Press coverage!

The Independent candidates have received some coverage in the local press. The following was published in the the North Somerset Mercury on page 25 and a shorter version was published in the North Somerset Times on page 18. 

"Independent candidates in Nailsea believe the town has been given second class status over recent years compared to the other major towns in North Somerset. For example Weston Super Mare has received £150 million pounds from public and private finance, in Portishead Parish Wharf has undergone major refurbishment, the town has had a new Library, a new youth club, all the facilities Nailsea has been desperately crying out for over many years.

The four Nailsea Independent candidates are not affiliated to any political group and all of our individual manifestos differ, however we all are in agreement regarding a number of issues relating to Nailsea, so we all agree with the eight pledges below:

•    Major upgrade to Scotch Horn Leisure Centre to include a swimming pool, library, fitness centre, youth club, police hub and other facilities. Scotch Horn should have priority over Hutton Moor receiving a second swimming pool, which is the current proposal.
•    Ensure all Nailsea car parks remain free and are not used for development.
•    Retaining green and wooded amenity areas and the green oasis and character in and around Nailsea.
•    Provide more affordable housing in the town so that younger people can afford to live and work locally. Improve employment capability within the town.
•    Support the reduction of North Somerset Life propaganda and redeploy the savings into council services.
•    Support the principle of every district councillor serving on a planning committee, which was recently scrapped. Support the abolition of the existing expensive executive structure and devolve more decision making to committees.
•    Invest £45 million pounds upgrading our highways and pavements properly, not wasting money on poor temporary pot hole patching.
•    Improving disabled access at Nailsea and Backwell station, especially the installation of a new ramp. Greater emphasis on improving public transport for pedestrians."
I [Sarah] don't have either paper and cannot find the articles online but will try and find someone who hasn't put the papers in the recycling yet and scan the articles.

Issues for Nailsea - Lidl

By Sarah Hearne (Youngwood Ward)

Image from Wikipedia

In speaking to people I've come to realise that the biggest concern is, by far, Lidl. Lidl's proposal to build a store on the current Stockway south car park has created a lot of justified concern amongst locals, particularly those in the Youngwood ward who live close to the precinct as many fear that they will feel the greatest impacts of any disruption that is bound to come from the closure of the car park during construction.

I attended both the 'town hall' meeting at Scotch Horn and the town council meeting at the tithe barn. The public turnout at both meetings was a testament to the strength of feeling there is over this matter. 

The thing that struck me during the town hall meeting was how reactive Lidl have been. Anyone reading their proposals could see multiple problems without any difficultly – highlighted by the numerous objections the council received. Yet instead of thinking of these problems themselves and addressing them in their proposals, it was as if the meeting was the first time they’d really thought through the full implications of their proposals. When asked about how access to the health centre would be provided during the construction period (at least 6 months, some – or most, who knows – of which will involve the car park being completely closed to vehicles) Mr Mitchell, the Lidl representative, had no response. He said that Lidl have been looking to come to Nailsea for 15 years yet their plans do not show any sense of understanding of the area or complexities of the site they are proposing to build on.

At the council meeting there were other interesting points made: most striking was that Tower House Medical had not been approached by anyone from Lidl to discuss the impact of the construction and functioning of the proposed store, a state of affairs one councillor called ‘extraordinary’. Additionally, there had been no consideration of the impact on Christ Church. One councillor noted that her husband an HGV driver and it was his professional opinion that the proposed delivery plan is unworkable while another councillor said that in his working life he has looked at a lot of ‘strange’ planning applications but this one ‘takes the biscuit’. One called the plans 'abysmal'.

I'm not against Lidl coming to Nailsea, I just think that building on a carpark is probably the stupidest location that could have ever been considered. There are other sites that would be much more suitable. Lidl excluded both the Weston College site and the police station for various reasons and Ellandi say they want the store to be in the town centre to bring in visitors. It's hard to see how struggling independent businesses are going to feel about yet another supermarket coming in and undercutting their prices, yet even if this wasn't the case, the fact is we have three supermarkets in this part of Nailsea already - is a fourth really necessary?

Tales from the campaign trail

By Sarah Hearne (Youngwood Ward)

(Image from wikiHow)

Don't you just hate being at home enjoying your far-too-short evening or weekend only for the doorbell to ring by some stranger asking for a 'just a few minutes of your time'? I know I do, which is why I find canvassing such a conflicting way to spend my time. On the one hand it's the best and most direct way to meet people, understand their concerns and let them get to know you and what you stand for. On the other, it feels that knocking on people's doors unexpectedly and uninvited is the best way to annoy them. So I go canvassing with some hesitation. 

Add to that the unending series of decisions that come with canvassing. The first is whether or not to knock at all. Many people have some variation of the 'No Cold Callers' sticker on their door. Should I ring the bell as I'm not selling anything (except maybe the idea of an informed electorate) or do I take it as a sign that the occupants don't want to be disturbed? Next is whether to ring or knock. Some people have multiple doorbells so I've got to work out which one is the 'active' one. Sometimes I don't see the doorbell until after I've knocked and then feel silly. Other times I ring the doorbell but can't be sure if it's working so don't know whether or not I'm waiting for an answer that doesn't even know it's required. Then there's the decision of how long to wait for someone to answer. It's rarely clear if someone is home so I need to wait long enough to give people time to get to the door but not so long that I waste time and look like an idiot. I've taken to counting slowly to 20 under my breath. If I haven't heard sounds of motion after that time then it's unlikely to come.

If someone does answer the door the next set of decisions present themselves. What to say? I have developed a standard opening line and then try and take my cues as to how to continue from the person. But that standard opening line can start sounding insincere when it's been repeated numerous times so there's the need to make it sound honest, enthusiastic and above all, clear. I've found that even the simplest sentence can become a tongue-twister if said enough times! 

Luckily, when I do speak to people it's generally been extremely positive. I've had a lot of support and encouragement from people and I will do my best to deserve it should I get elected. 

Canvassing is surprisingly hard work but I think it is an essential part of the campaign process. It is the best way for people to get to know me and hopefully begin to trust that a vote for me won't be a wasted vote. It's also surprisingly rewarding - I've been pleasantly surprised by how many people have read my leaflets (I had visions of them being put in the bin unread in their droves!) and have responded positively to them. Above all, it's really nice to meet the people who may be voting for me to discuss the issues that concern them most. After all, it's because I care about Nailsea and its residents that I'm doing this.

FAQ 7 - How do I know which Ward I am in?

The quickest way to find out is to look at your polling card as this will not only tell you which ward you are in but will also tell you where your polling station is. If you can't find your polling card you can look at this map. You can type in your postcode and it will show you which ward you are in.

Map of Nailsea wards (from lgbce.org)

FAQ 6 - Who else is standing in the council elections?

In each ward there is an Independent and a Conservative candidate. In the Yeo ward there is also a Labour candidate. The candidates are as follows:

Golden Valley Ward
Andy Cole (Independent)
Jeremy Blatchford (Conservative)

West End Ward
James Tonkin (Independent)
Anne Kemp (Conservative)

Yeo Ward
Julie Day (Independent)
Mary Blatchford (Conservative)
Peter Harris (Labour)

Youngwood Ward
Sarah Hearne (Independent)
Jan Barber (Conservative)

FAQ 5 - I want to vote but won't be around on election day. What should I do?

There are two options. You can apply for a postal vote, though you must do so in the next day or so as postal vote applications must be received by the local Electoral Registration Office by 5pm, at least 11 working days before election day.

Alternatively you can apply for a proxy vote. The same deadline applies as for the postal vote.

Meet the candidates – Julie Day (Yeo Ward)

 

Julie was born in Nailsea and her local roots go back to 1939 when her grandparents moved here after they married. Her grandfather, Phil Kingston, worked for R N Coate Cider and her grandmother Rene worked for Gerry Parker’s.

 Julie attended Hannah More Infant and Grove Junior Schools before completing her education at Nailsea School. She has three children who have also grown up and gone to school in Nailsea and now with her eldest nearly 20 she’s looking forward to spending more of her time on local issues which she will embrace with her usual determination and enthusiasm.

Julie worked for 15 years as an administrator within the NHS before having her family and has subsequently worked for local businesses within North Somerset. She currently works for Oxford Brookes University.

Julie believes that local issues should not be determined by party political ideology.