TIME FOR A CHANGE – for Northern Rother at County For , , Ewhurst (including ), , Beckley, and Vote Stephen Hardy Liberal Democrat

Your County Council elections – why they matter The County Council are responsible for many important things in our lives – most schools and their buses, both adult and children’s social services, most roads. On May 6, you have the chance to make things better for everyone, by voting for Stephen Hardy who, as a Liberal Democrat, promises to work with other like-minded councillors.

A Powerful Team Rother Councillor Sue Prochak MBE has fought this seat in the past and now she is Deputy Leader of Rother Council and responsible for rural matters. She and Stephen Hardy MBE have been married for twenty two years, so if you elect Stephen who also has been awarded an MBE for Community Service back in1999, you would have a powerful team working for you at both District and County levels. Sue and Stephen have worked their allotment for over twenty years. Endorsement: • refurbished a council car park which the Conservatives had Councillor Polly Gray – Green Party Councillor on been planning at a cost of Council £330000, for only £46000. I am delighted to support So you work it out. We could have Stephen as an ESCC councillor. the same kind of progress, if you He is very well known as an vote for Stephen Hardy on May 6. environmentalist, a trustee of both Campaign to Protect Rural Walking cycling and horse and Rother riding Environmental Group, and Getting out into our wonderful successfully led the Robertsbridge countryside is even more Neighbourhood Plan. I have really important since Covid came along. appreciated my alliance with And according to a 2019 Sport the Liberal Democrats, which England survey, the top keeping has been hugely supportive fit activity is walking – 46% with and helpful in achieving our cycling third at 11%. Stephen’s Environmental Strategy. Stephen guess is that those figures will be has the wholehearted support of even higher now. Rother Green Party. But are our roads safe for us? Stephen is supporting a project to Nick Hanna and Stephen looking at a See what has happened get minor country lanes all over possible Quiet Lane. when there has been a Rother designated as Quiet Lanes. change locally Speeds restricted to 20 mph Lib Dem councils took action Working together does make (Twenty’s plenty!): priority given when: things better. Look at what to walkers, cycles and horses. • the Government failed to has been achieved in the last With new by-laws and signage protect people living in care two years since an Alliance of and most importantly education, homes, Independents, Liberal Democrats, it has been done recently in Labour and Greens took over at Suffolk so it can be done here, not • the Government wasted billions Rother, after the Conservatives only benefiting locals but being of pounds on a failed Track and had been in power for over a boost to tourism. Stephen Trace system. twenty years. Remember the is wholeheartedly backing the Lib Dem Sutton Council is one Conservatives have controlled the brilliant new campaign started by of only three councils that still County Council for the past twenty Nick Hanna of Rother Greenways. provides Meals on Wheels, . They years. have also, working with the NHS, placed a mental health counsellor The Alliance has What you get with a Liberal Democrat-led Council in nearly every school. • declared a Climate Emergency Lib Dem Three Rivers Council Being a Liberal Democrat and have a comprehensive in Hertfordshire has the top councillor is not just about Environmental Policy recycling rate in England. running the Civic Amenity sites, Whereas your Conservative- • changed the rules at Planning cutting the grass, or fixing the controlled County Committee meetings to make it potholes. It’s about bringing jobs Council has closed: easier for individuals and Parish to the area. It’s about bringing • 4 Children’s Centres Councils to have their say in people and organisations together Committee meetings to tackle the climate emergency. • adult care homes • set up its own housing company The coronavirus pandemic has • small schools to make sure affordable houses shown us all the vital role that are built, especially in the local councils play in all of our • the mobile library service and villages lives. many libraries. Speeding and inconsiderate parking Speeding is a problem in all villages and Stephen will support all efforts by parishes and other bodies to make roads safer for all users. The same goes for inconsiderate and illegal parking. While Stephen was District Councillor for Bodiam and Ewhurst, he headed the campaign to put up speed limits through .

We need buses in the East Sussex and recycling villages Although it is Rother who collect There is a real possibility that your waste, it is East Sussex who Covid may have dealt a fatal blow disposes of it finally, and if you to bus services in our villages. receive a regular mailing from The Government has actively the County Council you may have discouraged people using them seen recently an article headed during the pandemic. A more ’Reduce, reuse, and recycle general problem is that buses run this spring’ where it says ‘In East so infrequently, people cannot Sussex we currently send just 2% of rely upon them. They nearly go to our waste to landfill. And we want to places like the Conquest Hospital make it even less!‘ That statement but not near enough. Sensible begs the question of where does timetabling could fix that. Four the rest go. or five services a day is just not If you look on the County’s adequate. website at ‘Facts and figures about So that is why Stephen is rubbish and recycling’, you will be Yellow lines mean ‘Do not park here’. supporting the CPRE campaign of none the wiser, except that 43% a bus every hour for every village - of your waste is recycled. The rest you can see it at https://www.cpre. goes to feed the giant incinerator org.uk/news/our-report-showsa- at Newhaven where the bus-every-village-every-hour-is- Conservative controlled County possible/ Council signed a contract to keep If Germany and Switzerland feeding it for 30 years. can do it, why cannot we? Stephen Hardy asked More buses mean: a Freedom of Information question about whether there • Less traffic and air pollution Stephen’s campaign success. were any penalty clauses in the • Better access to local green contract, if the County failed to space for everyone collect enough waste to keep • More spending on our local high the incinerator going, but was streets told that was the subject of commercial confidentiality. • Access to training, jobs and Shouldn’t we know? leisure or everyone. A bit about Stephen Endorsement: Personal and political Carol Ward, Northiam Helping Hands Stephen Hardy has lived in Robertsbridge for 24 Stephen Hardy is a hands-on grafter. He is years and is married to Cllr Sue Prochak MBE who is dedicated to a set of strong principles, those that are Deputy Leader of . He stood the essence of the Liberal Democratic Party. He is for election to Westminster in 1999 and been a totally dedicated to sorting problems and improving Rother District Councillor for Bodiam and Ewhurst. people’s lives. He does not make empty promises, but makes them happen. Working in the community, an experienced campaigner Stephen was awarded an MBE for community service Sign Up for your Postal Vote and was a and Robertsbridge Parish Councillor, leading the team from 2015 to 2018 If you are not already signed up for a postal vote, which produced the second Neighbourhood Plan in you can do so before 21 April. Just log on to our Rother. He has mentored several of the emerging website – https://bexhillandbattlelibdems.org.uk/ Neighbourhood Plans in Rother. In Robertsbridge, en/ to download a form. Or simply type Postal Vote he has for the last seven years organised both the application on to your search engine. annual Christmas Capers event and the Christmas tree and lights display. Since 2014 he has been Do you need help? the Clerk to the Rural Rother Trust, a small charity Here are a few phone numbers which may be able to which gives grants to needy individuals and worthy help you: organisations in rural Rother. Staying healthy Environmental campaigning NHS help line – 111 He has been a Trustee of the Sussex Campaign Conquest Hospital – 0300 131 4500 to Protect Rural England since 2013 and also is a NHS patient transport – 0333 240 4909 Trustee of the Rother Environmental Group. Sussex mental health – 0800 030 9500

Background Money and jobs A qualified solicitor, he used to work as Legal Job centre – 0800 169 0190 Director for a FTSE 100 company and remains a Benefit support – 0333 344 0681 trustee of his company’s Pension Scheme. Covid business support – https://www.rother.gov.uk/ business/information-for-businesses/

How Green is our County Council? Support In reply to a Freedom of Information request by Domestic abuse – 08008 200 0247 Stephen Hardy, East Sussex County Council said Samaritans – 116 123 during 2017/18 they had planted no trees at all Carers’ support – 01323 738 390 across their County and in 2018/19 just 20! Parents’ helpline – 0808 802 5544

You can help us have a strong voice in Rother’s villages

• Join the Lib Dems at www.libdems.org.uk • Deliver a few leaflets • Giving of your time or money. We do not have rich donors nor are we backed by Unions • For Rother Council matters, get in touch with Cllr. Sue Prochak at [email protected] • Contact Stephen Hardy on [email protected] or on 078314940287 • Contact the Office on 01797 230234 or email [email protected] Website at www.bexhillandbattlelibdems.org.uk

Published and promoted by Jennifer Als on behalf of Stephen Hardy and Liberal Democrats all at Millwood, Peasmarsh TN31 6TB. Printed by Fastprint & Design, 4-6 Gensing Road St Leonards TN38 0BR.