Dear Neighbour, I’m standing as your Walton Society candidate at the upcoming Elmbridge Council election.

Full statement

I grew up in Walton and have 11 years of experience as a Walton Councillor. I am deeply committed to keeping our town an attractive place to live. Our Borough Council, which led by local Residents' Associations, has been delivering for Walton residents on issues such as our local economy, climate change, community support, and planning. Inside, you'll find information about the policies I am proud to be supporting. If elected, I promise to work hard for our town and all residents, as I did in my last 11 years on Council. I will always do what is best for my neighbours and Walton.

We all know the divisiveness and paralysis that party political squabbles cause at Westminster, and I don’t want that for Elmbridge. We’re fortunate in Elmbridge to have a long-standing choice beyond the national parties. As your Walton Society Councillor, I can truly represent all residents evenly handily without being bound by a party whip. We believe party politics has no place in local politics; after all this is about what is best for Walton and as a lifelong resident I think that is the best qualification to have.

As a Councillor I worked to improve our area, from enhancing local facilities to fighting inappropriate development, and helped residents resolve various local issues. I sat on all the main committees, served as Cabinet Member for Planning, and chaired the Walton Local Spending Board (which distributes developers’ money to local projects to offset new development). As a keen theatregoer, it was a joy to serve on the Playhouse Users’ Committee and I am pleased Elmbridge Council has been working to support the Playhouse.

I’ve lived in Walton all my life and went to local schools. I work in information rights, combining commuting to London and working from home. My parents moved here from London in 1983. Our town has changed considerably since then, but what attracted my parents then keeps me here today – the riverside location, the sense of community, close proximity to London, and a pleasant environment. Like everywhere, there are things that need improving but Walton remains a great place to live.

I hope to speak to as many residents as possible in the weeks ahead. Please do feel free to get in touch using my contact details below. You can also visit our website at www.thewaltonsociety.org.

As a Walton Society Councillor, I’d be best placed to stand up for Walton’s best interests. I’ve got the experience to get things done at the Council. From one neighbour to another, I would like to ask for your support on 4 May so I can serve all Walton Central residents.