Wilmslow candidates announced for Borough election

It's a privilege to be nominated again to stand as one of the Conservative Party candidates for Wilmslow West and Chorley ward. As a Wilmslow resident for all but 18 months of my life, it means a lot to me to again be given the chance to represent Wilmslow on Cheshire East. I am very much forward looking forward to continuing to work with Ellie and my fellow Town Council candidates.

I'm delighted to have been chosen to represent Wilmslow West & Chorley in the upcoming borough election. Many residents will know me from the Town Council and I can assure all I will continue to work for the Ward and for Wilmslow with the same enthusiasm I have given to the Town over the last 4 years. Gary and I have spoken to many of you already and we recognise your concerns and will always try our best to resolve issues and work with residents.

I will be delighted if the Independent and Residents of Wilmslow get the opportunity to break the monopoly.

I agree Chris and if the monopoly is broken, it will give Wilmslow people a voice which has been sadly lacking in recent years.

Sandra and Chris, your thoughts are exactly in tune with Residents of Wilmslow's.

For far too long the Conservative Party, both within the town and across Cheshire East has believed that it knows better than its residents, despite the proof that it doesn't.
Time after time the Cheshire East Conservative councillors have let their electorate badly and sadly down.

Adlington Rd - at a public meeting (20/4/12) at Dean Row Village Hall, the Conservative leader of the council, Cllr Michael Jones, with Cllr Paul Whiteley (Dean Row) on the stage with him, assured the packed hall that the Adlington Rd site would not be developed.
Then we arrive at the CE council meeting on the 27th Feb 13, to decide on whether the Council's Local Plan should be approved to go forward before an Examiner. An amendment was tabled to delete various Green Belt & greenfield sites from the LP, including Wilmslow's Royal London, Upcast Ln, Prestbury Rd spur, even Handforth East, all Green Belt, plus Adlington Rd, "safeguarded". On a named vote each councillor was called by name to express his/her vote on the amendment. All Wilmslow's present Conservative councillors, Menlove (East ward), Whiteley (Dean Row ward) and Barton (West ward) voted AGAINST the amendment, thereby approving eventual development on these sites. They voted against the freely expressed will of the voters via CEs own Wilmslow Vision canvas - Adlington Rd 84% No to development ; Royal London 75% against, Upcast Ln 89% against etc. Overwhelming "No" to each site but our Conservative councillors chose putting their party before the public.

This very day, Saturday, Cllr Jones has been canvassing on behalf of Cllr Whiteley in Dean Row - the very Cllr Jones who assured the Dean Row audience that Adlington Rd was safe in his hands, the very same Cllr Whiteley who voted against the amendment that would have saved Adlington Rd from development.

Would you wish to trust any of these councillors, Menlove, Whiteley and Barton, to act on your behalf for yet another term?

The Residents of Wilmslow strongly believe our Conservative CE councillors have not only let us down but have deceived the voters. RoW is committed to putting our voters, our fellow Wilmslow residents first, our firm maxim is Public Before Party, unlike the Conservative Party's candidates at next month's election who believe the party must come first. As they've proven.

With your help we will break this local Conservative majority -
VOTE RoW for David Jefferay (East ward) and Toni Fox (Dean Row ward).

Time we had UKIP

Thanks for the support folks.

We'll do our best but it's upto the residents. Hopefully there's enough desire for a change towards a more balanced council.

@ Manuel........A timely factual reminder of local issues.. but lets not also forget Lyme Green ( asleep on their watch ) Local plan expenditure....(ongoing ) parking.., amongst some of the other issues.....wasting our tax dollars and failing to listen to the electorate....
Good luck to R.o W.

Missed the excitement in Dean Row today - Michael Jones will be very busy if he is to canvas in support of Conservative candidates who have voted away green sites across the whole of Cheshire East in his Local Plan.

So busy on Wilmslow East this weekend working in support of David Jefferay, Residents of Wilmslow. Everyone seems aghast at what they see happening on Adlington Road and want to talk about it. They now are left in no doubt what safeguarding means. They now know that what is happening on Adlington Road today, with 204 houses now under construction, will happen on their land tomorrow: Land behind Upcast Lane, Cumber Lane and Lindow Fold Drive, and land to the south of Prestbury relief Road, both sites being taken out of the Green Belt for safeguarding in the so far failed Local Plan. And we are told there is more to come as the Government Inspector suggests even more houses need to be built in our area so as to accommodate even more growth.

Interesting so many candidates are lining up in Wilmslow West - so much safeguarded land and so much more that is wetting the appetites of developers. Guess our local Conservatives will tell us on the doorstep they will fight to protect further erosion of the Green Belt but will then support the party line when the revised Local Plan is put to the vote. Even more interesting is that a Labour Government will double the number of houses being built in this round. Along with the Greens all of these candidates have a party whip to obey. Thus, as a resident of Wilmslow West and an avid supporter of Residents of Wilmslow I am looking forward to meeting these candidates on my doorstep and enlightening them as to why the people of Wilmslow need to vote Independent on 7th May if they wish to have their views represented when it comes to the vote in the Town Council and more importantly when it comes to the vote at county level.

I really cannot figure out how Whiteley, Menlove and Barton G dare to put themselves up for re-election after their voting to remove Green Belt protection from land around Wilmslow; ignoring the expressed wishes of the overwhelming majority of residents in the "Wilmslow Vision" fiasco.
P Barton, on this website, declared his intention to stand for CEC but has, perhaps, thought better of it, given his drubbing in the WTC by-election. No doubt the fabulous Barton boys will be seeking re-election to WTC; I am confident that non-party alternative candidates will be available.

My best wishes to Fox, (Brown), Jeffreray and Cash

What recent events have shown is that Cheshire East is anything but "our council". Rather it has become distant from those it is supposed to represent. It has allowed its officials to treat residents with disdain - soon to be more so when residents interface with the council goes digital. Lyme Green - couldn't be bothered to grant themselves planning permission; Adlington Road, disposed of before the Local Plan made, because they could not be certain the Inspector would accept the case for its use when so many brownfield sites existed, and besides, it was the only way they could make a case for selling off their own land at Handforth. Sadly, Councillors once respected, have failed to oppose any of this, loyally towing the indefensible party line. On this basis, Cheshire East desperately needs new, independent people who will challenge, and exercise proper democratic control over officials, and ensure that all interested groups are kept equally at arms length.

Pete, may I bring you up to date - Phil Barton has decamped to Handforth, standing as one of two Tory candidates in the Cheshire East election. What we saw, read and heard during the WTC Dean Row by election in 2013, should have red signals flashing in Handforth!

Cannot imagine why any thinking Handforth Conservative would even consider voting for these two, with their track records, with the track records of the Wilmslow Conservative Cheshire East councillors. Look at Wilmslow's three, Menlove, Whiteley amd Barton , and ask Mr. Mrs. Miss Handforth Resident, do I/we want a repeat of yet more Conservative Party hacks i.e. voting fodder?

Handforth has two fantastic Independent councillors in Barry Burkhill and Dennis Mahon, who always put their constituents concerns and views to the forefront, unlike as the Conservatives have done and will, no doubt, continue at CE to put their party's dictats before their voters' concerns.

By the way, I am a life long Tory, from the age of 6 or 7, and that goes back a long way, been very much involved with the Conservative Party for many decades, have friends who have been advisors to Tory PMs, some having made it to the Lords, but am appalled at the way our local CE councillors act as sheep under the party's whip. Locally it is time for Independents in the hope they, with enough elected, will rattle the Tory cage.

Thanks Pete et al for your best wishes to all Wilmslow Independent candidates.
A quick check of CEC website, before it crashed over the weekend, indicated approx. 30 Independent or like-minded candidates will contest 30 seats in 22 of the 52 Wards (totalling 81? seats) across CEC.
As the adage says, 'It is now up to the voters to decide (the composition of the next CEC)'. 30 Independents would be a good start.

Dear voter. Just in case you are reading this and are undecided on how to vote. As a Green Party Councillor, I will not be governed by the party whip. That's the old politics. I will judge each issue on it's merits according to my principals: I am in favour of anything the makes for a fairer society; I am against anything that trashes the planet.

There are 30 Green Party candidates for Cheshire East Council. The more of us you elect, the more we can work together for change. Please think seriously about voting Green – this election is our best chance to challenge the old order propped up by the first-past-the-post two-party system. Vote for the party you really support, and you will – at least – send the Green message to the people in power. At best, together YOU CAN get Green councillors elected.

We want Wilmslow to become an even better place to live. We will work to preserve and enhance green spaces and to remove and prevent litter and mess. We will encourage local schools to work together, and reduce pressure on pupils to jump through unnecessary hoops. Green councillors will press for better services for older people and disadvantaged people. We will press the council to keep public services within the council, and to pay council employees a living wage.

Whilst Richard Barraclough is to be applauded for participating in the democratic process, I would like to make a few pointed points to himself and the East Ward electorate.
Residents of Wilmslow has been battling for the past three and more years with Cheshire East Council's leadership and officials over their overwhelming planning bias in favour of unsubstantiated local needs for both housing and commercial developments on the town's and surrounding areas Green Belt. RoW has researched all possible brownfields for any required development. RoW records every planning application including windfalls. Our records are now sent to CE planners to assist them in these areas, the areas which they never appear to be up to date on.
RoW is not against development, only against all attacks by developers on our Green Belt. We welcome all new builds on brownfield sites. We have exhorted CE to encourage developers to use these brownfield sites and to keep and record all the town's windfall developments.
It was RoW that successfully lobbied Cheshire East to reduce the town's original fate of some 1200 new homes to be built during the proposed Local Plan period, 2010 to 2030, down to around 400. Our records show Wilmslow is on course for around 700 new homes during this period, without despoiling Green Belt, but by way of windfalls and some use of brown sites.
Whilst RoW has been fighting Wilmslow's corner, where has Mr Barraclough and his Green Party been hiding? We never heard a word of support from them, even though they profess to be "green", and what better green to support than protecting the Green Belt
Unlike both the Conservative and Green parties. RoW does not have a party hierarchy, we do not have a political agenda (as both the others do, even if the Greens care to say otherwise). One only has to look at both these parties agendas, locally anyway, to see that neither will put Wilmslow people to the forefront when push comes to shove. They both have political agendas; they both will be subject to their party whips. This certainly means that voting will be on a party agenda basis, in other words they will both vote on Party BEFORE Public.
RoWs polling research shows beyond doubt that the voters of both East and Dean Row wards wish to see a change of party representing them. It would be a great opportunity lost should the Green Party's dabbling confuse and split the anti Conservative vote. We would ask all those voters concerned with the past record of the incumbents not to waver from RoW by splitting your vote. This will only get the Conservatives off the hook and back into council.
RoW does not have a whip system. Our candidates, we hope they will be your councillors. will vote with their constituents concerns first and last - PUBLIC BEFORE PARTY is our maxim.
Wilmslow, and Cheshire East, truly needs and deserves the Independent voice of RoW councillors.

I would like to add my voice to the call for more diversity on our Councils. It's not good to have a single party so dominant on our Council's leading inevitably to complacency and a 'born to rule' attitude.

Let's give party candidates, other than the Conservatives, and independents a chance to make more balanced Councils

Ahem! Cllr Whiteley having Cllr Michael Jones canvassing for him?
What a combination! I do not want to be insulting, but it beggars belief after their shocking lack of support of us residents.
We do want development, including affordable and first time buyer homes, BUT in the broad context of north Cheshire providing homes to for workers in the borough and NOT for commuters into Manchester, Stockport or Trafford boroughs.
Of course we want the economy to improve BUT when has it been a CEC role with or without a local plan to approve plans for housing substantially for other boroughs? There are NO statements from contiguous boroughs that advise us that they have insufficient housing land to meet their economic growth.
Nor do we have credible economic growth figures for north Cheshire. Empty offices, undeveloped brown field sites or, Macclesfield town centre plans faltering, must tell you that something
is amiss.

Paul Whiteley seeking re-election at all beggars belief. He has not lived in Wilmslow for years. Councillor Jones even showing his face in Dean Row beggars all belief. Neither of them obviously give a monkeys for the wishes of their electorate. Why on earth would Conservative HQ think that residents would vote for Mr Whiteley again when Adlington Road lies vanquished, its fields bulldozed, its Oak trees felled and like so many other Cheshire Villages changed for ever by a flawed policy carried through by flawed politicians. A council unable to complete a plan that passes its own parties government inspection. They must think we voters are stupid. Prove them wrong.
Vote local. Vote for Residents of Wilmslow.

Sheer hypocrisy Kathryn Blackburn. This is yet further evidence of attempts by some members of the community to try and influence the electorate by a campaign of disinformation, distortions and downright untruths. You know full well that candidates for the Cheshire East elections are not required to be resident in the wards they seek to represent and many are not. You seek to portray Paul Whiteley as not "one of us" when your very own candidate, Toni Fox, also does not live in Dean Row! In fact she seems more intent in getting involved in local Handforth issues, where she is not a candidate, than on getting to grips with the issues being raised on the doorstep in Dean Row! No-one would believe, listening to you, would they, that Residents of Wilmslow accepted that the safeguarded land (not greenbelt) that is the Adlington Road site would be developed for housing. The difference between what they said and what Wilmslow Town Council said was one of timing. Not one bit of greenbelt has been sacrificed around Dean Row - that is fact, not fiction.



So you don't like people campaigning to set the record straight and factual. No-one is asking anyone else to like where we are but we have to be pragmatic and above all else realistic. Treating those who may wish to come and live in this beautiful part of the world as commuting pariahs, a distortion in itself, is not they way to win and influence the electorate.

Well said Martin, not one comment can I find from Toni Fox she is far too busy trying to discredit one of her ex fellow councilor.s where she sat on Handforth Parish Council !

Oh my oh my did I hit a nerve? Mr Whiteley lives in another ward alright but of Knutsford not Wilmslow.
I don't speak as a politician but as Jill public disenfranchised, disgruntled and just plain sick of the way Cheshire East Council is run. Time for a change. A transfusion of fresh blood from independently minded people who will listen to their voters and not just tow their party line.
As to facts Martin we in Dean Row sat and listened to our dear leader Cllr Jones and were told that Adlington Road fields would NOT be built upon. That is hypocrisy.