I LOVE it here in Melksham – moved here in 1999 and Lisa and I aren’t going anywhere.
Now retired, looking to keep my mind active and volunteer for the town, I stood for the Town Council in 2021. Thank you for electing me. I am honoured to represent you, yet disappointed in how little interest many of you take in what I do.
Perhaps that’s because you trust me, because you think it’s unimportant, you don’t have the time, or you’re not interested. Yet you must be a bit interested to have read this far.
I have three guiding principles: Openness, Equality and the Environment – my longer strategy. Considering them shorter term, tactics become clearer. Openness is about making information available, easy to find amongst the deluge that’s there, picking up where information is missing, and in good time to canvass residents’ views.
Read at https://bit.ly/3j8pDBg and on social media or email, call, or drop in to ask. Equality is about making sure that we consider everyone, not just our councillors’ and their own and friends’ use of facilities.
And that’s in addition to the usual equality measures irrespective of origin, financial status or personal situation. Environment is not only about global warming. It’s local too, for clean air, for quality of life in the town and personally.
As the independently-elected Councillor, I was initially outside the teams, but I’m delighted to now be partnering with great colleagues on many projects; I am still asking some awkward questions.
We have excellent staff members employed at the council, though with so many changes in recent years, many of them find their roles changed from what they were taken on to do; easier for some than others, and we as a council are helping with training, to fill skill gaps.
Current topics: Assembly Hall. Sensory garden, cafe and lighting in KGV. Public transport. Budget. Neighbourhood Plan. A strategy for your council. Toilets, car parking and minor road schemes. Events. New use for Cooper Tires site, Melksham House, bypass and canal. Lovely town. Thank you for reading.
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