These are some of our Surrey Heath candidates in the County Council elections on 4 May. We will post information about the others as we receive it. They are standing on a manifesto which prioritises:
Please support your Green candidate!
Bagshot, The village in which I live, has been developed to the point where there is almost nowhere left to build on. We suffer from the worst traffic problems by far in Surrey Heath, with 9000 vehicles commuting through it every day, but the county and borough councils have flatly refused to do anything about it, and even tried to deny there’s a problem. Chobham, sadly, is heading the same way. Recent research has revealed that 11,848 new homes have been approved or are under consideration within 4 miles of Fairoaks Airport, which itself is under threat of becoming a 1200 new town in an appalling covert collaboration between the developers, local and national government.
Like Bagshot, Chobham is used as a rat-run by motorists travelling to and from work. But it is set to get much much worse. Apart from a massive increase of local traffic generated by the developments mentioned above, the growth-obsessed politicians are encouraging industrial expansion, such as the M3 Enterprise Zone, which will greatly add to Chobham’s woes as loads more commuter traffic will pass through the village travelling to and from the M3. The Government see Surrey as an extension of London. They want London to continue to grow, and Surrey is an essential gateway for commuters travelling to and from the capital. (Prepare also for the effect of Heathrow and Gatwick expansions.) But despite the increasing use of Surrey roads by non-local traffic, the Government keeps cutting the roads budget for our county. Another £1m cut this year! So we suffer from both the traffic and the crumbling roads, potholes and pollution it exacerbates.
Greens have a vision for Surrey that’s very different from the rest. One which will protect our communities, our distinctiveness and our unique Surrey countryside – in stark contrast to our MP who has expressed a keenness for more houses and celebrates the possibility of an end to the European Habitats Directive post Brexit. We need an economy that works for everyone at the local level, providing decent jobs for Surrey residents, and transport that is accessible for all. Local shops should prevail on our high streets, not be squeezed out by big business rates and high street chains. For more details on these and other issues see our Green Surrey Manifesto 2017 which you can download from: https://surrey.greenparty.org.uk/
Elect me and I promise to represent your interests, first and foremost, and will actively campaign with you against anything that threatens the future wellbeing of our villages and communities. Unlike other parties, the Greens do not have a whipping system. Green Councillors are expected to serve the people who elected them, not their party or other vested interests.
Conservative election leaflets are filled with promises about maintaining and improving our roads; social care services, schools, transport, environment - everything! These miraculous claims follow an announcement of £123m of cuts from this year’s budget, including £735,000 off public transport, £27m from the adult social care budget, £3m off Public Health, £22m from the children, families and schools budget, and millions more from Special Needs and Disabilities, road safety and highways. Most details are being kept secret until after the County Council elections on 4th May.
How on Earth can these candidates meet their expensive promises on greatly reduced budgets? The truth is they can’t - and they know it. In an unprecented outburst of openness, a Tory Surrey County Councillor and Head of Surrey Heath Local Committee, admitted as much at a hustings on Heatherside last week, where he is standing against his own party as an independent. He said for example that the millions of pounds in the roads budget doesn’t come close to what’s needed to fix Surrey’s crumbling road system. It would need billions! So if you think by voting Conservative you’ll get better services and fewer potholes next year, forget it. Don’t believe in pre-election fairy tales!
I believe in protecting our environment, in social justice, and a thriving green economy based on independent business and local jobs. But I am not going to follow the lead of other candidates and promise the unachievable. Elected or not I will continue to campaign to get a better deal for local residents, and against the incremental reduction in our quality of life from increasing traffic, over-development, cuts in social care, road, schools etc. But should I be elected I will be your watchdog, scrutineer, whistle-blower and champion on any activities that threaten the well-being of the community in favour of developers or other vested interests.
Married with two children, I am standing for council as I am passionate about local politics because local issues can have greatest direct impact on peoples' lives. If elected I will focus on the issues of over-development, traffic congestion, air pollution and cuts to vital services.
I have lived in Lightwater since 1978 and seen many changes in the area. My children attended local schools. My main interest is in health and social care and how the cuts are having a detrimental effect on so many people.
