Who is standing for election in Hucknall North division?

It may have been overshadowed by the calling of a General Election in June, but voters will go to the polls before that to elect local councillors.
Voters will elect new Nottinghamshire County Council members on May 4.Voters will elect new Nottinghamshire County Council members on May 4.
Voters will elect new Nottinghamshire County Council members on May 4.

All seats at Nottinghamshire County Council are up for election on Thursday, May 4.

The council is currently made of 67 councillors, across 54 divisions.

Although officially under No Overall Control, it is led by the Labour Party, who hold 32 seats, ahead of the Tories with 21. There are also five Liberal Democrat councillors, four Ashfield Independents and two Mansfield Independent Forum members and three Independents.

Ben Bradley, Conservative.Ben Bradley, Conservative.
Ben Bradley, Conservative.

After the election, 66 councillors will represent 55 divisions.

Voters in Hucknall North division will elect one councillor to represent them. We asked candidates to submit some details about themselves in the run up to voters going to the polls.

Ben Bradley (Con)

Ben is the leader of the Conservatives at Ashfield District Council and a school governor at the Holgate Academy. He lives within the Hucknall North ward with his wife and two young boys. Ben was among the most vocal opposition campaigners against Ashfield’s plans, funded by the county council, to spend £1.4 million on smaller bins and says spending on bins while cutting back on Meals on Wheels clearly shows Labour’s priorities are wrong. In 2016, he set up and organised a new residents’ group to help give people more of a say on what happens locally and he’s worked hard to voice residents’ views on Gedling’s housing proposals on Hucknall’s borders. He wants to see the new registration scheme at recycling centres scrapped as he says the council should be making it easier, not harder, to dispose of waste.

Alice Grice, Labour.Alice Grice, Labour.
Alice Grice, Labour.

Alice Grice (Lab)

Alice was first elected to the county council in May 2013. Prior to her election, Alice was a stay-at-home mum to her eldest child who now attends primary school in Hucknall. Alice has previously worked as an administrative officer in the criminal justice sector. She is now a mum-of-two and lives in Hucknall North with her family. Shortly after her election, Alice was appointed vice-chairman of the county council’s community safety committee and has worked on various crime-reduction initiatives, such as securing an injunction on car cruising at Junction 27 of the M1, protecting vulnerable people from doorstep crime and scam mail and educating young people about online dangers. Alice is particularly proud of the county council’s investment in Extra Care housing as seen at Darlison Court and in the two new primary school buildings at Holgate and Beardall Fields – the latter creating an extra 210 primary school places for Hucknall children.

James Harvey (LD)

I was born and raised in Nottinghamshire and have a lifelong connection to the county. More than five years ago, I moved to Hucknall and have now settled in the town. I believe passionately in making Hucknall a town everyone can be proud of. This includes building a greener, more caring community; cooperation between councils on housing, infrastructure and waste; and attention to infrastructure demands before large housing developments begin. I am proud to be standing for election in a town I care so much about. If you agree I will make a positive impact on the county council and the people of Hucknall, please vote for me on May 4.

John Willmott, Hucknall First.John Willmott, Hucknall First.
John Willmott, Hucknall First.

John Willmott (HFCF)

Since last being elected to the county council, I have been putting in a regular seven-day working week, helping the people of Hucknall with problems associated with the county council, the district council, the police and the clinical commissioning group who are responsible for your doctors surgeries. I have also been supporting many community groups, charities and other organisations and within the Hucknall First Community Forum, the organisation I represent. We are supported by a number of hardworking Hucknall residents who have been helping me to campaign on your behalf for a better standard of services. At council meetings I have, on behalf of the forum, campaigned for better services for the town, put forward many petitions on behalf of the people of Hucknall, including asking for a new walk-in surgery, a toilet facility in Hucknall town centre, many residents’ parking schemes and road resurfacing petitions. All our decisions are made at a regular monthly meeting where the Hucknall residents are the policy makers. Many issues have come forward at these meetings, including repairing the shocking state of our roads, making adult social services more of a priority, the control of speeding vehicles on many roads in Hucknall, stopping illegal quad bike riding and we must attract more businesses and shoppers into our town centre. I have spent 27 years supporting the people of Hucknall as your councillor and I respectfully ask for your support.

Ray Young (UKIP)

I was born into a mining family and raised in a Socialist environment. I am not a career politician, I have been forced into action by the negligence and party driven ineptitude of the established parties. In 2013, on average, only 31 per cent of Ashfield residents voted in the Nottinghamshire County Council elections. Why did so many people choose NOT to use their vote? Is it because they are happy with the council’s performance? Are you happy to pay more, year on year, for less and less? UKIP believes in common-sense politics. UKIP’s only duty is to represent you, the people, not big business, not the banks, not the unions and not the liberal elite. Don’t allow the established parties to take you for granted. Your vote matters, vote for change, vote UKIP.

Key

Con – The Conservative Party;

HFCF– Hucknall First Community Forum;

Lab – The Labour Party;

LD – Liberal Democrats;

UKIP – UK Independence Party.