What's the point of the Residents' Associations if they don't put up a local resident for elections?

Residents' Association campaigners in Ruxley have come unstuck for misleading local electors about whether their candidate lives in Ruxley.

A by-election is to be held in Ruxley ward this coming Thursday, the 26th February. The last election showed it to be a very close ward with a Conservative and two Residents' Association councillors elected. The Residents' Associations are petrified of losing this seat to the Conservatives. Unfortunately this has led to them saying some less than factual things in their literature and on the doorstep.

In the one and only leaflet we have seen the Residents' Associations put out in a seven week long campaign the following statement is made:
"support your RA candidate so that we can continue to have our unique and independent council manned by councillors who live locally 365 days a year, constantly in touch with you and your needs."

All very compelling stuff. Of course what it omits to mention is the RA candidate, Michael Guest, lives no where near Ruxley. As shown on the nominating papers he lives in the college area of Epsom. Also no mention that the only candidate who lives in Ruxley (William Keen of Poplar Crescent, off the Chessington Road) and therefore the one who will actually be able to keep constantly in touch with local residents and their needs, is the Conservative candidate.

To make matters worse when canvassing for William on Saturday we found that Residents' Association activists had gone before us telling residents that their candidate is the only one who lives in the ward. So not only an untruth about their candidate, but now combined with an untruth about William Keen.

I've always thought campaigning in Epsom & Ewell to be relatively civilised, but then it occurred to me that this is happening because the Residents' Associations really are in a pickle. What is the point of the Residents' Associations contesting local elections if they cannot even find a local resident to stand for them? They have resorted instead to trapsing to the other side of the Borough to find their candidate. No wonder they are deluding themselves into thinking their candidate is local when he is not, otherwise their entire reason for being disappears.

Unfortunately no sooner had the Residents' Associations started playing this rather distasteful game the Liberals joined in. Their leaflet announced that they had chosen a "local candidate". Of course they had done no such thing and had instead selected someone living in Worcester Park.

Ask anyone in Ruxley whether the Worcester Park or the college area of Epsom are local and they will say no, but hey the Residents' Associations and the Liberals have got an election to fight so what do they care. Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.

Senior Residents' Association Councillor joins Conservatives

Nigel Petrie MBE, County Councillor for Epsom & Ewell North East and Borough Councillor for Nonsuch ward has joined the Conservatives.

This weekend thousands of leaflets were delivered across his county divison informing his residents of his decision.

Nigel has served on the Borough Council for 22 years and is a former Mayor of Epsom & Ewell. He has served on Surrey County Council for 8 years.

Nigel has commented, " I consider the best way for me to achieve the things we want for our community is as a member of the Conservative Party. It is vitally important that we challenge the Labour Party as it flounders over the economic crisis, and give a boost to the national campaign by backing the Conservatives."

Chris Grayling, our Member of Parliament, has commented that Nigel " has a long track record of public service in the area, and he will now be able to play a much more direct role in making sure that the County Council looks after the interests of Epsom & Ewell as part of its ruling group."

As the leader of our council group in Epsom & Ewell I am delighted that Nigel is joining us. He is the third most senior councillor in the Borough and he is a good common sense politician who cares deeply about the area he represents. Nigel, like so many in Epsom & Ewell, has come to the conclusion that the Conservatives, not the Residents' Associations, offer the best future for the Borough.

Durdans application defeated

On 28th January the Planning Committee of Epsom & Ewell Borough Council rejected Lord Halifax's application to convert the historic Durdans stables into residential and office accommodation. One Residents' Association councillor voted in favour of the application.

This result was the culmination of a huge campaign in my ward and across the Borough against the plans. Local Resident Tina Mountain organised for a petition to be delivered to every household in Woodcote ward. The response was massive. Various petitions raised over 3,000 signatures.

With Tina I organised a public meeting at the Town Hall which was well attended and addressed by our Member of Parliament, Chris Grayling. As a result of that meeting Woodcote Conservatives delivered a note to every resident in the area encouraging them to write in objecting to the application and setting out the valid planning objections that could be made. Close to 300 letters were received.

I am not a member of the planning committee, but I attended the meeting and used my right to speak as a local councillor. I attacked Lord Halifax for allowing the property to fall into disrepair and then trying to use that as an excuse to abandon its equestrian usage. I mocked the transport survey that the applicant had presented as being entirely unbelievable to those who know the area.

The fight, unfortunately, is not over. Lord Halifax has the right to appeal and the council continues to refuse to use its enforcement powers in relation to the condition of the buildings. We will continue to keep a watchful eye over the site.