Seven candidates are standing for two seats in Woodingdean on Brighton and Hove City Council in the local elections next month. They answered questions sent in by the public via social media.
Why do you want to be a councillor?
Conservative candidate Dee Simson, 73, is a market trader who is seeking re-election to the council. She is on Twitter @Woodingdean_dee, Instagram @cllrdeesimson and Facebook facebook.com/Cllr.DeeSimson.
She said: “I want to be a councillor because I enjoy meeting people and helping them when they have problems that need sorting out.
“These problems could be related to the council or wider issues such as health or bus services.
“I’ve become the most experienced councillor on alcohol licensing in the city, ensuring consistency in decision-making.
“I also want to continue supporting the development of organisations in the community and voluntary sector as working with and supporting these improves residents’ lives.
“Woodingdean is my home. I was born in Woodingdean, went to school here and brought my family up here.
“I’ve always played an active part in community life, having been involved in and chaired many committees and groups, among them Woodingdean Community Association, Woodingdean Tenants and Residents Association, Oak Cottage Nursery (formerly Woodingdean Pre-School Playgroup).
“I’ve managed the running of Java Community Café for 20 years on behalf of Woodingdean Community Association.
“I want to make sure this corner of the city continues to get strong representation on the council, because of its isolation it can sometimes be ignored.”
She said that the key issues identified in the ward were
- Traffic – since the building of the A27 and the Lewes Road corridor works, Woodingdean has become the main north-south cut-through. This has led to rat runs with vehicles speeding through narrow streets in the village causing a danger to people and pets.
- More pedestrian crossings are needed at various locations.
- Parking on pavements and grass verges – more double yellow lines are needed where this causes a danger. On roads where there is nowhere other than grass verges to park, grasscrete should be installed to protect the grass.
- Having a reliable bus service because of Woodingdean’s isolation.
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Conservative candidate Steve Bell, 67, is an office manager who is seeking re-election to the council.
He said: “I first stood to be a councillor when then the threat of turning Happy Valley into a traveller transit camp was on the table.
“Along with local residents, we managed to save Happy Valley for all of our residents to enjoy to this day.
“I wish to continue to protect and enrich all of our lives in the village by encouraging an active lifestyle and protect all of our green spaces.
“Having lived in Woodingdean since 2009, I want to preserve our way of life which is separate from that of Brighton and Hove.
“We have managed to stop parking permits, charges to our parks and keep open our only public toilet.
“I wish to build on our successes from tree planting, protecting our urban fridge from development and stand up for all residents on issues that they have concerns about.
“We are used as a detour route by Brighton to stop traffic using the Lewes Road. The new hospital traffic was diverted through Woodingdean.
“Also, we have the direct route from the A27 to the coast which creates rat runs and cars speeding along our roads.
“We need more pedestrian crossings in Bexhill Road, Cowley Drive Shops and Falmer Road.”
Labour candidate Jacqui Simon, 50, is a National Education Union official. Fellow Labour candidate Jacob Allen, 24, is a property and planning consultant. He is on Twitter @Jacob_Allen777.
They responded jointly saying: “Councillors are elected representatives who serve as a voice for their constituents.
“We both have a deep connection to the people and issues of Woodingdean and so feel well equipped to stand up for the village.
“Brighton and Hove City Council has a serious reputation problem following years of decline and I want to be a part of a fresh Labour administration that is confident, compassionate and competent in order to really deliver change and progress for the city.
“We were both born and raised in Woodingdean (Jacqui in 1974 and Jacob in 1998) and we are proud to live in this wonderful corner of Brighton.
“Jacob is active within the local community as a governor of Longhill High School and Jacqui is an organiser of Wooding-Clean.
“We both love our green spaces, our history and our vibrant community spirit.
“We both agree it would be an honour and a privilege to represent our Woodingdean neighbours on the council.
“The most common issue we hear about on the doorsteps of Woodingdean is public transport provision and traffic problems – two things which really go hand in hand.
“The Falmer Road and Warren Road are especially prone to gridlock.
“We have been championing the case for better quality and quantity of buses on existing routes and for the establishment of a new route connecting Woodingdean to the Marina, Falmer and Lewes which we have found to be a very popular proposal among the residents.”
Liberal Democrat candidate Ian Newman is an airline manager. He said: “I strongly believe the country desperately wants a change of direction in politics, with genuine down-to-earth candidates representing residents at local level as well as at national level.
“I believe as a Liberal Democrat, with Lib Dem principles, I can drive the change locally.
“This ward is only a mile away from where I live. I drive through it frequently and cycle across the downs from there so I’m aware of the surrounding areas and the communities within it.
“With two main roads intersecting at Woodingdean, traffic management is a major issue, most importantly for the safety of the residents.
“We must address noise and air pollution, control the speed of traffic and improve road maintenance.
“I’m concerned about the welfare of future generations, from education opportunities to after-school activities and safe roads. It should be viable for our children to continue living and working here and to be near family and friends.
“We face a property crisis, with limited inexpensive houses to rent and buy or poorly maintained and insulated rental property with unaffordable rents.”
The Green Party is fielding two candidates – Geraldine Keenan and Luke Walker.
What steps will you take to bring in park and ride?
Dee Simson said: “While park and ride in the east of the city could alleviate the traffic through Woodingdean, no suitable site has ever been located despite very many searches.”
Steve Bell said: “Park and ride is not for this part of Brighton and Hove. It’s more for the east of the city. We need more reliable bus services which will then encourage more people to use public transport rather than their car.”
Geraldine Keenan and Luke Walker said: “Park and ride was a recommendation of the climate assembly and we have been looking at ways it can be introduced such as our proposed experimental trial for Mill Road and the Park Active schemes introduced at three of our city’s car parks.
“The difficulty with park and ride is finding a site which doesn’t mean concreting over part of the South Downs National Park.
“It is disappointing that the Conservative government has failed to introduce a long-promised ban on pavement parking. In the absence of government action, Greens have acted.
“We introduced a trial localised ban in Elm Grove which was eventually agreed by councillors after Labour and Conservative councillors joined together to block it.
“We are also installing more cycle parking as a preventative measure and trialling using red routes.
“If these schemes work, we would seek to implement them elsewhere while the government delays a much-needed ban.”
Jacqui Simon and Jacob Allen said: “Labour’s manifesto and the Labour group’s corporate plan for 2020-23 contained plans to introduce feasibility studies for new park and ride schemes.
“Labour has tried to get these introduced but have been unable to get sufficient support from the Green administration, even though the funds were identified.
“The current unofficial scheme works well and could easily be expanded. New, smaller schemes could be brought on across the city quite quickly.
“An interim response, which has already begun, is to reduce charges in car parks at the weekend to encourage drivers to shorten journeys and move on by bus, foot or by bike, for example, from Norton Road car park.”
Ian Newman said: “Liberal Democrats in Brighton and Hove support the idea of a park and ride scheme.
“We have identified land off the Patcham roundabout on the A23. We believe the park should be landscaped into the South Downs National Park.
“It should be serviced by a fleet of small electric buses that provide a continuous service stopping only in central Brighton and central Hove.
“Such schemes work on the continent, see for example the French city of Arras. The service would be charged to motorists although it would need seed funding from central government.”
What will you do to stop people parking on pavements?
Dee Simson said: “I’ll continue to lobby for double yellow lines where parking on pavements is causing danger and have already had these painted in several places.
“On the verges, especially on roads where there is nowhere else to park, we have suggested and lobbied for grasscrete or rubber to be installed to allow the grass to grow through and to stop the damage caused by cars parking on them.”
Steve Bell said: “Sadly, Woodingdean when in planning, didn’t take into account multi-car households.
“So, in many of our roads, residents have to park on the pavements so emergency vehicles and bin collection lorries can gain access.
“In roads where access isn’t a problem, I do see sensible parking by residents.”
Jacqui Simon and Jacob Allen said: “Pavement parking is a barrier to accessibility in the city. Wheelchair users, parents with prams and anyone who wishes to avoid walking in the street should not be an afterthought when it comes to pedestrian infrastructure.
“Parking has always been a tricky issue in Brighton and Hove but we must be clear that parking in spaces earmarked for active travel is not a viable method of tackling the problem.
“We will explore the merits of a car-free city centre which in its conception will examine the issue of pavement parking.”
Ian Newman said: “Sadly, pavement parking is not illegal outside of London. We would support any proposal to change this law.
“Pavement parking is not only inconvenient and possibly dangerous for disabled pedestrians and people pushing prams, it damages those pavements so leading to further deterioration in what are already neglected surfaces.
“The council has an answerphone service for reporting illegally parked vehicles although I have no idea how effective this service is.”
What will you do to improve the number and quality of public toilets in the city?
Dee Simson said: “The insourced service brought in by Labour and Greens has failed. The council needs to look at re-contracting it so that a reliable service is provided to ensure there is availability for anyone needing them, especially in the city centre.”
Steve Bell said: “Sadly, Labour and Greens cancelled the 10-year contact for public toilets when it was only five years into the contact.
“They decided to bring this service in-house which escalated in costs and saw closures of many toilets.
“I would seek to outsource to a reliable contactor as we had previous which would improve the service, see toilets reopened and save all of our monies to be spent on better services.”
Geraldine Keenan and Luke Walker said: “Our public toilet refurbishment programme will see public toilets improved, with the first sites improved under this programme now open.
“We also won funding for new changing places toilets which are being built. We need to do more and this is why Greens put forward the funding to introduce a project manager who will look at finding new ways to fund toilet refurbishment and maintenance.”
Jacqui Simon and Jacob Allen said: “Public toilets are an important part of our infrastructure. They are crucial for the accessibility of the city, with toilets being used by families with young children, the disabled and the homeless.
“There are good case studies of well-maintained toilets in our city, with the ones on Rottingdean beach particularly springing to mind. We will continue to provide free public toilets and seek to refurbish and enhance any which meet the criteria of need.
Ian Newman said: “In the short term, the council should hire mobile toilets and site them close to existing but closed public toilets.
“In the longer term they should plan a refurbishment of the existing closed toilets, fitting automatic flush systems and have them regularly cleaned and inspected.”
Polling day is Thursday 4 May. Photo ID is required for those voting in person.
Best of luck to Jacqui and Jacob.