Local democracy and consulting the public on how to tackle the biggest challenges facing our city couldn’t be more important.

But the Lib Dems who run the council lack an overall strategy and ambition for Portsmouth, which means projects can seem piecemeal, aren’t as effective as they could be and can sometimes work against our city. Such as introducing new parking charges in shopping districts without consulting or setting a parking strategy first – something Labour councillors challenged.

We need city-wide strategies to meet current and future challenges for Portsmouth, clear targets to get us there and be transparent about being held accountable for progress. We pledge to:

• Bring more council contracts – like highways maintenance – back in-house, to save money, improve services and keep the pound in Pompey
• Stop piecemeal schemes and have a stronger vision and coordinated strategies for a greener, fairer and safer Portsmouth
• Have all-out elections every four years to allow for better planning and save at least £160k
• Communicate with residents regularly and share good news stories on infrastructure and community projects
• Ensure the civic office regeneration breathes new life into our civic centre, with purpose-built hubs for resident advice and council staff and sustainable buildings