Here’s the candidate profile for Jill Hood, who is standing in the May 2023 elections. All candidates were asked ten core questions; then, there were specific questions depending on whether candidates were existing councillors or not.
All answers appear unedited, apart from maybe tweaks to formatting, as sent through by the candidates.
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- Candidate Name: Jill Hood
- Party: Stone Independents
- Election: Stone Town Council / Stafford Borough Council
- Ward: Walton South / Walton
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Core Candidate Questions
- Do you live in Stone and within the ward(s) you’re standing in? If not, what is your motivation for standing in Stone and not your own ward?
Yes, I live in Stone. I do not live in Walton South which is the ward I’m standing for in the town council election. I live in Walton North but have always treated the two wards as one area working for residents of both north and south irrespective of their politics .
- Are you involved in any Stone-based charities, schools, groups, sports clubs, etc.? If so, in what capacity?
I am chairman and trustee of Age Concern Stone & District, a trustee of Age UK Stafford, I am a member of the Stone Railhead Crisis Group, a trustee of Stone Common Plott, trustee of Crown Wharf Theatre, Chairman of Stone in Bloom and a School Governor at Pirehill First School.
- If elected, what will you, as a councillor, bring to the council?
I will listen and take the views and needs of residents and the community to council and represent those views in a fair, firm and honest manner.
I will continue to work with organisations, such as the police and schools and strive to improve services and the environment.
- How do you plan to engage with and represent the interests of all members of the Stone community, including those from diverse backgrounds or with differing opinions?
Stone is a close-knit community and word of mouth is a powerful tool in communicating with those who may be reluctant to ask for help. When someone is identified as struggling, I will approach them and treat them with respect and listen to their issues making sure they are being treated fairly and receiving the services they need and if not arranging it for them or signposting them to the relevant organisation.
There will always be people who have differing opinions and I’ve learned through experience it’s always good to listen to those opposite opinions as I can often learn something new and sometimes can help change decisions through their information.
Everyone must be treated as equal and their differences heard to have a positive impact on our community.
- . What do you think are the three most important issues facing the Stone Community and how do you plan to address them?
One of the bigger issues facing Stone is that play areas are totally inadequate for any age group especially teenagers. As the Stone member for Stafford Borough Council’s leisure board, I am proud to say that I have played a strong part in putting forward the wishes of Stone and the surrounding area’s residents of all ages, with the result now that the Westbridge Play facility and Leisure Park has been passed and construction will soon begin.
The state of the roads and in particular Walton Roundabout. After putting pressure on the Highways department and many discussions about how hazardous the roundabout is, officers have listened to me and work starts within the next few weeks.
Anti – Social behaviour is a problem. I would like to see a more visible presence of police officers and the culprits made to pay for the damage their behaviour causes. Anti- Social behaviour causes residents and visitors to the town to lose confidence in actually going into the town to shop or meet friends, with the knock-on effect of causing social isolation and a fall in the local economy.
- How do you propose to ensure that the local economy continues to thrive and support all local businesses?
Stone enjoys a vibrancy that many other towns fail to have I’m often asked why the town has so many coffee shops but I see it as a positive move as when you pop in for a coffee any time, they are full of people chatting, sitting with friends or business associates, this is good as they can help prevent social isolation which in turn is good for mental health, if we didn’t have them where would people go?
The new play area on Westbridge Park will see visitors coming to the town (for the first time) with their children and returning often as the facility will be an exciting safe area for all ages with teenagers using the wheeled sports area and families enjoying the riverside walks. Stone will continue to be known for its street parties and festivals though I feel that some of the events Stone Town Council put on in the town need freshening up. We need to create new events for all ages making sure they are fully inclusive and continue to be free and marketed well.
Events and festivals bring in crowds who want to spend, the council must encourage tourism and footfall to our town. We have a lot going for us with our mix of unique independent shops, and High Street chains not just in the High Street but in surrounding areas too.
Businesses doing well employ local people, local people spend their wages locally and want to live in the town as they see a vibrant and safe place to live and bring up their children.
- How do you plan to work with other members of the council to achieve your goals?
Councillors have an important role in planning, taking important decisions on local issues and deciding what is in the public interest, by engaging with residents to find out what is important to them. I will be an effective member of the council and join the working groups which I believe to be vital to improving the quality of life for residents.
I will vote using common sense and will not vote against the wishes which residents have expressed their strong views about. Councillors work to improve the quality of life for people within their area and make decisions about local issues. They have to decide what is in the public interest among a range of conflicting issues and views, a collection of councillors will have experience and interaction with residents in their wards and will share that with other members on working groups.
- How would you balance the needs of different groups and priorities when making budget decisions?
The town clerk is the councils qualified financial officer who organises the council with effective financial advice and ensures the council follows its legal duties in financial matters.
An overall annual budget is set and each chairman of the set groups asks for the amount they decide they need after having discussed within their sub-group.
The decision then goes to full council and all councillors vote for or against the set amount proposed. Each year circumstances will change for example the estates chairman may ask for a bigger budget to be set for a replacement boiler, or the environment will ask for more money for new paths to be set on Crown Meadow.
I would take the decision to vote FOR or AGAINST after listening to the chairman and deciding if there is a need to increase their budget. I always remember this is public money I am voting to use; I will always listen to town clerk but also let common sense prevail
- What is your position on local environmental issues, such as climate change, pollution, and waste management?
I constantly worry about climate change and pollution as it is a much bigger global picture than a local issue but if we all do our bit no matter how small then we can make a difference. I know that sewage is being fed into our River Trent which as a councillor I will fight to stop. I remember that factories would pump their waste into our rivers and would be fined heavily but now Severn Trent is knowingly pumping sewage into our River Trent and the local authorities are allowing it as though it’s ok, it is not ok.
I object most strongly to parents sitting waiting for their children outside schools with their engines running causing pollution and damaging air quality.
There is so much more as a council we can do and if elected I will become an active member of the Environment Committee. Our children can teach us more about waste management and their modern thinking must be noted and listened to.
- How will you ensure that your role as a councillor receives the required time and effort to carry it out effectively?
As a single parent for many years I learned to juggle work, child care and a home which gave me grounding to become a good organiser . I put great effort into everything I do and I will take advantage of all training sessions offered to new councillors which include effective time organisation. I am a conscientious individual and will always give 100% effort in my role as a councillor.
Candidate-Specific Questions:
- What five words would people who know you use to describe you?
Determined. Caring. Approachable. Trustworthy. Hardworking.
- As an already elected council member, what three things you are most proud of from your most recent term in office?
1.Helping set up the Stone Helpline. Being an active volunteer throughout Covid and to present day.
Being actively involved as a Stone Leisure and Play Area Board Member and knowing the development is imminent.
Crown Wharf Theatre
- Can you give an example of something that in hindsight you’d wish you’d tackled differently in the most recent term? What lessons did you learn from the experience?
With hindsight I would have made sure that everyone living within a reasonable distance from the newly erected PLP warehouse was notified of the proposed building application on Stone Business Park which I wrongly assumed would have happened as procedure.
This is a hard lesson to learn and one that will stay with me. 500 new jobs have been promised but this doesn’t help ease my regrets at the hideous sight of the building I pass by most days.
- How can candidates be classed as “independent” when they are all united as a group under a single political banner? How is this different from voting in line with a national political party?
As an Independent councillor I’m proud to say that we are all together as a likeminded group and definitely not governed by politics.
Yes, I belong to a group but I would never say we are united under a single political banner. There are often times when we have a discussion and no united decision is reached and we vote individually how we feel will benefit our town and ward, most of the time we will agree as we all care so much about our town and borough.
I cannot imagine being politically whipped and told how to vote, especially if I knew it was not for the good of my residents and ward. It appears the public are feeling fed up that the government seems to be out of touch with what is going on, politics is not working to help with the financial struggle that people are going through.
It must be a reflection of that feeling when our Independent group both for town and the borough has attracted so many new candidates to stand for Stone when I don’t see any queues for the political parties.
5. What’s your pledge to the people of Stone if you’re elected?
I will continue to work hard, listen to residents and use a common sense approach to benefit all age groups, the community and the town.
