The Haslemere Herald this week has a summary of all the candidates for the Haslemere Town Council election on 2nd May.
As well as standing as an Independent candidate for the Surrey County Council (Haslemere ward ) by-election, I am also standing for re-election as an Independent councillor for the Haslemere South ward of Haslemere Town Council.
Here is my statement printed in this week’s Haslemere Herald with my campaign photo.
Nikki Barton Campaign Image 2019
Nikki Barton – Independent
Nikki Barton has been an Independent councillor for Haslemere South for the last two years and will be standing again in May. She lives in the ward with her husband and three teenage daughters.
As well as leading a successful campaign to stop parking meters in the town, Nikki is a founder member of the Haslemere South Residents’ Association. She has also brought together many community organisations in her role as Chair of the Haslemere Community Rail Partnership. Nikki will fight inappropriate development of our precious countryside. She advocates sustainable transport.
As a councillor and community volunteer, Nikki has consistently delivered results for the town without the constraints of party politics.
In the current edition of The Haslemere Herald, the paper published an article about a new public access defibrillator that has been installed on the station forecourt.
Nikki Barton is cited in the article:
“We are very grateful to the Shottermill Great War Memorial Trust, Haslemere First Responders, the Association of Community Rail Partners and South Western Railway for their contributions to this life saving equipment.”
I’ve spent the day planning campaign content (themes for blog posts and story boards for video) for the next four weeks and I remembered this from two years ago. When I stood in the by-election for Haslemere Town Council in May 2017, a friend had helped me put together this short video:
I said:
My name is Nikki Barton and I moved to Haslemere South just over ten years ago with my young family, my three lovely daughters, and I quickly realised what a very special community it was.
I’ve been very involved in the community over the years.
I started a walking bus for St Bart’s schoolchildren to help them get to school more safely.
I became a governor of St Bart’s School and then I discovered that Surrey County Council were planning to put parking meters throughout the High Street and along the other principle roads in his town. I led a successful challenge against that introduction of meters.
I’ve also been involved with setting up the Haslemere Vision, the neighbourhood plan and I’ve also served for four years as the independent County Council for Haslemere.
As Surrey County Councillor, I initiated quite a few projects around the town a key one was the Haslemere Community Rail Partnership which is set up at the station to try and promote the town and all the wonderful things that happen in the town and the countryside around.
If I was elected to represent Haslemere South in the town council I would continue to champion Haslemere as I have done through my four years as an independent County Councillor.
I’ve never been afraid to speak up for the town and pursue the principles of openness and transparency and community engagement.
Another key concern for me is the scrutiny for finance at the Town Council level and also that we look at what we value in the town.
There are several key issues that are of key concern at the moment for example traffic speeds and road safety in the town and that’s something very dear to my heart.
We’re also facing some severe challenges with the loss of potentially both of our post offices, the closure of the Marjorie Gray dementia day care centre and the cuts really to some essential services. We lost our youth worker for example and I really feel that the Town Council could have a huge role to play in looking at some of those key issues.
Looking again at that video, it’s a good moment to reflect on three proud successes for the community to celebrate. All were mentioned in that video two years ago. The dementia day care centre was saved and is now The Hunter Centre, still located on the Grayswood Road and the community post office that used to be located in The Coop was saved by the community and relocated to Haslewey. The Haslemere Community Rail Partnership has gained more recognition and is going to extend with the team’s help to other stations along the Portsmouth line.
I’ve enjoyed being a councillor for the past 6 years. This is what key people have said about my involvement in the community:
Nikki Barton was a strong supporter of the local community and to me personally here in Haslemere in January 2017 when the Alzheimer’s Society decided to close the Dementia Day Care Centre where my husband and many others suffering from Dementia attended. Nikki recognised our local vision for the need to help keep this valuable service for Clients and Carers. She voiced our concerns at meetings at both local and County levels and stood beside those of us who were determined to keep this service operational. Without her unwavering encouragement, support and negotiating expertise, we would not have had the voice to bring about the opening of a new thriving Community Charity for dementia care in Haslemere, The Hunter Centre. I am proud to support and recommend Nikki as an Independent Candidate for SCC. Margaret Barlow, Trustee – The Hunter Centre
With no party line to follow and, as someone living within the ward she is hoping to represent, Nikki has a proven track record of not only listening to the views of the community but, where necessary, taking appropriate action. A true community player with no hidden agenda, who I know will truly and honestly represent the issues and concerns of the people of Haslemere. Ken Griffiths, AKA Community Ken
Please click on this link to read more testimonials. There are no constraints to being an Independent councillor. As long as you put Haslemere first, you can achieve great successes.
I am planning to produce more videos for my 2019 campaign for the Surrey County Council and Haslemere Town Council elections.
Would you like join my campaign? As an Independent, I have no party machine to fund or manage my campaign. Read here to see how you can help.
My letter published in The Haslemere Herald announcing that I am standing as an Independent candidate in the Surrey County Council by-election on 2nd May 2019.
Dear Sir/Madam,
My Promise
‘Anger at absentee councillors’ was a shocking headline on your front page last month. I believe it is totally unacceptable when councillors, who are paid out of our taxes, do not engage to serve the community that elected them.
It really matters because Surrey County Council is responsible for so much that affects our daily lives. At this critical time when budgets are being slashed and key services are under threat, Haslemere needs councillors who are willing to show up and stand up for their community free from party politics – councillors who will actively lobby for Haslemere’s fair share of those scarce resources because their only priority is putting Haslemere first.
In 2013 I took the decision to stand as Haslemere’s first Independent County Councillor. Many people thought this was a waste of time because every single Haslemere councillor at town, borough and county levels was a Conservative. My determination came from my experience in the successful campaign to stop Surrey’s plan to put parking meters throughout our town, hurting local businesses, schools and churches. I had been shocked by the lack of openness and transparency at meetings where (one) party politics dominated.
Winning the election was a ground-breaking moment, and a great honour. I threw myself into the role with energy, and a deep commitment to serve the community with passion, transparency and engagement. I worked hard, listened and built trust. I hope readers of The Herald might take the time to read about my activities here: www.haslemerefirst.com/achievements.
As my youngest daughter prepared for secondary school, I decided to fill a seat on the town council rather than continuing at the county level. But it was disheartening to watch as my successor’s absence meant that the relationships and momentum I had built for the town were being wasted. Haslemere deserves better.
I have therefore decided to stand for election once again as an Independent candidate for Haslemere.
My priorities if elected again as your Surrey County Councillor will be:
· to ensure Haslemere has an independent voice at county level to best represent its interests – I believe in putting community before politics
· to promote openness and transparency within local government – I believe in the power of accountability
· to fight for a fair allocation of funding for Haslemere in times of austerity – I believe in standing up for the needs of our community
Above all, I promise to put Haslemere first!
Yours faithfully
Nikki Barton
Haslemere’s Independent candidate for Surrey County Council
Do you have up to an hour free this afternoon from 2pm? Meet us at the info hub to go on to weed the flower bed on the south side of platform 2/3 .. bring your kneeler, gardening gloves & fork! #haslemere#volunteering
— Haslemere Information Hub (@Haslemere_iHub) March 26, 2019
Did you hear this morning’s BBC Surrey Breakfast Show broadcast from Haslewey?
Here is a link (available for 28 days) to the BBC Breakfast Show. Below is Ken Griffiths, BBC Surrey’s winner of their Community Heroes Volunteers Award last year, filmed by BBC Surrey outside Haslewey.
This is a call out to any constituent in my ward (Haslemere South) to send me details of any specific issues affecting highways/pavements such as cutting back vegetation, cleaning road signs, removing posts in verges, decluttering of signs and the like (BUT not gully cleaning or anything relating to tarmac).
A photo/map showing specifics would be very helpful, by June 15th. Please send to me and/or the town clerk:
Dear Sir/Madam,