A Better West Sussex

Manifesto themes

• 1. Fixing Our Roads & Empowering Communities

  Our roads are the arteries of our community, but they are crumbling. We will stop the "sticking plaster" approach and invest in long-term resilience by giving local people a seat at the table.

  • A "Fix-It-Quick" Maintenance Blitz: Making use of the committed extra £2.4 million forced from the Tories by the Lib Dems to accelerate resurfacing, pothole fixes, and drainage repairs.
  • Parish & Town Power: We will involve Town and Parish Councils directly in the local prioritisation and delivery of highway repairs. We all know our own streets best; we will target maintenance to happen where locals know it is most needed.
  • Flood Prevention: We will address the climate emergency by working closely with the Environment Agency to repair our long-neglected drainage network and protect homes from localized flooding.

• 2. A Revolution in SEND & Education

  Every child deserves the best start in life. We are committed to beginning to fix the broken Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) system. We will use available resources to make much-needed immediate improvements, taking account of any changes necessary due to the recent Government White Paper and the requirement to carry improvements forward into the unitary council(s):

  • Speeding up the process: We will surge capacity and technology in our assessment teams. Our initial step on Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments (EHCNAs) completed within the statutory 20-week limit is clear - to do much better in our first year than the Tories’ 16.5% record and 30% target.
  • More SEND school places: We will invest in extra capacity to create these as quickly as possible.
  • Early Intervention: We will scope the introduction and development of Best Start Family Hubs as a single front door to pre-school support for families.
  • Unlocking Specialist Support: We will seek to remove the restrictive cap on input by specialist SEND teams. Schools should receive support based on their pupils’ needs, not an arbitrary quota.
  • Mental Health Support: We will push for a qualified mental health support worker in every school, working closely with the NHS to improve access to CAMHS.

• 3. Compassionate Social Care & Health

  We stand for a people-focused approach that ensures no one is left behind, particularly our elderly and vulnerable residents.

  • Innovation in Care: We will invest in new technology and systems to speed up our responses and assessments, reducing hospital "bed blocking."
  • Caring for Carers: As urged by Baroness Casey, we will continue to fight for adequate pay for care workers and better signposting and support for unpaid family carers.
  • Integration: We support the work of the Casey Commission to find a national fix to adult social care while improving local integration between social services, the NHS, and community networks.
  • Violence Against Women and Girls: We will work closely with our partner agencies and the police to increase awareness of the issues and behaviours involved, support victims and survivors effectively and push for better prevention, protection and justice.

• 4. Harnessing the Digital Revolution

  Technology should make services easier to access for residents and more efficient for taxpayers. 

  • Digital Transformation Fund: Investing in the hardware and software needed to be a leader in the ethical use of new technologies.
  • Smarter Triage: Using technology-enabled support in Adult Social Care and faster "front door" assessments for SEND to get help to families sooner.
  • Speedy Accessibility: Implementing real-time transcription services to make Council meetings and documents accessible quickly to every resident.

• 5. Better Transport & Nature Recovery

  Nature is essential for our health and our future. We will protect the local environment and move West Sussex forward.

  • The Bus Revolution: We will work closely with the County Combined Mayoral Authority for Sussex and Brighton to draw down greater strategic funding, seeking to create a unified, high-frequency bus system that serves as a genuine alternative to the car by reviewing the whole system.
  • Independence and Choice: We will invest in Independent Travel Training and Parental Travel Budgets to support our vulnerable young people and reduce our carbon footprint.
  • Nature Leadership: We will implement the West Sussex Nature Recovery Plan, working with local parish and town councils to restore biodiversity.
  • Circular Economy: We will work with partners to improve recycling rates and reduce waste as we transition through Local Government Reorganisation.

• 6. Restoring Local Democracy & Transparency

  We reject the "top-down" culture of WSCC. Liberal Democrats believe in community-led decision making.

  • LGR for the People: We will ensure that Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) is used as an opportunity, not a burden. We will develop new ways for localities to suggest, influence, and develop service delivery at a neighbourhood level.
  • Collaboration, Not Conflict: We will work with rather than against our district, borough, town, and parish councils to manage financial challenges and share ideas. It’s all public money.
  • Transparent Spending: We will promote greater transparency in how public money is spent, ensuring all decisions are taken in the best interests of local people.