LOCAL campaigner Andy Griffiths is aiming to give Peel Hall residents a voice if he is successful in a forthcoming parish council election next month, December 8.
Standing as an Independent he has received the backing of the Save Peel Hall campaign group, which he says he will continue to engage with if elected.
As a resident of nearby Winwick, he has already given up his time giving evidence at the recent Local Plan inspection at the Halliwell Jone Stadium.
Andy said: “After myself and my partner moved to Winwick in 2020, we joined the community groups working on renovating the Parish Churchyard and the Winwick Litter Network to get to know people and the area. I immediately recognised that local people are very passionate about our Parish, and I shared their drive to help make our community a great place to live. Being part of these groups led to me taking a leading role with other residents in producing a response to the Local Plan consultation regarding our concerns about the plans for Winwick and Peel Hall areas, which was signed by over 560 local people.”
“When the vacancy in Parish Council representing the Peel Hall ward was announced, I quickly decided it was a great opportunity to continue to get involved with the community in a more official capacity. I’d met the Save Peel Hall Campaign Group in the Local Plan inspection sessions, and in attending the Parish Council meetings regularly, I had realised that engagement with this part of the Parish seemed to have dropped off recently. Given the approval of the large development of 1200 homes in the area, I felt that it was especially important that Peel Hall residents have a voice in the Parish Council as the planning and development process continues.”
“I am standing as an Independent candidate because I believe that in local government, elected officials should represent the voices of their electorate only, and not the views and policies of a party that can be at odds with local needs.”
“If I was to be elected, I’ll make it a priority to engage regularly with Peel Hall residents and groups and to ensure that their voices are represented in the Parish Council. As we were developing the response to the Local Plan, I also learned that Neighbourhood Plans are a way for a community to have more of an influence on local planning. In a parished area, it’s the responsibility of the Parish Council to lead the development of these, and I’ll press for this to become a priority for the council together with local residents and employers.”
Wendy Johnson, spokesperson for the Save Peel Hall group said: “Andy has already taken up the opportunity to meet up with our group and we are happy to support him, as we would with any other candidate. Our meeting with him was productive and we like where he’s coming from. The Peel Hall Ward has always been somewhat of a mystery and the residents living there can be overlooked in the Parish of Winwick as a whole. Andy has pledged to give these residents a voice and that can only be a good thing for the Peel Hall Ward. If he is successful we look forward to working alongside him as we move forward with any future development on the Peel Hall site.”
“On a strictly personal note, I urge the residents of the Peel Hall Ward to step forward and make the effort to vote on election day. To me, Andy’s candidacy as an Independent comes as a breath of fresh air. He’s passionate and committed and I’m sure he’ll work hard for his electorate and give them a voice, something they haven’t had for some time. I wish him luck.”
