Medway goes to the polls next Thursday to determine the direction of Medway Council for the next four years.

Much has been made about national politics in recent times, but what do your candidates stand for locally?

The Local Democracy Reporting Service invited the main parties standing in Medway to write 300 words about their election manifesto promises.

Alan Jarrett, Conservatives

Medway Conservatives are proud to once again bring forward a fully-costed set of manifesto commitments which form our strategic vision for the future – supported by Medway’s Council plan and budget.

These commitments will provide even better service outcomes for the people of Medway.

Our track record of delivery over the last 19 years speaks for itself. We have continued to provide exceptional value for money: maintaining the lowest council tax in Kent whilst succeeding in delivering a balanced budget year on year, and always protecting the excellent standards of our services.

By treasuring our heritage and respecting our military traditions, the Conservative group pledges to continue to always put Medway’s interests first.

We have frozen car parking charges for the next three years until 2021, with only one increase in charges over the last seven years.

Our first-class weekly waste collection service will continue to operate as the best in Kent, and as one of the best in the whole country.

We will continue to improve education standards which are now the best in Medway’s history, and we will work to provide more selective opportunities through our excellent grammar schools.

When the Conservative administration is returned in May we will continue our work to deliver growth and prosperity for all, attracting investment at every opportunity and creating thousands of jobs across the area.

Our monumental regeneration programme includes planned spend of over £200 million to improve our roads and infrastructure.

The Conservative group is the only group both willing and able to pave the way to Medway’s bigger and brighter future.

Our plans are deliverable because we have the expertise and experience to deliver, and because we already have the finance in place.

The Conservatives are the party of action, rather than empty words and political posturing of others.

Sonia Hyner, Green Party

If elected we would continue to challenge the proposals in the Local Plan for mass house building on the Hoo Peninsula – much of which is targeted at London migration, unaffordable locally and would do little or nothing to address homelessness, while destroying valuable agricultural land, threatening important wildlife habitats, and increasing air pollution.

Rather than develop agricultural land on the Hoo Peninsula, vital to self-sufficiency as the effects of climate breakdown are felt, we would push for development to be directed to the creation of a thriving, vibrant, new urban complex in the centre of Chatham.

We would hold Medway Council to account and insist that it reaches a carbon neutral target by 2030, using joined-up actions that are part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

We would provide guidance on how to reach this target including insulation of housing, investment in proper cycling infrastructure and low carbon, affordable public transport, alongside charging infrastructure for electric cars. We would look at ways to implement clean air policies in all of our town centres.

We would promote renewable energy by offering incentives to businesses developing these technologies, look at harnessing the power of the River Medway and work with property developers to encourage them to include renewable energy systems in all new developments.

We would encourage producers of zero-carbon factory-built houses to locate in Medway, creating local green jobs and providing homes that both protect the environment and reduce utility costs, alleviating fuel poverty.

We would seek alternatives to market housing, through encouraging community-led cooperatives and pushing the council to invest in social housing.

We would work with councillors from any party, work to ensure the council listens to the people it is meant to represent and campaign for proportional representation nationally and locally.

Vince Maple, Labour

Medway is a fantastic place, but we are ambitious for our communities and believe that with your help we can do better for Medway.

The Conservative council hasn’t tackled issues impacting our communities – fly-tipping has increased, crime and anti-social behaviour is up, and Sure Start centres have closed.

The current administration focuses taxpayer money on vanity projects that contribute little to the wellbeing of our communities – but it doesn’t have to be this way.

Our manifesto is not exhaustive, but it aims to give voters an idea of our priorities, including:

• Tackle homelessness, build council houses, and hold developers to account on infrastructure;
• Implement a Local Plan so that predatory developers are unable to build developments that aren’t in the best interests of Medway;
• Protect and improve our green spaces, plant more trees, and tackle poor air quality;
• Reverse the 100,000 lost Sure Start visits;
• Reinstate visitor parking permits (with further safeguards to prevent misuse);
• Deliver social care with compassion and increase preventative measures for key health issues;
• Scrap the bulky waste charge to tackle fly-tipping;
• Take back control of council services starting with MCG – whilst keeping council tax the lowest in Kent,

On May 2 you have the opportunity to elect a Labour council for Medway.

We are a council in waiting; our diverse team of 55 candidates have a variety of life experiences and are in touch with the needs of residents.

At the heart of our promises to you is fairness – for too long we have had a Conservative council which doesn’t work on behalf of the majority of residents.

Together we can rebuild Medway for you, your family, and your neighbourhood, and truly have a Medway where nobody is left behind.

John Castle, Liberal Democrats

On May 2 join the Liberal Democrats in demanding better than the tired and insular politics of the Conservatives and Labour. We pledge to improve local quality of life, help our economy, improve public services and reduce the pressure on our natural habitats.

We support new housing on brownfield land. We would secure a Local Plan designating land for conservation and support EU habitat protections at risk from Brexit. We would also ensure developers pay their fair share towards new infrastructure.

The Lib Dems recognise the need to prepare for wider economic changes. Life-long learning can help: we propose to make adult education more affordable, and offer courses to improve the local skills base, including more availability at evenings and weekends.

Support is needed for our town centres: practical measures such as discounted parking and bus travel could help increase footfall. Business rates relief could also help new firms in their first year of trading.

We stand against Tory cuts. The Lib Dems have been campaigning to restore Medway’s mental health unit and oppose the proposed loss of local stroke care facilities. The council and housing associations should support everyone affected by rent increases and welfare reductions, especially those identified at risk of sleeping rough such as ex-service personnel.

The Lib Dems would tackle air pollution. We would invest in cycle lanes, secure bike parking and electric vehicle charging points.

Also, we are exploring how to make public transport better integrated and more affordable.

Your council should be more transparent and accountable, we will always avail ourselves to your scrutiny.

We would make it easier to contact the council via email and phone, and to ask questions at public meetings.

Our candidates are committed to hosting regular surgeries to provide support and advice.

The Liberal Democrats, demand better for Medway.

Chris Spalding, Medway People’s Voice

Medway People’s Voice is a group of independents free of national party dogma which will concentrate on local issues.

We expect no overall control on May 3 meaning everybody has to work together for the good of Medway. Not one extreme or another.

We will ensure people are listened to, not ignored, giving more accountability. Actions not words. Thinking outside the box. Proactive planning rather than reactive responses, thus saving money and avoiding waste.

Housing policy needs change. Building distributed fairly throughout Medway with proper infrastructure, more social housing and full developer financial contributions.

All letting to be licensed for tenant safety. Those renting houses out as individual rooms to pay a premium to cover additional costs already being incurred by the council taxpayer. The additional revenue to help preserve vital services.

Further revenue to be raised from advertising at council locations, sponsorship of events and streamlining council services.

Incentive packages will be available to doctors wanting to become GPs making transition/relocation easier.

Parking attendants will redeploy on safety issues not money making. Visitor permits will be reintroduced. More very short stay free parking around Medway Hospital.

Facilities for lorries to be introduced but trucks parking illegally will be clamped. Parking charges after 9pm to be scrapped.

Medway City Estate needs investment in dedicated lanes and interlinked traffic flow management system. Bus services/contracts to be reviewed to produce better services.

Sports facilities/pitches to be properly maintained. More health-related leisure programmes introduced. Deangate Ridge to reopen remaining a leisure facility.

Local talent to be promoted at council run events. Non profit hire of venues to be available to local groups.

The main party system fails, look at Brexit. Time to send a message. Locally we have claims broken. Time for a new approach. Put MPV independent candidates on the council. Time to vote for change.

Previously the above photo was uncropped and included Mr Ron Sands, who has asked us to make clear he has no connection with MPV whatsoever.

Roy Freshwater, Ukip

Surely the current Brexit fiasco and betrayal of the British people by parliament raises great doubt on any promises made by a Conservative Medway council to tell the truth, and provide proper infrastructure funding for the 37,000 new houses in the Local Plan that will turn Medway into one massive building site.

Ukip councillors are not ‘whipped’, and our local manifesto will ensure all council policies and decisions are made in the best interests of local Medway families and communities – not just to satisfy government policy behind closed Medway cabinet doors.

Ukip would spend the current £210 million government bid on crumbling local infrastructure, services, and the local housing crisis. We would programme the building of 4,000 new genuinely affordable local homes to rent or buy by local people on brownfield sites to respond to the housing crisis set out in the recent Shelter report.

We would take action against rogue landlords providing substandard housing to the most vulnerable in our society, stop the persecution of motorists and commercial businesses, and find solutions to promote local business and free parking.

We would require the new Local Plan to list the ward funding necessary for crumbling existing infrastructure and new schools, roads, local transport, new additional hospital beds and GP services.

We need additional mental health, family, and children’s services, and adult social care fit for an ageing population. We need additional police, youth, and homeless services, local leisure and sports facilities.

We would require yearly action plans for the dangerous pollution generated from 250,000 car movements each day from 37,000 proposed new houses.

Our crumbling communities, with no affordable local housing to rent or buy, deserve much better and is why the reins of council control should be handed over to a more capable and fair Ukip.

To see a full list of candidates in your area click here.