Fixing the Five Towns

Our Plan for the Five Towns and Wakefield District

A Comprehensive Conservative 10-Point Plan to Put Things Right

Foreword: Why so many people have given up on local politics

Across Wakefield District in Wakefield city, Castleford, Pontefract, Normanton, Featherstone, Hemsworth, Ossett, Horbury and our villages,  we hear the same sentiment again and again.

“What’s the point? Nothing ever changes.”

That belief did not appear overnight. It has been built over decades in which residents felt decisions were made without them, objections were ignored and obvious problems were left unresolved year after year. The result is visible everywhere from low turnout in local elections to everyday conversations on the doorstep.

Last year we undertook a district-wide residents’ survey and followed it with extensive doorstep conversations. The messages were remarkably consistent. People want the council to focus on basics, stop wasting money and take responsibility for decisions made locally.

“They only listen when it’s too late or not at all.”

We also hear a criticism directed squarely at the Conservative Party:

“You were in power nationally for 14 years and nothing changed here.”

That frustration is understandable, and it deserves an honest response. While national government sets the framework, Wakefield Council controls the decisions that shape daily life  planning, housing, council tax, roads, neighbourhood management, town centres and local priorities. For over 50 years, those decisions in Wakefield have been taken locally by the same political leadership.

When residents talk about what has gone wrong, they do not start with ideology. They talk about potholes that are never properly fixed, about the loss of Wakefield Market, about developments approved without infrastructure and about services that seem to decline no matter how much council tax rises.

These are not abstract complaints. They are daily experiences that have led many residents to disengage from local politics altogether.

In recent elections, that frustration has not only weakened trust in Labour, but has also driven some voters toward parties offering simple answers and loud rhetoric, but little evidence of how they would actually run a Council.

We have already seen elsewhere what happens when protest replaces competence. In counties where Reform UK has taken control, early enthusiasm has quickly given way to public anger not over ideology, but over basic delivery: roads not maintained, services cut, money spent on symbolism rather than substance, and residents asking where the promised improvements have gone.

This manifesto is written with that reality in mind. It is not a glossy wish-list or a collection of slogans. It is a plan to fix what residents already know is broken, to take responsibility locally, and to show that Wakefield Council can be run competently, transparently and with respect for the people it serves.

1. Fixing the Council: Ending delay, waste and risk

Residents across Wakefield District repeatedly tell us that their frustration with the Council is not just about individual services, but about confidence in how the Council is run at all. Many feel Wakefield Council reacts too late, avoids difficult decisions and only takes action once problems have become crises.

“They only act when things blow up never before.”

This concern is not abstract. It was reinforced when it emerged that Wakefield Council had left a number of its own buildings uninsured or under-insured for almost three years, despite senior officers being aware of the issue. This failure exposed local taxpayers to a potential £370 million financial liability. This was not a political disagreement or a funding argument, it was a basic failure of financial risk management that should never occur in a competently run local authority.

“How does a Council forget to insure its own buildings?”

Alongside this, residents regularly raise concerns about multi-million-pound projects that appear disconnected from everyday priorities. Whether these schemes are funded directly by the Council, through grants, or via external bodies, residents see the same outcome: large sums committed while core services in places such as Castleford, Featherstone, South Elmsall and Hemsworth are cut back or degraded.

“They always find money for big projects, but not for the basics.”

Council financial documents show that since 2011, the majority of Wakefield’s funding, typically around 60–66%  has continued to come from central government and government-controlled sources. Funding systems have changed, but the scale of today’s deficits points to long-term mismanagement and delayed decision-making, not a sudden collapse.

A Conservative-led Wakefield Council will change this culture. We will establish a Finance & Efficiency Board to scrutinise all major spending decisions, capital schemes and financial risks before commitments are made. We will review significant ongoing projects, strengthen early warning systems, improve transparency for residents and end the practice of postponing difficult decisions until they become emergencies.

Fixing Wakefield starts with restoring trust that the Council is disciplined, competent and serious about safeguarding public money.

2. Fixing Wakefield City Centre and Town Centres: Restoring standards and pride

Residents across Wakefield District are clear: our city centre and town centres have not simply declined they have been allowed to decline.

“It’s not somewhere you want to take your kids anymore.”

Wakefield city centre, along with parts of Castleford, Pontefract and Normanton, now suffers from visibly falling standards. Residents consistently point to dirty streets, poor enforcement and the unchecked spread of low-quality premises that have changed the character of our centres for the worse.

“It feels run down and unmanaged.”

People are not objecting to independent businesses or hardworking traders. They are objecting to the loss of balance and standards. Large clusters of poorly maintained barber shops, vape shops, mobile phone shops, off-licences and bargain stores, often with poor shopfronts and limited accountability, have taken over key streets. The result is a centre that feels unwelcoming to families, older residents and visitors.

“Every shop is the same and none of them look cared for.”

Residents repeatedly ask why Wakefield Council has allowed this to happen. Planning controls, shopfront standards, licensing conditions and environmental health powers exist, but they have not been used consistently or robustly. The message residents receive is that standards no longer matter.

This is not inevitable decline. It is policy failure.

A Conservative-led council will restore standards by:

• stopping over-concentration of single-use premises on individual streets

• enforcing higher shopfront, cleanliness and maintenance standards

• using licensing and planning powers to protect balance and variety

• coordinating enforcement so businesses play by the same rules

• prioritising family-friendly, safe and welcoming town centres

“It needs sorting out, not talking about again.”

Wakefield city centre should be a place where people feel comfortable bringing their families, meeting friends, and spending time not somewhere they avoid. Restoring standards is not about attacking businesses; it is about leadership, enforcement and pride in place.

Labour has had decades to act and has chosen not to. A Conservative-led council will not look away.

3. Fixing Wakefield Market: Bringing back a heart to the city centre

The loss of Wakefield Market remains one of the most frequently raised issues during local elections and in everyday conversations with residents.

“When the market went, Wakefield lost its centre.”

The market was not just a collection of stalls. It brought regular footfall, supported independent traders, provided affordable fresh food and created a reason for people from across the district to come into Wakefield city centre. Its absence has never been properly addressed.

There is now a clear and time-limited opportunity to put this right.

Land has been created in the heart of Wakefield city centre through the demolition of the former ABC cinema and the former Wilko building on Kirkgate. This location, directly opposite The Ridings Shopping Centre, is ideally placed to support a modern, permanent Wakefield Market and, crucially, to drive new footfall back into The Ridings, strengthening its long-term viability.

“That site is perfect, once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.”

A Conservative-led council will commit to bringing back a permanent Wakefield Market as a core part of city centre revival, not as a temporary pop-up and not as an afterthought.

Within the first year of a Conservative administration, we will establish a Wakefield Market Commission with a clear, disciplined brief:

• confirm the most suitable site and layout

• determine the right scale and format (indoor, outdoor, or mixed)

• assess realistic capital and operating costs

• identify funding options, including joint ventures and private investment

• bring forward a deliverable proposal, not another prolonged consultation

The revived market will focus on:

• independent traders and local producers

• fresh food and everyday shopping, not just niche retail

• affordable entry points for new businesses

• regular trading days that create consistent footfall

Markets still work when they are properly planned and supported. The continued success of Ossett’s Tuesday and Friday markets, drawing shoppers from across the district for fresh produce at reasonable prices, shows that demand remains strong.

Bringing back Wakefield Market is about restoring confidence that the council understands what was lost, and has the resolve to put it right.

4. Fixing Housing and Planning: Development that communities can live with

Across Wakefield District, residents are clear: they are not anti-housing,  they are anti-chaos. This frustration is particularly strong in Crofton, Walton, Newton Hill, Wrenthorpe, Ackworth, Hemsworth, South Elmsall, Featherstone and villages around Wakefield.

“They build the houses first and worry about the roads and doctors later.”

Residents repeatedly describe the same pattern. Large housing developments are approved, construction begins and only afterwards do the consequences become obvious: congested roads, overstretched GP surgeries, pressure on school places, drainage problems and increased traffic during peak times.

“Schools, doctors and traffic can’t cope already.”

What has angered residents most is not just the scale of development, but how it has been funded and managed.

Wakefield Council has approved the release of large areas of greenfield land for thousands of new homes, while at the same time setting some of the lowest Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) rates on those greenfield developments. In contrast, higher CIL rates have often been applied to brownfield sites. This inconsistency means that the communities taking the brunt of growth contribute less to infrastructure than those in areas where brownfield development is encouraged.

At the same time, national research shows that councils predominantly Labour run councils collectively hold vast sums in developer contributions that remain unspent for years  money intended for schools, roads, health facilities and community spaces that never materialises when residents need it. Across England and Wales, an estimated £8 billion from Section 106 and CIL contributions sits unused, even though local councils continue to collect these funds with each planning approval.

This means the very funds that were meant to make new development workable are instead accumulating in council accounts while everyday infrastructure continues to deteriorate.

“They take the money and the roads still fall apart.”

Residents also point to experience of consultation that feels tokenistic, where decisions seem made before objections are even considered.

“We object, we go to meetings, and it feels pointless.”

A Conservative-led Wakefield Council will change the planning culture fundamentally. Our approach will ensure that growth delivers benefits residents can see and feel.

We will:

• reverse the current CIL imbalance, so greenfield developments contribute appropriately to the infrastructure they require

• use CIL and developer contributions exclusively for infrastructure that communities need, not to fill budget gaps

• impose transparent, enforceable infrastructure delivery agreements, with timelines and accountability

• prioritise brownfield sites and reuse of empty properties before releasing greenfield land

• publish a clear “developer contributions report” each year, showing how much was raised, spent, on what projects, and where it has been delivered

Infrastructure should follow development, not lag generations behind it. Residents have a right to expect that when developers build homes, the facilities they need roads, schools, GP access, drainage and community spaces, are delivered on time and with proper funding.

Housing growth done properly can support Wakefield’s future, but only if it is fair, properly funded and earns residents’ trust.

5. Fixing neighbourhood stability and HMOs

In areas close to Wakefield city centre, including College Grove, East Ward and parts of Lupset, residents describe neighbourhoods changing rapidly and becoming less stable. Long-term residents talk about family homes being replaced by  HMOs ( Houses in Multiple Occupations) resulting in increased noise, rubbish, and a sense that community cohesion is being lost.

“It used to be a family street, now people come and go all the time.”

Residents are not hostile to renters or individuals. Their concern is about concentration and management. Streets that once supported settled communities now experience constant turnover, poor property maintenance and weak enforcement.

“Nobody seems to care what this is doing to the area.”

The problem is not one individual HMO,  it is the cumulative effect of many conversions in a small area. Current policy too often treats each application in isolation, ignoring the wider impact on neighbourhood stability, safety and pride.

A Conservative-led Council will:

• restrict further HMO conversions in already saturated areas

• strengthen inspection and enforcement regimes

• take firm action against landlords who fail to manage properties responsibly

• ensure planning decisions explicitly consider cumulative impact and community stability

6. Fixing Roads and Potholes: Doing the Basics Properly

Few issues unite residents across Wakefield District as strongly as the condition of our roads.

During our district-wide survey and subsequent doorstep conversations, residents from Lupset to Ossett, Rothwell to Sandal, Wrenthorpe to Featherstone repeatedly raised the same frustration: potholes that damage vehicles, make pavements unsafe, and are patched again and again without lasting repair.

“It would be quicker to list the roads that aren’t riddled with potholes.”

Residents pointed to long-standing problems on roads such as George-a-Green Road, Pledwick Lane, Woodhouse Lane, Balne Lane, Thornes Road, Dewsbury Road, Low Laithes, Hostingley Lane, the Wrenthorpe Bypass and routes around Rothwell and Ossett.

“Why can’t they just fix it properly instead of patching it again a few weeks later?”

This is not about cosmetic improvements. Residents spoke about cracked suspensions, damaged tyres, unsafe cycling conditions and pavements so uneven that older residents and people with mobility issues feel forced to stay at home.

“Our cars have to be roadworthy, but the roads aren’t.”

Who runs the council matters. Across the country, Conservative-run councils consistently resurface far more road mileage than Labour-run councils, prioritising long-term repairs over short-term patching. On average, Conservative councils repaired 68 miles of road, compared with just 14 miles under Labour control.

A Conservative-led Wakefield Council will prioritise permanent resurfacing over repeat patching, publish a clear and transparent road-repair programme, tackle worst-affected residential and estate roads, not just main routes, and coordinate repairs with utility works to prevent repeat damage.

We will also actively explore modern, efficient technologies that deliver better outcomes and value for money. In 2023, Staffordshire County Council, a Conservative-run authority, purchased a JCB Pothole Pro machine, designed to carry out faster, more consistent and durable pothole repairs while reducing repeat visits and long-term costs. A Conservative Wakefield Council will assess whether similar equipment or approaches could improve repair quality, boost response times and reduce disruption for residents, while ensuring responsible use of public funds.

“Get the basics right, that’s all we’re asking.”

Fixing potholes is not about politics. It is about competence, safety and respect for residents who pay council tax and expect roads that are fit for purpose.

7. Fixing Crime, Anti-Social Behaviour and Street Disorder: Making Wakefield Feel Safe Again

Across Wakefield District, residents increasingly tell us the same thing: they no longer feel as safe as they once did.

This concern is not confined to one neighbourhood or one type of incident. From Wakefield city centre to Castleford, Pontefract, Featherstone, Hemsworth and surrounding areas, people speak about rising levels of anti-social behaviour, open drug use, intimidation, violence and a sense that disorder has become normalised.

“You see things now that you wouldn’t have seen ten years ago.”

Residents talk about increased incidents of serious violence, including stabbings and shootings reported locally, alongside the everyday problems that make life miserable: groups loitering late into the night, aggressive behaviour, vandalism, fly-tipping, street drinking and persistent nuisance activity.

“It’s not just crime, it’s the atmosphere.”

While policing is rightly led by West Yorkshire Police, Wakefield Council has a crucial role in prevention, coordination and environment. For too long, the Council has treated crime as “not our responsibility”, focusing narrowly on enforcement after problems escalate rather than preventing them in the first place.

Residents do not accept that excuse.

“The Council might not arrest people,  but it decides whether places feel safe.”

The truth is simple: crime thrives where disorder is ignored. Poor lighting, neglected streets, unmanaged public spaces, unregulated premises and weak enforcement all contribute to an environment where anti-social behaviour escalates into serious crime.

Wakefield city centre is a clear example. Residents describe areas where poor cleanliness, unchecked nuisance premises, and lack of visible action have driven families and older residents away, reducing footfall, weakening natural surveillance and allowing problems to worsen.

A Conservative-led Wakefield Council will take a zero-complacency approach to crime and anti-social behaviour.

We will:

• work proactively with West Yorkshire Police to target hotspot areas using shared intelligence

• restore visible council enforcement in town centres and residential areas

• use Public Space Protection Orders and licensing powers decisively where behaviour undermines safety

• ensure planning, licensing and environmental health teams act together rather than in silos

• prioritise lighting, CCTV, cleanliness and rapid response in areas experiencing repeat incidents

This is not about heavy-handedness. It is about early intervention, consistency and visible leadership.

Anti-social behaviour, when left unchecked, drives out law-abiding residents and businesses. It damages mental wellbeing, discourages investment and undermines community pride. Tackling it early protects everyone, especially the most vulnerable.

Fly-tipping is a key part of this picture. Residents repeatedly link illegal dumping with a wider sense that “no one is in charge”.

“Once rubbish builds up, everything else follows.”

Fly-tipping blights streets, attracts further dumping and sends a clear signal that standards no longer matter. Residents are angry that while Council Tax continues to rise, their neighbourhoods look worse.

A Conservative-led Council will:

• introduce district-wide bulky waste collections at least four times a year, available to all households

• target enforcement against repeat offenders

• improve reporting and response times

• work with housing providers and landlords to prevent dumping before it happens

Clean streets are not cosmetic. They are a foundation of public safety.

Fixing crime and anti-social behaviour is essential to restoring trust in local government. People need to feel safe walking their streets, using town centres, and letting their children grow up locally. Without safety, there is no community and without community, there is no future.

Wakefield deserves better than drift and denial. A Conservative-led Council will take responsibility, act early and make public safety a priority again.

8. Fixing Public Transport: Reliability, Safety and Accessibility

Public transport is essential in Wakefield District, particularly for residents without access to a car in areas such as Netherton, Kettlethorpe, Alverthorpe and Middlestown. Yet complaints about unreliable services are constant.

“We don’t care who runs the buses, just make them turn up.”

Missed services, long gaps and unreliable routes affect work, education, caring responsibilities and access to healthcare. When people cannot rely on buses, they stop using them altogether.

“If you can’t rely on it, you can’t plan your life.”

We support the use of franchising powers introduced by the Bus Services Act 2017, but public control must deliver reliability and fairness, not political convenience. A Conservative-led Council will prioritise reliability first: protecting evening and weekend services, reducing impractical two-hourly routes, and improving vehicle cleanliness, safety and maintenance. We will support gradual fleet modernisation, including electrification, using available regional and national funding streams.

Public transport also includes taxis and private hire vehicles, which many residents rely on, particularly at night, for hospital visits, and when buses are unavailable. At present, licensing loopholes allow private hire drivers licensed in other parts of the country to operate in Wakefield, making enforcement, local accountability and passenger confidence more difficult.

A Conservative-led Wakefield Council will campaign for:

• stronger local control and accountability over taxis and private hire vehicles operating in the district
• consistent minimum safety, vetting and safeguarding standards nationwide
• clearer enforcement and complaints processes so passengers know who is responsible
• an evaluation of professional standards, including requiring taxi drivers to be clearly and properly identifiable at all times, and reviewing rules to prohibit vaping or eating while carrying passengers, to improve passenger confidence and comfort

These measures are about professionalism and safety, ensuring that all residents, particularly women, older people, children and vulnerable users, feel confident and secure when using taxis or private hire services.

Public transport must work for everyday life. Whether travelling by bus or taxi, residents should be able to rely on services that are safe, professional and dependable.

9. Fixing Adult Social Care: Oversight, Dignity and Accountability

Adult Social Care accounts for around 35% of Wakefield Council’s budget, yet it is one of the areas where residents and families feel the most anxiety and mistrust. Concerns are not abstract, they are rooted in real events that shocked communities across the district.

“This should never have been allowed to happen.”

One of the most distressing examples was the sudden closure of Hazel Garth Care Home in Knottingley, which attracted widespread attention and public outcry. Families, residents, staff and local councillors were given no warning, and extremely vulnerable elderly residents, many with dementia, Alzheimer’s or end-of-life needs were moved abruptly from what they understood to be their home.

“They were taken out with no notice, families were in tears.”

The way this closure was handled caused deep distress and lasting trauma for residents and their families. It also raised serious questions about oversight, decision-making, communication and accountability within Wakefield Council’s Adult Social Care leadership. Residents repeatedly asked why such a drastic decision was taken without transparency, scrutiny or contingency planning.

More broadly, residents across Castleford, Knottingley, Pontefract and Wakefield say they feel problems in adult social care are only addressed after harm has occurred, rather than prevented through proper monitoring and early intervention.

“Problems are dealt with after the damage is done.”

A Conservative-led council will strengthen contract management, ensure early warning signs are acted on, and improve transparency so families understand who is responsible and what standards are being enforced. We will shift the focus toward prevention, stability and dignity, including greater emphasis on supporting people safely in their own homes wherever possible.

Adult Social Care must be run with competence, compassion and accountability, because when it fails, the consequences are irreversible.

10. Fixing Education, Skills and SEND: Preparing Young People for the Future

Education is one of the clearest indicators of whether a council is serious about the future. Across Wakefield District, parents, carers and educators consistently tell us that while many teachers and school staff work extremely hard, the system around them too often lets them down.

“The staff do their best but the council side never seems to work properly.”

Over many years, Wakefield Council has presided over repeated failures in how education assets and projects are managed. Local residents will remember long-running issues such as leaking school roofs left unresolved for years, and major capital projects including leisure and education facilities that ran dramatically over budget or were poorly planned, wasting millions of pounds of public money.

“They waste money and still don’t fix the basics.”

These failures matter because every pound wasted on mismanaged projects is money not spent on classrooms, support services, equipment or staff. They undermine confidence among parents and create disruption for pupils who simply want safe, well-maintained places to learn.

Alongside buildings and infrastructure, Wakefield must also do better at connecting education to real opportunities. Too many young people leave school without clear routes into apprenticeships, further education or local employment, particularly in communities that have already seen long-term industrial decline.

“What’s the plan once school finishes?”

A Conservative-led Council will strengthen links between schools, colleges, training providers and local employers, ensuring that education and skills provision reflects the real economy of Wakefield District including engineering, construction, health and care, digital skills and the green economy.

Within this broader education picture, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) require particular attention. SEND affects thousands of families across Wakefield, Castleford, Pontefract, Normanton, Featherstone, Hemsworth, Ossett and surrounding areas. When support works well, it can transform lives. When it does not, families face delay, stress and uncertainty.

Recent inspections have identified both strengths and weaknesses in Wakefield’s SEND arrangements. Families report long waiting times for assessments, inconsistent early help and poor coordination between education, health and social care especially during key transition points.

“You shouldn’t have to chase the system just to get basic support.”

SEND is not a separate issue from education it is part of the same system. Weak planning, delayed decisions and poor coordination affect everyone, but they hit children with additional needs hardest.

A Conservative-led Wakefield Council will focus on competence, early action and accountability across the whole education system.

We will:

• prioritise safe, well-maintained school buildings and better management of capital projects

• tighten procurement and project oversight to prevent costly failures

• strengthen links between education and local employment opportunities

• improve early intervention and consistency in SEND support

• reduce delays in assessments and improve coordination between services

• ensure clearer planning for transition into adulthood

Fixing education is not about grand strategies. It is about getting the basics right, planning ahead and making sure every young person whatever their background or needs  has the chance to succeed.

It is time to fix Wakefield District.