My name is Trish Owen.

Full statement

I live in Dagnall and I’m currently Vice Chair of Edlesborough Parish Council, having served as a councillor for Dagnall ward since 2014. I am also Chair of the Dagnall Village Hall Committee, where I’ve fundraised for and project-managed several significant improvements. These include new toilets with disabled facilities, new play equipment on the village Rec, a resurfaced car park and a new roof. I would relish the opportunity to continue helping residents but at county level. I stood in 2021 and came in just behind the Conservatives.

I think it’s essential to get more balance on Buckinghamshire Council. Different people with different perspectives would make different decisions happen at a local level. Our fabulous new MP, Laura Kyrke-Smith (Aylesbury), has already been making inroads into improving things locally … record funding for potholes in Bucks for example, but she currently has no Labour councillors to support her, as the council is predominantly Conservative and has been for 137 years. It’s time for some new blood to provide different priorities and perspectives on how the council is run and how the money is spent. Without the balance shifting a little nothing will change. There’s 147 councillors in Bucks going down to 97 on May 1st. 6 of those 147 are currently Labour… We would love to see an increase in Labour councillors.

We need improved bus services in the villages (Laura is currently working with local operators), we need to take a much more vigorous approach to stopping fly tipping - looking at how the current council have run tips, including charges and access for example. Speeding and traffic through the villages are topics frequently mentioned on the doorstep. There are all sorts of very local issues we can definitely improve and change! Whatever you may think of the national Government, this is a *local* election - I’m a very hard working local person trying to improve services and the environment for local people, and would be honoured to represent you.

You have 2 votes in the election on May 1st and we’d be delighted if those went to Harry Murgatroyd and myself.