Jill Hood – Independent Stone Urban County Council Candidate

Below is the candidate profile for Jill Hood, an independent candidate for the Staffordshire County Council Stone Urban seat.

This profile has been added to our Candidate Profiles page on our 2021 election hub – click here to see more candidate profiles.

Answers to the questions aren’t edited, other than for formating, and are therefore the candidates own words.

In your own words tell our readers about yourself

I share my home on the Fillybrooks with my husband of 21 years, my daughter, 6 year old Grandson and our dog. I consider Stone my home and enjoy its incredibly strong community spirit. I love helping to arrange and taking part in the Stone Town Council events in the Town.

My main hobby is volunteering with Stone in Bloom as there’s always something to do and we make a positive difference to the appearance of the Town. I enjoy camping once a year at the Fairford Air Show. I consider myself to be attentive, hardworking, enthusiastic, and honest with a strong sense of humour.  I admire the energy that young people put into everything they do and love to see the respect they show our older generation. I have marvelled at how people have coped during the pandemic in very stressful circumstances.  I care deeply about my Town and my fellow residents and I’m proud to be a part of it.

What’s your personal statement about why you’re standing and what you want to achieve over the term if elected?

I have 14 years’ experience as a councillor and believe it is important to work first as a Town Councillor, then as a Stafford Borough Councillor, before progressing to County Councillor. The experience you gain on the journey is vital to dealing effectively with the many issues that come your way. I’m standing for re-election as I feel confident that I can continue to deliver improvements for Stone and its residents.

I will make sure that Stone gets part of the £3 billion bus strategy fund so we can bring in people to spend locally to boost the local economy. Residents will travel cheaper, more frequently and on easier to use greener buses. This will go a long way towards easing social isolation for many.

I believe that all Stone schools should receive financial support to ensure “Lost Learning” is recovered. I also want children with Special Educational Needs and Disability to have full educational inclusion in their nearest school rather than have to travel out of Staffordshire.

I will continue to scrutinise the level of investment allocated to Stone to ensure residents receive full value for their taxes paid and that the services are delivered effectively and efficiently and I will encourage and support the Post Covid economic recovery and growth.

On several of the newly built housing developments in Stone, residents are left with an unfinished estate with hazardous roads and pavements. I will lobby the County Council to impose conditions and financial penalties on developers who drag their feet in completing their work.

I am deeply concerned about the under-resourced mental health services that are struggling to help a queue of clients and can only offer appointments often weeks away from first contact and then often via tick box telephone interviews. I will continue to address this serious problem through the Health Select Committee.

First Responders deliver an essential local service in Stone and can be the link between life, death and recovery for Stroke victims as they are first on the scene. As a member of the Staffordshire Health Committee, I was appalled to find out they have been stripped of their blue lights and certain life-saving drugs by West Midlands Ambulance Authority and want this situation reversed.

I promised to get rid of the temporary splitter island at the bottom of the High Street as I believe that it creates rather than reduces congestion.  Due to the pandemic and Morrison’s recent planning application to improve access and exit through signalisation, Highways officers have asked me to wait until they re-evaluate congestion under the “new normal” conditions. I will pursue its removal, improve traffic flow and restore the ability for processions like our Carnival to pass down the High Street

In one part of Stone, a row of terraced homes was flooded and through the hard work of officers, residents, agencies and County Highways, we found the problem and stopped the flooding. It was an excellent result. Sadly, there are homes in another area of Stone which flood when it rains heavily. I am working again with all agencies and residents to find out why it occurs and to find solutions.

How does standing as a political party candidate affect serving local people on local issues?

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For 4 years I have been the only Independent amongst 61 Labour and Conservative County Councillors. I listen to debate and vote using common sense whilst making decisions that always put the Town, businesses, schools and residents first. I have the freedom to judge proposals on their merits rather than being forced to toe a party-political line. I was a member of a number of ‘all party’ working groups: Climate Change, Social Exclusion and Loneliness where I was able to use local knowledge to benefit our residents. I will always have the best interests of Stone in mind and always seek the views of those who will be affected.

Do you live in the area you’re standing for, if not what’s your link to Stone and your reason for standing in this area and not your own?

By a quirk of the electoral boundaries I now live a few yards inside the Stone Rural Division, across the road from the division I will be standing for as a candidate.   If we’re both elected, the Independent candidate for Stone Rural and I will work closely together for the benefit of the whole of Stone Town.

What’s been your history as a political councillor?

I have worked 14 years as an elected Stone Independent Town Councillor, 10 years as an Independent Stafford Borough Councillor for Walton, and for 4 years as the Independent Councillor for Staffordshire County Council – Stone Urban division.

Apart from family commitments what other commitments do you have on your time? This could be work, business, voluntary or community roles- if these are linked to organisations in Stone then please mention it.

• Stone in Bloom Chairman active volunteer
• Age Concern Stone & District. Chairman and Volunteer
• Stone Helpline.  Volunteer
• Crown Wharf Theatre. Volunteer.
• The Common Plott. Stone Town Council Rep.
• The Stone Neighbourhood Plan.  Chairman, Working Group Member.
• St Michaels Hall. Trustee
•  Pirehill First School. School Governor.
• The Hub. Outside Body Rep Stone Town Council
• Crown Wharf Heritage Centre.  Working Group Member Stone Town Council. Volunteer.
• Stone Railhead Crisis Group. Volunteer.
• Tourism and Town Promotion.  Stone Town Council. Chairman and Volunteer.
• 50 + Lunch Club.  Active Eater and Volunteer Age Concern Stone
• Little Bears. Trustee
  

What are the top 5 issues that you think affect the residents of Stone currently.

(In no particular order)

1. Highways Maintenance: roads, pot holes, gullies, drains and flooding.
2. Post Pandemic Recovery: poverty, unemployment, finances, health and well-being, social care, difficulties contacting doctors surgeries, lack of face-to-face Mental Health Crisis Care Services under-resourced and under staffed in a time when there is a rise in mental health problems. People are not getting the help they need.
3.  A more visible Police presence is required. Residents need to feel safe.
4. Educational Support: for ‘catch up learning’ in every Stone School.
5. Local Green Spaces and Quality Play Facilities: land being sold off by Stafford Borough Council and the ongoing lack of play facilities.

How will you keep in touch with your constituents’ concerns?

I am always available to meet face to face or to contact by mobile, landline or social media.

If you’re an incumbent candidate then what’s been 3 things you’re most proud of in your latest term.

There are a list of improvements that have been made – but those relating to County Council activities of which I am most pleased are:

Church Street becoming One-Way as a first step to easing the congestion caused by traffic queuing from Christchurch Way. The queues on Lichfield Road have also eased as a result.

That the homes on Cross Street are no longer subject to regular flooding.

Work done to ease the difficulties experienced as a result of the Pandemic, especially Volunteering with Age Concern (Stone & District) and the Stone Help Line.

I have to include my voluntary work with Stone Help Line and Age Concern. I have met many lonely and vulnerable people needing help with various problems. I have also met shielding residents who needed transport to hospital and vaccination centres and help with their shopping.  I think of it as: some needed a lift and others needed lifting. I have made new friends and I’m humbled to have met them. Some of the people helped would not have been identified as lonely and socially isolated if the pandemic had not happened. I intend to continue to work with agencies to find those of all ages who are in need of help and companionship.