The issues that matterNews to local election hopefuls
THE AMAZON DEVELOPMENT PROVING TO BE A MAJOR CONCERN FOR SOME
LOCAL elections across the country will be dominated by the issues that matter to people in their areas and neighbourhoods, and Kirklees is no different.
Housing, traffic, congestion on the roads, multi million-pound regeneration schemes for our towns, climate changes and safe active travel are all at the heart of the various political parties’ election campaigns.
Voters go to the polls on May 5. The Examiner invited candidates to outline their pledges and aspirations should they be successful.
Here are the responses from the 11 people standing for election in Ashbrow, Cleckheaton and Mirfield.
CLECKHEATON
■ Piers Briggs (Conservative)
Already heavily involved in my community, I promise to continue to be visible and active as your councillor. I will not support the overdevelopment of our communities, including the Amazon application. I will fight for services residents need and support them however I can to the best of my ability.
■ John Lawson (Cleckheaton)
Cleckheaton people appreciate that we work for them all year round, not just at election time. Whether we are supporting individuals, working with police to tackle speeding, or running major campaigns such as “No to Amazon” or our successful Spen Pool campaign, residents know we keep working hard for them. ■ Khalid Patel (Labour)
If I am elected I make this pledge to you now: I shall hold regular weekly surgeries within local neighbourhoods and listen to people’s concerns. I will try my best to solve problems as part of my elected councillor’s casework. You will also see me in your neighbourhood engaging with local residents.
MIRFIELD
■ Stephen Bird (Lib Dems)
Residents in Mirfield need an alternative. They’ve been let down badly by the national Conservative Party and overlooked time and again by the Labour administration. A Liberal Democrat motion earlier this year called for a review of Labour’s Local Plan that hit Mirfield so hard. People need a greater say in the things that affect them.
■ Geoff Kernan (Labour)
I will be on the side of working people and their families, putting communities first. I will fight to ensure Mirfield gets its fair share of funding, and that all means are employed to support our environment, vulnerable residents, and those facing financial hardship made worse by the Tory government.
■ Vivien Lees-Hamilton (Conservative)
My priorities are a fair deal for Mirfield. I want safer roads and all Mirfield residential roads to become 20mph zones by default. This will be safer for children, less car fumes, less noise pollution. We need better value from Kirklees, improved services, more efficiencies, and a lower council tax.
■ Catherine Whittingham (Green)
We lack a programme to support the development of a protected cycleway network in Kirklees. This proposal will kickstart that programme and we would push for a re-prioritisation of the West Yorkshire Transport Fund away from road building and road-widening projects.
Kirklees Council is currently in no overall control with Labour (33 seats), Conservatives (19), Lib Dems (nine), Green (three), Holme Valley North Independents (three) and other Independents (two).
Of the seats up for election this year, Labour hold 11, Conservatives six, Lib Dems four, Holme Valley North Independents one and Greens one.