We will provide a good start in life for all our children
L1 / Invest in a programme of early intervention targeted at the region’s most vulnerable children. / 1
L2 / Deliver 600 hours pre-school education for all our 3 and 4 year olds. / 1
L3 / Advance Curriculum for Excellence, including the introduction of national testing at various stages of primary school education. / 1
L4 / Work to increase attainment achievement and participation in our region's schools. / 5
L5 / Deliver a minimum of 4 new schools including Langholm and Dalbeattie, building on our record of delivering 14 new schools in the last 5 years. / 2
L6 / Invest in and maintain our existing school estate by rebuilding or refurbishing every school in the region that needs it. / 2
L7 / Reject the philosophy that a falling school role should always automatically mean fewer teachers and seek to deliver an improved pupil-teacher ratio to provide the best possible education for our children an guarantee class sizes in P1-P3 will not rise above their current levels. / 5
L8 / Build on the success of our teacher refresh scheme by securing as many places as possible for student teachers. / 1
L9 / Increase physical education in both primary and secondary schools. / 1
L10 / Review the formula for allocating classroom assistants, to ensure need, not just pupil numbers are taken into account. / 5
L11 / Maintain a presumption against rural school closures and encourage their use as community facilities. / 3
L12 / Carry out a review into the school facilities charging policy, with a view to removing the fees and giving local people greater access to school buildings. / 6
We will prepare our young people for adulthood and employment
L13 / Enhance integrated educational opportunities for all our young people by working with local Higher and Further Education partners. / 1
L14 / Ensure that parents, the local community and teachers are properly consulted before decisions are taken on a fully informed basis regarding the Learning Town proposals. / 5
L15 / Deliver the £5 million Council Apprenticeship Scheme over the next five years and provide support for apprenticeships within the private/third sector. / 5
L16 / Enhance graduate employment opportunities over the next five years, working with partners and businesses throughout Dumfries and Galloway. / 1
L17 / Retain student exemption from council tax. / 1
L18 / Promote and support our young entrepreneurs. / 1
L19 / Invest in retraining to get more unemployed people back to work. / 3
L20 / Provide targeted support to small businesses across the region to take on extra workers and bid for council contracts / 2
L21 / Work to secure adequate government funding for Dumfries and Galloway College and the Barony College. / 5
L22 / Work with Crichton Campus to secure a sustainable future for the site when the existing lease expires in 2016. / 5
L23 / Oppose any future proposal to downgrade or close the Stranraer campus of Dumfries and Galloway College. / 5
Labour Priorities / Included in appendix
We will care for our older and vulnerable people
L24 / Lead the integration of health and social care, working with our partners. / 1
L25 / Provide our day centres with the support they require through the transition to adult day services to continue offering their invaluable services to our region's older people, ensuring they can be confident of having adequate long term funding. / 2
L26 / Facilitate the option of self directed care for those who will benefit from the freedom to determine their own care needs. / 2
L27 / Appoint a Carers Champion for each of our Areas. / 1
L28 / Work with Registered Social Landlords, developers and the Scottish Government to build 1200 more affordable homes. / 5
L29 / Embrace and enhance community transport provision across our region. / 1
L30 / Provide support and advice for people facing the implications of Welfare Reform. / 1
L31 / Ensure equal access to our services and information. / 1
L32 / Develop a comprehensive anti-poverty strategy to tackle poverty across the region. / 6
L33 / Uprate the Living Wage to keep pace with the rising cost of living. / 3
L34 / Aim to roll out the Living Wage to more local people, including exploring the possible use of the Council's procurement contracts to encourage businesses to pay their staff at least the Living Wage. / 6
L35 / Shine a light on the problem of 'rural poverty'. Provide support to isolated individuals and communities. / 6
L36 / Work with Registered Social Landlords on community bargaining of energy to cut electricity and gas bills and work with Government at all levels and the Fuel Poverty Forum to develop a programme which tackles the high levels of fuel poverty in Dumfries & Galloway. / 3
L37 / Ensure all deprivation indicators are taken into account in the allocation of resources to communities. / 3
L38 / Support credit unions, including promoting them in schools and working with housing associations. / 3
L39* / Crackdown on loan sharks operating in our area. / 3
L40 / Campaign for better financial support for kinship and foster carers. / 6
L41* / Improved advice and training for kinship and foster carers. / 6
L42 / Build on our proposals for 'Looked After Children' Champions to improve the support available to children in care. / 3
L43 / Assist older people in accessing housing suitable for their needs as it becomes available. / 3
L44* / Work to ensure that older and vulnerable people have support to enable them to live independently. / 3
Labour Priorities / Included in appendix
We will support and stimulate our local economy
L45 / Maximise sustainable employment throughout Dumfries and Galloway by working with local businesses and business organisations. / 1
L46 / Provide support and training for businesses to succeed in their bids for public sector contracts and ensure process is fully open and transparent. / 2
L47 / Always pay local suppliers promptly. / 1
L48 / Make regeneration a top priority, in particular supporting those areas prioritised in the Regional Economic Strategy. / 5
L49 / Introduce a Regional Capital Action plan for Dumfries, including:
- a flood prevention scheme for the Whitesands including public realm improvements, following a comprehensive public engagement and consultation process
- a parking strategy to improve access to the town centre
- a package of measures to tackle traffic congestion in the southside, including campaigning for a Southern by-pass
- an extended shop front face lift scheme to include Dumfries
- a marketing strategy to attract new retailers to fill empty properties
- match funding for the Dock Park regeneration plans
- a Town Centre Housing Renewal scheme
- bidding for Business Improvement District (BID) status
- increased street cleaning
- continued action to tackle the gull problem / 5
L50* / Seeking to re-open the Loreburn Hall by developing a viable use for the benefit of the local community. / 6
L51 / Protect areas of conservation value. / 3
L52 / Rule out the introduction of car parking charges in any of the region’s towns. / 6
L53 / Ensure much quicker progress is made on the redevelopment of Stranraer’s waterfront and encourage investment from business to capitalise on Stranraer’s enviable location. / 5
L54 / Seek further funding for the second breakwater at Stranraer which will allow further development of the marina and increase the number of berths. / 3
L55 / Encourage the potential for attracting larger leisure vessels such as small cruise ships into Stranraer. / 3
L56 / Campaign to secure funding to implement the Corridor Regeneration Strategy for Annandale and Eskdale. / 3
L57 / Implement a proper strategy for dealing with derelict buildings. / 2
L58 / Seek to enhance, on a case by case basis, our smaller harbours to improve their ability to contribute to the local marine tourism and fishing economies. / 3
L59 / Sponsor festivals, community arts and events across the region. / 1
L60 / Maximise the tourism potential, economic benefit and legacy from major events, including the Commonwealth Games 2014. / 1
Labour Priorities / Included in appendix
We will support and stimulate our local economy (continued)
L61 / Improve connectivity to benefit our communities including leading Scotland’s development of superfast rural broadband. / 1
L62 / Spend at least £50 million over the next 5 years on the maintenance of our roads. / 1
L63 / Campaign for trunk road improvements on the A7, A75, A76 and A77, forestry route upgrades and improved rail services. / 1
L64 / Improve our local planning system to encourage inward investment and better customer focus. / 1
L65 / Campaign for local democratic decision making on major planning applications. / 1
L66 / Maximise developer contributions as part of our planning process. / 1
L67 / Work with Registered Social Landlords, developers and the Scottish Government to build 1200 more affordable homes. / 6
We will maintain and improve the safety and security of our region
L68 / Deploy our community safety teams in a flexible way across the region to meet the needs of local communities safeguarding, and if need be increasing their original numbers. / 2
L69 / Increase the benefit and visibility of our community payback teams, in making improvements in our communities and surroundings. / 1
L70 / Support CCTV systems including mobile CCTV throughout Dumfries and Galloway where appropriate. / 2
L71 / Complete the introduction of 20 mph zones around school, extend the safer routes to schools programme and increase ‘walking buses’. / 2
L72 / Assist communities in introducing 20 mph zones in residential areas without the necessity of speed bumps, if local people are in agreement. / 5
L73 / Resist reductions in both police officers and police support staff locally and lobby for centralised services resulting from the merger of police forces to be based in Dumfries and Galloway. / 2
L74 / Optimise crewing levels in Dumfries and Galloway Fire and Rescue Service in the run up to reform, resisting any reductions in crewing levels, and lobby for centralised services to be based in Dumfries and Galloway following the merger of Fire and Rescue Services. / 2
L75 / Campaign for proper local and national accountability for the proposed single Scotland wide police and fire services. / 3
L76 / Seek discussions with the Scottish Justice Secretary and the UK Border Agency to improve security at the Cairnryan ferry ports. / 6
We will protect and sustain our environment
L77 / Address the problem of derelict buildings in our communities, by holding owners to account. / 1
L78 / Retain weekly bin collections / 1
L79 / Increase our recycling rates by investing in our zero waste strategy and working to increase the number of recycling points in our towns and villages. / 2
L80 / Reduce the number of Council properties, optimising their use within communities and improving their energy efficiency. / 1
Labour Priorities / Included in appendix
We will protect and sustain our environment (continued)
L81 / Promote sustainable transport across our region including:
- Supporting the retention of bus routes by campaigning for the appropriate regulation and funding of bus services
- Campaign to improve the services from our region’s railway stations
- Lobby for much needed upgrade work on the region’s trunk roads including the A75, A76 and A77 / 2
L82 / Roll out flood prevention schemes across Dumfries and Galloway, in partnership with Scottish Government. / 1
L83 / Provide financial assistance to local community groups through our Civic Pride Fund. / 1
L84 / Further develop quality formal and informal play space, investing in parks and safe urban greenspace and establish a dedicated fund to replace play park equipment. / 2
L85 / Impose strict energy reduction targets by improving energy efficiency for all council owned buildings, to cut costs and energy usage. / 2
L86 / Increase the incorporation of renewable energy generation into council buildings, such as solar panels and renewable heat sources. / 2
L87 / Develop a windfarm policy that better protects our countryside and make the case to ensure that Government policy does not mean our region receives a disproportionate share of windfarm developments. / 3
L88 / Introduce a practical proposal for community ownership of turbines associated with windfarm developments – allowing communities to benefit from a much higher income. / 3
L89 / Increase the use of local produce in schools and Council-run cafeterias. / 3
L90 / Create a new green corridor through our most populated areas and improving the path networks in our towns and villages. / 6
L91 / Establish a ‘Clean Dumfries and Galloway’ campaign, increasing street cleaning, more litter and dog fouling bins, and taking extra steps to target offenders. / 6
We will develop our sport and culture
L92 / Support the development of performing arts provision, including a long term solution for the Theatre provision in Dumfries. / 3
L93 / Work with local cinemas to upgrade facilities, including bringing much needed disabled access. / 6
L94 / Not introduce charges for entry to our museums. / 3
L95 / Explore the expansion of cultural and leisure facilities in towns across the region, such as Lockerbie. / 6
L96 / Support the delivery of the Kirkcudbright Integrated Facilities Project. / 6
L97 / Oppose the externalisation or privatisation of the Council’s Leisure and Sports facilities and maintain them in Council control and ownership. / 6
L98 / Continue to support the role Sports Councils plan developing local sporting activity in the region. / 3
L99 / Campaign for funding to expand the number of 3G pitches over and above those proposed for Stranraer, Annan and Dumfries to ensure communities across the region benefit. / 6
L100 / Support communities in delivering Fair Trade Zone status for our region. / 3
Labour Priorities / Included in appendix
We will develop our sport and culture (continued)
L101 / Look to further exploit opportunities to locate film making and other creative industries in the region. / 3
L102 / Continue working with food and drink producers and trade organisations to promote the region’s high quality local produce. / 3
L103 / Maintain a presumption against closing local libraries. / 6
We will Improve the way our Council works
L104 / Review the Council’s budget setting process. / 4
L105 / Investigate ways to increase Councillors involvement in setting Council committee agendas, for example establishing a Business Bureau. / 4
L106 / Introduce a Policy Development Framework to provide all political grouping with adequate support to develop and influence Council policy at an early stage. / 3
L107 / Increase the priority given to lobbying government and agencies on behalf of our region to promote the Council’s priorities. / 3
L108 / Review the Council’s committee structure to ensure it delivers the Council’s priorities, maximises Councillor involvement, facilitates not only decision making but information sharing and debate such as incorporating seminars within agendas and increases public involvement, such as re-introducing public forums at Area Committee meetings and exploring the possibility of a Petitions Committee. / 4
L109 / Introduce new methods of scrutinising officers and reports when they are presented to the Council’s committees. / 4
L110 / Review the management of the Common Good Funds within the region starting with Dumfries and moving across the region over the next 5 years. / 6
L111 / Work to make Dumfries and Galloway a Co-operative Council. Set a target for the number of co-operative business start-ups in the region. / 6
L112 / Support residents and community groups who want to establish and manage their local community facilities, as part of the drive towards the Council having fewer and better buildings and engage communities in meaningful consultation on the future use of Council facilities in their area. / 3
L113 / Fully embrace our obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and celebrate the diversity of the people of our region. / 3
L114 / Maintain our opposition to compulsory redundancies. / 3
L115 / With the assistance of colleagues in Public Health and academia, use research and evidence to inform savings and spending priorities. / 3
L116 / Review the role and the membership of the Council’s Leadership Panel. / 4
112 Labour proposals but 4 have been split therefore 116 proposals were analysed