Voters in Bramley & Stanningley Ward will go to the polls on Thursday May 5, 2022 for the Leeds City Council elections. Voters will be electing one councillor.
Your West Leeds Dispatch has written to each candidate asking them for a statement of up to 300 words and a head and shoulders photograph to help you decide who to vote for. Here are their responses…
BEE, Elizabeth Anne – Liberal Democrats
72 Waterloo Lane, Bramley, Leeds, LS13 2JF.
The Bramley township is a very popular area. Just see how quickly houses are sold for evidence of this. Economically it is picking up, but the turnover of shops and the proliferation of charity shops in the district centre shows there is still great room for improvement in pay rates and benefit levels.
The increases in energy charges – with more to come – are hitting our residents hard. Margaret Thatcher’s privatisation of the gas industry has proved a disaster. A majority of the private companies have now gone bust and there is hardly any choice left.
Even travelling around Leeds by bus is more expensive than in comparable cities and the number of different “cards” available just makes more complicated than it should be. Despite it being planned for many years, there is still no full equivalent of the London Oyster card that can be used for all journeys on the trains and the different bus companies’ services.
As a Bramley resident for 40 years I have seen the erosion of the Bramley identity by the building on many of the spaces between the historic communities.
As a start we should have “Bramley” signs on all the roads into the township. We really need to create an elected parish council for Bramley. Outer areas such as Wetherby, Morley and Alwoodley all have one, so why not us?
It would be a focus for our community and provide a channel for local leadership and the chance to raise modest sums for local services.
There is a process for getting a parish council that starts with local residents showing in a formal public vote that at least ten per cent of the area supports the idea. There’s a challenge for our community!
COOK, Adam Daniel – Conservative
Address in Leeds.
Hello, my name is Adam Cook.
Living in Bramley and Stanningley, raising a young family, I am passionate about our local area. Since I last stood for council last year, I have seen anti-social behaviour increase and this is unacceptable. Having asked local residents, a majority have said they do not feel safe at night.
One of my key aims, if you decide to elect me on the 5 May, is to reduce anti-social behaviour by collaborating with police, increasing the number of PCSOs, and working with local residents to get anti-social behaviour under control.
Having worked for over four years within the NHS and through the unprecedented upheaval of the pandemic, I am used to working in a fast paced, ever-changing environment and this is something that I will bring to the council chamber.
My want to stand for council is simple, to make change, to better Bramley and Stanningley and to freeze council tax. As during this time of financial pressures, I do not believe the council should be adding to this by increasing our council tax.
Going around the ward and talking to many of you, I know your desire to have a local councillor who is in your corner to improve our local area and make sure your council tax is spent wisely. As your councillor I will be a year-round presence, making improvements, holding regular surgeries, and dealing with your issues. Not just coming around near polling day.
Bramley and Stanningley have had a Labour councillor for 18 years, have you seen improvement in the ward over this period?
Please feel free to contact me on adam.candidate@outlook.com.
On 5 May, let start to make changes. Vote Adam Cook.
RITCHIE, Kevin Mark – Labour Party
19 Moorland View, Bramley, Leeds, LS13 1PU.
It has been an honour and privilege to have represented Bramley & Stanningley Ward for the last eight years. Living in Bramley I have a vested interest in delivering for Bramley, Stanningley & Rodley.
I’m committed to the role as a full-time councillor. I’m available seven days a week and I deal with hundreds of enquiries every year and always do my best to support residents to get positive outcomes.
I’m available at my regular surgeries, via e-mail, telephone and social media channels and deal with issues quickly. In addition, I deal with hundreds of issues pro-actively, when I’m out and about, such as highways and environmental issues, including regular litter picks, having set up Bramley Wombles. I’m a councillor that gets things done.
I’m a strong voice for Bramley, working with colleagues to save and improve Bramley Library when threatened with closure due to Tory cuts and helping get the Bramley Shopping Centre benches returned.
Thank you for your support over the past eight years, I hope you will re-elect me so I can continue to represent your views at Leeds City Council and continue my work to support residents and make Bramley, Stanningley & Rodley the best place to live for us all.
My pledges to you:
- I will hold regular accessible surgeries and be responsive to all forms of contact.
- I will fight for investment in our parks & continue to ensure maintenance is done in a timely manner.
- I will work to increase the numbers of affordable homes and social housing.
- I will continue to tackle environmental issues and deliver highways improvements.
- I will work with Police and Leeds Anti-Social Behaviour Team to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.
- I will work to invest in youth activities and services for older people.
WHETSTONE, Daniel Paul – Social Democratic Party (SDP)
1 Cottingley Crescent, Beeston, Leeds, LS11 0HZ.
I am Daniel Whetstone, your candidate for Bramley at the upcoming local elections. I stand for the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
I am married and the dad of one cricket-mad lad. I have worked for over ten years as a teaching assistant for children with special needs. It is a challenging job, but very rewarding, and it has given me real world experience in how to help people. All my family live here, although I don’t live here myself because my home is in the part of Leeds I can afford.
We all know that things in Leeds and Bramley are not run as well as they should be. As a husband and a father, and a person with deep roots in Bramley, I am desperate to improve this city for everybody, and for my son’s future.
It is time to stop complaining and start making things better – before it’s too late. This is why I am standing as a candidate: I want to make the effort and I believe I can do good. We can start with the seating at Bramley shopping centre. It should never have been removed, who was consulted before the decision was made?
I am standing for the SDP because of their commitment to family and community. They have shown me that they are not afraid to be proud of our country, our towns and our communities.
They believe that by coming together, we can make the improvements we need in this country, and in Leeds. These beliefs can be seen through all their policies.
I believe in Bramley. I believe in Leeds. I believe in this country. I am proud to offer you an alternative to the traditional options available.
WHITTAKER, Keith Duncan – Green Party
6 Lilac Grove, Victoria Park Avenue, Leeds, LS5 3AG.