I have been one of your councillors for the last eleven years and during that time I have met many of you personally and have helped a number of you individually on council related matters. For seven of those years I have been a member of the Council’s Executive, giving Reigate Hill a voice in the Council’s main policy making committee. During that time most of my responsibilities have been in the back office, IT, personnel and management structures and finding better ways of working to improve efficiency without lowering the standards of service which you receive.

Locally I have worked with residents’ associations and my colleagues to preserve the character of Reigate Hill despite central government’s efforts to increase the density of housing and restrict the provision of off-road parking. I am not against new development but I believe firmly that it should be compatible with existing properties and should not lead to permanent on-street parking.

As you know, we are going through a period of severe financial constraint. Our Council has plans for many projects requested by residents but we need to be prudent financially and we recognise that the level of Council Tax is an issue for many people. Therefore we have to prioritise and this means making choices – some of which are unpalatable.

However, despite the deep recession, Reigate Hill remains one of the most desirable parts of the Borough in which to live and Reigate itself remains one of the most attractive and successful towns in the London commuter belt. Lets keep it that way! Please vote for me on Thursday 3rd May.