My interests are housing and education. In this area we still need more affordable housing at a realistic price, but not at the cost of building in the open countryside, and our farming land is too important – however, these two contrasting desires are difficult to achieve.

Any new development needs to be supported by strong local infrastructure; many schools and surgeries do not have spaces for an increase in their pupils or patients and our village roads can become congested. As a retired teacher I am very interested in how our schools progress, not just educationally, but in nurturing our children so that they grow up to be well rounded adults, respecting others and the environment. I have been a Governor at Blackwater School and hear readers on a regular basis at St Agnes School.

The Council continues to move forward with a range of initiatives – the Library Project, continuing with the Youth Strategy and updating The Community Emergency Plan and the Neighbourhood Development Plan -two documents I have been involved with since their initiation. The former shows how we, the Parish Council deals with unexpected emergencies e.g. floods, fires, or terror attacks; providing support and a safe place until the required and well-trained services arrive. The Neighbourhood Development Plan covers a range of local policies ranging from open spaces, greener ways of travel, house building to encouraging businesses and protecting our countryside.