VOTERS are expected to head to the polls this week for this year's Hampshire County Council elections.

Polling stations will be open between 7am and 10pm on Thursday, May 4, to vote for local councillors to represent Hampshire County Council, including for Whitchurch and The Cleres, and Candovers, Oakley and Overton.

WHITCHURCH AND THE CLERES

Conservative

Tom Thacker

Conservative candidate Tom Thacker said it has been a great honour to serve the community for the past eight years, and that he has always had a close association and commitment to the area that he has lived in for the past 40 years, St Mary Bourne.

During the last four years Tom has supported many local community projects, including: an outside play area for Whitchurch Rising Fives, a reading area for St Thomas’s CE Infant School in Woolton Hill, Outside Learning at Whitchurch Primary School, notice boards for Hurstbourne Priors and Newtown and ground maintenance at the Westridge Trust, Highclere.

Labour

John Rodway

Labour's John Rodway has lived in Kingsclere since 1988, John served, with encouragement from friends and neighbours, as an Elected Parish Councillor in Kingsclere and was Chair of Governors at Kingsclere Primary School for two years.

John has stood as the Labour party candidate for the Kingsclere Ward on three previous occasions. John is keen to see local issues of health and social care, provision of support for young people, free bus passes on Public Transport.

Having worked in Reading for a global American Software company, he is now a fulltime carer for his wife.

Green Party

Andrew Smith

The Green Party’s Andrew Smith has lived in Whitchurch for ten years having joined the party in 2010.

Andrew would seek to improve public transport and cycling facilities in the Whitchurch area and to invest in safe, healthy, and non-motorised routes to school.

He would resist plans for new oil and gas extraction, including fracking applications, and support funding for renewable energy.

And as well as improving recycling across the county he would promote the reduction and re-use of materials.

Andrew would also campaign for a change in the voting system to a proportional one.

Liberal Democrat

Linda Stepney

The Liberal Democrats for Whitchurch have chosen to have Linda Stepney stand for election.

She has lived at Bere Hill Farm with her husband for 40 years.

Linda has volunteered for work in the community, including as a helper at the “Rising Fives” and as Secretary of All Hallows Parochial Church Council.

Linda is now Secretary and a volunteer driver in Whitchurch Neighbourcare.

Her priorities for Hampshire are: effective and compassionate care for elderly and vulnerable adults, good schools for all children in the area, and traffic calming and more off-road parking.

CANDOVERS, OAKLEY AND OVERTON

Conservative

Anna McNair Scott

She has represented the division since 2001 and has served on Children's and Adult services Select Committees and as chairman of the Culture and Communities Select Committee.

Anna believes a strong Conservative administration is the best option because the present administration has made revenue savings approaching £400 million.

HCC has invested building new and enlarged schools and for Extra Care housing for older people.

D of E final results for 2016 show it was the most successful year ever for Hampshire children.

No libraries have closed nor are there plans to close any. Arrangements are being made to ensure full access to the library service.

All recycling centres remain open and accept commercial waste. Fly-tippers are being successfully prosecuted.

Liberal Democrat

Lucy Sloane Williams

Lucy has over 22 years’ experience as a parish councillor in Overton including roles as chair of planning, vice chair, member of the Overton Neighbourhood Plan Group and as both chair Highways Representative.

Lucy served a four-year term as a secondary school governor and ten years as leader of ‘Overton Youth’ group.

Her early career started in construction but she soon moved on to marketing within the pharmaceutical industry both in multinational companies and as an independent consultant.

Lucy’s interests are reflected in her education, including health, small business and environmental protection.

Today, after years of caring for older relatives, Lucy and her husband are able to enjoy the company of the family’s younger generation.

Independent 

Ian Tilbury

I am standing in this election as I believe only an Independent can truly represent the views and aspirations of all residents.

The Conservatives have run HCC for over twenty years and have repeatedly imposed cuts and closures, including closing children's centres and care homes and a local secondary school.

Our local roads are falling to pieces and full of potholes.

Reduction of hours and introduction of charges at the household waste recycling centres have led to lengthy queues and a predictable increase in fly tipping, so creates a higher cost for BDBC.

I cannot promise to stop their continuing cuts, but I can promise to try to prevent them from inflicting more and hold them to account.

Labour

Helen Jeffrey

We were still awaiting a response from Helen Jeffrey as the Advertiser went to press.

Ukip

Alan Simpson

Alan did not wish to enter an election profile.