by Alan Quick

ON Thursday, May 4, nearly 600,000 Devon residents aged 18 and over will get the chance to go to the polls to determine who will lead Devon County Council and be responsible for key local services for the next four years. 

County Council elections in England take place once every four years, and this year 60 seats are up for grabs in Devon.

Due to Boundary Commission changes, this is a reduction of two seats from the last whole council elections in 2013 where 62 seats were contested.

There will now be 56 “single-member” Electoral Divisions and two “two-member” Divisions.

VOTING

Traditionally Devon has a higher than national average turnout; however the average turnout went down to 33 per cent in the 2013 County Council elections, from almost 44 per cent voting in 2009 and 67 per cent voting in 2005.

Love your vote – don’t lose it!

Devon County Council is responsible for 85 per cent of all local public services in Devon.

With an annual budget of more than £1.1 billion, it touches the lives of thousands of people by providing vital local services to support children and families, the elderly and vulnerable and communities.

It is also responsible for important infrastructure such as Devon’s massive road network and is the only democratically-elected voice for the whole county on issues such as the economy and sustainability.

Helping the local community to recover from the recession, investing in a sustainable future for our communities, protecting the environment, caring for our growing number of old people, ensuring a good future for our children are all key issues the county continues to face in the coming years.

Continued pressure on public spending, a national crisis in health and social care, devolution of powers from Westminster and Brexit all give this particular election added significance.

Polling Stations will open from 7am to 10pm on Thursday, May 4 and the count will take place at a number of locations the next morning.

LOCAL ELECTION CANDIDATES

Crediton Rural

Clive Eginton (Conservative), Susan Macrow-Hill (Labour), Mike Szabo (UKIP) and Nick Way (Liberal Democrat).

Creedy Taw and Mid Exe

Paul Anthony Edwards (Green), Lloyd Knight (Liberal), Frank William Letch (Liberal Democrat), Tim Matthews (UKIP), John Ross (Labour), Margaret Squires (Conservative).

Chudleigh and Teign Valley

Jerry Brook (Conservative), Richard Michael Keeling (Liberal Democrat), Anthony Krys (Labour), Katie Anne Reveille (Green).

Chulmleigh and Landkey

Richard Coling Edgell (Conservative), Marion Elizabeth Mason (Labour), Lucie Catherine Puttipap (Green), David John Worden (Liberal Democrat).

Hatherleigh and Chagford

Paul Louise Frisby (Labour), James Raymond McInnes (Conservative), David Osbiston (Green), Bob Rush (UKIP), Ross Anthony Wolverton (Liberal Democrat).

CLIVE EGINTON (Conservative)

Clive is the Leader of Mid Devon District Council having held the role since October 2014.

He has been a District Councillor for 14 years and was previously a Town Councillor and then a Parish Councillor.

Having lived in Mid Devon for all of his life and in the western part of the district for more than 25 years, Clive says he is well aware of the need to work with local communities to achieve real results.

Clive says: “If elected to Devon County Council, I will work to improve mobile telephone reception and ensure more of the Crediton division can access superfast broadband.

“Greater action is required to tackle potholes locally, a strong voice is needed to ensure works are completed without undue delay.

“Standing up for our rural economy and the farming community, together with supporting our traders and local manufacturers is much needed.

“Finally dealing with residents’ concerns and issues, however difficult they are, can often be resolved with real perseverance. I therefore ask for your vote on May 4”.

SUSAN MACROW-HILL (Labour)

I HAVE lived in Devon for the past 35 years, teaching in Crediton for 11.

I am passionate about equal opportunities, employment paying a living wage, and ensuring a fair quality of life.

We need decent housing, reliable local services, health care, education, leisure and public transport as well as future business opportunities with access to broadband and training. I will fight for proper funding for our students who have been let down by unfair Tory underfunding again.

The undermining of local consultation over new building developments with insufficient, underfunded infrastructure is turning our communities into commuter ghettos, streets into rat runs, while industrial development is seldom included.

The quality of life for residents is being systematically eroded while pollution rises and local work opportunities diminish.

I will oppose changes to employment pay and conditions which mean we cannot compete for affordable housing or sustain a decent standard of living.

MIKE SZABO (UKIP)

MY wife and I have lived in Crediton for 22 years and I have been a pro-active Town Councillor for six years.

Some of my accomplishments include:

• the resurfacing of the pavement leading from the High Street to the car park

• the resurfacing of the pavement in St Lawrence Green

• the project to recover, repair, and install the finger post on Jockey Hill

• the reclamation of an 12 parking spaces at the Station Park and Ride

• the building of new brick planters at the towns entrance

• the painting of six heritage finger posts on the High Street.

I am the only Town Councillor consistently voting against raising the precept (thereby the residents’ Council Tax) as the Council has a surplus of UNDERSPENT funds in its budget!

I was instrumental in achieving a “Best New Entry” and “Silver Gilt” for the Town in the ‘Britain In Bloom’ Pennant Award last year.

NICK WAY (Liberal Democrat)

NICK Way is the local Liberal Democrat’s candidate and has represented the area for the past 12 years. He is also a Town and District councillor.

Nick and his wife Jan live in the County Council division at Westwood, Crediton and have been in the area for more than 40 years. They have three grown up sons who all attended Crediton schools and two grandchildren who attend QE.

During his time as the local councillor Nick says he has built a reputation as an effective, active community campaigner, working with local groups to maintain and improve the Tarka line and bus services, supporting village hall improvement schemes, continually pressing the council to provide more funds for road repair and, with others, championed the Crediton to Exeter cycle and walking route.

He has organised the petition to protest against cuts in our local schools’ budgets, campaigned against local NHS cuts and the increased parking charges at St Saviour’s Way car park.

Through the Community Funds, introduced by a previous Lib Dem-controlled County Council, Nick has been able to support more than 100 local organisations to obtain funding towards numerous projects which have all benefited the local community.