My name is Nick Murry and I am standing for election to Wiltshire Council and Chippenham Town Council on the 6th May.

Full statement

By way of background; I live Monkton Park with my family and have done so for the last 25 years. My wife works at Chippenham’s Community Hospital and we have children attending Hardenhuish School. I have a professional business background, which for the last 15 years has been focused on sustainable business, environment and climate change. In my spare time, I am a trustee of local tree planting charity Avon Needs Trees and a volunteer running coach for Chippenham Harriers Youth. I have been a Wiltshire councillor for the past four years and Town councillor for the past eight, working hard with other Independent councillors, to stand up for the interests of the people of Chippenham and Monkton residents.

I have chaired Chippenham’s Neighbourhood Plan since its inception, which includes Chippenham focused policies to protect our green spaces and develop our town sustainably. I brought the motion for Chippenham Town Council to declare a Climate Emergency and led the preparation of the Wiltshire’s Climate Emergency Task Group’s recommendations. I have stood alongside, and spoken on behalf of residents at numerous planning committee meetings, including in opposition to the Rawlings Farm development and the Sadlers Mead Multistorey carpark, and am holding Wiltshire Council to account on the disturbance and anti-social behaviour residents have suffered as a result of the latter. In February 2021, my motion to oppose Wiltshire Council’s unsustainable Local Plan proposals received unanimous support from Chippenham’s town councillors, resulting in the Town Council’s rejection of the Plan.

I firmly believe than Wiltshire Council and Chippenham Town Council should be democratic, transparent and accountable and have challenged Wiltshire Council on multiple occasions as a member of one of its scrutiny committees. At a time when many people are suffering financial hardship as a result of the pandemic, I voted against the Town Council’s ‘inflation plus’ council tax rise, following substantial rises in previous years.

I am proud to have represented the people of Monkton Ward and if re-elected will continue to work hard in their best interests. My priorities will include: preventing excessive development and the associated traffic congestion and pollution this would cause; revitalising our Town Centre and promoting the regeneration of suitable sites for affordable homes; revitalising local leisure provision, including the much valued Olympiad Leisure Centre plus better community use of the Neeld; protecting our public green spaces (including Monkton Park) and children’s play areas; supporting youth services, sports and recreational opportunities; and protecting our local environment.

I will continue to oppose Wiltshire Council’s excessive and damaging proposals for a distributer road and 7,500+ houses in the Avon and Marden valley. Within Monkton Park, I will press for Wiltshire Council’s support to open up the north side of the station, so as to avoid traffic having to drive up and down Station Hill. I will also lobby for further investment in, and a secure future for the Olympiad, and for better CCTV to prevent anti-social behaviour in the surrounding area, as was installed with my help in support of residents living next to the Bath Road carpark. I will continue to lobby for improvements to the Station to follow the imminent installation of the third lift, widening the short stay carpark entrance and creation of secure cycle parking on the Cocklebury Road side of the station, all of which I promoted and supported. On Langley Road, I will ensure residents’ concerns on road safety are heard and will lobby to expedite road repairs in streets such as Clift Avenue. I will also continue to help residents on issues affecting their specific areas, as I’ve done in various parts of the ward, including Market Mead, Great Mead and Cowleaze. I would like to thank residents for their continued support and I look forward to working on their behalf after the May elections.