28 October 2016
East Mendip Green Party have selected candidates to stand in Frome in the next Somerset County Council (SCC) elections in May 2017. Frome Festival's Creative Director Martin Dimery will represent the party in Frome East, while John Clarke, who has been leading a campaign for the reinstatement of Locks Hill Surgery, will stand in Frome West.
The Green Party elected their first three councillors in Frome to Mendip District last year, and are confident that they can build on this strong local support to win seats at county level.
Martin Dimery taught at Frome College for many years before going on to work for the Cheese and Grain and the Frome Festival, and already has experience as a District Councillor. He is concerned that Frome is neglected at county level: "I strongly feel Frome has not had a fair share of support from the County Council. We have to ensure our educational and social services are fairly and properly distributed, and Frome is not downgraded as a distant outpost when it comes to health provision and public transport. The County Council under Conservative rule is in a desperate state financially, but we must ensure essential services are maintained and distributed county wide."
He also stresses the many environmental challenges facing the county: "As a Green candidate, I am deeply concerned about the environmental impact the Chinese built Hinkley Point nuclear power station will have on the county, and the licences granted for fracking in Somerset.
"Environmental issues impact on so many aspects of our lives, including our personal health and and business interests. For example, like many people in Frome, I'd like to investigate why we see so many road closures in our area and repeated repair work on the same stretches of road."
John Clarke has a background in social work, working for many years in Frome, and a strong interest in health and social welfare. He said that he is very pleased to be able to provide voters in Frome West with a green choice. "This is an opportunity for a new politics, where people have a say and a voice in what matters to them."
He highlights the damaging cuts which have already affected Frome, with the threat of more to come: "We have seen the closure of the social services office in Frome, the failure by SCC to fulfil their obligations to maintain Vallis Youth and Community Centre, the potential closure of Lock's Hill surgery and threats to public transport.
"If elected I would hope to challenge the council whenever they sought to impose further cuts on our communities. To promote opportunities to improve people's quality of lives and the environment in which they live, in areas such as reducing litter, increasing local policing, improved recycling and protection of green spaces. To promote policies which address climate change and look to how, as a local authority, Somerset can tackle its effects. The recent launch of Frome Town Council's 'A Clean Healthy Future for Frome' provides such an opportunity and provides a model which could offer real benefits to the people not only of Frome but all of Somerset."
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