KEN HIND and PAT FERGUSON Torridge District Council Candidates for WESTWARD HO!
KEN HIND has been a councillor for 12 years and a Council Leader in the North of England. He chose to relocate in Devon to be close to his family. By profession he is a barrister and now a Chairman of the Football Association Safeguarding Appeals Panel. Locally he volunteers on the Appledore Book Festival, member of the Bideford Water Festival organising committee, and helps to raise funds for local charities. As former M P, he served in 3 government departments under Margaret Thatcher and John Major. He pledges his experience in housing, planning, public order, and local government finance to the service of the residents of Westward Ho!.
PAT FERGUSON is a former Council Leader, an experienced councillor, married for 43 years to a former Royal Marine, Pat has four and children and a stepson. Worked in various roles, nursing, ambulance service, patient escort duties, public house landlady with busy restaurant and outside catering. Pat has served on Torridge District Council and Parish Councils. She is a Director of a Housing Charity and Chairman of a Community Centre.
We stand to play a part in the community in the area and make necessary improvements in Torridge District. To be elected is a privilege enabling elected representatives to serve residents. We will work tirelessly with compassion and dedication to improve the quality of life of all residents of Westward Ho!. We seek your support on May 4th in the local government elections.
OUR Programme
This election is about local issues -''Torridge not Taxes''' planning, housing, economic development, bin collection, dog fouling, (I am a dog owner) and provision of social and recreational facilities. For the last 4 years the Council has been controlled by a rainbow coalition of ''independent'' councillors with different agendas with no clear sense of direction or policy. I want to change this, make things better for the residents of Westwood Ho!, working in a team with policy aims and direction. What needs to be done -
1. Keep Council tax as low as possible to provide core services and help with the cost of living.
2. Make sure low cost homes are built for residents on lower incomes, the elderly and disabled. Address the housing crisis in Torridge for young people and those on lower incomes. Insist where ever possible that 30% of new homes are built for rent or affordable.
3. Tackle the second homes problem in Northam - 1 in 4 homes are second homes or holiday lets
Double the Council tax for second homes and help our children on to the housing ladder.
4. Create a Torridge Planning regime fit for purpose, be strong with developers and make them pay towards infrastructure. Make sure the Council has defences to refuse inappropriate planning applications which at the moment they do not – a failure of the last 4 years, strengthen council enforcement.
5. Create jobs encourage business, and tourism. Make sure Torridge has a proper economic development plan and officer support to back it.
6. Use Torridge’s share of the £400 million Levelling Up Fund to improve the area and renovate retail centres.
7. Don’t build homes on council owned car parks or recreational facilities.
8. I will support the Northam Neighbourhood Plan as it effects Westward Ho! because it will give residents a greater say in planning applications supported in a local referendum.
9. Protect the rural and coastal character of the District, the beaches and waterways from sewage discharges and reject inappropriate development.
10. Bring in measures to combat climate change in the District and within the Councils estate.
11. Pressure for more policing resources for Westward Ho! through the Police and Crime Commissioner and work with the police to make the streets safer.
12. Improve our roads working with Devon County Council - tackle pot holes.
