Our Election Promise

GORDON OLIVER, our Conservative Mayor and Leader has established an experienced and knowledgeable Conservative Administration to help him fulfil the promises made during the 2011 elections.

The team are continuing tight control of council budgets and preserving front line services and safety in the Bay. There is a strong drive towards both sympathetic regeneration and to improve employment opportunities for all.

MAYOR GORDON OLIVER AND HIS CONSERVATIVE TEAM ARE PROUD OF ACHIEVEMENTS, CONTINUED AND INITIATED IN THEIR FIRST SIX MONTHS:

- Worked with neighbouring authorities and pressured Government to successfully secure approval for the Kingskerswell by-pass

- Mayor creates a £250,000 fund to promote job creation through tourism, inward investment and events

- Development at White Rock to secure up to 1,350 new full time jobs

- Cockington Court reopened with new craft studios for startup businesses

- Parkfield Children’s Centre Opens – Paignton

- Refurbishment of Promenade for completion by 2012 season

- Development of the derelict Palm Court Hotel

- Council borrowing reduced by £9M

- £5m scheme for Torre Abbey announced and starts

- Geopark Accreditation renewed

- Planning application submitted for Oldway Mansion

- A Purple Flag is Awarded to Torbay’s Night Time economy

- Torbay wins 6 Blue Flags for beaches with clean water, litter-free shores, good facilities and safety standards

- Improved bus services to serve Torbay Hospital and localities not previously included on existing routes

- Secured future of Riviera Centre and Pool

- Actively supported retention of Coastguard facility in Brixham

- Creation of a new Events and Marketing Forum

- Provided Sports Clubs with 40 year leases – enabling them to obtain new funding streams

- Creation of 3 neighbourhood forums to each develop a Neighbourhood Plan – localism in action

- Hi-tech Forum has it’s first conference – hailed a great success by all who attended

Our Election Promise to You

Value for Money

- Keep Community charge as low as possible with a council tax freeze 2011/12

- Streamline council administration

- Support front-line services

- Keep car parking charges low

Sympathetic Regeneration

- Transparent planning process

- Further investment in Coastal areas of the Bay including sea and shore

- Protect Princess Gardens from development between Princess Theatre and The Pavillion except an extension of the theatre

- Encourage more water activities and harbour development

- Support affordable housing development on brown field sites and empty properties to help reduce homelessness

Boosting Local Employment

- Encourage new employment opportunities for all particularly in our Tourist and Fishing industries.

- Inward investment to enable our young people to continue to live and work here

- Support higher employment

- Work with other local authorities & private investors to support the Kingskerswell by-pass. and our major industries of Tourism and Fishing

Cleaner, Greener Bay

- Ensure that our Parks, Gardens, Beaches and Town Centres are kept clean & tidy

- Promote increased recycling

Safety in the Bay

- Working with the local Police to tackle crime and the fear of crime

- Endeavour to maintain our CCTV and Street lighting in good order

The Big Society

- Putting local people first and listening to their views

- Supporting our Ward Partnerships and other voluntary organisations

- Increased and better sports facilities

- Use half of the mayoral remuneration to create a £30,000 fund to provide grants to voluntary organisations - supporting the Big Society

Mayorality

- Change the system to be more transparent and democratic