Anthony Joseph William Bennett
Labour Party
Norden Ward
LOCAL ISSUES FOR A LOCAL ELECTION.
It is my privilege to be the local Labour candidate for the election in Norden. I came a close second in last year’s by-election and with your support this time I will offer a real alternative and proactive approach to addressing the many local issues in and around Norden that have remained unresolved by the present ward councillors for many years.
I have lived in the village for over 11 years with my wife Rosey. We have four children and two grandchildren. Leaving school at 16, I trained to be a communications engineer and have worked in the private, not for profit and public sectors. I now work as a senior university lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire and teach business and management. I believe passionately in addressing inequality in the workplace and society generally. I also feel strongly that we need to protect the environment, such as the one we all enjoy in Norden and the surrounding areas. I enjoy walking, reading and watching football and rugby, and I am a committed campaigner for better childcare support for parents and protecting our Norden Surestart centre, 2,000 of which have been closed nationally as a result of Conservative cuts
The election on the 22nd May is a local election about local issues which affect all the residents of Norden ward. I hope that you will vote for me for a number of reasons. I, like you, am very concerned about issues that have a detrimental effect on our community and, if elected, I intend to do something positive to improve them.
- Illegal and inconsiderate parking poses a danger to pedestrians, older residents, people with a disability and parents with pushchairs. I would campaign for township money to be allocated to Norden to increase the signs for parking and promote a “good neighbour” scheme to encourage considerate parking. There also needs to be disabled parking spaces outside the Old Library to help access to the surgeries based there.
- Speeding traffic, especially lorries, continues to be a safety issue, especially when children are getting on and off their school buses. A small investment could provide better signage at each end of the village.
- The poor state in which a national housing developer has left the important historical site of Blackpits chimney still needs to be resolved and lessons learnt when dealing with similar companies.
- The slow and poor internet access that some residents still receive is unacceptable and I would speak up on their behalf if elected.
- The Labour Party in Norden is campaigning to protect and enhance our environment. The Conservatives and LibDems have weakened the planning laws so that the greenbelt around Norden is threatened. We are ready to challenge any planning requests that imperil our greenbelt or the rights of householders. If elected, I will work hard to protect our community from the worst excesses of unplanned development and from decisions taken centrally by the Coalition Government.
- I am working closely with our Labour Council to enhance lighting in and around the village and to have a say in where replacement lights are situated.
- Norden Labour party and I are opposed to government plans to allow fracking all over the North West. This will have a devastating impact on our countryside and communities and as a fossil fuel only adds to the serious problem of climate change.
- I am passionate about defending our NHS from cuts and increasing privatisation that is being imposed on our community by the Conservatives. GP surgeries have had their funding per patient cut and other cuts to their budget make it much harder to provide a service to our community.
With your support I will work hard to protect and develop our community. I hope that you will vote for me on Thursday 22nd May, so that I can speak up and represent ALL the residents of Norden, Ashworth, Birtle, Caldershaw and Red Lumb.
IT’S TIME FOR A HISTORIC CHANGE IN NORDEN.
ELECT A LABOUR COUNCILLOR FOR THE FIRST TIME.
