Bob Buxton – My Plan for West Yorkshire

For 7 years, I’ve campaigned to stop West Yorkshire councils building on our greenbelt, floodplains and sports fields. New developments should utilise ex-industrial sites and receive subsidies for solar panels. West Yorkshire deserves greener starter homes, social housing and retirement homes, developed alongside new infrastructure – GPs, Dentists, transport and schools.

Let’s make our streets safer with more frontline police, better street lighting and a clampdown on uninsured drivers, speeding and drink-driving. We’ll also work with communities, educators and rank and file police to prevent crime. No more red light zones in Yorkshire. In Holbeck, crime is rife, women feel unsafe and children are propositioned on their way to school. It must end.

People need to retrain in key areas. As a teacher, I’ve worked with industrial leaders to develop adult education courses in engineering, health science and green energy. As Mayor, I’ll fund the development of new courses and the start-up costs of new training centres. People of all ages and backgrounds deserve the opportunity to retrain for their chosen career.

The Mayor’s budget is a pitiful £16 per person each year. Powers are limited with nothing on healthcare or children’s education. I’ve started a Parliamentary Petition for Yorkshire to have a referendum on greater
devolved powers. I’ll do everything I can with what’s available but we need a fairer deal for a stronger Yorkshire.

The mayor will have no powers to increase NHS pay but I will work to reduce transport and parking costs for health and social care workers.

I will work with transport providers and communities to:
• Allow all bus passes to be used in rush hour. They are in London, why not in West Yorkshire?
• Reduce prices with smart tap and pay across all bus and rail.
• Develop more railway stations with park-and-rides.
• Reduce air pollution with electric buses and promoting biofuels, especially for air travel.
• Get the Inland Port built, reducing road freight.
• Have better planned cycleways.
• Tackle speeding, drink and drugsdriving and fix potholes.
• Promote safer walking to school and protect public rights of way.

for Deputy Mayor for Police & Crime

If elected, I will appoint Dan Woodlock as my Deputy Mayor for Police and Crime. Dan lives in Dewsbury and has worked in Leeds and Halifax. He qualified in criminology and during that time worked with the British Transport Police. It is time West Yorkshire had the powers to tackle crime and determine our own future.