Castle Ward, Scarborough, by-election: Green Party candidate wants to tackle parking issue
A Scarborough by-election candidate has said he wants to tackle parking issues and street cleanliness if elected.
Residents in the Castle Ward are set to elect a new town councillor at a by-election on Thursday, July 30.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is interviewing candidates standing in the Castle Ward by-election, and all parties have been offered an opportunity to take part in the interviews.
The four candidates are:
- Robert Hall, Independent
- Stuart Noble, Green Party
- Susan Rumford, Reform UK
- Fiona Margaret Stephenson, Labour Party
Stuart Noble, the Green Party candidate, moved to Scarborough in 2013 and lives and works in the ward.
The LDRS caught up with the candidate ahead of polling day. Interviews with other candidates will be linked below once they take place.
Question: What are the key issues facing residents in the ward?
Answer: “Door-stepping and leafleting are problems, but the biggest ones are parking problems and antisocial behaviour, as well as littering and the general scruffiness of the area and the cleanliness of the ward. These are issues that I’d like to work on if I’m elected.”
Question: What should the town council do to address those issues?
Answer: “I’d like to crack down on the approval of new Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO). Parking is a big issue with residents’ only parking, so it’s something to lobby higher up to North Yorkshire Council. And with the issue of HMOs, when you have a standard family house that has six or seven working adults that have a car each, it’s putting more pressure on parking.”
Question: What are your top three commitments, if elected?
Answer:
1. “One of the main things residents want is a visible councillor and someone present in the area, which I will be because I live and socialise in the ward. 2. “To work across party politics because it’s about the ward and the town council, and people don’t necessarily want party politics. 3. “To keep Castle Ward unique and clean. We’ve got a lot of independent shops, a lot of character compared to the rest of the town that we need to protect, as well as the heritage of the maritime area.”
Question: If you were elected, would you work with other parties on the town council?
Answer: “Reform councillor Sarah Mason has done excellent work with the allotments and making sure that when Scarborough Town Council takes them from North Yorkshire Council that they’re going to be in the correct state that we should be taking them on, so we’re not incurring more costs. So yes, I’m happy to work with the other councillors.”
Question: Looking at the wider political picture, what are your thoughts on Andy Burnham becoming Prime Minister and would Zak Polanski do a better job?
Answer: “There are a lot of issues with the Labour Party, but it’s good to see the £2 bus fare cap returned, especially for residents in Castle Ward who commute daily on buses.
“I think Zak Polanski is a great orator, and he’s pushing the party on topics that we’ve not previously been known for, like social justice issues.”
Question: What would a Green voice look like on the council?
Answer: “Once the allotment situation is resolved, potentially taking on cutting grass verges and maintaining parks, which North Yorkshire Council is trying to push onto the town councils, depending on funding.
“I think it’s important to have a Green voice that can push for community initiatives, sustainability, and creating a cleaner, better cared-for neighbourhood.”