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Shaun is a local entrepreneur, businessperson and current B&NES councillor for Midsomer Norton North, offering a real alternative to how we are represented. He is Independent from Party Politics and the squabbling between the main parties, he has lived in Midsomer Norton for 28 years where he has a successful business within the Electronics Industry.Capable of achieving change, Shaun believes that he possesses the skills and ambition to make a difference to our area.
Shaun lives, works, shops, walks his dog, plays skittles and pays his taxes in North East Somerset and is part of this community in every way.You are unlikely to see Shaun’s picture in the press as he does not open fetes or supermarkets or chase photo opportunities preferring to spend his time achieving objectives and being judged by his results. Shaun firmly believes that we need councillors who live in the real world understanding what it’s like to cope with the daily issues that surround us.
WHY AM I STANDING?
There are still too many party political games getting in the way of progress!
We need independent councillors that truly represent the residents of Midsomer Norton who are not led by the political parties too concerned with winning the Bath vote.
Sadly this council is still very Bath-centric and spends a disproportionate amount of our money supporting Bath City and its residents, spending £7.4 million on the city centre security barriers while cutting subsidies that support our rural bus network; spending more than £2.4 million just on re-designing the Bath Milsom quarter and fashion museum while closing business services and standing by while our high street declines in Midsomer Norton.
What are my views?
Committees
We need our voices to be heard! Committees are where decisions and new policies are made or scrutinised so it’s important to be on them to influence what’s happening in our area such as where new housing may be built, where our council is spending our money.
You may recall I identified the plans to charge for parking in South Road car park and potentially build housing there also planned £100k cuts to our library, we successfully fought these decisions, all part of my committee work.
I sit on several committees and working groups and work tirelessly to fight for Midsomer Norton to make sure our voices are heard. As an Independent I am free to scrutinise and vote for the needs of Midsomer Norton, not dictated to by a political party. These include Planning Policy, Planning Committee, Corporate Scrutiny, Constitution Review, Midsomer Norton High Street Action Zone and Somer Valley Enterprise Zone.
Make Midsomer Norton better not bigger!
BANES and Mendip continue to try to push for more housing without the infrastructure to support it. The result is our roads, schools, doctors and dental surgeries cannot cope – our area has met the requirements to build 30% social and affordable homes when Bath has built practically none! This results in people moving out of Bath then commuting back in to work. To add to the problems Mendip Council continues to push to build 500 homes on our doorstep.
There is a need for more housing particularly for our younger residents desperate to get on the housing ladder which is why we need more affordable homes available specifically for local people with a local connection, but this must be supported with better services, more investment in our High Street and better business support to improve local work opportunities.
Underhill Lane
With a huge amount of support from residents I have campaigned against the Mendip/Curo application to destroy soicil homes and build 60 houses at Underhill Lane, through residents meetings, speaking at both Mendip and BANES Planning Committees and over 200 written objections we continue to oppose developments on our border.
Save our bus services
This Council spend millions in Bath while cutting the subsidies that support our rural bus services. For many these are a lifeline and vital for work, hospital appointments and ordinary daily life. Under this Lib Dem administration Midsomer Norton has seen the highest levels of traffic and the worst public transport.
Protect and Invest in our High Street.
Our High Street has been neglected by BANES Council for decades, our High street has huge potential, I will continue to fight for the same levels of investment enjoyed by Bath and Keynsham which have seen millions spent in recent years. I am also working with various organisations including the Police, and High Street venues to improve public safety.
My objectives
Continue to hold our council to account on planning policies and scrutinise where they are spending our money.
Make our voices heard – we need investment in our high street on a level with Bath and Keynsham.
Save and protect our bus services.
Fight to protect our town from overdevelopment and push for infrastructure investments.
Continue to fight Mendip Council and Curo’s plans to destroy social housing and build housing in Underhill Lane.
THANK YOU!
I would like to thank all the residents who help fight plans such as South Road car park and Underhill Lane, we have achieved so much together in the past four years but there is so much more to do. To achieve this Midsomer Norton needs more independent councillors and fewer party political games.
IMMIGRATION
SCHOOLS
I do not agree with the government’s plans for more free schools and grammar schools, we need to invest in our existing schools, let’s give our schools the funds and resource to support children from ALL backgrounds and create a LEVEL PLAYING FIELD regardless of family wealth.
We should remove any stigma felt by children and parents due to differing incomes by providing nutritional meals and ensuring school uniforms, school trips are the same for everyone.
HOUSING
We have seen large increases in housing developments during recent years, with many of our traditionally industrial areas now residential. It is critical that the development of our Hospital facilities, surgeries, schools and emergency services also keep pace.
It’s time to concentrate on making our town better not bigger.
Our first time buyers cannot get onto the housing ladder due to difficulty raising high deposits while also paying high rents.
POLICE
We are fortunate to live in a town with a relatively low level of crime however we lack the level of Police officers on regular patrol to tackle issues such as anti-social behaviour and speeding vehicles, this is in part due to underreporting of crime due to fear of repercussion or a believe that no action will be taken, we need to encourage reporting of crime to ensure the Police have the statistics to fully understand the resources needed in Midsomer Norton.
Officers on patrol as a deterrent and a reassurance to the public has diminished at a time when we have seen Increases in anti-social behaviour, drugs and drug related crime and a reduction in the investigation of crime.
HEALTHCARE
I am a strong supporter of our NHS and believe that treatment should be free to all UK residents, however it is clearly not sustainable with the current structure, due to ever-increasing demands and rising costs, we are a victim of our own success as people live much longer and new treatments become available.
Serious issues with A&E departments and lack of beds are clear indications that the system must change.
We need to recognise the work in our communities by care workers and critical part they play in freeing up hospital beds and should provide the salary levels they deserve. also bring back NHS nursing bursaries to encourage young people into these professions.
WHO IS SHAUN?
Shaun is passionate about the area he lives in and is part of the local community in every way, and has hands on experience on a daily basis of our area and the challenges we face.He has lived in Midsomer Norton for the past 28 years having grown up on a council estate on the outskirts of Portsmouth where he attended a comprehensive school. Since 1994 he has managed his own successful business in the Military and Avionics Electronics industry, Shaun represents the people of Midsomer Norton as a B&NES Councillor for the Midsomer Norton North ward.
Shaun enjoys cycling, snowboarding and running and completed the London Marathon for Whizz-kidz to raise money for children in desperate need of wheel chairs and the New York Half to raise money for deprived children.
GET IN TOUCH
If you have any issues you would like to discuss, call me on 01761 408161, write to:
Shaun Hughes, Unit 22, Midsomer Enterprise Park, Radstock Road, Midsomer Norton BA3 2BB
or fill out the form below.