I’ve been privileged to represent Pluckley, Little Chart and Charing Heath on Ashford Borough Council since 2007. Boundary changes brought Hothfield into the new ward of Upper Weald in 2019 and I am delighted to be standing again as your candidate on May 4th.
Over the past 16 years I have worked closely with parish councils to protect our villages from excessive and unsuitable development, whilst at the same time endeavouring to keep our rural communities thriving and sustainable.
I have used my ward member grant to support a variety of local causes and projects, including improvements to recreation grounds, sports and play facilities, speed reduction measures, a mental health charity, events to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee and the setting up of Pluckley Nature Reserve. I was especially pleased to be able to offer significant funding to help Wealden Wheels survive the challenges of the Covid pandemic.
The household waste and recycling collection service is one of the borough council’s most important services and I want to ensure that the high standards we have come to expect from our current contractor are maintained in the future. I also want to see us redouble our efforts to crack down on litter and fly-tipping enforcement. And although potholes are not the responsibility of Ashford Borough Council, I know they are a source of great frustration, and I will continue to press for more action on this and work closely with our county councillor on other county issues.
My husband and I have lived in the Weald since we married over 30 years ago and have 3 grown up children. I am passionate about our area and believe that, despite the challenging financial times, it should always be our aim as your local council to deliver high quality services, whilst keeping the tax burden on residents as low as possible.
