South Norfolk Council Liberal Democrat Group

Four years of achievement

The following is an extract from Partnership & Progress - The Liberal Democrat Manifesto for South Norfolk, 1999

The Council under Liberal Democrat control 1995-1999

Since the Liberal Democrats took control of South Norfolk Council in 1995 we have made a large number of changes, delivering nearly all of the 40+ commitments in our election manifesto. Everyone will have their own view on what they think are the most important of these initiatives but together they add up to a radical change in the way many local government services are delivered in South Norfolk.

The following list of the ten most important changes introduced by the Liberal Democrats is thus a subjective view. No significance should be attached to the order in which the items are presented.

Top Ten Achievements

1. Anti-Poverty Strategy and Action
The Council has developed a comprehensive strategy aimed at meeting the specific needs of deprived members of our community whether this is due to disability, age, low income or any other reason. Everything the Council does is now reviewed against this strategy. We are one of the first rural authorities to formally recognise our responsibilities in this way.
2. Area Planning Committees
Development control is one of the Council’s most important responsibilities. The switch from one Planning Committee for the whole District to three Area Committees has brought planning closer to the people it affects, allowed more time for individual applications to be considered and brought the knowledge of local councillors to bear on planning in their own areas.
3. Village Shops Support Scheme
The steady decline in village shops has caused great concern in most rural areas. South Norfolk’s Support Scheme has attempted to meet this challenge by providing a mixture of grants and training to help village shops become more viable. This has been very successful and similar schemes are now being introduced elsewhere.
4. Public Speaking at Planning Committees
In spite of vigorous opposition from the Tories the Council has introduced the right of the public to speak at all meetings where planning applications are considered. Town and Parish Councils and individuals are allowed to address the committee and oppose or support the scheme. This has been very popular with over 1000 people ‘having their say’ in the first 30 months of the scheme. Public speaking is now being extended to other council committees.
5. Local Agenda 21 Implementation
As part of the international response to the Rio Summit, the Council is developing its own Local Agenda 21 Strategy. While this concentrates on the idea of sustainability, it will affect most aspects of the Council’s activities. The council has a good environmental record, its recycling activities have been widely praised, but the new Strategy will play a vital role in the future development of services.
6. Wymondham Swimming Pool
For far too long South Norfolk has lacked many basic sporting facilities. Liberal Democrats are determined to tackle this issue. The new pool at Wymondham, due to open at Easter 1999, will fill one major gap.
7. Tenant Consultation
South Norfolk’s Housing Department has an excellent reputation for providing quality accommodation in an efficient but friendly manner. To help ensure that this record is maintained and that the views of the Council’s tenants are always taken into account, tenants are now entitled to elect their own representatives onto the Housing Management Sub-Committee.
8. More Support for Leisure
Liberal Democrats are keen to provide the widest possible opportunities for leisure activities in the District. That is why they have put extra resources into this side of the Council’s activities. As well as boosting the Council’s own grants system they have employed an extra member of staff charged with helping local communities maximise their use of other sources of finance especially the National Lottery. This has been a great success and substantial funds have already flowed into the District. Now the Council’s leisure staff have been reorganised into one unit to help them achieve even more.
9. Business Growth Schemes Expansion
Employment in South Norfolk is very dependent on the hundreds of small firms in the District. Supporting these enterprises is high on the list of priorities; schemes to provide financial and other support to them have been enhanced in recent years. The Village Shop Support Scheme referred to above is just one of the new initiatives in this area.
10. Community Information Strategy
Good communication with the public is vital if the Council is to respond to local residents’ needs. By appointing a new specialist member of staff to work with the public the Liberal Democrats have demonstrated their commitment to improving two- way communication at all levels.

Independent views confirm the success achieved in South Norfolk during the last four years of Liberal Democrat control:
In 1998, the Observer rated South Norfolk Council the 7th best district council in England, out of 274, for the overall quality of its services.

South Norfolk Council is one of only 37 councils of all types (District, County, Unitary and Metropolitan) selected by the Government to conduct a pilot investigation into Best Value techniques, the way in which local authorities are going to be required to measure their performance in future.