Councillor Pages

My Overall Aims

There are many local problems that require addressing. I have selected a few which have become apparent to me during recent years.

Planning for Local Needs

One of the problems is to ensure what little building land is available is used for the benefit of local people to make their homes here instead of being forced to leave the Islands. This is a difficult task which must be faced, despite widely conflicting views on housing, conservation and the economy. I hope the final version of the Local Plan will be useful when making future decisions.

More Efficient Management

The government is passing more responsibilities to the local authority without taking into account our limited resources. I hope the Council will continue its attempts to convince the government that we have great difficulty complying with its diktats. This is why I do not share the popular belief that the Town Hall is overstaffed. On the other hand, it is important that Council Members and Officers work together as a team to provide more efficient management. The Council must examine its own internal costs and axe any expenditure that cannot be justified. This may involve difficult decisions.

Transport

Everyone is aware that transport costs to and from the mainland are escalating continually. Whilst this is partly due to increasing fuel costs, it is vital that every avenue is explored to continue campaigning for subsidised travel for local people. High travel costs are also affecting tourism.

Tourism

Whether we like or not, tourism is the backbone of our economy. The Islands are facing increasing competition and we cannot afford to be complacent. But this does not mean turning St.Mary's into a luxury upmarket haven at the expense of our existing visitors (as some would wish). However, it does mean taking a long, hard look at the tourist facilities we provide (or do not provide); for instance, more unobtrusive leisure activities.

Care of the Elderly

This is a problem that is high on Council Chairman's list of priorities. I fully support Councillor Christine Savill's views that every avenue must be explored to ensure that appropriate facilities are available on the Islands for those in need of care. It would be unthinkable to compel local people to be moved to the mainland for the remainder of their lives due to the lack of adequate care.