POLITICAL parties are preparing to battle it out at the polls next month in an effort to take control of Southend Council and guide the borough into the future.

With a seat in each of the 17 wards of Southend up for grabs, the parties have outlined their policies, ranging from extra police and better education to cannabis cafes and underground roads.

For more information visit www.southend.gov.uk where you can find out about the candidates competing for your vote.

Women's equality

ONE candidate will stand for the Women’s Equality Party in Chalkwell.

The party has the goal of ensuring women can “fulfil their potential” with equal representation in politics, business and industry. They will focus on repairing “the broken funding model for specialist services”

that support women who are victim of violence. Prevention, protection and provision is said to be “at the heart” of all their policies.

They also want equal pay, free universal childcare and shared parental leave. Policies have been costed and are said not to increase the tax burden.

Conservatives

THE Conservative Party has been in administration for the past year and are keen to continue the work and policies that have been implemented since the elections last year.

The party’s key goals are to “provide opportunities for all”

through policies that could see all of Southend schools reach a “good” or “outstanding” rating from Ofsted. Also to make sure older residents are provided the “best possible care” both in their homes and out.

Businesses will also be given support with extra parking spaces in the town centre and there will be extra investment in parks, beaches and the seafront.

The party is also aiming to crackdown on violent crime and antisocial behaviour by creating a town centre policing team, which would see more police officers on the streets working with the safety team

For Britain

TWO will stand as For Britain candidates.

This right-wing party claims Islamic culture is “incompatible” with western culture.

They want to see burqas and halal meat banned and anyone threatening critics of Islam prosecuted.

The party would also like to see British residents prioritised on housing waiting lists and better protection against overdevelopment of the countryside.

In education, they are calling for British culture lessons to be taught in schools, as well as history lessons that highlight the country’s “great achievements”.

Residents would be able to vote upon any major construction project or change in the area and local people would be given priority for social and affordable housing

Green Party

THE Green Party says it has a vision for a “more equal and compassionate area”.

Their manifesto pledges to take on air pollution through “radical measures” that help reduce emissions caused by traffic congestion on the A127 and A130. They will also look to reduce pollution from Southend Airport.

Littering is also seen as a major issue that needs tackling as the party notes it has now reached “epidemic” level across the town. More homes would be built on brownfield sites to protect the countryside and those homes would be “truly affordable”.

To regenerate the town, the party wants to see an end to construction of retail parks so that smaller, local businesses can be prioritised. Those businesses would be given discounted business rates.

Independents

THE goal of the Independents is to “make Southend safe again”.

They say they have the answers to solving crime problems that other parties don’t and that means creating an independent, locally accountable Southend Borough Police Force at no extra cost to the taxpayer.

The group are “totally committed and confident” it can be delivered.

Their goal is to get more neighbourhood policing and more officers on the street.

They also state they will “make housing affordable again”

through more social rented homes and “make Southend work again” by improving the local economy.

Other promises include reducing parking fees, improving adult social care and investing in public spaces.

United Independents

The United Independents claim their priority is to “represent the local people”.

The party claims they know the problems that are facing the community because they live within the community. They say that unlike many of the other political parties that are hoping to take seats in Southend, they are not driven by a larger political party based in London whose leadership may not know where Southend is.

If they were to win seats, they want to address congestion and get traffic moving through the town, they also want to regenerate the High Street and want to make improvements to the pier. But the focus of councillors would be going back to the “grass roots” of what councillors should be doing and that is representing their wards, which each have their own problems that need to be solved.

Labour

SOUTHEND’S Labour Group is putting their focus on building “a better town for everyone”.

Their manifesto is packed with ambitious goals that range from investment in youth hubs, the development of a skills-based college and enhancement of the town’s heritage, to investment in green technology, the introduction of a landlord licensing scheme and better fire safety.

They will also review the council’s procurement process to ensure money is spent locally.

Labour also promises to lobby the Government for extra funding in the police, build more streetlights and run information campaigns that highlight the dangers of drug use and its repercussions for vulnerable adults and children. 

Liberal Democtats

“WE demand better for Southend”

is the declaration made by the Liberal Democrats, who are calling for social housing that is “truly affordable”.

This would include adding social housing within the proposed Queensway regeneration scheme.

A better High Street is also a priority, with goals such as encouraging more flats and homes to be built on the upper floors, more leisure space and better links between the town centre and the seafront.

On the topic of traffic and parking, the Lib Dems want to see parking charges reduced, 20mph speed limits on residential roads and will explore the feasibility of a park and ride scheme. Extra investment would be put towards education, renewable energy and sustainable travel.

Psychedelic Party

THE party’s aspirations are full of unique ideas for the future, including wanting to see roads built underground, the introduction of cannabis cafes and handing everyone over 18 a one year round the world plane ticket.

The party would also like to see health services refocus on gene modification in order to offer “superhuman health”, prevent genetic disorders and fix damaged cells.

They claim inspiration should be taken from China.

They also oppose faith schools and private schools because they do not want to see children “segregated because of their parents’ income or creed”.

Children would benefit from martial arts and self defence classes which would be added to the school curriculum.

UKIP

A NUMBER of potental councillors will be standing for the party that has become known for its strong stance on Brexit and they are continuing their campaign.

The party states that “local elections are about local issues but many local issues are governed by national policies” and that is why their top priority is the full withdrawal from the EU.

They believe that if voters elect as many UKIP councillors as possible in May it will “send an earthquake to the establishment”.

Changes to the council would include the introduction of referendums for major decisions that affect the community, more investment in the police to tackle gang related crimes and a promise to keep council tax as low as possible.