In the run up to the General, Borough and Town Council elections on May 7th we will be publishing brief interviews with each of the candidates that respond to our request.
To read the interviews with other candidates click on the tags at the bottom of the article. For example, pieces on the other candidates for the Handforth Ward will all be tagged 'Handforth Ward' and 'Borough Elections'. Candidates representing the same party or group will also be connected via the tags.
Anthony Harrison is a Conservative candidate for the Handforth Ward for Cheshire East Borough Council.
Anthony is 29 years old and was born and raised on Church Road in Handforth, educated at Wilmslow Grange Primary School then Wilmslow High School before studying Accounting and Finance at University. His father has been a local plumber for over 30 years and his mother ran the local babysitting circle on the Lakes Estate whilst working at Peter Herds.
In 2013 Anthony was elected to represent the residents of Handforth West on Handforth Parish Council. He is a full time firefighter, a commissioned officer with the Royal Artillery reserves and the Chairman for Handforth Community War Memorial Foundation.
Speaking about why he has decided to stand for the Borough election, Anthony told me "Having grown up and living in the ward all of my life I feel that Handforth is a wonderful close knit community which I love being a part of. I feel that the potential that the village itself has needs harnessing and restoring for many years now and I feel that I have the passion and drive to deliver results for the residents."
Anthony feels the important issues facing Handforth are :
Over development and loss of Cheshire Easts most strategic greenbelt.
Ensuing that Handforth village centre receives the investment it desperately requires
Support to local community groups
Disabled and pushchair access to Handforth Station
State of Handforth's footways and highways
Providing sensible affordable housing for Handforth's individual needs
Evening public transport services
When asked what he hoped to achieve and how, Anthony said "I hope to provide a strong voice that will be accountable for the decisions I make. Ensuring that everyone has regular updates, opportunities to voice their opinions and are consulted about any large changes proposed for our village.
"I will ensure that Handforth receives greater investment and those community assets and groups receive the funding they require through the local knowledge I have obtained as a resident."
He added that Handforth residents should vote for him because "I am a young and energetic local resident who is passionate and getting things done for the entire Handforth Ward. I have a clear plan and I believe in always remaining a proactive councillor and not a reactive one."
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
"Many people state we want to build in areas of beauty but we simply do not. Infact we choose sites of little value and of low grade land like Handforth East, which will protect the rest of the greenbelt around Wilmslow, handforth and Alderley edge. It will stop pepperpotting and take traffic away from the congested A34.
It will provide much needed facilities including a new high school and funding to develop Handforth Town Centre."
As Conservative who speaks out against development of the Green Belt in Handforth, you must really be swimming against the tide. Unfortunately a certain CEC Councillor from Alderley, despite his protestations (and subsequent clearance on charges of having a financial interest at the time when he was sacked from the Cabinet on, possibly unrelated, matters), yet who recently seems to have seems to have admitted to this financial interest, has stitched you up.
A local developer bought and land-banked these fields yonks ago; your party has been putty in their hands ever since.
Allegedly.
I would be very interested where you got the following quotation from credited to Cllr Michael Jones.
"Many people state we want to build in areas of beauty but we simply do not. Infact we choose sites of little value and of low grade land like Handforth East, which will protect the rest of the greenbelt around Wilmslow, handforth and Alderley edge. It will stop pepperpotting and take traffic away from the congested A34. .
It will definitely not take traffic away from the A34 as the current plans show that the only way of gaining access to it is from the A34!!!!
http://bit.ly/1DKVTt6