Steve Walley, chairman of the Stone Town Conservatives, has been elected to the vacant Stonefield and Christchurch seat for Stone Town Council.
Steve won Thursday’s by-election by securing 670 votes, 44.05% of the vote, from his two challengers – independent Amber Mottershead 514 votes (33.79%) and Labour’s Mike Osborne-Town 337 votes (22.16%).
Steve, who lives on Oulton Road with his family, fought a campaign based on his business and personal skillset, telling A Little Bit of Stone why he was standing:
“I’ve always liked to fill my life with as much as possible and when I see a situation where I think I can help, it’s just not in my nature to walk on by. So why am I standing? I’m standing because Stone Town Council NEEDS new ideas and the people with the competence to deliver them. If I am elected to the Town Council I will bring ideas, energy and competence and I will make a positive difference.”
Going on to say:
“I am standing on six local issues which are covered later in this article but to sum it up, my ambition is to see Stone realise its potential as the number one place to live and work in Staffordshire.”
Stone Town Council is made up of 18 seats, 5 allocated to the Stonefield and Christchurch ward, Steve becomes the first elected Conservative since the previous Conservative councillors all lost their seats in the 2019 town elections when all 18 seats were taken by members of the Stone Independent Group.
In just over 18 months Steve and his team at the Stone Town Conservatives have been working hard to refresh the local party, and to bring back local Conservative councillors to represent the town and it looks like his hard work has paid off.
When asked about the 5 key issues Steve outlined to A Little Bit of Stone his priorities:
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- Reducing Crime & Antisocial Behaviour
Crime has to be the top priority. Stone is not a particularly crime ridden district but what we have seen recently is unacceptable. Above all else, people have to feel that they, their family and their property is safe. We need a better flow of intelligence and greater transparency of police activity in the town. If elected, I will build stronger links between Stonefield & Christchurch residents, the chief inspector and the Stone neighbourhood policing team. I’ll also join the Safer Neighbourhood Panel and act as the liaison between residents and the police.
- Restoring the High Street
The High Street has been on the slide for a while. It needs re-thinking. In a nutshell, we need to identify what it will take to get the people of Stone regularly visiting the High Street in bigger numbers. We also need to identify how we get people from places like Stafford, Blythe Bridge and Trentham choosing to visit Stone and spend their money here. We all keep hearing about the death of the High Street. Nothing could be further from the truth in my eyes, we just need to create the conditions that will make more people want to visit Stone High Street.
- Better Facilities For Children
The facilities for kids in Stone are not good enough. Phase 2 of Westbridge Park is very late which is extremely disappointing but we have poor facilities across the town. What are Stone’s elected councillors actually doing about it? We need to urgently identify the facilities needed, get them costed up and then decide how we prioritise and pay for them. Stone needs its own plan for better children’s play facilities and if elected I will be looking to create a plan for Stonefield & Christchurch.
- Protecting Our Green Spaces
We need to protect and preserve our green spaces. I am passionate about this and will fight to make sure that Stone doesn’t lose any more green space. The best way to protect green space is to use it more. We need to raise awareness of and promote the activities that take place on our green spaces. Not just team sports but other activities like fishing, bike riding, walking, outdoor exercise, or canoeing. Stone could and should be a regional centre for outdoor activities and our Town Council should be leading this drive with a creative outdoor tourism strategy.
- Better Physical and Mental Health
Emerging from Covid, physical and mental health needs to be a top priority. Luckily, we have the perfect tonic and its right on our door step in our amazing green and blue spaces. We need to encourage and support residents of all ages to live healthier lifestyles and the best way to do this is for people to get active and spend more time outdoors. Wouldn’t it be great to see Stone’s version of Joe Wickes on Westbridge Park coaching kids at the weekends, or the local version of Ray Mears doing wildlife tours along the banks of the River Trent? Perhaps walking football for some of our elderly residents. Just a few ideas there but the list is endless. I’m not advocating a Town Council that interferes in the way we live our lives and It should be individuals’ choice, but local authorities can help by ensuring that the best facilities are available.
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A by-election is different to a regular election as the term that the candidate has been elected for is the remaining term of the election cycle, in this case, May 2023. Steve has set out some ambitious plans to achieve in the next two years and we look forward to seeing how Steve sets about taking these forward.
Congratulations to Steve and the Stone Town Conservative team.
