id party sentence opponent Positive opponent negative national issue local issue locallity centre periphery past achievements covid reflection public transport private transport housing energy policy carbon neutrality local economy 1 conservative Introduction 2 conservative "The Sunderland Conservatives believe that our city has the potential to be an attractive destination for businesses, professionals and tourists" 1 1 1 3 conservative It is also our belief that the Labour Party is holding our city back and making poor decisions which are not taken in the best interests of its people 1 1 4 conservative "From spending £41m on relocating the Civic Centre to a £50,000 subsidy for a Spice Girls concert, Labour in Sunderland is out of touch and out of control" 1 1 1 1 5 conservative "We recognise the frustration of Sunderland residents: they are told that there is no money for frontline services by the same group of Labour councillors that voted to spend £10,000 of taxpayers’ money on their free meals while claiming around £1m allowances" 1 1 1 1 6 conservative "The Sunderland Conservative councillors are a strong voice of opposition to the Labour administration, but – unlike the city’s Liberal Democrats – we are also a trustworthy and professional one" 1 7 conservative "At the time of writing, the Lib Dem Deputy Leader is facing two investigations for misconduct: one for the misuse of public money and the other for libellous accusations against another councillor" 1 1 8 conservative "Elsewhere in the region, the Lib Dems voted to impose massive cuts on our fire service (including Farringdon station) while Councillor Robert Oliver voted to postpone them" 1 1 1 9 conservative Only the Sunderland Conservatives will put the people of the city first – and this manifesto highlights our priorities for Sunderland 1 10 conservative The City Centre 1 11 conservative The Sunderland Conservatives regret the state of the city centre 1 1 12 conservative "We recognise that high streets across the country are facing challenges because of internet shopping, supermarkets and retail parks, among other things, but we also feel that much of the blame in Sunderland lies at Labour’s door" 1 1 1 13 conservative The Labour Party has been in control of Sunderland for decades and its leadership has become complacent 1 1 14 conservative "The Sunderland Conservatives believe it is time that we have a positive, long-term vision for the city centre" 1 1 15 conservative Policies 16 conservative "Oppose Civic Centre move – we oppose Labour’s plans to move the Civic Centre to the Vaux site, costing £41m" 1 1 1 17 conservative "Not only is this an admission of Labour’s failure to attract businesses to the site, it is a self-indulgent decision by a Labour Party that puts politicians before people" 1 1 18 conservative The Sunderland Conservatives would invest £11m of the capital funding in a leisure centre on the sea front and explore cheaper alternatives to move the Civic Centre into empty buildings in the city centre 1 1 1 19 conservative "Free city centre car parking – the Sunderland Conservatives have long supported free car parking schemes, such as “Free after 3” in the city centre" 1 1 20 conservative "We repeat this year our long-standing commitment to reinvigorate our city centre by offering shoppers, workers and visitors more attractive parking schemes" 1 1 21 conservative "Extend the metro to Washington – as well as our commitment to free parking, we again reiterate our support for the extension of the Tyne and Wear Metro to Washington" 1 1 22 conservative This would provide better access for Washington residents into Sunderland city centre and beyond 1 1 23 conservative "Reduced business rates – naturally, as Conservatives, we support a reduction in business rates to help improve the city’s retail offer" 1 24 conservative We would also seek to make clearer to small business owners when and how they can request a rate valuation 1 25 conservative "Combined with our free parking policy, this would help turn Sunderland into a more vibrant city" 1 1 26 conservative A Cleaner and Greener City 27 conservative "Sunderland, Washington and Houghton residents are proud of being from here and feel a strong attachment to our city and the distinct communities within it" 1 1 1 28 conservative "However, no amount of pride can mask the fact that our city has suffered at the hands of incompetent Labour administrations for decades" 1 1 29 conservative "In 2017/18, Sunderland Council’s record on environmental enforcement was poor compared to other North East Councils" 1 1 1 30 conservative "Sunderland Council issued just 14 fines for littering, 35 for fly-tipping and a mere one fine for dog fouling" 1 1 31 conservative Policies Protection of parks and cemeteries – the Sunderland Conservatives would direct money from the five Area Committee budgets to create new city-wide Park and Cemetery Wardens 1 1 32 conservative These people would be responsible for securing parks and cemeteries on an evening and opening them on a morning 1 33 conservative "We see this as necessary step after antisocial behaviour and vandalism in Roker Park, Barnes Park and Bishopwearmouth Cemetery among others" 1 1 34 conservative Reintroduction of weekly bin collections – the Sunderland Conservatives have long supported the reintroduction of weekly bin collections 1 35 conservative We support without reservation Environment Secretary Michael Gove’s plan to introduce a scheme for councils to bring back weekly collections 36 conservative Improvements to cycle lanes – we fully support the improvement of the city’s cycle lanes 1 37 conservative "At present, the cycle route along the riverside is dark and littered with rubbish" 1 1 38 conservative "We believe that cleaner, brighter and safer cycle lanes would promote a healthier, cheaper and sustainable alternative to driving – as well as providing a better experience to those many cyclists who already use them" 1 39 conservative "Enforcement of littering and dog fouling – in the last year, Sunderland Council has issued just one fine relating to dog fouling" 1 1 40 conservative Enforcement of penalties relating to litter and fly tipping is also inadequate 1 41 conservative "While we recognise that some progress has been made in recent months, we believe that much more must be done in this regard" 1 1 42 conservative We would therefore intensify the council’s enforcement efforts to tackle the dog fouling littering and fly tipping incidents that blight our communities 1 43 conservative Slashing Allowances 44 conservative "At a time when Labour claims our council is facing a funding crisis, we do not believe it is right – morally or economically – that its councillors take over a million pounds in allowances" 1 1 45 conservative Some Labour councillors receive more in allowances for chairing meetings than somebody working a full-time minimum wage job earns in a year 1 1 46 conservative We would oversee deep cuts to the Council’s gravy train and introduce a fairer system that voters have faith in 1 47 conservative Policies 48 conservative "Reduce councillors’ allowances – we would radically cut Special Responsibility Allowances including those for the five Area Committee Chairs (who received £10,350 each), the ten Area Committee Vice Chairs (£6,277 each), the four Scrutiny Chairs (£12,556 each) and the Mayor (£17,205 per year)" 1 1 49 conservative We would cut Leadership allowances for all parties and remove both SRAs from the Minority Party in Opposition 1 50 conservative "Scrap Policy Advisor roles – these are unnecessary positions and the postholders are paid £12,556 a year (in addition to a basic allowance) for next to no work" 1 1 51 conservative We would get rid of these positions entirely 52 conservative "End free meals for councillors – scrapping free meals after meetings of the full council, saving £10,000 per year" 1 53 conservative Conservative councillors will pay for these meals for as long as the scheme continues 54 conservative 2 councillors per ward – we support reducing the number of councillors from 3 per ward to 2 55 conservative Transparency for Sunderland 56 conservative The Sunderland Conservatives believe that Sunderland City Council is insufficiently transparent and avoids scrutiny 1 57 conservative We believe that greater transparency would help repair the relationship between the people of Sunderland (many of whom believe the Council’s leadership is corrupt) and its elected representatives 1 58 conservative Policies 59 conservative "DBS checks for councillors – following the Paul Middleton scandal, we acknowledge that voters wish to know more about the people they are electing" 1 60 conservative We therefore support DBS checking for councillors and have proposed a motion to Council to ask the Chief Executive to explore the means by which this can be introduced 61 conservative A more responsive press office – in recent weeks we have seen the Taxpayers’ Alliance produce a study of how much councils across the country spend on awards and award ceremonies 1 62 conservative Sunderland Council refused to disclose the figures 1 1 1 63 conservative "We have also seen this behaviour in the past, with the Council refusing to be up front about the many problems relating to the Aquatics Centre" 1 1 1 64 conservative We believe that this damages relations between Councillors and the people we serve: the Sunderland Conservatives would therefore introduce a much more open transparent and honest way of dealing with the press and making information available 1 1 65 conservative ‘Gagging orders’ – the Sunderland Conservatives recognise that members of the public are rightly concerned with how much Sunderland Council pays its own staff to keep quiet 1 1 1 66 conservative "Not only would we end the practice of using ‘gagging orders’ entirely, but we would disclose the details of all historic ‘gagging orders’ issued by the Council" 1 1 1 67 conservative Remove cabinet members from the scrutiny calculation – at present members of the Labour cabinet are included in the overall calculation of how many positions on key committees are allocated to opposition councillors 1 1 1 68 conservative We do not believe that members of the cabinet should be allowed to scrutinise themselves and would therefore discount them when allocating committee positions to backbench councillors 1 1 1 69 conservative "An end to propaganda – the Conservatives voted against funding for the Community Vibe magazine, but Labour supported it" 1 1 1 70 conservative We were assured that the magazine would not be used for Labour propaganda but the magazine was used to promote Labour’s Stuart Porthouse as he faced re-election 1 1 1 71 conservative "We do not believe that taxpayers’ money should be used to pay for de facto Labour campaign literature and would therefore cut the £9,000 a year the Council puts towards the magazine" 1 1 1 72 conservative Housing 73 conservative The Sunderland Conservatives support the development of more executive housing in the city 1 1 1 74 conservative "With the development of the new medical school at the University of Sunderland, we believe it is essential that we provide the housing and infrastructure that will keep professionals – such as doctors, nurses and medical educators – in Sunderland" 1 1 1 75 conservative Policies 76 conservative Executive housing – build more executive housing to increase council tax receipts and thereby alleviate the need for future council tax hikes 1 1 1 77 conservative Protect green spaces – while we believe in a need for executive housing we do not believe that these housing developments need to be at the expense of the greenbelt 1 1 78 conservative "Instead, we favour using brownfield sites for future developments of this kind" 1 1 79 conservative "We only promote using greenbelt developments in exceptional circumstances, such as the construction of the International Advanced Manufacturing Park" 1 1 80 conservative "Fill empty homes – we share the Labour council’s ambition to fill empty properties, but we regret that progress on this front has been so slow" 1 1 1 1 81 conservative We promote speeding up the process of occupying empty properties 1 1 82 conservative Better preservation of listed buildings – we believe that the council has a duty to support the preservation of the city’s listed buildings 1 1 83 conservative At present we do not think that its provision in this regard is sufficient and we encourage more action around the protecting the city’s architectural heritage 1 1 1 84 conservative City Events 85 conservative "Sunderland is host to numerous regional, national and international events" 1 1 86 conservative We wish to continue to attract event organisers to the city but believe that much more can be done to highlight the events we have and to improve the city’s events offer 1 1 87 conservative Policies 88 conservative "Oppose pop concert subsidies – while we are committed to bringing internationally successful artists to Sunderland’s Empire Theatre and Stadium of Light, we oppose the £50,000 subsidy that Labour has given to the Spice Girls for their upcoming concert" 1 1 1 89 conservative The Council has previously given subsidies of the same amount to Beyoncé and One Direction 1 1 1 90 conservative "International Air Show – we recognise that the Sunderland International Air Show is enjoyed by many, but the Council’s own feedback has indicated that many Sunderland residents now feel it is a tired and dated format" 1 1 1 91 conservative "In addition, the Council has had to subsidise the event in recent years due to a lack of sponsorship and because it has been run at a loss" 1 1 1 92 conservative The Conservatives would therefore seek to hold the International Air Show once every two years instead 1 1 93 conservative "Promotion of lesser-known events – Sunderland is or has been host to multiple events which are less well known, such as the Coast to Coast bike ride" 1 1 94 conservative "We would seek to highlight these events and put Sunderland on the map as a city known for its cultural and sporting offer, without the need for taxpayer-funded subsidies for millionaires" 1 1 95 conservative Conservatives in Government 96 conservative The Conservative Association in Sunderland works with the Conservative Government via its Conservative Policy Forum contributions 1 97 conservative "In recent months we have contributed policy ideas on issues such as Global Britain, healthcare education, and the digital age" 1 98 conservative The Conservatives are the only party on the ballot paper in Sunderland this May to oppose a so-called People’s Vote (i.e 1 1 1 99 conservative a second referendum on our membership of the European Union) 100 conservative "A majority of Sunderland, Washington and Houghton residents voted to leave, and Labour and the Lib Dems should (but don’t) respect that" 1 1 1 101 conservative Local Conservatives continue to be proud of much of what our party has achieved nationally: 1 102 conservative Proscribing the terrorist organisation Hezbollah 1 103 conservative "Record high employment and record low unemployment, with wages growing faster in the last year than in any year in the last decade" 1 104 conservative The introduction of a Domestic Abuse Bill which gives new protections to adults (especially women) and children affected by domestic abuse 1 105 conservative Stamp duty cuts have led to a 12-year high in first-time buyers – with more young people owning a home of their own 1 106 conservative "Training school children to look after their mental health and to support their peers with mental health issues, following a series of teenage suicide and self-harm cases." 1 0 32 10 45 47 8 3 4 0 3 5 8 0 0 17 107 labour Regenerating our city 1 1 108 labour Revitalising our manufacturing base Labour has ensured our city is on the move with investment flowing into Sunderland at a rate never before seen 1 1 1 109 labour More than £1.5 billion of external funding has already been committed to our city within the lifetime of this manifesto 1 1 1 1 110 labour This is all part of our strategy to bring more and better jobs to the city 1 111 labour "Whether it be the £100m investment from Legal & General into the city centre’s Riverside Sunderland development, Envision AESC’s new £450m Gigafactory supporting Nissan’s £1bn EV hub, or the near £100m investment planned in 5G - making Sunderland the most advanced digital city in the country - it is clear that we are the place that employers now wish to invest" 1 1 1 1 112 labour "Labour will build further upon this success to broaden the city’s advanced manufacturing capabilities into the green economy, including modern methods of construction in housing and maximising the opportunities planned at Riverside Sunderland" 1 1 1 1 1 113 labour Revitalising our city centre 1 1 1 114 labour Changing shopping habits mean that high streets across the country are in decline 1 1 1 1 115 labour We cannot wait for the government to resolve this national trend and therefore Labour is taking steps to reignite our City Centre with new developments 1 1 1 1 1 116 labour "Labour has realigned the council’s capital programme to support our strategy of getting things done – Bold Vision - with plans that will completely transform Sunderland city centre, doubling the population (from 2,500 to 5,000) beginning with the new Vaux housing neighbourhood and Expo, showing the world what can be achieved to ensure homes are carbon neutral and eco-friendly as possible" 1 1 1 1 1 1 117 labour "Our plans will also see an additional 8-10,000 new jobs based in and around the city centre" 1 1 1 118 labour "Labour will bring our historical buildings to life, creating exciting new business spaces that will attract more new jobs to Sunderland" 1 1 1 119 labour "The Music, Arts & Culture Quarter (MACQ) is emerging as the city’s cultural heart, adjacent to Riverside Sunderland and close to the famous Empire Theatre" 1 1 1 120 labour "Labour’s plans include: Neighbouring the restored Old Fire Station, our city’s new £11 million, 450-seat Auditorium is now open, complementing the Empire Theatre’s offer" 1 1 1 121 labour "At nearby Keel Square, the £18 million, 120-bed Holiday Inn hotel is currently under construction" 1 1 1 1 1 122 labour "Mackie’s Corner is a thriving hub, with successful niche businesses such as Sweet Petite and Fat Unicorn" 1 1 123 labour The Athenaeum building is being turned into a gallery and studio space for artists 1 1 124 labour The former Hills bookshop at Waterloo Place is being converted into space for creative and independent businesses 1 1 125 labour A £3 million refurbishment project has seen the former Wear Commissioners building reopened as prestigious city centre office space 1 1 1 126 labour Historic Elephant Tearooms has reawakened as a Local History Library 1 1 1 127 labour The upgrading of St Mary’s Boulevard into a stylish new main street 1 1 1 128 labour Culture House will provide a new community hub that will attract people to Sunderland 1 1 129 labour A new pedestrian and cyclist crossing will connect both sides of the river 1 1 1 130 labour Improvements to our Train Station will deliver an attractive welcome point to those entering the city by rail or Metro 1 1 1 131 labour "Taken together, this represents an unprecedented level of investment which will help to attract more shoppers more employees and more residents all spending more money locally, creating a virtuous cycle as part of our successful Community Wealth Building (CWB) programme" 1 1 1 1 132 labour Becoming a Smart City 1 133 labour "In 2018, Labour made a commitment to begin work ensuring our city is digitally connected and since then we have taken great steps and are already delivering ultra-fast, free 5G Wi-Fi in key areas of the city providing an enhanced offer to residents, businesses and visitors" 1 1 1 1 134 labour "Fibre works commencing with CityFibre, Virgin Media and Netomnia are all providing greater choice and convenience for customers which will result in more cost-effective broadband packages" 1 1 1 1 135 labour "Labour has already made a number of commitments relating to the development of 5G, including:" 1 1 1 136 labour Ensuring that the Joint Venture accelerates the delivery of digital infrastructure across the city ensuring over 95% coverage by 2026 1 1 137 labour "Technology start-ups being well-established within the city, with the goal of 500 new start-ups well on the way to being achieved" 1 138 labour Labour is delivering on a range of other major transformational projects such as: 1 139 labour "Assistive technologies - such as smart video sensor devices, smart building solutions, e-mobility - helping people can stay in their homes" 1 1 1 1 140 labour The first private 5G network operational in the city enabling delivery of the automated logistics pilot at Nissan/Vantec 1 141 labour Working to develop digital technology start-ups within the city as well as developing a city-wide Internet of Things network and a 5G Neutral Host Joint Venture Partner 1 1 142 labour "We are also working with Sunderland College and the University of Sunderland to develop digital careers focusing on curriculum development, working with industry to fulfil job creation opportunities and the search for a partner to work with children and young people to raise aspirations as to careers in digital and support pathway development" 1 1 1 143 labour Developing better housing 1 1 144 labour "Labour kept its promise to residents back in 2018 and we are proud that the council - after 20 years - is once again a Social Landlord, building social housing for rent, 40 years on from the last house it constructed" 1 1 1 145 labour "Labour has also been committed to improving housing and management standards in the private rented sector including Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) and has, through the council commissioned Shelter to support residents with their housing advice needs and improving the standard of housing" 1 1 1 1 146 labour We are also committed to reducing the number of empty properties and have a current commitment to bring 362 back into use as family homes 1 1 1 147 labour "In bringing these properties back to life, Labour aims to create superb accommodation, with attractive fixed fittings to ensure the final product is aspirational" 1 1 1 148 labour "From empty shells, to comfortable, modern properties, our work is transforming streets from the outside and changing the lives of the residents who step into their beautiful new home" 1 1 1 1 149 labour "We are building 95 new homes – providing supported accommodation and, as properties designed for our vulnerable residents, we raise the bar again" 1 1 1 1 150 labour "Almost every one of our bungalows (for example at Cork Street in Hendon) will be fully equipped with assistive technology and 5G provision, enabling residents to live independently for longer, with support to raise their quality of life" 1 1 1 1 153 labour "Boult Terrace bungalows for our older residents enjoy 5G access – something that fits with Sunderland’s Smart City ambitions, ensuring we connect and enable our people" 1 1 1 154 labour 117 new-build bungalows will be delivered across the city through the Housing Delivery and Investment Plan 1 1 1 155 labour "Only a year into the programme, the number of homes (of all kinds) acquired, built or under construction was already over 100" 1 1 1 1 156 labour Our city’s drive to carbon neutrality will also be supported by our sustainable dwellings 1 1 1 1 1 157 labour We work hard to ensure that the homes we build are designed with the environment in mind 1 1 1 1 1 158 labour "And it’s not just about the in-built features of the home, but about enabling residents to reduce their carbon footprint when they move in" 1 1 1 1 1 1 159 labour That’s why our homes feature smart devices that help people who live there to reduce energy consumption – not only keeping bills down but helping the planet in the process 1 1 1 1 1 1 160 labour "In all, £59m of investment will deliver our housing vision by 2025 through the Housing Delivery and Investment Plan, already supporting 51 local suppliers/businesses, as part of our community wealth programme" 1 1 1 161 labour We’re working with a range of local artists to ensure the creative sector in the city also benefits from the plan 1 1 1 162 labour "Labour will be commissioning a range of stunning sculptures and public art, that will stand among some of our new developments, to ensure we create attractive communities residents can be proud to call home" 1 1 1 1 163 labour Expanding our Culture and Tourism Offer 1 1 164 labour "Labour will continue to expand our cultural offer, so that Sunderland continues to be the acknowledged destination of choice, whether it be across the Culture Quarter, new city centre, Washington, Houghton and Hetton – ensuring we become an all-age friendly city" 1 1 1 1 1 165 labour Our tourism recovery plan is now in place working toward increasing visitor footfall within Sunderland and restoring visitor and business confidence following the pandemic 1 1 1 1 166 labour The need to deliver and coordinate high-quality events throughout the year with partners will be critical to ensure Sunderland remains an attractive events city 1 1 1 167 labour "We will continue to review and re-design Sunderland’s event programme in line with residents’ expectations and aspirations, as well as attract new world class events into the city such as the Tour series professional cycling and revitalise existing ones too" 1 1 1 1 168 labour We worked with partners to launch the new mysunderland.co.uk platform 1 1 1 1 169 labour This is a key part of the city’s efforts to market the ‘attractiveness’ of Sunderland and was timed to drive forward the city’s economic recovery following Covid 1 1 1 1 170 labour We will also encourage the Heritage Partnership to expand as a formal partnership and open up funding opportunities 1 1 171 labour "We launched a new tourism campaign, ‘City of Surprises’, aiming to raise Sunderland’s profile as a destination of choice this summer and to support the economic recovery of the city" 1 1 1 172 labour "The campaign showcases Sunderland’s unique mix of city, coast and green spaces and highlights some of our sometimes-hidden gems, challenging perceptions about what Sunderland has to offer both visitors and residents" 1 1 1 173 labour "We are also supporting the city’s independent businesses, with an increased focus on promotion, to ensure they are able to bounce back from the challenges of the pandemic and play their part in making Sunderland a more attractive visitor destination" 1 1 1 1 1 174 labour "Labour will build on the above with further impactful campaigns, particularly looking at bringing the city plan to life and focussing on key sectors for Sunderland" 1 1 1 1 175 labour We will also ensure residents are well informed about economic developments in the city and linked to the opportunities offered by them 1 1 1 176 labour Other key projects Labour will bring to completion during the lifetime of this manifesto include: 177 labour "Culture House - £28m project that, in 2024, will create a library to be proud of - the most advanced in the UK - bringing local studies and archive collections to life for the benefit of all residents and a focus on family learning – spaces for meeting – making – creating – learning – all in one place" 1 1 1 178 labour Crowtree Place – The development of a new commercial leisure development on the site of the former leisure centre 1 1 1 179 labour "Community Bridge - A new high-level ‘smart bridge’ that will connect both sides of the river, featuring light installations and VR to deliver engaging experiences for pedestrians and cyclists that cross it" 1 1 1 180 labour "Riverside Park - Transformation of Galley’s Gill into a superb landscape park, and new green spaces in the heart of the city" 1 1 1 181 labour Elemore Country Park – Undertaking a communityled development of the site to deliver a mix of passive/ organised leisure activities as well as a co-operative/ social enterprise element supporting adults with learning difficulties 1 1 1 182 labour Key objectives 2022 – 2026 185 labour Manufacturing - A key objective of developing our manufacturing economy will be to ensure it is focused on green technology and we will bring forward an action plan on how this will be achieved 1 1 187 labour "The Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G – We will ensure ALL residents benefit, ensuring there is no digital divide within the city by undertaking commitments to combat digital poverty as outlined in section 4 of this manifesto 3" 1 1 188 labour More and better social housing will be achieved through: 1 1 190 labour Upscaling our current social housing delivery targets so by 2026 we will be increasing our council housing stock at the rate of 250 units per year 1 191 labour We need this ambitious target for social housing over the next four years to give people hope 1 193 labour "Leading the way as a social landlord and setting the standards required for homes in the city for future generations, looking to other providers to follow our example" 1 195 labour Taking steps to ensure our council stock now and in the future is safe from ever being able to be sold to private individuals or providers again 1 196 labour "Ensuring the city always has a baseline of its own social housing stock, meeting the needs of residents across the city for generations to come" 1 198 labour To aggressively purchase private housing stock where there is an absentee landlord and properties are in disrepair 1 200 labour To have plans in place to upscale further where financial support is obtained from a future Labour government 1 202 labour "Supporting the private rented sector, which will be achieved through:" 1 204 labour "Reviewing Environmental Health services to address issues around run-down properties and absent landlords quicker, more efficiently with tougher enforcement action on landlords whose properties are not up to the required set standard" 1 1 1 206 labour Providing financial support and assistance for landlords willing to engage and complete required update work on their properties 1 1 1 208 labour Improving links and a focus to drive publicity for more to sign up to the existing landlord accreditation scheme 1 1 210 labour Nurturing the development of a Private Tenant’s association across the city 1 1 212 labour Developing a local construction co-operative – expanding our social housing stock will result in increasing employment opportunities and trade for local people and businesses 1 1 1 213 labour "We intend to harness this and ensure local workers get all the benefits of the regeneration of this city through developing a local construction cooperative, employing local people to work with us side-by-side" 1 1 1 215 labour "Ensuring Carbon Neutrality in future building developments - looking at the wider development of erecting new buildings - whether in Washington, Coalfield or Sunderland – as they too cannot escape the need for efficiency as we build for the coming era of carbon neutrality" 1 1 1 216 labour We will ensure that we develop Passivhaus-equivalent performance (especially the requirement that space heating should need no more than 15 kWh/ m2 pa) a planning approval condition for all new buildings 1 1 1 217 labour "Developers who claim to achieve this performance without fully adopting Passivhaus should be required to (1) demonstrate that their plans will achieve this, (2) pay for a post-occupancy energy audit" 1 1 1 219 labour Enhancing of our culture and tourism offer through further development of public realm to attract visitors / local residents and businesses having a direct impact on local economy through: 1 1 1 1 221 labour "Effective advertising, communicating more effectively and shouting louder" 1 1 1 223 labour Leaflet drops to let residents know what is going on in the city 1 1 1 225 labour "Invest in public spaces in communities, from our pocket parks through to larger spaces such as Silksworth Ski Slope and Thompson Park" 1 1 1 227 labour Support the strong desire from our public consultation for: 1 1 1 229 labour more live concerts and the number of venues whether you live in Washington Coalfield or Sunderland 1 1 1 231 labour better lighting around our monuments such as Penshaw monument 1 1 1 233 labour "Introducing a children’s culture offer, similar to Labour’s national ‘ten by ten’, listing ten opportunities the city’s children should access by the age of ten" 1 1 1 234 labour An inclusive local economy 1 1 235 labour Keeping Sunderland’s wealth local In 2018 Labour began working with the Centre for Local Economic Studies (CLES) to develop our municipal socialist programme through a distinctive community wealth building project receiving national recognition as being unique in developing wealth in terms of social outcomes as well as economic 1 1 236 labour The programme is demonstrably improving the lives of residents and communities 1 1 237 labour Labour has ensured that a key CWB objective has been to prioritise spend with local suppliers 1 1 238 labour "This pledge has led to the council recording its highest local spend ever recorded - at £122m - up a massive £42,9m on 2013 when the council started compiling its records" 1 1 239 labour "By spending with local businesses, we are circulating the “Sunderland Pound” in Sunderland, creating jobs and opportunities for people and businesses in the city" 1 1 240 labour The overall third party spend in Sunderland stands at 40% and within the region at 68.5% in the 2020–21 financial year 1 1 241 labour "We do have ambition to continue this positive progress even further, so that by 2026 even more of that Sunderland pound is circulating in the local economy" 1 1 242 labour "Labour is now working with anchor institutions such as our health partners, the University and College, Gentoo and others to consider how procurement activity is best used to support local economic activity and put in place a city-wide CWB strategy" 1 1 243 labour Getting more from social value 1 1 1 244 labour "In addition to the Sunderland pound, Labour has been at the forefront of using Social Value legislation to ensure we get the most out of commissioning arrangements and that contractors actively recruit locally, with employees paid a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work" 1 1 1 245 labour "So, for example during the Redevelopment of Parsons Depot, Esh Construction Ltd committed to £5,560,208 worth of social value, including:" 1 1 1 246 labour "55 local people to be employed on the project, with two further FTEs ringfenced to local long-term unemployed" 1 1 1 247 labour "52 weeks training to be offered to those working on the scheme (to be recorded on their BTEC, City & Guilds, NVQ, HNC Qualifications)" 1 1 1 248 labour 150 weeks of Apprenticeships supported by Esh or their sub-contractors 1 1 1 249 labour 100 days (10x2 weeks attendance) work experience opportunities to local school/ college students 1 1 1 250 labour Procurement activity undertaken over the past two years has secured social value community benefit targets totalling a massive £166 million 1 1 1 251 labour We intend to move further with social value as there is a demand – particularly from the social enterprise/cooperative sectors - for greater emphasis being placed on the additional social benefits from contracts 1 1 1 252 labour "So for example, we will work with anchor institutions to launch a Community Wealth Charter, which focuses on procurement and resident financial resilience the real living wage, low carbon practices and the environment, as well as the health and wellbeing of workers" 1 1 1 253 labour "Labour has ensured that a VCS Alliance has also been established, working with the council and wider anchors to ensure they commission the VCS to support neighbourhood delivery of services" 1 1 1 254 labour "We will therefore commit to increase social value through procurement and wider activity, ensuring a systematic approach for awarded contracts to link with local VCS to ensure greater impact for residents" 1 1 1 255 labour Building a democratic & communityfocused economy 1 1 256 labour "To realise Labour’s aspirations to improve our communities, we must not ‘manage’ but instead ‘transform’ our local economy" 1 1 257 labour "As part of our CWB strategy, we need to support forms of economic ownership and activity that are community focused democratic and that create and retain wealth in the city; this is at the heart of our municipal socialist vision" 1 1 258 labour "As a starting point, Labour - over many years - has ensured that we have a reputation as a leader in developing social enterprise, with the number of Community Interest Companies (CICs) in Sunderland standing at/totalling 187 in July 2021 – the highest number and also growing at the fastest rate in the whole of the North East" 1 1 259 labour "Labour has already committed to go further in developing an inclusive economy through partnering with the North East Business Innovation Centre (BIC) in delivering its ‘Innovate for Good’ project, with plans underway to enable three new cohorts of businesses to take part" 1 1 260 labour "This programme has attracted national and international interest and builds on examples such as Bishopwearmouth Nursery, PopRecs, Elemore and more recently Grace House" 1 1 261 labour "To truly transform our economy, we also need to promote democratic control of the local economy as a goal and look to significantly expand this sector both within the VCS network, but also as part of the wider economy" 1 1 262 labour On the side of Sunderland’s workers Labour will continue to support the rights of working people in Sunderland by working with the TUC in promoting trade union recognition with employers and as a social value outcome in local purchasing 1 1 263 labour Labour will further expand our proposed charter and seek other anchor institutions and employers to adopt it – providing a gold standard for local employers to work towards 1 1 264 labour By doing so we will make increasing job quality a key part of the conversation when pursuing local economic development opportunities 1 1 265 labour Labour will ensure the council continues not to request staff work to zero hours contracts and we will apply this principle to our purchasing policies as far as legally possible 1 1 2 1 12 63 69 14 7 51 14 7 1 29 8 7 92