West End & Horton Heath Ward candidates video hustings

[1s] Who are you and why are standing?

[11s] I'm Steve Umby and I am not a career politician.

[14s] I was a retired firefighter, 31 years in the service.

[18s] All of them retained and the last 8 whole time.

[21s] Also 9 years as a Special Constable and time as an ambulance co-responder.

[26s] That's more than 3 decades of public service, evening, weekends and middle of the night too.

[33s] Why am I standing for Hampshire County Council?

[35s] Because the county is in serious financial trouble.

[39s] It receives just £91 per person in government funding, less than half the national average.

[45s] Roads are falling apart, bus services are being cut, and you'll pay more council tax for less in return.

[52s] You need a councillor.

[53s] Fight for West End and Horton Heath's fair share.

[56s] And who knows what frontline services look like, because I've delivered them.

[63s] I'm standing for re-election because in five years I've achieved quite a lot, I am pleased to say, but there's still more to do,

[75s] particularly the resurfacing of West End High Street and the improvement that works there.

[79s] I need to make sure I can see that through to its conclusion.

[82s] I'm also keen to keep working on the One Horton Heath plan to make sure that highways matters that aren't neglected.

[88s] You need someone who's not a sitting Lib Dem Councillor to stand up for you with everything to do with One Norton Heath.

[94s] I've done it for the last five years.

[95s] And I want to carry on doing it.

[97s] Thank you.

[98s] What's one transport change you would prioritize locally and where?

[105s] Fix the roads properly, not just patching.

[108s] Proper resurfacing and drainage at last.

[111s] I'm a motorcyclist.

[113s] For me, a pothole isn't an inconvenience, it's a potential killer.

[117s] But even if you're in a car, every porthole that damages a wheel is an insurance payment.

[122s] Every claim pushes premiums up for everyone.

[125s] It's hidden tax.

[127s] Hampshire has cut seven and a half million from road maintenance and repairs.

[131s] Repairs have dropped from over 90,000 a year to barely 30,00. That's unacceptable.

[137s] But transport isn't just tarmac.

[140s] Bus services are being cut and that hits children getting to school, older residents getting into the GP and anyone who doesn't drive.

[147s] I'd also work with local businesses to sponsor the volunteer drivers who provide lifelines for people who can't get to medical appointments.

[156s] Those volunteers deserve proper backing.

[160s] What's the big transport change?

[161s] Simple, what we're already doing.

[163s] £15 million ring fence money put into roads resilience so that next winter the roads will be in a much better state to withstand the weather.

[171s] Additionally, £5 million put in the highways for money will charge utility companies when they're digging up roads for essential work.

[178s] So, Swagling Road in West End or Botany Road, in Haughton Heath.

[182s] Money charged to the utility company is going into your roads.

[186s] That's it.

[188s] Where would you spend more?

[189s] And what would cut to pay for it?

[194s] Spend more on roads and local transport, the things you see and use every day.

[199s] Pay for it by cutting layers of needless management at County Hall.

[203s] I spent 31 years watching bureaucracy pile up above the people doing the actual work.

[208s] Strip that back, but keep communicating with residents, digital firsts to save money.

[214s] Printed updates for those who aren't online.

[216s] Nobody gets left behind.

[219s] Residents would agree that the place that Hampshire needs to spend more money is on roads resilience, making sure that next winter we don't suffer from

[226s] the same pothole problems we did this year.

[228s] Hampshire's doing that by ring fencing receipts from capital sales.

[231s] So when redundant property is sold, the money's put into a ring fence fund to make sure it goes into roads resilient.

[238s] We're spending more where you want it to be spent, but not cutting services in other areas.

[243s] That's how we're going to do it.

[245s] One last call.

[246s] Anything you'd like to say?

[249s] Hampshire County Council takes the biggest share of your council tax and right now it's not delivering.

[254s] Roads are crumbling, bus routes are vanishing and the council's own finance officer has said a 15% tax rise might be needed just to keep the lights on.

[264s] That's no acceptable.

[266s] I've lived in this borough for 37 years, I spent my career on the front line, not behind a desk, but turning up when people needed help.

[274s] I've spent my whole adult life running towards problems when everyone else was running the other way.

[279s] Give me your vote on May 7th and I'll bring that same approach to County Hall.

[284s] Thanks.

[286s] This is the most important election you'll be taking part in for about 50 years.

[290s] Hampshire is being reorganised.

[292s] Local government reorganisation is a thing.

[295s] We may not agree with it, and I don't like the plan the government's come up with, but to implement it is something we have to do.

[301s] You need experienced, level heads to this.

[308s] and talk to people they might disagree with and come up with the right answers for you, the public of Fair Oak and Horton Heath and West End and Eastley

[317s] and Hampshire.

[318s] That's why I think you should vote for me this year.