Billing
T R Bailey - Labour
If elected what will you do to speed up the planning process to ensure the Central Area Action Plan and Sixfields Area Action plan are given some urgency / priority?
What do you feel a professional football / sports team brings to a town / community?
What will you do to enact NBC’s policy of maintaining and helping professional league football in Northampton?
It is Labour’s clear policy to give league football every chance of success in Northampton. In this election we are putting forward policies that will give us a more prosperous and successful town after the wasted and failed years of a Tory led Council. Any successful town needs a successful league football club which has a secure future.
If elected on May 3rd our first priority would be given to establishing a strong working partnership with Northampton Town Football Club and its supporters. We would work with Cobblers in an open and honest way. It is a disgrace that the Conservatives along with the Liberal Democrat opposition have been unwilling to do this as they have kept the decision-making and planning process away from those most affected. We will change this negative approach by forming a partnership that would benefit all.
We fully recognise that the planning and development process can be complex. However, by the Council not showing stronger leadership, and at every turn attempting to divert the blame away from themselves, the process has not moved forward as it should have.
Labour is committed to providing strong and decisive leadership to accelerate the process. This commitment was demonstrated recently when I submitted a motion to full Council, with the approval of an officer from GOEM. If the motion had been debated and passed the Central Area Action Plan and Sixfields Area Action Plan would have been given priority. The Conservatives along with the Liberal Democrats refused to debate let alone support our motion for reasons best know to themselves. If elected Labour will continue to pursue the terms of this motion.
For the Cobblers to have any chance of success then the local Council must give it every opportunity. The Labour Group on the Council have seen the Conservatives led by Tim Hadland hold the club back. When there did seem to be movement on this matter the Liberal Democrats decided at a critical time to call it in for further scrutiny. Indicating, in our view, a serious lack of commitment to the club and the citizens of Northampton.
Labour wants to see a successful league football club that can look forward and be confident that its future is secure. If Labour is elected we will work to achieve this.
R Clements - Independent
If elected what will you do to speed up the planning process to ensure the Central Area Action Plan and Sixfields Area Action plan are given some urgency / priority?
I have already spoken out about the unwarranted undue delays to both of these plans and, indeed, have made it an issue during my campaign. I have the added advantage of being independent of any party and can speak freely on these matters without any political restraints.
The Trust has my undertaking that, if elected, my priorities will be towards the implementation of both of these plans and indeed, any other matter that will revitalise Northampton.
What do you feel a professional football / sports team brings to a town / community?
In many ways this is quite a difficult question as I believe professional football/sports teams are part of the community and cannot easily be spoken of as being separate.
Northampton is lucky enough to have all three major sports - football, rugby and cricket - based here and all of these have played a major role in assisting in the sense of community and "belonging" for many people who moved to our wonderful town during its expansion.
A Community "well being" has obvious benefits for any town/city/village and brings a sense of pride in where people live. The Council should be doing everything in its power to ensure that spectator support is actively encouraged for all professional sports.
What will you do to enact NBC’s policy - "to enable and encourage a sustainable future for League Football in Northampton"?
There is absolutely no evidence of action by the Council to confirm that such a policy exists and the fact that there is such a policy will come as a surprise to many people. I intend to ensure its active execution instead of a minuted policy.
J H Efosa - Liberal Democrat - Response awaited
C Malpas - Conservative - Response awaited
D Meheta - Labour
If elected what will you do to speed up the planning process to ensure the Central Area Action Plan and Sixfields Area Action plan are given some urgency / priority?
What do you feel a professional football / sports team brings to a town / community?
What will you do to enact NBC’s policy of maintaining and helping professional league football in Northampton?
It is Labour’s clear policy to give league football every chance of success in Northampton. In this election we are putting forward policies that will give us a more prosperous and successful town after the wasted and failed years of a Tory led Council. Any successful town needs a successful league football club which has a secure future.
If elected on May 3rd our first priority would be given to establishing a strong working partnership with Northampton Town Football Club and its supporters. We would work with Cobblers in an open and honest way. It is a disgrace that the Conservatives along with the Liberal Democrat opposition have been unwilling to do this as they have kept the decision-making and planning process away from those most affected. We will change this negative approach by forming a partnership that would benefit all.
We fully recognise that the planning and development process can be complex. However, by the Council not showing stronger leadership, and at every turn attempting to divert the blame away from themselves, the process has not moved forward as it should have.
Labour is committed to providing strong and decisive leadership to accelerate the process. This commitment was demonstrated recently when I submitted a motion to full Council, with the approval of an officer from GOEM. If the motion had been debated and passed the Central Area Action Plan and Sixfields Area Action Plan would have been given priority. The Conservatives along with the Liberal Democrats refused to debate let alone support our motion for reasons best know to themselves. If elected Labour will continue to pursue the terms of this motion.
For the Cobblers to have any chance of success then the local Council must give it every opportunity. The Labour Group on the Council have seen the Conservatives led by Tim Hadland hold the club back. When there did seem to be movement on this matter the Liberal Democrats decided at a critical time to call it in for further scrutiny. Indicating, in our view, a serious lack of commitment to the club and the citizens of Northampton.
Labour wants to see a successful league football club that can look forward and be confident that its future is secure. If Labour is elected we will work to achieve this.
D F Palethorpe - Conservative - Response awaited
G R Philips - Liberal Democrat - Response awaited
R Walker - BNP
If elected what will you do to speed up the planning process to ensure the Central Area Action Plan and Sixfields Area Action plan are given some urgency / priority?
We would like to see the issues that are holding back the future development of Sixfields resolved as quickly as possible. Having said that, Northampton Town Football Club is a commercial concern and as long as the football club is not looking for any form of financial assistance from the Council, and the Council is not losing financially from any redevelopment, we can see no objections seeing that the area is currently used for leisure and social activities.
What do you feel a professional football / sports team brings to a town / community?
A town the size of Northampton deserves to have a well run successful football club. Success for the club would bring increased attendances which would bring in extra revenue for the restaurants and leisure facilites that are currently in the vicinity, create employment and bring a feelgood factor to the town and we would therefore suppport the club its endeavours. Obviously we cannot do anything to affect the on-pitch success of the club.
What will you do to enact NBC’s policy - "to enable and encourage a sustainable future for League Football in Northampton"?
Northampton Borough Council has helped the club in the past with the move from the County Ground to the current ground at Sixfields. As you are probably aware the finances of the Borough Council are extremely tight at this present moment in time and therefore the British National Party could not justify any assistance financially from council tax payers money.
