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Doing what’s right for Northern Ireland

Local GovernmentManifesto 2014

Fermanagh and Omagh

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Fermanagh and Omagh

ContentsDoing what’s right for Northern Ireland

Foreword from the Ulster Unionist Party Leader, Mike Nesbitt MLA .................................................................. 4

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................... 5

Our responsibilities to you ........................................................................................................................................... 6

Your Ulster Unionist Candidates................................................................................................................................. 7

Priorities for Fermanagh and Omagh Council........................................................................................................ 10

Ulster Unionist Party Priorities for Local Government ......................................................................................... 12

A New Rating System ................................................................................................................................. 12

Protecting Local Ratepayers from Convergence Costs .......................................................................... 12

Reinvigorating our Town Centres ............................................................................................................ 12

Town Centre Living .................................................................................................................................... 13

Supporting Local Economic Development ............................................................................................. 13

Car Parking .................................................................................................................................................. 13

Maximising our tourism potential ........................................................................................................... 14

Investing in modern connectivity ............................................................................................................. 14

Urban Regeneration ................................................................................................................................... 14

Planning ....................................................................................................................................................... 15

Community Planning ................................................................................................................................. 15

Waste Management .................................................................................................................................... 15

Sport and Leisure ........................................................................................................................................ 16

Promoting Good Relations and Tolerance .............................................................................................. 16

Environmental Health ................................................................................................................................ 17

Housing ........................................................................................................................................................ 17

Addressing blight of fuel poverty .............................................................................................................. 18

Future opportunities ................................................................................................................................... 18

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Foreword from Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party

Mike NesbittIt gives me great pleasure to present the Ulster Unionist Party Local

Government Manifesto, one for each of the eleven new council areas.

Every election is important, but this year’s is perhaps even more so as people across Northern Ireland decide on the 462 men and women they wish to take up office in the new councils across the country. Local government, by its very definition, is regarded as that closest to the community and therefore ideally most directly aware of its needs. I am proud that it has always been a priority for my Party’s representatives on councils to strive to ensure that the services delivered by them are responsive to, and structured around, the needs of local communities. I am also proud that it was the Ulster Unionist Party that first put in motion the reform of our local councils well over a decade ago. The priority then was the same as it should be today; to deliver more effective services more efficiently. The Ulster Unionist Party would have much preferred a reduction of 26 councils to 15, rather than the 11 that are about to be implemented. Our proposals would have preserved strong community identities with only a minimal added cost, whilst also ensuring more directly accountable delivery of local services. That is now sadly lacking in the arrangement of our new councils.

Unfortunately the restructuring of our councils has been hijacked in recent years for political gain by the current two largest parties. This is no more noticeable than in the utter manipulation and absurdity of some of the new council boundaries.

Nevertheless despite our major concerns about these reforms, and the organisation and structure of the new councils in particular, my Party remains committed to harnessing this opportunity for change. Every ratepayer in Northern Ireland deserves no less.

In this manifesto you will find information on your local Ulster Unionist council candidates, their priorities for your council area and a range of other policies which my Party will seek to implement across local government.

I can do no more than say that if you place your trust with the Ulster Unionist Party in this local government election, the Councillors that we return will work tirelessly for you, they will ensure the most effective delivery of public services and most importantly they will always seek to do what is best for Northern Ireland.

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Fermanagh and Omagh

Local councils are the first tier of public governance and are the very grassroots of Northern Ireland’s democracy. They play an incredibly important role at the heart of communities, delivering local services as decided by local

representatives.

The honour of serving on local councils also comes with great responsibility. Local ratepayers deserve modern services and expect them to be delivered efficiently. Recent years have however seen increasing levels of service duplication when in fact increased cooperation should have been occurring.

A further problem is that Northern Ireland is now significantly over administered. Whilst for many years our councils were the only form of locally accountable administration, the fact is becoming increasingly stark that 26 separate councils comprising some 582 Councillors is excessive for a population of little over 1.8millon. Inefficiencies and replication of services are all ultimately borne by local ratepayers, so the need for reform was obvious.

It was the Ulster Unionist Party which first proposed the reform of local government in 2001. Equally, we spearheaded the transformation of how our local health service was organised throughout the Province. This is an example of how the reform of public administration can succeed.

Following a change in political fortunes we no longer held the Environment portfolio in the Northern Ireland Executive from 2007 but our commitment for a fair and beneficial reform of Northern Ireland’s councils has never lessened. Our commitment now remains the same as when we started; more effective, more efficient and more targeted services which meet the needs of our citizens.

In the recent years progress has been frustratingly slow, often being delayed by political posturing. The changes are now unfortunately far from perfect and the boundaries in many new proposed councils are simply incomprehensible. Disgracefully, the political benefit of some political parties has been put before retaining local community identities and doing what is best for local ratepayers.

Nevertheless despite our very real concerns the Ulster Unionist Party is committed to ensuring that this opportunity of reform is not squandered.

Introduction

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Our responsibilities to you;

While many will talk of the powers that are being transferred to the new councils, the Ulster Unionist party believes that to change government and the public perception of government we must no longer talk of powers but instead talk of responsibilities.

• The responsibility to build a stronger and more efficient local council network which cooperates more effectively and delivers a greater range of services for less.

• The responsibility to make sure that planning powers support the regeneration of our town centres, encourage economic development, retain a strong environmental compass, protect our built heritage and allow people to build homes in the local area where they have often lived all their lives.

• The responsibility to make the new councils more citizen focussed by creating the framework for local people, businesses, voluntary organisations and statutory agencies to work together to decide the real priorities for their areas by utilising the new community planning duty.

• The responsibility to maximise local economic development opportunities by truly harnessing Northern Ireland’s renowned attribute of innovation and entrepreneurism.

• The responsibility to promote Northern Ireland’s true tourism potential.

• The responsibility to invest in improvements in physical infrastructure where regeneration will support the development and wellbeing of the community.

• The responsibility to look for further opportunities to improve service delivery and adopt a more joined up working approach with other public bodies.

• The responsibility to ensure that local ratepayers do not end up unjustly paying for these reforms.

• The responsibility to listen to and act upon any concerns raised by employees of councils, or users of their services, during these reorganisations.

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Fermanagh and Omagh


Your Ulster Unionist Candidates Cllr Robert IrvineEnniskillen

Cllr Basil JohnstonEnniskillen

Howard ThorntonEnniskillen

I have been a Councillor for the Enniskillen DEA since 2001 and during that time I have devoted myself to representing the interests of the people of the area and indeed Fermanagh in general in a variety of forums. My skills are in the built environment and I have used these to form working relationships with government agencies and commercial enterprises in order to be a more effective advocate on behalf of my constituency members.

I was first elected to Fermanagh District Council in 1997. I have been politically active since then, serving for ten years on the Party Executive Committee and working for a local MLA for 2 years. My work on the Council takes me to all sorts of areas, from roads to health to community relations, to major topical issues such as Fracking and CAP reform. I sit on all Council Committees and my experience farming gives me an advantage in these areas.

I have worked on an international stage for varying periods of time specialising in resolving security related issues. I have particular interests in general policing and the promotion of tourism. I am also keen to enhance the prospects for young people within our community. I now wish to devote my time and energy by representing the Enniskillen community in all the activities pertaining with the new super-council of Fermanagh and Omagh. I am thereby seeking your support to achieve this end.

The Ulster Unionist Party has been giving strong representation in Fermanagh and Erne East for a long time through the late Cecil Noble and more recently Harold Andrews. If elected this is something I would want to continue. As a councillor I would commit to work for the people dealing with the day to day problems which affect them- education, health, housing, roads, agriculture

Victor WarringtonErne East

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Cllr Rosemary BartonErne North

Cllr Raymond FarrellErne North

Cllr Alex BairdErne West

Representing the council and Party on a number of outside bodies has provided me with the opportunity to enhance my knowledge and gain a better understanding about a wide range of issues, both at local and regional government levels. As I devote myself to being a fulltime councillor, I have the ability, experience and energy to ensure that the electorate will be fully represented in this much larger district electoral area of the Fermanagh/Omagh Council.

Be it on issues of road improvements, benefit entitlements, planning and the plight of farmers, I have dedicated myself to serving my local constituents. Many can bare testimony to my concern and success in representing them. I pledge to serve the people of Erne North with the same energy and determination and respectfully ask for your support in this important election.

I was first elected to Fermanagh District Council as a Councillor for Erne West on 5 May 2005 and very soon realised the enjoyment and satisfaction I got out of political representation. During this Council term I had the privilege of being Chairman of Fermanagh District for the year 2008/09. I was re-elected in May 2011 and am again Chairman of Fermanagh District Council for the year 2013/14. My theme is “Putting Fermanagh First”

I have driven a school bus part time and served on the Ulster Special Constabulary, UDR and RIR. I have been involved in farming for over 50 years and still help out on the farm. Farming life combined with my work as a local district councillor leads to a busy life which I thoroughly enjoy. I am committed to fighting for my constituents and will continue to serve the people of Mid Tyrone in the new super council if elected to do so.

Cllr Bert WilsonMid Tyrone

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Fermanagh and Omagh

Cllr Chris SmythOmagh

Cllr Allan RaineyWest Tyrone

My interest in politics started at a very young age and I joined the Ulster Unionist Party on my 18th birthday. Since then I have been involved in the work of our MLA Ross Hussey and I am extremely proud of the work we have achieved in this area. If re-elected in May I hope to continue the work I have started and continue to do what’s right for Northern Ireland

I have over 25 years of unbroken service to Omagh District Council, serving as Chairman and Vice Chairman on two occasions. Facing the challenge of the new super council of Fermanagh and Omagh will require patience, skill and courage to ensure West Tyrone has the voice it deserves. My priorities include Health and wellbeing for all, a new local enhanced Hospital, Education, Local employment and Recreation, Rural Development, Farm income and European funding.

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Priorities for Fermanagh and Omagh Council

Protecting ratepayers from the excessive costs of these reforms The Ulster Unionist Party has consistently opposed the merger of Fermanagh and Omagh councils as spearheaded by the DUP and Sinn Fein. Both of the existing councils would have much preferred the new boundaries to follow natural community identities and therefore joined with other neighbouring councils rather than with each other. It is hugely regrettable that successive Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive consistently ignored the local opposition to this merger.

Not only does the merger of Fermanagh and Omagh Councils fail to take into consideration community identities, it also fails to make economic or administrative sense.

Given the significant differential in the district rate between the existing Omagh and Fermanagh Council we propose; • That no domestic household or business should have to pay for this political manipulation of the boundaries

through an increase in their rates bill for a minimum of three years. The Ulster Unionist Party believes the Transitional Scheme should provide 100% relief for these first three years and if at the end of this period a large rates differential between the two council areas remains the scheme must be extended.

A fair location of public sector jobsThe South West of Northern Ireland has been treated unfairly on the location of public sector jobs for many years. Successive Government strategies, including those created at Stormont, proclaiming to seek to relocate jobs more evenly across Northern Ireland have come and gone with little benefit to either Fermanagh or Omagh.

News in recent times of further centralisation of DVA and HMRC jobs further illustrates the scale of the problem. If Enniskillen, Omagh and the many towns and villages around them are to remain economically viable it is important that they retain a reasonable balance of public and private sector employment.

To address the current inequality of the location of public sector jobs we propose; • That the new Council should commission a study of all vacant public sector buildings and land in its area,

including that of Invest NI, to identify cost-effective options for the relocation of public sector jobs. The location of public sector jobs should be taken into consideration so that areas with fewer have a better

opportunity to avail of them. • That the new Council should engage directly with each of the Northern Ireland Executive Departments to

confirm and try to influence future staffing strategies. • That the new Council should hold the Department of Agriculture to account for previous commitments made on the relocation of the Forest Service to Enniskillen, which now appears to have be drastically and unfairly

scaled back.

EducationA proper education is enormously important for every child and arguably even more so for children in rural areas and small towns given the greater scarcity of employment opportunities.

Unfortunately education across Northern Ireland has become politicised in recent years with successive Sinn Fein Ministers pursuing their own flawed ideologies rather than doing what was best for our young people.

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Fermanagh and Omagh

Given the poor treatment of schools in Fermanagh and Omagh we propose the Council should; • Ensure that local confidence in the creative development of the Lisanelly site in Omagh is not lost given a lack

of enthusiasm from the Department of Education. The Council should hold the Department to account by ensuring timescales are reached and previous promises are met.

• Ensure a fair investment in post-primary education in the Controlled Sector in Enniskillen. This includes vigorously campaigning for a quick commencement of the long overdue new build for Devenish College.

• The area planning process should be suspended given the widely held view that it has failed and has in fact driven many schools and sectors further apart.

A safe, sustainable and accessible health systemThe new Fermanagh and Omagh Council will cover a large geographic area. We accept that the provision, scale and range of health services will vary but we are committed to ensuring that everyone, no matter where they live, has appropriate access to frontline healthcare.

To maintain a viable health service across the new Council area we propose; • That the services at the South West Acute Hospital, which were developed under the direct leadership of an

Ulster Unionist Minister, should be maintained and enhanced. We will remain especially vigilant of accident and emergency treatment times.

• Retaining the addiction treatment unit in the Fermanagh and Tyrone Hospital in Omagh. It is unacceptable that if this vital service was removed, it would not only leave Omagh but the entire western region without an inpatient addiction treatment service.

• That any attempts to further reduce the services for our elderly should be opposed. For example we will vigorously object to attempts by the Department of Health to bring in charging for domiciliary care packages.

Placing our protecting environment before any decision on frackingFermanagh and Omagh proudly includes some of Northern Ireland’s top tourist and conservational sites. The new Council will have a great responsibility to ensure these areas remain accessible and that their economic potential is maximised for local communities, whilst also remain protected for future generations.

Over recent years there has been much debate in regards to the practice of fracking for gas. Despite many public meetings, expert reports and assurances from the proposed developer, there is still no definitive evidence that the practice would deliver significant local economic benefits, particularly considering the scale of potential risks involved.

The Ulster Unionist Party therefore proposes; • Opposing any application for a license and planning application to drill unless these have been independently

supported by means of positive Environmental Impact Assessments; Health Impact Assessments, Economic Business Plans and any other process necessary to form an evidence based judgement.

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Our local councils are going through a once in a life-time opportunity of radical reform. The Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive should have grasped the opportunity to make the reorganisations ambitious, cost effective and ensured they were delivered on time.

Whilst the reforms may no longer be as far reaching as once envisaged, and may be coming many years after when they were initially envisaged, these are still the biggest changes to our local councils in 40 years.

The Ulster Unionist Party is committed to grasping this opportunity to deliver improved services for less on behalf of local communities.

A New Rating SystemOne of the enduring strengths of our local government is its financial independence, which has allowed councils to decide their own spending priorities while remaining fully accountable to local ratepayers. The issue of rates is unsurprisingly often the single biggest issue of concern to residents and businesses in any council area.

A typical rates bill is made up of two parts, the regional rate as set by the Northern Ireland Executive and the district rate as struck by local councils. The fact that this charge comes as one single bill often leads to the false perception that all of the money remains within the local council area. In fact, across most councils the regional rate accounts for more than half of the average rates bill. Over the recent years of economic difficulty and fall in house prices, our rating system has not been flexible enough to adapt to changing circumstances. It is becoming increasingly common for a rates bill to be one of a small businesses largest annual outgoings. Many businesses have told the Ulster Unionist Party that rates have significantly stifled their profitability over recent years, and worryingly in some cases directly contributed to making the difficult decision to close. That type of unintended consequence of our rating system helps no one, not least the local community who lose the services and the employment opportunities.

We propose; • Seeking to realign the balance between regional rates and district rates so that the majority of funding collected

in the annual bill stays within in the local council area. • Informing every ratepayer how their council spent the money collected the preceding year by providing an

overview on their next annual bill. • Formal flexibility should be built into the Land and Property Service collection of rates from businesses which

are in proven financial difficulty.

Protecting Local Ratepayers from Convergence CostsOne of the single biggest areas of concern for the Ulster Unionist Party throughout the reform of our local government has been the impact that merging councils with different levels of district rates, will have on local residents and businesses.

The Department of Finance and Personnel has carried out modelling which has confirmed that ratepayers in a number of existing council areas are likely to experience significant hikes in their annual bill. It has always been a firm Ulster Unionist policy that ratepayers should not be left paying for these reforms, especially if the only tangible change they will see is an increase in their annual rates bill.

We propose; • That the Northern Ireland Executive provide funding for the Transitional Relief Scheme for no less than 3 years

in order to fully protect local ratepayers by allowing district rates to naturally adjust across the entire council area.

Reinvigorating our Town CentresThe rise of out-of-town shopping centres, combined with the surge in popularity of online retailing, has forever changed the face of our town centres. Fewer people are now travelling into our towns and Northern Ireland has the highest rate of shop vacancies in the United Kingdom.


Priorities for Local Government

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Fermanagh and Omagh

Another impact of the recent financial difficulty has been a fundamental change in the profile of our town centres. Local businesses that had been in existence for generations which traditionally lined our high streets have been swapped for bookmakers, fast food outlets and charity shops. In the case of the latter they are often much more attractive to landlords given their eligibility for significant rates relief.

This dramatic change in circumstances for our high streets has created an urgent need to radically re-think how we rejuvenate our towns and villages.

We propose; • Councils should designate areas of their town centres to act at hubs for local businesses by using their

discretionary powers to offer planning and rating concessions. • Councils should use their new planning responsibilities to ensure our high streets offer a balanced range of

services whilst still offering charities sufficient space to carry out their essential work.

Town Centre LivingOur town centres should embody much more than only shops open 9am-5pm. The Ulster Unionist Party believes that providing more living space in the heart of our towns would create a renewed sense of vibrancy. In turn this would provide greater custom for businesses to remain open and thus creating a bustling evening economy.

We propose; • Councils should look favourably upon planning applications for housing in town centres as a means to

regeneration and providing greater trade and leisure options.

Supporting Local Economic Development Councils in the past have had positive and constructive working relationships with local enterprise agencies and the transfer of additional responsibilities for programmes such as Start a Business, Investing for Women and Social Entrepreneurship will hopefully enhance the range of support available to new businesses on a local basis.

The Ulster Unionist Party is committed to maximising the potential of further economic development support programmes to encourage new start up business and business enhancement.

We propose; • The delivery of these services should be through existing effective structures without the creation of new internal

departments within council. • Councils should use their new responsibilities to specifically assist small and new businesses through the

planning process. • Councils should, as a matter of priority, carry out an assessment of the effectiveness of existing tourist and visitor

policies in their area and if necessary adopt their own local plan.

Car ParkingThe viability and appeal of our towns can be directly shaped by local car parking facilities. One of the features of out of town shopping are often sprawling free car parking facilities. It would be impossible to provide this on an equal scale so we need to ensure a reasonable balance is found on the availability and cost of parking in our towns. Consumers expect and deserve safe, accessible and most importantly affordable car parking.

We propose; • Working closely with the Transport Minister, Danny Kennedy, to ensure a viable and affordable supply of car

parking spaces in our towns. • Councils should use their new off street car parking responsibilities to specifically target and incentivise support

for local businesses on streets and town centres. • Opposing any future blanket roll out of on-street parking charges.

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Maximising our tourism potentialLocal councils will shortly be taking responsibility for a range of tourism initiatives such as small-scale tourism accommodation development; providing business support such as business start-up advice and training and delivery of customer care schemes.Given the failure of the Northern Ireland Executive to harness Northern Ireland’s true potential and produce a Tourism Strategy, the Ulster Unionist Party would like to see local councils renewing their efforts and becoming brazen promoters of local facilities.

We propose; • Councils should work closely with developers and advise them of growth opportunities for tourism enterprises,

with particular emphasis on the provision of accommodation. • Given the absence of a Northern Ireland tourism strategy, councils should still ensure that they work collectively

with one another to ensure an overall approach is taken.

Investing in modern connectivityBusinesses and households are increasingly coming to rely upon adequate availability and quality of broadband and mobile phone services. In particular businesses, regardless of whether they are a working farm, a SME or a multi-national corporation all ultimately ask for the same thing; a fit for purpose connectivity network.

Unfortunately whist there has been some welcome improvement made at the top end of the spectrum with superfast broadband, there are a number of geographic areas right across Northern Ireland which still have inadequate broadband coverage and sometimes non-existent mobile phone coverage.

We propose; • Within the first year of operation councils should carry out a thorough scoping exercise to identify which local

areas are facing connectivity challenges. Equipped with the results the Councils should then approach the major providers to seek a resolution.

• Given the failure of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to effectively resolve the issue, Councils should seek to work with the Department in partnership in the administration of investment funds

from government and telecoms providers.

Urban Regeneration Urban areas need to continually refresh their appearance and environments to maximise their economic, physical, social and environmental opportunities. Regeneration not only helps to improve the local economic outlook of the area but importantly can greatly enhance the well-being of local communities.

The Ulster Unionist Party believes that in order to truly re-energise our urban areas, statutory agencies must move away from the belief that single issues corrected individually, rather than by direct structured intervention, will lead to significant change to occur.Whether the problem arises due to poor housing, de-industrialisation, unemployment, lack of educational or community facilities, any solution which fails to take account of all of the interlocking issues will ultimately fail. Only by creating the opportunity for a long term intervention designed to comprehensively tackle all of the issues needing to be addressed by an urban regeneration process will success be possible.

Experience has shown that where physical regeneration proceeds in a vacuum the result is often the transplanting of the resident population. Social issues are not addressed; instead they are merely geographically relocated. Where social action takes place in the absence of physical regeneration then those whose education has been improved, training enhanced or employment enriched will move to other areas. This leaves behind a community with increasing levels of social problems, unemployment and ill-health. The Ulster Unionist Party therefore believes that long-term interventions covering a wide range of inter-related issues including social and physical regeneration are therefore necessary to provide the best model for the delivery of urban regeneration objectives.

We propose; • Councils should be committed to strategic interventions which address all of the issues affecting an area, not just

certain aspects. This should be delivered with all agencies working to a single agreed strategy in each council area with clearly defined and measurable goals.

• Councils should work with the Department of Social Development and Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to extend town centre regeneration programmes to rural towns and settlements.

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Fermanagh and Omagh

PlanningThe transfer of planning functions to councils will see a major change in how applicants and communities interact with councillors. At long last locally elected people will be taking the decisions that shape the places in which they live.

However with planning powers comes great responsibility. A detailed knowledge of planning policies and a fair decision making process based on them will be required, even in cases where there may be objections or where an unsuccessful applicant is known.Retaining public confidence in the planning process will be crucial so it is imperative that local councillors are prepared and have the capacity to take these important decisions.

We propose; • Each council should set and work towards annual targets for faster processing of planning applications in order

to expedite final decision times. • Ensuring the new Strategic Planning Policy Statement currently being drawn up by the Department of

Environment is fit for purpose. • Councils must make all of the relevant information available so that the decisions they take are open and

transparent. • Councils should engage extensively with local communities when producing their new development plans for the area. • Councils must ensure that the development plans are balanced, sustainable and capable of meeting the needs of

all communities, including those living in rural areas. • Councils should more directly assist with protecting and conserving the built and natural heritage in their areas

for the benefit of future generations.

Community PlanningCommunity planning represents the opportunity for local elected representatives and communities to engage in defining the best possible solution to issues that affect their areas, and to challenge statutory agencies to ensure optimum local delivery. Importantly councils will now have a duty to ensure that citizens’ needs are at the heart of decision-making on local services.

By formally engaging with the local community the Ulster Unionist Party hopes that this new responsibility will allow service delivery by councils to be more responsive to citizens’ needs.

A wide range of public services such as health and education are planned in isolation when it is clear that joined up thinking would ensure better services for the public. One example is the provision of sports facilities where councils provide facilities used mostly at night and week-ends and schools provide facilities used mainly during the week-day. Joined up provision would reduce the burden on schools and rate-payers and increase the use of such facilities. The Ulster Unionist Party is committed to engaging with all statutory agencies to ensure that the maximum benefit is derived from all programmes and investment thereby increasing effectiveness and reducing the cost to the rate-payer.

We propose; • Councils should formally coordinate with other public bodies in order to achieve more efficient service delivery. • Neighbouring councils should be required to collaborate with one another to identify and reduce service

duplication. • Councils should formally consult with the local community and voluntary sector when drawing together their

community plans.

Waste ManagementThe drive to reduce, reuse and recycle household waste remains a key service delivered by local councils where the continuously increasing cost of landfill is passed directly to the ratepayer.

Northern Ireland’s councils have been very successful over recent years with informing local householders and businesses about the benefits of reducing their waste. The proportion of municipal waste collected by our councils which was then sent for recycling or composting has increased from 18% in 2004/05 to almost 40% in 2012/13.

Any action which can be taken to further reduce this cost has a direct impact on the rates bill. It is not possible to prevent or reuse

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all the waste that we produce so the Ulster Unionist Party believes councils should all be seeking to maximise any potential from it. There have been a number of initiatives to develop energy from waste plants and while the technology has been proven across many countries and in many settings, Northern Ireland continues to struggle to find an adequate solution, not least due to the overly bureaucratic and lengthy procurement systems in place.

The Ulster Unionist party is committed to working to ensure that Northern Ireland is not subject to further infraction fines for breaching European Directives and will work to deliver environmentally sustainable options for the disposal of waste.

We propose; • Councils should commit to extracting the maximum value from residual waste, with targets for energy

production. • Following the well-known difficulties experienced over recent years, councils should review their waste

management services in order to identify permanent local resolutions.

Sport and LeisureSport and leisure continue to be important aspects of council services that will continue under the new structures. The Ulster Unionist Party is committed to ensuring the management of the leisure facilities is cost effective and responsive to the needs and expectations of local people.

With enhanced responsibility for issues such as water sports, enhanced delivery will open up new opportunities for local communities and tourism. The new responsibility for community wellbeing will also require a greater emphasis on encouraging active living and ensuring that facilities are available.

We propose; • Local amateur sports clubs should be supported by lifting the rate relief afforded to these clubs from 80 percent

to 100 percent. This would also ensure parity with equivalent clubs in other areas of the United Kingdom. • Councils should liaise more closely with the local Education and Library Boards in order to ensure coordinated

local provision of youth services. • Councils should conduct an overall review of how their sports and leisure facilities could further promote

participation and support behaviour change, especially amongst current low participant groups.

Promoting Good Relations and ToleranceCouncils have built up a significant resource in terms of local knowledge and experience in dealing with community relations and associated issues within the local community.

Nevertheless the cost of division in Northern Ireland has been estimated to be in excess of £1bn per year. Key to building a shared future for Northern Ireland is the creation and support of shared spaces within our communities where people from all backgrounds can socialise regardless of cultural differences. This is where councils should take the lead and deliver real change.Unfortunately, more than 15 years after the signing of the Belfast Agreement, many of our council chambers are more politically divided now than they have been for many years. There is a total lack of tolerance or respect shown in many, not only to council members but often also entire minority communities across the council area. An example of this would be the politically motivated imposition of Irish language signage and branding on council vehicles and merchandise, often to the detriment of good relations among staff as well as local communities.

One of the other significant barriers to a truly shared future is Northern Ireland’s deeply divided education system. It is not conducive to good relations that the majority of our young people progress through the education system with little understanding or experience of other cultures. The Ulster Unionist Party favours a single education system, where children of all faiths and none, would be educated together. We recognise that such a transformation will take time and will have to be done extremely sensitively. Nevertheless we do believe it is an obligation which everyone in Northern Ireland should strive towards.

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Fermanagh and Omagh

We propose; • Councils should be obliged to carry out equality impact assessments on all council decisions which could

potentially be harmful to local community relations. • Councils should ensure all public spaces under their control are shared and welcoming to all backgrounds. • Given the reluctance from the Department of Education, councils should identify means of bringing schools

together on shared projects in order to increase mutual trust and understanding between all sectors.

Environmental HealthThe protection of our food supply, water supply and clean air remains an important function of local government. Episodes like the horse meat scandal and the discovery of illegal abattoirs rock public confidence in our food system and therefore it is essential that sufficient protections are put in place.

We propose; • Councils should be required to work together to ensure there are no geographical gaps in service delivery.

Housing

Under the reform of public administration councils will now have enhanced housing responsibilities. These include the registration of houses of multiple occupation, as well as assessing housing unfitness.

There is an absence of a systematic approach to public housing policy across Northern Ireland. The failure of the Stormont Executive to make the adequate provision of social housing a priority has increased the volume of properties now used as houses of multiple occupancy or private lets. Whilst most landlords take their social responsibilities seriously, a minority provide accommodation which is below an acceptable standard.

Recently Northern Ireland also witnessed its first increase in 40 years of social housing unfitness. That is partly as a consequence of more empty homes, but also because of a reduction in the amount of public money available for repairs.

We propose; • Councils should use their new planning responsibilities to place greater weighting on the development of

integrated or mixed social housing whilst also promoting, through planning and land use policy, mixed tenure and mixed income development. • Councils should ensure that the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and Housing Associations are maintaining their properties to an appropriate standard. • Councils should ensure they maintain a community balance when meeting the demand for multiple occupation. • Councils should use their planning responsibilities to focus the creation of HMOs in areas where it could

contribute to regeneration.

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Addressing blight of fuel povertyA household is identified as being in fuel poverty if it needs to spend more than 10% of its total income on household fuel. Unfortunately over recent years the rate of fuel poverty has been climbing sharply across Northern Ireland, with recent surveys indicating the figure is 42%. This far exceeds the level in England, Scotland and Wales and the problem is particularly acute for younger families and our elderly.

There have been enough policy reviews, strategies and information gathering exercises carried out and unfortunately these have had a fairly minimal impact on the problem. A new approach is clearly needed. We propose;

• The new equivalent of the Warm Homes Scheme should adopt a new area based approach in order to maximise the number of households assisted.

• Councils should work proactively with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and natural gas suppliers to further extend the gas network to areas currently without the provision.

• All councils should be required to develop oil voucher schemes. • Councils should be encouraged to work with the Government Estate and housing authorities to enter into

negotiations for the bulk purchase of energy to minimise costs.

Future opportunitiesWhile there are many responsibilities transferring in the next year there are others too which the Ulster Unionist Party would be open to considering in the future. Any proposals which deliver better services for the community without increasing the rates burden on the public could all be considered.

One service which has not transferred to new councils is the youth service yet councils interact with young people through sports, arts, community relations and police and community safety partnerships. The resources expended in co-ordinating action between different agencies could be more usefully expended on working directly with young people and youth organisations.

The provision of housing solutions for older people also remains an issue of concern in many communities. While community planning gives councils some ability to hold others to account, the development of a longer term solution will require strategic planning. The Ulster Unionist Party believes that local government should take a lead in identifying supported housing options for older people within their local communities.

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Fermanagh and Omagh

Ulster Unionist Party - Strandtown Hall, 2-4 Belmont Road, Belfast, BT4 2AN Telephone: 028 90 47 46 30 Fax: 028 90 65 21 49

Web: www.uup.org Email: [email protected]

Documents

Local Government - Home - Ulster Unionist Partyuup.org/assets/images/fermanagh omagh.pdf · than in the utter manipulation and absurdity of some of the new council ... Party in this