With over 5 years of LOCAL govt engagement and experience combined with a part-time civil service role for Office for National Statistics, running my own successful leisure business and a background of procurement consulting with finance firms including Goldman Sachs, corporate real estate and pharma I have the real life experience to successfully navigate change and deliver with and for residents living here today!

This County election is especially important because new Cllrs into County Hall can course correct the conservative adventure with UK Govt to dump a regional Mayor onto “Greater Essex”.

Full statement

I oppose the regional Mayor because it devolves power further away from residents (and Parish Councils) into the hands of the national parties (and their donors). LOCAL Govt should be kept free of national party fighting and work x-party to deliver what is best for residents living here today.

I will work x-chamber in County Hall to pull Essex out of the UK Govts Priority devolution program for GECCA until such time as its LOCAL election and governance model better reflects all votes cast and encourages medium and longer term strategic x-party working unlike the first past the post and strong leader models which prop-up national parties and support the short-term goals of their donors.

ECC did not get ANY infrastructure funding or support for being part of the UK Govt devolution program and pulling out may give Essex's x5 new Unitary authorities the best opportunity to renegotiate lower housing targets (based on LOCAL need not UK Govt targets) and ensure that housing growth is properly supported in advance by UK Govt fully funding the infrastructure and planning costs - so they don't have to rely on the goodwill of developer contributions or the colour of a Mayors rosette.

I remain opposed to the flawed mass unsustainable housing West of Braintree and to the high risk mega sites Local Plan approach at Braintree. I will also continue to speak out against ever expanding quarries which blight communities for decades and resist local authorities dropping pre-approval restoration conditions for post works use - the worst example being Braintree's 600,000 tonne per year incinerator approved by Essex County Council in rural Essex on the site of a former quarry.

In the last 5 years I have worked with communities to keep the Home Office in check at Wethersfield and supported the joint F&W Neighbourhood Plan to replace them, improved Public Bus services after County Council cuts in 2024 and been part of a great LOCAL community "Leave our Bridge Alone" campaign which successfully stopped Essex Highways plan to replace Finchingfield's iconic bridge to make way for bigger through HGVs and "capacity improvements" on the B1053.

These skills will enable me to help areas new to the 3 Fields & Gt Notley division get sensible speed management and enforcement suggestions for Gt Notley and north of the A120 to the Flitch Way to improve resident's lives and to stop more cars ending up on the King Willy roundabout or racing on A131!

Electing me to County Hall will give residents a strong independent voice free from national party rhetoric and control and send the strongest message possible to all National Parties that LOCAL govt is not about them and their latest leaders or donors it is about residents lives here today and supporting them effectively.

Michael STAINES
mrjstaines@gmail.com
07922 487966