest areas of concern for the Ulster Unionist Party throughout the reform of our local government has been the impact that merging councils with different levels of district rates, will have on local residents and businesses. The Department of Finance and Personnel has carried out modelling which has confirmed that ratepayers in a number of existing council areas are likely to experience significant hikes in their annual bill. It has always been a firm Ulster Unionist policy that ratepayers should not be left paying for these reforms, especially if the only tangible change they will see is an increase in their annual rates bill. That the Northern Ireland Executive provide funding for the Transitional Relief Scheme for no less than 3 years in order to fully protect local ratepayers by allowing district rates to naturally adjust across the entire council area. 11

12 Reinvigorating our Town Centres The rise of out-of-town shopping centres, combined with the surge in popularity of online retailing, has forever changed the face of our town centres. Fewer people are now travelling into our towns and Northern Ireland has the highest rate of shop vacancies in the United Kingdom. Another impact of the recent financial difficulty has been a fundamental change in the profile of our town centres. Local businesses that had been in existence for generations which traditionally lined our high streets have been swapped for bookmakers, fast food outlets and charity shops. In the case of the latter they are often much more attractive to landlords given their eligibility for significant rates relief. This dramatic change in circumstances for our high streets has created an urgent need to radically re-think how we rejuvenate our towns and villages. Councils should designate areas of their town centres to act at hubs for local businesses by using their discretionary powers to offer planning and rating concessions. Councils should use their new planning responsibilities to ensure our high streets offer a balanced range of services whilst still offering charities sufficient space to carry out their essential work. Town Centre Living Our town centres should embody much more than only shops open 9am-5pm. The Ulster Unionist Party believes that providing more living space in the heart of our towns would create a renewed sense of vibrancy. In turn this would provide greater custom for businesses to remain open and thus creating a bustling evening economy. Councils should look favourably upon planning applications for housing in town centres as a means to regeneration and providing greater trade and leisure options. Supporting Local Economic Development Councils in the past have had positive and constructive working relationships with local enterprise agencies and the transfer of additional responsibilities for programmes such as Start a Business, Investing for Women and Social Entrepreneurship will hopefully enhance the range of support available to new businesses on a local basis. The Ulster Unionist Party is committed to maximising the potential of further economic development support programmes to encourage new start up business and business enhancement. The delivery of these services should be through existing effective structures without the creation of new internal departments within council. Councils should use their new responsibilities to specifically assist small and new businesses through the planning process. Councils should, as a matter of priority, carry out an assessment of the effectiveness of existing tourist and visitor policies in their area and if necessary adopt their own local plan. Car Parking The viability and appeal of our towns can be directly shaped by local car parking facilities. One of the features of out of town shopping are often sprawling free car parking facilities. It would be impossible to provide this on an equal scale so we need to ensure a reasonable balance is found on the availability and cost of parking in our towns. Consumers expect and deserve safe, accessible and most importantly affordable car parking. 12

13 Local Government Manifesto 2014 Mid Ulster Working closely with the Transport Minister, Danny Kennedy, to ensure a viable and affordable supply of car parking spaces in our towns. Councils should use their new off street car parking responsibilities to specifically target and incentivise support for local businesses on streets and town centres. Opposing any future blanket roll out of on-street parking charges. Maximising our tourism potential Local councils will shortly be taking responsibility for a range of tourism initiatives such as small-scale tourism accommodation development; providing business support such as business start-up advice and training and delivery of customer care schemes. Given the failure of the Northern Ireland Executive to harness Northern Ireland s true potential and produce a Tourism Strategy, the Ulster Unionist Party would like to see local councils renewing their efforts and becoming brazen promoters of local facilities. Councils should work closely with developers and advise them of growth opportunities for tourism enterprises, with particular emphasis on the provision of accommodation. Given the absence of a Northern Ireland tourism strategy, councils should still ensure that they work collectively with one another to ensure an overall approach is taken. Investing in modern connectivity Businesses and households are increasingly coming to rely upon adequate availability and quality of broadband and mobile phone services. In particular businesses, regardless of whether they are a working farm, a SME or a multi-national corporation all ultimately ask for the same thing; a fit for purpose connectivity network. Unfortunately whist there has been some welcome improvement made at the top end of the spectrum with superfast broadband, there are a number of geographic areas right across Northern Ireland which still have inadequate broadband coverage and sometimes non-existent mobile phone coverage. Within the first year of operation councils should carry out a thorough scoping exercise to identify which local areas are facing connectivity challenges. Equipped with the results the Councils should then approach the major providers to seek a resolution. Given the failure of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to effectively resolve the issue, Councils should seek to work with the Department in partnership in the administration of investment funds from government and telecoms providers. Urban Regeneration Urban areas need to continually refresh their appearance and environments to maximise their economic, physical, social and environmental opportunities. Regeneration not only helps to improve the local economic outlook of the area but importantly can greatly enhance the well-being of local communities. The Ulster Unionist Party believes that in order to truly re-energise our urban areas, statutory agencies must move away from the belief that single issues corrected individually, rather than by direct structured intervention, will lead to significant change to occur. Whether the problem arises due to poor housing, de-industrialisation, unemployment, lack of educational or community facilities, any solution which fails to take account of all of the interlocking issues will ultimately fail. Only by creating the opportunity for a long term intervention designed to comprehensively tackle all of the issues needing to be addressed by an urban regeneration process will success be possible. Experience has shown that where physical regeneration proceeds in a vacuum the result is often the transplanting of the resident population. Social issues are not addressed; instead they are merely geographically relocated. Where social action takes place in the absence of physical regeneration then those whose education has been improved, training enhanced or employment enriched will move to other areas. This leaves behind a community with increasing levels of social problems, unemployment and ill-health. The Ulster Unionist Party therefore believes that long-term interventions covering a wide range of inter-related issues including social and physical regeneration are therefore necessary to provide the best model for the delivery of urban regeneration objectives. 13

14 Councils should be committed to strategic interventions which address all of the issues affecting an area, not just certain aspects. This should be delivered with all agencies working to a single agreed strategy in each council area with clearly defined and measurable goals. Councils should work with the Department of Social Development and Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to extend town centre regeneration programmes to rural towns and settlements. Planning The transfer of planning functions to councils will see a major change in how applicants and communities interact with councillors. At long last locally elected people will be taking the decisions that shape the places in which they live. However with planning powers comes great responsibility. A detailed knowledge of planning policies and a fair decision making process based on them will be required, even in cases where there may be objections or where an unsuccessful applicant is known. Retaining public confidence in the planning process will be crucial so it is imperative that local councillors are prepared and have the capacity to take these important decisions. Each council should set and work towards annual targets for faster processing of planning applications in order to expedite final decision times. Ensuring the new Strategic Planning Policy Statement currently being drawn up by the Department of Environment is fit for purpose. Councils must make all of the relevant information available so that the decisions they take are open and transparent. Councils should engage extensively with local communities when producing their new development plans for the area. Councils must ensure that the development plans are balanced, sustainable and capable of meeting the needs of all communities, including those living in rural areas. Councils should more directly assist with protecting and conserving the built and natural heritage in their areas for the benefit of future generations. Community Planning Community planning represents the opportunity for local elected representatives and communities to engage in defining the best possible solution to issues that affect their areas, and to challenge statutory agencies to ensure optimum local delivery. Importantly councils will now have a duty to ensure that citizens needs are at the heart of decision-making on local services. By formally engaging with the local community the Ulster Unionist Party hopes that this new responsibility will allow service delivery by councils to be more responsive to citizens needs. A wide range of public services such as health and education are planned in isolation when it is clear that joined up thinking would ensure better services for the public. One example is the provision of sports facilities where councils provide facilities used mostly at night and week-ends and schools provide facilities used mainly during the week-day. Joined up provision would reduce the burden on schools and rate-payers and increase the use of such facilities. The Ulster Unionist Party is committed to engaging with all statutory agencies to ensure that the maximum benefit is derived from all programmes and investment thereby increasing effectiveness and reducing the cost to the rate-payer. Councils should formally coordinate with other public bodies in order to achieve more efficient service delivery. Neighbouring councils should be required to collaborate with one another to identify and reduce service duplication. Councils should formally consult with the local community and voluntary sector when drawing together their community plans. 14

15 Local Government Manifesto 2014 Mid Ulster Waste Management The drive to reduce, reuse and recycle household waste remains a key service delivered by local councils where the continuously increasing cost of landfill is passed directly to the ratepayer. Northern Ireland s councils have been very successful over recent years with informing local householders and businesses about the benefits of reducing their waste. The proportion of municipal waste collected by our councils which was then sent for recycling or composting has increased from 18% in 2004/05 to almost 40% in 2012/13. Any action which can be taken to further reduce this cost has a direct impact on the rates bill. It is not possible to prevent or reuse all the waste that we produce so the Ulster Unionist Party believes councils should all be seeking to maximise any potential from it. There have been a number of initiatives to develop energy from waste plants and while the technology has been proven across many countries and in many settings, Northern Ireland continues to struggle to find an adequate solution, not least due to the overly bureaucratic and lengthy procurement systems in place. The Ulster Unionist party is committed to working to ensure that Northern Ireland is not subject to further infraction fines for breaching European Directives and will work to deliver environmentally sustainable options for the disposal of waste. Councils should commit to extracting the maximum value from residual waste, with targets for energy production. Following the well-known difficulties experienced over recent years, councils should review their waste management services in order to identify permanent local resolutions. Sport and Leisure Sport and leisure continue to be important aspects of council services that will continue under the new structures. The Ulster Unionist Party is committed to ensuring the management of the leisure facilities is cost effective and responsive to the needs and expectations of local people. With enhanced responsibility for issues such as water sports, enhanced delivery will open up new opportunities for local communities and tourism. The new responsibility for community wellbeing will also require a greater emphasis on encouraging active living and ensuring that facilities are available. Local amateur sports clubs should be supported by lifting the rate relief afforded to these clubs from 80 percent to 100 percent. This would also ensure parity with equivalent clubs in other areas of the United Kingdom. Councils should liaise more closely with the local Education and Library Boards in order to ensure coordinated local provision of youth services. Councils should conduct an overall review of how their sports and leisure facilities could further promote participation and support behaviour change, especially amongst current low participant groups. Promoting Good Relations and Tolerance Councils have built up a significant resource in terms of local knowledge and experience in dealing with community relations and associated issues within the local community. Nevertheless the cost of division in Northern Ireland has been estimated to be in excess of 1bn per year. Key to building a shared future for Northern Ireland is the creation and support of shared spaces within our communities where people from all backgrounds can socialise regardless of cultural differences. This is where councils should take the lead and deliver real change. Unfortunately, more than 15 years after the signing of the Belfast Agreement, many of our council chambers are more politically divided now than they have been for many years. There is a total lack of tolerance or respect shown in many, not only to council members but often also entire minority communities across the council area. An example of this would be the politically motivated imposition of Irish language signage and branding on council vehicles and merchandise, often to the detriment of good relations among staff as well as local communities. 15

16 One of the other significant barriers to a truly shared future is Northern Ireland s deeply divided education system. It is not conducive to good relations that the majority of our young people progress through the education system with little understanding or experience of other cultures. The Ulster Unionist Party favours a single education system, where children of all faiths and none, would be educated together. We recognise that such a transformation will take time and will have to be done extremely sensitively. Nevertheless we do believe it is an obligation which everyone in Northern Ireland should strive towards. Councils should be obliged to carry out equality impact assessments on all council decisions which could potentially be harmful to local community relations. Councils should ensure all public spaces under their control are shared and welcoming to all backgrounds. Given the reluctance from the Department of Education, councils should identify means of bringing schools together on shared projects in order to increase mutual trust and understanding between all sectors. Environmental Health The protection of our food supply, water supply and clean air remains an important function of local government. Episodes like the horse meat scandal and the discovery of illegal abattoirs rock public confidence in our food system and therefore it is essential that sufficient protections are put in place. Councils should be required to work together to ensure there are no geographical gaps in service delivery. Housing Under the reform of public administration councils will now have enhanced housing responsibilities. These include the registration of houses of multiple occupation, as well as assessing housing unfitness. There is an absence of a systematic approach to public housing policy across Northern Ireland. The failure of the Stormont Executive to make the adequate provision of social housing a priority has increased the volume of properties now used as houses of multiple occupancy or private lets. Whilst most landlords take their social responsibilities seriously, a minority provide accommodation which is below an acceptable standard. Recently Northern Ireland also witnessed its first increase in 40 years of social housing unfitness. That is partly as a consequence of more empty homes, but also because of a reduction in the amount of public money available for repairs. Councils should use their new planning responsibilities to place greater weighting on the development of integrated or mixed social housing whilst also promoting, through planning and land use policy, mixed tenure and mixed income development. Councils should ensure that the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and Housing Associations are maintaining their properties to an appropriate standard. Councils should ensure they maintain a community balance when meeting the demand for multiple occupation. Councils should use their planning responsibilities to focus the creation of HMOs in areas where it could contribute to regeneration. 16

17 Local Government Manifesto 2014 Mid Ulster Addressing blight of fuel poverty A household is identified as being in fuel poverty if it needs to spend more than 10% of its total income on household fuel. Unfortunately over recent years the rate of fuel poverty has been climbing sharply across Northern Ireland, with recent surveys indicating the figure is 42%. This far exceeds the level in England, Scotland and Wales and the problem is particularly acute for younger families and our elderly. There have been enough policy reviews, strategies and information gathering exercises carried out and unfortunately these have had a fairly minimal impact on the problem. A new approach is clearly needed. The new equivalent of the Warm Homes Scheme should adopt a new area based approach in order to maximise the number of households assisted. Councils should work proactively with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and natural gas suppliers to further extend the gas network to areas currently without the provision. All councils should be required to develop oil voucher schemes. Councils should be encouraged to work with the Government Estate and housing authorities to enter into negotiations for the bulk purchase of energy to minimise costs. Future opportunities While there are many responsibilities transferring in the next year there are others too which the Ulster Unionist Party would be open to considering in the future. Any proposals which deliver better services for the community without increasing the rates burden on the public could all be considered. One service which has not transferred to new councils is the youth service yet councils interact with young people through sports, arts, community relations and police and community safety partnerships. The resources expended in co-ordinating action between different agencies could be more usefully expended on working directly with young people and youth organisations. The provision of housing solutions for older people also remains an issue of concern in many communities. While community planning gives councils some ability to hold others to account, the development of a longer term solution will require strategic planning. The Ulster Unionist Party believes that local government should take a lead in identifying supported housing options for older people within their local communities. 17

18 Ulster Unionist Party - Strandtown Hall, 2-4 Belmont Road, Belfast, BT4 2AN Telephone: Fax: Web: uup@uup.org