PETA SIMMONS

Age 48, Married, resident in Chipping Norton for 28 years. I have worked in or close to the town for the last 16 years.

I choose to stand under no party because I feel it is more important to try to represent the feelings of the residents than to be concerned with party politics.

I have served on the Town Council for just over two years and feel I am beginning to understand its work. I am on the Cemetery, Recreation, Town Hall, Health & Safety and Grants to Voluntary Bodies, Committees. I also represent the Town Council on the Welfare Charities Committee. I was involved in the planning and carrying out of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations last year and have recently become the secretary of the Greystones Tenants Advisory Committee.

I share many of the concerns raised by the Town Appraisal about traffic, employment and housing, but I am also concerned that we should provide facilities for our young people to enjoy themselves without necessarily interfering with other residents. To this end I support the action towards provision of a skate board park and the improvement of facilities at our recreation grounds. I would also like us to ensure that the Cemetery is brought back into good order, and is a fitting place for our residents to spend quiet time in reflection.

These improvements will involve the Town Council considerable outlay so I am also active in moves to improve the income by making the Town Hall a more attractive venue for events and thus improving the balance of income over expenditure. Our Town Hall is a wonderful building, and I fully support the move towards licensing it for weddings. I would hope that the Town Council can, over the next year or five, make the hall into a place used by all sections of the community.

Having just begun to have some input to the various committees I would seek to be re-elected so that I may continue to help in practical ways in making Chipping Norton a wonderful place to live.