Southend Council’s commissioning process results in contracts going to large national organisations. We will change the process to make sure that small local charities and voluntary sector groups are supported to contribute their own unique social capital to the town. In administration Labour piloted the ‘Hub’ in the Victoria shopping centre which has provided help and advice for many residents in difficulty. We will promote and extend this collaborative approach to helping people in need. We will encourage community participation in the provision of council services, not as a method of making cuts but of genuinely empowering local communities.

Labour’s promises

1. Change council procurement procedures to favour local charities and voluntary groups.
2. Maintain the Essential Living Fund and continue to develop the innovative partnership for its delivery.
3. Support and develop our network of community hubs as a source of help, advice and support to people in the community.
4. Produce a clear and transparent impact assessment of new development, especially in the town centre, and use it to inform our service delivery and put pressure on partner organisations such as the NHS.
5. Promote and value the diversity that makes us stronger and more prosperous as a town, and work to build a community inclusive of all groups and individuals.
6. Make pavements more pedestrian-friendly by removing obstructions and increasing investment in repairing uneven surfaces.