Bromyard West by-election candidates set out stalls

The Bromyard West county council byelection in 10 days’ time provides the first test of voter opinion in Herefordshire in nearly a year.

Will voters use it to pass judgment, favourable or otherwise, on the county’s current Independents for Herefordshire-led coalition?

What will the effect be of Conservative support nationally – which has been declining but may now have bottomed out?

All three candidates are well-established local figures, so none has an obvious head start. Here we look at the platforms of each.

Clare DAVIES (True Independent)

Clare Davies is already a Bromyard town councillor, where she is chair of staffing, was previously the town’s mayor, and also chairs its chamber of commerce.

She says in her election leaflet that standing as a True Independent allows her to be “free from the control of any political party, pressure group or whip to best serve the community needs”.

Her focus will be on improving local services, and “to promote social harmony, equality, diversity and sound environmental stewardship”.

As a county councillor, she would support improving the infrastructure in and around Hereford, improve and increase public transport, cycleways and footpaths, reduce car parking fees, and prioritise climate change issues;

Nick FERGUSON (Independents for Herefordshire)

Nick Ferguson has previously served on Bromyard Town Council, and is a local businessman, school governor and former policeman.

As the Independents for Herefordshire candidate, he would work with the county council’s coalition administration because, he says, “I like the refreshing openness, honesty and integrity they have brought to the county”.

His priorities for Bromyard include bringing in CCTV as in the county’s other market towns, preventing lorries entering the town, and backing a local car-sharing scheme.

At county level he would work to bring public realm and leisure services contracts back in-house, and support financial assistance to make homes more fuel-efficient.

Mark FRANKLIN (Local Conservative)

A current town councillor, Mark Franklin is also a church warden and local school governor.

He says Herefordshire Council “is run by a hastily assembled coalition with incoherent policies that often ignore the market towns, including Bromyard, as well as the rural areas”.

He would “stand with the Conservative opposition group in wanting to freeze council tax and instead cut back on vanity projects and wastage”, his statement says.

He would also campaign for investment in services, facilities and infrastructure for Bromyard’s tourism economy, and for support for community projects.

He also supports improving public transport links, repairing roads in and around Bromyard, and improving parking in the town.
 
The election has arisen following the resignation of Independents for Herefordshire councillor Alan Seldon at the start of the year.

It will be held on March 10, with voting between 7am and 10pm at two polling stations, Bromyard Methodist Church Hall on New Road, and Bromyard Public Hall on Rowberry Street.