Yarborough - a key Grimsby ward in the local elections

Local elections are almost here and Yarborough Ward could be pivotal to who runs the council afterwards.

The Grimsby ward has had an eventful recent electoral history. The Conservatives held on in a two-way tussle with Labour in 2022, but Independent Cllr Paul Henderson won handsomely last year.

The role up for grabs this time was a Conservative gain off Labour in 2021. As a result of its electoral history, Grimsby Live has heard from competing ward candidates.

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It covers Yarborough, Little Coates and part of Bradley, with West Marsh and Freshney wards to the north, and Wolds westwards.

Aharon Wharton - Liberal Democrat

Who are you and why are you standing?

"I am deeply committed to addressing the pressing issues that affect our community. My decision to stand is fuelled by a genuine desire to make a difference. I am dedicated to bringing fresh perspectives and implementing practical solutions that will make a real difference in the lives of local people." He said he understood the frustrations with party politics and the Lib Dems stood apart by representing the collective voice of local people, with no party whip system.

"I firmly believe in the values of fairness, equality, and opportunity for all, and I am dedicated to bringing about positive change and building a brighter future for the Yarborough Ward."

For Yarborough Ward, what do you think is its greatest challenge, if any, and the best part about it?

"A major challenge facing our ward revolves around traffic congestion. Residents often express frustration with the clogged roads, especially around areas like Toothill and Little Coates Road. Additionally, many residents are fed up with the frequent roadworks, which only exacerbate the congestion problem. Addressing these traffic-related issues will be a priority for me if elected, as I believe safe and efficient transportation is crucial for our community's well-being."

"However, amidst these challenges, Yarborough possesses a strong sense of community spirit and resilience as its best element," he said, adding the residents come together to support one another.

If elected, what will your policy priorities be for the ward and North East Lincolnshire?

"Firstly, tackling anti-social behaviour will be a top priority, as creating a safe and secure environment is essential for everyone's well-being. Additionally, I am committed to putting a stop to harmful building projects that do not serve the best interests of our community.

"I will also focus on addressing broken public services, ensuring that local people receive the quality services they deserve. It's crucial to make sure taxpayers' money is spent wisely, and I will work diligently to ensure transparency and efficiency in all council spending.

"Finally, I will advocate tirelessly to ensure that Yarborough Ward receives a fair deal and its fair share of resources and attention that is currently sadly lacking."

Aharon Wharton added he would keep the community informed and engaged if elected. This would involve regular newsletters, weekly ward surgeries, and surveys on important council matters. "Your concerns are my priority, and I am dedicated to taking action to address them."

Christine Vickers - Conservative

"I've decided to stand as a candidate because I see public service as really important and I like the idea of trying to make a difference throughout," said teacher Christine Vickers.

On the ward's greatest challenge, she raised road safety concerns, with incidents recently on the busy main roads. She wants drivers' behaviour altered and backs speed indicator devices. "I think measures like this will be especially effective in areas like Great Coates Road."

As for the ward's best part, she said: "There's so many different corners of the ward, it's probably the residents and the diverse community that exists."

She mentioned also having more youth programmes in the ward as a challenge and this, along with the road safety, were part of her policy priorities if elected. "Making youth provision accessible to everybody" would be a key aim. "It's something as a teacher I'm quite passionate about."

"I wish to to use my expertise in education and past experience in running community projects to really support and help with community projects," she later added.

She would also work to bring the community together and be "always accessible to residents". "I think community engagement's vital, ensuring residents feel they're included."

"For the borough as a whole, we carry on the progress we're currently seeing," she said as a priority, including the investment projects in the town centre and across the borough. Finally, she stated, "I want to enhance the existing green spaces in the ward, working alongside fellow ward councillors and Freshney Ward's." This included potentially expanding the size of the ward's nature reserve, Freshney Parkway.

Independents for North East Lincolnshire - Les Bonner

Les Bonner said he was standing because he wanted Yarborough Ward to be a better place for all. On its greatest challenge and best part, he said: "Yarborough's already a great place to live, we don't have major problems like other parts of the town. There are plenty of things that can be done to make it better."

He highlighted as a challenge three roundabouts where accidents had occurred, some serious. "Toot Hill Roundabout in particular is a danger for cyclists and pedestrians. It needs to be looked at to provide safe crossing points."

Lack of young people community facilities he also noted. "We provide very little for them to do in their spare time and then wonder why they go astray to amuse themselves."

On policy priorities, Mr Bonner gave extensive detail, much of it covering the Independent group's overall priorities. "As a member of Friends of Freshney Valley and the Grimsby independents, I'm committed to halting unnecessary construction of large housing developments, especially in the Freshney Valley. I think we need to focus on revitalising the town centre and repurposing empty homes."

He also reiterated the group's focus on transparency, accountability and council competence, regeneration to focus on social challenges in deprived wards, road capacity, and more community inclusion in council decision-making. Despite interactions with hundreds of people in recent months, he said of the Freshney Place cinema plan: "I've yet find anyone who thinks it's a good idea."

He wants greater attention to pedestrians and cyclists, including greater cycle storage facilities. Accessibility is a key priority. "It's important to prioritise areas where parking on the footpaths force people onto the roads."

"Dropped kerbs should be an integral part of footpath maintenance plans," he said. "We could be attracting people from out of town," by providing disabled accessibility, he said.

He would encourage more neighbourhood watches, too. He also suggested the council should be using examples of successful projects elsewhere like Brayford Pool in Lincoln for inspiration for the likes of Riverhead Square.

Finally, he added he would look to bring back with his fellow Independent ward councillors the all-weather play area at Grimsby Leisure Centre. "Local people like to have a local councillor that lives in the area," he said. "I've lived there for over 40 years."

Labour

Grimsby Live was unable to successfully contact the Labour candidate, Sam Brown. Labour locally are standing on a re-instiling pride in our place theme. This covers a war on fly-tipping and possible alleys amnesty to provide greater help to communities where rubbish is dumped on non-council owned land.

It also includes support for right housing in the right place, particularly social housing. Supporting local businesses, a review of public toilets and looking to restore Blue Flag status in Cleethorpes are also part of its platform this year. See Grimsby Live's interview with Labour's group leader for more detail.

TUSC

Grimsby Live was unable to successfully contact the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) candidate, Phil Tuplin. It is standing 240 candidates nationally. It objects to cuts in council jobs and services, and any privatisation of such. It also rejects increases in council tax, rent and service charges.