Darlington will be the Conservatives’ main target

Darlington will be the Conservatives’ main target in the North in May’s local elections, with the national party putting resources, and bodies, into the battle.

Yesterday, Conservative leader Heather Scott released a New Year message highlighting how the Tories hope to take charge in the town for the first time in 20 years.

Encouraging developers to create 500,000sq ft of “job-creating commercial space” is one plank, along with targeting senior council officers pay.

The business parks, equivalent to three Darlington Town Halls, would generate an extra £1.8m in business rates, they say.

Labour dismissed it as a “pie in the sky” plan, while the Liberal Democrats pledged to campaign on “distinctive, community-based”

issues.

In Darlington, Labour has a majority of five – its 29 councillors face 18 Tories and six Liberal Democrats.

In last year’s General Election, Labour’s majority reduced from 10,404 to 3,388.

The Conservatives believe gaining the council is the first step towards ending 18 years of Labour Parliamentary dominance.

David Cameron has promised to cut 50 MPs by the next election, so the remaining 600 MPs will represent bigger constituencies.

The Parliamentary boundaries of Darlington are likely to be enlarged to take in villages such as Piercebridge, the Coniscliffes, Heighington, Sadberge, Middleton St George and Hurworth from the Sedgefield constituency.

These, it is argued, are more likely to be Conservative-inclined, which would eat away at MP Jenny Chapman’s majority.

But Labour believes the 2007 local elections found it at a low point. Its local difficulties over Tesco, Hurworth school and town centre pedestrianisation were magnified by the party’s national unpopularity.

It will seek to blame high profile cuts, including the closure of the Civic Theatre and the Arts Centre, on the coalition Government.

In her message, Coun Scott said: “This year Darlington residents have the opportunity to put Conservatives in charge of the council.

“We do need to cut costs in non-frontline services but will do so by implementing wages and recruitment freezes first.

“The council also needs to fundamentally address the cost of its 61 senior officers earning more than £50,000-ayear and its political governance structure.

“We will embark upon a dynamic approach to commercial development with the ambition of developing at least 500,000sq ft of job-creating commercial space dispersed around the town in the lifetime of the next council.

“We believe that an ambitious growth strategy is the best way to balance the budget.”

Labour leader Coun John Williams said: “The dodgy figures in this statement are ridiculous.

“There is no way that local business rates could possibly fund their pie in the sky commercial development plans.

“Darlington’s Labour council has an excellent record of working in partnership with local businesses to create jobs.

“We will bid to the Regional Development Fund for a major business incubator unit to be situated in the new Central Park development and delivered in partnership with Teesside University.

“Coun Scott’s government is devastating public services and jobs in Darlington and, as a result, many Darlington businesses will suffer.”

For the Lib Dems, Coun Mike Barker said that on the doorsteps people were understanding his party’s positive national role in the Coalition Government.

“We will continue to be seen as distinctive from the other two parties with our traditional, community-based approach to local government,”

he said.

“Our manifesto will seek to give individuals and communities more power over housing and planning issues and over how public money is spent in their areas.

“It is about empowering local people to do their communities.”