Candidate for Wilmslow East election: Birgitta Hoffman

2016-07-19 11.03.44

Residents in the Wilmslow East ward will have the choice of three candidates when they head to the polls next month to choose a new councillor to represent them on Wilmslow Town Council.

Mark Goldsmith (Residents of Wilmslow), Birgitta Hoffman (Liberal Democrat) and Chetan Katre (Conservative Party) will be competing for residents votes on Thursday 4th August.

wilmslow.co.uk has published details for each of the candidates, below is information on Birgitta Hoffman (Liberal Democrat). Details on the other two candidates can be seen by clicking on the Wilmslow East Election tag at the end.

Birgitta Hoffman moved to Wilmslow with her husband in 1997. She is an archaeologist and classicist by training and has worked at a number of universities in Britain and abroad before setting up her own business - an independent, non tax-payer funded Adult Education provider.

Birgitta told wilmslow.co.uk "I love Wilmslow as a place to live and work, and over the years have spent a lot of time working as a volunteer with various cancer charities and for over 15 years with the British Legion.

"Eleven years ago I set up Wilmslow Community Archaeology, a voluntary archaeology and history group, which has done several archaeological recording projects, amongst others at St.Bartholomew's Church, as well as publishing our research on several of the war memorials in Wilmslow, including those in the United Reform Church. In addition to a series of lectures in and around Wilmslow and visits to a number of schools, we have organised in the past two years three free exhibitions at the library, as well as digitising and partially indexing the Wilmslow Express for the Wilmslow library users."

She added "In my remaining free-time I love walking around Wilmslow and enjoy our large green spaces, and would very much miss them, if they were to go. But we are more than just a commuter town with green pastures. We are a vibrant, outward looking and for the most part fairly well-to do community, with a great spirit, low crime levels and lots of entrepreneurs at various stages of their careers.

"I would like to continue to live in such a community and think that it is essential that we present a business friendly face, if we are not to risk becoming a little more than a living museum. I would thus like to see continued investment in Wilmslow, especially by businesses offering high skilled jobs, that would allow our children to continue to stay in or at least close to Wilmslow and to have employers that are happy to continue and become part of our community."

Tags:
Wilmslow East Election, Wilmslow Town Council
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Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Roger Bagguley
Wednesday 20th July 2016 at 10:58 am
Businesses offering high skilled jobs drives up the cost of housing in Wilmslow and around. Out canvassing over the last 5 years on behalf of RoW Independents parents have shared their first hand experiences of having their adult off springs still living at home. Young people desperate to own their own homes or at least earning enough locally to afford independent living. It would be lovely to have our families living close together, and good for sustainability too, but the way our politicians, of all colours, lust for growth with little thought for the future they are building for their children means solid family values will remain but a pipe dream.

Politicians and planners need to face up to this reality and to understand what is required within any community for young people to be able to purchase an "Affordable Home."

Sustainable communities require much more than providing housing for people with the ability and skills that enable them to purchase over priced homes.
David Woolliscroft
Thursday 21st July 2016 at 4:13 pm
I am not altogether sure what point Roger Bagguley is trying to make. Is he really saying that we don't want skilled jobs in Wilmslow? That would seem a rather curious attitude. As for politicians lusting for growth regardless of the future, he has perhaps not read Birgitta Hoffmann's ideas very thoroughly as she advocates nothing of the kind. As I understand her, she is far from advocating uncontrolled growth. She is expressing the worries of many that the vote to leave Europe risks serious economic contraction. The "Leave" camp told us that we could survive and prosper outside the EU, and so we can, but only if we are prepared to do what it takes to function in a much colder and harder world. My own fear is that we will not be. I am afraid that the "Not in my backyard" view point is something we can no longer afford, if indeed we ever could, and to my mind Dr. Hoffmann's attitude of being Business friendly to try to avoid a flight of employment, whilst still valuing our environment and heritage seems the most sensible route both locally and nationally.
Roger Bagguley
Saturday 23rd July 2016 at 9:57 pm
I think politically Dr Hoffmann and I could work very well together to the benefit of Wilmslow. I did try to speak with her on a couple of occasions so as to share some policy but she chose to ignore my calls.
Nicola Wilson
Monday 25th July 2016 at 12:10 pm
Well said Birgitta it is crucial that we get the balance right in Wilmslow by being business and resident friendly. Council led schemes to invest in and/or support local businesses would be a huge boon to our community.