All the North Hampshire candidates standing in the Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council elections this May
The nominations for the upcoming Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council elections are in. There will be one seat up for election in each borough ward.
There are 14 candidates standing across the three North Hampshire wards of Evingar, Tadley & Pamber and Tadley North, Kingsclere & Baughurst.
The Conservatives have three candidates standing, all three of them for re-election.
The Lib Dems, Labour and Hampshire Independents all have three candidates standing, and the Greens have two candidates standing.
North Hants residents can vote at their local polling station between 7am and 10pm on Thursday, May 4. You will need to bring photographic ID with you to vote in a polling station.
Here is the full list of candidates.
Evingar
Phil Heath, Hampshire Independents
Mr Heath, who currently works as a care assistant and lives in St Mary Bourne, has 20 years of previous experience as both a borough and county councillor and is also a founding director of Kingfisher Housing Association, now known as Sovereign.
He said voting independent this May was “more than ever a winnable option” because of the amount of independent incumbents and candidates.
If voted in, he promised local representation and not party infighting and dogma. Mr Heath said: “It’s time to wake up our Politicians locally and in Westminster.”
John Izett, Conservative
Mr Izett is “proud” to have represented the Evingar area since 2011.
His priorities are to stop large housing proposals in the ward by approving a new Local Plan and to continue to press Hampshire County Council to repair potholes on local roads that are in “a deplorable state of disrepair”.
Mr Izett said: “Electing Conservatives will ensure that Basingstoke’s finances remain sound and well managed, so we can freeze the borough’s share of council tax this year but also provide hard pressed residents with financial support through our cost of living assistance fund, do better on recycling and meet our net zero objectives.”
Pauleen Malone, Liberal Democrat
Mrs Malone has lived in Highclere for over 30 years and is active in the community, having worked at a local Citizens Advice Bureau branch and edited the parish magazine.
If elected, her priorities are working to build more homes, with careful consideration given to their location and access to transport and amenities, as well as reducing the local impact on climate change.
She said: “I am standing for the Liberal Democrats as I think political language has become coarse and divisive. Our party has always believed in mutual respect and inclusivity.”
Chris Whitehead, Green
Mr Whitehead has lived in the Evingar area for 21 years and he has a son and daughter who went to local schools.
He joined the Green Party because “it is the only political party offering rational solutions, not only to the impending climate catastrophe which is soon going to dwarf all other problems facing society, but also to the very real social problems caused by colossal inequality and the management of our public services as if they were simply profit centres”.
If elected, his priorities as a councillor would be to promote local environmentally-friendly projects.
Philip Gordon will also be standing as a Labour candidate in Evingar.
Tadley & Pamber
Kerri Carruthers, Conservative
Mrs Carruthers has been a Tadley & Pamber ward councillor since 2016. She followed in her late father’s footsteps by standing in and winning the by-election triggered by his death seven years ago.
Her priority if re-elected, is community engagement. Mrs Carruthers said: “By being a councillor, it helps me to help others in the community that I love being part of and that I’ve been part of since I was nine years old.”
She aims to continue working to have Tadley and Pamber’s concerns heard at council, something she believes “isn’t always the case”.
Androulla Johnstone, Liberal Democrat
Dr Johnstone lives in south Tadley and has extensive experience working in both the NHS and the independent and charitable sector.
If elected, her priority is to work to get an adopted Local Plan to end speculative development. She also wants to work to support current Lib Dem policies which include building more affordable homes and delivering on climate emergency action.
A Lib Dem spokesperson said: “Androulla will use her considerable skills and experience gained in her past career to speak up for all residents of Tadley and Pamber should she be elected.”
Richard Musson, Green
Mr Musson lives in Pamber Heath with his wife, two children and dog. He has lived in the area for the last 36 years.
He has been a member of the Green party since 2019, and he is standing as a candidate to give his fellow residents an opportunity to vote Green. Mr Musson believes that there will be more Green councillors than ever before after next month’s elections.
He said: “Every Green seat won means other political parties will sit up and listen. At the Green Party we have the most progressive vision for Britain, and we will always stand up for real democracy.”
Stephen Rothman, Labour
Mr Rothman has lived in Pamber Heath for over 35 years since starting work as a scientist at AWE.
If he was elected, who would work to see that local developments would protect the countryside and be sustainable, and he also supports the use of greener public transport and better waste and recycling services.
Mr Rothman also wants to bring more affordable housing into the area. He said: “I am shocked that there are foodbanks in this prosperous area, and will do all I can to support struggling families through the cost-of-living crisis.”
Duncan Stone, Hampshire Independents
Mr Stone was born in Basingstoke and has lived and worked in the town all his life. He is the owner of Area51 Tattoos on Church Street.
If elected, Mr Stone intends to push for a community led local transport scheme that will give local community centres the ability to run minibus services where and when they want to. He also said he would act on behalf of the residents that elected him, rather than for the party he represents.
Mr Stone criticised the council’s Conservative majority and said there had been “far too much building and not enough infrastructure work”.
Tadley North, Kingsclere & Baughurst
Mike Bound, Liberal Democrat
Mr Bound has previous experience as a councillor, and was last in office from 2008 to 2021. He said: “I’ve recharged my batteries and I’m ready to go again.” Mr Bound first came to Tadley in 1957 so knows the area well.
If elected, the issues he wants to focus on include the ongoing saga of the local swimming pool, sorting out planning problems in Kingsclere and trying to tackle “the perennial pothole problem”.
He said: “I will be listening to what my local residents will be telling me and I will try to assist them where I can.”
Stuart Frost, Conservative
Mr Frost is an incumbent who has been a councillor for 9 years.
He is lobbying on a number of different messages such as keeping black bin collections weekly and increasing recycling collections, freezing council tax and increasing services, working with the police to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour and working with Hampshire County Council to improve road and pothole repairs.
Mr Frost said: “I’m really proud and very privileged to represent the residents in the ward and if re-elected, I look forward to serving them as well as I have done in the past.”
Robert Holliday, Hampshire Independents
Mr Holliday is a retired engineer who now has the time to get involved with local government. He is proud to be independent, and believes “not being tied to a national party gives me the independence to fight for you rather that worry about what my party might say”.
A key priority for Mr Holliday is increasing police visibility, as he believes visibility deters crime and installs a feeling of local pride.
He said: “Hampshire Independent councillors will work with the Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner and insist police officers and PCSO’s spend more time patrolling on foot and less time behind desks.”
Matt Russell, Labour
Mr Russell has lived in North Hampshire all his life and he currently lives in Baughurst. He has extensive experience in the emergency services, having worked in the fire brigade for 35 years and as a special constable for 10 years. He currently works in the local ambulance service.
If elected, his priorities are working to get more affordable housing for local people, and prioritising road maintenance.
He said: “I’m sticking up for the villages. Basingstoke and Deane is quite town-centric and I feel we need more representation for the villages and as part of a strong Labour group, that’s what we will do.”
