Policies

We are a group of Independents determined to put residents before the party whip. We have a string of achievements to our name and we are the Council group setting the ideas agenda in West Lancashire. We’ve attracted people new to politics and from all the main political parties. We agree a core of policies below. Beyond that, our councillors and candidates are free and Independent to pursue the ideas and strategies that best represent their area.

Housing, Development & Climate Change

• Champion a new improved local plan that recognises West Lancashire’s predominantly rural nature, builds homes only to meet local need, protects the best most-versatile agricultural land, green belt and addresses climate change.

• As evidence shows there is more than sufficient supply, use the new Local Plan to stop ALL further conversion of family homes to student accommodation and the construction of more off-campus purpose-built student accommodation.

• Introduce new rules to allow new housebuilding levies to be used to address flooding problems as other councils already do.   

• Complete the new revival scheme in Digmoor in Skelmersdale to replace the worst of the new town housing with modern energy-efficient 21st century houses with private driveways and garden space.

• Complete the £7.5 million project for additional energy efficiency measures on around 250 Borough’s council houses reducing fuel use and carbon emissions, combating fuel poverty and leaving more money in the pockets of council house tenants and seek opportunities to extend this to other homes in future years. 

Roads and Traffic

Campaigning for a new approach to road repair/potholes by the County Council who hold the responsibility for this area. We would campaign for the following:

• Money to be directed where the need is highest
• Repairs to be right first time, not fail after a few weeks.  County Council should employ more monitors to oversee the contractors who carry out the work
• Employ council staff to inspect road surfaces not rely on residents to report faults
• Abandon the current system which sees potholes repaired in a strict list/priority order and fix all the potholes in a neighbourhood at the same time, reducing travel time and costs

• Explore the localisation of road repairs with the County Council, devolving this role to the Borough Council as happened in the past.  Road repair with local, on-the ground oversight should mean better quality repairs.

• Campaigning for a formal trial of single lane running over Derby Street bridge in Ormskirk

• Complete the Borough Council’s Ormskirk-Burscough linear park providing greater safe opportunities for walking and cycling

Litter, Flytipping and the Environment

Maintain efforts to improve our local environment by ensuring that the recently-agreed budget measures are implemented and effective, i.e., –

• 50 new litter bin locations are identified and bins installed;

• The additional full-time enforcement and education officer targets increased enforcement action and takes the anti-litter and recycling message to all local primary schools (where the visit is accepted) and to fast food outlets;

• Additional Mobile CCTV systems are purchased and deployed at fly tip hotspots across the Borough after early results from the trial showed fly tip incidents down by 43% and number of fly tippers caught up 70% 

Work with the County Council to allow easier disposal of flytipped waste for private landowners at County Council disposal sites.

Leisure and Wellbeing

• New leisure centres with swimming pools for Ormskirk and Skelmersdale.  We would set aside £9 million to ensure that the business plans for 21^st Century swim facilities in both towns come to fruition whilst ensuring responsible borrowing and re-examining the location of the new Ormskirk pool.

• A £2 million redevelopment of Burscough Sports Centre with works to start in 2024. 

• Purchase the empty Glenburn site in Skelmersdale from the County Council, pictured, and, in consultation with the local community, bring forward a mixed development on the site to include a new Community Sports Village

A Plan for Ormskirk Town Centre

• A 12-month pilot project with FREE parking from 1pm on Mondays and Tuesdays in Ormskirk town centre and monitor the change in footfall and all-day FREE parking at Derby Street car park on Saturdays.

• Relaunching the Ormskirk Town Centre business group ensuring good representation of the different business types in the town, including independent retailers.

• Giving preference to rent empty units in the Council-owned Wheatsheaf Walks to shop types that Ormskirk lacks

• Ensure the completion of the paving and lighting improvements to Ormskirk town centre alleyways including features to highlight Ormskirk’s heritage

• Supporting greater opportunities to expand the market and ensure its long term presence as a facility and tourist attraction for the town centre.

Your council serving you better and more cost effectively

Seek better value for money and cost effectiveness at the Borough Council by:

• Reducing the councillor allowance budget; slimming down the expanded public relations department and cancelling unnecessary reviews.
• Ensuring efficiencies always result from investment in new computer systems
• Pursuing the sharing of services with other councils where a strong case can be made

• The garden waste collection service should be funded via council tax, but in the short term the charge should be set to cover costs not make a surplus to spend elsewhere.

• Introduce a public question time at Full Council meetings and hold two council meetings a year in venues in other communities in West Lancashire.

• OWL will hold no secret caucus meetings before planning committees in the way that Labour and Conservative hold.

• Publish the Council’s Street sweeping schedules so that residents can know when their streets and pavements will be swept.

Independents – putting Residents First and Foremost