A Labour Council will deliver services based on the following principles:

Services That Are Accessible

• Services provided as close as possible to where people live through the use of one-stop shops and relevant technologies at times when people want them, rather than at times that are convenient to the council or other organization.
• Advice and information about all Council services available from a single contact point
• Services designed so that financial disadvantage and social exclusion are not a barrier to access.

High Quality Services

• Services will be customer focused – designed to meet the needs of individuals and to provide the quality that service users expect
• Services will empower rather than devalue individuals, giving the maximum degree of choice and control to the user of the service
• Service users will be trusted to be involved in identifying, shaping and monitoring the performance of services
• The Council will set out clearly what services it will provide and the levels of service people are entitled to receive with procedures for fair redress where the levels of service are not achieved
• Key performance indicators will be monitored monthly and areas of poor performance tackled
• A high standard of customer care will be expected from all staff employed by the Council and by employees of other bodies that deliver services on behalf of the Council

Services that meet individual needs

• Services will respect cultural and community diversity and be anti-discriminatory
• Charging and subsidy policies will be designed to ensure that groups are not excluded, disadvantaged or discriminated against and have full access to services
• Services will be designed to achieve environmental, economic and social sustainability.

 Services that meet the needs of specific areas

In a Labour run council, Ward Committees will be trusted with a real job to do, with decision-making and service provision devolved to local level. There will be a substantial devolution of budgets and new ways of working to 22 ward Committees. We will delegate greater powers to Ward Committees in:

• Environmental services, such as road and pavement repairs, litter and street cleansing, grass cutting and ground maintenance, parks and playing fields.
• Road safety and local traffic and transport issues.
• Leisure services
• Play and youth services