Viv Parker's application to turn Hook Meadow into a village green was submitted at the beginning of January - many thanks to all of you who completed the questionnaire. However, the Council, as owner, raised an objection.
The Liberal Democrats will invest £11 billion in transforming mental health services, more than either Labour or the Tories. in early 2018, Medway Liberal Democrats launched a campaign highlighting the lack of local mental Health service, particularly the issue of referring patients out of area, as a consequence of closing the Mental Health Unit at Medway Maritime Hospital in 2013. We collected over 1200 signatures to our petition, which was handed in to the Department of Health. We believe that with a population of 270,000 people, Medway is big enough that its Health Trust should be able to provide these services to local people.
Medway has seen a gradual decline in recent years in bus services with cutbacks in afterschool, weekend and late evening services as the Conservative led Council have aimed to make savings to its Public Transport Budget. This decline has been more-so in rural areas where accessible and affordable transport is a lifeline for many residents getting around Medway.
Medway's High Streets have seen a real decline in recent years and with Debenhams shutting its store in Chatham High Street next year, it delivers yet another blow to the Town Centre. Debenhams was the centrepiece of the High Street and its closure will have a huge impact on the look of Chatham Town Centre.
Building secure homes which are fit for the future is at the heart of the Liberal Democrats' plan for a brighter future. A Liberal Democrat government will tackle the housing crisis by ensuring that 300,000 new homes are built per year, including 100,000 social homes for rent. Alan Bullion, Liberal Democrat Candidate for Rainham and Gillingham said "Liberal Democrats have set out a bold plan to end rough sleeping within five years, spanning social housing, welfare, local authority funding and legal changes. Nobody should have to spend a night sleeping on the streets across our towns. It is the most shameful example of the failure of this Conservative Government to provide a safety net in Medway for those who need it. The Conservatives are sitting on their hands, failing to protect the most vulnerable people in society. They haven't built enough social housing, their benefit cuts have made poverty worse, and they blocked Liberal Democrat efforts to repeal the cruel, Dickensian law that criminalises peop
A recent report by the the homeless charity 'Shelter' recommends a 20-year programme to deliver 3.1 million more social homes, allowing the benefits of social housing to be offered much more widely - providing both security for those in need and a step up for young families trying to get on and save for their future. Shelter is calling for a stronger voice for tenants, and a new regulator working across social and private renting to protect residents and enforce standards. Alan Bullion, Liberal Democrat Candidate for Rainham and Gillingham said "We can see the impact of the housing crisis everywhere, from the increase in both young families and older people trapped in unaffordable privately rented homes, to the increasing homelessness that scars our society.