Liberal Democrats would keep any rises in your council tax within the general rate of inflation.

We would use your money wisely and fairly to bring quality services to everyone in East Hampshire.

We would step up efforts to work with others to bring new money into the council. Not just rely on your tax and government grants.

Council tax was invented by the Tories after their disaster with the Poll Tax. It is an unfair tax that hits the poor hardest. Lib Dems have called on the Chancellor to cut £100 off every council tax bill for the coming year as a prelude to abolishing the tax altogether, replacing it with a local income tax based on ability to pay.

The Tories on East Hants HAVE spent money from reserves to keep the increase in Council Tax at 2.5%. Nothing wrong with that if it gives good value and preserves service levels, but why not be honest about it? They have also reduced the Communities Initiatives Fund and wasted money on waste collection.

On Petersfield Town Council the tax has gone up by £5 per household for the whole year - just 10p a week. Not bad really, and it would have been much less if the council's main tenant hadn't left the Town Hall suddenly.

BUT the real story is at the Conservative controlled Hampshire County Council where the tax rise is a massive 15%, despite an increase in government grants. That means £110 for the average household in Petersfield. The Tories are crying foul because the government grant gives more money to poorer areas in the north, but what they aren't telling you is they have squirreled away £13 million into their piggy bank at Winchester, so they can keep the rates down in their election year. Liberal Democrats proposed a budget rise of 11.9%, but the Tories voted it down. Now who's playing politics with your money?

For almost a year it's been obvious something was very wrong with the new waste collection service. The wrong bins delivered, no bins delivered, two bins delivered, houses missed out, water butts instead of composters, major confusion over green waste. Throughout, the ruling Conservatives have said "No it's fine, just a few teething problems" - Now the truth is out.

In a devastating report to the EHDC's Scrutiny Committee Chaired by Lib Dems the Council have admitted the scheme was mis-managed and having overspent almost £100,000 buying too many bins and in extra staff to get the project back on track.

The problems have been known about in "secret" internal reports since July last year, but only now at the insistence of the Liberal Democrats have the facts been made public. Even one of the senior Tories admitted "This has been a problem since July, all we had to do was count a few bins. It's incompetent!"

The Green Waste Scheme was described as so bad it would be best to tear it up and start again. There seem to have been almost no records kept and new officers are now working hard to try to catch-up.

The Conservatives say they did not know what was going on.

Getting your waste collection right, and bringing East Hampshire back to being one of the best councils for recycling must be a major priority for the new council after the elections.

Lib Dems led the way before by introducing kerbside recycling, we would sort out the mess and lead the way again.

Our world is changing, but under the Tories East Hampshire has stood still. More and more decisions have been made behind closed doors in Penns Place.

A Lib Dem led EHDC will revitalise the Community Committees and panels to bring everyone back into the decisions. Did you know that Community Committees and panel meetings have been cancelled because the Tories couldn't think of anything for the agendas!

East Hants needs new ideas. We will throw open the doors again. It's your council; we want your ideas.

We will commit a minimum of £200,000 per year to the Community Initiatives Fund TO SUPPORT YOUR IDEAS.

There's been too much talking and not enough listening, too much spin and not enough thinking.

We won't just tell you what the council will do. We will open up all council's meetings to hear what you want from the council.

We will revamp the EHDC Website, currently one of the saddest local government sites, so that you can contribute to council policies and consultations over the web. Not everyone can get to council meetings, or even wants to, but over 50% of local homes are on the Internet and could send in their ideas that way.

Did you know that the Conservatives have put car park charges up so much that they now make £145,000 per year profit, that they use to keep down the Council Tax. Why are car drivers being taxed more than the rest?

Conservative councillors voted to block the public from raising questions at the Scrutiny Committee, which reviews the council's decisions and performance. Fortunately the Lib Dem Chairman used his casting vote to look at introducing public question time.

We will also support: -

• The aim of no homeless families in Bed & Breakfast, something the Liberal Democrats achieved when we led EHDC
• More partnership schemes with Housing Associations and Voluntary groups
• Protecting our playing fields and open spaces
• A review of energy and use of resources at Penns Place to reduce cost and waste
• Using Fair Trade and recycled products wherever we can in the Council
• A strengthened the partnership with Hampshire Youth Services to protect vulnerable young people
• 24 hour a day access to council services from the EHDC Website
• The Red tractor scheme for local farm produce
• Local hotels, guest houses, pubs and small shops in and around the new South Downs National Park to get the most from the Park.

Our promises to you ...... 

The Lib Dems condemn the government’s proposals to allow universities to charge students up to £3000 per year in top-up fees. As your councillor I will join the campaign to scrap undergraduate tuition fees should be scrapped. Education should be available to all on the basis of ability, not ability to pay.