All main parties in Nottingham have published their manifestos and key pledges ahead of the local elections on May 4.
Voters will head to the polls next month to select which candidates they want to sit in 20 wards which return a total of 55 seats on Nottingham City Council.
The authority dictates how Nottingham taxpayers’ money is spent on roads, bin collections, parks and leisure, libraries and other services including adult and children’s social care.
Currently, the Labour Group has 50 of 55 seats on the council, the Nottingham Independents have three, and the Conservative Group has two.
The Nottingham Labour Group is the only party to have put forward a candidate for all 55 seats.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives have put forward 41, the Nottingham Independents 28, the Liberal Democrats 20, the Green Party 17 and UKIP which has put forward two.
Three candidates will be standing independently and one will stand for the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition.
While 28 seats are required for a majority, the Conservative Group says it is only seeking to create a “strong opposition”.
In 2019 it put up 55 candidates in an attempt to gain control of the council.
Similarly, the Liberal Democrats said the group hopes to create an “effective opposition”.
The manifesto and pledges are as follows:
Nottingham Labour Group
The Nottingham Labour Group published its 25-page manifesto, which has more than 100 pledges, at an event at Antenna in Nottingham on April 14.
It seeks to address issues such as the former Broadmarsh Centre site, Nottingham Castle and the authority’s financial situation which remains under the continued scrutiny of a Government-appointed improvement board.
Within the manifesto the group has detailed five key pledges.
1. Help Nottingham people cope with the cost of living crisis.
2. Work with housing associations and house builders to provide 1,000 new affordable and social rented homes to rent or buy.
3. Keep streets, neighbourhoods and the city centre clean.
4. Become the first carbon neutral city in the country.
5. Support 3,000 Nottingham people into work.
On top of the five main priorities the group has detailed numerous other pledges which it will seek to meet over the next four years if it retains control of the council.
These include addressing period poverty by providing free sanitary products in libraries, filling 40,000 potholes, aiming to recycle 40 per cent of waste and potentially expanding the NET tram network.
The group has also promised to “safeguard the city’s finances”, restore the Victoria Embankment paddling pool and retain free public toilets in the city.
Further pledges include cutting crime and reducing anti-social behaviour by ten per cent, as well as better working with community groups to promote and
hold annual cultural events for Black History Month, South Asian Heritage Month, Pride, Carnival, Mela, Disability Awareness Month and International Women’s Day.
Labour Group leader David Mellen said it had been developed by hosting numerous consultations with residents in areas such as St Ann’s and at institutions such as Nottingham College.
“We never take anybody’s vote for granted and we work hard even in wards where there is a relatively strong majority,” he said.
“Even in wards where the opposition is putting up relatively few numbers of candidates we will be talking to people, delivering our leaflets and listening to what people say.
“We will take up the problems they bring, our caseworkers are absolutely overwhelmed by people bringing back issues.
“I think we have a good chance of maintaining control in the city, we will do the best that we can to elect as many Labour councillors as we can, we have got 20 days to continue to talk to the people of Nottingham, but nothing is taken for granted.
“We live in a democracy where the richest person in Nottingham and their vote is worth no more than the poorest person.
“We encourage people to vote. We think the requirement of voter ID could be a difficulty so we are talking to people about that all the time.”
Local Elections 2023 on The Wire
Nottingham Conservatives Manifesto pledges for Local Elections 2023
Nottingham Green Party Manifesto pledges for Local Elections 2023
Nottingham Independents Manifesto pledges for Local Elections 2023
Nottingham Liberal Democrats Manifesto pledges for Local Elections 2023
