Local Policies

MANIFESTO for Rother Lib Dems at District Elections May 2023

Environmental action

Ensure by all means possible that Rother achieves its goal of zero carbon by 2030

• Support Parish and Town Councils to declare their own Climate Emergency backed by action plans
• Ensure the new Local Plan is as green as possible, protecting the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and all other environmental designations, delivering a low carbon agenda, increasing biodiversity, delivering affordable homes
• Encourage and enable where possible retrofitting homes to reduce energy costs AND reduce emissions
• Pursue renewable energy options to improve economics and sustainability of all Council buildings and premises where Council supported activities are undertaken, including leisure centres
• Explore improving operation of the waste contract by lowering the carbon footprint of vehicles and improving recycling performance, e.g. by bringing in food waste collection
• Create a green burial ground
• Support the campaign for '20's Plenty'
• Campaign for the introduction of Quiet Lanes
• Promote cycling, walking and horse riding
• Support public transport, especially the bus network
• Install EV charging points in Rother run car parks and encouraging other authorities, organisations and businesses to do the same
• Campaign to clean up Rother's beaches and rivers from sewage
• Encourage more trees to be planted in Bexhill

Community action

• Support tourism across the district, in planning and publicity and promoting the 1066 Country brand
• Review the Tourism strategy and promote cooperation with all relevant stakeholders, business groups, major attractions and parish and town councils
• Take advantage of all opportunities to bid for government funding by creating a professional team to handle such bids
• Use Rother DC Housing Company to develop more sites in Rother with a high degree of sustainability and to improve the availability of affordable homes
• Encourage greater adherence by property developers to social and affordable housing quotas for any new permissions granted
• Encourage all communities who have not so far created their own Neighbourhood Plans to do so and encourage the review of existing NPs.
• Continue to improve performance of Planning Enforcement
• Work to support the ageing well principle
• Work with partners to deliver new leisure strategy
• Continue to support the rough sleepers initiative to place them temporary/ longer term accommodation
• Create and support 'Good Neighbour' groups where none already existing to carry on similar schemes established during Covid, including litter picking, early reporting of graffiti and fly tipping
• Revive the Town Hall modernisation project on a cost neutral or better basis to Council Tax payers
• Promote a hotel for Bexhill
• Support the De La Warr Pavilion and Sidley in achieving the aims of their successful Levelling Up Bid
• Promote further the Rother Community Lottery
• Support incorporating Ninfield into Rother