Neal Appleton moved to Welford on Avon in the summer of 2011 with his wife and two daughters. With local facilities, church and school, the area promised to be a community that they could call home and take an active part in.
With a 15-year background in scientific research, Neal is now self-employed from his home, deploying services on the internet. Self-employment fitted well with his passion to involve himself in the local community. Within months of moving to Welford on Avon, Neal became an active member of the Friends of Welford on Avon school and shortly afterwards was elected as parent governor, a post that he held for 6 years.
Representing parents as a school governor was a highlight and a privilege. I made many friends, learned much about our community and was able to contribute directly to the education of our children.
Neal Appleton
Neal decided to stand as an Independent Candidate in the by-election for Welford on Avon because he felt it was important that local residents have the choice of a strong independent voice to represent them on the district council.
Our priorities
Community representation
My priority as your councillor will be to seek and represent your views to the district council ensuring the voice of Welford on Avon is heard. As an Independent, I am uniquely placed to fulfil this role without party political influence.
EnvironmentAL and Community sustainability
Developing without community vision is not sustainable; it is reckless. Few builders begin with a vision for the communities they impact. However, I believe a well-conceived development should be a genuine win-win-win.
- A win for the builder; profit.
- A win for the community; improvement to life quality for existing residents.
- A win for the environment; improved habitat for wildlife and the use of zero-carbon technologies.
We want to do the right thing for the environment. In our community, two main issues face us in the coming decade.
- Switching to low-carbon forms of heating.
- Switching to ultra low emission vehicles.
In its clean growth strategy, the government wants to “Phase out the installation of high carbon fossil fuel heating in new and existing homes currently off the gas grid during the 2020s, starting with new homes”. This has a direct impact on many in our community who are reliant on oil-fired heating and I will provide a strong voice to seek the assistance that we need to achieve this.
Government is keen for us all to transition to ultra low emission vehicles. Inevitably, government focus is on urban environments, where they feel they can make the greatest impact. I will ensure that strategies for our rural communities are not overlooked.
Safer Roads
An imaginative approach to road safety in our parishes is required. Current efforts to reduce traffic speed on our through-routes are stalling. I will champion the views of our residents in securing the measures necessary to improve road safety in our villages.
Separating motorists and non-motorists keeps us all safer. I am keen to connect our villages by accessible routes suitable for non-road users. Existing pathways in and between our villages should be upgraded for users of mobility scooters, wheelchairs, prams and cyclists. Apart from the environmental benefits, all of us would benefit from the recreational opportunities this would provide.
The government says it wants to “Invest £1.2bn to make cycling and walking the natural choice for shorter journeys”. The money is there. I will fight for our share.
Contact
telephone: 07513 164919
email: welford2020@neal-appleton.uk