Here are the candidates’ appeals for your votes in the St Michael’s ward.

These six candidates all want to represent the St Michael’s ward on Stafford Borough Council and they have written these messages specially for A Little Bit of Stone.

Two of them will be elected represent the St Michael’s ward.

Please feel free to comment and ask questions of the candidates at the bottom of this post.

LLOYD BROWN

LABOUR PARTY

This election is your chance to give your verdict on what the Tory-led Government is doing at a national level and how their decisions are impacting on you, your family and your community. You have an opportunity to send them a message that you are unhappy with the choices they are making. The Tories have taken Stone for granted for far too long and a defeat in a ward such as St Michael’s would send the strongest possible message that they need to think again.

I am, of course, also aware that you need to be sure that you are voting for someone who will work as hard as they can for our ward, so let me give you a few of the reasons why I hope you will consider voting for me.

• Unlike the two Tory candidates and the Independent candidate in this election, I live in St Michael’s ward. If you need to speak to me, I won’t be far away.
• For the past two-and-a-half years I have worked for the Member of Parliament for Stoke-on-Trent South, dealing with constituents’ problems and fighting to get them a fair deal. I have a track record of getting things done.
• I have provided multiple ways for residents to get in contact with me on all my leaflets as I want you to have a number of ways of getting in touch. I passionately believe that the first responsibility of a local representative is to be accessible and approachable to all residents.

I believe we should be looking at ways to encourage investment into Stone. We live in a fantastic town, one in which I have settled and where ultimately I want to bring up a family of my own in the future.

I want to see thriving businesses across our town, facilities for young people, and quality public services at the heart of our communities. I want to see our festivals and markets supported and expanded and our transport links improved. I want our Borough and Town Councils to work as efficiently as possible for the benefit of everyone. I can only work towards these goals with your support on May 5th.

Being angry about the current state of affairs isn’t enough. I believe that we cannot simply sit back and allow these cuts to be imposed without opposition and I am passionate about ensuring that our voice in St Michael’s is heard. Now is the time for you to stand up and make an impact on the decisions that will affect your future and the future of our community. Two minutes of your time will get you four years of mine.

I hope you can consider lending me your support and if you have any questions please either get in touch – if you haven’t got one of my leaflets to hand then you will be receiving another shortly – or leave a comment on this article. I’ll do my best to respond as quickly as possible.

GEOFF COLLIER

CONSERVATIVE PARTY

I have lived in and around Stone Town all my life. I was educated in Stone and have worked in Stone for 46 years. I have run my own business for 36 years and for the last 26 years have been proprietor of Stonefield Garage.

I love my town and have had the pleasure and privilege of serving the town as both a Town and Borough Councillor. Seven years ago I was lucky and honoured to be elected as Stone Town Mayor and together with my wife Cathy we were introduced to all the leading citizens and various voluntary organisations and groups in the town. This gave me an opportunity to promote and assist these hard working and dedicated groups of individuals to achieve some of their goals.

As a member of the Planning and Regeneration committee and Development Control committee, I have endeavoured to restrain over development in Stone, although this has sometimes been overruled by previous National Government Policies. I have been an active member of Stone in Bloom, helping to ensure Stone remains a beautiful place to both live and work.

St Michaels Ward is a quiet, semi-rural residential area and needs to be retained as such. Unfortunately we are plagued by the railway crossing which seems to have no easily planned solution, although I played a major part in the improvement in the traffic flow, by proposing a filter lane for traffic progressing along the Lichfield Road, which was adopted. My aim is to continue pressure to remove the Priory Road garages, I will succeed.

We need ‘Doggy Bins’ on public open spaces. My colleague and I have lobbied our Borough Cabinet Member for a dog fouling campaign. I hope to carry on my work and achieve much more with your support on May 5th.

Thank you.

LIN DAVIES

INDEPENDENT

Lin has lived in St Michael’s Ward and the Stone area since 1992, has represented the Ward on Stone Town Council from 2000 and is proud to have been Town Mayor in 2003/4.

From 2003 to 2007 Lin represented the Ward on Stafford Borough Council and fought to ensure that the voice of Stone was heard clearly on planning and other matters and not constrained by a Party straightjacket.

She continues her active involvement with youth groups in the Town and she attends St Saviour’s Church, Aston, with Jim her husband.

Lin says: “On your behalf I will continue to resist large-scale or intensive residential development that would overload road capacity, education and medical services.

“I will make representations on road safety and traffic congestion, particularly regarding access to Aston Lodge and traffic feeding into the one-way system from Lichfield Road and Lichfield Street.

“We all know the pressure on Council Tax payers. I will make sure that the Borough Council spends our money wisely and that Stone receives its fair share of Borough services.

“I share people’s concerns over future policing arrangements. I will strive for Stone to receive the Police presence the Town needs.

“I will listen to you and act on your behalf, whatever your political allegiance.”

ANDREW ILLSLEY

UK INDEPENDENCE PARTY

Andrew has been a resident of Stone for more than 22 years. He is a grandfather with 2 grown up children and is now a business consultant, having spent over 35 years in industry with responsibility for the overseas business of a local ceramics manufacturer.

Fed up with the Con/Dem coalition and Labour? Stone deserves a change.

I am standing because I believe that the people of Stone have been ignored by their councilors for too long. Local people need an independent voice that will stand up and listen to individual concerns.

As your local councilor I will vigorously campaign to bring back weekly bin collections, protect, not cut public services like putting more police on the streets, give real decision making to local communities, like putting peoples wishes first to:

• improve care for the elderly
• develop youth services
• keeping central government out of local government
• let the people decide on major planning schemes such as supermarkets by referenda
• expecting councilors to put people’s needs first not party dogma
• preserve our public library
• improve routing for public transport
• replacing vat with a local sales tax, with a proportion going direct to councils.

Local government is under attack. Central government is insisting councils slash their services to the people they represent. Greedy council executives are paying themselves vast salaries while slashing front line services, like social care, youth services, transport road and repairs.

The politically correct brigade have run riot and imposed EU directives, such as how to throw away your rubbish, leave bin unemptied for weeks. You pay. You suffer.

For more than 10 years UKIP have argued that power should be taken from those who control us in Brussels and given to you and our councils. If we left the EU we would save £48m a day and be able to power and wealth back where it belongs – in your hands, not theirs.

We are the only party that tells the people how we are going to pay for our spending commitments.

UKIP is on the march, we have 4 County Councilors, 2 more than Labour, and almost a million people voted for us in the last general election and recently received more votes than the Con/Dems in the Barnsley by election.

Andrew will be a value for money councilor by not claiming expenses while exposing those that milk the system.

Another Labour, Conservative or Lib Dem councilor won’t make a difference.

So let’s put the people first and vote UKIP on May 5th!

KIM JONES

LABOUR PARTY

I live with my wife Gwynneth in Stone, where I have lived and brought up my family for the past 25 years. In April 2010 I took redundancy as Head of Staffordshire Youth Service. The Youth Service in Staffordshire was nationally recognised as being one of the best in the country (Ofsted inspections and national audits) one of the strengths were the number of young people having a voice through local youth forums and engaging in democratic processes. I now work in Stone part time for the Royal Mail.

The majority of my working life has been spent working with community groups and young people. In fact for many of those years I worked locally at Stone Youth Centre where with a team of part time staff and volunteers established thriving youth provision (hundreds of young people attending local Youth Clubs) in Stone and surrounding rural area.

I was also responsible in providing local opportunities for adult and community learning delivered through local schools and Community Centres. I have been involved in a numerous events and organisations over the years including establishing local junior soccer league and managing local football teams for many years, a former member of the Stone Festival committee, an ex parent governor at Alleynes High School and a committee member of Bibby’s Angling Club.

I have also raised thousands of pounds for local and national charities. Thus I believe that I have an understanding of the needs of St. Michael’s and its residents as well as good experience and knowledge of how Local Authorities work. Added to this many years of experience in empowering and supporting community groups.

If fortunate to be elected I will be an active and committed member getting “out and about” listening to all residents, striving to improve the local environment and opportunities for all in St.Michaels. I will make the strongest possible case against the disproportionate and unfair housing proposals for Stone. In addition any community funding ( Community infrastructure levy ) accruing from developments needs to be discussed with residents where the development takes place not by removed politicians and bureaucrats.

There has to a push towards affordable housing and creation of jobs and work experience. Any proposals to develop Westbridge Park must be open and transparent. I am against commercial developments that would lead to a reduction and diminishing of open spaces and play areas. Our parks and streets need to be clean and safe amenities for everyone to enjoy.

We have to do more for young people with rising youth employment there has to be policies that raise their aspirations and make them feel part of their community. There are skills that can be transferred from older people with years of experience and knowledge to young people through inter generational projects. I will fight for clear and honest decision making in Stafford .

If you feel as passionate as I do about our community then please give me your support on May 5th.

PHILIP JONES

CONSERVATIVE PARTY

I have lived in Stone with my wife Morag, who was Town Mayor in 1992, for over 40 years. Our three children went to local schools and did very well. I am a Governor of St. Michaels School and of Alleyne’s School and I am mostly interested in academic standards as I want all Stone children to get the same good start in life as ours had.

I work in Stoke but am very glad to get back home to Stone knowing what a great place it is to live. My motivation as a Councillor is to keep it that way.

I have been one of your Councillors for the past 4 years. I have opposed garden-grabbing developments which reduce the values of neighbours’ properties; I worked towards sorting out the congestion on Lichfield Road and the replacement of the roundabout at Uttoxeter Road and campaigned for the restoration of train services from Stone.

I have argued the case for speed indicator devices on the roads by our schools – the ones at St. Michaels have now been installed and others will follow. I have given my support to voluntary groups for people and animals. I supported the grant of planning permission for housing on the former factory site at Bibby. This will mean that Stone’s quota of new housing is largely complete so I will oppose any further development particularly on the edges of Aston Lodge and Brassworks Farm.

Together with the rest of Stone the task for St. Michaels is to preserve the character of our market town, as a quiet community with good educational, health and other services.

I hope that you will give me your support.