What are different parties promising in Sefton’s local elections?

Every seat on Sefton Council will be up for grabs on May 7, with the five major parties all vying for people’s votes

After a long build-up, this year’s council elections in England are now less than a week away. Sefton Council has an “all-out” vote for the first time in two decades this time, meaning that every seat is up for grabs. Labour is looking to hold its majority of 51 out of Sefton’s 66 councillors, while the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Greens and Reform UK are all looking to make gains, with different areas presenting potential successes for all of them.

Sefton has a varied political history, having been controlled by Conservative administrations between 1974 and 1986. It was then under no overall control for more than 25 years, until 2012, with Labour and Liberal Democrat leaders. Since 2012, the council has been under Labour majority control.

Here, we take a look at the issues on which each of the main parties are campaigning this year:

Labour

In the south of the borough, Labour is concentrating on the redevelopment of Bootle New Strand and the town centre, as well as the regeneration of Southport Pier in the north.

Pre-construction work was being carried out on the pier this week to assess the condition of the paintwork, and then a ground investigation will need to be completed before the restoration gets underway.

Labour is also talking about the £37.5m secured for Southport’s Marine Lake Events Centre.

Labour is also emphasising Sefton Council’s new strategy and travel support offer for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), its improved Ofsted rating for children’s services from inadequate to good, its work to provide more employment support for young people and its commitment to build 1,000 new affordable homes in the next five years.

Conservatives

The Tories currently have four councillors on Sefton Council, and they will be hoping to make gains in areas like Formby.

The party is campaigning on issues like the state of the roads, arguing that they want to see greater priority given to maintaining local infrastructure and that too much money is being spent on cycle lanes.

They are also speaking about the need to regenerate Sefton town centres, calling for a review of parking charges with a view to introducing some form of free parking.

Conservative candidates are stressing the need to conserve local heritage, particularly in Southport, and to protect green spaces like the coastline around Southport, Crosby and Hightown.

Liberal Democrats

The Liberal Democrats are hoping to position themselves as an alternative to divisive politics, arguing that electing their candidates would allow for well-balanced decision-making.

Concentrating on areas around Southport and the central section of the borough, the party is emphasising action by existing councillors to maintain beaches, tackle problems with litter, clean up local streets and secure new trees and planters.

The party are campaigning for action to get new businesses into empty shop premises on Southport’s Lord Street.

The Lib Dems are also pushing for the return of area committees through which decisions about specific areas would only be decided by their local councillors. They say that this would reflect the range of towns and villages across Sefton.

Greens

The party is most likely to see their most significant successes in Waterloo, which is the only ward in Sefton at the moment with a Green councillor, Neil Doolin.

Across the borough, the Greens are campaigning for safe play areas for children, action to protect and enhance community spaces and to tackle issues with damp and mould in homes.

The party is stressing the importance of community solidarity and of listening to voters, as well as a balanced and accountable council.

In Waterloo, Mr Doolin has been publicising work on fly-tipping, litter picking and playground repairs.

Reform UK

Reform UK is expected to perform well in areas of Southport such as Norwood. The party is campaigning on the state of the roads, pledging to fix potholes overnight and during off-peak hours to reduce disruption.

Reform is also calling for long-term repairs to roads rather than patches over potholes alone.

The party is also arguing that it would be able to use council funds more efficiently, reducing waste, and is stressing the need to protect local green spaces.

Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

Dean Young is the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition candidate for Bootle East and Liam Williams is the candidate for Bootle West, while Conor O’Neill is the candidate for Netherton North.

The party is focusing on the impact of historic cuts to public investment and services, and argues that it would protect pensioners, young people and the working class.

Independents

There are also several Independent candidates standing in these elections:

Jack Colbert, Ed Conley and Paul Rogers for Ford ward are promising to hold drop-in sessions with residents and to connect them with the right council teams to resolve the issues they raise.

They are also pledging to work with police and council teams to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour by installing CCTV and better lighting, and to push for cleaner streets and more green spaces.

Ian Smith is standing as an Independent in Litherland. He promises to address issues like fly-tipping, pavement dog fouling, increased heavy goods vehicle emissions, and to protect gardens, parks and open spaces.

Mark Pennock, Philip Chadwick and Patricia Spencer for Aintree & Maghull South Community Independents are focusing on street cleaning and the environment, ensuring that the ward is foregrounded for investment and protecting green spaces.

They are also promising to look at how the pedestrian approach to Old Roan station, which passes under a narrow bridge, could be made safer, and to push for more frequent bus services.

In Cambridge, John Boye is standing for the Southport Community Independents, while in Kew the candidates for this group are Dawn Aspinall and Alix Fenlon, and in Meols Frances Davies is running.

The Southport Community Independents are pledging to fight against any future cuts to council spending on public service, to champion parent carers and to encourage the development of SEND provision in the borough by helping make local authority staff visible and accountable and by working to reduce paperwork.

In Formby East, Maria Bennett is standing for the Formby Residents Action Group, and Paul Graham Wiencke is standing in Formby West. Both have experience on the local parish council. Their group is against the government’s “grey belt” policy, and calls for development to target brownfield land first.

They also argue against out-of-town developments and advocate for support for high-street businesses such as free parking initiatives.

There are three candidates for the Lydiate & Maghull Community Independents in Lydiate & Maghull West: Sonia Crompton, Barry Nixon and Liam Stoddart.

There are also three candidates for the Maghull Community Independents in Maghull East: David Leatherbarrow, Joanne McCall and Paul McCord

In these areas, the Independent candidates are stressing the youth events they have organised as town councillors in the past for young people and are pushing for a life skills project in the area to help teenagers learn skills like budgeting.

The group is also campaigning to ringfence funding from developers for the local environment for Maghull itself, and not the borough as a whole, and to create a local people’s health forum.

A full list of the candidates can be found here.