Delivering in local government: How Labour is building a better Britain everywhere

Labour Councils up and down the country are helping to improve the lives of their residents.

Week in, week out, Labour councils, working in partnership with the NHS, Homes England and the Labour Government, are getting things done for their local communities on the things that matter to local people.

Every week, ‘LabourList’ brings you a selection of the great work being done by Labour Councils and Labour Mayors. 

Please send news from your council to Paul Dimoldenberg at [email protected].

Manchester: New Family Hub opens in Clayton to give local children the best start in life.

A brand-new family hub has opened in Clayton by Labour Manchester City Council, to help ensure local children and young people are given the very best start in life and helped to become happy and healthy young adults who achieve their full potential.

The Clayton Best Start in Life Family Hub provides one-stop-shop style access to a wide range of advice and support for children, young people, parents, carers and families. 

The hub works across Clayton, Beswick and Openshaw supporting families with children aged 0-19 years, or up to 25 years for young people who have special needs or disabilities (SEND), as well as support for expectant parents.

Exeter: All homes in Exeter are now receiving food waste collections

Every home in Exeter can now have food waste collected from the kerbside, and 60,810 households are now receiving weekly collections.  The service prevents food waste from being thrown away in black bins and increases the city’s recycling rate.  The collected food waste is diverted to anaerobic digestion, where it is turned into a soil improver and fertiliser, as well as generating electricity. 

All homes in Exeter have been provided with a 23-litre kerbside caddy and one five-litre kitchen caddy by Labour Exeter City Council. Some properties with communal waste collections have been provided with a brown wheelie bin labelled food waste. The food waste is then collected every week.

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Merton: Construction begins on Merton’s first new council homes in a generation

Construction work is underway on 75 new council homes at three sites in the Labour London Borough of Merton – the first to be built in the borough in a generation. The developments are supported by the Labour Mayor of London’s Affordable Homes programme 2021-2026.

The homes will incorporate ‘PassivHaus’ principles, meaning they will be energy-efficient and more sustainable, resulting in lower bills to help with the cost of living, as well as warmer temperatures inside to keep residents comfortable. When the homes are complete in 2027, they will sit in the heart of established communities, close to nearby shops and services, providing a boost to local businesses, too.

Twenty-one new homes will be built at Elm Nursery in Mitcham, and 36 homes comprising one- and two-bedroom flats will be built at Raleigh Gardens in Mitcham.

Farm Road in Morden will have 18 new council homes made up of one- and two-bedroom flats and larger homes for families.

North Tyneside: North Tyneside Council invests in new CCTV to keep communities safe

Labour North Tyneside Council is investing in a new generation of CCTV cameras to help keep their communities safe. More than 200 new cameras are being rolled out across the borough, with around half of these already installed in areas with the highest levels of need, risk and footfall. These include town centres and busy public spaces in North Shields, Meadow Well, Wallsend, the Fish Quay, Whitley Bay and Howdon. The initial investment of around £300,000 is less than the cost of replacing the old system which was reaching the end of its life. The new system delivers far more capability.

The new AI-powered system will allow enforcement teams to carry out real-time searches in seconds and will strengthen collaboration between the council and Northumbria Police, who will now be able to request footage without needing exact times or dates. The cameras have automatic motion detection and can send alerts when unusual activity is detected, such as large groups congregating, giving the council and police an early warning to step in before issues escalate.

West Yorkshire: Almost 200 new buses are coming to West Yorkshire

A deal to bring nearly 200 new electric buses to West Yorkshire for its new Weaver Network has been signed. Labour Mayor Tracy Brabin has signed an order with Wrightbus as part of the contract worth up to £100m. The agreement will see the Northern Ireland-based company provide 193 single and double-decker electric buses to run as part of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s publicly-controlled fleet – a central part of the Weaver Network.

Each bus will have two wheelchair spaces and flexible space for pushchairs and luggage, as well as USB charging points. The new buses will also feature the latest high-tech batteries which will deliver improved performance compared to previous electric bus models. Weaver Network buses will be kitted out with seat covers made by West Yorkshire textiles firm Camira Fabrics.

The Weaver Network is the region’s new integrated transport network, joining up buses, trains, walking and cycling under one name. Timetables, fares and routes in the region will be set by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority rather than private operators and will see money made from fares going back into improving services.

Swansea: A new riverside walkway for pedestrians and cyclists in Swansea

A new riverside walkway for pedestrians and cyclists in Swansea is part of the £6.7 million Tawe riverside transport funding package to create new transport routes, improve road safety and improve public transport links. Further funding for walking and cycling routes will include the widening of the existing route between Dunvant and Gowerton, as well as boosting infrastructure for electric vehicles.

A new walking and cycling route between Loughor and Gowerton is also planned and persistent flooding problems at two key hotspots in Swansea will also receive funding to implement flood alleviation schemes at Killay Square and Llandewi Corner/Scurlage on Gower.

Funding has also been secured to implement an average speed camera route along the A484 between Cadle and Loughor Bridge. The route has seen several fatal traffic accidents in recent years. Public transport is also receiving a boost with investment in improved bus stops and route enhancements.

Solihull: West Midlands Mayor to invest £20m in redevelopment of Solihull town centre

Richard Parker, Labour Mayor of the West Midlands, is to invest £20m in a major redevelopment of Solihull’s Holbeche Place – formerly known as Mell Square – as part of his on-going drive to secure vibrant futures for the region’s town and city centres.

The financial backing will be used to help fund Holbeche Place which will bring new shops, restaurants and more than 1,600 new homes into the centre of Solihull. The Mayor’s investment will be used to support the delivery of the first two phases of Holbeche Place which will see the construction of 346 build-to-rent homes, followed by 228 affordable homes, setting the foundations for the delivery of the wider masterplan.

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