Your Labour Party are campaigning on these Local issues

Council Tax - saving you money
Both Town & District Labour Councillors have a track record of consistently advocating small Council Tax increases, bearing in mind that inflated increases hit those on low or fixed incomes hardest.  Indeed in some years the Town Council Tax actually went down or stayed the same.

Traffic Congestion
This is a serious and growing problem in the Devizes area.  Labour Councillors continue to press for better traffic management, encourage alternative means of travelling short distances and propose a bypass feasibility study hopefully leading to a diversion of through traffic.  We need to curb the use of the town centre pavement and pedestrianised areas by unthinking cyclists.  Labour Councillors will continue to monitor and report road maintenance and pavement defects.

Planning
Labour Councillors would adopt a more robust approach to planning decisions.  Proposed housing developments need to be accompanied by relevant infrastructure and a realisation that Devizes has a finite capacity for housing.  Employment sites should be retained so that Devizes does not simply become a commuter town.

Parking
Parking is becoming a problem in many residential streets, partly as a result of higher car park charges imposed by the Tories at Kennet.  Labour Councillors will support a\ residents parking scheme where appropriate as oppose to swinging car park charge increases.

Communication
We believe that Kennet must keep the public better informed about major developments and changes in policy.  More public meetings would be useful.  Labour Councillors have opposed the formation of a Unitary Authority in Wiltshire.  We believe that local people will be best served by a local District Council working in partnership with the County Council.  This would ensure the representation of more local opinions.
We need to strengthen the partnership arrangements between County, District and Town.

Your Health Service
Whatever Government is in power Labour Councillors will continue to fight for appropriate facilities and clinical services that are needed locally.  We have been failed by a Primary Care Trust that has allowed huge budget deficits to mount up resulting in the proposed closure of our Community Hospital.

CCTV
Labour Councillors have always campaigned for an affordable CCTV system for Devizes.  At last it is happening now! This should increase Community Safety; reduce malicious damage and unruly behavior in the Town Centre.

Community
The formation of more residents’ Housing Committees and the interaction of the Youth Forum will help to reduce the sense of Community in many parts of Devizes and mutually supportive relationships.  We will support these initiatives.

Affordable Homes
These will remain on the agenda of every Labour Councillor.