Bringing decisions back to the neighbourhood

With polling day less than a week away, Liberal Democrat candidate for Plymstock Dunstone Steve Guy has set out how he would push for power and decision-making in Plymouth to be brought much closer to the people the council serves. His proposals focus on two areas: devolving decisions to the neighbourhood level, and creating one-stop shops to make council and other vital services easier to access.

If elected next week, Lib Dem candidate for Plymstock Dunstone Steve Guy will look to propose new ways in which power and decision-making can be brought much closer to the people of Plymouth.

Commenting, Steve said: "Lots of decisions made by the council shouldn't be made centrally, but instead at the neighbourhood level. A change like the one I am proposing would bring more people into and involve them more in decisions about the places in which they live. This should include how money is spent and issues around planning. Local people know best what is in their interest.

"One example could be giving groups the responsibility to prioritise road repairs within their area, with a localised budget. After all, surely residents of, say, Elburton know better than council HQ staff working out of their office in Millbay what's most important to get fixed in their community."

Steve continued: "I'd like to see one-stop shops around the city too. These would put council services as well as services offered by voluntary groups on issues like debt advice in one place and offer a face-to-face service. In addition, these places could also be home to banking services, especially important to areas like Plymstock that have lost all their bank branches. The one-stop shops could be located on local bus routes too, making them even easier to get to.

"All of that would increase the accountability and openness of council services to local people. I'd hope too that it would drive up the quality and responsiveness of services.

"At its heart though is the idea that people know what is best for them. Communities and neighbourhoods know what is best for them. We should lean into that, and stop trying to hoard power at the centre, even when we're simply talking about a city council."

Steve's proposals are rooted in a straightforward Liberal principle: that responsibility and power should ideally rest locally, that the people closest to a problem are usually best placed to solve it. Whether it's deciding which roads to repair first or making sure residents can speak to someone face-to-face about a council issue, the aim is the same -- a council that is more open, more accountable, and more responsive to the communities it represents.

Polls will be open from 7am until 10pm on Thursday 7 May.