What we choose to focus on and who we put forward to represent us in Parliament is vitally important. That is why I was humbled and honoured to recently to be reselected unanimously by local Conservatives to contest the next General Election as Parliamentary candidate for Stoke-on-Trent South. Local party members are drawn from a huge range of backgrounds and professions and now, with changes to constituency boundaries coming up, include activists and campaigners from wider North Staffordshire as well as the city.
I hugely appreciate the faith and support of local people, including everybody across Stoke-on-Trent South who has supported me and lent me their vote in the past. What unites us all is our common goal of bringing our area to the attention of Government, getting the recognition and support we need to unlock the enormous potential of our area and our people.
As someone who has lived in Stoke-on-Trent my whole life and where my family are, I have worked hard to make certain that our city is finally at the forefront of the Government's focus. For decades we were ignored and neglected by successive Governments but finally our city is now getting the recognition it deserves. Working together with a well led City Council, we have secured investment like never before.
We’ve received £56 million through the Levelling up Fund, more than any other place in the country, to help redevelop derelict sites across the city, creating new homes and jobs. Along with £70 million through Transforming Cities Funding and Bus Service Improvement Funding to help deliver major improvements to local bus and rail services.
In my part of the city, we have seen work begin to regenerate the former Tams Factory, the Crown Works in Longton, where levelling-up money is set to create new homes, redeveloping the site into apartments for the over-55s. We have seen investment in Longton Town Hall which is set to become a hub for local businesses, helping attract in new skilled jobs to the town.
Other heritage buildings are also deserving of a new life, so with my full support the council’s conservation partnership scheme in Longton is using heritage money to support the private investment of building owners to bring empty properties back to life. Bringing old buildings back into use doesn’t just safeguard our heritage. It means more vibrant town centres, with more people living nearby, supporting a strong local economy.
Our local plan to improve bus services is backed by £31.7m from the Government. Some of the benefits are immediately obvious, like the capping of fares. But it is vital that we get the most out of the slice of this money that’s being spent on improving the services themselves: our residents deserve a bus network that is reliable and connects our local neighbourhoods with our town centres and other local amenities. This funding will make a major difference in restoring and providing new bus routes to better link up our communities.
My plans to re-open Meir Station have also received £1.7 million enabling us to develop the full business case and delivery study, taking us a significant step closer towards returning rail services to Meir. With colleagues across North Staffordshire, we are also hoping to re-open the Stoke-Leek line, with a station at Fenton Manor and plans also developing for a new station in Trentham. Stronger public transport, making it easier for people to get around, means improving access to better skills and job opportunities, improving the life chances of everyone living locally.
To improve quality of life it is also important we help people to live more healthy lives and that our health and care services see the improvements needed. I have already helped to deliver a new health centre in Longton and I am now working hard to support our local NHS to deliver the next phase which would create a fully integrated care hub at the centre of the community. Enabling us to deliver far more preventative healthcare with services that are better able to respond to the needs of the local community.
It's essential that we strive to make the most of every penny in investment. Part of the reason why we have secured so much is the strong confidence that the Government has in our city’s excellent leadership to deliver large and difficult projects, that will help transform opportunities. We deliver so that people can have access to better job opportunities; better, more convenient public transport; easier access to NHS services, including GPs and dentists; safer communities with more police on our streets; thriving town centres; good schools, colleges, and training opportunities so that the next generation can have the best start in life; and new housing so that they can make their lives here, locally.
I will continue to focus on these things now and in the future. For my existing constituents and those I hope to represent following boundary changes, I promise to continue to deliver the improvements our communities need. My commitment is to continue working hard for everyone in our area, both locally and in Westminster.
- This article originally appeared in The Sentinel, 20th February 2023
