Councils throughout the country are experiencing a very difficult financial environment, with many councils slashing services and closing facilities. The Conservative run Cheshire West and Chester Council has taken a different course, making substantial reductions in bureaucracy, waste and inefficient working practices and reducing the costs of running the council by a massive £134million per year. This has allowed the Conservative run council to invest in front line services including ensuring funding is available to provide care for elderly people who need it and looking after those children who are sadly abused or neglected.
Mike Jones, Leader of the Council, said “In response to what residents have been saying to us, we are protecting front line services and ensuring we have the money to protect the vulnerable residents and to invest in our schools, sports facilities, theatre, roads and pavements. This is making West Cheshire a great place to live and work and attracting investment by businesses, creating jobs.
Our Manifesto sets out our ‘Achievements to date and our Aspirations for the Future’ for West Cheshire."
Eveleigh Moore Dutton, Deputy Leader of the Council, said “We have worked with partners across the public sector to raise the quality of services, investing in prevention and early intervention to improve the quality of lives of residents. By working with the private sector and supporting them in the creation of thousands of jobs, and working with businesses, successfully helping local people to obtain local jobs. This has helped unemployment fall at one of the fastest rates in the country, and is now below 1.5% in the Borough. All this has been achieved while freezing any rise in Council Tax and we aim to continue this over the next 4 years”.
Mike Jones said “We have been ambitious since forming the Council and this manifesto sets out equal ambitions for the Council over the next 4 years, building on the regeneration we have started in Chester, Ellesmere Port, Northwich, Winsford and the Rural area."