Independents and smaller party groups present election priorities

This week, the Advertiser is profiling residents' associations, smaller parties and other independents who will be taking on the larger groups at the local elections.

Below are the independent Maidenhead and Windsor candidates.

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Old Windsor Residents’ Association

Councillor Lynne Jones of OWRA said ‘the health of the community’ is one of her top priorities.

This extends to making sure there is a budget to take care of roadside trees to help with air pollution; addressing river pollution; and lobbying for the River Thames Scheme as there is ‘no plan B’.

She wished for the next administration to take a careful look at air quality monitoring data.

Cllr Jones is in favour of a Windsor Town Council because she believes parishing all the areas makes it easier for residents to make their voices heard.

She would also like to see better access to towns from villages via public transport.

OWRA is affiliated with The Borough First Independents – which, Cllr Jones says, helps independents find support while making ‘evidence-based’ decisions that are not beholden to party lines.

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West Windsor Residents’ Association

Husband-and-wife WWRA councillors Wisdom and Carole Da Costa will be running for re-election, both standing in the Clewer and Dedworth West ward.

They plan on collaborating with other councillors to better the borough, especially in matters of the climate emergency, reaching net zero and a special focus on adult social care.

Cllr Wisdom Da Costa said: “I’ve been a councillor for nine years and my wife for four years, we’ve learned and grown.

“We know how the system works. It’s easy to talk, but unless you understand the system, you can’t change anything.”

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Windsor First

Investing in pavements and roads across Windsor and ‘better maintenance’ of parks and cemeteries are some of the policies of Windsor First.

The group, which promotes independent candidates and policies ‘that will improve Windsor for all residents’, has three candidates standing.

These include Richard Margison in Clewer & Dedworth East, Ed Wilson in Clewer & Dedworth West, and Malcolm Alexander, Clewer & Dedworth West.

Policies include providing ‘clean, safe and affordable parking’ and investing in pavements and roads in Windsor and focusing on ‘road infrastructure before more houses are built’.

Other priorities include ‘properly maintained play parks’ with accessible equipment, providing a sports centre in Dedworth ‘for local people and clubs’, and having more street cleaners and ‘fair pay’ for the current ones.

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National Flood Prevention Party

Ewan Larcombe is campaigning for ‘undefended villages’ in the Borough at risk of flooding.

He founded the National Flood Prevention Party in 2011 and was elected as a borough councillor for Datchet, Horton and Wraysbury in 2019.

The creation of the Jubilee River in 2003, he says, has led to flood water being ‘dumped’ on these villages.

Cllr Larcombe said: “My view is that, while the Environment Agency and local authorities have responsibility for flooding, there is no corresponding legislative obligation or duty to invest in land drainage infrastructure maintenance or improvement.”

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Reform UK

Jake Collingwood is standing in Riverside for Reform UK.

Nationally, Reform UK believes the UK ‘need[s] to do Brexit properly’ and is focused on ‘civil liberties [and] our right to free speech.’

But Mr Collingwood said he could act ‘almost as an independent’ as he is not being made to represent any particular Reform policy.

He decried the voting along party lines he feels is responsible for the golf course development. Mr Collingwood says he will ‘do what Riverside residents want’, whatever that may be.

Mr Collingwood said he cares most about restricting or halting greenbelt development, in particular the golf course. He supports the Maidenhead Great Park campaign.

He is also concerned by catchment areas and length of waiting lists for local schools.

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Jon Davey

Cllr Jon Davey, Ind, will be standing for re-election in Clewer & Dedworth West.

审查预算和提供更好的支持or community groups in the area are among his priorities. Others include:

• To review the Borough Local Plan and ‘gain insight into how the current BLP can do less damage to our towns’.
• To review the budget and consider which budget lines should be removed and where the money available could be better utilised.
• To look to offer ‘better support for local community groups as they seem better placed to help residents in a more holistic way than the Royal Borough’s council is through more formal channels.’

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Tom Easten

Independent candidate Tom Easten is standing in Furze Platt.

He said: “Primarily, I am standing in this election not on any specific points of policy, but rather on the broader principle that local government should be led by local, independent people who are free from the constraints of party membership and have no ambitions beyond serving their neighbours and communities.

“I believe the problem we have with the present Conservative Party administration is not the ‘Conservative’ part of that; the problem is ‘Party’. Political parties look after themselves first. That is their nature.

“If we simply switch between parties every election, ditching our least favourite and replacing them with another, all we’re doing is rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

“The same problems will persist, the same voter apathy and lack of engagement will continue.”