Here’s the candidate profile for Philip Leason, 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: Philip Leason
- Party: Stone Independents / Stafford Borough Independents
- Election: Stone Town Council / Stafford Borough Council
- Ward: Stonefield & Christchurch / St. Michael’s and Stonefield
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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?
I live in the ward
- Are you involved in any Stone-based charities, schools, groups, sports clubs, etc.? If so, in what capacity?
I am a committee member of a number of organisations in Stone which are both service and charity based.
I have held the chairmanship of a number of them but have had to step down from them this year to my commitment on the borough council for 12 months
- If elected, what will you, as a councillor, bring to the council?
I am an experienced councillor. I know the workings of both the town council and the borough council. Due to my other activities in the town i am made aware of peoples concerns and improvements they want in the town
- 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?
I think that the most important thing is to listen to the concerns and opinions of local residents particularly to those with differing options. In the past this has been particularly true when dealing with planning issues whereby I was in favour of an application but having listened to the concerns of local residents I have changed my mind. It is important to take into consideration the opinions of all of the electorate before making a decision and thinking about how it will affect them. I have always made me email available and have always given my address instead of withholding it in case people want to write to me.
I look forward to continue to represent all the people of the ward regardless of their political views or differing opinions.
- What do you think are the three most important issues facing the Stone community, and how do you plan to address them?
Working with the police to address anti social behaviour.
By providing events organised by the town council to promote the town and increase footfall in the high street. To ensure that both the town and borough councils are economically run. Access government grants where possible - How do you propose to ensure that the local economy continues to thrive and support all local businesses?
I will continue to support the officers of the council in obtaining grants to help the local economy grown and thrive. I fully supported the application for the Shared Prosperity Grant which awarded the new Crown Wharf theatre £500K. I feel that the theatre will be an real asset for the town and can be used to increase the numbers of visitors to the town and thereby increase the footfall to support local shops. I will continue to support the work that Stone Town Council does to promote the town and put on events.
- How do you plan to work with other members of the council to achieve your goals?
I would work with other members of the council by sharing ideas and putting pressure on the cabinet of the controlling party and officers of the council. Hopefully by working with other councillors for Stone (regardless of their political party – when you read the election leaflets of all the candidates they all want the same thing for the town) to achieve the best for Stone.
- How would you balance the needs of different groups and priorities when making budget decisions?
By making sure that what they proposed were economic
- What is your position on local environmental issues, such as climate change, pollution, and waste management?
I fully support the Borough Councils aim to become carbon neutral by 2040, but hopefully this can be achieved before then. I would like to see the recycling scheme extended to include food waste.
I would also like to see more environmental conditions added to planning applications.
- How will you ensure that your role as a councillor receives the required time and effort to carry it out effectively?
Being an existing councillor i know the time and effort that the work requires to be an efficient councillor
Candidate-Specific Questions:
- What five words would people who know you use to describe you?
Friendly, Committed, Approachable, Knowledgeable, Dependable
- As an already elected council member, what three things you are most proud of from your most recent term in office?
Working with others on the project to set up a Heritage Centre. Meeting with various advisors etc. to insure that everything meets the requirements of the users before employing a contractor. Being pleased that work is about to start on the project.
Supporting the transfer of the money from the old Town Hall Charity to the new theatre at Crown Wharf. Fully supporting the project which I feel will be a great asset to Stone
Helping several local residents with their planning applications or objections to applications which lead to successful conclusions
- 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?
Being a Councillor (particularly a Borough Councillor) is not a question of attending a couple of meetings a month. To do the job correctly it involves a great deal of reading, research, discussions with officers etc. On one occasion at the Town Council we had an application from an organisation for a grant. I thought I knew the work of what they did and did not support the application and indeed spoke against it. It was only after meeting a resident who had been helped by them through their outreach work that I realised I did not know fully about their work. In future if I am unsure about an organisation I will research it to make sure I fully understand its work and how it benefits residents
- 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?
By being independent i am not governed by any political doctorine. By being able to question council spending
- What’s your pledge to the people of Stone if you’re elected?
If elected I look forward to serving all the people of stone
