I am a landscape architect and artist and have lived in Hastings for ten years.

Full statement

I love the energy and vibrancy of this town but it has become clear to me that there are many local campaigns that have not made the progress they deserve because they have no champion on the local council. In particular working to make Hastings a safer town for walkers and cyclists, promoting healthy streets for all.

My work as a landscape architect involves listening to people’s dreams and wishes for the places they live and turning them into reality. I like problem solving and feel this would be a useful skill to contribute to the local council.

I will campaign hard to prevent the harbor development from becoming a reality that would destroy some of the most precious landscape assets of Hastings. We are already working to build support for a more positive vision for Hastings around the idea of making Hastings a UNESCO world heritage site.

The council has been Labour run with no real effective opposition and scrutiny since 2010. It is time for some fresh independent voices to hold the council to account and push for more transparency around important decisions for the town’s future.

I am on the committee of the Greenway group which campaigns for traffic free accessible routes for walkers and cyclists through the town and am also involved in the recently formed Sustainable Transport Forum which will provide a voice for sensible integrated transport for Hastings. I have been active in the campaign for East Sussex County Council to divest it’s pension fund of fossil fuels. I am also a non executive director of Energise Sussex Coast which is working to provide community owned renewable energy for Hastings and use the profits to help fight fuel poverty locally.