Cambridgeshire is the fastest-growing and one of the most prosperous counties in Great Britain. The County Council has a vital role to play in ensuring that the prosperity is maintained, shared, increased and accessible to everyone.

The success of the county is based on high-tech industries linked with a world-class university and a highly-educated workforce. The County Council is crucial in encouraging and enabling schools and colleges to maintain and improve standards. It welcomes the contributions of both its universities and the further education colleges in achieving these aims.

A booming economy also brings environmental challenges. Traffic congestion is a major problem for all. Housing growth puts pressure on the countryside. The County Council has to tackle traffic congestion and plan a sustainable future for our children.

There is a fear of crime, especially in rural areas because of vandalism and reduction in the number of policemen. The County Council can work with other agencies, including the police, to reduce crime, especially by young people, and through Trading Standards protect the public.

Unfortunately, not everyone shares in the prosperity. There are pockets of deprivation in parts of the county. Not everyone has the skills to take advantage of the jobs offered by technology. Rural communities do not have the same opportunities as town-dwellers. Post Offices, banks, shops and pubs have closed and public transport is non-existent in many areas. Farmers are certainly not sharing the success of the local economy. The County Council can help less prosperous areas through economic development. It can provide public transport in rural areas so that those without a car can have access to the shops, services or recreation enjoyed by most people. The Council’s Social Services department can help look after the frail elderly and anyone else who is unable to look after themselves.

The Liberal Democrats believe that the quality of living of Cambridgeshire residents will be best maintained and improved by strong local government and effective public services. In addition to the direct services that we run, this will be achieved by working closely with partners, and so our manifesto endeavours to highlight the broader picture, rather than just focus on single service issues. This manifesto describes how the core values of the Liberal Democrats can address the problems and opportunities which the County Council will have to deal with over the next 4 years and beyond.

The economic prosperity of the county must be underpinned by a first-class education system. Liberal Democrats recognise that the life chances of a child are dependent on their education at an early age. Infant and pre-school education and welfare will be a priority for a Liberal Democrat council.

The Liberal Democrats will work to raise achievement at all levels. All children must be able to fulfil their potential. Liberal Democrats will give a high priority to nursery education and to early intervention for children with special needs. The economic success of Cambridgeshire is built on rapidly-changing businesses. Liberal Democrats will work with other agencies to give more opportunities for adults to learn new skills. Liberal Democrats will give a high priority to the Library service, both for adult learning and for access to the Internet for those without their own computer.

Liberal Democrats will not forget those who rely on the council’s Social Services for their day-to-day needs. Liberal Democrats will give users of home care more control over the help they receive. They will work closely in partnership with voluntary agencies to improve the care of the frail elderly and otherwise disabled people. Liberal Democrats insist that the cost of home care must not be reduced at the expense of the wages or working conditions of carers. All Liberal Democrat councillors and other agencies will work closely together to seek to protect children who may be at risk of abuse.

Liberal Democrats will ensure that all meetings are public unless there is a particular need for business or personal confidentiality. New forms of government imposed on county councils by central government will encourage secret meetings by small groups of councillors who take all the decisions. The Liberal Democrats will ensure that all Council business is available on the Internet.

The Labour Government promised more police and smaller class sizes, but there are fewer policemen than ever before and junior and secondary school class sizes are increasing. The Liberal Democrats explain what you get for your money, and will argue for higher Council Taxes if necessary to pay for essential services. The County Council must deliver what it promises but must only promise what it can deliver.

Tories claim to be able to run the County Council more efficiently when in fact they cut services and increased charges (for example, day care charges for the elderly and vulnerable have inceased substantially over the last four years, and the waste recycling centre at Chatteris has been closed down). The Liberal Democrats will use the new scrutiny Committees to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy but also to improve services within the same amount of money.

It will be increasingly important for the County Council to work closely with other services such as the police and health service.

Liberal Democrats will encourage joint working with other local authorities, voluntary groups, school heads, governors and other users of council services. New forms of government will be introduced by the County Council in May which will allow Liberal Democrats to invite non-councillors to sit on some council committees to offer their expert advice (for example, close working with voluntary organisations can improve the delivery of services to local residents in particular client groups).

As with Liberal Democrat run Cambridge City and East Cambridgeshire District Councils, a Liberal Democrat led county Council will work with other authorities to make local government more accessible to the people of Cambridgeshire.

The Liberal Democrats introduced joint working with parish and district councils for transport services. Local people are best able to target money where they think it is most needed (for example traffic calming close to local schools). This joint working will be extended to other areas of joint interest such as waste disposal, Trading Standards and Social Services. The Liberal Democrats will delegate as much of the county schools budget as the heads and governors wish to have.

The Liberal Democrats will encourage all schools to become a resource for their whole community

The Liberal Democrats will treat all people fairly.

Although most of Cambridgeshire is prosperous, many people cannot join in that prosperity because of factors such as lack of education, poor public transport, illness or discrimination. Liberal Democrats will work with communities to reduce theses inequalities.

The Liberal Democrats gave people the opportunity to present petitions and directly address full council and its committees. Consultation must be further developed to ask the opinions of hard-to-reach groups such as young people or those who traditionally take little interest in local government. Liberal Democrats will heed the results of consultations.

Hundreds of people are killed or injured every year on the county’s roads. Liberal Democrats will work with the police to reduce accidents by designing safer road schemes, enforce speed limits, and reduce speed limits in streets where there are many pedestrians. Rural and urban areas have different transport problems, and Liberal Democrats are committed to providing the appropriate transport solutions for differing needs.

A Liberal Democrat Council will invest more in facilities for our youngsters and work with the police to reduce petty crime.

Liberal Democrats councillors will work through the Trading Standards department and with other agencies to ensure that the food we eat is as safe as possible and that local shoppers are protected from unscrupulous traders. They will also continue to support the work of Trading Standards in keeping dangerously overloaded lorries off the roads.

The County Council is a major partner in the authority which manages all fire services in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Liberal Democrat councillors will continue to give a high priority to the fire service, especially to maintaining cover in rural areas.

The County Council will have to draw up a new Structure Plan - the planning blueprint for the county. It will be vital that the environment is considered in all planning policies to reduce traffic and protect the countryside. The Structure Plan will give Liberal Democrats the opportunity to insist that developers build sustainable communities. For example, large developments could have combined heat and power generation. Houses should be built with solar heating and high thermal insulation.

Liberal Democrats will give a high priority to reducing traffic congestion particularly in Cambridge by giving people real choice in how to get to work. This means improving public transport and making cycling and walking safer.

Liberal Democrats will continue to lobby the government to reopen the Cambridge/St Ives line to heavy rail with an extension to Huntingdon. This will improve commuting to Cambridge for people who live in the Ouse valley as well as giving businesses the opportunity to move freight off the A14 and onto the railways.

The job of County Councillor is increasingly important. They have to represent the Council to the local community and explain how and why decisions are made. They also have to represent the community to the Council and act as advocate for local issues. Most importantly of all, they have to make decisions for the benefit of all the people of Cambridgeshire.

All Liberal Democrat Councillors will be well trained to fulfill these difficult roles. Liberal Democrat Councillors will keep in touch with their electorate through FOCUS, parish and community magazines, where appropriate. They will attend parish councils or residents’ associations where possible and will respond promptly to all requests for help, advice or information without discrimination.