Theme 4 of our 2019 Action Plan
Value for money is a Green issue – too many resources are wasted by our current distant and opaque local government.
It is value for money to use planning powers to make sure new housing is Carbon neutral. Spend a bit more today to save a lot tomorrow. The choice is between cheaper heating bills for homeowners and a reduction in CO2 emissions or more profits for volume builders.
What certainly is not value for money is Dover District Council (DDC) spending our council tax money taking a case to the Supreme Court in defence of a luxury housing development, at Farthingloe, on an area of outstanding natural beauty.
Especially since the judges found that DDC had given no adequate reasons for their planning decision.
Value for money has been used as an excuse by Kent County Council and Dover District Council to pass on devastating budget cuts and allow our environment to deteriorate.
They have allowed public services to be run by financialised corporations. This doesn’t work, as we see in the privatised bus network etc.
It is a myth that the market always provides better value for money than publicly run utilities.
The culture of ‘leave it to the market’ has resulted in too close a relationship between lobbyists, PR, politicians and corporate managers.
The Herald of Free Enterprise disaster, and the Stagecoach service cuts and price rises show what can go wrong.
Value for money requires proper democratic decision making informed by open government.
This article covered one of the 14 Themes of Dover and Deal Geen Party Action Plan:
- Action on Climate Emergency
- Open Government
- Improving Democracy
- Value for Money
- Policies to Support Local Business
- Planning Policy that Works
- No to Fracking
- Yes to support for electric cars
- A Plastics Free Council
- Ending Live animal exports
- Better Air Quality
- Support for Bus Transport
- Better Amenities – Especially For Young People
- Universal Credit and Other Benefits