Woodingdean candidates explain why they want to be a councillor. They also answer questions sent in by the public via social media.
Not your ward? Click here to find your neighbourhood on our interactive map.
Six candidates are standing for the two Brighton and Hove City Council seats in the Brighton ward of Woodingdean.
Steve Bell is standing for re-election as a Conservative councillor. He is MP Maria Caulfield’s chief of staff.
I have always believed that we serve each other and that we should aim to give something back to the community.
Since retiring from the army, I believe that now is also the time to serve the local community in Woodingdean where I have lived for 10 years to help and try improving the lives of us all who have made Woodingdean their home.
Dee Simson is currently a councillor and market trader. She is standing for the Conservatives.
I want to continue the work I have done over the past 20 years as a councillor in Woodingdean and across the city.
To carry on lobbying for improvements that make Woodingdean a safe and clean environment, a nice place to live, so both young and old have access to the opportunities they deserve.
To further build on the relationships I have made with the community and voluntary sector in the city, allowing organisations to flourish and grow. To increase and encourage volunteering across the city.
David Wilson is an exhibition and festival organiser standing for Labour.
I would like to see our village improved. We have some amazing green spaces that haven’t reached their potential.
I have a vision of a thriving Happy Valley and Lockwood Park with working toilets and a café, running events like outdoor cinema nights, community events and sports facilities like outdoor adult gyms, five a side football and basketball.
Case work is my passion and in Woodingdean, there are people struggling to cope with problems linked to exploitative landlords, care homes charging exorbitant fees, their kids being wrongfully excluded from schools, feuds with neighbours and loss of benefits to name just some.
Sunny Choudhury is also standing for Labour.
Cameron James Hardie and Gwyneth Ann Jones are standing for the Greens.
What are you views on the design, impact on traffic of the Valley Gardens phase three project in Old Steine which includes making Madeira Drive one way? Is this is suitable for a safe public area?
Steve Bell: I am not happy with the design, albeit I would wish to see more pedestrian areas.
I believe the main A23 is a vital route for businesses, local traders and visitors and it is our connection to the outside world and access to the city must be improved and I fear that these works will impede on the city’s life.
I am also concerned about increase in pollution being caused with the volume of traffic which will be at a standstill or fighting to get the seafront.
I am fully supportive of aiding public transport, however, we do have to consider the trade of the city our public attractions which we hold dear and wish to encourage commerce which is the heartbeat of our city.
Changing the roundabout into a T junction at the pier is just ludicrous.
Sunny Choudhury: The designs are currently being drawn up to a detailed design stage.
All comments and issues raised are being addressed and we hope to see a detailed scheme which meets the needs of all residents and businesses/ visitors expected.
Those detailed designs will have to ensure that the city keeps moving while addressing the impacts of the climate change emergency and supporting a modern city where sustainable transport routes are protected and enhanced.
Cameron Hardie and Gwyneth Jones: The Valley Gardens project was envisaged as a desperately needed green lung for the city centre and to improve walking and cycling.
Phase three covers the area that is the city’s ‘accident blackspot’ – it’s a critical opportunity to cut serious injuries, many to cyclists.
The last Green council administration won £8 million of external funding to pay for the project.
Labour’s delays to the scheme threatened this hard-won cash – and left the council scrambling to get the project to completion. In this late and rushed process, there was inadequate consultation with residents and local businesses.
Greens have pushed for better acknowledgement of the concerns raised. We have won assurances over new cycle lane provision and have heard that organisations such as Bricycles and Friends of the Earth now on board.
Dee Simson: I am against Valley Gardens Phase three. I do not believe it will help improve safety or movement and will increase pollution because of increased queuing traffic.
It will also be detrimental to some of the main businesses in the city which support the tourist trade and are vital to the cities economy.
It will also increase traffic movement through outlying areas such as Woodingdean in order to avoid Valley Gardens.
David Wilson: It would be great to see our Royal Pavilion in a more worthy surrounding and to see more green spaces in the city for people to enjoy.
It is important to listen to the concerns of residents and local businesses though.
Indeed the plans were changed after consultation but making Madeira Drive one-way still seems very unpopular.
If there is expert opinion suggesting it won’t be a problem then it needs to be better communicated, but – ultimately – councillors are here to represent residents and I hope a solution can be found that pleases most people in the city.
There is a huge problem with dog owners leaving waste behind, either in bags or just out in the open in parks and street. What will you do to tackle dog owners not picking up poo?
Steve Bell: This has become an increasing problem in Woodingdean and as sitting councillors we have introduced more dog poo bins and have arranged for additional signage.
Sadly, it will as always come down to the responsible dog owners, who need to take and understand that it is unacceptable to either not pick up their dogs poo or not to use the bins which are provided in number at all our green spaces.
There has also sadly been an increase of dog poo on our roads in general, which we are trying to have additional signage erected.
Sunny Choudhury: Our new enforcement officers who have been brought in-house are out and about in neighbourhoods, and targeting those whose antisocial behaviours are affecting all our lives.
We need to both educate and enforce our way out of this problem, and we want that message to get through to all who chose to leave dog mess across our city.
Cameron Hardie and Gwyneth Jones: It’s not just about ‘sticks’ – we need more ‘carrots’ too.
More designated bins – especially in areas popular with dog walkers – will help dog walkers who intend to do the right thing.
Dee Simson: Dog owners need to be made more aware that they can deposit bags in any rubbish bin not just dog bins.
This can be done by launching a major publicity campaign and putting signs on bins.
More hard-hitting shock posters can be displayed around areas that suffer worst problems, showing what the effects can be, especially on children, who suffer infections because of contact with dog faeces.
David Wilson: Seven months ago, we launched a non-partisan group to bring residents and the council together to organise clean-ups, report fly tipping and report everything from broken street lighting to street signs.
We now have 230 followers and have already removed over 2.5 tonnes of waste.
This spawned a campaign called ‘Stop Messing Around’ where we have put up anti-dog fouling stickers and installed bag dispensers around the village.
There are also more bins planned in June at key bus stops.
Catching people in the act and issuing spot fines can be impractical so I would favour education – let’s have pride in our area and make it feel unacceptable to leave dog poo about.
The council is planning to roll out the installation of electric charging points. To what extent do you support this and will you commit to making these electric vehicle only parking spaces?
Steve Bell: I am 100 per cent behind this scheme and I welcome each and every charging point.
The allocated parking areas need to be treated similarly to disabled parking zones as I have observed non electrical cars parking in these bays around the city which is bang out of order.
Sunny Choudhury: We fully support the installation of electric vehicle charging points (EVCPs), and in fact it is the Labour council that successfully bid for £300,000 funding from the government to allow the installation of 200 EVCPs.
Test sites are already in operation.
It was noted at committee last June that the scheme might need to allow for mandatory parking bays for electric vehicle charging in the event, for example, it becomes clear that electric vehicle owners are having problems accessing advisory bays, or to adapting over time to increased demand.
Cameron Hardie and Gwyneth Jones: We are fully committed to rolling out electric vehicle charging points, both on street and in car parks.
The speed and scale of the roll out needs to significantly increase.
Charging points need to be installed sensitively, so that they do not obstruct pavements or cycle routes – and we need to look at innovative options for using e.g. existing street lamps to act as charging points.
We support the policy of reserving spaces by charging points for electric vehicles.
We also need to put in place further incentives to help people switch to zero-emission transport, whether that it is by moving to an electric car, or by making journeys by electric bus, cycling or walking.
Dee Simson: Fully supportive of installation and electric vehicle only parking spaces.
David Wilson: The council has declared a climate emergency and rightly so. We need to support all efforts to move away from fossil fuels.
Charging points only really make sense if people have access to them, so they should be reserved for electric vehicles only.
It is important to get the balance right so that we aren’t making it harder for everyone else to park.
If you design with children in mind you also make it good for older people and create a healthier and more inclusive place that everyone can enjoy. How are you going to make the city safe and attractive for children to move around independently?
Steve Bell: This is a difficult question, as when does a child become a responsible young person?
I also believe that parents need to answer this same question as to do they believe it is safe for their children to travel unaccompanied?
We do have safe havens around the city but need more of these and similar places should a young person find they need assistance of any kind.
A child should feel safe no matter where there are in our city and we all need to work together to make this a reality.
Sunny Choudhury: We need a range of measures to be delivered across the whole city – better protected cycling and walking routes are key to this as well as a safe reliable public transport system.
We are also committed to setting up a fund to support improved community safety and neighbourhood policing measures to give people confidence in the safety and responsiveness of their local communities.
Cameron Hardie and Gwyneth Jones: Improving pedestrian routes, road crossings, cycle routes and bus services all make the city safer and easier for children, older people and others with mobility difficulties to navigate.
We would also like to see better enforcement of speed restrictions on our roads – cars are the number one cause of death and serious injury for children and young people and we would like to see our streets made as safe as possible for everyone.
In addition, tackling anti-social behaviour and drug related activity give children, parents and older people more confidence that moving around the city independently is safe.
Dee Simson: Increase number and safety of pedestrian crossings.
Ensure every school has a school crossing patrol and enforcement is carried out on no parking zones outside of schools.
David Wilson: Designing with children, older people, and disabled people in mind should always be a priority to ensure everyone is able to enjoy our unique and vibrant city.
In Woodingdean, parking on pavements and grass verges is a huge problem for wheelchair users, mobility scooter users, and parents with prams and pushchairs.
That’s something we must find a solution to, but it takes money. Decorative, rather than functional, design can make a difference too.
For example, I have known the fun designs inside local buses to benefit friends with anxiety as well as children who get bored travelling.
Seagulls and foxes attack bins and rubbish is strewn across city streets. Sometimes people need to step up. How will you encourage people to get involved in keeping their community tidy?
Steve Bell: In Woodingdean the standard bin is not large enough for some families and they should be able to request a larger bin for their use at no expense.
In Woodingdean we do hold regular clean ups around the village via the tenants and residence association. We always could do more and hope more residents will join our sessions.
Sunny Choudhury: We have established the Tidy Up Team, who work with local community groups to provide the training, resources and support to enable community tidy up events and programmes to become an essential part of our community-based approach to these issues.
Cameron Hardie and Gwyneth Jones: At the last budget, in February this year, amendments from Greens created a new Community Clean Up fund to support community groups who are helping to protect our city environment (eg by paying for graffiti clean up materials).
This also covers getting more eco-street cleaners that do not use glyphosate spray and can use foam technology to remove grime and weeds.
Our councillors have been central to new initiatives to start ‘anti-tagging task force’ community groups and helping paint out graffiti, dirt and grime.
Dee Simson: Encourage volunteers to help look after their own green spaces with provision of more bins in parks containing clean up equipment.
Allow larger households to have bigger refuse and recycling bins where needed to ensure all waste is fully encased and does not overflow.
David Wilson: Woodingclean has signed up 230 residents who are happy to volunteer with community projects.
Our plan is to develop a network of volunteer street wardens that would document and report problems such as graffiti, litter, and overgrown vegetation.
If it is something that needs instant attention, such as bins that have been attacked by sea gulls, a warden would be notified of the problem, announce it to all the members and also announce it on the community board to ensure immediate response.
We have been pleasantly surprised by the levels of co-operation and support so far and can only see this growing.
Children in Brighton and Hove should have playgrounds that are working and safe. Too many have old or damaged equipment. What do you plan to do to support young children in the city enjoy play equipment in our parks?
Steve Bell: We have three play areas in Woodingdean which are regularly used by families which is good to see.
As councillors over the past years we have always maintained and dealt with every reported damage to play equipment and these areas are checked by the council on a regular basis.
Sunny Choudhury: Under a Labour government the value of play was recognised, and Labour gave significant funding to local councils for playground equipment.
Locally Brighton and Hove got £2m. This was great news, but since then government commitment has not been the same.
So the council had a report in 2016 looking at how we could keep our playgrounds as great places to play despite funding pressures, and many playgrounds across the city have been benefitting from improvement works, from Victoria Recreation Ground in Portslade to Saltdean Park.
Cameron Hardie and Gwyneth Jones: Our playgrounds are a vital resource for families. For all those of us with children and no garden or a small garden they are a regular and essential part of our lives.
If equipment is left broken for long periods of time this is disappointing for children at best, and at worst can be dangerous.
We need to understand that this is not a trivial issue and respond much more quickly when play equipment needs to be repaired or replaced.
Dee Simson: Regular maintenance of equipment in all parks across the city on a rolling basis including the three in Woodingdean plus the skate park.
Improve fencing around play parks to keep children safe within the area and stop dogs fouling the area.
Also improve safety outside the parks including safer crossings and sensible parking of vehicles.
David Wilson: Fundraising and running events is something I have experience in.
One of our main pledges is to redevelop our green spaces and transform them into community hubs.
A mixture of outdoor events for the young, somewhere for families to spend time with facilities relevant for children, and a central outdoor café like many other Brighton Parks enjoy.
For Woodingdean to reach its potential it would rely on a collaboration between local businesses, local volunteers and the council.
Funding would come from the many grant opportunities available, sponsorship, the council and also fund-raising events where the community know exactly what they are raising money for.
Already many local businesses have offered their support so the process is already underway.
