Local Elections 2011: Roderick Campbell (Labour) – Hammerwich ward

As Lichfield and Burntwood voters prepare to go to the ballot box for the local elections on May 5, The Lichfield Blog has offered each of the candidates the chance to have their say.

We’ve sent out questionnaires to all District Council candidates and will publish their responses on the site to help you decide where to put your cross on election day. If your local candidates haven’t responded yet, why not chase them?

Name:Roderick Campbell
Party: Labour
Ward: Hammerwich
Occupation: No response given

What has made you decide to stand for election?
Because Hammerwich needs a strong, experienced voice to speak up on its behalf. Your Labour candidates act as a team and will continue to do so, if elected, so that Hammerwich gets its fair share of resources and the broken promises of the Conservative Councils at Lichfield and Stafford are challenged.

Burntwood was promised an arts/community venue which has not been honoured. The town was consulted on health facilities and were promised two new health centres.  With Burntwood and Hammerwich having a combined population of over 30,000 it is ridiculous that only one new health centre is now likely.

At a time when cuts have to be made I will speak out to ensure that Hammerwich ward and Burntwood itself is not treated unfairly.

What are the key issues for you in your ward?
Protecting the green belt, preventing the scarring of our landscape with massive wind turbines I believe are the main issues for the ward.

Burntwood needs a proper town centre development, with extra shopping facilities. This would bring much-needed jobs and prosperity. We also need to fight for the levels of policing and community safety initiatives that we need in the face of massive cuts in police budgets.

We also want to make the whole town a cleaner, greener and tidier place to live and promote leisure opportunities for residents – particularly children and young people – which have been denied to us by the Conservatives. Labour invested heavily here – with the long-awaited by-pass opening up job opportunities for local residents, with the Health and Wellbeing Walk-In Centre near the Leisure Centre, with new facilities at our schools such as Sure Start at the Ridgeway School and so on.

We must ensure that these are safeguarded and that Burntwood continues to receive its fair share of investment.

If you are elected how do you plan to keep your constituents informed of what you are doing to represent them?
Only Labour councillors have held monthly advice surgeries to enable residents to call in and raise issues of interest and concern directly with them. We will continue to do this. We also have a Burntwood Labour Councillors website which we hope will have more names added to it after May 5!

We pledge to be visible and active in our wards, delivering local newsletters, issuing news releases to organisations like The Lichfield Blog (as newspapers cannot afford to send reporters to council meetings anymore).  Some of our team are also on Twitter and Facebook while, in contrast, Conservative councillors in a number of local wards have been all but invisible.

How do you feel you will be able to make a difference to your constituents?
With the cuts that are coming in too far and too fast  residents need a strong team to ensure Burntwood’s case is made in the Council Chambers were spending decisions are made. By working as a team, we will make sure that the voices of Burntwood residents are heard. Your concerns are our concerns and we will use every opportunity to make a real difference for this town.

Anything else you would like to add?
No.

Also standing in the Hammerwich ward (once they have responded, these will link to the response):

• Val Richards (Conservative)
• Jeffrey Sheriff (UKIP)
• Vance Wasdell (Independent)
• Brett Wilson (Conservative)