Originally published at: https://hornseacommunitynews.uk/news/meet-the-candidiates/
HORNSEA TOWN COUNCIL NORTH WARD
ELECTION OF A TOWN COUNCILLOR
A poll will be held on Thursday 10th May between 7am-10pm
Polling Stations: Hornsea Floral Hall and Hornsea Methodist Church
Candidates: Tim Bunch, Keith Whittle and Kevin Nicholson
Tim Bunch
Like most people reading this I am proud to live in Hornsea. Our schools are excellent, we have the beautiful Mere on one side and the dramatic, invigorating North Sea on the other but, above all, we have the most amazing community spirit.
Currently most of Hornsea are joining together to welcome the Tour de Yorkshire; decorating the town to try and improve the profile of our expanding town. Fantastic volunteers on an annual basis arrange, amongst other events, The Carnival, Bike Event and The Third Marathon to provide free entertainment and encourage visitors. New groups have started to tackle environmental issues such as the beach clean and reducing plastics in Hornsea and I actively support all these projects.
The reason I have decided to run for the Town Council is to try and promote the positives about Hornsea. Having parents, children and grandchildren living here I have a vested interest in the future of the town and, as our expectations are continually changing, we need to stay ahead and embrace new ideas.
I have had a business in the Market Place for 16 years and in that time, I have heard many positive and negative comments about the town particularly recently with:
- The redevelopment of the Leisure Centre
- Bank closures
- Traffic congestion, parking and public transport
- Facilities for young people and families in an expanding town
Kev Nicholson
I’ve decided to stand to be elected as a Hornsea Councillor because I want to see a change to the usual same old Hornsea Politics, especially in light of the recent decision by the majority of the current Hornsea Town Councillors to vote against the ERYC proposed £10 million pound investment in Hornsea.
I have lived in Hornsea all my life, and for the past 14 years I have worked for the ERYC Highways and Street Lighting Department which includes being part of the emergency call out team and driving gritters. I was also a Special Constable for Humberside Police for seven years. I have been married for 21 years and have two teenage daughters who both attend Hornsea School.
I want a vibrant positive future for Hornsea and for all of us. I understand that to achieve this we all need to work together as residents, businesses and the various community organisations to create this and build on all the good work that is already happening out there.
Hornsea is a lovely growing seaside town and I want it to be a great place to live for all ages and want to see us make the most of what our town has to offer and use this to benefit all.
- I want to see us get the new £10 million Leisure, Library, Customer Service Centre and Visitor Centre investment and to find a solution to ease the traffic congestion in the town centre.
- I want to look at further developing the under-used South Promenade area of the sea front and a creating new visitor attractions and business opportunities.
- To make the most of the Trans Pennine Trail and create cycling and walking routes from there for people to use in and around the local area, and link up with our routes and networks.
- Look at the situation in Hall Garth Park and create new footpaths and cycle paths across it.
- Develop the idea of a mascot to help promote the town.
- Creating more neighbourhood watch and business watch schemes in partnership with the local Policing team.
- Holding more events to bring people to the town and build on what we currently have including scooter rallies and working with Floral Hall to develop a special weekend for them.
I don’t have all the answers and you cannot please everyone all of the time but I want to be part of the solution and not the problem. I look forward to your support to enable this.
Keith Whittle
I’ve lived in Hornsea for 5 years and have a vision for Hornsea to be a vibrant and prosperous town. We have some great assets in the town so let’s make better use of them. To help achieve this vision let’s welcome the proposed investment in the Leisure Centre and work with East Riding Council to make the best of it rather than object to it as our council did.
Our town is at the eastern end of the Trans Pennine Trail so let’s build on that and allow cycling on our huge promenade and not object to it as our council have. The town’s population is getting older and services are leaving the town because of underuse so let’s welcome new families and not object, as our council did, to the proposed family houses and children’s play area planned for the waste ground behind the bus station. Let’s have a foot path across Hall Garth Park so the hundreds of school children no longer have to make the daily trudge through the mud and not object to the path as our council did.
It’s time for a fresh approach, so let’s make the best of what we have, welcome investment and new families into our town.
I’m a chartered engineer and since moving to Hornsea, I volunteered as a Director to take over the Floral Hall and to stop it being demolished. I helped to get funding and with the setting up of the Hornsea Cinema, which now regularly draws audiences of over 400 people. I helped to get funding and build the picnic area at Fair Place with the Civic Society and set up maintenance procedures for electrical and fire safety systems at Hornsea Museum.
I’ve worked hard to make a difference in Hornsea and hope to continue that on the Town Council.