Hampton Court Rescue Campaign backs Steve

Today I have received the endorsement of the Hampton Court Rescue Campaign. This is a major boost to my campaign and to say I am thrilled and delighted is an understatement! It shows my campaign themes of protecting Molesey from the parking problems likely to be made worse by building at the Jolly Boatman and station site, and fighting for the best outcomes for Molesey regarding the JB site, are hugely important to the people of Molesey!

Below is the announcement, my thoughts to follow after I've gathered them!

This email is for HCRC supporters living in the Molesey East Ward but may also be of interest to other supporters.

As a supporter of our fight to stop the enormous development that includes the Jolly Boatman site next to Hampton Court station, you will be aware that Hampton Court Rescue Campaign seeks to have the Jolly Boatman area landscaped to enhance the heritage views of the Palace from our side of the river.

We would like to make it absolutely clear that HCRC is a non-political, single issue, pressure group. Its only role is to fight against the Jolly Boatman development and the adverse impact the currently approved scheme will have on Hampton Court Palace and the local community of Molesey.

Being non-political, HCRC is able to support any person or organisation it feels will fight against this dreadful development - its financial and practical support of Keith Garner’s High Court action is an example of this.

HCRC will fight this development anywhere and everywhere so the future of the Jolly Boatman site will continue to be the hottest local issue in Molesey long after the coming May elections.

Molesey will be kept busy this summer. The Hampton Court Flower Show, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic Games will focus the world’s attention on our precious local heritage.

Parking and traffic will be pressure points in residential roads during this time, but will offer residents and businesses a foretaste of what Molesey’s streets will be like when construction of the Jolly Boatman development starts and the Station car park has to close.

The local Elections offer us the opportunity to have better community representation and a louder lobby in Elmbridge's Council Chamber, so identifying the strongest candidate for Councillor of Molesey East, has been high on the HCRC agenda.

HCRC committee is truly non-political - we include MRA supporters, Liberal Democrats, Labour supporters, Conservatives - but as a Group we will support any political candidate who will properly and openly represent our interests and the Molesey Community.

There are only two credible candidates: Steve Bax Conservative and Nigel Cooper Molesey Residents Association.

HCRC has read the messages that the two candidates have published in their pre-election newsletters and more importantly, we have now had the opportunity to study both manifestos. Steve Bax has enthusiastically grasped the issues that concern HCRC. At the top of his list of manifesto pledges is to fight against the huge impact the Jolly Boatman development will have on Molesey. By contrast, HCRC cannot find even a small mention of the JB development in Nigel Cooper’s manifesto – no short term commitment to push for the site to be cleaned up ahead of the 2012 summer events, nor a pledge to fight the development in the longer term.

Read both candidate’s newsletters and manifestos, speak to them on the doorstep during canvassing, and judge for yourself.

HCRC believes Steve Bax to be the strongest candidate to represent Molesey East Ward in the forthcoming elections. We are certainly not endorsing the EBC Conservative Group as a whole, but are persuaded that Steve Bax will do the best job for Molesey in the difficult times ahead.

Your vote for Steve on Thursday 3^rd May will be crucial in the fight against the Jolly Boatman development.

If your neighbours are not on our database, please share this email.

Hampton Court Rescue Campaign

(hamptoncourtrescuecampaign.com)

Candidates announced for this year's Molesey East election!

The official starting gun for this year's Elmbridge Borough Council elections was fired this morning, with the announcement from the council of the candidates who will be standing in May.

One big surprise is the number of candidates for Molesey East this year - at 12 is quite possibly a record! The reason for there being so many is that the Official Monster Raving Looney Party has decided to put-up nine candidates! I'm hearing on the grapevine that it might be an attempt to get into the records book for the most candidates from the same party.

Less surprising was the news that the MRA will be fielding Nigel Cooper as their candidate once again. After 17 years at the council and a lacklustre record of achievement for Molesey, particularly in the last four years, I don't think we can expect anything new from him. But I'll await his manifesto with interest.

I will be pledging support for residents of East Molesey who are suffering the ill-effects of railway commuters filling up their streets, with a practical plan to resolve the long-running problem (an issue which by the way, the MRA refuses to address and opposes the solutions!). I also promise to use my influence within the Conservative group at Elmbridge to restore the free parking at Molesey's town centre car park, to give a boost to our hard-pressed shops and a welcome relief to residents whose streets are being a tempting target for shoppers and shop workers who wish to avoid paying car parking charges.

As a member of the Friends of Molesey Library I will do my bit to keep our library open and thriving, and as a councillor will safeguard our town from inappropriate development, especially the kind which threatens our green and open spaces. Molesey could use a voice within the Conservative group to argue our corner and win over the broadest church of support.

On the thorny issue of the Jolly Boatman, I urge the owners of the site to accept the very generous offer from Historic Royal Palaces to landscape the site for the Olympics. I would like to see this become permanent and will support and encourage any credible plan to purchase the site for the community. I have grave reservations about the scale of what is proposed and its potential to spoil the view of the Palace from the Molesey side of the river. It could also have a detrimental affect on traffic flow and the already severe problem of station users parking in Molesey's residential streets.

I am standing for council because I live in Molesey and love the sense of community here, and the unique access to the river and parks and of course our proximity to historic Hampton Court. I want Molesey to continue to be a great place to raise my two young children and for you to raise yours.

I have been writing to residents all year courtesy of the Molesey News - the newsletter in newspaper style I created in August last year. So I believe I am starting this campaign on solid foundations and concentrating on genuine local issues. Mine is a manifesto for Molesey and I am looking forward to meeting as many of you on the doorsteps to hear your concerns and to do what I can to help.

Please keep checking the website between now and May 3rd for updates.

Best wishes,
Steve Bax

Molesey Conservative Residents candidate for Molesey East