Five candidates are standing in a by-election in Wish ward for a seat on Brighton and Hove City Council on Thursday 8 December.
The seat became vacant when Conservative councillor Garry Peltzer Dunn died.
The five candidates are Patricia Mountain (UK Independence Party), Peter Revell (Conservative), Bella Sankey (Labour), Stewart Stone (Liberal Democrat) and Ollie Sykes (Green).
Each candidate has answered questions about local issues and why they want to represent the ward. Below are the responses from Peter Revell.
Why do you want to be a councillor?
I am passionate about local issues and want to make a change from the Green and Labour administrations that I believe are spoiling our city. People are fed up with the Green-Labour coalition-style agreement that has made many basic services worse than ever and want to see a sensible change.
What will you bring to this role?
I have experience as a former county councillor, professionalism and a passion for the Wish and Hove area. I believe my current involvement in local groups such as the Beach Hut Association brings knowledge and experience of the issues facing Wish ward residents.
Do you live in Wish ward?
I live in Hove.
What three things will you do to support this area?
I would seek to reverse the Labour/Green weeding and toilet-closing policies and continue to campaign against the Aldrington Wharf proposed development on the Kingsway. I would challenge the assumption that council tax and charges such as parking should keep rising above inflation year on year.
The “Synergy” scheme proposed for the seafront at Aldrington Wharf has prompted concerns about more traffic noise and congestion. How will you support the community who are worried about the effects of hundreds more people on the wider infrastructure such as schools and GP surgeries?
I am against the proposed development at Aldrington Wharf. I have been in touch with local residents and community groups and, with them, will campaign against it. Residents are against the Labour/Green high-rise policies that have led to this application.
How would you push for more “social” housing rather than so-called “affordable” housing?
I do not think it’s a competition between “affordable” or “social” housing. There is a housing shortage. However, there is also limited space in the city and our green and urban spaces need protecting. A balance needs to be struck between competing needs.
There is a lack of public toilets along Hove seafront and some people relieve themselves behind the beach huts. The Hove Lagoon loos are in a state. What will you do to improve facilities?
We need more toilets and facilities on the seafront, something I have already campaigned for. The Labour/Green policy to bring maintenance and cleaning of the toilets “in-house” has been disastrous. We should consider all options, including the use of private contractors, to ensure there are clean and readily available facilities.
Anti-social behaviour is a problem. Cars are vandalised and there’s late-night noise. How will you support residents whose lives are blighted by other people’s poor behaviour?
Brighton and Hove City Council is a “soft touch” on this behaviour. Labour/Greens let many of the city’s “public space protection orders” expire and declined an invitation to apply for funding for CCTV in the city. I will support the police and measures that reduce anti-social behaviour.
People have complained that footpaths are becoming dangerous because of the lack of weeding, particularly around trees where roots are sprouting. What will you do about it?
The Labour/Green policies on weeding have been a total failure. The weeding has to be done for safety and visual impact and to stop the long-term costs of the failure to do it. Until a better solution is found, we should consider all options and ensure weeding is done.
There is a cycle lane along the seafront. What are your views on taking up half the road with a new one?
I am against a new cycle lane on the seafront. I am concerned that like the Old Shoreham Road it will be underutilised, creating pollution, congestion and other problems such as parking. Residents and disabled groups have opposed this but Labour/Greens are not listening and keep voting for it.
To what extent will you be voting on issues according to their merit or along party lines?
I would be joining a united Conservative team that is determined to get this city back on track. I will vote on issues on their merit. I will support a local issue I agree with, even if there is a potential conflict with my own party.
How willing are you to get out and about in all the communities that make up the ward?
I am already involved locally in the Beach Hut Association, Kingsway to the Sea, Friends of Hove Lagoon, local sports groups and more. I look forward to representing the people of Wish ward at the city council.
He clearly doesn’t understand how planning policy works. There is no such thing as “Labour/Green high-rise policies”, only national, conservative driven planning policies. The local council cross party committee, which then votes on applications, has to follow these rules. If he doesn’t like the existing planning laws, he should vote for a different government at the next general election.
Sorry Mary, but this is a local policy. When there were votes on the City Plan and the joint Shoreham Port plan, Labour and Greens voted for tall buildings along the A259, and Garry Peltzer Dunn opposed them. Nothing to do with national policy, except the City Plan mustn’t breach national laws which have wide scope.