The candidates for the upcoming Handforth Town Council election, representing Handforth South Ward, have been announced.
Residents in the Handforth South Ward will have the choice of four candidates to fill three seats when they go to the polls on on Thursday, 4th May.
The candidates standing are:
- Peter Moore - Independent
- Ribia Nisa - Labour Party *
- Tim Royle - Independent
- Roger Small - Independent
I will publish brief interviews with each of the candidates, in the order in which I receive a response to my request. Use the tags below to locate the other candidate interviews published to date.
Please tell me about yourself - occupation, where you live, interests, family?
I studied pharmacy at Manchester University becoming a postgraduate student and then a member of university staff. I retired from university service having attained the position of Reader. My wife ran the 4th Handforth (St Chad's) Brownie pack for many years and our two daughters were educated at the primary school now called The Wilmslow Academy and at Wilmslow High School.
How long you have lived in there?
I have lived in the south ward of Handforth for over 40 years.
Are you a member of any local groups or societies?
I have been the co-ordinator of the Hall Road Homewatch Group for more than 10 years. For the past six years I have held the position of chair of the Handforth Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group (HNPSG). I am a member of the committee of the Friends of Handforth Station (FoHS). I am currently a trustee for the charity Wilmslow Aid.
Why have you decided to stand for election as a town councillor?
Major new developments both to the west and east of the parish mean that Handforth is fast developing from a village into a town. I would like to play an active role in guiding that development and in ensuring that the old and new parts of our community become happily integrated.
What do you consider to be the important issues facing Handforth?
New developments in our parish mean that Handforth has lost a significant fraction of its greenbelt land. Handforth needs to defend fiercely that greenbelt land remaining on its northern border, otherwise our town (sometimes referred as the Gateway to Cheshire) will be merged with Greater Manchester.
The town council needs to address the current shortage of car parking places in the village, both by redesign of the library car park and by lobbying for the construction of a
station car park on the site adjacent to the youth centre. A station car park should remove the need for the (dangerous) car parking currently permitted on Hall Road adjacent to St Benedict's church. The town council will also need to more powerfully collaborate with the Friends of Handforth Station to ensure the timely provision of lifts at the station.
The town council will receive significant CIL monies from the development of the Garden Village and from new commercial premises at Handforth Dean. It will be important that such monies are directed into the most needed infrastructure projects. The town council should maintain its consultations with the planners of the Garden Village, not only to ensure that appropriate types of housing and infrastructure are provided but also that steps are taken to conserve wildlife and Handforth's beauty spots in the valley of the river Dean.
What do you hope to achieve and how in the next 4 years?
It is my hope that the next four years will see the installation of lifts at the station, the construction of a station car park, and a library car park of increased capacity. In an attempt to bring relief to areas of deprivation in Handforth, I will strongly support the building of new homes for social rent.
What experience and personal qualities will you bring to the role?
I have twice previously served as a Handforth parish councillor. As chair of HNPSG I helped to ensure that the Handforth Neighbourhood Plan was adopted by CEC before the introduction of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). This means that the Town Council will now receive 25% (rather than 15%) of CIL monies arising from new development. As a member of HNPSG I also participated in the CIL examination, helping to win a CIL levy on the Handforth Garden Village of £71 per sq m as opposed to zero.
As chair of HNPSG I suggested the creation of a local green space to the rear of Handforth Hall. That green space is now undergoing final landscaping prior to planting. The recent Review of Community Governance proposed that Handforth should be merged with Wilmslow and Chorley. As chair of HNPSG I helped to compose a vigorous and successful argument against the merger. More recently through my role as chair of HNPSG I have helped the Town Council to compose its Infrastructure Delivery Plan.
As a committee member of the Friends of Handforth Station, I played a major role both in drafting and submitting a successful application to Access for All. As a result, a pair of lifts is to be installed at the station in late 2024/early 2025. The Access for All programme also includes the provision of a station car park with a bus turning circle and a Park and Ride scheme.
As a trustee of the Handforth Community War Memorial Foundation, I helped to raise funding for the memorial, submitted its planning application and helped to obtain permission for its building on CEC highways land. I helped to raise funds for improvements in St Chad's church hall and for the churchyard footpath. I have also served as a governor at Handforth Grange Community Primary School.
Why should Handforth South residents vote for you?
I have good knowledge of the recent history and geography of Handforth and of its local governance. As an independent candidate I hope to continue to work for the local community in a manner that is not constrained by the policies of any of the three major political parties.
*current councillor.
