I grew up in Waterlooville and Rowlands Castle, went to school in Cowplain and Purbrook, moved away to go to college in Aberystwyth and it was 40 years before I came back! I am currently Head of Tower Hamlets Schools Library Service in London and have always worked in the public sector and so have a good knowledge of the workings of local government. I moved back to the St Faiths area as the first step towards retirement. With family here, I always remained familiar with the area and have also learnt more about the issues that face residents through working with Phil Munday for the past two years.

Environmental issues are close to my heart, and there is a huge need to improve recycling in the Borough – with kerbside collection of glass and more types of plastic being acceptable in our recycling bins. Sewerage being dumped in Langstone Harbour, trees with preservation orders being pruned so much that they can’t survive, and the replacement of fallen trees all need addressing. To get people out of their cars, public transport must be far cheaper and more accessible than it is now. However, with the current energy and cost-of-living crisis, the overwhelming need is to support residents and tenants through what is going to be a very difficult winter. HBC needs to increase its support for food banks and increase its provision of affordable, and I mean affordable, not just “reduced rent” housing for individuals and families who find themselves in difficulty. We also need to look for small local ways in which we can generate renewable energy – solar panels, wind turbines and tidal power schemes – to contribute to the national grid.

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