James Holland

1. What are the three biggest issues for your ward, how do you think they need to be resolved, and what will you do to achieve it?

In my ward there is a huge lack of facilities. There aren’t many things for young children to do in the ward and I aim to change that. I would like to ensure parks have better equipment, as well as equipment for young and older children as well as disabled children too. Potholes are also a big issue I have noticed. They are a problem as they can damage cars, injure people and are an eyesore to look at. I aim to tackle this issue by resurfacing rather than temporary patching. Dog fouling and litter are an issue too. There aren’t many bins in the area that are convenient for people who walk their dogs or people who might be carrying litter. Having more bins that are conveniently placed would help decrease the amount that accumulates

2. What do you think needs to be done to help Wrexham recover from the pandemic and what hands-on-role can you play as a councillor ?

I think the council needs to buy locally more. It needs to use more local companies for resources to support Wrexham. This will fuel the local economy and help make Wrexham more prosperous. I would help communicate with these local companies to ensure that everything runs smoothly and that work will get carried out effectively.

3. As a councillor you may have the chance to take on further roles eg. Lead Member, Audit, Scrutiny. What appeals to you and what skills do you bring to that role?

I would prefer to focus on my role as a councillor. I would like to make sure all my effort goes on to make my ward a great place and that people have everything they need. I feel that if I took on too many responsibilities that I might neglect my duties as councillor.

4. What do the words climate emergency mean to you and your ward?

Those words are important to me. There is a global crisis that can yet be averted by decreasing our carbon footprint. I pride myself on my low carbon footprint by wasting very little. In my ward there is a lot of greenery and fields. It is lovely to have lots of nice areas like this and the people in the ward love it too.

5. What is the biggest thing you would have done differently from the ruling administration over the last 5 years? (Or, if you were part of the Administration - what would you have done differently?)

I would not have pushed for city status as a councillor as the public didn’t want it. This is a clear example of the council not listening to the wishes of the Wrexham constituents. As a councillor I aim to do things differently and want to listen to the people in the ward and always be approachable.

6. Local health pressures are well documented, from delayed ambulances to issues in the hospital. How can the council help resolve those problems?

The NHS has been underfunded for many years and suffers from a lack of doctors and nurses. Plaid Cymru’s National Care Service policy looks at integrating social and healthcare services into one service, headed by the local government.

7. What will you do on a local level to help support people in your ward affected by the cost of living crisis?

Plaid Cymru helped to create the free school meals service for children at primary schools. For lots of financially challenged parents this is a huge help. Plaid hope to continue the good work by providing free school meals for all high school pupils. This will continue to support family’s that have financial issues as well as ensuring that all children will be able to eat everyday. I would have not voted to increase council tax this year by 4%.

8. How would you improve the local education system?

As a queer person, education was difficult for me. I was constantly bullied and scrutinised for me being who I am. I would like to create a youth club that is accepting of queer children, to support them and show them that learning can be a pleasant experience. I would also give them information on queer subjects such to help them get a better understanding of the community.

9. When the public view the Full Council meeting in June, do you envision you could be part of a Party, Group or coalition, and if so, specifically who and why?

I am a member of Plaid Cymru and will sit as part of a team of Plaid members as they are my family. They continue to support me and I shall do the same.

10. This is a noteworthy election with 16 and 17 year olds now able to vote, what have you done to engage this new electorate and what do you think is the biggest issue for them locally ?

I am a young person myself and I can speak personally on this matter. I feel young people aren’t told they can vote or how to vote. They are left to find out themselves and if they haven’t got a very politically active family it can be difficult. I am standing as a councillor to give younger people a voice.