Daniel J Meredith
Labour Party
North Heywood Ward
First and foremost, I am Heywood born and bred. Heywood is my home town and I want to do the best for the town I live in and was brought up in.
I attended St. Joseph’s Primary School and Holy Family Secondary School in Heywood and then Salford University to study nursing and now I work professionally as a nurse. I am a civilian instructor at Heywood Air Cadets and I am active within St. John’s Ambulance where I volunteer to give first aid at many local sporting and community events. I am a firm supporter of the NHS.
Since spring 2013, I have been out and about talking to residents across North Heywood, asking my fellow Heywood residents about the issues that most concern them and how I could help to make a difference.
- Residents have raised the issue of pot holes and poor road surfaces across Heywood. Labour has made the biggest investment in Heywood’s roads for over 40 years putting an extra £10 million into road resurfacing. Many roads in North Heywood have already been resurfaced and there are many more in the pipeline. I will be fighting hard to see that we continue to get our fair share of this investment.
- Many Heywood residents have raised the issue of lack of car parking, especially in the All Souls area. I promise to work to find solutions that satisfy all residents so that they can park their cars safely.
- Liberal Democrats in Heywood have said that Labour wants to impose car parking charges in our town. This is completely untrue. Labour has NO PLANS to impose car parking charges in Heywood.
- Heavy traffic, especially big lorries, are a problem across Heywood. Labour has invested in the new rising bollards at Broadfield Bridge to stop heavy lorries coming through residential areas at night on their way to and from Heywood Distribution Park.
- During these difficult financial times, people are glad that Labour has frozen council tax in Heywood, thus removing an extra burden on household budgets.
- Business rates are set by the Lib Dem/Tory Coalition Government in London and not by the local council. The Coalition’s decision to postpone business rate revaluation for a further year will cause terrible hardships to businesses in the current recession. I welcome Labour’s policy to freeze business rates.
- Recent legislation by the Coalition Government makes it far easier for developers to run roughshod over local people who object to the destruction of our environment. Local councils now have their hands tied if they want to support local residents over planning objections. We need to protect our Green Belt and green field sites around Heywood and I am a passionate defender of our Green Belt.
- The Lib Dem Bin Tax, floated recently by Lib Dem manifesto Minister David Laws, says that councils should charge people to have their bins emptied. Like many Heywood residents I am against this Lib Dem idea – people already pay to get their bins emptied – it is called Council Tax!
By voting for me you won’t just be getting a ‘Yes Man’ who will keep his head down and conform to the usual Town Hall line. You will be getting a person who is not afraid to stand up for Heywood and to fight for our town. I have never been afraid to stand up and be counted and to stick my head above the parapet when it comes to getting the best for Heywood. It is because of this approach that I have supporters from all quarters in Heywood. Many Conservatives are supporting me in this election and I have the full backing of former Lib Dem councillors Doreen Brophy-Lee and Malcolm Bruce.
If you have any issues you want to raise with me you can telephone me on 07715 278306, email me on dannymeredith1992@hotmail.com or even tweet me on @dannyjmeredith.
Can I thank you for kindly taking the time to read my ‘pitch’ on Rochdale Online.
