Photo: Independent councillors Cllr Gavin Heathcote, Cllr Karen Walker and Cllr Chris Warren have launched a new movement that hopes to provide a strong independent voice for local people.
A new movement led by Independent Councillors in Bath and North East Somerset is calling for local people to be at the centre of the council’s decision-making processes.
Launched just last week, Independents for B&NES is a new political cause that not only wants to put local people first, but wants to provide a strong voice for non-party politics across the district.
The movement has been founded by three Independent Councillors that are enthusiastic about taking the independent movement forward and they are encouraging others to join them too.
The new group on the council will be led by veteran Independent councillor Cllr Karen Walker, who is the only person in the council’s 30-year history to have served as Chair of the Local Authority twice.
She said: “We want to provide a strong voice for independent politics in the council chamber and ensure that local people’s voices are heard – especially when the council is discussing issues that impact them.
There is a growing disillusionment with party-politics across Bath and North East Somerset, and so our new Independents for B&NES movement wants to provide the alternative that residents are crying out for.”
Independents for B&NES have outlined their Five Campaign Commitments, these are issues they’ll be prioritising and campaigning on over the next two years:
- Putting people first – Giving power back to the public, ensuring that residents’ voices are heard, and they are properly consulted on all major decisions that affect the community they live in
- Calling for an immediate halt to all Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) plans and for all LTNs introduced since May 2023 to be reviewed
- Supporting small and medium sized businesses – removing red tape and enabling our local economy to grow and flourish
- Increase council investment in community facilities, such as greater support for our volunteer-run Community Libraries
- Cut waste – ensuring that all council decisions, particularly those on finance and property, prioritise value for money, less bureaucracy and greater transparency
Group Member, Cllr Gavin Heathcote (Independent, Peasedown) added:
“These are five campaign commitments that we believe matter to local people. Residents tell us on a daily basis that they are fed up with the Lib Dem-run B&NES Council wasting public finances on frivolous projects, whilst at the same time cutting money to community libraries and reducing financial aid to local charities that support some of our area’s most vulnerable.”
As well as Peasedown’s two Independent Councillors, the third founding member of the movement is Saltford’s new Independent Councillor, Cllr Chris Warren.
Cllr Warren joined the council in January after defeating the ruling Liberal Democrat party in a by-election they were confident of winning in Saltford. Despite throwing ‘everything’ into winning the seat, Chris’ ‘common sense community matters’ campaign paid off. It was the first time the Lib Dems had lost a seat in a by-election in B&NES since the council was created in 1995.
Cllr Chris Warren (Independent, Saltford) said:
“We’re keen to cut waste, reduce red tape and provide a common-sense approach to local politics. The council’s unpopular plans to impose low traffic neighbourhoods, close residential roads, stop people driving to their own front doors, and the expectation that emergency services vehicles should pay to drive into the centre of Bath have been disastrous.
Residents are fed up with the status quo and it’s time to do things differently.”
Any residents who’d like to contact any of three councillors in Independents for B&NES can get in touch with them via the B&NES Council website.
“We’re particularly keen to hear from anyone who’d like to join our movement,” added Karen.
