The Somerset County Council local elections are on 4^th May. I am standing for this area (Frome North division) and promise to work hard for local people on county issues too, if elected.

There is also a by-election for College ward at Mendip on 4^th May as the other, Conservative, ward councillor has resigned.  Our candidate is Alex Shingler, the former deputy Frome mayor for young people, who will work hard to represent you if elected.

As one of your Mendip District Councillors since 2011, I have worked with residents, other councillors and the Town Council, to get things done, including to:

• work with community groups to get the Old Showfield and Packsaddle parks under Town Council control, to save and improve them for local residents,
• improve how Mendip treats people in financial difficulties when collecting Council Tax, which won praise from MPs,
• work with Mendip to save and secure investment in Frome Leisure Centre,
• lobby for improvements to new developments at Stonebridge and Fromefield,
• oppose over-development of the steep hillside off Lower Innox and Packsaddle Way,
• tackle flytipping and litter, and organised litter picks,
• get Town and County Councils and Community Speedwatch to investigate traffic speeds and road safety at Bath Road, Stonebridge Drive and Forest Road,
• work with other councillors on a temporary deal to retain weekday evening Bath/Frome bus services,
• led a successful motion on ‘Changing Places’ disabled toilets, to make Frome accessible for all,
• successfully oppose the relaxation of planning conditions protecting residents from industrial development at the Commerce Park,
• protect and create local jobs,
• help community groups and businesses get better decisions from Mendip,
• led a successful Mendip council motion to deter fracking, andget Mendip to agree to address climate change,
• help the hospital and medical centre improve bus access and parking, and oppose car park charges,
• take action to stop reversing lorries blocking traffic at Fromefield, and tried to get Radco to improve the Co-op’s design,
• secured a requirement for a new pedestrian crossing for Bath Road,
• listen to residents’ concerns on any issue and take them up with our councils.

My record of action in the hundreds of articles here www.adamboyden.mycouncillor.org.uk and in my frequent email newsletters for residents – let me know if you would like this in future by email to aomboyden@gmail.com.

If elected as your new Somerset County Councillor I would be able work on other ‘county’ issues, including to:

• make County, District, Parish and Town Councils, and councillors, work better together for Frome,
• work with the Town Council to help save youth centres and improve sports facilities, which have been neglected by the County Council,
• improve road safety, tackle speeding hotspots on Bath Road coming into Frome, at Berkley School, and problems at Fromefield, Stonebridge, Welshmill and elsewhere,
• secure a permanent deal to save the weekday evening 267 bus services between Bath and Frome, and help the campaign to increase passenger numbers – this remains under threat due to a lack of support from Somerset County Council, putting residents’ jobs, education and training at risk,
• seek new pedestrian crossings around Welshmill Park,
• tackle local parking issues in the Park Hill Drive area,
• support the completion of the Missing Link cycle path to Radstock,
• improve winter road treatment for villages – as the County Council still refuses to treat roads into Beckington and Rode in icy weather,
• support residents’ ‘Bettering Beckington’ ideas to improve the village,
• hold developers to their planning obligations to support community infrastructure,
• support parish council initiatives, including to bring a daytime bus service between Rode and Bath,
• support the Neighbourhood Plans for Frome and Rode, to bring more local control over new developments,
• support local schools, under pressure from Government cuts – the Conservative run County Council has reduced school support services, and the Conservative Government is cutting school funding per pupil for the first time since the 1990s,
• help urgently improve care services for vulnerable children (Somerset Conservatives have presided over an Ofsted rating of ‘inadequate’ for 5 years now),
• defend and improve our NHS, and care services for adults,
• improve Somerset’s environmental policies and tackle fuel poverty.

The Lib Dem manifesto for Somerset can be downloaded here. Frome North is a key marginal and is one of the 9 we need to win to take over the council from the ruling Conservatives. The Greens will not win here, and there is no Labour candidate.  A Liberal Democrat win in Somerset would also send a clear message to the Government on Brexit, the NHS, school cuts, the environment, and what sort of country we want to be. Please make a positive choice on May 4^th.

Please get in touch if you have any questions or if you want to help – can you spare space in your garden for a poster board, or put a poster up in your window for me and Alex? Could you spare a bit of time – morning, afternoon or evening – to help us deliver leaflets (if you are not already) and help us get out the vote on election day? Please let me know. And don’t forget to vote!

Best wishes,

Adam Boyden

email aomboyden@gmail.com, phone 07809 284817

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