Welshpool set for by-elections Thursday

It’s voting day Thursday for a large part of Welshpool with a seat on each of the County and Town councils covering the Llanerchyddol Ward up for grabs.

The by-elections are being held as a result of the sad death of Cllr Ann Holloway.

Below we have invited the three candidates for the County Council seat to provide 250 words to try and secure your vote. They appear in alphabetical order.

Beneath those we have also carried the names of the candidates running for the Town Council seat.

Those that can vote mostly live in the following areas: Oldford Estate, the Belan, Berriew Road, Berriew Street, Chelsea Lane, Church Road, Golfa, Lime Kiln Cottages, New Street, Park Place, Powis Castle, Powis Court, Raven Square, Red Lane, San Y Bryn Caled, Severn Road together with the Powis Castle side of Severn Street, Broad Street, High Street, Mount Street and Raven Square.

Voting takes place at the Town Hall from 7am-10pm.

MyWelshpool encourages all of our eligible readers to vote and wishes all those running the best of luck. 

Graham Breeze - Independent

This by-election should not be about politics. It should be about local people, the people of Welshpool – the people of the Llanerchyddol Ward who I have represented on Welshpool Town Council for over two years. Your local man.

Because it’s a by-election the two political parties fighting for the seat on Powys County Council have called in all the big guns, including MPs and AMs, to support them. Once the election is over you won’t see them again - but I will still be here as usual fighting for the best possible services for the people of Welshpool.

As an Independent I won’t be influenced by party politics. I will campaign for Powys County Council to reverse a decision to close our recycling centre and fight to retain the town’s essential services such as the library, youth club and recreational facilities.

I will be a strong voice against the latest plans to close our County Council offices in Severn Street. We can’t let all these Welshpool jobs be lost.

I will continue to demand improvements to our one-way system and will never give up the fight for bigger powers to control anti-social behaviour on our streets. We must make our town a safer place for our families.

I want to see the best possible education facilities for our children, greater parking controls on our streets and estates and more support for our small businesses.

Don’t waste your vote on December 15. Vote for your local man.

Ruth Canning - Welsh Conservatives

I am proud to be the Welsh Conservative candidate for the Welshpool Llanerchyddol ward. 

I live in the centre of Welshpool and my family has close links with the town dating back to the 1930’s. My career has been in business and further education.

I am actively involved in community activities to help local people and in the past I have been a Guider and a Citizens Advice Bureau volunteer advisor. My present role as voluntary Chairman of Dorothy Hughes House in Westwood Road has led to a particular interest in the care and welfare of our senior citizens.

We face many challenges ahead with the closure of four schools and the proposed opening of two new schools in the town and I will fight to ensure that our children receive the best start in life with modern schools and the best pre-school provision.

Meeting and talking to local residents has highlighted many other important issues that affect our town: making sure that our streets and play areas are well maintained, addressing road safety problems, fighting to retain the waste recycling site at Potters Yard and to improve healthcare here in Welshpool.

Powys County Council, run by Independents, is seriously underperforming and it needs a big shake-up. I would like to continue the work of Ann Holloway in sticking up for local residents and I can promise you that I will fight your corner to protect the quality of life and the unique character of our beautiful town of Welshpool. 

Richard Church – Welsh Liberal Democrats

This by-election is a chance for voters to send the Independent councillors running Powys Council a message they must not ignore. Don’t close Potters recycling centre.  

Before this by-election, I did a door to door survey of households in Welshpool Llanerchyddol. By a margin of 2 to 1 people told me that they are dissatisfied with the way Powys Council is run by Independent councillors.

People are particularly critical of the waste and recycling service, they also want better management of our roads to make them safer, particularly in Welshpool Town Centre, and they put the care of elderly and vulnerable people as a top priority.

We need councillors who will listen, and then work together across the whole of Powys to build a new vision with clear priorities for our County which reflect public concerns.

The Independent councillors in charge seem unable to do that. They can’t agree with each other, they have no vision for Powys and they can’t manage the budget to protect important front line services, that’s why recycling centres and other important services are under threat.  

It’s time for change on Powys council. If elected, I will be a strong voice for Welshpool, keeping in touch with regular community newsletters. I have 30 years’ experience in local government and in business to contribute to delivering change in Powys Council.

Welshpool is a great town in a beautiful county. We need new ideas and fresh thinking to take our town and county forward. 

Town Council candidates:

Julie Ellis

Nicola Jayne Morris

Carol Elaine Robinson

Folkert Ferdinand Veentra