ELECTION 2015: Arundel and South Downs - Shweta Kapadia (Lib Dem)

In the council, I have been appointed chairman of a planning committee for the past ten years, vice-chairman of the local plan working group which oversees the formulation of council planning policy and I am the council’s design and historic environment champion.

For eight years I was a council-nominated director of a housing trust and I am a member of the council’s affordable housing member panel which oversees the delivery of affordable housing in the borough.

I have advocated and supported the arts through my work as Council Member of Arts Council England South East for six years and the

RC Sherriff Trust on which I continue to serve.

I trained as an architect in India and worked on multi-million-pound industrial projects, master plans and designs for a township, and a boarding school as well as smaller projects both in India and the UK.

As a councillor I have run campaigns to save a post office, for better public transport, for road safety measures, particularly around schools and for fairer school admissions criteria in my area.

I have fought against inappropriate development.

While more houses are needed, I am against developments which have an adverse impact on the existing character of an area, and its infrastructure. I will support policies which deliver adequate affordable housing in sustainable locations and better public transport, particularly in rural areas.

I am committed to protecting the green belt and will fight policies which threaten the South Downs National Park.

I fully support the A27 Arundel bypass but will seek to ensure that its impact on the environment is minimal.

I will support policies which address the effects of climate change. Liberal Democrats in government have kept the environment at the top of the agenda and propose five new green laws: a nature bill, a green homes bill, a zero waste bill, a zero carbon bill, and a green transport bill.

I am against ‘NHS sell-off’ to the private sector. So far, only the Liberal Democrats have committed to funding the extra £8bn the health service needs as set out by NHS England’s chief executive.  

I have a proven track record for representing the interests of my local community and will ensure the same in Parliament for the residents of Arundel and South Downs.