This final local elections post is arguably the most important of all – a summary of what the main parties and groups standing in Bridgend are pledging to do if elected.
All of the following relate to Bridgend County Borough Council. There’s absolutely no way in hell I’m going to do anything like this for the 20 separate town and community councils.
I’ve selected up to 10 stand-out policies/pledges from the manifestos or policy statements published by the parties and main groups standing in the county council elections.
Postal votes will have already gone out, but if you’re living in one of the wards taking part in early voting pilots, you’ll be able to vote from tomorrow (3rd May). For everyone else, polling day is Thursday 5th May between 7 am – 10 pm.
As for the results, by the looks of things the count is taking place on Friday and the final results aren’t expected until late in the afternoon. I expect to have a post on the county council results out by Saturday afternoon and the community and town council results by Sunday afternoon or Monday morning.
Finally, I’d like to wish all candidates standing for the county council and/or the town and community councils the best of luck. It takes guts and commitment to stick your neck out and run for office regardless of whether you’re successful or not. Be proud that you’re doing your bit.
The following is based on election leaflets and information on social media.
- Introduce free school meals for all primary school children by September 2023.
- Pay a minimum wage of £10-per-hour for care workers and cap non-residential care fees.
- Roll-out free wi-fi in town centres.
- Continue 3 hours of free parking in town centres (presumably at council-controlled car parks only).
- Complete the Maesteg Town Hall redevelopment project and support a bid for UK funding towards a long-term replacement for the Penprysg Road Bridge/level crossing in Pencoed.
- Support a bid for funding to renovate Porthcawl Pavilion; attract a 4-star hotel to the Salt Lake regeneration site.
- Supports a new £45million Bridgend College campus at Cheapside in Bridgend town centre.
- Support more 20mph speed limits; bring in a £10.5million road resurfacing programme and install 100 electric vehicle charging points.
- Plant 30,000 additional trees, install up to 100 public benches and refurbish all 107 playgrounds in the county (the playground policy costs £5million over five years).
On the surface of it, this is a fairly clear list of policy proposals. There’s nothing too controversial and apart from a few things that are reliant on securing UK or Welsh Government funding, it seems to be deliverable. Labour has also given an idea of how much certain things will cost – which is good. They’ve wisely left off any commitments one way or another on council tax (because they can’t make any promises there and as things stand BCBC expects to raise it by 4.5% from next year).
Delve below the surface though and it’s neither that good or particularly ambitious.
Almost all of these policies are either: already being delivered, have already been announced by the council one way or another or are Welsh Government policies that will be delivered regardless of who controls the council and have been co-opted for a Bridgend election (because the local Labour party doesn’t have any ideas of their own).
Free school meals – Welsh Government (and only because of an agreement with Plaid Cymru). Living wage for care workers and care fee cap – Welsh Government. 20mph speed limits – Welsh Government with Senedd agreement. Extra tree planting and electric vehicle chargers – Welsh Government.
Free town centre wi-fi has already been put forward by the Cabinet and doesn’t need further confirmation. The same goes for plans for a new college campus, the Porthcawl pavilion renovation, plans for Salt Lake and the Pencoed bridge/level crossing. I don’t see why a project that’s likely halfway completed (Maesteg Town Hall) is listed as new.
The only things that are seemingly brand new are the proposal to extend 3-hour free car parking in town centres (the future of which was somewhat uncertain), a price tag for the proposed Cheapside campus (£45m) as well as the commitment to playground refurbishments and….new benches.
Very little or nothing new on social services, home-school transport, community asset transfer, the council’s medium-to-long-term financial situation, community council reform, new schools (which is a surprise given the council has a decent record there), the local development plan, the future of recycling collections, social housing waiting lists….
It’s often said that politics is all about underpromising and overdelivering.
There’s nothing wrong with new benches. It’s fine for a town/community council election, but BCBC has an annual budget of around £320million and new benches make Labour’s list of top priorities!? Mediocre.
