The candidates vying for your votes in Norcot for the 2022 Local Elections have been announced.
In the election that is being held on Thursday, May 5 this year, the entirety of Reading Borough Council will be voted in.
The Norcot ward is an area of Tilehurst which stretches from Prospect School in the south to Oxford Road in the north.
People will be electing three councillors this time round.
Norcot is a Labour stronghold, with current councillors Jo Lovelock and Graeme Hoskin defending their seats, and fellow Labour cllr Debs Absolom standing down.
See all the candidates seeking your votes by party below.
Labour
Jo Lovelock
Jo Lovelock said: “I have represented Norcot Ward for many years and have always tried to ensure that the issues that matter to local residents are taken into account when making decisions at the Council.
“I have always lived in Reading, was a special needs teacher and have brought my family up in Tilehurst. I have five grandchildren and, like most people, I worry for their future, including everything from the cost of housing, education and day to day bills to the frightening worldwide issues.
“Locally in Norcot we are working on a wide range of issues, including:
- Completion of Dee Park of regeneration – including the new Community Centre and the demolition of the final 1960s flats.
- Rebuilding Ranikhet School.
- New play equipment, children’s Activity Centre and café in Prospect Park.
- Consulting on measures to enforce a 20mph zone in streets off the Oxford Road now funding is agreed.
- Improvements to the Meadway Sports Centre.
- Campaigning to deter fly tipping, and working with the administration on its new free bulky waste collection service.
- Many individual issues, including more people who are suffering hardship.
“I very much hope to continue working on behalf of Norcot residents.”
Graeme Hoskin
Graeme Hoskin is the council’s current Lead for Health, Wellbeing & Sport.
He said: “I’m delighted to be able to stand again for election in the area my family and I live in. It’s been a huge privilege to be able to represent my community on the council and to deliver improvements in my neighbourhood. Despite the challenge of huge government cuts to the council’s budget it has been great to drive forward with improvements such as new family hub and playground at Prospect Park, investment is local leisure centres, a new community centre for Dee Park Estate, a re-built Ranikhet primary school and local roads resurfaced.
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“It’s been great to be part of a strong and hard working Labour team in Norcot and I am looking forward, if elected, to continuing that strong local representation.
“I also want to do my part to deliver on our ambitious Reading Labour Manifesto, to continue investment in our town, ensure our Reading continues to be successful, as well as focussing on addressing inequality and poverty.
“Reading is doing well with a Labour council despite difficult times for our country. I hope the people of Reading will place their trust in us once again so we can ensure our town has a bright future.”
Colette Dennis
Colette Dennis said: “I am a mother, and a grandmother whose parents came over in the 1950s as part of the Windrush Generation. Due to my father’s strong Labour values and principles which have been ingrained in me, I became involved in the Labour Party.
“I have lived in Reading for 11 years and made it my home. I am a former business analyst/project manager in the private and public sector, 19 years of those in Adult and Children’s Social Care.
“I am also a Nutritionist and I love working with the over 50’s looking at health and well-being. I have been a carer for my elderly mother who had dementia, and I feel passionately about services for social care. As a parent and Grandmother I know education, mental well-being and mentoring for young people is key to the community’s success. I want to be a voice for those in the community.
“My strong family values are what’s driven me to help make a difference to the people of Norcot as a candidate and improve services for Reading.”
Conservatives
Zachary Okeyo
Zachary Okeyo lives in Reading and has worked for many years at Reading Station for Great Western Railway.
He has been involved with several organisations such as Kenya in the Park, promoting local businesses, creating health awareness, promoting equality and improving cohesion amongst different ethnic communities.
Mr Okeyo is again standing in Norcot as he is passionate about his community and if elected, he pledges to campaign for lower council tax, protect our local environment and work with community groups to keep Norcot safe.
Suzanne Rowe
Suzanne was born and bred in Reading and is originally from Dee Road, in Norcot. Suzanne is passionate about young people and education, and believes that equality of opportunity in education is the most important factor in success and personal development.
Luke Ellis
Luke moved to Reading in 2001 to work for a local IT company. Luke is a qualified Chartered Accountant and is passionate about strong financial management.
Liberal Democrats
Dorothy Gibert
Dorothy Gibert used to teach English in France before moving back to the UK; she now lives on the Tilehurst-Norcot border near her daughters and grandchildren.
She is passionate about local communities in West Reading and is a great supporter of initiatives such as the Reading-Dusseldorf partnership and the Sanctuary City status.
She believes it is important that Reading remains a safe and healthy place for future generations and is keen to protect our local wildlife and green spaces.
If elected, her priorities are getting a fair deal for Norcot residents and services, building the affordable housing we need, where we need it, and protecting our green spaces and woodlands from further development.
Green Party
Richard Walkem
Richard Walkem has lived in Reading for over 10 years. Richard works as a teacher and treasurer for a local church. When not working Richard enjoys exploring the words and parks with his children.
Richard would like to see a fairer, greener, more affordable town. The Reading Green Party mini manifesto for 2022 is here: https://reading.greenparty.org.uk/manifesto/
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
Jen Bottom
Jen Bottom is an activist and a blind woman standing for the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) party, which is critical of the Labour administration’s leadership.
She said: “Are you sick and tired of Labour councillors carrying out Tory cuts ‘with a heavy heart’ rather than actually fightng for the people who elected them?
“Are you appalled by a Labour group that welcomed a former Tory mayor, Cllr David Stevens, with open arms when he joined their ranks?
“What more evidence do we need that there is no difference between the Tories and Labour?
“TUSC are different. We say the council should put forward a no cuts budget using reserves and borrowing powers.
“We would support a determined campaign amongst local trade unions representing council workers in conjunction with service users and the wider community to demand the funding from central government that is needed for the people of Reading.
“We do not live in a poor country and the money is clearly available to meet our needs. We can see how the richest in society are becoming ever more wealthy.
“We also say that Reading Borough Council should use available powers to enforce rent controls and should iniate a mass programme of council house building.”
Independent
Alan Gulliver
Alan Gulliver is standing as an independent candidate in this year's elections.
He said: "
My name is Alan Gulliver, I have lived on the norcot ward since 1993, I studied at Reading college and have stayed on the estate with my family ever since.
"I am possibly the first Romany gypsy to stand in the ward in a local election as well.
"I am standing as an independent candidate for the norcot ward as the current councillors are not representing the residents.
"The town has a higher council tax cost which is unacceptable during this time of cost hiking and cost counting for people.
"I would like to start giving back to the residents by implementing some changes, these are only small ones at first as promising the world is not right as it isn’t deliverable.
"I would like to make bus fare cheaper for all, help take the cost of petrol costs off of the residents, give the nhs hospital staff free bus passes to offset the cost of parking there. Install more electric charging points for people, as visitors of the town aren’t always able to find local charging points.
"Communal green bins for all residents, saving the yearly cost and dumping of garden waste and preventing the Dee road fire station being turned into flats as the local area doesn’t have enough local services to cope, we need a leisure facility instead."
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