Labour's 10 early achievements in York

Back in May, York residents elected a Labour council for the first time in eight years. Labour's candidates made clear pledges - to protect nearly £1million of local services, tackle traffic congestion, fight crime and help to provide more homes for York families. And in the weeks and months after the election buzz died down, we've been getting down to work.

Within weeks of taking office, as we promised, Labour councillors had introduced their emergency budget. As a result, we were able to reverse planned cuts for breaks for disabled children, we kept down planned increases in charges for people dependent on adult social day care and transport, and increased funding for the voluntary sector to protect key services. We kept our promises to keep the freeze on council tax this year, and to cut Respark charges.

In short, we put fairness at the heart of efforts to manage the council's squeezed budget. And we will go further, launching the York Fairness Commission to look at the future of local public services.

It has been a hectic few months. We faced challenges left by the previous administration, and more difficult decisions lie ahead. Some of these will no doubt be controversial. Next year alone, we know that the Lib Dem - Tory government will cut another £12 million from the council's budget. More police will be cut. We are already campaigning to protect NHS services.

Before the election, we made clear commitments to York residents and we will press ahead over the coming months and years to deliver on these.

Ten changes in Labour's first ten weeks:

1. Increasing recycling by increasing the recycling target and making it easier - particularly for people living in flats and smaller houses - to recycle.
2. More homes for York families: starting the process by increasing the housing target in the Local Development Framework.
3. The York Fairness Commission: a serious, heavyweight and independent panel to engage directly with residents about the best way to provide local services in the future.
4. Protecting nearly £1 million of local services: Labour's emergency budget scrapped the planned second new council office and allowed us to put more money towards our priorities: reversing cuts to breaks for disabled children, youth services and services tacking youth unemployment, providing additional funding for road repairs and flood defences.
5. 100 apprenticeships in 100 days, working with partners including York College and Connexions.
6. Securing a major annual conference to support York businesses
7. Making it easier to get in touch through the Smarter York hotline and improved website.
8. Easing pressure on family budgets by keeping this year's council tax freeze and cutting Respark charges.
9. Tasking a councillor with focussing on cutting crime through the creation of a new executive level position
10. Committing an extra £1.4m towards flood defences and continuing to lobby the government to ensure that the improvements needed to protect the Leeman Road area are fully funded.