Posted: Wed 2nd Oct 2013

Wrexham.com’s Councillor Progress Report – Garden Village

Wrexham.com for people living in or visiting the Wrexham area
This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Oct 2nd, 2013

Last year we delivered a unique Q&A to all 138 local election candidates.

Out of the 52 council members elected, 12 kindly participated and provided responses to our questions.

Now, with over a year of the current term elapsed we caught up with them to find out what they had been up to, and how much they had achieved so far.

Each Cllr was issued with the same Q&A format, and 7 out of the 12 Cllrs answered our questions within the time frame requested.

These are the responses from Cllr for Garden Village, Andy Williams.

 

1. What was your first priority / aim for your ward prior to being elected and have you managed to achieve it?

My first priority was go around the ward from top to bottom, seeking the views of ward members, collate an action plan of work around the village. Most of this work has been completed. As new problems are highlighted, my aim is to deal with them as promptly as possible.

 

2. Since the election have you found your ward members engaged in your work, and if so what has been the main engagement tool?

Yes everyone I speak to is very interested in what I have planned next within the village, everyone has accepted me as their representative and appear to be more than happy with my work. My main engagement tool has to be face to face, every household has received my contact details and also periodic newsletters highlighting projects completed and pending work. I receive many emails and on the whole I try and visit people with an answer to their concerns as I find it far more personal. That said there is a very small amount that I have to respond to by email.

 

3. A post on the Wrexham.com forums stated that local democracy is healthy when Councillors are pushed on issues affecting their ward members. Some have called for an open forum discussion. Do you feel you are pushed enough by the people you represent and could an open forum be a tool to achieve that?

Yes I do feel I am challenged and pushed on issues in the ward and I’m happy for this to happen as this is what the residents have voted me to do, but I also strongly believe that if you keep on top of issues in your ward, and spot things that require attention or action first this can ease challenges as people know the quality of my work.

 

4. What one thing you have achieved over the last 15 months are you most proud of?

I have many things from having a new disabled access designed and constructed between the two different areas in my ward for better access, which has a direct effect on people’s lives daily. And also having a history book published on my village and donating all profits to the village comity which will be spent on little projects to make the village a better place. Being heavily involved in organising the 100 year celebrations in the village.

 

5. What do you see as the long term future in terms of Wrexham’s identity and how do you think it will be achieved?

We need to attract more business and technology to the area and also boost leisure attractions to make Wrexham a place to visit. We have many attractions now, but these need linking together and marketing to the wider world. This way people will visit, stop and spend and hopefully return.

 

6. Your current term in office is one where the council are implementing cuts. If you had to pinpoint one area the council should spend more in, and one area where they should spend less, what would they be?

That’s a hard question to answer as each and every area has merits and people will argue for each department. We can’t really spend more as we don’t have it to spend in the first place. Every service will effect different people. Although I do think that grass verges could be planted with wild flowers which in turn would require less cutting and maintenance and this would save money in the long run.

 

7. Where are your current efforts focused and what visible improvements would you like to achieve between now and the end of this term in your ward?

I try not to focus in one area as other areas will suffer, my village still needs attention to roads and paths and various maintenance projects to bring it up to a higher standard.

 

8. What do you think has been the best decision taken by the council since the election?

This may turn out to be the bid for the prison as it will bring a massive investment to the area and more jobs and will boost the local economy in all areas.

 

9. What do you think has been the worst decision taken by the council since the election?

This has to be all the cut backs, but this is unavoidable due to cut backs imposed by central government.

 

10. In our Q&A at election time we asked for your best memory of the town, so would like to ask you this time around what have you been most proud of in terms of the town since you were elected?

The on going work with the markets, we need to make our 3 markets more attractive and desirable to let, this will then boost visitors attract more tenants thus making more revenue and making the markets more sustainable.



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