Thirteen candidates are standing for three seats in Hollingdean and Fiveways on Brighton and Hove City Council in the local elections next month. They answered questions sent in by the public via social media.
Why do you want to be a councillor?
Friends of Brighton and Hove Independents candidate Gary Jones is a health and safety officer.
He said: “Our city has been in decline for a long time but what finally persuaded me to run was the way the parking permit consultation in Hollingdean was flawed without key information provided and legitimate parameters, leading to an unfair/unacceptable outcome for residents.
“I am born and bred in Hollingdean and have lived in the Ward for most of my life.”
His concerns are the unfair parking permit consultation, the weeds, the rubbish and the potholes.
Green candidate Siriol Hugh-Jones, 55, is a freelance translator seeking re-election.
“I want to continue to make change happen; to make Brighton and Hove a healthier, more sustainable, more affordable place to live, both for residents and the planet.
“One of the biggest challenges in Brighton and Hove is that of finding decent, affordable housing.
“I have been a member of the council’s Housing Committee for the last four years (co-chair for the last three) and want to continue to improve residential housing in the city, be that through better conditions for renters, delivering energy-efficient social housing, improving conditions throughout our social housing offer or tackling homelessness through early intervention.
“I live here. I have represented Preston Park ward for the last four years, but with the change of ward boundaries it makes sense for me to stand in Hollingdean and Fiveways.
“Between us, Green Party candidates Zoe John, Jamie Lloyd and I already cover the different areas of the new ward.”
Green candidate Zoe John, 42, is a researcher, lecturer and mother who is standing for re-election to the council.
She said: “I was elected in a by-election two years ago. Being a councillor is one of the most rewarding jobs I have ever had. I love that we can make a difference at both an individual and city level.
“It’s been amazing to be able to work with and support the brilliant community organisations and residents’ associations as well as the amazing individuals making a positive impact on our communities.
“Since we have been in administration we have done so much – and we have so much more we want to achieve over the next four years.
“Since my current ward has split, I wanted to stand in the bit that I live in and that’s here in Hollingdean and Fiveways.
“I love this neighbourhood and the people here – my kids go to school and nursery here. I walk my dog in the wood and up to the top. I love being able to say hi to people on the street and actually know who they are.
“I love the local organisations and the shops we are surrounded by. I feel very grateful to be able to live here and represent my community.”
Green candidate Jamie Lloyd, 45, is an environmental project officer who is standing for re-election to the council. He is on Twitter @CllrJamieLloyd.
He said: “I want to help Brighton and Hove become a greener and more sustainable city. We are facing biodiversity and climate crises and there is a lot we can do at a local level to protect nature and improve air quality for all of our residents.
“I have been the deputy chair of the Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee for four years and have overseen the rewilding of Waterhall and the ‘school streets’ projects that reduce traffic and danger outside of our schools.
“I want to continue this work so that our city can be an exemplar of sustainability.
“I have previously represented Wtihdean ward and part of that area is now in the new Hollingdean and Fiveways ward.
“I love the area and the community. Most of my friends live in and around The Dip and my favourite night out is Sea Shanties at the Jolly Brewer.
“I would like to develop a plan for wildlife at Hollingbury Fort as we have had great success at rewilding Waterhall and I would like to bring this knowledge to Hollingdean and Fiveways. ”
Siriol Hugh-Jones, Zoe John and Jamie Lloyd said: “Hollingdean and Fiveways has a very diverse resident population. We have the highest and one of the lowest areas of deprivation in Brighton and Hove. So what might affect one bit of the ward may not be as important to another.
“We are all feeling the results of the ‘cost of living crisis’ and the impact of Brexit but we also have some shared challenges – consistent and reliable rubbish and recycling collections, including a food waste collection, the need for affordable housing for all, access to outside spaces and community gardens and wanting road safety improvement including ‘school streets’.”
Labour candidate Mohammed Asaduzzaman, 62, is a business director. He said: “I am a local business owner with a track record of getting things done and responding where people need help and proud recipient of a Home Office award for my work responding to crime in the area.
“My years of community activism and knowledge of what matters to local people have stirred me to seek election to represent my community on Brighton and Hove City Council.
“I am committed to making sure our community has representatives that listen to and work hard on their behalf to deliver the best services possible for all. It is time for the community to rebuild stronger bridges.
“Each day, through my business, I hear the concerns and worries of Hollingdean and Fiveways residents. The ‘cost of living crisis’ is hitting people and businesses hard and, as a local councillor I would be a champion for our area.
“I will work with multi agencies to ensure they work effectively with residents to make things better. My campaign is also to make sure our residents and businesses are safe and can thrive in a safe neighbourhood.
“The key issues for residents include poor-quality recycling and refuse collections service which so often leaves streets litter-strewn.
“Parking and the state of pavements are real concerns. The recent Green administration’s consultation on these issues left residents feeling their concerns went unheard.
“Lack of proper consultation is a constant source of annoyance as, for instance, with the Blakers tennis courts.
“Labour believes the community should be invited to develop a range of proposals for their neighbourhood. The community care deeply about issues affecting their neighbourhood and want to work constructively with the council on solutions, sustainable for all.”
Labour candidate Bruno De Oliveira, 37, is a university lecturer in psychology and a grassroots football coach. He said: “I’m passionate about public service and addressing critical issues like mental health, wellbeing and inequality.
“Poor bin and waste collection can significantly impact wellbeing. The city’s litter and rubbish collection issues are symptoms of larger problems with the current administration.
“I believe the Hollingdean and Fiveways community can make a difference by working towards common goals. Let’s find long-term solutions to address these issues and create a better future for our community.
“Join me in creating a community where residents’ voices matter and needs are met. Let’s work together to build a brighter future for our neighbourhood.
“I’m committed to building a better future for our community which starts with listening to and engaging with residents.
“As someone actively involved in community projects and initiatives in the city, I hear the issues important to our neighbourhood – whether improving access to mental health services, addressing litter and rubbish collection or promoting community engagement and access to support services.
“Are you tired of feeling like your voice isn’t heard in local decision-making? Do you worry about the cost of housing in our community and whether it will continue to be affordable for families like yours?
“Are you concerned about traffic congestion and pedestrian safety, especially for our children? And are you worried about environmental concerns like litter and rubbish collection, air quality and noise pollution?
“I’m committed to addressing critical issues like housing affordability, traffic congestion and pedestrian safety while ensuring can have the right to access essential services.”
Labour candidate Theresa Fowler, 60, is a shop owner who is standing for re-election to the council.
She said: “I have been a councillor in Hollingdean and Stanmer for four years and I have enjoyed helping in my community.
“I would like to continue to be a councillor so that I can make a difference in my ward and to the city of Brighton and Hove.
“I will to listen to my community and to their issues. I feel that it is important to properly consult with residents and to hear their views.
“I am passionate about the environment and want to help combat climate change with policies that really work while still listening to residents and bringing them along with us – improving people’s lives, improving homes and helping with the ‘cost of living crisis’.
“I want to stand in my ward of Hollingdean and Fiveways because I have lived here all my life and went to local schools. I also work locally in Fiveways and feel that I know what are the local issues.
“I have enjoyed working and listening to the residents of my community and feel that I have made a difference to the ward and I am committed to help deliver the best services possible.
“The main issues in this ward are lack of parking and people parking on grass verges. This also causes problems with the refuse and recycling trucks not being able to get around efficiently and a lot of roads are regularly missed.
“There are also a lot of potholes. We also have a lack of bins in the parks and around the streets including dog poo bins so we have a lot of dog poo that is not picked up making the streets unclean. Environmental issues are also important in my ward.”
Liberal Democrat candidate Ashley Ridley is a football coach, retail and youth worker. He said: “I want to become a councillor because I want to represent the people in my ward of Hollingdean and Fiveways as they have never had a Liberal Democrat councillor and this is something I want to change as I feel locally we have the best policy ideas.
“I also want to get the council back to getting the basics right – not ideological politics. We need sensible local councillors who are going to put the needs of the people first.
“I also want to bring a young voice to the council. I want to stand in this ward as its where I have lived and called home for 16 years of my life.
“And I want to make a real difference to the local area and make it better for everyone who lives here as it is such a diverse ward.
“I want to bridge that gap by introducing policies that will really help with the cost of living and allow people to have a little bit more money to enjoy life.
“I also want to make sure that the local issues that matter get sorted, not ignored.”
He said that the key issues in the ward were
- the cost of parking permits which for some families is £30 or more a month or over £300 a year and this is a massive strain on a lot of people’s finances so I want to reduce this cost
- the state of our local parks in the ward, with many of them falling into a horrible state despite only recently being done up
- dangerous parking as there are always cars parked on corners or pavements, making it hard for people to walk down the street safely – this is an issue that needs addressing
Trade Union Socialist Coalition (TUSC) candidate Megan Churchland, 24, is a customer service representative.
She said: “I want to be part of the fight back against cuts to my local area. We must have a needs budget that protects and invests in local organisations, infrastructure and people.
“Demanding ‘no cuts’ and utilising the council’s powers to access money through a needs budget will fund new and ongoing opportunities that help to develop and maintain a decent living standard within the community.
“A decent quality of life is deeply rooted in the availability of local resources, be it access to nature or support through local community programmes.
“Places like Hollingbury Woods, Wild Park and Hollingbury Community Centre offer this and therefore need sufficient planning and funding to sustain them.
“As a resident of this ward, I want to fight for these resources by making sure that they are awarded the money they need and deserve to keep going.
“Harsh winds due to climate changes mean that green and woodland areas require organised help to make sure terrain isn’t damaged and remains safely accessible to the public.
“Hollingdean Community Centre and Hollingdean Children’s Centre, including family hubs, are crucial in advising and supporting young people and families at a time when services like childcare can be unaffordable, especially during the ‘cost of living crisis’.
“Due to this ward being one of the last free-parking areas in Brighton, ensuring that roads and pavements are sufficiently kept through proper investment is vital in guaranteeing that residents aren’t disadvantaged by persistent traffic.”
UK Independence Party candidate Daniel Goodhand is an environmental consultant. He said: “I am active in the local community and would be able to do more as a councillor.
“I’d like to give people the choice to vote for a party that isn’t part of the mainstream block. At the moment if you vote Green, Labour or Conservative you are basically going to get the same thing.
“Council elections have become just part of the political battleground and not about local issues.
“I have connections with Hollingdean and Fiveways. I used to live in the ward and my children still attend school in Hollingdean.
“I have previously been a governor for Hertford Infant and Hertford Junior School and still help when there is the opportunity.”
He said that the key issues in the ward were housing, schools, traffic and parking, parks and tackling anti-social behaviour.
The Conservative Party is fielding three candidates – Janice Bates, Peter Revell and Lesley Wilson.
What are your views on low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs)?
Gary Jones: “I believe LTNs will create more gridlock and pollution than they solve in adjoining areas and are a wholly unnecessary waste of public money.”
Siriol Hugh-Jones, Zoe John and Jamie Lloyd said: “We support them because we believe in supporting healthy local communities where residents enjoy good air quality and the streets are safe for all, be they pedestrians, wheelchair users, cyclists or motorists.
“But they have to work for all of us as a community. We know that loads of our streets in Hollingdean and Fiveways are used as cut-throughs, with cars racing down them, but we dream of a day when it might once again be safe for our kids to play on our streets.”
Mohammed Asaduzzaman, Bruno De Oliveira and Theresa Fowler said: “Green politicians said that Labour’s budget amendment shows we are against low-traffic neighbourhoods and not committed to combating the climate crisis.
“Yet, Labour set up the Climate Assembly in the city and were clear that we must listen to and work with communities in delivering carbon reduction measures such as LTNs and 20-minute neighbourhoods.
“We are not against the principle of low-traffic neighbourhoods – we’ve regularly backed residents in various calls for traffic-calming measures in different parts of the city – we just don’t support poorly designed LTNs in the wrong places where residents evidently don’t want them.”
Ashley Ridley said: “Broadly, Liberal Democrats support the concept of LTNs. It seems that the first attempt in Brighton in the Hanover area was botched.
“There was insufficient consultation with residents and then the funding was cut after a row between Labour and Green groups on the council.
“Maybe it would make more sense to spend money on improving the existing pavements in these areas.”
Megan Churchland said: “Sound pollution from high traffic or poorly maintained roads can have a major impact on the mental health and wellbeing of residents.
“Allocating money properly from a needs budget will make sure that roads are both level and accessible to help lower traffic and keep it moving quietly.
“Residents should also be able to have their say in whether they think additional investments should be made on their road, for example, by adding speed bumps or signs where necessary. A ‘no cuts’ programme will facilitate this.”
Daniel Goodhand said: “I have two thoughts on low-traffic neighbourhoods. In principle, I am against anything that dramatically restricts people’s freedom to choose.
“On the other hand, I have lived in Hanover which always seemed to have less traffic and it was one of the reasons why I really liked living there.
“With fewer cars on the road, the sense of community increases. Also, it’s safer – particularly for school children. Air quality improves, and less traffic generally promotes a healthier lifestyle.
“On the whole measures to encourage less traffic are good but there is a right balance to be had.”
Our swimming pools are in a poor state. What will you do to improve and/or replace them?
Gary Jones said: “I believe a full audit is needed of the swimming pools and their state of repair and then reports and quotes as to whether full refurbishment or reconstruction is the more sensible option.”
Siriol Hugh-Jones, Zoe John and Jamie Lloyd said: “We all love swimming and our swimming pools, whether that’s swimming for fun, to raise money for charity or taking our kids to swimming classes.
“We support the recommendations of the council’s Sports Facilities Investment Plan which would create three sports hubs in the north, east and west of the city, with swimming pools in the east and west.
“We need to invest resources in new, more sustainable facilities, rather than continuing to prop up facilities that no longer represent good value for money.”
Mohammed Asaduzzaman and Bruno De Oliveira said: “We’re committed to securing funding to improve or replace our current swimming facilities and involve community members in the decision-making process to ensure that everyone’s needs are considered.
“We’ll also work with local experts and stakeholders to develop a comprehensive plan to address this issue, including exploring innovative solutions and potential funding sources.
“Ultimately, the goal is to improve the health and wellbeing of everyone in our community and provide safe and well-maintained facilities for people of all ages to enjoy.
“So let’s work together to make sure that our swimming pools are up to the standards that our community deserves.”
Theresa Fowler said: “I realise how important swimming pools are as my son has taken part in the free swimming sessions most weekends when he was younger and I was pleased to vote for children and young people aged 18 and under to be able to apply to use this facility.
“I would seek funding from the government to improve the swimming pools that we have.
“I would like to see all swimming pools improved and to have solar panels and heat pumps to make them more environmentally friendly and to help combat climate change and bring them up to a standard that would improve the health and wellbeing of the residents of our city.”
Ashley Ridley said: “Our city has a strong swim culture and is a seaside resort. So it is very surprising that we have such poor facilities to support swimming.
“We support the council’s ambition to build a new sports hub in the west of the city and recognise the new approach of taking a long-term view before deciding whether to build the new sports hub on the current King Alfred site or on a new site.
“That said, we would like to see a first-class swimming centre with supporting infrastructure being a central part of the plan.”
Daniel Goodhand said: “The council wastes money. The council has wasted money on projects like the i360 which is in financial crisis and a continuous drain on the budget.
“The business plan was doomed to failure from day one. To pay for this failure, the council raises taxes every year and cuts services which is hitting the poorest hardest.
“Currently, sports and recreation is at the very bottom of the council’s capital investment programme.
“Yes, I’d vote to invest more in swimming pools. I’d vote against poor business decisions and to stop wasting money – and I’d vote to freeze or reduce council taxes.”
How will you tackle our broken and weed-infested pavements and the dangers that they pose?
Gary Jones said: “Our former Labour council stopped the weedkilling programme in 2019 before ensuring they had trialled and put a viable alternative weed removal system in place.
“This now needs to be done urgently, ensuring all staff are trained in the new system. All pavements need health and safety auditing, ensuring the worst areas are repaired first.”
Siriol Hugh-Jones, Zoe John and Jamie Lloyd said: “Labour rightly stopped the use of carcinogenic glyphosate. What they didn’t do was to find alternative ways of controlling weeds.
“There’s no easy answer, post-Brexit, as there are few people willing and able to take on manual jobs.
“As one of the most nature-depleted countries in Europe, we need to be cautious about adversely affecting biodiversity or causing harm to those doing the work.
“Uneven pavements are often caused by tree roots and we want to maintain as many trees as possible. However, where it is not, there is a pavement repair online form/phone number which we would recommend.”
Mohammed Asaduzzaman, Bruno De Oliveira and Theresa Fowler said: “We all want to live in a city that looks good – with clean streets and safe pavements.
“Labour will safely wage war on the weeds that have been allowed to grow, making streets difficult and hazardous, especially with children and for the elderly and people with reduced mobility.
“We won’t return to the use of harmful glyphosates but we will work with our communities on targeted environmental and sustainable solutions, protecting human health, enabling nature to flourish and ensuring streets are managed to a high standard and are accessible to all.”
Ashley Ridley said: “High-temperature water sprays have been used all over Europe. Within days, the sprayed plants and their roots die. There are many manufacturers of these machines for industrial use.
“One of the most effective is a combination of foam and water. Many public and private organisations use this method of weed control.
“It is safe, cost-effective and can also be used to clear chewing gum from the pavements. It is a herbicide-free solution for managing outside spaces.
“Understandably, the Greens did not want to use strong chemicals but to put no other solution in place was irresponsible.”
He backed “environmental and sustainable solutions, protecting human health, enabling nature to flourish and ensuring streets are managed to a high standard and are accessible to all”.
Megan Churchland said: “Campaigning for ‘no cuts’ and implementing a needs budget will mean that sufficient funding is properly designated to restoring and maintaining pavements, without cutting corners or using cheaper temporary solutions.
“Ensuring that pavements are level and accessible for all, including those with mobility scooters and wheelchairs, is so important for residents wishing to access local businesses.
“Making sure that weed-killers are eco-friendly and carefully used, as well as efficiently applied, is crucial in protecting pavements from degradation. This will rely heavily on proper planning and funding by councillors.”
Daniel Goodhand said: “The council cares most about progressive issues and supporting illegal immigration rather than providing the basic services for residents that councils are meant to provide.
“I would put a red line through costs that aren’t benefiting residents and instead use it to pay for the basic services like maintaining pavements.
“I would have the freedom to choose what is best for the community and not to toe the party line. Councils are meant to tackle local issues and should not be about politics.
“It is politics that is getting in the way of sorting out things like pavements.”
Polling day is Thursday 4 May. Photo ID is required for those voting in person.
Vague statement of the year: “track record of getting things done”.
Vague statement of the year: ‘track record of getting things done’