Worcs Local Elections

Who gets your vote?

Elections to Worcestershire County Council will take place on May 6th and the Completely Bromsgrove team would like to urge you to cast your vote to determine the way our district is run.

We asked all four parties fielding candidates in this area – Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats and Green Party – to submit their local manifestos which you will find in this four-page election special.

Abdul Jilani is the Labour Party’s candidate for Bromsgrove South at May’s local elections. Abdul lives locally in Bromsgrove and believes our town has had a poor deal from the Conservative-run Worcestershire County Council over recent years.

We need decisions to be made locally, by people that live locally and understand our town.

How can it be right that a group of Conservative councillors, most not even living in Bromsgrove, try to push through mass development at Whitford and Perryfields without a thought to the traffic congestion and pollution these schemes risk? What is more, did they secure a penny to help local GP services support thousands more residents? No.

Labour has been calling for a Western relief road for Bromsgrove since 2011. It’s just plain wrong to improve the transport on one side of the town whilst stuffing all the development onto the other side of Bromsgrove.

Labour wishes to see people in social care accommodation treated with dignity without having to change care homes due to lack of funding.

We want education to be enhanced for people throughout life and the use of our libraries with new books and computer facilities at the centre of this learning. This is in contrast to years of Conservative cuts to local services.

We wish to strengthen and expand our environmental and trading standards team to protect the people of Worcestershire from pollution and dangerous goods. We wish this service to become self-funding.

Labour in Worcestershire will put the environment and a greener county at the centre of everything which we do.

Mark Boulton – Bromsgrove West Living on the Kidderminster Road right in the heart of the Bromsgrove West Division, helps me to understand the issues that residents are faced with in our local communities. My candidacy is about making a difference to our community by representing your views and supporting your suggestions for improvement in our area. Kyle Daisley – Bromsgrove South The views of residents and how they will be impacted is always my first consideration when working as your councillor. For example, at a recent planning committee meeting I objected to a commercial building extension in Stoke Prior which I felt would damage the area in many ways. Kit Taylor – Bromsgrove East Having lived in Bromsgrove all my life, raised two daughters here and run a business, the issues that concern residents concern me. As your current County Councillor, I have the experience to get the most out of the position and have worked with you to solve the problems you have raised with me. You have made it clear what matters to you. Kashmir Uppal – Bromsgrove Central We have a Conservative run district and county council as well as a Conservative MP, Sajid Javid. Residents would be best served by a Conservative councillor who can be part of the team with the power to deliver for residents rather than someone who is unable to exert any influence. Karen May – Clent Hills If re-elected, I want to build on the strong foundations already laid. Complete the Superfast Broadband rollout, continue our Highways investment programme into our roads and pavements, transform public transport and connectivity to rail, keep council tax as low as possible and take advantage of the opportunity to further invest into our countryside and Public Rights of Way. Shirley Webb - Woodvale I am really looking forward to getting back to meeting you all face to face and working in the community, building on our strong local assets. I am keen to arrange PACT meetings once we are able to, working with our local partners, parish councils and safer neighbourhood team. Aled Luckman – Alvechurch It is important that we ensure that Alvechurch has a strong voice at County - a voice that is decisive, works collaboratively and delivers the schemes and services Alvechurch deserves.

Adrian Kriss – Beacon I have lived and worked in Bromsgrove, as a health professional, for almost 40 years. Now my plan is continuing to help people in a different way, firstly, in my election as the District Councillor for Rubery South in May 2019.

Adam Kent – Wythall Crime was the main issue faced in 2017 and still is. However, in response we have delivered over 3000 smart water anti-burglary kits to residents, drastically reducing burglaries. The fight against crime and speeding continues with Hollywood Lane high on the list of priorities.

Sam Evans Jo Mckenna Josh Robinson David Nicholl

For too long the residents of Bromsgrove have felt let down and not listened to. Whether that be on the lack of a Western Relief Road to solve the chronic congestion in our town, the state of our roads or the lack of safe and convenient cycle paths.

The Bromsgrove Liberal Democrats have been working hard listening to your concerns and actioning those; from double yellow lines outside Townsend Avenue ensuring a safer exit for residents, campaigning successfully to save the number 202 bus service to enable residents to continue to access a vital bus service or campaigning to ensure our town becomes carbon neutral.

Our candidates are committed to unlocking our town. A vote for the Liberal Democrats is a vote for a Western relief road, a vote for putting climate change at the forefront of everything we do, a vote for better cycling and walking infrastructure and a vote for a councillor who will listen to your concerns and be active all year round.

Our candidates in Bromsgrove Central, East, South and West are Joshua Robinson, Samuel Evans, David Nicholl and Joanna McKenna.

Joshua Robinson works and lives in the centre of Bromsgrove and has been active in trying to sort issues out in the area for years. Josh and the team have managed to implement a safer crossing point on College Road, double yellow lines outside Townsend Avenue and numerous potholes filled, drains emptied and has lobbied hard for better cycle infrastructure. He is also committed to getting East Road re-surfaced and the pavement on Alcester Road.

Samuel Evans has already started running local surgeries with Janet King, the district councillor for Lickey Hills, to ensure he is listening to all residents. Sam also successfully ran a campaign to save the number 202 bus service, has raised issues with the council about pavement parking and managed to solve a long running safety issue with a utility cover on Marlborough Avenue.

Dr David Nicholl has highlighted the appalling way funds to help those who are forced to self-isolate due to the current pandemic have been distributed, meaning a real choice for some residents between doing the right thing and risking having no money for rent and going into work to afford the rent. David has also highlighted how difficult it is to get issues raised and solved with the county council and has called for greater transparency.

Joanna McKenna, a doctor in the NHS, has campaigned for teachers to be vaccinated as a priority to ensure all those who are working in riskier jobs are protected. Joanna is also campaigning for better electric charging points in the district and against the development at Perryfields without a Western Relief Road.

YOURLOCALLIBDEMTEAMARECAMPAIGNING… FOR BETTER ACTIVE TRAVEL SCHEMES FOR LOCA ACTION O CLIMATE CHANGE L N TO REBUILD LOCAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE SERVICES

JoshRobinson

BromsgroveCentral

SamEvans

BromsgroveEast

DavidNicholl

BromsgroveSouth

FOR A WESTERN BYPASS AND BETTER INFRASTRUCTURE JoMcKenna

BromsgroveWest

@BromsLibDems @LibDemsBromsgrove A:53BewellHead,Bromsgrove,B618HX

John Smout

Broms Central

Peter Harvey

Broms South

Nicola Payne

Wythall

Jill Harvey

Beacon

Jennifer Eccleston

Clent Hills

Peter Measham

Broms East

Kevin White

Alvechurch

Julian Gray

Woodvale

Jake Hughes

Broms West

We recognise the important work done by local community projects and place value on their understanding of the needs of residents. We pledge to support and work in partnership with community organisations, to tackle the issues faced by local people and to ensure every person has the best possible chance in life.

We accept the importance that green spaces and natural habitats play in our lives and will ensure that any proposed change of use will undergo thorough public consultation, to ensure a balance between the needs of the local community and our towns in general.

We recommend that any new-build housing should be carbon-neutral; designed to enhance community, create a sense of place, and ensure adequate infrastructure. There should be a greater provision of affordable homes and opportunities to work with local building firms, with emphasis and support placed on utilising empty buildings as new homes.

We believe now is a perfect opportunity to kick-start a “green recovery”. We would support local businesses to improve ways of working and encourage the towns to plugin to the potential for up and coming “green sector jobs”.

We are calling for “citizens’ panels” to find ways to locally tackle the climate emergency, declared by Redditch and Bromsgrove councils in 2019.

Having pledged our support to Worcestershire Active Travel Partnership, we believe that a wide-ranging approach to “getting around” needs to be taken; one that is safe, affordable and efficient, offering a practical alternative to everyday driving.

We would call upon borough and county councils to “divest” their investments from the fossil fuel industry.

We have pledged our support to local libraries, as they provide important vitality to our communities. With the planned re-development for Redditch town centre, we would ensure that facilities at Redditch Library would not be compromised.

Green Party candidates for Bromsgrove seats in the Worcestershire County Council election: (one vote)