Wilmslow Town Council Election 2023: Candidate James Richardson

The candidates for the upcoming Wilmslow Town Council election, representing Wilmslow East Ward, have been announced.

Residents in the Wilmslow East Ward will have the choice of five candidates to fill three seats, when they go to the polls on on Thursday, 4th May.

The candidates standing are:

Sarah Firth - Residents of Wilmslow
Chetan Katre * - Local Conservatives
Jon Kelly * - Residents of Wilmslow
James Richardson - Local Conservatives
Neil Stelling - Residents of Wilmslow

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 live in Wilmslow with my young family. I work as the head of projects for a company specialising in partnerships with local authority clients. My work involves overseeing capital projects and estates management. This has provided me with a good working knowledge of the planning system. I have also helped several public sector clients in the delivery of the decarbonisation strategy, I am an advocate of renewable technology and understand the importance of protecting our environment for generations to come.

Work life balance is important to all of us, so my current role enables me to manage my time with work, family, and charitable work.

My interests away from work are either centered around charity or spending time with my family. I enjoy DIY at home, often wielding some sort of power tool on a Saturday morning before spending time with family and friends.

How long you have lived in there?

I have always lived in Wilmslow. In the past work and university commitments have taken me outside of the area but that just confirms to me that Wilmslow is where my heart is.

Are you a member of any local groups or societies?

I am a long standing member of Wilmslow Round Table. I am delighted to be the chairman for the annual bonfire, and our latest event The Gin and Beer Festival (please see the Wilmslow Round Table Facebook page for more information). Following the pandemic I organised the annual Santa Sleigh, you may have seen me out over Christmas towing the Sleigh.

Last year as Chairman, the team delivered record attendance numbers at the charity bonfire, this in turn saw donations to ever more local good causes. I am motivated by being part of this great fund-raising effort.

Round Table is an organisation for men aged between 18 and 45, it is both a social aspect and a charitable side. Each year we distribute the money raised at the events to good causes within the Wilmslow area.

In the past I have served as a trustee for the Scout Association.

Why have you decided to stand for election as a town councillor?

What matters to me most is that Wilmslow continues to thrive.

To ensure this we must make the right choices for the whole community, pursue those decisions with energy and commitment and most importantly get things done.

We all live in a fantastic town; I would relish the opportunity to support the residents in ensuring their issues are not only listened to but also resolved.

I believe I can make a real difference.

What do you consider to be the important issues facing Wilmslow?

We must continue to ensure Wilmslow is not only a destination for shopping but also for leisure. We have a rich history, and more could be done to promote this. I am lucky that my ward covers part of the Town Centre and the High School, I will work with all key stakeholders as well as residents to make positive change.

What do you hope to achieve and how in the next 4 years?

As a team, we have a number of things we want to focus on but probably the key ones for me are creating a community hub around the Library and greater integration between community groups for local events.

We also need to ensure the continued support for the fantastic events in Wilmslow, including the Christmas light switch on, cinema on the Carrs, and also ad hoc events such as the Coronation continue. Events like these not only support us residents but also the shops who rely on our custom.

We also need to work with the business improvement district team to establish a visitor strategy, in tandem with this a parking strategy to ensure we effectively manage the parking problems. Also ensuring visitors to the town, either for work or pleasure don't comprise our residents enjoyment. The recent parking disruption around the Carrs demonstrates we must continue to push this to the top of our agenda.

I will also offer full support to reducing speed limits around our built up areas, also applying pressure to ensure our local police officers carry out regular speed monitoring. By doing this, it will ensure Wilmslow is a safe place for us all.

As a Town Council, we also have an important voice on planning applications made within our Town. I feel it's important for this voice to both challenge or support the development of our town. We must ensure any development is appropriate.

Ultimately, I want to be seen as the friendly approachable councillor who addresses issues.

What experience and personal qualities will you bring to the role?

People who know me well tell me I am empathetic, a good listener, a hard worker and someone who can be relied upon to get things done.

My day job sees me working closely with local authorities, I fully understand the challenges they are facing, but I always drive to deliver tangible results.

I am a keen advocate for mental health. I am proud to be a mental health first aider. This role has taught me the skills to assess a situation, listen, ask the right questions then signpost to further support. This skill is transferable to the town council issues, it is important for me as a councillor to be able to understand the issues facing others and offer support to address these concerns.

Why should Wilmslow East ward residents vote for you?

My family is passionate about this area. As local people we understand the issues facing residents. I am committed to working tirelessly on behalf of the community to improve Wilmslow for everyone.

Again, I want to be seen as the friendly approachable councillor who addresses issues.

*current councillor.