MAYOR JO GRAVES


I am offering myself for re-election to the Town Council on Thursday May 1^st 2003 and hope that I can count on your vote.

During my time on the Council I have been particularly keen to make sure that a voice for the young people is heard and that facilities for the young are maintained. In the future I will be pushing to make sure that these facilities are improved – even hopefully with the establishment of a skate park or maybe a bowling alley !

I, like most of our residents, feel very lucky to live in a town that is safe and situated in a beautiful area. However this is something that I do not take for granted and I shall endeavour to make sure that our wonderful avenues of trees, now approaching a time of maturity, are raised as a priority for proper management, so that future generations may enjoy what we have.

The issue of the huge HGVs now trundling through our Town centre is one which must be addressed sooner rather than later- for too long we have watched these wagons causing danger to our pedestrians and creating damage to roads and buildings. If re-elected I shall continue to fight for at least, initially, a weight limit through our town.

The prosperity of our town depends upon us remaining a bustling market town and service centre for our residents and the surrounding villages. I shall endeavour, if elected, to ensure that industry and commerce are encouraged to stay in Chipping Norton and that the Local District Plan ensures that any losses suffered by the Parker Knoll "downsizing" are compensated for by sensible development of the site. Being re-elected will give me the opportunity to make sure that the much needed low-cost affordable housing is properly established within any developments built.

Whilst the issues outlined are "bigger" issues for the Town, I would like to think that I do make myself available to help any individual resident of the town with anything that concerns them. I see my rôle as Town Councillor as representing all the people of Chipping Norton and to this end would ask for your vote in the forthcoming election.