Bishopston & Ashley Down Labour Party The website of the Labour Party in Bishopston & Ashley Down ward
My previous blog post on the cuts being forced upon Bristol City Council by the Tory government was pretty ‘doom and gloom’. But it’s not all bad! Since taking office in May, Mayor Marvin Rees and the rest of the Labour city administration has been hard at work making our city a better place. Here’s a rough and ready list of some of the things we’ve achieved so far. Note it’s not exhaustive!
- Created a cross party cabinet, focused on delivering Labour’s manifesto.
- Launched a Budget Consultation and made public the Council’s financial situation.
- Released hundreds of Green Capital Invoices which had been subjected to a Freedom of Information Request.
- Successfully negotiated a Devolution Deal with our West of England Partners and passed the proposals through a meeting of Full Council.
- Taken 80 hectares of council-owned land off the market to build new homes.
- Enabled all councillors to work with their Neighbourhood Partnerships to undertake a review of RPZs in their communities and to make recommendations on how they can be made to work for people.
- Froze the cost of parking permits in RPZs until 2020.
- Stopped enforcement action being taken against Blue Badge Holders who park in Resident Parking Schemes with immediate effect.
- Announced plans to introduce a Bristol Charter for Corporate Social Responsibility and set out plans to establish a Living Wage Partnership that will encourage Bristol employers to pay their employees the Living Wage.
- Launched the first Mayoral Commission to focus on the elimination of the gender and race pay gap.
- Commissioned a review of the 2016 elections.
- Commissioned a review of Green Capital 2015.
- Revived plans to build a new recycling centre on Hartcliffe Way.
- Completed the review into housing priority for domestic abuse survivors.
- Supported Pride and re-launched friends of Rainbow group and straight alliance at Bristol City Council.
- Bought back an ex-local authority property in Lawrence Hill to provide more housing.
- Invested in the Colston Hall, Bristol Old Vic and St George’s to help them secure their futures as centres of culture.
- Launched the City Office, with apprenticeships and homelessness as the key initial tasks.
- Established a Brexit working committee.
- Visited Brussels and met with EU commissioners to establish Bristol’s future relationship with the EU.
- Approved a major infrastructure project to build a heat network across the city.
- BBRC partnership to channel ethically motivated investment in to community led projects.
- Held a Big Housing Conversation.
- Opened up City Hall as part of Local Democracy Week.
- Bristol Sports Partnership review completed.
- Introduced the City Poet.
- First Local Authority to Ban the Box.
- Award of funding for housing delivery and tackling homelessness.
- City Office homelessness project launched – target of 100 beds to tackle homelessness.
- Established a cultural strategy promoting inclusivity and access.
- Secured funding for Beacon Cultural organisations, while pressing them on access and inclusivity.
- Green capital Report published.
- Permanent Section 151 officer appointed and brought her into the senior leadership team.
- New CEO identified.
- Held a BME Business networking event enabling them to engage with the LEP.
- Held a Taxi drivers conference and continue to work on their priorities.
- Delivering breakfast clubs with support of City Office members.
- Signed the Council up to the ACORN ethical letting charter.
- Have been invited to write an international strategy for the Core Cities along with Birmingham.
- Recovered empty properties due to be sold to provide accommodation for homeless people.
- Pro-active approach to unaccompanied asylum seekers.
- The Property board is now under the control of the cabinet member Cllr Paul Smith.
- Have launched a review of the Health and Well Being board.
- Have launched new ‘decision pathway’ to improve the flow of information and decisions in the council.
- Launched a congestion task force to tackle traffic and air pollution.
- Pursuing cleaner air for our city.
- Removed the Council Tax reduction for empty properties.
- Launched the Bristol Resilience Strategy.
- And more!
All of this being achieved in only nine months is astounding, and it’s with this drive and enthusiasm that Labour will continue to lead Bristol -; creating fairer, more sustainable city in which no-one is left behind.