Living in Chelmsford

If elected the following policy will inform and guide decisions and campaigns by Chelmsford Labour Party representatives.

The cost of living crisis has put more of us at risk of unstable accommodation than ever before. With families on waiting lists for appropriate homes for two years while they live in unsuitable temporary accommodation. Here we look at some of the issues that matter to residents such as housing, homelessness, jobs and support a thriving city and culture in Chelmsford.

Delivering More Homes

  1. We are in dire need of good quality, well-managed and truly affordable housing in Chelmsford.
    • We will look into establishing a housing development arm of the local council that develops, builds, rents and owns housing that has local peoples interest a heart.
    • We will call to increase the competition between local housing developers to get the best deal for Chelmsford.
    • Our Greener in Chelmsford Policy will be at the heart of all future developments.
    • We will ensure we are building truly affordable homes to buy for the real wages of real people in Chelmsford, not market rates.

Delivering a Fairer Rented Sector

  1. We should be prioritizing the financial and physical wellbeing of those who rent houses in Chelmsford over the profits of landlords.
    • We will introduce a licensing scheme to regulate rented properties and improve the quality of rented homes. (Successful in Nottingham, Southampton)
    • We will look to reduce high rents in Chelmsford using short term rent controls and increasing truly affordable rent.
    • We will protect and enforce the rights of tenants, and restore a council active in protecting tenants – using rent tribunals.
    • We will lobby government for longer tenancies, to enable local families to feel secure in their home.

Ending Homelessness

  1. Chelmsford has around 40-80 regular rough sleepers throughout the year and many more people in unstable housing – this should not be happening.
    • We will ensure that emergency housing is settled accommodation and not simply a Bed and Breakfast, exploring the use of modular housing to rapidly tackle the homelessness crisis.
    • We will explore a ‘Homes First’ policy that supports and cares for those in need.
    • We will work to keep people in their homes and take a preventative approach to homelessness, taking advice from specialists on how to keep people in their existing accommodation.

Breathing Life into our City Centre

  1. The high street is changing and the short-sighted investment in chain stores filling our city centres has failed. We need a fresh take on what our City Centre is.
    • We will promote flexibility in our high street to allow people to try new ideas and breathe life back into our high streets.
    • We will establish a ‘Future High Street’ group to redesign and revamp our high street as a community-centred space.
    • We will explore current trends towards flexible workspaces, investing in small businesses to enable growth and jobs.
  2. Creating a cultural centre – We want to promote and protect Chelmsford legacy and future, by preserving our history and making our city appealing to new people.
  1. Engage and invest in local community, heritage and arts programmes to ensure they succeed.
  2. Use unoccupied local spaces to create creative and representative projects and jobs for local people.
  3. Celebrate our diverse culture, and the cultures of all the people that make up Chelmsford through events and festivals.
  4. Introduce the Shop Local campaign in Chelmsford to spend £5 per week in a local shop, café or business.
Link to Instagram Link to Twitter Link to YouTube Link to Facebook Link to LinkedIn Link to Snapchat Close Fax Website Location Phone Email Calendar Building Search